The kitchen is often the heart and soul of any home, so it’s no surprise that kitchen renovations are the most popular home improvement projects. Yet because a kitchen needs a high degree of functionality as well as design…
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I came across a great DIY bathroom project from the brilliant minds at Better Homes and Gardens. Instead of purchasing a new vanity, consider converting an existing dresser into the perfect sink space, complete with plenty of drawers! The…
Yes, being around faucets all day can be fun (at least for one day) as the folks at Delta Faucet Co. proved to myself, assistant editor Katy Ryan and roughly 15 other new media outlets covering home improvement and…
During the dog days of summer, one of the last things you want to do on a regular basis is tend to your lawn. Yet if your yard is truly out of control, here’s an idea from the Wall…
Annual color forecasts are often a barometer by which home decor, design and other companies introduce trends and products. Have you noticed an increase in turquoise this year? That’s because it was named the Pantone color of the year…
Crown molding is totally impressive. The look of a room can be completely transformed with just this one addition. But is crown molding a possibility on rooms boasting a cathedral ceiling? And if so, is it even worth the…
If you, like me, are on a constant mission to surround yourself with pretty things, then Cynthia Rowley’s new tool collection should definitely be on your radar. Basic home improvement supplies, including hammers, pliers and screwdrivers, become a little…
I have a kitchen conundrum. Storage space is minimal in my loft, especially in the kitchen area. One of the things I really need? A spice rack. I’ve been searching for wall-mounted varieties to add to my wedding registry,…
Thoughtful window treatments are a basic way to add style and panache to a room. Consider a valance at the top of the window that will coordinate with your fabrics–and the room’s color scheme–while adding a finished polish to…
We’ve been invited to attend Delta Faucet’s media event so this week we’re traveling to Indianapolis to check out the latest from the Delta Faucet Company and receive a thorough rundown of new products from Delta Faucet which also…
It’s hard to turn on the oven when it’s sweltering inside and out. I’ve been eating lots of take-out and sandwiches because I can’t bear to roast in my apartment. As the hottest month of the summer heats up,…
In probably some of the oddest home reno show news I’ve come across in quite some time, severalsources are stating that Robert Van Winkle, aka early 90’s rap star Vanilla Ice, is set to host his own 10-episode show…
One of the most impressive tools we saw at the recent DeWALT 12V MAX product launch was their 1/4″ Screwdriver Kit. This cordless powerhouse feels durable enough for the jobsite but would also fit great in the hand of…
Whether you want to spruce up a chair or breathe new life into a couch, DIY upholstering is a great weekend project that can easily add impact to a room without draining your wallet on a new piece of…
Isn’t it a pain (sometimes literally) when reaching above for dishes or glasses? You may also find yourself stretching up and working your fingers out just to barely nudge at the cake plate waaaaay up high? What about the…
File this one under “What will they think of next?” You’ve heard about using reclaimed wood for floors, but how about accessories? Ting London, the brainchild of designer Inghua Ting, has launched a line of floor tiles made from…
Searching for the perfect refrigerator is a bit like a quest for the holy grail. What brand? How large? Do you want a fridge and freezer side-by-side, or do you prefer a drawer freezer at the bottom of the…
It’s confession time, C&H readers. When I imagine the house of my dreams, there are several must-have features on that list: a claw-footed bathtub, a library with floor-to-ceiling shelves (and a purple velvet chaise, but that’s another story!) AND,…
Sometimes a renovated kitchen doesn’t have to mean breaking down walls and relocating to a different spot in the house. When I spotted this kitchen reno on CasaSugar I thought it was a great example of smart, small changes…
Recently, my husband and I embarked on an epic adventure in our home renovation. We — actually he and a friend, because I’m nine months pregnant and can barely bend at the waist — completely DIY’ed a hardwood floor…
For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived in homes with double-basin sinks. Although I sometimes find myself cramped for space, I’ve developed inherent habits that instruct me to use the left side for rinsing/washing/pre-dishwasher purgatory and the…
It’s essential. We all need to store our stuff, from books to clothing, kitchen paraphernalia and, of course, our tools. Building a dedicated and organized storage system in each room will help you to de-clutter your life. But before…
Whenever I am visiting my family at home, my mother has the same complaint about her house: the wood floors. She’d love to refinish them but with an elderly dog, other projects to tackle and a limited budget, it’s…
Contemporary design is hot, no doubt about it. And many modern designs are slim, subtle and sustainable. But when I looked at this award-winning design from Kristin Laass and Norman Ebelt, I began to wonder. Does having a sustainable…
Debbie Glassberg, a Kansas City resident and toy designer, has been the talk of the town since construction began on her modern, eco-friendly home made entirely of steel shipping containers. The building process began in early 2009 after the…
Thanks to a tip from one of my favorite local blogs, I found myself with a new must-read site. Dwelling:3918 tells the story of one Kansas City family’s quest to completely renovate a 122-year-old stone home in their scenic…
The dog days of summer are awesome. Warm weather and sunshine get you out into the yard and tackling those home projects. But there is a certain area of the house that needs your attention now, before the warm…
Do you have strong feelings in regards to your kitchen or bath design but don’t have the budget to work with a professional designer? Or do you just know what you like when you see it but don’t have…
Earlier this week, I came across a humorous anecdote about homeowners who had a huge pile of gravel delivered to their house for an upcoming project. A miscommunication occurred between the two parties, and the monstrous pile of gravel…
We like to say that Etsy is at the center of the handmade universe which was confirmed after getting a behind-the-scenes tour of their office in Brooklyn, NY. They truly celebrate their sellers as nearly 100% of their furniture…
Maybe you have an older home with a crumbling facade. Or it could be that the mason on your newly built dream home was looking forward to the weekend instead of paying attention. There’s a multitude of reasons why…
I can’t stop looking at the pictures of a full apartment renovation that recently appeared in a guest post on one of my favorite blogs, A Brooklyn Limestone In Progress. The contributor, Nicole Cohen, just launched her own blog…
I’m a big fan of durability. If you take the time to choose a product, fork out the cash for it and then fall in love using it (or in this case walking on it), that product better be…
Oh, the microwave! Since the early 1970s (or 1980s, if you grew up in my home) most homes had a microwave that many parents grew to love. Known for its speedy cooking and zapping ability to quickly reheat within…
Forget expensive security gadgets and high-tech alarm systems. Sometimes the best crime deterrents are the result of environmental design factors, which include a careful survey of your property and home to spot potential problem areas. In a video tutorial…
If you’re eager to alter the color of your hardwood floors but prefer a more classic, timeless hue, consider a gentle alteration using two techniques: whitewashing and pickling. Whitewashing, an ideal treatment for pine floors, brightens wood while allowing…
After tackling home improvement projects and becoming frustrated at a lack of green building materials and supplies, Sarah Beatty took matters into her own hands. The result? Green Depot, an online retailer founded in 2005 that has expanded to…
Mosaic tiles are found in many different sizes, materials, colors and textures. In this NYC bathroom, the mosaic used here is a beautiful ocean hued matte stone finish. What impressed me was the notion to keep it SIMPLE, people!…
With August around the corner, temperatures are scorching throughout the country. Just this month New York City, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. broke records on the east coast. National heat waves are not only wrecking havoc on power grids and…
That’s right. Paper. They really have figured out a way to recycle everything for kitchen surfaces. PaperStone products are FSC-certified and made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Sound crazy? Here’s how it works: “Made from recycled paper that has…
Reviving a piece of wood furniture with a new coat of paint is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to bring a fresh burst of DIY personality to any room. As with any home project, however, a little preparation…
5 Ways to Help Decide on Paint Color Clean a Paintbrush in 10 Seconds Easy Way to Test for Lead Paint Use Paint to Seal Swollen Doors 5 More House Painting Tips…
Being a designer, I am always so intrigued by kitchens and baths when I am traveling or visiting homes. On my latest Manhattan vacation, I was lucky enough to stay with friends in their beautiful Upper East Side condo,…
Milwaukee Tools is on a tear and recently introduced a ton of new products as well as refreshed a few from their current lineup. Yesterday they held a media event to introduce some of these tools as well as…
We’re giddy about the recent announcement by WGBH of a new show called Rough Cut with Tommy Mac that takes you through the process of building wood pieces many of which come from “rough” lumber that hasn’t been pre-cut…
Could you go two weeks without a toilet? That’s what many New Yorkers face when renovating their apartments and I’m sure you can feel their pain when your kitchen is wrapped or your hallways are torn up. We noticed…
There’s a battle brewing over the use of luxurious high-flow shower heads. Some of these high-end showerheads cost upwards of $5,000 or more and emit as much as 12 gallons of water a minute, essentially and bringing a down…
This is one way to solve a housing crisis. Using discarded tires and bottles to create walls of a home. Architect Michael Reynolds has applied this green building construction technique to more than 1,000 homes and thinks it will…
Gone are the days when appliances, such as hot water heaters, are tucked away in deep dark closets. There are a bevy of manufacturers who are responding to better designed products (inspired by European manufacturers who have less room…
Have you ever perused Craigslist or a realtor’s website and immediately got turned off by a poorly snapped photo? My boyfriend is very guilty of this. I tend to pay more attention to words that images (“But honey, it…
This week Milwaukee Tools is announcing some new tools but before we get to that we wanted to share a section of their website we found almost as interesting. We already know that tool tattoos are extremely popular and…
I recently read an article on Treehugger about the successful completion of a passive house in the south. A passive house you say? What the heck is that? Passive homes are built without a furnace. They rely on insulation and…
Over on our green building site we’ve been sharing a great series from our blogger Tabatha on Going Green, Simple and Cheap. This series offers green tips that are easy to do and cost little or nothing for almost…
New York City apartment dwellers are facing a quandary. The city is aggressively going after landlords who allow temporary walls built that aren’t to code (most aren’t). This problem stems from a fatal 2005 fire and the city’s drive…
We just returned from a visit to the handmade center of the universe, Etsy. They recently moved to a fabulous location in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn and built out their own space in a large warehouse loft. In…
When someone asks where you spend most of your time, the garage doesn’t typically rise to the top of the list, does it (well maybe it does – I am writing on a DIY blog)? Anyway, if your answer…
Organization is all the rage. From the boardroom to the bathroom, it’s obvious that being organized makes for more productivity. How about taking that same philosophy and applying it to your household recycling? That doesn’t mean you’ll need to…
A great feature has launched recently on my go-to source for everything decorating, remodeling and DIY – HGTV.com. Their new page called Designer Portfolios has just that – a slew of over 2,000 different rooms from contemporary kitchens to…
What is a soffit, you say? It is the drywall or plaster ‘box’ above your short upper cabinets that connects to the ceiling creating typically a dead space of six to twelve inches. Most soffits were placed in homes…
RIDGID recently introduced the RIDGID JobMax tool system that they’ve touted as the master of all trades. It’s definitely unique to the market and offers two attachments, the oscillating multi-tool and auto-hammer, that we haven’t seen in a multi-functional…
Our friends at Fixr have been busy building this very comprehensive remodeling cost guide. We can’t vouch for its accuracy and any cost guide is always just a ballpark figure as all projects are different mainly due to materials…
The new lead paint rule instituted by the EPA that requires special handling when remodeling all pre-1978 homes has now been slightly altered. Beginning today, all contractors performing renovation, repair or painting work in homes built before 1978 must…
When designing a kitchen, it’s so important to think out of the box. Literally, your cabinetry arrives in a box. The cabinetry body is of boxes and doors but what can you do with that? Plenty! A kitchen designer…
As technology and software keeps advancing the sophistication in 3D virtual room planning tools continues to grow. This list will help you find an online design tool that works best for you. All of these are free with so…
If offering a chance to win Justin Bieber tickets wasn’t enough motivation to tour a new home development, more home builders are now touting “green” features in some of their models. According to the Wall Street Journal these home…
Installing your own home security system no longer requires the expertise of a skilled technician. You can still invest in a full-featured system from one of the leading home security firms but you now have more choices when it…
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard has announced that in 2010 remodeling will increase 5% over 2009. This would mark the first increase since 2006. Great news for all of us in the home improvement business. But…
Home Builders are always seeking fresh new ideas when it comes to promoting and selling homes so why not latch onto the hottest thing on the planet which is, Justin Bieber. KB Home offered visitors to any Las Vegas-area…
I’ve long thought about using a can of chalkboard paint to transform my overly large water closet door into a scribble-friendly service. A new discovery from MDC Wallcoverings has me re-thinking that plan. If you prefer markers to chalk,…
When my husband and I bought our house, we did so with every intention of getting all HGTV on the place. Despite neither of us having any home renovation experience, we naively looked around and assumed that small repairs…
Among the new tools introduced at the DeWALT 12V MAX launch we attended last week, the inspection camera was the most fun from a tech/gadget perspective. It’s used to inspect behind walls into pipes and really anywhere that is…
So you spent your hard earned cash on Trex or one of the other big name composite decking brands. You were sold on the idea that this product was low maintenance. No need for staining and the deck will…
The Dwell on Design tradeshow was fun but what we were really looking forward to was the Dwell Home Tours. Dwell sets up an Eastside and Westside tour of 6 homes each that are all built in a Modern…
Ever get stuck on a home decor project? Have problems envisioning a room finished (you know, past the bare drywall and exposed wires)? Or wondering how an out-of-this world color palette might actually work together, but afraid of purchasing…
I have luckily (knock on wood) haven’t had to buy any major appliances yet. I know, I know. I’ve always been able to get great hand-me-downs or move into a place that was properly outfitted. But now that my…
Many people are completely intimidated by the concept of going green. It really feels like if you don’t start using a rain barrel, install solar panels on your roof, eat, drink and breathe 1000% organic, and compost every living…
To help consumers add years to the life of their air conditioning system, Bill Cunningham, a home cooling and energy efficiency expert with Lennox – a leading manufacturer of heating and cooling products – suggests the following tips for…
For the most part anything that Disney touches turns to gold so we won’t bet against their plan to build luxury homes. According to the Wall Street Journal: Walt Disney Co. plans to unveil Wednesday its first foray into…
Two recent news stories – an article in The New Yorker entitled The Plastic Panic and a CNN television investigative report called Toxic America – got me thinking, yet again, about the dangers lurking in our own homes. I…
Paslode is now offering a tool decal or graffiti or “Skin” for its Cordless Framing Nailer that promotes Breast Cancer Awareness. Called Let’s Nail The Cure, the decal fits on the millions of Paslode Cordless Framing nailers in use…