Following all things housing like I do, it’s pretty evident that there’s a shift going on out there when it comes to how we choose to build, remodel and decorate our homes—a real turnabout both in terms of outlook and aesthetics—and it’s fascinating to watch this new sensibility take shape. Builders, renovators, homeowners, homebuyers, designers and architects are all working in disparate yet complementary ways to find the style that will grace the coming years of our lives.

In terms of home style, the “new look” is still being hammered out, even as we take our first wobbling steps out of the recession. Everywhere you look, style is evolving, and the “it” components have yet to take shape. The early millennium had granite and stainless steel. The nineties had sage green rag-rolled walls (the “pesto” of home decorating). The eighties had pastels, the seventies boasted shag carpeting, and the sixties introduced us to the world of plastic, intergalactic-inspired space-decor. What’s next for the look of how we live? The millennium is maturing, and we’re no longer on the cusp. We’re all ready to take the next step.

Look at the evolution of something as simple as the counter: as people explore beyond granite, they’re looking at classics like butcher block or marble, turning toward new ideas like concrete, and exploring more “green” options like recycled-glass. And this flexible, explorer mentality continues throughout the house. Owners and designers are laying down bamboo floors. They’re being pulled back toward ceramic tiles. They’re keeping those wood-paneled walls instead of tearing them out while painting over brick fireplaces in an effort to whiten and brighten their legacy homes.

The New Retro

They want the convenience and technology of a modern home with the warmth and character of times gone by: CAT6 cable run in the walls behind Mondrian-esque arrangements of primary-colored subway tile. A farmhouse kitchen near an EnergySTAR dishwasher with a stainless-steel tub and oodles of digital controls. Top-end digital and audio equipment stored behind planks of weathered antique barn wood. The past and the future all rolled up into one.

Like the clothes we wear, the way in which we define and dress our homes says a lot about where we are mentally. The “style” of how we live in, and relate to our homes, has changed over the past six years—this much we know. Average square-footage in new homes has dropped since 2007, and new home builders are increasingly focusing on genre-specific housing like Net-Zero homes (that create as much energy as they use), resort-styled active living communities that cater to downsizing Baby Boomers, and in-fill condominiums in urban centers that pull in the young, professional and overwhelmingly metropolitan Generations X and Y. The traditional is being exploded into an array of options that try to capture the multi-faceted answer to the question, “Who are we now?”

In short, what I see around me is a change that has yet to coalesce around a single identity. Gone are the days in which the beckoning of the housing boom or torment of the bust to put us all on the same page. Perhaps that’s the legacy of the painful economic times we’ve all just been through. Or perhaps it’s just another example of the jumps and starts that define progress and change. What I do know, for sure, is that it’s incredibly interesting to watch, and I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Tackling a cluttered home can be quite a stressful and seemingly impossible endeavor for many but with a few simple tips, the job can become much more manageable. The key is to prepare for the task at hand both mentally and physically. Depending upon how much clutter is taking over your home, you may want to enlist the help of family and friends to help speed up the job and for emotional support along the way. After all, it can be difficult to part ways with some of the “stuff” cluttering up your home, but loved ones can help keep you focused on the goal.

Divide Spaces into Smaller Chunks

Cleaning and organizing large spaces or severely cluttered areas can be quite overwhelming. The single solution is to divide the space into smaller, more manageable chunks. For example, divide a cluttered dining room into four equal sections, and tackle each section one at a time until the entire room is decluttered. This process can occur over the course of a day, weekend or week depending upon the size of the job, but it is one of the single best tips for decluttering the home.

Rent a Dumpster or Donate

Although it may be difficult to swallow, most clutter is simply unnecessary junk, so treat it as so. Renting a dumpster is a quick and easy solution if you have lots of clutter in your home. A 10 or 20-yard dumpster will often be adequate for cleaning out an average sized home. Dumpster rental companies will allow you to throw out most household items with the exception of toxic materials like paint, flammables or tires.

If you come across items of value you no longer use or need, consider donating them to local charitable organizations. Goodwill  and The Salvation Army are two great examples of national charitable organizations that accept donations of household goods.

Pace Yourself

Be realistic about decluttering your entire home; it may take more than a day, weekend or several weeks. Write out your cleaning schedule and stick to it. For instance, if you only have 30 minutes per day to declutter due to a busy work schedule and kids, choose a time each day to spend that half hour tackling an area of your home. Again, divide your space(s) into smaller chunks and approach the cleanout process that way. You’d be amazed what 30 minutes per day spent decluttering can do to a home.

Don’t Ignore Smaller Nooks and Crannies

It may be a good strategy to declutter the larger rooms needing the most attention first, but don’t ignore the smaller spaces. This is especially true when decluttering prior to putting a home up for sale. Potential buyers will inspect every nook and cranny, so it’s important you do as well. Common problem areas include kitchen and bathroom cupboards, pantries and storage areas.  As a general rule, keep kitchen and bathroom cabinets no more than two-thirds full for a more spacious appearance.

Prevention and Maintenance

Your work doesn’t end once you finally achieve your goal. It’s critical to prevent the clutter from accumulating during the subsequent weeks and months. Remind yourself about what your home used to look like by taking before-and-after photos. Periodically look at the photos and compare your cluttered home to your new clean and organized home, and use this as motivation to keep it clean.

You can also use the one-in-one-out rule to prevent clutter from accumulating. For example, when you bring home a new toaster, get rid of the old one. A final tip to help maintain a clean and organized space is to set aside 15 minutes a day, such as while your dinner is cooking, to declutter small spaces like countertops, cabinets and bookcases.

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Joe Eitel is a web content writer for Hometown Dumpster Rental, the leading online resource for finding local dumpster rental and junk removal service providers nationwide. Search Hometown’s extensive dumpster rental listings for free and find reputable roll off dumpster rental companies in your area. Also check out the Hometown Dumpster Rental Blog for industry news, tips and tricks.

As a homeowner you know how important it is to maintain your property. Driveway maintenance is one of those chores that if not kept up with can lead to a costly driveway replacement. To give you an idea of how much you save, all you have to do is look at this study National Pavement Preservation Association did.  The results show that a dollar spent in maintenance will prevent spending $6 to $14 on reconstruction.  Asphalt repair for a road or a driveway is the same thing, just scaled down, so those dollar amounts apply to you, too!

source :: Asphalt Kingdom

Summer’s UV rays fade your blacktop and damage the surface. It’s also the perfect time to clean, repair, and reseal. There are just 5 basics to understand and you’ll be all set to look after your own do it yourself driveway maintenance.

1. Clean And Assess

Cleaning is the first step, for two reasons. First, it lets you see exactly what shape your driveway is in, and secondly, it makes for successful asphalt repair.  Scrub, spray, or sweep the entire surface. If there are any fuel stains, use a degreaser to remove them. It’s important to use one specifically made for asphalt to keep from causing more damage. Remove any weeds or plants that are coming up from cracks and be sure to clear around the edges, too.

2. Make Your Driveway Maintenance Repairs

This is the time to fill any cracks or potholes. There is a wide variety of crack fillers and asphalt patch products that are perfectly suited to a homeowner’s needs, and without the need of renting heavy equipment. Read the directions in the store, so you’ll know what else you need to complete the work. For cracks deeper than a half inch, you’ll typically need a sand and gravel mix to top it up. Before you start asphalt repair do not forget to….

3. Block Access

Crack and pothole repair as well as driveway sealing all need time to cure, which means keeping traffic off. Use stakes and caution tape to mark the end of the driveway. Don’t forget to block access by the sidewalk as well. Think about the people who walk in your yard, and clearly mark the area as off limits. Not only will this protect your driveway maintenance work, it will save shoes from becoming covered in black asphalt and tracking it everywhere. If you have pets make sure to keep them away, as they are unlikely to notice the caution tape.

4. Mask Off The Borders & Prep

This is much the same as for painting. Protect the walkways, walls, garage, etc, with tape and cardboard. It’s far easier to spend your time masking off the borders than it is trying to remove driveway sealer after. This may seem obvious, but if you need anything from the garage between now and when the curing is finished, get it out now.

5. Sealcoating: The Final Step In Driveway Maintenance

Driveway sealing is recommended every 2 years. This gives you the best protection from the sun’s harmful rays and other weather damage. Use a high-quality product, preferably one that is labelled “airport grade” for the best results. Use a roller or a squeegee and start at the top of your driveway and work your way down. Spread it evenly, and thinly, and don’t get stuck in a corner you can’t get out of. Remember that two thin coats offer better results; they dry better and that gives better adhesion. Thick applications have a tendency to bubble up and peel off.

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Upkeep of your property truly does save you money in the long run. Spending that dollar on driveway maintenance now will save you the cost of driveway replacement and reconstruction for years to come.

Judson Burdon is the owner and operator of Asphalt Kingdom, a site where homeowners can get driveway maintenance advice, how-to guides, and the asphalt sealcoating equipment and supplies they need to maintain their asphalt themselves.

Dave W. is my daughter’s soccer coach, and a dude I’ve known for some time.  We attended the same high school in fact, though we did graduate one year apart.  I guess he is what you would consider an average homeowner.  And that evening, almost ironically, he mentioned his plans for after the game.  He was going to hit the Home Depot – a quest: Find the perfect bathroom vanity.

Well, funny really, right around that time (January or so), I had been chatting with some of the friendly folks at St. Paul Home Products.  They make bathroom vanities and other bathroom furniture; one place they distribute, yep, the Home Depot.  Met via Twitter in 2011, St. Paul had actually submitted a guest post for us.  (To read it, it was excellent  >> The Best Online Design Tools.)

And as the story goes, I simply asked (paraphrased here): “Hey guys.  Would you ever consider providing a vanity which I would install and then later document?”  Well, they (St. Paul) agreed.  That’s how I found myself installing a bathroom vanity, a  St. Paul Home Products 30″ Classic Vanity Combo (in Antique White) at Dave W.’s house.  (I add the #diy part for effect.)

I videoed and posted to YouTube our installation.  (Again, we have a channel and you could subscribe >> http://youtube.com/BMoxieBMore).  Below I provide both the basic steps of installing a vanity combo as well as additional, case-specific notes.

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Step 1:  Setting the Cabinet

It really didn’t take long to get the unit unpacked and in . . . once we hashed out where we’d place it exactly.  We ultimately decided to hold the cabinet roughly two inches off the bathroom’s side wall.  (It of course was replacing an existing vanity, and some minor demo, prep and touch-up work was required.)

The cabinet’s open back would make it easy to incorporate the lavatory’s drain that (for Dave) was entering from the wall behind the cabinet.  For us, however — we have hot and cold inlets coming up through the floor.  We had to, as you could see in this video, modify the cabinet’s base.

A highlight of this remodel, Dave picking a 4×20 wood-grained tile that caught both some of the red and some of the gray tones in the unit’s Avalon top.  Each selection for this project was of course keyed off the top (with incorporated white sink), the antique white finish, and the unit’s black hardware and accents.  (Props to #diyDaveW on his picks.)

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Step 2: Setting the Top

Despite the way I laid it out in video, we actually set the trim to the right of the vanity (behind the toilet) next.  In the video above, we made sure to scribe the contour of the cabinet’s leg on a scrap piece of baseboard.  This made coping the baseboard in easy.  We installed the vanity’s top, only after we installed the Pegasus (WaterSense-rated) 1.28 gpf toilet (pictured).

After mounting the Pfister High Arc Faucet (and pop-up drain) to the top while it still sat on the floor outside the bath, the installation of the top was itself literally a breeze.  A thin bead of silicone caulk, set the top, align it and firmly press it down.  For added insurance, we clear caulked up under the top, to the outside edge of the cabinet (not shown in the video).

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Step 3: Plumbing Connections

Consumers, it seems, usually have their most difficulty with this point — maybe not so much the final plumbing connections per se, but with coordinating them with the vanity’s provided shelf.  After a bit of discussion and playing with it, we (actually on a Mrs. Dave recommendation) decided to set the shelf at its highest most available position.  (This vanity provided three sets of shelf pin holes to allow for three possible shelving placements.)

Below the video details how we decided to go about integrating a pre-packaged pvc (plastic) p-trap – the drain, with the unit’s shelf (and vice versa).  Simply sliding the shelf forward, and later securing it with provided screws, allowed the flexible hot and cold supply lines to pass unobstructed at the back of the cabinet.

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The Finish Details

As I mentioned above, we installed the adjacent baseboard immediately after setting the vanity cabinet.  For the sake of brevity I broke keys parts of that installation out into the video below.

This video also covers briefly, flipping the unit’s provided hardware (which for packaging’s sake comes mounted toward the inside of the cabinet), as well as a final bead of caulk that should be applied at the vanity top’s back edge.

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All and all and hope #diyDaveW. (+ Mrs. Dave) would agree that the project turned out great.  The Portfolio Vanity Bar in Oil Rubbed Bronze caught in video was a nice complement to the vanity combo.  The project will all be completed with a coordinating mirror that St. Paul also graciously provided, but as far as I know – is not yet installed.

Thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful.  ~jb

For full disclosure: While St. Paul provided the vanity featured in this post and in these videos, neither I nor Dave W. were compensated for our work. 

I was new in town and a friend of mine invited me to join the planning committee.  I thought, what better way to meet people and participate in a good cause?  I hadn’t owned a pair of cowboy boots since I left Omaha in 1980, and this sounded like fun.  Being the only designer on our committee, I was put in charge of the decorations, and so it began.

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Now, back up to September 2010.

This is my friend, Susan.

Susan and I were high school friends.  I snapped this picture during our 10-year reunion in 1997, which was the last time I saw Susan in person.  When I finally jumped on the Facebook bandwagon, Susan and I found each other again – much to my delight.  I remembered Susan for her easy-going manner, her sardonic wit and humor, and her incredible intelligence.  She was determined to become an archeologist when we were teenagers, and as it happened, she ended up getting a PhD in Sports History, marrying a great guy named Rob, and having three beautiful kids.  We reconnected in August 2010, and in September 2010 she gave us devastating news: she was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Fast-forward a year to 2011.  My family and I had moved to a new town, we were busy with work, school, and new house issues, and I began planning decorations for the Cattle Baron’s Ball.  Susan and I kept in touch on Facebook, and I followed the chronicles of her illness as she posted about it on her Caring Bridge webpage.  All throughout the previous year, she spoke positively, optimistically, and with her characteristic humor about chemotherapy, surgery, dying her hair purple before it fell out, and the Future.  Her Future- a certainty, a sure thing.

I met lots of people, wonderful people, working on the planning committee.  People who had survived cancer or lost family members to cancer, children and teenagers still battling it, and cancer doctors that are certain- CERTAIN- we will cure cancer and have a cancer vaccine in the next 15 to 20 years; definitely, they believe, within our lifetimes.  But Triple Negative Breast Cancer is a particularly nasty beast, and by September 2011 Susan’s posts had changed.  Things weren’t going well and her prognosis wasn’t good.  Her Future was now certain, but in a totally different way, and even though I understood on an intellectual level what was happening, I really didn’t believe that cancer would take her…until it did, a few short months later.

Susan passed away two weeks before the Cattle Baron’s Ball, and my participation in that event took on a whole new meaning for me.  Our ball went off without a hitch, and we raised over $93,000.  I am really proud to have been a part of it, but I’m heartbroken about my friend.

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So, it’s Mother’s Day.  My husband keeps asking me what I want for Mother’s Day, and really, I don’t want anything.

At Susan’s memorial service in April, I met her husband and her three children, the youngest only 4.  She lives on in their bright, shining faces, so much so it took my breath away.  During her eulogy I learned one of her last statements was to encourage people to have more memories, not things.

I want for nothing.  All I have are wishes and gratitude.

I wish for Susan’s children health and happiness, but especially clear, vibrant memories of their mother that will last their lifetimes and never fade.  I am so grateful to have known her.  I am grateful for my health, my healthy children and husband, and having 42 years (and counting) of memories of and with my mother (and my father and step-parents too, for that matter).

So for this Mother’s Day, I count my blessings, and encourage all of us to collect and savor all the beautiful memories our lives are truly made of.

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OK, I know – a lie, I was actually really busy with doing stuff, just not out in public and/or on Building Moxie.  Ha!   Something more along the lines of – “just livin’ and happy to have every minute of it” — would do.

1986 Dude

And that’s how I’ll roll into this one.

#RIPMCA

Adam Nathaniel Yauch (pronounced /ˈjaʊk/; August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012) was an American rapper, songwriter, and film director.  He was best known as a founding member of hip hop trio the Beastie Boys.

Peace to you MCA, your impact on this world is without words.  (More in an Outtake down below.)

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What’s Been

While I wasn’t writing for the site, I was able to squeeze out a few guest posts for a few others.  And you know what? They kinda felt inspired and I even liked ‘em (can’t say that with all other previous guest posts).  So I’m proud to point you to:

* For BMoxie Contributor theDecorGirl:

5 Tips for Being a Better Construction Client (1 or 2)

3 Ways to Keep Your Contractor Interested (2 of 2)

* With Maryland-based Super Mommy Blogger Stefanie Slater of Chic Style Modern:

Man Cave Schman Rave, Give Me a Bar More Practical

* A little further back, and in case you missed, a project I worked on with my daughter Eva and submitted to Built By Kids co-founder Timothy Dahl:

Transform a Plastic Trash Can into a Recycling Bin

D'Eva

– Good point to mention too that I was surprised and honored to receive an honorable mention on another of Timothy’s properties this week.  Thank you for:

* Charles & Hudson — Ten Tool Blogs You Need to Know (Honorable Mention & not bad for not even really being a “Tool” Blog.)

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What Will Be?

I am certain any day now Barry will deliver his report on his visit to Ohio and the Genie Company HQ.  I happy too to announce that we (again Barry) are working with the Home Depot.  This time with their  FIRST for Pros Program :: Homedepot.com/Pro – The Place for Pros.

As I am just now putting the finishing touches on a set of vids featuring St. Paul Home Products (yep,  we have a YouTube Channel >> http://youtube.com/BMoxieBMore), expect similar videos featuring manufacturers like, idk,  Pennington Seed and American Standard.

I’m working on a set of posts with interior designer and new friend Elizabeth Cross Beard.  I met her at the Houzz Inc outing earlier this year. … kinda a month in the life kinda thing.  Still shopping for a home for these articles, just sayin’ if you know somebody. (Oh! I really have started this yet.)

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As I am making headway on my todo list… really, it’s go time.  Those really are small, punch out items.  I’ll be turning my attention soon to the cornice work that was hung over from last summer.  (To read about that >> Removing Formstone from a Baltimore RowHome.)  And this summer I know already is going to be about 7 Words >> Full on Outdoor Living and Landscape Design.  Wish me luck.

Yard (Before) :: Mother's Day 2005 (idk)

That’s it – back with some postings next week and Happy Mothers Day to you all, especially any moms out there.

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I mean – it’s hard to believe that we’ve been in this house five years this April.  And maintaining this house (like others) has presented its own unique set of challenges, least of which, this time — the added “activity” of two young children.  Kids, you know, can be hard on a house.  But so too can pets, and most specifically . . . cats.

And for those that have followed closely, you know I deal with the cats’ presence almost . . . continuously.  I mean – I love ‘em, and the aging black one was even my contribution to this mix.  But sometimes they can push me . . . push me to, well, the limit.  (To read more about our furry little lovelies and *ahem* how to effectively remove cat pee odor from an area rug, (don’t forget the comments) here >> Because 78.2% of Our Readership is Female AND Has 1 or More Cats.  Shout @BrendaSLynn.)

Anyways… one thing about this house, and about my cats, that has driven me absolutely crazy is the repeated “disregard” for the (modified) T-bar screen door that is hung on our house’s side door.  Our primary entrance.  Over the years (and yes, our cats are inside/outside cats), they have torn up its screening, especially the lowest panel — the one closest to the latch.  And I fixed it.

But surprisingly, they just tore it up again.

I mean – just from clawing innocently enough and asking to go in and out.  I fixed it . . . again.  The second (or maybe the third) time, I went instead with that impromptu, thrown-together pet door.  (I couldn’t find an appropriate, well-constructed pet door designed for this type of screen.)  Needless to say, they (those stubborn . . . !@#$) didn’t use it.  So . . .  I fixed it again.

You know, I would just remove the bottom “muntin” and would simply replace that small section of screen that had been damaged.  Charcoal-colored fiberglas screen, stapled right to the door.  But wouldn’t you know it, they tore it up again.  So . . . I gave up.

Well . . . kinda.  As a different plan of action instead, I headed to the metal sheet goods area of the home center and I bought a decorative grill.  (You know the kind you’d typically associate with a radiator cover.)  I cut it in half and screwed it to the inside of the door.  Hey! That seemed to work!

But about that time, something strange happened.  I noticed that my kids had gotten taller, and this one was on them.  More than once, with a hand . . . and no one would step up and claim it, the top panel ripped from its stapling.

We lived that way for most of the past winter ( and you know that door was mostly closed).  BUT when the warm weather hit recently, I had to do it.  A full re-screening and this time going off a recommendation I got from a local hardware store.  Pet Screen! As I understand it, a fiberglas netting but encased in a nylon coating.  Stronger, more pet- and kid-resistant.

At about four times the cost of regular insect screen, this better do the trick. Below, I installed it:

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Re-screening is actually a pretty easy diy procedure, and especially since the only tools you really need are a screen/spline tool (like the one pictured, not like my hoopty one) and a utility knife .  Materials: screen (typically in fiberglas or aluminum) and the spline used to hold the screen in place.  Frame kits in various materials and colors are also available for windows and such.

The biggest battle that I’ve found is actually the risk of over-stretching the screen.  Pros and/or local hardware stores will actually place the frame and the screen (for say a window) on a contraption that will not only hold the workpiece in place but also provide for the exact right amount of tension.

With the heavier pet screen … on a wood door – not too much of a concern.  I didn’t even remove the door.

A final note: A wood screen door happens to be finished with a trim detail called intuitively enough – a screen profile.

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Thanks for reading all and please have a happy and safe Cinco & Derby Day! ~jb