Take the chill out of that drafty room

It’s been a bitterly cold winter. Chances are your heating system has been working overtime. And like many of us, you probably still have that one room that never quite gets toasty. You’ve tried space heaters, but they’re best suited for small spaces.

For large, cold rooms, there’s the new Vornado whole room heater.

Portable and compact (about 12 inches by 12 inches), the DVH ($100), a digital vortex heater with automatic adjustable heat output, and the VH2 ($80), a vortex heater with thermostat, continuously circulate warm air in the room.

The DVH model has an easy-to-use control panel with temperature tracking display. The user simply sets it to a desired temperature, and it will reach and maintain that temperature. The VH2 model features a simple control panel as well, but with a thermostat for the user to control. Both units are plugged into a wall outlet.

Beautify on a budget

The TV show has inspired you. You’d like to “Design on a Dime.” (OK, not really a dime. The HGTV show offers a $1,000 budget.)

But if you’d like to frugally explore your design options, the new book “HGTV Design on a Dime” (Meredith Books, $19.95) can help. The book showcases 21 cheap room makeovers and dozens of projects featured on the show (window treatments, paint finishes, light fixtures), offers decorating tricks, expert advice and your own room-arranging kit with grid paper.

More decorating tips, you say? The book “HGTV Before & After Decorating” (Meredith Books, $19.95) is also available. It features 32 before-and-after rooms, ideas for revitalizing your own digs, do-it-yourself projects and more. So, get busy.

Duct tape — so stylish

Perhaps the gold was too glitzy. Or the steel blue too steely. Whatever the reason, the newest color in duct tape is maroon. Henkel Consumer Adhesives, marketer of Duck brand duct tape, conducted a poll to determine the newest shade of its handy tape, and thousands voted maroon in.

So now, you can stylishly patch your car’s interior, fashionably hold up a broken fender or side mirror on your maroon car, add a colorful sealant to a leaky hose, attractively repair worn luggage or a tear in a poncho or umbrella. And, of course, you can decoratively seal your basement in the event of a chemical attack.

Find maroon Duck tape (a six-pack is $23.94), as well as 18 other colors at www.ducktapeclub.com.