In the latest episode of Top Design, the remaining designers tackled a project near and dear to my heart: renovating a space in a green fashion. Guest judge Danny Seo, whose green designs and ideas I love, offered the contestants advice on remembering the R words (reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose, and be resourceful, among others) in their spaces.

The designers were challenged to use all materials in the office (including ugly desks and bad carpet). They were also given fabric remnants to work with instead of new fabric as well as low VOC paint. Contestants were paired with clients and challenged to renovate their office spaces in an environmental manner.

Some designers were gung-ho about this challenge, while others were immediately put off by the idea. In particular, Eddie came off as a snob, calling his client a dork, berating him for his use of the word "funky," and then repeatedly uttering "Ew" as he had to do the demeaning work of going through boxes of fabric remnants. Oh, the horror!

To see who won and who had to leave the show, read more

Mark Wahlberg has put his five-bedroom, 10.5-bathroom, 15,000-square-foot Beverly Hills manse on the market for a whopping $15.9 million, according to Real Estalker. The listing for the property reads:

Privacy, unbelievable outdoor areas and gorgeous views. 15,000 SF of dramatic spaces, including an amazing 2 story private guest house, basketball court, 2500 SF gym with boxing rink and trainer's quarter, lavish waterfall pool w/ grotto, cabanas wired for sound and flatscreens. Newly constructed motor-court, Screening room/Theatre appointed w/ high ceilings, 35mm digital projection technology, 2 luxurious living rooms, bedroom suites all opening to lush gardens and resort like settings.

Wahlberg purchased the property in November 2001 for $4.95 million, and since then has dropped a lot of dollars on renovations. There doesn't seem to anything particularly exceptional about the property; it's your typical outlandish celebrity property with all of the unnecessary conveniences, few unique architectural elements, and not a stitch of personal style. I must say, I think a television screen that takes up nearly the entire wall (and isn't concealed) is beyond tacky. But then again, Wahlberg needs that sort of thing when he's watching final cuts with his entourage. To see lots of additional photos, read more

Tired of corkboards? Can you not even stand to think about a whiteboard? Then try this alternative to message boards.

Simply hang a cord from one end of your room to the other. You can use something practical, such as picture hanging wire, or something more fanciful, such as grosgrain ribbon. Now, clip on some clothespins, and you're ready to go. Secure artwork, bills, messages, and to-do lists from your message "board." It's a fresh take on an old necessity.

Source

Worried about how you'll pay your heating bill this Winter? Since I know that this is a concern for many families, I decided to ask heating expert Chris Cooper for some advice on the subject. He took my queries to heart, and then sent me some ideas about lowering heating bills.

According to Chris, this Winter, the cost of heating a home is going to leave many people feeling anything but warm and cozy. In fact, those living in the coldest areas of the United States may well find themselves facing a home-heating crisis when trying to pay their bills. "We have a serious problem," said Dale McCormick, director of Maine's state housing agency. "This Winter is going to be our (Hurricane) Katrina."

To find out the first steps in keeping your heating costs under control, read more

Have you ever watched an episode of Gossip Girl and thought, "Ugh, I love Blair's headband, where'd she get it?!" Or "If only I knew what necklace Serena was wearing, I'd buy it in droves." If you've had these thoughts, then you're in luck. Not only have we introduced a new site, CelebStyle, that has the complete wardrobe notes on Gossip Girl and more, we're also launching a giveaway to get a bunch of the GG goodies for free.

From now until Sunday, Oct. 26, you can enter to win items from an assortment of accessories from the set of GG. We've got headbands from JoomiNYC and Jennifer Behr, necklaces from Margo Morrison, and bracelets from Ronni Simon, Rachel Leigh, and CC Skye. To enter, all you have to do is log into TeamSugar (if you're not a member, register now) and add a look of your own to any post on CelebStyle (see how after the jump). There will be 12 winners in total, and you'll be entered for every look you create so there are plenty of chances to win! Be creative and check out the official rules here.

To learn how to add a look, read more

Andrea, who writes the delightful blog Some Twittery, recently reupholstered an old chair. She writes, "The chair above has been sitting in the kitchen for about five months, patiently waiting for its moment to sparkle. I found it at an antique store. It had already been painted cream but was re-upholstered in a material not quite like oilcloth but a step up from contact paper. Underneath this was the original fabric, avocado green, cranberry, and gold stripes, with the paper label dating the chair itself from 1924. Old pieces of mattress were used for padding and the wood for the back was mint green with tire tread marks across it."

Here's what she started with.

To see the finished product, read more