&
h ome FALL The Anniston Star
garden
MODERN COTTAGE Former Anniston Councilwoman Millie Harris updates a historic home while keeping its charm. 4D
PHOTO BY TUCKER WEBB/CONSOLIDATED PUBLISHING; ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF VECTEEZY.COM
INSIDE: • Fall is the time to plant. 7D • Five essential chores for fall. 2D
D2 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3-4, 2026
FALL HOME & GARDEN
The Anniston Star
METRO CREATIVE
WEATHER READY
Are your outdoor living spaces ready for winter? When the summer entertaining season draws to a close, homeowners need to ensure their outdoor living areas can handle weather that’s right around the corner. Although outdoor furniture and other items tend to be durable, the impact snow, wind and ice can have on them may lead to damage over time. Here are some suggestions to prepare for the winter to come. Furniture: Cover or store furniture to protect it from the elements. Covering it with weather-proof covers can be adequate if storing items indoors is not possible. Deep clean: Items that will be covered or stored should be thoroughly cleaned prior to being removed from spaces for the season. Lingering dirt and moisture can cause damage. Insulate and drain: Don’t risk damage to pipes, which can freeze and crack in the cold. Shut off the water supply to exterior faucets and drain water lines to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting. Use foam pipe insulation to prevent freezing and cover any exposed pipes. Apply mulch: After cleaning up garden debris, think about applying
mulch to garden beds and cover tender plants to protect them from the weather. Check gutters: Be sure that gutters and downspouts are clear of leaves and any additional debris. If gutters and downspouts are not cleaned, ice dams may form on the roof and cause water damage. Inspect and repair: Inspect walkways and driveways for any damage and make repairs now so water will not seep in and cause further issues with freeze-thaw cycles. Consider applying a sealant to protect surfaces from snow and ice. Pools and spas: It’s essential to follow the industry or manufacturer recommendations for closing down swimming pools and spas for the season. While covers may not be essential in all climates, covering can help prevent leaves and other debris from getting in the water. Water should be expelled from pipes and tubing to prevent freezing and bursting. If space allows, consider moving the pool pump indoors to prolong its longevity. Turn off the electricity to the outlet where the filter is plugged in. — Metro Creative
ADOBE STOCK
Five essential chores for fall
METRO CREATIVE
As fall creeps toward winter and temperatures drop, it’s time to head back indoors. Here are some ideas for winterizing your home so interior spaces are more comfortable, and exterior spaces are better able to withstand potentially harsh winter weather. • Check your carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that cannot be detected by the senses. When windows remain closed for long periods of time, such as in winter, the buildup of CO, which can come from sources like water heaters, gas stoves, fireplaces and clothes dryers, can poison residents over time. CO detectors are a safety net against such a fate, but they must be operating at peak capacity in order to be effective. As fall winds down, check all CO detectors to make sure they’re working properly, and replace any that are not. • Check for drafts. Check around windows and doors throughout the home to see if there are any gaps that are allowing air from outside to enter the home. In daytime, it can be difficult to see if there are any drafts, so conduct this check in the evenings when temperatures are a little more chilly and leaks are easier to detect. If drafts are detected, apply weather stripping around doors and windows that do not require replacement. If there are drafts around aging windows
and doors, consider replacing them. • Call a chimney sweeping service. Fireplaces should be subjected to a thorough cleaning by a skilled professional before each winter. Animals might have nested in the chimney since the fireplace was last used, and you will want any nests cleared prior to lighting your first fire of the season. In addition, the tar-like substance creosote, which forms when wood is burned in a fireplace, can build up and harden over time. Creosote is highly flammable, which can lead to chimney fires. Creosote also can block the flow of air through a chimney, and that can trap gasses, including CO, in a home. • Reverse your ceiling fans. In homes with ceiling fans, you should reverse the fans so the blades spin clockwise. This simple step pushes trapped warm air hovering around the ceiling into the living space below. This can make home interiors warmer without having to turn up the thermostat. • Replace your HVAC air filter. Replacing the air filter on your HVAC prior to winter can make the unit operate more efficiently, which can help reduce your wintertime energy bill. Replacing the filter prior to winter also improves indoor air quality, which is a notable benefit during a time of year when the windows typically remain closed for months. — Metro Creative
The Anniston Star
FALL HOME & GARDEN
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3-4, 2026 | D3
D4 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3-4, 2026
FALL HOME & GARDEN
The Anniston Star
MODERN COTTAGE Former Anniston Councilwoman Millie Harris updates a historic home while keeping its charm
BY LISA DAVIS
After serving for 13 years on the Anniston City Council, Millie Harris has retired and downsized into a neighborhood she loves, in the city she loves. Harris, who was named the 2026 Anniston Star Citizen of the Year, has renovated a historic Anniston home, adding modern conveniences while respecting and celebrating the past. Harris loved her previous home, “but I could not keep the yard. It was a huge responsibility.” Harris’s late husband, Braxton, had turned the two-acre yard into a garden showplace. And so Millie downsized. Instead of three living rooms, she now has one-anda-half. Instead of expansive grounds, she now has a small back yard — which is plenty of room for the noted animal lover’s two rescue dogs, Sam and Maggie. Two years ago, Harris took a bad fall at her previous home. The time she spent in a wheelchair during recovery is ultimately what convinced her to move. She needed a house with the main bedroom on the first floor. “If I ever ended up in a wheelchair again, I had to make my home accessible,” she said. (PSA: Harris is convinced the effects of her fall would have been even worse had she not been lifting weights and exercising since her 30s.) It took some time, but she finally found a house in the neighborhood she wanted that had a bedroom on the first floor. It’s a
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TUCKER WEBB/CONSOLIDATED PUBLISHING
cottage-style home, built in 1927. “I love the character of old houses. I like the history,” Harris said. She turned to Scott Skinner, owner of STS Decorating and Design, to modernize the house while keeping its historic character. “Millie’s drive was to respect what the previous owners had done,” Skinner said. When it turned out they couldn’t hang a TV on the molded plaster wall above
dining table used to seat ten. Now, with the leaf removed, it seats six. Rather than re-use the old heavy, upholstered dining chairs, Skinner brought in new Chippendale-style dining chairs for a lighter touch. The kitchen, however, got a complete makeover. “The kitchen is the most amazing transformation I’ve ever seen,” Skinner said. The original kitchen was very cute but very small. Now, it’s open and spacious, with green cabinets and dark stained wood that make it feel warm and cozy. A full powder room downstairs also got an amazing makeover, with period William Morris wallpaper and a ceiling painted deep blue to match. Originally, there were two bedrooms with a shared bathroom downstairs. To make a spacious main suite, one of the bedrooms was converted into a walk-in closet, which also freed up space to expand the bathroom with a larger tub and shower. Upstairs are two guest bedrooms and a large living area where family and guests can hang out. Artworks painted by Millie and her brother hang on the wall. The fireplace is original to the house, as are the doors. There’s a small bathroom with its original sink, but Skinner managed to squeeze out space to add a shower. As he said: “You can keep the characteristics of old homes with modern updates.”
the living room fireplace, Skinner found a craftsman to replicate the curves of the original in wood sturdy enough to hold a mounted TV. When Harris wanted to add a second banister to the staircase, Skinner found a blacksmith who could match the style of the original wrought-iron banister. Harris wanted to use as much of her existing furniture as possible, but that This story was originally published in required some additional downsizing. The Foothills magazine.
The Anniston Star
FALL HOME & GARDEN
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3-4, 2026 | D5
“You can keep the characteristics of old homes with modern updates.” —Scott Skinner, owner of STS Decorating and Design
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TUCKER WEBB/CONSOLIDATED PUBLISHING
FALL HOME & GARDEN
D6 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3-4, 2026
The Anniston Star
METRO CREATIVE
Five ideas to repurpose a formal dining room Traditional formal dining rooms are not as necessary as they were a generation or two ago. A recent study by Realtor.com found formal dining rooms are often the most underutilized square footage in homes, and a significant percentage of millennial and Gen Z homeowners prefer flexible “lifestyle rooms” over dining spaces. So what can homeowners whose dining room tables are covered in mail or the kids’ homework do to repurpose the space into something they will actually use? Here are five ideas to repurpose a formal dining room into a more usable space. Lounge: Those who enjoy hosting
friends or family without sitting down to formal dinners might appreciate transforming the dining space into a cocktail lounge. Swapping the dining room table and chairs for low swivel chairs around a coffee table or high-backed bar stools around bar tables easily converts the seating space. A built-in wet bar or a bar cart helps complete this social hub for intimate conversation. Paint the room in darker colors or use textured wallpaper to simulate an after-hours feel that separates the space from the rest of the house. Library: Homeowners can create a digital detox zone by way of a cozy library. A timeless choice, a library can feature
floor-to-ceiling bookshelves or built-ins and comfortable reading chairs stationed by a window. Music space: Homeowners who play an instrument may appreciate a designated space for jam sessions. Dining rooms with high ceilings and bare floors often provide excellent acoustics for music. Complement the space with a high-tech audio system and sound baffling panels for those who plan to record. Home office: Hybrid work is a permanent fixture in today’s career landscape. A dining room located near the front of the home presents a prime location for a professional workspace. Replace a table with
a sleek executive desk. An existing buffet or sideboard can be repurposed as printer storage or for filing. Consider adding French doors or partitions to provide privacy without compromising on light flow. Homework zone: Active families may need to transform the dining room into a homework lab that offers a quiet space for educational pursuits. Organized cabinetry can house school materials, craft supplies, and much more, confining it all to one room. Locating the computer in the space creates a centralized “safe” spot for internet browsing and monitoring young children in the process. — Metro Creative
Renovations with the biggest bang for your buck
METRO CREATIVE
Turn your home into a haunted house for Halloween People celebrate Halloween with the same zeal as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Decorating for Halloween has evolved over the years, and many homeowners now go to great lengths to turn their humble abodes into horrific haunts. Achieving a haunted house vibe is easier than one might think with some creative ideas. DIM THE LIGHTS
Turning down the lights immediately increases the spooky factor for Halloween. The mind may jump to its own conclusions about what is nestled in a shadowy corner or just around the bend. Turning off lights and relying on flickering candles or battery-operated lanterns will also hide any imperfections in your decor.
will reduce visibility, which can make a haunted house seem more frightening. TACTILE SCARES Hang loose, dark pieces of string, tattered scrap fabric or faux spider webs from ceilings so that they will lightly brush against passers-by in dark areas. A hidden fan can be positioned to blow a sudden, chilly draft across a doorway to mimic a passing spirit.
While many renovations add value to a home, some offer more value than others. Each year Zonda Home, in conjunction with Remodeling magazine, puts together a list of high-return projects. Exterior projects drive the most value for owners who are selling their homes, and they consistently top the list of highROI improvements. Here are five projects offering a strong ROI that homeowners may want to consider. Garage door replacement: A garage door replacement is part of the curb appeal improvements homeowners can consider. At an average cost of $4,672, it offers a recouped cost of 267.7 percent according to the 2025 Zonda report. Steel door replacement: Also boasting an ROI north of 200 percent, a steel door installation is a wise choice for homeowners who want to drive up the value of their homes. Manufactured stone veneer: Manufactured stone veneer is a manmade masonry product that looks like natural stone but is lightweight and easier to install. It can offer a recouped cost of
207.9 percent on a $11,702 investment. Fiber-cement siding replacement: Homeowners in the market for new siding can consider fiber-cement siding, which will see the investment recoup slightly more than 100 percent of its cost. Minor kitchen remodel: Kitchens are the heart of a home, and a minor remodel offers a 113 percent return. Inside the home, the golden rule is to keep things simple. Minor remodels tend to offer a better rate of return than major ones. Buyers will pay for move-in ready and updated, but sellers likely will not recoup the costs for luxury upgrades or over-the-top renovations. It’s important to note that 2025 was the first time a practical backup generator made the list of top improvements. Falling into the number seven spot, the generator averaged a return of 95.3 percent, which underscores how homeowners are gearing improvements toward the changing climate and unpredictable weather. — Metro Creative
HAUNTED PORTRAITS
Inexpensive thrift store frames can dress up eerie vintage photos or lenticular shifting images purchased online. For a real fright, have someone pose behind a frame and actually move or reach out as visitors go by.
CREEPY DOLLS Gather tattered, old plastic dolls and hang or display them clustered together. Outdoors, position low-angle spotlights or floodlights pointing up at walls Or paint them all white and splatter or trees to cast long, harsh shadows that them with red paint to look like blood. seem scary. OBSCURED PATHS DIRECT LIGHT UPWARDS
BOARD UP THE WINDOWS Tape lightweight painted cardboard strips across windows to mimic the look of an abandoned home. Scary shapes cut from cardboard or black paper can be taped inside of windows and backlit by dim lights to create an eerie atmosphere. UTILIZE FOG MACHINES
If available, a fog machine near an entrance or in a hallway can provide a dense, disorienting haze. Again, it
Create blind corners and obscured paths so visitors cannot anticipate what is waiting ahead. Use dark sheets or black painter’s canvas taped securely to the ceiling. Position “actors” along the way to achieve jump scares. SCARY SOUNDS
Place Bluetooth speakers throughout the haunted house to play a loop of screams, squeaky hinge noises or footsteps to keep guests off-kilter. — Metro Creative
METRO CREATIVE
FALL HOME & GARDEN
The Anniston Star
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3-4, 2026 | D7
THE SOUTHERN GARDENER
TOUCH GRASS, PLANT A TREE STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHERRY BLANTON
Fall is a time of transition. Summer fades; winter creeps in. Fall’s magnificent shades of red, gold, and orange replace the summer colors. Days grow shorter and nights grow longer. Begonias disappear, and fat, orange pumpkins and colorful mums appear on front porches. Fall’s cooling temperatures are kinder to the garden and the gardener. Best of all, fall is the perfect time to add trees and shrubs to our gardens. Early winter is the second-time best time to plant. (As long as the ground is not frozen, we can plant.) WHY PLANT IN FALL?
• Plants do not have to handle extreme heat and drought while getting established. • Winter rains keep plants watered. • Plants spend the season developing a healthy set of roots. • Free mulch is abundant as pine straw and leaves fall Although so many new plants are available for sale in the spring, spring is not the ideal planting season. Spring quickly turns to summer, and our newly purchased plants struggle for survival as the summer sun beats down and drought comes. (If you purchased too many plants during the spring, consider creating a plant nursery for the summer months and plant in the ground in fall.)
Fall is the perfect time to plant
Follow the basic rule for your fall planting: “Plant the right plant in the right place.” Sun lovers in the sun, shade lovers in the shade, large trees in enough room. Avoid anything described as “invasive.” Be mindful of above ground or underground utility lines. Provide room for ample air circulation and space in order that plants are not competing for water or nutrients. Take a soil test to determine if your soil needs amendments or is suitable for your tree. Planting a tree in the fall and following a few simple tips helps to ensure its success in the landscape, and will help it thrive for decades to come: PLANTING
• The hole should not be deeper than the root ball. The top of the root ball should always be ½ inch to 1 inch above soil level. One sure way to kill a plant is to dig too deep a hole. • The width of the hole should be two to three times the size of the root ball. • Loosen the surrounding soil so the sides are not as smooth as a bathtub. • Remove all wires and ties from balled and burlapped trees, spreading the roots
• Forming a berm around a tree trunk will keep the water from running off. • Over-watering is as bad or worse than under-watering; waterlogged soils can deprive the roots of oxygen.
WATERING
STAKING • Staking is necessary if the tree is unstable, located in a windy area, in an exposed site or very large. • Attach stakes below the canopy, allowing the tree to move in the wind. Natural movement strengthens the tree. • If not done correctly or left on too long, stakes can do more harm than good (especially to bark). • Remove stakes when the tree can stand independently.
• Water is crucial to survival while a tree is getting established (at least the first two or three years). • Plants marketed as “drought-tolerant” are not actually drought-tolerant until they are well established. • Deep watering — once or twice a week — is essential (depending on rain and the type of soil) during the establishment time. • Deep watering allows roots to grow deeper rather than staying near the surface. • A mature tree can require deep watering during times of severe drought. • Shallow watering will encourage weak roots that grow too close to the surface. • Use the finger stick method to check if the tree needs water.
Sherry Blanton, “The Southern Gardener,” writes about gardening for The Anniston Star. Follow her on Facebook at Southern Gardener-Anniston Star.
and taking care not to damage or break them. • Carefully peel back canvas on a root ball. • Tease out any circling or girdled roots before planting, or they will have a tough time permeating the surrounding soil. • Place native soil (not amended soil) back in the hole.
MULCHING • Planting is not finished without a 2to 3-inch layer of mulch. • Mulch moderates temperature, retains moisture, reduces weed competition, and protects the tree from the string trimmer. • Pine bark and pine straw are good materials for mulching. • Mulch should not come in contact with the trunk; this can allow disease and insects to enter the trunk. Mulch should look like a doughnut or a bagel — not a teepee.
D8 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3-4, 2026
FALL HOME & GARDEN
The Anniston Star
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