I spent a large portion of my holiday weekend doing this:

And then I realized I had made several grave errors.

I tried to tell myself that it didn’t really matter. But it did. It bothered me every time I looked at it.

And so I tore about 1/3 of the tile off the wall and scraped the thinset off the wall and backs of the tiles.

This coming weekend? Back to the drawing board, or more accurately, the wall board.

When we bought our house four years ago the far back of our yard had a secluded koi pond with large trees that over hung the pond and created a graceful shady environment for the curved benches that surrounded it. It was the perfect quiet retreat sort of area. Unless you have children, then it screamed drowning hazard.

One of the first things we did was to drain the water out and turn it into a fire pit. This combined our two favorite things, burning things and roasting things over the burning things.

Most weekends during the summer you can find us out there. What better way to kick off the summer season than to build your very own fire pit this Memorial Day weekend.

It is one of the newest must have features in back yard designs. It makes sense doesn’t it? Why should backyard entertainment end when the sun goes down.

For home renovators it is nice to have something to do with the scrap wood from projects around the house, why not have somewhere to burn it. (Although I am sure everyone already knows this, but you don’t want to burn old painted wood in your fire pit, because the gases that paint produces are toxic. Most communities prohibit the burning of painted wood.) Old lathing? Burn away. Ugly old kitchen cabinets? Burn ‘em.

Who doesn’t have fond memories of roasting marshmallows over an open fire and making smores? For most of us this was something confined to summer camp or camping, but this is no longer true. At our house the kids will roast marshmallows and the grown ups will sit around the ring of fire and drink cocktails, while trying to ignore the children running around with pointy sticks eerily reminiscent of Lord of the Flies.

A fire pit can be as elaborate or simple as you desire.

This Old House has extensive detailed instructions and photos showing how to build a stone walled pit for your yard. These instructions utilize the interlocking blocks made from cast concrete that look like stone. Total price tag for this project about $500 and a bunch of sore muscles.

The optimal size for a fire pit is between 36 and 44 inches inside diameter. That will create enough room for a healthy fire but still keep gatherers close enough to chat… A fire pit should sit low to the ground, with walls rising no more than a foot off the ground. But for stability, the base of the wall must be buried below ground in a hole lined with gravel, providing drainage and protecting against frost heaves in winter. the gravel also creates a level base for the stones to rest on

The Garden Web is always a place to find other people who have undertaken the same project. People who have minimal handy skills.

Now don’t laugh! We aren’t professional builders, but we did have fun designing and building this fire pit so our kids could have friends over to roast marshmallows, etc. It will also be good for drum circles (where I ask the spirits to grow our garden!).

The pit site is not on level ground which created its own set of complexity. I dug out a (somewhat)circular pit, then filled it partway with pea gravel (a ton cost me $20).

How can you not love that sort of enthusiasm in a do it yourself project? Further down in the thread you will see photos of a fire pit that was built by a mason. Stunning.

There are many kinds of outdoor fireplaces that you can buy if you are not quite ready to make the time commitment involved in building a permanent one. Many of them sell for under $200, marshmallows not included.

Many people who buy older homes and embark on massive renovation projects do so as an investment. We call ours a long term flip, a five year plan. We are on year five. Five years seems almost laughable now. On bad days I think we may die here.

What projects improve resale value? For us it was easy. Every single room needed a gutting. The electrical system needed to be updated. All the bathrooms needed new plumbing.

Tops on the list of projects to increase the value of your home is to have an updated kitchen. I can’t wait for mine.

When we first looked at our house we asked our realtor why no one had bought the house. It was priced well below market value. And he said, “People are really turned off by the kitchen.”

At the time it made us laugh, because the kitchen, while ugly, wasn’t that bad. It certainly was not the quality of kitchen that belonged in this particular house in this particular neighborhood, but I was much more turned off by the lack of laundry room, the ugly wallpapers in every room, and the hideous wall-to-wall carpeting. Oh, and the multitude of bathrooms that needed extensive renovations was high on the list of turn-offs. But the bones of the house and the light? Those drew me in. I could see it was a house that wanted to be pretty– the ugly duck that could be turned into a swan.

After we were in the house for a few months we realized:

a) The kitchen cabinets were made of cheap plywood. We promptly broke several by doing nothing more than shutting them. Oh, I may have kicked one in a fit of anger one day, but shhhhhh, no need to go there.

b) While spacious, the kitchen was seriously lacking in usable counter space and had the least functional floor plan possible. It was almost as if they had thought about how to make the kitchen as user UNfriendly as possible.

c) And why was the refrigerator all the way inside of the pantry and not in the main kitchen?

d) We now owned the world’s smallest wall ovens and their cousin the world’s smallest refrigerator, a refrigerator, it should be noted, whose doors could not open all the way because they hit the walls of the pantry.

e) New kitchens are expensive. Shocking, mind blowing, painfully expensive. This one was the toughest realization.

Now, in Year Four, we will finally be finishing our kitchen.

I read through the lists of projects that the so-called experts say improve the value of your home. And I had to take issue with several points. I know beyond a shadow of doubt that vinyl siding and replacement vinyl windows are not considered improvements in an historic neighborhood.

I think the best thing that you can do before remodeling your home is to find out what comparable houses in your market have inside of them. What improvements have been made? Do all the houses in your neighborhood have granite counters and professional grade appliances? If so, you will be doing your home a disservice if you put in laminate counters and bottom of the line white appliances.

Similarly the opposite is true. Do not over improve your house. If your house is in a neighborhood of houses that sell for $100,000 don’t throw $60,000 into a new kitchen thinking that your house will now be worth $160,000. It won’t be. You won’t get the money back.

so that it doesn’t look like every other nursery on the block.

Handprinted wallpaper with a vintage feel. A fabulous alternative to the primary colors or nauseating pastels and cartoon characters.

Flooring is also a consideration in the nursery. Traditionally many families have put wall-to-wall carpeting in children’s bedrooms so that they can have a cozy and comfortable place to play. However, as more and more families are trying to make eco-friendly choices in their homes, they are being put off by the off gassing and toxic chemicals that are used in manufacturing carpeting. For those willing to sppend the money, bamboo is nice choice for a wood floor. However, many of us already have wood floors and are looking for something to cover them or define a comfortable play area.

Enter FLOR.

Modern modular carpet tiles that can be configured in whatever way suits the room. They are also made from eco-friendly materials in a socially responsible way.

Also from Famille Summerbelle, Not just for a baby’s room, I love this unique framed family tree. I think it could look at home anywhere.

Oh, I know. Where is the crib, and rocking chair, and changing table. Details, details.

People are becoming more environmentally aware is recent years and seeking out green products to replace their current non-green products. This desire has fueled a movement of organic foods, alternative fuel sources, and greener building materials. The newest product to dip it’s toe into the pool is paint. Paint manufacturers are all releasing their own lines of low VOC paints. Since, according to the EPA, one of the top 5 leading health risks is indoor air, this movement has been embraced with open arms by consumers.

VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. Paints and finishes release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. The source of these toxins is a variety of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Until recently, homeowners had no choice. The VOCs were essential to the performance of the paint. Exposure to V.O.C.’s in high concentrations can cause short and long-term health problems,

Paint is composed of three different components. The pigment, or color. A binding agent, which ensures that the color sticks to the wall. And a solvent, which keeps it all liquid until exposed to air. The solvent then evaporates, leaving the pigment behind on the wall. The solvents are the main source in paint of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Low VOC paints replace the petroleum based solvents with water based carriers. However, even Zero-VOC formulations contain some small amounts of toxins. Environmentally friendly paint is a matter of degrees.

According the to New York Times:

Not everyone is happy about the shift. Many designers, painters and consumers who applaud environmental responsibility are nevertheless worried about the growing restrictions on oil-based paints (which contain high levels of harmful volatile organic compounds), and even on less hazardous water-based latex ones.

Designers have said that consumers are not yet willing to accept the limitations on the new low VOC paints and erroneously expect them to behave in the same manner as traditional paint. They say that in areas of high use or friction, such as cabinets, that traditional paint is preferable as the low VOC paints do not hold up as well. Painters have also said that they charge more for using low VOC paints since they require more coats of paint to achieve adequate coverage.

I have not used low VOC paints so I can not say how they perform when compared to traditional latex paint. I do know though that if I were forced to coat the wall five times rather than the normal two coats, that I would not use it again. No matter how environmentally friendly it is. Not to mention that it is significantly more expensive per gallon.

However, next time I am buying paint I think I will try a gallon of the low VOC paint and see how I like it. I certainly have enough experience with traditional paint to make an informed comparison.

Trying to find the mix of bathroom fixtures that both matches the style of the house and is modern enough to be convenient has proved to be more challenging than I had thought.

I bought a bridge style faucet with cross handles that say hot and cold on them for the sink. The faucet in the tub also has the cross handles but says hot and cold in French. My husband insists that it says, “You paid too darn much!” on the handles. But I love it.

The tile for the bath area is a combination of white tiles. 6×6 field tiles, 3×6 subway tile, a decorative raised 3×6 tile (listel), and a chair rail. Until I ordered the tile I had planned on going with all subway tile, but this particular mix of tiles won me over.

Now we are trying to decide whether we want the bottom 6×6 tiles in a running bond pattern or if we should just match up the grout lines. Decisions, decisions.

Once upon a time there was a woman who lived in a shoe. A decrepit old shoe that needed lots of work to rescue it from a century of bad taste and neglect.

She and her husband did many home improvement projects and fancied themselves quite handy.

One weekend they decided to finally tackle installing the tile floor in their sun room. Tile that had been special ordered two years ago and had sat in it’s boxes, getting dusty from other various improvement projects that pushed it to the background.

The husband took a Friday off of work and they set about working on the project. First they installed the new subfloor. they stepped back and admired their handiwork. And it was good.

Then they set about putting in the tile. Surely the gods were smiling down upon them because the room is such a size that there was no tile cutting required except around the heating vents. They smiled at this, because no cutting is good. Very, very good.

They worked as a team, this husband and wife. He would carry the heavy boxes of tile into the room and cut them open. He would spread the thinset out across the floor with his trowel and she would set the tiles on it behind him.

She would stand back and command the husband, in the nicest possible voice, “move the tile to the right, no to the left, my left for crying out loud… a little more, turn it slightly clockwise.” And the husband did this with minimal audible sighing. And it was good.

Then they approached the end of the project. They were tired and looking forward to having the project done.

The wife commanded the husband to go fetch the last box of tile. There were only four more tile needed for it to be completed.

The husband returned. “Oh, wife of mine, there is no more tile.”

The wife got up and stormed out of the room, “Why must I do everything. Of course there is more tile. Did you even look?”

The husband replied, “Yes, I did look, my wife. And there is no more tile.”

The wife yells, “I know there is more tile. I ordered it myself. I would have ordered more than enough tile. I know how to do simple math.”

The husband said, “Yes wife, I am glad that you remember who placed this tile order. I feel that will be important information in the next few minutes.”

The wife looked for the tile. And she looked some more. And she used words that caused her husband to blush and her children to cover their ears. Still she did not find anymore tile.

The husband said, “I do not think math is your strong point.”

The wife shot daggers out of her eyes and killed him.

But then she revived him when she found out that the tile had been discontinued and she needs him to make a built in bookcase in the roughly 5 foot long area to hide the fact that there is no tile on the floor.

The wife imagines the next owners of the house moving in and deciding to tear out that odd bookcase. And that thought makes her laugh.

And it is good.

The End.

When we remodeled one of our bathrooms we decided to keep it in the style of the house… wainscotting, hex tiles on the floor, pedestal sink. A more modern interpretation, certainly, but not something that would look wildly out of place in a house over a century old.

One of the things that I excitedly purchase was a porcelain and chrome toothbrush holder. I remember one of them in my grandmother’s house and I loved how the toothbrushes hung there. A chrome rimmed glass sitting in the center. So I bought one for our bathroom.

It was only after it came, and it was installed, that I realized not one of our toothbrushes fit in the holes. I thought it was annoying, a fluke in the design of the holder I purchased, and really didn’t give it much more thought. The holder is in my children’s bathroom, not mine.

Then I read this article in the NY Times that talks about this exact annoying problem. Turns out I am not alone.

As problems go, bulked-up toothbrushes — the kind that make obsolete the old-fashioned built-in ceramic cup and toothbrush holders that persist in many homes and apartments like relics of a less sophisticated (but, one can’t help feel, more grounded) age — don’t rank high on the list of human scourges. But they probably have more direct impact on the quality of many people’s daily lives: one more petty annoyance to make them feel powerless, pawns in some hidden corporate marketing strategy.

Until I purchased the toothbrush holder, I never realized that all of our toothbrushes came in different shapes and sizes. The tooth brush holder that hangs on the bathroom wall is about as useful as the slot in the back of the medicine cabinet for the disposable razor blades.

Some manufacturers are coming on board and making holders that are fit a variety of sized handles. This one by Umbra is one of my favorite finds. It reminds me of indoor/outdoor carpeting gone wild. I mean that in a good way.

At $9.50 at Shop Fosters it is also very affordable. Now to free up valuable counter real estate to find it a home.

I have always loved the walk in pantry. I have an entire folder of pantry photos saved to my computer as inspiration. So if this one belongs to you let me know. I love it.

My entire adult life I have lived places with a walk-in pantry. When I moved into this house the walk in pantry was where the refrigerator was located and a crazy inefficient cabinet. It was awkward. Who wants to walk into a pantry to get to the refrigerator?

The day I moved in and was unpacking I wandered around the kitchen wondering where to put the cereal and canned goods. Do people put these things in their kitchen cabinets? Where do you put your potatoes?

And more importantly why did the pantry fall out of favor with home builders and kitchen designers? It is so much less expensive then comparable storage you could get in cabinets. And I know, having just sold my arm to buy cabinets.

Now that we have gutted and rebuilt we have moved the refrigerator out of the pantry. And I have begun to obsessively redesign the pantry. With my graph paper. Because I am obsessive about everything. Even drawing baskets to scale. It gives me something to do during the long exhaustive process of renovation.

As of right now my design is simple. Beadboard on the walls, open wooden shelves, some baskets for things that need to basket-ized. Is that a word? It should be. I sort of envision it to be a modern interpretation of the old shelf lined pull chain light light fixture pantries that our grandmother’s had.

People ask me all the time why my husband and I do all of the work on our house by ourselves. Why not just hire someone they ask. Someone who will get it done in a timely manner, professional quality, and get it over with. They of course are assuming that one can actually find a competent contractor who can fit you in before the second coming.

I don’t want to beat a dead horse, a certain dead contractor perhaps, but this weekend I was reminded once again why my husband and I became DIY fanatics.

But first the back story. Once upon a time we bought this huge old house and hired a contractor to do some work. It took him forever. It went ridiculously over budget. When I questioned him on being over budget he became angry and defensive. Many things we done shoddily. Our brand new screened in porch did not have the proper supports and within 9 months was literally falling off of the house. In the end we had to fix ourselves. The countertop he fabricated for our laundry room was not sized properly so the sink if way off center in the cabinet that contains it. In the end we just decided to live with it.

Other things were smaller, but the perfectionist in me was bothered by them. And still is.

Fast forward back to this weekend. We are hanging our cabinets in our laundry room. They are balanced on a temporary support and I am holding them in place, while my husband drills hole after hole into the wall. Looking for a stud to screw the cabinets into. To discover that there are no 2×4’s in the wall.

It seemed somewhat unbelievable. There has to be some sort of wood back there, right? Right? Nope. We cut a sizable hole into the wall and there was nothing back there remotely resembling a 2×4.

What the sheetrock is screwed into is anyones guess. Since it used to be an exterior wall, we think that he just out some sort of firring strips up an completely random intervals.

One last photo of my husband knocking on the wall, hoping against hope to find something, anything, to screw the cabinets into.

But what is a homeowner to do? We had asked around. The contractor that came the most highly recommended was booked for at least eighteen months. He was also three times as expensive. Had we known then what we know now, we might have just waited and used him anyway.

A new website has been developed to help homeowners find thousands of unbiased reports and reviews about service companies in 124 cities around the country. With over 650,000 members, Angie’s List is a better resource than just asking your neighbor. I can’t wait until they have a chapter in my area.