Extreme personal-style makeover

If you were looking for one word to describe Jason Isenberg, you might choose polished.

Listen to these tales of breast cancer, and you'll want to run like the wind

There are stories behind every cause, but never more so than for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

1960s adobe gets a green makeover

The problem: a dated and dark 1960s house and its new owners, a couple who prefer spacious, expansive loft-style living.

Bright and brash

All is not as it seems in this home. You know it as soon as you approach the turquoise gate to the courtyard. Vivid flowers are in bloom in even more colorful flower pots, in a row along the garden wall. And yet it's midwinter. Move a little closer and you see they're fake.

Furniture in motion

Think recliner, think Frasier's dad: a grubby, dog-hair-covered affair way past its best. Those in the furniture trade call them bubbas.

Totally tubular

When Simon Herbert came to remodel his master bathroom, the room presented a few challenges.

the shape of sinks to come

Think sinks, think simplicity. Also think storage. And straight lines.

Drama always on display

Edward Holler and Samuel Saunders have made such a name for themselves in Mexico that their contacts down there have coined a phrase for them: Aqui viene el drama, meaning "Here comes the drama."

Comfort is top '11 trend

Homes are still not selling, new jobs are not forthcoming and money's tighter than tight.

Tuscan, but in Tucson

Fiore Iannacone lives, breathes and cooks his Italian family heritage.

Art of gift-wrap

"There's no wrapping police," Victoria Friel announces to the five women seated around a dining table in her house.

Holiday Sparkle

Should the trees be strung from the bottom up or top down? What lights should you go for? And should you even try stringing that saguaro? Decorating the outside of your home can become one big holiday headache. So we interrupted the efforts of two of Tucson's top light-hanging teams and aske…

From 'remuddled' to delovely

BISBEE - "Remuddled" is how Nanette Slusser describes the state of her home when she bought it.

Holiday settings for little cost, maximum impact

It can be a daunting prospect: family and friends gathering around your table for the biggest feast of the year. And then you have all that entertaining to do a month later at Christmas.

Bargain hunters circle for sale of a lifetime

At 3 a.m. Saturday, just as Laura Lamb is catching her last minutes of sleep, Mike Flatley is on the other side of the city, securing his place as No. 1 in line at Lamb's latest estate sale.

More folks are putting the focus on fireplaces

They used to be an afterthought, their purpose purely functional and their decor barely even considered.

Homes: the next generation

Tucsonans aren't just going green, they're going bright green.

Home tells a life story

Wandering someone's house is like perusing their music collection. It's a window into not only their style but the path they took to get there: the inspirations, hurdles, challenges and loves they encountered along the way.

Hunting for heirlooms

Custom. Heirloom. Timeless. It's not for nothing that these words are appearing on the lips of shoppers everywhere.

Take walk on thrifty side when collecting furniture

You're forgoing the trip to Hawaii for a weekend mini-break, making do with Three Buck Chuck rather than that $25 bottle of pinot.

What's that out in the backyard? Why, it's the bedroom

There's a surprise lurking in the backyard of architect John Messina. Behind his traditional 1920s bungalow is a mod-industrial delight of slanted steel and glass, cement and galvanized metal, plywood and exposed brick.

Don't overlook front door

It's the first thing to greet visitors, yet often the last thing we pay attention to. You may not have the cash to splurge on a new front door, but you can spruce it up and instantly alter that first impression of your home.

Personal travels, readings inspire Dove Mountain redo

Santa Fe flea markets. Scottsdale hotels. An artist in Santa Barbara. Bed and breakfasts in Provence. An India Hicks book on life in the Bahamas.

Durable fabrics push living rooms outside

If patios are the new living room, then our real living rooms had better watch out.

That '50s tile with style

When we sent out a call for great mid-20th-century bathrooms, the stories came pouring in.

Rethink, reuse, switch, swap for no-spend design

Times may be hard but we still want our homes to look good. In fact, the cocooning effect of the recession - forcing us to spend more time at home - can feed our interior design desires even more.

Home is a four-letter word: Redoing daughter's room can be painless with right kind of paint, some accessories

It's been a long time coming, this redo of Sweetpea's room. I promised it to her last summer, but the deal was that she keep her room tidy first.

Concrete conquers Tucson flooring

When Patrick Egan came to redo the flooring of his Tucson ranch home, polished concrete was the last thing on his mind. The 1960s home had a brick floor, and Egan's thought was to add travertine tile instead.

Tips, top five items to take with you to college

It's back to college time, and back to the annual parent/teen shopping adventure that sees credit cards over-stretched and smiles more than a little bit strained.

A respite, Japan-style

The point-of-no-return came for Terry Quinn while lying in her bathtub.

Home is a four-letter word: 19 DIY tasks still to go - and I'm fresh out of excuses

I just did some calculations. Was lying in bed, staring at the two extra cupboard doors propped up against one of the bedroom walls (extracted recently from Hubby's walk-in closet - long story) and wondering how long there is to go in this yearlong DIY challenge of mine.

Traditions, Transitions

Ask Cheri Peck what her interior design style is and she doesn't miss a beat: "Transitional. I'm between traditional and contemporary."

Owners love their open-air showers

They love the stargazing. They like that they're easy to maintain. And it's private, they say - no exhibitionism allowed.

Sungevity eases process for solar pitch

When you think of the future of solar power, think of cellphones. They went from being a novelty to ubiquitous in a decade. The same is going to happen with solar.

Home is a four-letter word: Golden baseboards - well, why not?

The dear, put-upon house is still one great big labyrinth of furniture and stuff.

Living large in a tiny space

"Embrace the world with your own genuine style."

Let's make do with less (if we must)

By Gillian Drummond/June 16

'Warehouse' living makes old look new

The property was like a gift: a 2,600-square-foot warehouse, a separate 1,200-square-foot workshop and a sprawling lot, in the middle of town.

Sowing seeds of energy-efficient design

Editor's note: Last week we looked at a home that produces way more electricity than it uses. This week: a house under construction that may just break energy-saving records.

Home is what you make it - then, now

I want to eat chocolate. British chocolate. All creamy and sugary and miles better than what you get in the States.

Could this be the lowest electricity bill in the country?

In a month when many Tucsonans are set to see their electricity bills begin to soar, one couple will pay just $7.88.

Mirrors crucial as accessories

"They've become almost works of art," says Corinne Gaul of Mo's Gallery & Fine Framing in Tucson.

Home joins new way of life

Mark Pirtle is an open book. He talks freely about the too-fast life he led, the business he had to walk away from, how the stress led to health and emotional problems, and how he's healed himself.

Floral know-how

Whether you're giving flowers today or receiving them, here's how to make those Mother's Day posies look beautiful and last long, too.

Self-healing, Zen bring calm to home makeover

If Elizabeth Gilbert were a man and instead of loving to eat she loved to work, she'd be Mark Farris Pirtle.

Renovation proves costly, but marriage remains intact

Time is running out. I threw down the gauntlet for this year-long house fix-up last September, and already it's nearly May. I'm starting to panic, reaching for the Bach's Rescue Remedy a little too often, trying to temper my tendency to stuff myself with sugar when emotionally wrought, takin…

Co-op builds skills, good will

It's a little after 9 a.m. on a Sunday in March and DuWayne Bartels' wheelchair ramp is coming along pretty well.

Plenty of room to snooze, schmooze or stargaze

When you visit the home of Michael Bamba and Eric Cuestas-Thompson, you can't help but look out and up.

Gardens where great ideas grow

Looking for inspiration for that next spring project? Next weekend, three tours - one focusing on a neighborhood and two on gardens - will provide ideas and practical tips on home and garden improvements.