Monthly Archives: October 2019

Shoe Sign

Posted on October 31, 2019 by ellen

It’s tradition to remove outdoor shoes in most Asian households. Actually it’s also becoming an indoor clean air practice. Our LEED requirement is to have shoe storage at the door. But not all visitors are aware, and actually I need … Continue reading →

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Charming Playroom

Posted on October 29, 2019 by ellen

My daughter-in-law wanted a child’s playroom in the large basement family room. This is a wonderful room because the floor is over a crawlspace so its not cold and it is a heated space. The south side has lots of … Continue reading →

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Kitchen Faucets

Posted on October 29, 2019 by ellen

The windowsill was in the way of the kitchen faucet handle for the hot water. The handle bumped up against the wood so the water could not be completely turned on. When the new quartz was installed we requested that … Continue reading →

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Closet Organization

Posted on October 28, 2019 by ellen

I found a Craigslist deal for Closet organization shelves. The remodeler had removed the shelving from several closets. This type of shelving can be very expensive when new but the home owner sold all of the sections and parts for … Continue reading →

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Imported Tile

Posted on October 28, 2019 by ellen

My son was very impressed with the beauty of some Moroccan tile in a specialty tile shop in San Francisco. The cost was $250 a square foot. So he did some research to see if there was a shop nearer … Continue reading →

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Kitchen Quartz

Posted on October 27, 2019 by ellen

I found an ad for “white granite” on Craigslist. For only $60 there were two smaller pieces and one large one. Luckily my son was visiting when we went to pick up the pieces because the large one especially was … Continue reading →

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Granite Counter Failure

Posted on October 27, 2019 by ellen

I found a lovely piece of dark granite for $50 that I thought was large enough for the countertop in the family bathroom. It required more prep work than most because there were plywood pieces glued to the back of … Continue reading →

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The Family Bathroom

Posted on October 26, 2019 by ellen

The basement bathroom was quicker and easier that the second floor family bathroom. The same green Formica covered the sink cabinet and the same crystal faucets and metal sinks with the addition of a large chip in the enamel of … Continue reading →

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Mirror Mirror On the Wall

Posted on October 24, 2019 by ellen

The basement bathroom mirror was damaged at the bottom edges. I read that moisture gets behind the coating on the back of the mirror and eats away the mirroring on the glass. The solution was to coat the back of … Continue reading →

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Basement Bathroom

Posted on October 23, 2019 by ellen

One of the earliest projects in the new house was a quick remodel of the basement bathroom. All the bathrooms had green Formica countertops, metal sinks and plastic crystal handled faucets. they were functional but builder quality and low end … Continue reading →

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Recover a Loveseat

Posted on October 20, 2019 by ellen

One of the latest projects has been recovering a loveseat to match my granddaughter’s room. We found the perfect loveseat for story time with a parent and two children. Luckily though it was on a third floor the lady helped … Continue reading →

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Year-Long Distraction

Posted on October 19, 2019 by ellen

My son and daughter-in-law bought their first house just three miles away from us about a year ago. It needed some remodeling and lots of updating and in the spirit of Do It Yourself I resolved to help them save … Continue reading →

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Dirt Room Revisions

Posted on October 19, 2019 by ellen

My grandson likes to call the mud room in their new house, the dirt room. He has a great sense of humor for a three year old. There was a lot of preparation involved in remodeling the old laundry room … Continue reading →

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