This year, the Annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest received 48,000 submissions from photographers in 155 countries. Here are 15 of the 60 finalists in the six categories: Natural World, The American Experience, Travel, People, Altered Images, and Mobile. “MAKING INCENSE” BY TRAN TUAN VIET “Decoratively dyed bundles of incense dry in Quang Phu Cau, a commune …

You can’t actually make a small room bigger without resorting to some serious building work. But there is plenty you can do to make a compact space feel more spacious. Interior designers and home experts often resort to tricks for tiny spaces – from clever lighting to bold colour choices – which can transform a …

Cleaning can often feel like a bore, but there are ways to make this household necessity a lot more fun and feel much more effortless. A new study by Kärcher, the cleaning technology experts, has revealed that 70% of Brits admit to dancing and singing while they clean to make the tasks more entertaining. The …

What do all of the happiest-looking homes have in common? Greenery, and lots of it. That’s because greenery, and nature in general, makes us feel happier, calmer, more productive and more relaxed. There’s even a hashtag (#plantsmakepeoplehappy) that commemorates the phenomenon, and at 376,000 posts, it’s still going strong. We surround ourselves with plants during …

HELLO, BLUE ICE! Over the weekend, photographers and nature-lovers across Michigan flocked to the Mackinac Bridge to see the stunning blocks of blue ice that had formed around the structure. A NATURAL PHENOMENON The frozen blocks got their blue hue because the lake ice, where lake Michigan and Huron met, had no bubbles. This allowed …