• If family members have passed and you want to honor their memory, keeping their important items buried under piles of mess isn't getting the job done. Try to incorporate larger items into the look and feel of the rooms.

• If you have smaller children, consider getting "soft" items such as coffee tables or benches that are padded so that a simple slip and fall will not become a major emergency.

• A cedar chest is a great storage item. The wood helps prevents such nasty pests as moths from getting to your blankets or coats that are seasonal, and not used all year long.

• Having separate dressers for both husband and wife is a great way to make sure that each partner has enough space to call their own in a shared space.

• If you have an old uniform or shirt from your childhood from a sports team or scout troop, try getting a frame and making it into a piece of art for the walls. It will honor the memory of the time in our life, and assure that it will never be tossed out accidentally.