Since shelter magazines took quite a blow courtesy of a rocky economy, we love that a number of digital home magazines continue to launch. Sure, we miss the tactile experience of reading a magazine like Domino or Blueprint, but…
Last week, I had the great fortune of traveling to New York City for the debut of Lowe’s expanded Kobalt Tools line. Although the home improvement giant has offered Kobalt tools for years (Kobalt started in 1998 as a…
Now that it’s officially autumn and fall projects are finishing up as the cooler weather sits in, it’s time for a reality check. Before you know it, winter and the holiday season will be upon us once again, and…
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks around here, but we’re finally ready to pull the cover off our new project, Built by Kids! We launched the site on Labor Day and the next day my wife Laura went…
I’m sure we all have similar memories growing up of standing with our backs straight against a wall while our parents marked our height with our names and the date, creating a timeline of childhood growth. While these places…
Alright, Charles and Hudson readers, I need your sage advice. I have an issue with my two upstairs bedroom light junction boxes and I’m hoping you can help me out. See it? See how the junction boxes literally hang…
In addition to installing smoke alarms throughout your home, you may opt to keep a couple of fire extinguishers on hand in case of an emergency. Yet fire extinguishers, like most other things in your home, need to be…
During a rainy Saturday morning last weekend, my husband and I found ourselves at the hardware store to stock up on picture- and art-hanging supplies, as well as a masonry bit and, the motherlode of all finds – a…
Litehouse Living is a completely green venture hoping to bring eco-friendly living to a rejuvenated industrial setting. …
I don’t know how the weather is where you live, but here in Kansas City, we’re in for a chilly and rainy weekend – the perfect time to knock out a few DIY projects! The newest one I’ve added…
File this one under “simply amazing.” Artist Jonathan Brechignac has undertaken an incredibly ambitious project. He’s spent more than a year creating carpet for his home using a Biro pencil. That’s right — a pencil! I learned about the…
Last month while enjoying the exploits of the Tool Race we also had a chance to tour through the Columbus Idea Foundry, the host of not only the race, but the birthplace of many of the modified tools that…
While perusing our local Home Depot for some fall project items, we found ourselves eyeballing the countertop selection. We’re not really in the market for a new countertop, but we like to keep tabs on what’s available through the…
Before the temperatures start to dip too low, you may want to consider sealing your driveway. Periodically applying a sealant will help protect your driveway’s condition, and is an especially good idea if you live somewhere with hot summers…
One of our favorite Swedish retailers, IKEA, has reccently launched a new program called IKEA Family, a free membership loyalty program with a good deal of benefits for cardholders. During our family’s end-of-summer sojourn to the great big blue…
When it comes to winterizing and weatherproofing, some simple materials can make a big difference in your home’s interior temperature — and help you conserve energy, too. Maybe you have drafty windows and can’t afford to replace them. Or,…
2011 is slowly winding down (eeeekkk!!), so that means we’ll start to see more trend forecasts emerge for 2012. If you’re considering a flooring purchase within the next several months, we’ve got a sneak peek at next year’s flooring…
As rising energy costs continue to put strain on homeowner budgets (especially as we head into cooler months), saving energy is not only a great idea for the planet — it will help you save money, too. Luckily, saving…
Here at Charles & Hudson, we’re always looking out for the best ways to maximize the space you have in creative and inventive ways. So imagine our delight when we stumbled upon this little marvel — it’s a dishwasher…
Here are a few of our favorite projects that would be great to tackle this labor day weekend. Choose an indoor or outdoor project and go for it! 1. Paint Your Own Wall Mural 2. Build a Flower Window…
In July, I received the chance of a lifetime and joined fellow DIY/shelter bloggers for a design challenge sponsored by Shaw Floors. Our task was simple: Build a room from the floor up. And because we were hosted by…
One of our favorite animated movies of all-time is “UP”, and central to the movie is the house that the old man decided to move with him as he went exploring. You can now see a real life version…
Have you ever wished there was a book to view the best homes of This Old House after the remodel? Well your prayers have been answered. Kevin O’Connor, the host of This Old House, takes us on a personal…
With fall quickly approaching, you may have the urge to change something in your home. Personally, I find myself spending more time on decorating, de-cluttering and organizing my abode in the weeks before winter, almost as if I’m preparing…
With the help of some great contributors we’ve covered some elements of nursery design and preparing for a baby as well as recycling a crib and tips for doing-it-yourself while pregnant. We’ve put a lot of these tips into…
This past weekend we had the absolute joy of attending the Third Annual Ohio Tool Racing Championships in Columbus, Ohio, and we could not have been more impressed. Run out of the Columbus Idea Foundry, the concept is that…
We got tipped to a new product from DuPont that promises to eliminate the problem of weeds in our garden. Their WeedFree Premium landscape fabric supposedly provides a strong defense against weeds and helps promote healthy plants and shrubs.…
We’ve been using over the counter window spray cleaners for years. Some work better than others but many of them leave a lot to be desired. From running to streaks, cleaning windows isn’t always as easy as you’d think.…
I’ve often shared my love for my Ford F150 and apparently I’m not alone. I took a quick survey of fellow tool bloggers who were more than eager to share their trucks with me and how they felt about…
It’s been awhile since we checked in with our good friend, the fabulous DIY Diva. And when we did, she gave us a brilliant idea: the DIYcation. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? If you have a lot of things…
We are the proud owners of a new Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer from Lowe’s. We had them delivered and stacked, but the problem is, once stacked they become even heavier and more difficult to move. Fortunately the delivery…
What could be better than whipping up a first-class meal on a state-of-the-art gas range? How about if the proceeds from the appliance’s auction benefit breast cancer research? Chef Marcus Samuelsson (the winner of Top Chef Masters season 2…
We’ve often talked here at Charles & Hudson about things like universal design, how to DIY with temporary medical conditions (read: pregnancy), and what to do if you’re mid-project and injure yourself. But something we haven’t touched much upon…
Last Tuesday marked a monumental day around our humble abode — the long-awaited arrival of our new bed. The glorious piece of furniture (including mattress and box springs) was a wedding gift from my dad and stepmom, and it…
For tool geeks it was cool to see the ubiquitous Milwaukee Sawzall make an appearance in the latest video from Jay-Z and Kanye West, Otis. The opener is ominous with both rappers walking towards a new Maybach, Kanye with…
About a year ago the blogosphere was all abuzz about FrogTape, a new painters’ tape product with paint-blocking technology purported to stop paint from bleeding under the tape. With that in mind, the point of the tape was to…
This past weekend we had the chance to check out our city’s monthly summer Really Really Free Market — as in, yes, everything really, really is free — and we’re digging this latest urban trend. Really Really Free Markets…
File this one under the “What will they think of next?” category. And yes, you read the post title right: today we’re talking about edible spray paint. Thanks to the team at Shelterrific for alerting us to this fascinating…
Building something or finishing a project is all about creating a solution. So when we stumbled across Down East Doormats, which use the basic design of a doormat to solve an ongoing problem, we didn’t hesitate to share this…
Today felt like a holiday when we received our mail — the new IKEA 2012 catalog sat innocently in our mailbox, its near pristine pages just crying out to be thumbed through. While we are pretty avid IKEA shoppers,…
Whether you’re considering selling your house or simply want to freshen up your home’s exterior, you can’t go wrong with installing a new garage door. In fact, this project consistently ranks high on Remodeling magazine’s Cost v. Value report.…
Maybe dogs wouldn’t be so aggressive or bark so much if they could see what was beyond their fence? Well the pet peek could be the perfect solution. It looks easy to install and if you’ve got a curious…
The Barbie dream house — such a splendid creation, isn’t it? I know I confessed my extreme tomboy tendencies yesterday, but I also had a Barbie dream house. Mansion is a more accurate description, and I spent hours concocting…
Growing up, I was quite the tomboy. And looking back at my preferred toys, it’s no surprise that I now write about home improvement and DIY. Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, blocks and a pint-sized tool kit topped my list…
During the sweltering days of summer, painting your roof white seems like a fantastic idea. The idea is to make your roof more reflective so that it doesn’t absorb as much heat, which will keep your house cooler–and likely…
Our friend Nick has a passion for music and wanted to incorporate this into the design of his new home. You can take his same concept and create your own wall mural using a design of your choice and…
My daughter will be turning one here at the end of August, and as a child always in the 95th percentile of growth with no sign of slowing down, I know her babyhood is quickly ending while her toddlerhood…
I’m about to make a strong statement: I hate summer. Don’t get me wrong – I love spending time outside, swimming, dining al fresco, going to the lake. But Kansas City (and much of the country) is in the…
When it comes to home security, you can easily invest a lot of money in a high-budget alarm and monitoring system. Yet there are also several budget-friendly things you can do to boost your home’s protection. One of your…
We love finding creative uses for common household items. Take coffee, for example. It’s delicious, and for many of us, it’s the fuel that keeps us going throughout a hectic day. And better yet? You can use it to…
One of the reasons that paint is so great is because it can instantly change the look of anything. And you don’t need to go crazy on your entire house to make a big visual impact. Take your front…
As soon as I saw the title of Garden Rant’s post, “Cool Stuff To Do With Weeds,” I was hooked. Because, after all, there aren’t a lot of productive things you can do with weeds–well, besides kill them, that…
“The rug really pulled the room together…man”, and with that the adventure began. One of our favorite films of all time, The Big Lebowski, begins in the Dude’s house, his bathroom to be exact and ends with his rug…
We’re big time coffee fans and need at least one cup (usually two) to help us get going in the morning. Nothing beats coffee from a French press of just grounded fresh roasted beans but sometimes we just don’t…
This has been an amazing summer for us. We’ve been putting in the miles with media trips across the country and mixing in a jaunt to Paris…for a babymoon. Yes, Laura and I are expecting a boy in September!…
If you want to lower your energy costs and make your home more energy-efficient, there are a lot of little steps you can take: switching to CFLs, installing a programmable thermostat and switching to low-flow faucets, for example. Yet…
Yesterday we had the pleasure of joining Milwaukee Tool at their media day in Milwaukee, WI. We joined a group of trade writers and tool bloggers that represented all of North America and Latin America. Milwaukee Tool definitely recognizes…
We’ve got a Poulan Pro chainsaw that works great and we’ve only used it for the occasional de-limbing job, so when I got my hands on the biggest and baddest chainsaw from Husqvarna last week I was stoked! This…
We’ve talked before about pressure washers on C&H — they can help tackle a variety of jobs and can breathe new life into a variety of products. Take decks, for example. It’s likely that your deck takes quite a…
The pinnacle for any DIYer? Building a house! If you’re intimidated by the process, we’ve got a simpler version for you to try. The Tata Group has created a $720 flatpack home that can be built in a week…
Living in an urban environment sometimes means sacrificing some personal space. Houses are closer together, square footage is minimal, and neighbors don’t have to work very hard to be nosy with their windows practically lining up with yours. Privacy…
The refrigerator is truly a modern wonder, isn’t it? It keeps our food and drinks cold, and also serves as an artwork and message display center. We came across a great Kitchens.com post on refrigeration trends and it made…
If you’re eager to make your home more energy-efficient, one of the best things you can do is install a programmable thermostat, which will help keep the temperature in your home more consistent, and is more reliable than an…
Husqvarna has been on my radar since grade school. Not the outdoor power equipment, but the motorcross bikes. Growing up in the Southwest, we all rode bikes or three-wheelers in the desert and the bike of choice was typically…
We’re wrapping up our Window Wisdom series with a short video presented by Steve Donovan from Taylor Brothers Architectural Products here in Los Angeles. They carry a wide selection of windows and doors, but it’s obvious that Steve really…
For a long time at our house, we’ve been discussing how to handle our basement floor. Despite being freshly (albeit poorly and incorrectly) painted before we moved in, a combination of bad workmanship, poor color choice, and the wear…
It’s here! The weekend that Angelenos have been dreading for months. CARMAGEDDON!!! Simply put, the 405 freeway will be closed for two days at 10-mile stretch between I-10 and the 101 to repair a damaged bridge. The run up…
Just so you know? I love my job. I had the honor of representing Charles & Hudson at Shaw Floor’s media event to unveil the company’s new flooring partnership with HGTV. We learned about the new products (and they’re…
While some people prefer a very in-your-face style of home security presence, there are others who lean more towards a subtle, multi-purpose approach to ensuring their home’s safety. One way to accomplish a more low-key, yet attractive level of…
While working on our epic antique claw foot tub project, we came across a suggestion to help us with our oil paint for her exterior — moreover, to help ensure the paint application went on as smoothly and evenly…
This week we’re covering two great events that we didn’t want to miss this week. I’m spending two days at the Husqvarna Research and Development facility in Charlotte, NC, learning about their latest products and testing chainsaws, trimmers, blowers…
There’s nothing we love more than a quick DIY project that serves a practical purpose. Summer is a prime time to gather fresh fruits and vegetables from your garden or area farmers markets, but the downside is that the…
No matter if you have a galley-style kitchen or an expansive professional one, something every chef or baker of every level is looking for is more storage in the kitchen. Typically, this would involve adding more cabinetry, shelves, containers,…
A little known secret in the home security world is that the appearance of security is about 90% of the actual benefit of having a home security system. Meaning, if it looks like you have a system, potential intruders…
There are only so many episodes of home renovation shows you can watch before you get the itch to get your hands dirty. However for most of us, we didn’t grow up with tools in one hand, climbing scaffolding…
We often talk about small spaces here at C&H: how to make a small space feel larger, how to maximize limited square footage and other similar topics. But how small is too small? We stumbled across pictures of the…
The kitchen is often the center of a home. It’s where we prepare food, eat, gather and relax. It comes as no surprise, then, that kitchen remodels top the list of most popular home projects. And they’re typically where…
There are so many things I love about blogging for C&H, and one of them includes browsing shelter magazines and websites for the latest and greatest products. Some of them are definitely splurge-worthy, but we can dream, can’t we?…
I have rather strong feelings about wood paneling. As in, I hate it. I don’t mean to offend you if you’re a wood paneling fan, but I think it darkens and dates a room. So what can you do…
Coming home with a large bag of groceries and fumbling with keys to open a back door can be a frustrating experience, so can having your kids forget the keys but need to be let inside. These small frustrations…