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With winter boots, coats, and hats strewn all over the house at this time of year, many homeowners dream of an organized mudroom. Don and Dana Powers created one in their Jamestown Net-Zero house, using the same flat-panel, Shaker-style quartersawn oak cabinets that fill the kitchen—at least, the oak cabinets were the starting point. They then customized to create cubbies, shelves, drawers, and hooks to optimize every square foot of the 9-by-14-foot space, turning a narrow corridor that runs from the back door to the powder room into a super-functional area....

Some gardeners do everything by the books. Others wing it and watch. Rob Proctor is in the latter group, which may explain why his gardening segment on Denver’s NBC local morning news has been running for 10 years now. Twice a week, the former horticulture director of the Denver Botanic Gardens delivers tips that viewers trust because the proof is right there to see: Proctor’s half-acre garden, a true paradise....

This technique adds subtle color while allowing the natural beauty of the wood to show through. Try it on unfinished pieces with paneling details for the wash to accentuate, like the cabinet pictured. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Color Wash Tint Wood Steps 1. Paint on a Thinned Base Coat Apply chalk paint thinned 3 parts paint to 1 part water, pushing the solution into the wood grain. Tip: On brand-new wood, thin the paint less, say, 4 or 5 parts to 1....

Whether you’re removing baseboards to replace the flooring, paint a wall, or update the baseboards themselves, following these easy steps will save you both time and money. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for Removing Baseboards Step 1: Score a line along the baseboard Score a line along the baseboard and any quarter-round molding to help it release more easily from each other and any woodwork or drywall above. The joint may have been caulked or even just painted over several times....

Catch the first episode of the West Roxbury project, airing this week on PBS (check your local listings). You can also watch it starting Monday, Feb. 7, for free on The Roku Channel. When homeowners Robyn and Derek bought their home on a quiet Boston street nine years ago, it was as though time had stood still for decades. Originally built on farmland in 1894, the house was the first one-family erected in the new subdivision....

Top 5 Telescoping Ladders Best Handling: WolfWise Aluminum Telescopic Extension Multipurpose Ladder Best For Medium Tasks: ARCHOM Telescopic Ladder Most Customizable: Xtend & Climb Telescoping Ladder Best For Indoor Tasks: Ohuhu Aluminum Telescoping Ladder Best Multipurpose Ladder: Bowoshen Aluminum Telescoping Extension Ladder Best Handling: WolfWise Aluminum Telescopic Extension Multipurpose Ladder This telescoping ladder is easy to lengthen and shorten with its one-button adjustment system and five-to-eight-second retraction time. It’s also lightweight at 23 pounds and easy to carry because of its closed size of three feet....

Top 5 55-Inch Smart TVs Best Features: SAMSUNG 55-Inch Crystal 4K UHD TV Best Speaker Bundle: LG 55-Inch C2 Series TV With Soundbar Best Picture: LG 55-Inch OLED G2 Series TV Best OLED Alternative: SAMSUNG 55-Inch Neo QLED TV Most User-Friendly: TCL 55-Inch Roku Smart TV Pros and Cons ✔ Comes with a compact, easy-to-use remote control✔ Uses a crystal processor to provide a high-quality 4K picture✔ Equipped with a high dynamic range that clearly displays a variety of colors...

Tape measures are a necessity in every basic tool kit. They can measure the size of a room and provide you with the center point on a wall to hang a picture. As technology becomes more advanced, so do tape measures. You can now buy a standard tape measure with a blade you read manually or a digital one that takes measurements for you. To decide which type of tape measure is best for your needs, we researched and tested the top tape measures to find the best product....

Chimneys usually climb higher than the rest of a house, so it’s probably no surprise that they often support elaborate decorative details. The shape and size of a chimney is part function and part aesthetics. Here you will a variety of chimney designs and learn a few things about about how form affects function. 9 Chimney Designs 1. Separate Chimney Flues The channeled brickwork on this chimney hints that it serves three masters—fireplaces and/or fuel-burning heating systems—and the visible flues confirm this....

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission. Is bigger better? Americans seem to increasingly agree the answer is “yes” when it comes to the king-size mattress. Since its 1953 debut, king mattresses have soared in popularity—more than one in six mattresses sold were king sized in 2018, according to the International Sleep Products Association....

While the mattress is the key to a bed’s comfort, the headboard is what defines its style. Case in point: this handsome planked headboard, which evokes the warmth and historical character of a stable in an old barn. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time This is an easy, straightforward project to build. Working together, TOH general contractor Tom Silva and TOH host Kevin O’Connor managed to complete it in just a few hours, using materials readily available at many home centers....

Steps for Upgrading Glass Fireplace Doors: Start by removing the old doors. Most are usually held in place with a few screws that can be loosened with a nut driver. The new fireplace doors should come with straps that will be used to secure it to the firebox. To determine their placement, attach the straps to the bottom of the door and hold the door back in position in the firebox....

I’m in the process of renovating the entire fireplace wall to include built-in cabinets and mount the television over the fireplace, but step one was to demo the fireplace and get it ready for new tile, which, for me, included removing the mantel to cut it shorter and so I could modernize it with new trim. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time First I removed the molding along the entire wall, and at the base of the mantel....

Putting on a new coat of wall color has long been touted as the fastest, least expensive way to refresh a room. But choosing which hue to use? Not so easy. While it may seem like hundreds of colors are clamoring for your attention as you scan the chip strips at your local paint store, you probably already know what you like. If you’ve got lived-in spaces, you have the start of a color palette....

This article appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Renovating an old house is hard enough. But reworking one that’s glommed onto a hillside? It’s not for the faint of heart. Builders in places like San Francisco and Los Angeles always do it, though. There, a vintage house with a view often descends from street level, held in place, in the case of this 1938 gem, “by a concrete retaining wall on the uphill side and traditional wood framing on the downhill side,” says architect Jeff Troyer, who transformed this home’s interior and exterior spaces....

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission. The twin-size mattress is the smallest size bed you can get, and as such, can be ideally suited for situations where space is more limited. The best twin mattress won’t scrimp on quality or features either––top mattress brands utilize the same materials and features as larger sized beds, just in a more compact frame....

The Bosch GKF12V-25N compact cordless router looks unique, if not “odd,” but performs surprisingly well despite a few quirks. It has a ¼-inch collet, features a brushless motor that runs on Bosch’s 12V battery platform and spins at 13,000 RPMs, has a unique compact design, an inset on/off switch on the left side, battery indicator, multi-functional lockable height adjustment, a spindle lock, finger guards, and a large base plate. Bosch Compact Cordless Router Features First up, the motor: at 13,000 RPMs and no variable speed dial, this may seem less versatile than other cordless routers on the market that run in the 25,000 RPM range and it is....

An inviting and comfortable outdoor space starts with quality deck paint. Not only does deck paint bring color to your backyard, but it also helps sustain the integrity of your wood by protecting it against damage caused by constant foot traffic, direct sunlight exposure, and inclement weather. Top 5 Deck Paints Easiest To Use: KILZ Interior and Exterior Latex Floor Paint Best For Wet Areas: INSL-X Acrylic Anti-Slip Coating Paint Best For Wood: Ready Seal Exterior Stain and Sealer Most Eco-Friendly: Montage Signature Eco-Friendly Indoor and Exterior Paint Most Weather-Resistant: Rust-Oleum Marine Topside Paint Easiest To Use: KILZ Interior and Exterior Latex Floor Paint Pros and Cons ✔ Has a low-luster enamel surface formulated for decks, patios, and porches Best Deck Paint Comparison KILZ Interior and Exterior Latex Floor Paint...

The signs are in the air: falling temperatures, less and less sunlight, more and more cinnamon. And while many of us enjoy the way these subtle environmental shifts come together to form the unique and pleasant atmosphere of winter, there’s one place where the change of seasons often gets stalled—the bedroom. If there’s any room where warmth and comfort should rule, it’s in the bedroom. From the mattress you sleep on to the sheets you choose to the temperature you set the thermostat, creating the perfect sleep sanctuary is all about the details....

Kevin O’Connor meets general contractor Tom Silva in the shop for a lesson on wood joints. With several power tools and jigs on the table, Tom explains how joinery works and some of the most popular methods. He teaches Kevin everything from mitered and lapped joints to dowels, biscuits, floating tenons, and pocket hole joinery, with examples of each type to show how they work. Different Types of Wood Joints When it comes to joining two or more pieces of wood together, there are a ton of different methods....