Home

Tools

Knives

polaris-work-snowmobile1

Polaris Utility Snowmobiles: Work Sleds That Are Fun

Polaris builds some amazing off-road vehicles but their original heritage begins with snowmobiles. While they’ve made a name for themselves with the racing sleds and trick sleds that have been shown in the X Games, they also have a…

Bodum Joins JCPenney

Bodum coffee and tea accessories are now available in JCPenney's new home store…

8 Tips to Do-It-Yourself While Pregnant

Since this isn’t my first time being pregnant amid approximately a million home improvement projects, nor is it the first time that being pregnant necessitated some of those projects, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned…

surestep-ladder-safety-large

Surestep Ladder Stabilizer

Working from a ladder is a dangerous place, so to improve your ladder safety check out the Surestep Stabilizer…

marvin-energy-efficient-glass1

Energy Efficient Windows Explained

For years I thought windows were windows. When it was too warm we’d draw the shades and if it was too cold we’d make sure the windows were closed tight. But today’s windows are available with glass and coatings…

john-deere-factory-tour-tractor

John Deere Tractors Factory Tour

Check out photos of our John Deere Tractors Factory tour in Augusta, GA where they build the John Deere 1026R and 1023E tractors…

moving-day-website

Moving Day

After 7 years in Movable Type it was time to migrate to Wordpress…

sawzall-ductwork-drywall-blade

New Drywall and Ductwork Blades for Your SAWZALL

Milwaukee Tool just introduced two new job specific blades for the SAWZALL. The Ductwork SAWZALL blade and the Drywall SAWZALL blade. Each blade has been designed and tested to to eliminate specific user frustrations when working with those types…

santa-arrives-homedepot

Santa Arrives at The Home Depot with Kidde Smoke Alarms

Santa knows all about fire safety so we weren’t surprised when he teamed up with The Home Depot and Kidde to donate smoke alarms to local fire departments across the country. We arrived for the Kid’s Workshop that Home…

jeep-la-autoshow

LA Auto Show Kicks Into High Gear

I missed the LA Auto Show but not this year. I attended the media only events yesterday and got a first look at the cars and trucks before the public which was nice as there was no bustling crowds…

kidde-smoke-alarm-event

Be a Hero, Save a Hero with a Kidde Smoke Alarm

The holidays are a great time to keep home safety top of mind. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), between 2005 and 2009, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 240 home fires that…

newwest-knives

Become a Top Chef with the Superbread Fusionwood Knife

We do our fair share of cooking and we truly value the experience of using a high quality knife. Using a good knife just makes your life better, right? Enter the Superbread Fusionwood knife from New West Knives out…

Get Level with your iPad or iPhone

Do-It-Yourself apps are nothing new but Stanley just announced it’s redesigned level app which is now available on the iPad and iPhone 5. This app is free and available in cherry wood or FatMax yellow. We think this app…

m4-screwdriver-milwaukee

Milwaukee M4 2-Speed Screwdriver

Milwaukee Tool has just introduced the new M4 2-Speed Screwdriver which signifies their commitment to the 4V category or cordless tools. “At Milwaukee, we remain focused on our core users. Our goal for M4 is to create a variety…

Lockitron: Smartphone Controlled Deadbolt Lock

We use our smartphone to arm our Iris home alarm but if you want even more control you can now lock and unlock your door with the Lockitron. The unit slides over your current deadbolt and can be controlled…

bob-vila-timothy-dahl

Bob Vila Blogstar

I’ve arrived! That’s me on the homepage of BobVila.com! I’m honored to be selected as a Bob Vila Blogstar this year. They published a nice piece about me and my workshop as well as profiling Charles & Hudson and…

The Hollywood Sign Get’s a Facelift

The iconic Hollywood sign has been in need of a facelift for a few years. It’s been painted and repainted but the taggers always seem to get to it. They have typically just painted over the graffiti and onto…

Cleaner Floors are Just a Shoe In Away

We’re a no shoes household and with the baby we’ve become even more strict about that rule. But it can be tough to always remove your shoes each time you come in and out of your home and contrary…

Blaklader Brawny Work Pants

There is a lot to like about Blaklader work pants. I first saw these at a Bosch tool event last year and I had never heard of this amazing brand from Sweden. I spoke to Marcus Carlberg the President…

carharrt-twill-pants-featured

Carhartt Washed Twill Dungaree Work Pants

I literally wear these pants everyday. No seriously, almost everyday. I’ve got a couple Carhartt jackets and hats which I only use when it’s cold out and I was expecting these pants to be much heavier and bulkier as…

Build It Yourself: Surfboard Storage Rack

Since moving to LA from NYC last year I thought I’d be doing a lot more surfing. It hasn’t worked out like that. As soon as the water got warm the waves went flat. I guess that’s par for…

4 Home/Life Improvement Blogs You’ll Love

There are a bunch of lists out there rating the best home improvement blogs but in my experience these blogs are the ones I always read first. To make my list the blogs must be updated daily, have expert…

dremel-saw-max

Dremel Saw-Max Cutting Tool Review

Dremel has recently introduced the Saw-Max which is a heavy-duty cutting power tool. It’s designed to cut through any material and makes quick work of wood, sheet metal, tile and masonry. It’s extremely easy to use and fits in…

gyro-screwdriver

Every Home Needs a Black and Decker Gyro Screwdriver

Black and Decker has remove the on/off switch in their compact powered screwdriver and replaced it with gyroscopic technology that can sense the direction your wrist turns. This removes the directional button and trigger and makes it the easiest…

Knife + Flashlight = Blade Light from SOG

A knife plus a flashlight in one tool is one of those combinations that everyone should have. LED’s are in almost every power tool and we’ve used our cordless drill as a flashlight many times, but for some reason…

Craftsman Workwear: Twill Workpants

Craftsman continues to innovate in the cordless tool market for do-it-yourselfers with many new products to help with gardening and around the house. They’re now making a natural push into the workwear category and because they are a Sears…

mid-century-modern-home

Mid-Century Modern Furniture Can Work in Any Home

Last week we shared some tips for buying furniture online and our focus was on mid-century modern which has become the darling style of designers everywhere. And for good reason, the clean lines and solid colors work well with…

How To Keep Bugs From Ruining Your Outdoor Party

Due to the drought, many wasps, yellow jackets and flies have begun to forge in people’s green yards and gardens. Besides being a nuisance these bugs can be aggressive and dangerous. We’ve noticed a huge uptick in flies and…

designjunction in London goes Industrial

Next week designjunction in London opens. This show has become one of the finest showcases of international design brands in the world and this year they are featuring Tramshed which will have a huge impact on the show which…

DeWALT 12V MAX Pivot Recip Saw

DeWALT is known for their contractor grade recip saws that you will find on most jobsites, but sometimes you don’t need all that brute power but rather a tool that can perform tasks that no other tool can. This…

DeWALT 20V MAX Cordless Jigsaw

The jigsaw is one of our most used power tools and we love our cordless Milwaukee M12 jigsaw, but when we are cutting large sheets of plywood we need a bit more power and runtime and the new DeWALT…

Kwikset Double Locked Handleset

We are already fans of the Kwikset SMARTKEY re-keying system which allows you to re-key locks in seconds and saves you the time and expense of replacing locks or calling a locksmith. Kwikset has recently introduced a new entry…

galvanized-steel-ptrap

Replacing a P-Trap That’s Not Perfectly Aligned

Our bathroom sink has been a slow drainer for a few months and we’ve used drano and a Zip-It to no avail. The next step was to remove the p-trap and see what was lurking down below. Our home…

Duluth Firehose Work Pants are Wild Boar Resistant

Denim jeans are the default work pants that most of us wear while tackling do-it-yourself jobs around the house. But the trades have always known that jeans simply can’t stand up to the demands of their jobs which require…

The Best Real Estate iPad Apps

iPads are a great for many reasons but one of them is for exploring real estate. The iPad has a lot of great real estate apps available in their store that can help you search for listings while driving…

iris-camera

Home Security on a Budget with IRIS from Lowe’s

There has been a rash of break-ins in our neighborhood, so when Lowe’s asked if we wanted to check out their new home security system called IRIS we jumped at the chance. We had a preview of IRIS last…

Dremel Trio Giveaway: One Tool to Cut, Sand and Rout

The Dremel Trio is one of the most unique tools available and is our latest Giveaway. It’s a hybrid that can cut, sand and rout and does all three very well thanks to it’s 90-degree pivoting handle. Check out…

Outdoor Living Made Easy with a Lowe’s Backyard Makeover

This summer we traveled to New York to check out the Lowe’s Designer Charity Challenge. We were inspired by what all three designers were able to accomplish using Lowe’s 2012 outdoor collection as well as other items from the…

Before and Afters: Color Makes a World of Difference

This month we’ve had the pleasure of sharing a ton of painting tips from YOLO Colorhouse which produces a premium zero VOC paint. We know the advantages to using zero VOC paint, how to choose a color palette and…

435744141 640

Primer on Amateur Wrestling: From Lincoln to Sanderson

It's hard to imagine the Olympics without wrestling which has been a part of the Olympics since ancient times. This video narrated by Jay Mohr shares reasons why wrestling is different than most other sports and why it's inclusion…

Lennox iComfort Brings WiFi to Your Thermostat

The smart home revolution is taking hold and one area of constant innovation is the thermostat. Having complete control over the heating and cooling is vital to saving energy and money and a new breed of thermostats does more…

Painting 101: Preparing Your Space to Paint

Painting is a beloved by DIYers for the incredible transformation that can occur in a space with minimal cost, effort, and supplies. That said, with the help of a few tips, you can take your paint job from weekend…

Charles & Hudson Call for Interns

We’re looking for a few enthusiastic interns to work out of our West LA office a couple of days a week through the end of the year. Responsibilities vary widely, hours are flexible, but we do want people who…

How To Choose a Color Palette For Your Room

Deciding to paint a room is the easy part, but actually choosing a color can be very difficult. In part II of our summer paint series sponsored by YOLO Colorhouse, we look at what color means and tips for…