Backyard Renovation: North Fence and Gate (Phase 1)
Once we had our backyard design locked down, I started to plan how the work would be done over the summer. Knowing that I would be doing much of the…
Bookshelf Revisited
A couple of years ago, I build a new staircase and wall to the basement which included a built-in bookshelf in the wall. At the time, I chose to stain…
Basement Family Room: TV Wall
With the drywall up and the walls painted, we knew that we had to do something interesting for our TV wall because it was just one giant white wall. I…
Basement Family Room Renovation: Framing, Drywalling and Painting – Part 2
Last winter we finished the first half of the basement family room because I was returning to work after my maternity leave and I needed a relatively clean space to…
Basement Bedroom Renovation: Framing, Drywall and Painting
Once the back of the basement was clear of our crap, it was time to start framing the back half of the basement. The hardest part of the basic framing…
Nursery Makeover
When we found out we were having twins, we were in the middle of a major kitchen renovation and I didn't have hours on end to look at nursery ideas.…
Kitchen Renovation: Part 11 – Finishing Touches
Given how massive this project was, many of the tasks that are usually major milestones in a project seemed small in comparison. Painting One of the first finishing touches was…
Kitchen Renovation: Part 8 – Framing and Drywall
Once the window and doors were installed, it was time to frame the interior and install the subfloor. This was probably one of the most exciting steps in the process…
New Basement Stairs: Part 3 – The Railing
Once the stairs themselves were finished, I still had to sort out how to build the handrail. I knew that I wanted it to match the style of what I…
Fauxdenza Revisited
Four years ago I made an amazing Ikea hack. Using the Besta storage system, I made a beautiful, not-Ikea-looking fauxdenza that I hung on our dining room wall. Well, now…
Load-Bearing Wall: Part 5 – Removing the Wall!
I've had a hate-hate relationship with the wall in our dining room since we moved in. Even though we managed to make it slightly less ugly, my issue was with…
Front Door Face-Lift
I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but we've spent so much time on the inside of our house that we've really failed to care much about the…