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May 30, 2007
DIY Bathroom Paint Job
Over at Modern Self they were inspired by the wallpaper designs of Twenty2 Wallpaper and decided to paint their walls instead. Their results (above) look great but it's a bit modern for our tastes (but perfect for the Modern Self).
Ceiling Tiles
Check out these polystyrene ceiling tiles from Talissa Decor. They can be installed directly over popcorn stucco ceilings in just a couple hours.
[via Neublack]
[install via Curbly]
May 29, 2007
Recycled Vinyl Wallcovering
Treehugger introduces us to recycled vinyl wallcoverings that meet LEED certification and can be applied using water-based adhesives and are colored using water-based inks. These wallcoverings are stylish and come in three different lines that would look great in most commercial applications as well as your own home.
Second Look Recycled Wallcoverings
Bob Vila
Check out the new and improved BobVila.com. Much better design and color scheme. We'll have to dive to deeper to see if the content matches the presentation but from first glance the new site is a definite improvement.
Posted by at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | post to del.icio.usMay 20, 2007
Happy Anniversary
44 Years! Congratulations!!! I'm taking a break while we celebrate the anniversary of the two most important people in my life.
May 15, 2007
Paint Estimate Calculators
Here are some helpful paint calculators from various manufacturers and retailers for estimating the amount of paint needed for covering walls, ceilings, or exteriors. Compare a few and you should have a rough estimate of what you'll need.
PPG Architectural Coatings
Benjamin Moore
Pratt and Lambert
Glidden
Paint Quality Institute
Improvnet
TrueValue
Domino Magazine
Metric
Bunnings Warehouse
Dulux
BBC
Install a GFCI Outlet
GFCI outlets are safety upgrades that every home should have. Houses built after 1993 are required to have these outlets installed in bathrooms, kitchens, and near any sink or washroom.
GFCI outlets are specifically designed to shutoff the moment it detects a leak in the electrical current such as the current traveling through a persons body. It constantly measures the outgoing current on the "hot wire" with the return current on the "neutral wire" and can shut down in as little as 1/30th of a second if the currents don't matchup. Don't wait to install these outlets.
Installing a GFCI oulet tutorial [Easy2DIY]
HowTo Install a GFCI Outlet [Corner Hardware]
Testing Your GFCI Outlet [CPSC]
Install a GFCI [Do It Youself or Not]
May 14, 2007
Home Office Design
We need some help with design of our home office. We know we won't make the cover of House & Garden and there's not much we can do with the 5-foot ceiling (office is located in vertically challenged loft-space) but the mess of cables and peripherals and books and CD's can be much better organized. We found some inspirational photos for home office designs as well as some tips for making the most of your home office.
Design Tips for a Productive Home Office [Lifehack]
5 Home Office Design Tips for Better Productivity [About.com]
Home Office Styles [HGTV]
Home Office Design Fundamentals [Satisfaction]
The Home Office [BBC]
Homemade Garage Heater
Here's an ingenious solar heater made of painted soda cans, plywood, and some plastic tubing. The builder wanted a cheap solution to bringing some hot air into his garage. It may not make a huge difference in temp but it certainly qualifies for a build-it-yourself solution.
Posted by at 12:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | post to del.icio.usMay 11, 2007
K/BIS 2007 Recap
The 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show wrapped up yesterday in Las Vegas and we've got some recaps from a couple of our favorite editors/bloggers.
Kristen Mucci of This Old House has been covering the tradeshow from the TOH Hardware Aisle. This is her 7th year attending and one of the larger trends she's noticed is the integration of technology into every appliance, fixture, and product that's available for homes. She also uncovered a $75K lapis sink which was behind a velvet rope (not sure who or how someone could steal that).
Of course The Kitchen Designer was there and she's returned with a great review of new products and themes plus a couple of podcasts from a Charlie Trotter kitchen presentation and Top Design winner Matt Lorenz.
Looking forward to seeing some of these products on the shelves this year.
Posted by at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.usMay 10, 2007
Learn to Design and Build
Apartment Therapy has turned us onto a great looking school in Vermont called Yestermorrow Design/Build School. They are a non-profit educational institution and offer over 100 hands-on courses per year in design, construction, woodworking, and architectural craft as well as courses in sustainable design.
According to their website:
Now in its 27th year, Yestermorrow is one of the only design/build schools in the country, teaching both design and construction skills. Our 1-day to 2-week hands-on courses are taught by top architects, builders, and craftspeople from across the country. For people of all ages and experience levels, from novice to professional
We are especially interested in their weekend "Green Building Materials" course which offers 14 learning units from the AIA as well credit towards a Certificate in Sustainable Building and Design. As well as the "Introduction to the Woodshop" in which you'll build your own take home project using the following tools: table saw, jointer, router, planer, drill press, and band saw.
Plus, Vermont is beautiful in the summer!
Soundproofing Your Home
Last year we touched on some ways to prevent sound from leaving your rooms but more importantly how do you keep sound out of your home? Repair-Home.com has some suggestions that require changes to your walls, ceilings, and windows. But you should first follow their easy tips.
* At least 25% of every room should be devoted to absorbent materials, such as carpeting, furniture, or draperies. These materials help dampen sound waves, and absorb sound.
* Entrance ways can also be a source of noise problems. Try to install solid-core doors throughout your house, or keep doors to your rooms closed. This will reduce the amount of sound that travels from room to room.
* In a pinch, cheap soundproofing never fails! You can always hang carpeting or bedding or push mattresses up against the walls, to help reduce noise transmission.
May 9, 2007
Comments Are Back!
We continue to fight the good fight against comment spam and although the battle is hardly over we feel confident enough to turn the comments back on. We feel your input will help us build a better site and provide our posts with more depth and discussion.
So please - write away!
Posted by at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | post to del.icio.usMay 8, 2007
Repair Damaged or Loose Veneer
Desks, dressers, and tables are often constructed from a particle board top and wood veneer cover. This veneer cover is typically glued or hot-pressed to the top of table and can fray or chip at the edges due to heavy use, moisture, or heat. Here are some techniques for repairing and maintaining a healthy veneer.
How to Repair Wooden Furniture Veneer [Howstuffworks.com]
Damaged Veneer [Woodweb]
How To Give Veneer Tops New Life [Woodmagazine.com]
Slim Furniture
West Elm has recently introduced a furniture line with a slimmer profile that targets smaller spaces. Perfect for "cosy" apartments or tight rooms that require comfortable seating but can't handle the typical dimensions of most sofas or ottomans. Watch for more furniture retailers to follow suit.
May 7, 2007
Home Improvement Myths
There are some axioms related to home improvement that are just plain false but have been perpetuated by real estate agents, contractors, or homeowners who want to believe in some hard rules when it comes remodeling or renovating their home.
Here are some home improvement myth busters.
Top 4 Home Improvement Myths [HGTV]
Dean Johnson Debunks Some Common Myths About Home Improvement [Hometime]
5 Homeownership Tax Myths [MSN]
Debunking the Myths of Bathroom Design [Doityourself.com]
Five Mold Myths And Facts For Homeowners [Home Improvement Time]
May 2, 2007
The City Cook
Courtesy of the Manhattan Users Guide, we've got a new bookmark that I'm sure many non-New Yorkers may find interesting. The City Cook is focused on urbanites who are otherwise too busy or counter space impaired to cook a meal at home.
We understand this plight and realize that as much as we'd love to have Susan Serra remodel our kitchen, alas we are renters and she wouldn't really have much to work with. We look forward to the day that our oven range can stand alone and not be used for storage or be covered with a woodblock to add precious counter space. But I envision The City Cook may have us reaching for a Mauviel instead of a menu very soon.
Posted by at 10:41 AM | Permalink | post to del.icio.usSafe Gardens for Kids
Here are some great suggestions for planning a child safe garden that maximizes outdoor fun but protects both your children and your foliage.
Posted by at 1:53 AM | Permalink | post to del.icio.usMay 1, 2007
Backyard Planters
Extreme-HowTo has a DIY solution for building backyard planters. These planters are built using pressure-treated landscape timber and are great as vegetable gardens or flower beds.
