There are probably a million and one ideas for kitchen lighting techniques and styles. I asked Paul Ryan, host of Kitchen Renovations on the DIY Network what type of innovative kitchen lighting ideas he liked best and he was quick to respond with a definitive favorite. Paul seems to favor multiple track lighting (also known as free form or flexible track lighting) for the ultimate in versatility and style in today's kitchens.

You wouldn't think luxury and green belong in the same sentence together but I'll give it a go.

Having a swimming pool in your own backyard is a luxury, while heating it with a solar panel heating system makes it green. In this context, green does not mean algae-laden.

Okay...so it's a bit of a stretch but it's a better ecological choice than heating it with natural gas or even a heat pump.

You can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs by installing a solar pool heater. They're cost competitive with both gas and heat pump pool heaters, and they have very low annual operating costs. Actually, solar pool heating is the most cost-effective use of solar energy in many climates. Source

After the initial installation costs of the solar pool heating system, the ongoing cost to heat this pool will be negligible. The only ongoing cost will be electricity to run the control panel, recirculating pump and periodic maintenance. In my opinion, heating the pool with the energy of the sun's rays vs heating with a natural gas system would be considered green. Agreed?

I'm smack dab in the middle of yet another home improvement project. This time we're tackling the dining room and we've removed the old wallpaper, spackled, sanded and started to paint. One of the big differences from this project and the last one is the type of primer and paint I'm using. Low odor, low VOC paint is the way to go!

If you read my 3-part post on my DIY bathroom re-decorating project then you might remember that the fumes from the primer I used just about knocked me out. That was THE last time I'll ever use that exact type of primer. Moving forward I've decided not to use any type of paint or primer that isn't low or zero VOC or at the very least of the low odor variety.

VOC is an acronym for Volatile Organic Compounds.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are carbon-containing chemical compounds that readily evaporate into the atmosphere. Common examples of things that emit VOCs into the atmosphere include gasoline, mineral spirits, alcohol, nail polish, and paint. Source

What's the difference between low odor/odorless and low/zero VOC paint?

HGTV's 2008 Dream Home, located in a private development dubbed The Shore at Islamorada on Plantation Key, FL, is a beachcomber's dream (and a fisherman's dream, for that matter). I was finally able to sit down and take in the "TV tour" of the home the other night and saw one desirable feature after another hit the screen that should suit many dreamers/planners who long for a home by the sea.

photo courtesy HGTV

If you're lucky enough to live near a drive in movie theater then you know that in order to hear the movie you have to turn on your car radio. It didn't used to be that way. At one point in time (decades ago) you'd pull up next to a post with 2 speakers on it, turn off the ignition and prop one of the speakers on your window "sill" and enjoy the flick.

Now drive-in movie speakers are somewhat collectible. Here's how my aunt and uncle found and restored a pair of vintage drive-in movie speakers and hanging post to go with all of the other 50's & 60's decor in their totally awesome (can't believe I said that) retro room collectibles.

Sandy and I visited a feature-laden (new) home for sale today that was loaded with the features we like and it had a great floor plan, too.

Amongst all of the great features and positive practicalities of the plan there was one little feature in the kitchen pantry that caught our eye and made me think "...why hadn't we seen this "bright" idea before now?".

Have you ever heard of a Solotone Entertainer coin operated jukebox speaker? I hadn't until just a couple of months ago while visiting some relatives in Ohio.

It's an interesting little piece of 1940's vintage equipment with a bit of character. Put your nickel or dime in the slot and enjoy the music coming from the centralized jukebox system. Nostalgia and good ol' American capitalism combined to give good vibes to diner patrons. It was an interesting concept in diners at the time. It soon gave way to the tabletop jukebox song selector that allowed diner patrons to select the music they wanted to hear rather than just listening to a speaker with no control of the type of music being played. Of course, everyone in the diner would be listening to what you had selected to play.