Category Archives: Design Media

Curbed Goes Myth Busting

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renovation-tools

The Curbed Handbook includes a new and very helpful rundown, 11 Renovation Myths by Mary Jo Bowling.  The best line in it belongs to Dale Conant of Atlanta Design & Build when he says the home renovation process is like childbirth: “the pain fades in time.” Here are the myths they call out:

  • Myth #1: Remodeling is Easy
  • Myth #2: Remodeling is Inexpensive
  • Myth #3: You Can Do It Yourself
  • Myth #4: The Low Bid is the Best Value
  • Myth #5: Products That Look the Same, Are the Same
  • Myth #6: Remodels Always Take Longer Then Planned
  • Myth #7: Remodels Always Cost More Than Bid
  • Myth #8: Good Planning Can Outwit Surprise
  • Myth #9: You Can Make It Up As You Go Along
  • Myth #10: Fancy Trappings Make a Good Contractor
  • Myth #11: You Will Be Bitter When It’s Over

Click through for the full text. Are there any myths you would add to this list?

Working with White

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In a business where we end up talking about colors a lot, white can feel like an afterthought, but white needs as much care and attention as any other color choice—as this slide show from Houzz explains. Luckily, you can find plenty of design inspiration out there for white paint, tile, and furnishings:

There’s more to white than meets the eye!

A New Checklist for a New Month

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at-checklist

In the past, we’ve shared handy home checklists from the folks at Houzz. Now, another of our favorite design sites, Apartment Therapy, is getting in on the action with their Happy & Healthy Home Checklist:

Pop your choices from these ten tasks onto your own to-do list — or print out ours — for a well-rounded, low-stress way to keep your life running smoothly and your space functioning at its best. It’s all part of maintaining a happy and healthy home in 2016, and keeping it shipshape and ready for relaxation all year long. The checklist is a series of suggested to-dos for February — or a collection of things that make sense to do this time of year, or that you need to do sometime. Why not now?

These downloadable checklists will be published on the website, but you can also subscribe to their Weekend Projects email newsletter to get new suggestions in your inbox (see the sign-up form at the bottom of the article).

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

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new-year-cookies

Happy (belated) New Year! Two weeks ago, Apartment Therapy published a post called My Home Intentions for 2016, in which the author, Eleanor Büsing, admitted that it usually takes until mid-January for her to think clearly about the upcoming year. (This is true for us, too, with our annual resolution to get blogging again right away…) The way people write about this theme often boils down to the same basic items—get organized, reduce costs, and keep it clean—but you can still find different angles and perspectives if you look. Check out these lists for inspiration, since each one takes a slightly different approach:

So, what are your home intentions for the year ahead?

Creating a Closet That Works

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Wooden Hangers

Closet design articles often seem to be written only for the serious clotheshorse—someone with enough designer shoes and handbags to fill a small shop. If you take the time to read through these sorts of articles and discard about half the information, you can come up with some useful suggestions that work for people with more normal closet needs. Luckily, we’ve done some of that reading for you! Continue reading →