Everyone has had to deal with a transition at some point in his or her home. I’m not talking about a transition to a new job or from young age to older. I’m talking about flooring transitions that adjoin different types of floor coverings. You know, the big strip of wood that constantly trips people as they walk from the kitchen to the dining room. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

If you’re a parent or a parent-to-be, it’s inevitable that at some point you’ll want to enjoy a glass of pinot with friends in a living room cleared of LEGOs and My Little Ponies. Balancing the needs of children and adults is challenging throughout parenthood, and making changes to your house to accommodate a growing family is no exception. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

Once upon a time the kitchen was a room only for servants. In fact in many homes, the kitchen was not even part of the main house. With the rise of the middle class, the kitchen moved into the home, but was still reserved for the servant, now called the “little woman.” Jumping a few decades and the ERA: When “the little woman” went to work and both mom and dad started sharing in the kitchen duties, the new kitchen appeared. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

Without an Indow Window With an Indow Window Brian McLean’s breakfast nook, with its seven windows looking out onto northeast Fremont Street in Portland, OR, was cold and drafty. The windows, in close proximity to the kitchen, also experienced condensation, with potential damage to the wood frame from water running down the cold panes and collecting on the muntins. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

Guess who’s coming to town? Old Man Winter and his entourage for some chilly days and frosty nights. Are you ready to bother through another season or two of cold carpet, bulky area rugs, and a family of stinky slippers? Or have you been considering a new radiant heating system with wood flooring for your home to warm it up, cut down on energy costs, and improve indoor air quality? Well, there’s quite a bit to consider, but knowing the basics behind this major home project can help you decide... more

Most of us have thought about barns at some point in our lives. For many of us, barns evoke a simpler time. A time when we were closer to the earth, we worked hard, and we knew where our food came from. Maybe like me, you grew up in the country seeing barns every day. Or possibly you drive past barns on the way to the coast, or driving down the Willamette Valley, or out through eastern Washington. We see them in all sorts of conditions: beautifully restored, in original and fine condition, or in... more

This year is the 10th anniversary of Build It Green! The tour sparks the imagination, provides resources, and presents green remodeling ideas. Ever since the first event in 2002, approximately 1000 do-it-yourselfers, contractors, students, homeowners, and renters buy tickets every September for the tour. Build It Green! is presented each year by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. This year’s tour will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 11 am to 5 pm. Twenty-two... more

One of my favorite things to do at the end of a long day is to relax in a long hot shower. As one who, as a child, was taught the environmental benefits of a “military shower,” the occasional long hot shower is a luxury to me. Unfortunately the long shower sometimes becomes an opportunity to notice just how badly my shower needs to be redone. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →