Leslie Heuer of Long Beach, Calif., has lived in her Cliff May ranch-style home for 10 years, slowly restoring it while working with the original design. After taking a look at her Flickr photo gallery, we decided to pick her brain about her inspiration, her furniture, and her very cool avocado tree.

What do you use this area for? "This is the area between our master bath and the bedroom closet. All the bedroom closets in the house are free-standing, large boxes built into the room. This closet acts as a privacy wall to the bathroom and has this little nook. It has the original built-in shelf with drawers, and I put a display shelf above it. These ranchos are lacking in storage space, so you have to get creative. The shelf holds my perfume, jewelry and thrift store finds, mostly anything breakable to keep out of reach of the kids."

This is a cute room. Where did you pull together the furnishings? "This is a corner of our main living area we use as our dining room. The table is from Modernica, and I found these matching chairs on ebay. The seller changed the seat covers to blue and even gave us the extra fabric. They are kid-friendly, industrial strength and made of vinyl. The light fixture was another ebay find; we have a few of these Sputnik lamps, even in the bathroom! At night they look magical from the outside looking in through all the windows."

Why did you decide to plant black bamboo? "It's extremely easy. We had it in one corner of the backyard and liked it so much we planted the 'forest' along the side yard. It is a running bamboo rather than clumping, so I am a little nervous about how aggressive it will be. So far it is filling in nicely and is virtually zero maintenance. I love the contrast of black poles and lime green leaves. My father still has groves of bamboo around his house that have lived for more than 25 years. I have fond memories of playing in and around bamboo as a child."

Nice avocado tree. What do you use the fruit for? "Honestly, the avocado tree was one of the main reasons I fell in love with this house. It has amazing, HUGE avocados that are so delicious. I am a vegetarian and these are truly the 'steak' of my world. One year there were so many, I admit I made avocado pie and avocado ice cream (neither were any good), but it was fun to look up recipes for avocados on the Internet. My daughters and I have packed them into our jogging stroller to hand out to neighbors on our walks, and we have made many friends this way. Sometimes I find a bag of lemons or other garden treats on my doorstep as thanks. The only problem is the non-stop dropping of leaves on our patio. This tree drives my husband insane, but year after year we relish the gift of free avocados. I have even given boxes out as Christmas presents!"

What do the kids do here? "The kids' section of the garage is used for painting and organizing kid friendly crafts. Our garage was built with two narrow doors rather than one large door, and it is clear it has never had a car in it (no car can possibly fit in either side). We love the look of the two doors so we converted one side into storage and added a side door to the other side. I designated a section for the kids so they can draw and paint while I work on my own stuff. I love it because they can make a huge mess, and I don't have to worry about it. We can also open up the large door and get a nice breeze going in the summer."  

Tell us about the lamp. "This was one of the first purchases I ever made at our local flea market. I really love it! We went on a lamp-buying spree for several years and bought about a dozen vintage mid-century modern lamps, some from ebay and some from the Long Beach Vets Stadium Antique Market held monthly in our area. This was more of a '70s style but I loved the green and the cutouts. It is ceramic with paper in the cutouts. The ranchos have high clerestory windows, and at night you can see the lamp glowing from the street."

E-mail your home-design questions and photos here.

My two-year-old needs a nightlight, and I want to get something that will look pretty as he falls asleep. The only "decorated" nightlights I've seen are from museums, but I know he won't be interested in Van Gogh paintings at his age. Any ideas? -- Kate Klosky, Bloomfield Hills, MI

We understand the desire to have your babe's quiet moments be as dreamy (and tear-free) as possible. That's why we love this Egg Nightlight--its tiny holes let out little beams of light that magically turn a ceiling into a starry night sky. Isn't it amazing? Hope your son thinks so! 

Email your home photos and design questions here.

Keeping the toys picked up is one thing, but what you put them away in is something completely different. That's why we love  Mod Mom Furniture. Kiersten, an L.A. mother of two, started building furniture after she quit her job as a TV executive to stay home with her kids. She uses Baltic birch and birch ply to create her modern designs that you aren't embarrassed to keep in any room. The Mod Combo above has an optional organic-style veneer applique. The center compartment is perfect for stashing and the shelves are great for books.

The Building Block Play Table is an all-in-one play piece: a seat, canisters for the stray legos, a hidden cabinet, and wheelies to slide it away after play is over. Kiersten also does a design like this with a kitchen set.

Once upon a time, our homes were neat and tidy. In our havens of spotless calm, not a cushion or toothbrush was out of place. But then came love, marriage and a baby carriage, and now we can't walk a step without landing on a spiky plastic toy. Ouch!

Good news: We've found help. These cotton Loom Pop Bins hold toys, books and whatever else your little ones have strewn about the house. They fold flat for storage, pop into shape when needed and add a nice burst of color to a room.

Email your home photos and design questions here.

In search of home design inspiration? House & Garden House & Garden, in conjunction with their family theme issue, has a ton of great kid room advice and tours. Not ready to commit to a whole room? Check out bathroom fixtures, cribs, and bedding.

When you're a little dude, there are just so many numbers to remember! Luckily, this poster, $55, is here to help. The print features one happy rooster, two floating dinosaurs, three posing poodles, four birthday balloons, five shining stars, six straight arrows, seven fluttering butterflies, eight octopus arms and nine fresh flowers. Add it all up and you get a perfect ten.

Email your home photos and design questions here.

Dutch, one-half of the mom and pop blog team of Sweet Juniper, posted photos of the minimalist dollhouse he made for his daughter. It's so lovely, we want to miniaturize and move in tomorrow.

We're inspired by the fact that, according to Dutch, the sum total of his woodworking experience is watching the New Yankee Workshop once. The minimalism of the house leaves lots of room for the imagination. Dutch's daughter, Juniper, likes to land her toy airplanes on the roof and make her Wild Things dolls clomp up and down the stairs. She's one lucky little modernista!

For more, visit the Sweet Juniper blog.

Email your home photos and design questions here.

Two years ago, blogger and designer Courtney Russell moved into a brand new house in Canton, Michigan, with her husband and two kids. Wanting to give the space character, she rolled up her sleeves and started crafting. Now her home brims with hand-stitched creativity, and she has become something of a star in the blogging community. Here, she gives us a peek inside.

Your son Elliot is 3 years old. How does he like having his own room? "He likes it a lot. You can tell that it's good for kids' self esteem: They have their separate space, they know you took the time to think about them. It had a big impact when we were putting it together."

What did you make in his room? "I sewed the window treatments from fabric leftover from IKEA curtains; I reversed the pattern so the print wasn't so bright. They're backed with IKEA linen. Years ago, my father-in-law made the lamp for my husband from a bugle he won during boarding school."

So design runs in the family. Is your husband crafty, too? "My husband definitely appreciates design; we both read all the design magazines. But he's an aerospace engineer with an MBA, so he's not so crafty!"

How did you make this great wall arrangement? "I just stapled fabric onto the bulletin board. The dog prints were a project from Denyse Schmidt's book; you piece together fabric on clip frames. We chose corgis because we have corgis!"

How would you describe the ambiance of this room and the rest of your home? "Modern country. I love contemporary design but has to have an organic feel. It can't be stark."

The Critter Cars are from Wisteria. The weathervane is from Haven, a store in Michigan (734-454-6562).

What does your son like best about his room? "He loves that little chair. He sits down and reads his books. Then he puts his monsters and kitty to sleep there. He also likes to look at the eeBoo map to see where he was born."

What a funny squirrel! Is it a wall sticker? "No, I drew the shape on Japanese paper, cut it out and stuck it up. I also made a rabbit and mouse."

Does your son help with these crafts? "Yes, and he's beginning to get the idea that Mommy can make anything. I'd rather he ask, 'Mommy, can we make a pirate hook?' than 'Mommy, can we go to Toys R Us?' I'd love to teach both my kids to craft."

Your daughter's room is beautiful, too. How was it different to decorate for your daughter Lucie, 3 months, than it was for your son? "It was fun to have a daughter and express more of a girlish side. I went back to dolls and things I liked as a child."

Is your home similar to your childhood home? "Definitely. Like me, my mom invested in good, neutral furniture, then added character with accessories. But unlike me, my mom did seasonal decorating. 'Now here are your Christmas sheets, here are your Easter sheets...' Every minor holiday!"

The sheep is from BabyStyle; the tote is from Urban Outfitters. Courtney made the curtains from muslim, but the bottom is fabric from an Urban Outfitters bedspread. The dresser is from Pottery Barn Kids.

This bed is so pretty. What inspires you? "My major inspiration is Laura Normandin from Wren Handmade--I have one of her dolls. For now, my daughter and I share a bed, and I made our pillowcases from the same Liberty of London fabric used for the doll's shirt."

You describe these projects on your blog, Two Straight Lines. Do you consider blogging work or relaxation? "I often blog when my kids are sleeping. It's relaxing and gives me a sense of accomplishment that can be lacking when you stay home with your children."

It must be nice to know that people will see what you're working on. "As a former graphic designer, I've always been crafty, but the blog movement has really motivated me. It's great to get feedback and have people like what you do. It's much better than sitting at home and designing in a vacuum."

Would you ever want to design for others? "Right now I like designing for our family, but maybe someday. The blog would make it so much easier. People really respond to it; I've been asked to write books. It's just an issue of time--time is key when you have two little kids!"

For more, visit Courtney's blog and flickr photos.

Email your home photos and design questions here.

Sure, your child is the light of your life and you've never loved anything more. But, man, are kids expensive! To cut costs, we recommend these very reasonably priced ($14.99) bright, durable chairs for inside or out. They come in red and blue from, you guessed it, Ikea!

Email your home photos and design questions here.

For urban-dwelling families, space is often in short supply. What to do? Get creative. Time Out New York Kids features the homes of four children's furniture designers from a mini-loft in Brooklyn to a small apartment on the Lower East Side. There are tons of hidden design-idea gems, like this one: Jennifer Carpenter, a children's furniture designer for Nurseryworks and Offi, built floor-to-ceiling storage when her second son was born to make more floor space. She also used the built-in desk as a changing table.

Babar was a loveable elephant, ruled a kingdom, ran off to Paris and dressed like Tim Gunn. It's no surprise that he is one of the classic children's book characters. We wonder if he inspired these sweet bookends, which can stand guard over his six books (and any other favorites) until bedtime.

Email your home photos and design questions here.

The Eames rocker is amazing (and oh-so-midcentury modern!) but, let's face it, when you're tired, nursing and in dire need of neck support, it's not so hot. "I bought an Eames rocker," says Yen Ha, an architect and mom in New York. "My husband laughed and said it wouldn't be comfortable. And it wasn't." Luckily, Yen found furniture maker Jason Lewis, who custom-built a rocking chair for her. "His wife was pregnant, so he made one for her, too!" What happened to her Eames chair? "It's in the living room," she says. "It's totally fine for hanging out."

Here's Jason Lewis's rocking chair, as well as two others we really like:

Sleepytime Rocker

Rapid Rocker

Email your home photos and design questions here.