DIY and Home Repair

[I.F.A.]

While we're on the topic of AT, these chairs. OMG.



Also, since this thread has been revived, I recently painted my bathroom door gold. Which, it's really hard to get a good picture of something painted gold when it's very close to the light source in a very small space, fyi.

[chairmenmeow47]

did you ever get your secret santa gift?

[Courtney]

While we're on the topic of AT, these chairs. OMG.



Also, since this thread has been revived, I recently painted my bathroom door gold. Which, it's really hard to get a good picture of something painted gold when it's very close to the light source in a very small space, fyi.

These are both most awesome. And I actually love that wall in the first photo, even though I would never dare paint any room near that dark.

I'm getting the sense that your tastes veer towards a sort of Hollywood Regency/Art Deco aesthetic. Yes?

I tend to go a little more Danish Mid-Century Modern, but I sort of wish I didn't because sometimes it gets a little Ikea-y.

[Gribbz]

Um, WANT.

http://www.homedsgn.com/2011/03/09/d...new-york-city/

[I.F.A.]

That slide is AWESOME.

These are both most awesome. And I actually love that wall in the first photo, even though I would never dare paint any room near that dark.

I'm getting the sense that your tastes veer towards a sort of Hollywood Regency/Art Deco aesthetic. Yes?

I tend to go a little more Danish Mid-Century Modern, but I sort of wish I didn't because sometimes it gets a little Ikea-y.

Thanks. I think I'm going more in that direction lately, though my design sense is pretty damn eclectic so it's hard to fit it in to one school. A lot of my style is firmly fixed in the 70s. I'm a big fan of mid-century pieces (I have a mid-century card catalog in my living room, just to the left of the picture below), but the look often seems a little too spare for me.

Also, I did this collage last night. It's hard to tell from the picture, but they're library check-out cards, which I liberated from some books we were getting rid of at work:

[chairmenmeow47]

way to liberate

and that slide is fantastic!!!

[tessalasset]

God I need to get back into this thread. Bummed I missed DIY secret santa. This year I'm in!

[tessalasset]

Oh also I haven't seen it mentioned in here yet, and it's more real estate than DIY design, but I LOVE the Curbed LA website.

http://la.curbed.com/

There are so many awesome houses on this site and it's broken down by neighborhood. They also have Curbed National, Curbed NY, DC, and Chicago. I'm sure a lot of you have heard of it, but just wanted to add it to the thread.

[dorkfish]

I thought that I would contribute a lot to this thread. But actual hardcore DIY/home repair is more angering in practice than photographically fun.

We've removed carpet, stripped hardwood floors, refinished said floors, repaired all sinks and toilets (specifically with those 1/2 water saving buttons), replaced pipes, started a garden, built custom shelving, installed a new dishwasher, rekeyed our locks, repaired doors and windows, and countless other things. Oh electrical wiring is somewhat cathartic. We may not have ground wires, but I've removed everyone 2-prong outlet on the property and replaced them with GFCI outlets. So that's somewhat safer, in theory.

I might start photographing things again, though, but it's really just an annoying process and the camera doesn't assist with the morale.

Over the next few months, we're going to refinish the cabinets in the kitchen, install custom baseboards, build custom closet doors, wire the house for ethernet, add some more electrical outlets, repair some studs in the garage, epoxy the garage floor... I think we might paint the exterior this summer, as well.

[Hannahrain]

Do before/after shots. It's less infuriating and you don't get spackle on the shutter button.

[Hannahrain]

did you ever get your secret santa gift?

Amy - did those shipping issues ever get resolved? I didn't ever hear anything else from you or the sender.

[I.F.A.]

Amy - did those shipping issues ever get resolved? I didn't ever hear anything else from you or the sender.

^Oh, I didn't even see Ivy's question.

No, I don't think that they re-sent it.

[jackstraw94086]

Brad,
Do you own any brand of auto hammer? If so would you recommend it?

[dorkfish]

No, but I have access to such things, if needed. To be honest, I don't see a ton of hammering in my near future. Lot of sawing and nail gun work for the baseboards.

The stud repair will take a few nails, but not worth an auto hammer purchase. When/if I repair the shed behind our detached backyard office, I'll probably borrow an autohammer.

[dorkfish]

speaking of DIY, this comes up like once a year when I have to make cables. I'm surprised that I still don't have this graphic memorized after a decade of doing this.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

YUCK. Growing up my dad owned his own telecom business and one of my first jobs in high was working for pulling cables and installing jacks at his job sites. I never want to see that again

[jackstraw94086]

I thought that I would contribute a lot to this thread. But actual hardcore DIY/home repair is more angering in practice than photographically fun.

We've removed carpet, stripped hardwood floors, refinished said floors, repaired all sinks and toilets (specifically with those 1/2 water saving buttons), replaced pipes, started a garden, built custom shelving, installed a new dishwasher, rekeyed our locks, repaired doors and windows, and countless other things. Oh electrical wiring is somewhat cathartic. We may not have ground wires, but I've removed everyone 2-prong outlet on the property and replaced them with GFCI outlets. So that's somewhat safer, in theory.

I might start photographing things again, though, but it's really just an annoying process and the camera doesn't assist with the morale.

Over the next few months, we're going to refinish the cabinets in the kitchen, install custom baseboards, build custom closet doors, wire the house for ethernet, add some more electrical outlets, repair some studs in the garage, epoxy the garage floor... I think we might paint the exterior this summer, as well.

Have you ever added new outlets before?
I'm contemplating crawling under my house and attempting this once the weather lets up. I've done tons of electronics work, but not much house wiring or any high voltage work. The job the developers did on my 100yr old house was piss poor and so I don't know if I want to follow any patterns I see with how they've already done the wiring (if there was one). I can't get a good look at most of the wiring in my house and it might be misleading if I did.

question is: is it OK to simply splice off the wires going into another outlet (understanding that they'd of course be on the same circuit), or is that against code and instead have to run the new outlet all the way back to the box? It's all 12ga wires.


btw I had some pretty extensive water damage to my WC (toilet room in a split bathroom sitch), and had to tear everything down to the ancient studs. Had to rip out ancient plaster and wainscotting. The last guy who saw behind that shit might have voted for Teddy Roosevelt. Interesting to see some ancient house wiring still hiding in the joists. Scary looking shit. I'm surprised houses lasted as long as they did after the initial advent of electricity. My house was originally built immediately after the quake, but it doesn't appear hastily built. It's a shame I had to rip out the wainscotting and huge ornate door and window casings. Wainscots are now fucking hugely expensive and affordable casings are generally half the size and not even made of real wood anymore.

[J~$$$$]

I have heard that most code these days require each room outlet have a gfi and dedicated circuit thus its own new breaker box.. These is also Colorado regulation so basically im just tying to type.

[Courtney]

Considering calling in sick for the rest of the day and just staying home and painting my living room some crazy color. Because I can't handle sitting at my desk. It's too depressing. I did a mock-up of what's currently there:



I'm thinking maybe a plum/mauve paint for the walls. Suggestions?

[Courtney]

Like this. With all my concert posters which are currently sitting in my closet. Except this looks kind of crazy and busy. So now I don't know.

[amyzzz]

I like the idea of mauve with gold and green.

[HowToDisappear]

Go for it. If you don't like it, you can always paint over it again while in another fit of depression.



I have a green chair to the right of my couch, too.

[miscorrections]

I like that. Just get rid of the floral pillow on the couch and boom.

[J~$$$$]

That plum color is awesome. I have a dark purple in my home office/second bedroom and it can be very relaxing.

[Courtney]

Ok. You guys have convinced me. I'm gonna do it! And I'll get rid of the floral pillow.

I should send my landlords some sort of thank you gift for being so awesome and pretty much letting me do whatever I want to their space.

[Courtney]

Look at how ahead-of-the-curve Hannah is.

[Courtney]

I'm so into this idea of duct tape patterns on the floor. Genius.

[Hannahrain]

Readymade Magazine has ceased publication. Bummed.

[SoulDischarge]

Lame. Also, that floor is amazing.

[Hannahrain]

All I can think about is how sticky and gummy it'd get eventually, though. If I wanted it in my house, I'd probably apply the same technique to a table or headboard or something and then put self-leveling resin over it so it would be cleanable and wouldn't get gross.