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A Century-Old Home on Long Island Receives a Modern Makeover

By Jean J. Brown 2 days ago

It’s not often that a school auction is responsible for bringing a designer and client together, but Courtney McLeod can thank one such event for connecting her with one of her most loyal homeowners. A few years ago, McLeod donated her services to one such auction and the Manhattan family who won used her company, Right Meets Left Interior Design, to decorate a nursery for their new baby. Fast-forward to six months later: The family decided to decamp for the suburbs, specifically the tony shores of Sands Point on the North Shore of Long Island. One of their first calls was to McLeod to ask if she would consider tackling the interior design of their 9,000-square-foot manse. The catch? They wanted to be in the home by Christmas, and it was August by the time McLeod was able to begin the bulk of her work.

At the time, in 2016,

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Coronavirus quarantines made Americans want to spend on home improvement

By Jean J. Brown 3 days ago

As Americans sheltered in place this summer, home improvement retailers like Lowe’s Companies (LOW) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) boasted lucrative summer sales. 

Americans splurged on home improvement during the pandemic because they “finally have the time” and are “adapting to a new lifestyle under COVID,” according to a survey of over 1,000 U.S. homeowners from July 7-9 by Porch, a Seattle-based home improvement website. 

“Who amongst us hasn’t sat around their home during this period and thought about how they could make it better? This is almost a universal experience at the moment,” HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List (ANGI) CEO Brandon Ridenour told Yahoo Finance last week.

One California-based service that matches contractors with consumers, Houzz, saw a 58% increase in requests for home professionals in June 2020, compared to June 2019. And private companies have echoed reports of a growing market. 

“Who amongst

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As Florida nursing home residents died, operators raked in federal handouts

By Jean J. Brown 1 week ago

Heather Williams knew on April 28 that her mom, 63-year-old Sarita Redmond, had tested positive for COVID-19. But the Southern Oaks Care Center, which had become a petri dish of infection, would tell Williams nothing more.

Call after call to the Pensacola nursing home went unanswered, Williams said. And a state executive order intended to protect elders in long-term care barred her from visiting her mother.

Williams asked local police to make a welfare check in mid-May. The Pensacola Police Department told her that COVID-19 restrictions forbid that, too.

“I didn’t know what else I could do,” Williams said.

The day before Williams learned that her mother had COVID, Southern Oaks reported that 92 residents and 15 employees at the 210-bed facility had tested positive for the virus — the most cases of any nursing home in the state at that point.

It’s one of a number of troubled Florida

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Home Improvement Spree Props E-commerce Stocks: 5 Picks

By Jean J. Brown 1 week ago

The coronavirus outbreak has swelled the traffic to online shopping platforms with more people at home due to lockdowns. And the demand for home décor has also gone up significantly with people finding the time to refurbish interiors.

Surge in online shopping of home furnishing products has boosted e-commerce businesses, dealing a massive blow to brick-and-mortar retailers.

Online Delivery Caters to DIY Customers

The use of do-it-yourself (DIY) products in home improvement is lower when compared to work outsourced. With excess time in hand along with the availability of free pick-up and delivery options for online purchases, the demand for DIY home improvement products has grown. Per a Bank of America poll, more than 70% of 1.054 Americans said that they have decided to take up home improvement projects, with more planned for 2021.

Home improvement retailer The Home Depot, Inc. HD recently announced plans of opening three distribution centers

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