Casting Call — ‘Professional Grade’ on HGTV

Casting Call — ‘Professional Grade’ on HGTV

Think you can renovate better and chaper than a contractor? Do you live in the Los Angeles area? Then HGTV’s popular new renovation show Professional Grade is looking for you. The goal is for you to find high-end materials on the cheap, do most of the labor yourself, and hire and manage subcontractors — such as plumbers…

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Laundry rooms of the rich and famous — their secret

Laundry rooms of the rich and famous — their secret

So I’m sitting here watching HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with Larry David, one of my many guilty pleasures, and Larry is in one of his typical fixes. He’s offered to let the residents of a battered women’s shelter use his washer and dryer when theirs has gone on the fritz. Of course, if you know…

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Remodeling in History: How to remodel your garage for only $1,618

Remodeling in History: How to remodel your garage for only $1,618

Here’s a clever ad that ran July 9, 1965 in the St. Petersburg Independent:  The newspaper ad reads: “Buy an Opel Kadett. Put it in your garage and suddenly your garage never looked so cavernous. Opel’s 58 inches of width makes all sorts of room for tricycles, lawn mowers, bushel baskets and sleds. However, do…

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Laundry room appliances too cute to hide

Laundry room appliances too cute to hide

When Kristina Johnson and David Franke remodeled their California kitchen and laundry room, they did a surprising thing: left the door off the laundry room. Of course, I had a question about that missing door: “Why?” You might have to love appliances as much as Kristina and Dave do to understand the reasoning: The high-end,…

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A hot new career for women — home energy auditor

A hot new career for women — home energy auditor

First, what are home energy auditors? These are professionals (accredited through BPI or certified through RESNET) who go into homes and measure or assess how much energy is being used and wasted through leaks and lack of insulation and bad HVAC systems and watt-sucking appliances. The idea is to figure out ways to make that home more…

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The doggie apartment in the laundry room

The doggie apartment in the laundry room

Where to put the dog bed? That is the question. In my own house, I tend toward the philosophy of: Let’s put the dog bed in the middle of the living room so my fur baby doesn’t get lonely. But not all people are going to warm up to this idea. I’ve never crated a…

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Stunning butcher block counters . . . are not for everyone

Stunning butcher block counters . . . are not for everyone

Butcher block counters are so gorgeous! They evoke French country kitchens and a slower, more thoughtful time. In truth, they are not for everyone. More than one homeowner has rued the day butcher block was chosen, If the finish is not rock hard, they can get stained, gouged and encrusted with years of accumulated foodstuffs.…

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Quiz: Which is the biggest energy hog at home?

Before we start generating energy onsite with solar panels and geothermal, we should cut down on any needless uses of energy in our homes. That way, we'll need fewer solar panels to give us all the energy our homes need. But we are mostly in the dark (pun intended) when it comes to energy use.…

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The new chic: decorating from the dump

The new chic: decorating from the dump

I knew we were on our way to a Depression Era decorating mentality and now we have arrived. Thank goodness we have artists living at the poverty level to show us the way. As seen in this feature in the New York Times, an artist who makes sculpture from driftwood and his resourceful partner have…

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Would you sacrifice square footage for charm?

Would you sacrifice square footage for charm?

When famed kitchen designer Susan Serra visited Copenhagen this month, she stayed in this apartment and sent back this photo. In this living room, I was struck by the deep-set windows, which add so much charm. It creates a feeling of thick walls, and provides shelves for plants, flowers and other things of beauty, and provides a…

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New Orleans House Paint Colors — Lower 9th Ward

New Orleans House Paint Colors — Lower 9th Ward

This beautifully restored little cottage is right on the levee in the Holy Cross area of the Lower 9th Ward. The exterior colors include: • House siding: Bright yellow • Doors, window mullions and foundation: Pumpkin orange • Door jambs, door trim, window frames, fascia, and corner quoins: Periwinkle blue • Steps, cornice above windows:…

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Before & After — Ikea kitchen island on steroids

Before & After — Ikea kitchen island on steroids

This is one of the best budget kitchen remodels I’ve seen. While you can see a dramatic change from before (bottom) and after (top), notice that the cabinets are the same, the window is in the same place, all the appliances are in the same locations and the floor and ceiling are the same. So…

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