When Sausha first encountered this hutch she thought it was too far gone to be worth refinishing. It had been repainted more than ten times and was in need of a major sanding effort, among other things. But instead of trashing it, she took it as a challenge and made plans to repurpose and refinish the piece... More

This isn't your average DIY; I can't give you simple step-by-step instructions or promise that you can get this done on a Saturday afternoon. After all, these chairs took me months to complete. More

I feel like I've seen this exact TV cart a hundred times at my neighborhood thrift store. I'm usually pretty good at spotting a diamond in the rough, but I never noticed the potential in a piece like this. It's like melancholy in cart form, or melancholy on wheels to be precise, which is why I love this DIY makeover. It turns a bummer into a cheerfully classic bedside table. More

Remember the bad old days of CRT televisions? Keeping these boxy behemoths out of sight often meant even bulkier TV cabinets. Thankfully, flat screen TVs have relinquished much of that much-needed living room space. For those who wish to reclaim even more space, Washington, DC area furniture maker Hardwood Artisans has created an elegant, high-tech reimagining of the traditional TV cabinet. More

I've been shopping around for a mirror to replace one that broke last month, and keep coming across trumeau mirrors. Trumeau mirrors (pronounced troo-MO) are set in tall wooden frames with a large section of painted or sculptural decoration at the top. But what are these unusual mirrors, and where did they come from? More

When we first moved into our old, Southern, cottage style house, it became quite apparent that it might well have been originally designed for Thomas Jefferson himself. The dining room was even painted Monticello yellow, complete with a shell alcove painted a bright coral color. It was all a little much... More

My search for the perfect coffee table is endless. Not because of a lack of variety, just the opposite. There are tables in so many sizes, shapes and materials that, as often happens to me while decorating, I'm paralyzed by choice.

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Part of the well-known El Ateneo chain of shops, El Ateneo Grand Splendid is on the list of most visited bookstores in the world. Housed in a historic theater, this bookstore attracts just as many photographers as it does readers, and inspires a few thoughts about the reuse of architecture in a city...

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Jae sent us an email about an amazing DIY renovation of her bedroom. Using MDF, paint and just a smidge over $100, she now has a whole new look with tons of architectural detail. Check it out:
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When Andi, Dean and their building neighbors decided to re-paint the faded exterior of their Victorian home, it quickly became apparent that the process was not for amateurs. Located in the Alamo Square neighborhood of San Francisco, not far from the famous painted ladies, their building is over a century old. Full of intricate architectural detailing and historical significance, it was important to take the proper steps to restore their exterior, both for the sake of maintaining its historical value and bringing back the vibrant color and detail it once embodied.
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