Your front door is one of the most important aspects of your house’s appearance. It’s the gateway into your home and the first thing anyone encounters. Obviously, this entry is worthy of some consideration, whether as part of an exterior restoration or just adding more curbside appeal. This process requires particular attention when it involves an older home. Before the renovation project started. Entry before with all of the original charter removed. Finished entry with the... more

When I talk about MetroPaint, the local 100% post-consumer recycled latex paint, I always say, “It’s a combination of all your favorite brands all over again.” Metro even has the tag line for their paint, “Paint made from paint.” People over forty smile and laugh at my favorite brands’ statement because they have developed a fondness for a particular company’s products. Younger people, especially twenty-somethings, look on blankly because they haven’t tried enough brands to find their... more

The week of September 5, 2008 was a great one for me. I was lucky enough to attend the design trade show of all trade shows, in Paris no less. It is called “Maison & Objet” and it is the ultimate world showcase for furniture and accessories held in January and September of each year (www.maison-objet.com). Since I have a retail shop and design clients to shop for, I generally attend four or five furniture/gift shows a year across the country, but this was the first time I was able to attend... more

The fall equinox is a great time to start thinking about preparing your home for winter. One task to remember is replace the batteries and test all of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with the time change. You can perform annual maintenance to keep your home in tip-top shape for the winter. Below are steps you can complete over the next few weekends. Heating • Most HVAC professionals perform an annual maintenance tune-up and inspection of your heating/AC systems and ducting for a nominal... more

Photos by Jack Bookwalter Bookwalter was in England this summer on the trail of Poirot. In the 1990s, the BBC filmed the Poirot Mystery series based on the Agatha Christie novels of the same name. The full series was shown on Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and occasionally still surfaces in re-runs. Hercule Poirot was a comically suave Belgian detective with a razor-sharp analytical mind. He solved the thorniest of murder cases without mussing a hair on his trademark handlebar mustache. Well-known... more

Thinking about replacing those old, inefficient windows? Wondering what to do, whom to call? You are not alone! Every day, people visit websites to get information on energy efficient windows that end up only providing information for a sales call. If this scenario sounds familiar, take heart…there is hope. Below are a few basic questions on energy efficient replacement windows. The more you know about replacement windows, the more likely you will make an intelligent decision for you and your family... more

In the world of old homeownership, “repair or replace” is a constant dilemma. Old hardware can pose a particularly difficult challenge. Hardware stores of today rarely carry replacement parts for your 80-year-old home. What they do carry is often of the very cheapest quality and has an aesthetic quality that says, “function only.” When contemplating repair or replacement of hardware in an old home, I recommend answering three questions: Does it fit the character of the home? Chances are you... more

In the world of “Do It Yourself,” there are the wannabes and the masters. Fred Smith is one of the masters. I have been involved in construction all my life, and have seen good jobs and not-so-good jobs. A lot of time, when people want to do part of the project themselves, I cringe, because I know that their workmanship will reflect on the overall job…and it usually isn’t very good. So when Smith said he was going to do “every-thing” except install the cabinets, I was a little skeptical.... more