Home Projects

If you need a shot of color in your home, painted furniture is always an option. We rounded up a selection of solid wood furniture from IKEA that could be dressed up with a coat or two. Some of these are unfinished, and some have a clear lacquer coat that just needs some light sanding before you prime it…Top Photo: Left to Right, Top to Bottom:• Rast 3 Drawer Chest, $39.99• Mackis Magazine File, $7.99• Stranda 4 Drawer Chest, $149• Fira Mini Chest with Drawers, $12.

We’ve got a drawer full of unruly extensions cords that we’ve been trying to unsuccessfully keep in order with rubber bands and twist ties. While looking for cable management solutions, we found a tip about using a cardboard roll for cable storage and thought we’d give it a try…The version shown on Unclutter struck us as a fine idea, but it was missing a little something-something.

So the thing about living in a rental is that someone lived there before us. Someone lazy who did not tape off the hardware on the doors or remove it entirely before painting. We are a little frustrated by the fact that all the hardware is encrusted with paint and nothing works correctly. We go to the hardware store and we stare at the shelves and we wonder: which product will best remove the paint?

Photo by Christopher BakerName: Page Marchese NormanTitle: Editorial Director of Decorating, Martha Stewart OmnimediaLocation: Brooklyn Heights, NY Introducing our third January Jumpstart Judge from the former state of Blueprint, style director, Page Marchese Norman. She’ll be helping to award our six Ebay prizes to the deserving DIY-ers who braved the possible perils of home projects with us this month on AT.

So you scored that Danish Modern credenza/side table/lamp/chair off craigslist or you actually just found one on the street, so how do you keep it in good shape? Tips after the jump:If it’s an authentic piece, its likely to be made of teak, a very durable wood that is normally oiled and not lacquered. I currently am in possession of my Grandmother’s teak furniture that she kept in good shape since the 60’s when she bought it.

When we made the switch from a plain old mattress and box springs to a platform bed, we started to change the way we made our bed. Before we had a duvet, and now we prefer using layers of quilts and blankets, neatly tucked and folded under the mattress to show off the bed’s clean, low-slung lines. This image (of the Hubert Modern Platform Bed at TREOmodern) shows the way that layers of bedding in the same family of colors can create a “striped” effect.

Remember these stairs? We slinked to them earlier this year after AT:LA blogged them. It turns out that they were made by an Australian company, Unicraft Joinery. We’ve been haunted by them ever since, but were somewhat dissuaded by the naysayers on Lifehacker and Unclutterer… However, we finally found some DIY instructions. Check them out here: Staircase Drawers – Canadian Home Workshop.

Product: Jig-A-Loo All Around LubricantPrice: $14 Rating: Recommend*(This is from our guest tester, Jenny G., who won a bottle of Jig-A-Loo in this post. Thanks, Jenny!)Short version:The incredible squeak of the front door still exists, but we still really like this can of Jig-A-Loo. Long version:The first test was, of course, the squeaky front door hinges. The squeak won’t stop–apparently, as one of the original commentators said, we need to get inside the hinge to stop this squeak.

Hello AT,My AC units are currently installed in the bottom of my windows. I’veheard it’s possible to install units at the top of the window instead. I’d love to do this and say goodbye to cold air blowing directly on me and hello to unobstructed views… (Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.

Hello AT,In my endless vacillation between less space/better neighborhood, more space/not so great, I’m moving to a tiny studio. I don’t mind cozy, but the single closet in the place is the major drawback. There is no door, and it has a narrow long layout, with the bars one behind the other. In real-estate terms this was called a ‘walk-in closet’!

Welcome again to Ann, one of the writers vying for a blogging position at the upcoming AT:Home Tech. Comment away. I love the moment on the decorating makeover shows when they bring out the 40″ LCD display and show how much more style-friendly it is than that clunky 50″ box-television that had been looming over everything. It gets even better when the display is cleverly hidden beneath a framed old master on hinges.

Product: The Monkey Hook picture hanger Designer: A Monkey & A Marketer Price: $11.25/30 hooks (10 original, 10 gorilla grade, 10 flush mount) Rating: Recommend* Like trying to reinvent the mousetrap, a product comes along every now and then that DOES make a significant improvement in an ancient field. The Monkey Hook is one of them. An ingenious and simple design, The Monkey Hook uses one rigid piece of wire to replace the need for a hammer, pin and hook.

Product: The Sonno MattressDesigner: UnknownPrice: from $1,098 Rating: Strong Recommend*We made the leap! After thinking about it for a few years, we bought a DWR Sonno memory foam mattress two months ago and have been testing it every night. The verdict? After a funky, stinky, off gassing beginning, we couldn’t be happier. It just sucks you in when it is time to sleep, and you can feel all of your muscles relaxing the second you lie down.

Ever thought of making your own shades? If you’d like to know how to make rice paper shades, here’s how I do it. (Watch. Ask Questions. Have confidence. Curse me for making it look so easy…)I love these shades because they’re simple and organic and function well. They glow like Naguchi lamps. They work splendidly for our San Francisco Victorian or Bungalow tall, narrow, double hung windows (38″ wide max, unless you can find wider paper).

Hello AT, I’m trying to hang pictures on my wall. My ceilings are 10 feet 6 inches. I have 14 inches of ceiling moldings and wall, then 4 inches of crown molding, then its 100 inches to the baseboard and 8 inches of baseboard. I have panel moldings at 10 inches below the crown molding and 10 inches up from the top of the baseboard. At what level should I hang the pictures? I heard someone say “54 inches”, but from what? From both floor and ceiling, it looks really low.