When we first bought the house, we went for full protection, as above. As the months went on, though, we got slightly more lax about it. Close shaves “Safety first,” is what we always repeat to each other, my husband and I, as we set up circular-saw cuts and position ladders and don safety goggles. […]
One-of-a-kind welcome It’s that time of year again: new pencils, new books, and a welcoming doormat to usher in chilly guests. This month’s project leaves you with just that, only completely personalized. Paint on your favorite shapes, your initial (as we did), or even your house number for a more contemporary twist. You could paint […]
Finding your level The most bizarre iPhone app, I think, is the virtual spirit level. Call me “old school,” but I’d rather rely on an actual tool to hang stuff—one that I can drop from a ladder and splatter in paint with impunity. It might be made of modern plastics these days, but the spirit […]
Andrea Copeland puts it best herself: “You can turn on the TV every day and see me doing something different.” The host of three ongoing shows on Charlottesville Public Access Television (Channel 13), she has a platform to talk about all kinds of things that interest her—from local nonprofits (on “Inside Nonprofits”) to breast cancer […]
Fab under feet Shopping for rugs is the home-decor equivalent of shopping for shoes: so much fun that it veers toward the addictive. Maybe that’s because what lies beneath has the potential to kick a room into a higher gear. Consider laying down one of these beauties on the floor of your choice. Cow-hide Duke […]
Adventures in trim Top: Painting the trim pieces was half the fun. Bottom: The results made us feel all finished and stuff. We were very happy to get to the stage in our renovation where we could focus on trim. Nonessential, almost purely aesthetic, trim was a sure sign we’d made progress from our early […]
For pain-free painting Think you’re good to go with a gallon of paint and a roller brush? Think again, my painting friend. Here are a few extra tools to help smooth that paint on and save you money in the long run: 1. Painter’s tape. Run this along the tops and bottoms of your walls […]
Tray chic If you’re a true Recessionista, you know the benefits of repurposing. This month’s project, then, is tailor-made for you. What was once an old tray now becomes a kitschy—yet chic—bulletin board, complete with magnets, for all your last-minute reminders. The best part? It’s almost embarrassingly easy.—Caite White Materials: One metal tray (found […]
No surprise: Lynsie Steele, who owns the Waynesboro-based gourmet ice cream business Perfect Flavor, is a foodie. She owns four copies of Julia Child’s classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking—including one signed by Child. “I cried when Colin gave it to me,” she says. That would be Colin Steele, Lynsie’s husband. Their shared passion […]
Don’t bug me Not that I would know from experience (wink, wink) but if you’ve got unwanted guests like ants, mosquitoes, gnats and flies in your kitchen, there are some ways to evacuate the varmints without using hazardous pesticides. One more use for Dr. Bronner’s: deterring pests. The simple solution: sanitation. You may not want […]