Barnaby had a tough time purchasing his first home. He scoured the city for appropriate houses, and ultimately found himself in bidding war after bidding war.

Michael Sestak does more than light up a room.

When East Valley voters go to the polls Tuesday, they will decide whether to support a number of city and school district bond issues and budget overrides.

As outdoor rooms continue to blossom, with comfortable but dressed-up furnishings that easily can pass for pieces designed for the indoors, homeowners are beginning to see the light. There’s a need for the perfect finishing touch — outdoor lamps to light up warm evenings.

Cal is an animation artist, director and teacher — and a first-time homeowner. He moved into his home two years ago, a 1920s semi-detached unit that was owned by an 80-year-old woman who hadn’t changed it much in her 60 years of occupancy. The ground floor was dated, dingy and full of cramped rooms, which was less than ideal for a 20-something guy who works from home and entertains a lot.

Mesa finally has a full-service Marriott.

Night swimming is different. The water feels softer and sounds are muted. It’s as if the tactile and audio world has been blanketed. Swimming at night is soothing. So is showering outside.

When Damon and Jodie bought their house, they focused all of their energies on renovating the kitchen so they could start a catering business. They spent many hours uncovering the room's beautiful brick and building a restaurant-inspired island with lots of cooking space. But now that they have a great kitchen, all they do is work.

Today's new condominiums and townhomes are designed on a smaller footprint, which has changed the way our homes are furnished. At first the options for decorating were decidedly modern.

Ken and Annette were longtime suburban dwellers, but their downtown jobs and long commutes left them longing to live in the heart of the city. They found the house of their dreams during one of their long city walks - a charming, Victorian-heritage row house.

Lighting is one of the most important elements to think about when designing rooms, inside or out. Lighting is practical and decorative; a variety of lighting options allows us to work and play safely and creates a mood that enhances the way we live. When planning your exterior lighting, begin by checking out the most up-to-date lighting systems. They not only offer a total range of styles, but most important, they are designed to preserve energy. Here's a look at the newest light products available. Choose your exterior lighting carefully to take full advantage of all its benefits.

When a homeowner imagines his new house rising from the ground, he likely pictures walls made of wood, not lightweight, polystyrene foam blocks.

Over the past couple of years, a mass of Valley and outside developers attempted to capitalize on the housing boom by converting thousands of apartments into condominiums. Now, a consequent glut of properties on the market has some investors ditching the condo idea and switching their projects back to rentals.

A stylish and smaller Wal-Mart, upscaled to appeal to high-income shoppers, is slated to move into a “big-box” store near Paradise Valley Mall.

A stylish and smaller Wal-Mart, upscaled to appeal to high-income shoppers, is slated to move into a “big-box” store near Paradise Valley Mall.

With nods to nostalgia, exotic motifs and tailored contemporary looks, the fall season in decor has lots to inspire home decorators.

With nods to nostalgia, exotic motifs and tailored contemporary looks, the fall season in decor has lots to inspire home decorators.

With utility budgets not getting any bigger for public school districts, some in the East Valley are aiming to save green by making their campuses and offices more green.

Retail may be in a drought, but for many garden supply stores, it's been a green season in more ways than one. We're paying a lot more attention to beautifying our own backyards, perhaps because we're traveling less.

Fulton Brock: I would like to address the subject of Maricopa County’s new courthouse and the misinformation regarding its construction in downtown Phoenix. It has been mislabeled “a penthouse,” and “it’s lined with marble.” Others have incorrectly said: “It takes hundreds of millions of dollars out of the economy” or “It’s wasting money in a recession.”

Kitchens come with a unique set of design challenges. Unlike a bedroom or living room, where you can start with four blank walls, a kitchen has appliances, cabinets, pantries, tile, and a slew of other design details to contend with.

In the weeks leading up to Stray Cat Theatre's Arizona premiere of “Trainspotting,” the theater community wasn't buzzing with talk of the play's copious heroin use, its gaggingly scatological content or the challenges of bringing it to life onstage.

In the weeks leading up to Stray Cat Theatre's Arizona premiere of “Trainspotting,” the theater community wasn't buzzing with talk of the play's copious heroin use, its gaggingly scatological content or the challenges of bringing Irvine Welsh's bestselling book and subsequent 1996 cult hit film adaptation to life onstage.

A postal worker's family feared the worst.