Houseblogs.net - All Discussions in category Featured Story

"My First DIY" Contest

2009-11-10T12:15:17-06:00

Photograph by ayearineurope, used under a Creative Commons license.

We're back with another contest! This month we want to see all the different ways that housebloggers can complete the following sentence:

"After I got the keys to my house, the first thing I changed was..."

We want to hear all about that very first DIY project you completed, once you had the keys in your hand. Was it removing the shabby floral wallpaper you just couldn't stand? Did you change the layout or purpose of a room? How about new cabinets for the kitchen? Whatever the project, we want to hear about it!

What can you win?

True Value wants to hear your stories, so we’re offering up three (yup, count ‘em…three!) $300 AMEX gift cards to use at a local True Value store to spend on your next DIY project. The three lucky winners will be drawn at random.

Click on the yellow box at the bottom of this entry to read all the blog submissions from our members.

Here’s how to participate:

1. If you haven’t already, register your houseblog with our site. You can add your blog by creating an account and going to your profile page via the Account Options link.

2. Write a post about your first DIY project. This can be any home improvement or repair inside your home, as well as landscaping. At least one photo or a video is encouraged. Post anytime this week – Monday, November 16 through Monday, November 23.

3. Make sure to link to this feature story page and include www.StartRightStartHere.com somewhere in your post. Also, please include the following blurb: “This post was written for Houseblogs.net as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by True Value.”

4. Log in to your account on Houseblogs.net and tag your entry ‘myfirstdiycontest09’.

After it’s tagged on Houseblogs.net, your entry will appear in the list of entries associated with this feature story.

See the official contest rules here.

And while you're at it, check out the top 10 finalists from the True Value DIY Drama contest. Vote for your favorite "DIY blunder" at www.StartRightStartHere.com from November 16 through December 4. America’s votes decides the grand prize winner, who will get $5,000 to spend at their local True Value and a consultation with a True Value employee or “Master of All Things Hardwarian”.

UPDATED: Our "DIY Drama" Contest

2009-10-04T16:53:35-05:00

Spilled paint by Sam UL, used under a Creative Commons License.

UPDATE: We have our winners! Congratulations to A Sows Ear, Beach House in the Burbs and A Comedy of Errors as the three bloggers randomly selected from all entries. As winners, each of them will receive a $300 AMEX gift card for use at their local True Value hardware store. Special thanks to everyone that entered.

More good news: everyone still has a chance to win $5,000 in the main DIY Drama contest being run by True Value over at www.StartRightStartHere.com. Anyone can enter and all submissions are due by Monday, November 2nd.

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It’s time for another contest, housebloggers! This time we’d like to hear about your favorite stories of DIY drama or projects that may have gone awry. Houseblogs.net helps DIYers learn from one another and that even includes learning from each other’s home improvement blunders.

So are there any goof-ups you’re particularly proud of? Perhaps a grand plan gone wrong? Whether your DIY project ended up with a flooded kitchen or blotchy paint job, now you have an opportunity to laugh at your own mistakes—and potentially win some cash to fix them.

We’re teaming up with True Value to promote their latest “DIY Drama” contest to find homeowners to share their home improvement bloopers, blunders and mishaps and how they were able to turn it around. We know that you have your own tales of drama to reveal, so we decided to run a similar contest, just for you housebloggers.

What can you win?

We’ve got three $300 AMEX gift cards to use at a local True Value store to spend on fixing any of your DIY blunders. Three lucky winners will be drawn at random.

Click on the yellow box at the bottom of this entry to read all the blog submissions from our members.

Here’s how to participate:

1. If you haven’t already, register your houseblog with our site. You can add your blog by creating an account and going to your profile page via the Account Options link.

2. Write a post about your favorite DIY drama story. This can be any project or repair inside your home, as well as landscaping. At least one photo or a video is encouraged (update: this is no longer a requirement). Post anytime this week – Monday, October 5 through Monday, October 12. See here for some added inspiration.

4. Log in to your account on Houseblogs.net and tag your entry ‘diydramacontest09’.

After it’s tagged on Houseblogs.net, your entry will appear in the list of entries associated with this feature story.

See the official contest rules here.

Good luck and can’t wait to see what you’ve got!

Note: After entering our contest here at Houseblogs.net, be sure to enter the separate True Value “DIY Drama” contest at StartRightStartHere.com for a chance to win the grand prize of $5,000 at your local True Value and a project consultation with a True Value employee or “Master of All Things Hardwarian.” To enter, follow the instructions here.

A Front Porch Revitalized

2009-10-24T19:16:30-05:00

The front porch at houseblog Chezerbey gets a dramatic makeover.

Houseblogs.net members Chezerbey have been at their West Seattle renovation for a good three years now. They've got a wonderful recap of their improvements on their site. Lauren and Kyle, both architects, have a done as nice a job in documenting their work on their blog as they have on their house.

Their most recent project is the front porch, which is is an amazing transformation.

Their blog entries go beyond the wonderful before and after photos to also share a lot of their thought process during the project. I'm not sure but they may be the only housebloggers ever to include their dog as part of the design palette. They also include a video recap which is obviously fun to watch.

Check out all their porch-relate blog entries via the yellow box below to see more detail and photos of their renovation.

If you're looking for more inspiration, check out the Porches topic on our site for a lot more porch-related blog entries by our members.

Welcome to the True Value DIY Blog Squad Homepage

2009-10-05T17:18:07-05:00

True Value has teamed up with five bloggers to be a part of the DIY Blog Squad and share their own home improvement experiences and know-how. Check back through the end of December for project ideas, advice and inspiration to help you tackle your own To Do list!

You can read the newest entries from our DIY Blog Squad by clicking on the yellow box below, or find all their entries here.

The members of the DIY Blog Squad are:

Young House Love - We’re 25. Our house is 50. It’s old enough to be our parent, but we treat it like it’s our baby. Here you'll find our adventures and misadventures in home improvement.

The Lettered Cottage - I'm Layla, and my "Mr. Right" is Kevin: We're the Palmers, but around these parts, we're best known as the Lettered Couple. We are dream believers.

Bungalow '23 - The restoration and home improvement journal of a 1923 craftsman bungalow in Minneapolis, MN.

All Bower Power - ABP is devoted to suburban home decor, renovations and the fine art of laughing.

The Handyguys Podcast - A couple of guys who know a lot and have distinct opinions on the rest with real experience to back it up.

You can also find out how to get started on your own projects with the help of True Value at www.startrightstarthere.com.

True Value has teamed up with five bloggers to be apart of the DIY Blog Squad. These bloggers have been compensated for their time commitment and writing, as well as the material needed for their DIY projects. However, their opinions are entirely their own and they have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Restoring Old Windows

2009-10-03T09:40:21-05:00

Houseblog El Paso Foursquare is restoring their wood windows.

Thinking of restoring your wood windows? The follks over at El Paso Foursquare are doing a nice job outlining their project step by step.

Omar says in the first entry that the emphasis of his focus is more on the steps and timeline for their project, given that others have written up the really detailed how-to aspects of window restoration. I can appreciate this, since a major part of any project is the time and timeline involved. Having gone through this on our own bungalow in Chicago, it's important not to underestimate the time required for each step. In our case, we didn't quite expect to have the windows removed for so long (including over the span of a planned vacation!).

In Omar's case it's been about ten weeks so far. They're in the home stretch now with the windows having been reglazed and the priming now finished. The series--now on part seven--should be wrapping up shortly.

We love it when housebloggers write up their projects. It's a wonderful part of the houseblogging community--people sharing their experiences and knowledge for others to learn from.

Click the link below to see each entry in the series, and be sure to leave a comment of encouragement for Omar as they wrap up the work!

Houseblogs Gets Social

2009-09-13T16:43:17-05:00

Houseblogs.net is getting (more) social!

When we launched Houseblogs.net back in 2005, "social networking" wasn't the popular term it is now. Facebook was still mainly for college students and Twitter didn't exist. But our site is really about the exact same thing--helping people connect.

You can now find Houseblogs.net on both Facebook and Twitter. You can access them here:

Houseblogs.net on Twitter

Houseblogs.net on Facebook

By following houseblogs.net on either site, you can keep up with all the latest from us and our member bloggers. Both are syndications of our 'recent posts' list from here on Houseblogs.net. Even better, you can "like" any houseblog post on Facebook or "retweet" them on Twitter to share your favorite writing with your friends.

We're also pleased to share a handy new Houseblogs.net widget that you can place on a variety of places like iGoogle, your blog, or even right on your Mac or Windows desktop. The widget is powered by Netvibes and is available here:

Houseblogs.net Widget from Netvibes

We hope these new options are useful ways to both follow our housebloggers and spread the word about your great writters.

To help us spread the word and build readership for our members, you can become a fan of Houseblogs.net on Facebook or follow Houseblogs.net on Twitter.

Help us spread the word!

Open Shelving En Vogue?

2008-11-03T16:07:55-06:00

(Photo taken from De-Victorianization on Division.)

Over at the De-Victorianization on Division, they've been thinking about kitchen shelving. Specificly, open shelving used in lieu of cabinetry.

Jason started with a few photos and a call for suggested examples. Since the first post there are quite a few links in the comments. Jason has added a few himself at the end of the post.

Interestingly, opinions are mixed. Many love them, saying that they make for an interesting visual, make finding things easy and make it easy to showcase fun kitchenware. The folks who don't like it cite once main concern--visual clutter.

Use the link below to view the original posts and leave a comment at John's blog to join in on the debate.

Eat, Drink and Show Us Your Dining Room!

2007-11-20T22:13:58-06:00

Making It Home sets a lovely table in her cottage by the sea.

The dining room. We're on the brink of the holidays, this week is Thanksgiving, and it's all about the dining room.

Oft neglected these days as we eat on the run, or in our cars, or in the kitchen. The Dining Room. Have you been in your dining room lately? Do you use it every day? Or just a few times a year?

Whether you use it for formal entertaining or as a storage room for your good china, the one time of year when we all tend to dust off that dining room table is upon us.

So, let's take a look at some dining rooms from the housebloggers.

And, if you're signed in to Houseblogs.net and any of these entries inspire you? Go ahead and mark them as a favorite so you can find them later.

UPDATED: The “Home for the Holidays” Contest

2008-11-05T22:04:23-06:00

The mantle at 1912 Bungalow, decorated for the holidays.

Updated 11/26/08 - After receiving 17 entries we've randomly selected five individuals to receive our prizes. Our winners are:

Grand Prize Winner:
Home Again - 'The Perfect Tree Topper'

The grand prize winner receives a $250 gift certificate compliments of SC Johnson and Right@Home.

Runner Up Winners:
ExpirationDates - 'Getting Ready for the Holidays'
Tiny Old House - 'My Little Box of Memories (A Christmas Preview)'
Bangor Bungalow - 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open..er, well-engineered energy-efficient fire'
Adventures on Willow - 'Gearing Up for Christmas'

Runner up winners receive select SC Johnson merchandise.

Thanks again to everyone who entered--happy holidays!

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The holidays are upon us — how have you prepared to celebrate?

It’s that time of year and we want to know what you’re doing (or what you’ve done in the past) to get your house in the holiday spirit. Do you decorate? Do you host an annual holiday get together or party? Are you putting the finishing touches on a major home improvement project? We want to know, so show us what you’ve got.

This month we’ve teamed up with the folks from SC Johnson to promote Right@Home, its recently redesigned home care Web site. To participate, you’ll simply need to show and tell us how you’re preparing your home for the holidays and link back to www.rightathome.com.

What can you win?

We’ve got a $250 gift card for the lucky grand prize winner. Other participants will be eligible for prize packages of SC Johnson items, too.

Click on the yellow box at the bottom of this entry to read all the blog submissions from our members.

Here’s how to participate:

1.    If you haven’t already, register your houseblog with our site. You can add your blog by creating an account and going to your profile page via the Account Options link.

2.    Write a post about how you’ve prepared your home for the holidays (this year or in years past). Post anytime over the next eight days - Tuesday, November 11 through Wednesday, November 19th.

3.    Make sure to link to this feature story page and www.rightathome.com somewhere in your post. Also, please include the following blurb: “This post was written for Houseblogs.net as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by SC Johnson’s Right@Home.”

4.    Log in to your account on Houseblogs.net and tag your entry ‘rightathome08’.

After it’s tagged on Houseblogs.net, your entry will appear in the list of entries associated with this feature story.

See the official contest rules here.

UPDATED - Our "Look What I Did!" Contest

2008-07-13T23:13:47-05:00

Housebloggers at House Obsession show off their recently remodeled kitchen.

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone that participated in the "Look What I Did!" challenge! We loved reading (and seeing) the D.I.Y. projects that you've tackled successfully. Congratulations to Project Kraemer Lane, The Bungalow Chronicles and We're A Pretty Big Deal that were randomly selected to win the $300 AMEX gift cards to use at a local True Value store.

If you want another chance to win some money for your home improvement projects, first-time homeowners can still submit entries in the True Value "D.I.Y. All-Star Contest 1st Home Edition" at www.StartRightStartHere.com through August 22, 2008. The grand prize winner will receive an in-person consultation with Steve Watson, host of HGTV's "Don't Sweat It," and $5,000 to use at a local True Value store for their next project. Visit www.StartRightStartHere.com for more information.

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For our latest feature story, we’re asking our members to show off. Seeing what other D.I.Y. enthusiasts have done to their homes is one of the great pleasures of houseblogging, and we want to help our readers and writers share the best work from within our community.

So, what are you most proud of? A well restored wood trim freed from layers of old paint? A cozy backyard space for enjoying the summer weather? We want to know.

We’re teaming up with True Value to promote their D.I.Y. All-Star Contest 1st Home Edition – a contest focused on helping new homeowner DIYers get the recognition they deserve for their completed projects. Houseblogs are a deep resource for folks looking for information to tackle projects, so it’s a natural fit.

What can you win?

We’ve got three $300 AMEX gift cards to use at a local True Value store to spend on your summer D.I.Y. projects. Three lucky winners will be drawn at random.

Click on the yellow box at the bottom of this entry to read all the blog submissions from our members.

Here’s how to participate:

1.    If you haven’t already, register your houseblog with our site. You can add your blog by creating an account and going to your profile page via the Account Options link.

2.    Write a post about your favorite D.I.Y. home improvement achievement. This can be any project inside your home, as well as landscaping. At least one photo is required. Post anytime this week - Wednesday, July 16 through Tuesday, July 22.

3.    Make sure to link to this feature story page and www.StartRightStartHere.com somewhere in your post. Also, please include the following blurb: “This post was written for Houseblogs.net as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by True Value.”

4.    Log in to your account on Houseblogs.net and tag your entry ‘truevaluecontest08’.

After it’s tagged on Houseblogs.net, your entry will appear in the list of entries associated with this feature story.

See the official contest rules here.

August New Member Round-Up

2008-08-05T22:03:23-05:00

New houseblog Wouter's Blog is documenting the renovation of a fixer-upper in Cape Town, South Africa.

It's been a long time since we last did a round up of the latest houseblogs to join Houseblogs.net. As a result we've got 86 new houseblogs to share! As always, we aren't going to be able to cite every single new blog here. For a full list check out the latest additions to our blog directory to see them all.

Here are a few of the highlights:

- Check out the restoration of a 1901 rowhouse in the nation's capital at DC Rowhouse.

- There's great writing and regular updates at Inspired DIY.

- They're insulating their walls with denim at Oh Old Farmhouse.

- Nearly three years after the storm there are still amazing stories of renovations in New Orleans and great houseblogs like Did We Survive Hurricane Katrina or Not? are documenting the process.

- Read about a house being built entirely with foam core insulation at Foam Core Fantasy.

- The green-focused houseblogs continue to increase, like Green in Harlem and the energy efficient renovation at Home is a Process.

- They're working on a 1920s Pittsburgh renovation at Bless This DIY Mess.

- They bring an honest and humorous take on married life in a fixer-upper at Renovation Wars (gotta love the liberal use of little plastic army men).

That's just a sampling of what's new out there so if you haven't added a new houseblog to your favorites recently check them all out!

Favorite Spaces

2008-05-23T08:26:50-05:00

Houseblogger Aimee is featuring favorite space like this photo of Emma's Nook.

The houseblog The Stylish Nest has started a weekly blog series called "Favorite Spaces." Each blog entry highlights a particular home and a space or item in that home.

In Aimee's own words:

Just like the name implies, it’s your favorite space! Each Sunday I will feature favorite spaces in people’s homes. This is your chance to show off the space that you love the most!

Sounds good to us! If you're interested in seeing more, use the links below to view the initial entries in the series.

Green from the Ground Up

2008-03-18T06:28:20-05:00

At Sjodin Dream Home the owners are focusing on green building early in the design process.

The concensus is that green building is finally at a tipping point--no longer a niche concern, the mainstream public is turning to more earth friendly building practices in reaction to the combination of increasing energy costs, concerns about global warming and new earth friendly building technologies.

For people considering the 'green plunge' a houseblog can be a helpful way to get a taste of what's involved. Homeowners writing about the process, considerations and options.

The folks Sjodin Dream Home are a great houseblog for anyone interested in making green building central to the design process. They're early in the planning process but they've already made a number of key decisions:

They're using Structural Insulated Panels to reduce usage of structual lumber, speed construction and save on energy costs.
The geothermal heating system will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the home.
A rainwater collection system expected to provide 100% of the home's water supply.
More sustainable material choices like bamboo and local stone will further minimize the impact of construction.

As the home owner documents their own research and plans, the blog is already an excellent resource. They've even gone so far as to post a downloadable Excel file of their budget--interesting information for getting a real sense of the cost of green construction.

Sjodin Dream House should continue to be a must-read for anyone interested in real-world examples of green building in action.

To read entries from the Sjodin Dream Home houseblog, click on the link below.

Mortgage Crisis Puts a Spotlight on 'Slow and Steady' DIYers

2008-04-19T09:23:39-05:00

The Giffels of Akron, Ohio, took a DIY approach to building their dream house using only cash.

The US mortgage crisis has dominated headlines in 2008 for good reasons. A glut of bad home loans has now collapsed under its own weight, dragging down markets worldwide and sending thousands of borrowers in to foreclosure.

In the midst of these challenges, the New York Time is highlighting one very different story. With a combination of patience and effort, David and Gina Giffels have built a comfortable and beautiful home without using debt--thus avoiding the risks that many American home owners now face.

While they're now largely debt-free, their 12 year journey wasn't easy. As described in the Times article and in a new book coming out this month, they avoided financial costs they paid a price of a different kind--marital stress, deferred vacations and limited free time. They don't even have credit cards, telling the times "if you don't have the money for something, you don't buy it."

Their story demonstrates that slowly renovating an old home isn't easy but the payoff can be huge. The stress of a slow renovation might not look so bad when compared to the burden of oversized mortgage payments.

Not surprisingly, the story caught the attention of several contributors to Houseblogs.net. Many of our contributors have taken a similar approach, creating a beautiful home but doing so slowly over time.

Click on the link below to see several reactions from housebloggers who have commented on the article.

Building a Debt Free House

2008-03-14T10:09:47-05:00

The folks at Cedar Ridge Farm are building their dream house while balancing very specific goals around cost, quality and design.

Most DIYers have ambitious goals, but the folks behind the houseblog Cedar Ridge Farm have more lofty aspirations than most. The plan for their self-built barn house has three major goals:

- Energy efficient (they're using straw bale construction for insulation),
- Timber frame (for environmental, sustainable and asthetic reasons), and
- Debt free (they're making cost conscious decisions like buying remant steel for their roof).

Their plans started back in 2003 when they purchased the property. In April of 2007 they started a blog to document the work. They've been making steady progress ever since and their blog has been an entertaining and informative record of their work.

To read their blog, click on the link below.

If you have a member account on Houseblogs.net, you can easily track their future writing: just go to their profile page and click on the 'add to favorites' icon (a heart). You'll get alerts on the houseblogs.net home page each time they write a new entry.

Everyone Loves Treehouses

2008-03-02T21:08:46-06:00

A bungalow-style treehouse built by the housebloggers at Bungalow Monster.

Alot of kids dream of having a treehouse--it's the lucky few who do. Thankfully, there are parents with the imagination, commitment and skills to build a treehouse for their kids (and often for themselves, I think!).

A handful of those creative and generous parents have not only built a treehouse but have also written about it on their houseblogs. The writing and photos are both inspiring and informative.

Click on the link below to see four different examples of what a treehouse can be--from a deluxe home in the sky to a rugged tree fort. The blog entry compilation ends with an excellent two-part write-up on how to build a treehouse, provided by Pigeon Point Project.

February New Member Roundup

2008-02-23T14:31:32-06:00

New housebloggers Laura-Jane and Cameron await closing on their new home in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Every month we spotlight the new housebloggers that have joined our ranks in the past 30 days. We've traditionally done that via our newsletter (interested? Sign up for an account and we'll add you.) but we've decided to start doing it as a feature story so that more people can benefit from a quick review of what and who is new...

We've had 17 new housebloggers register in February. Here are a a few notable examples:

Laura-Jane and Cameron have started their houseblog Whimfield to document the beginning of a cross-country move, a conscious decision to change the pace of life, and the purchase and renovation of an old farmhouse.

At the houseblog The Drawing Room they are documenting the planning, design and construction of a period Victorian home

At Howsed you'll find "a wide variety of how-to carpentry, plumbing, and electrical projects" all described first hand from the home owner's perspective.

That's just three of the many new houseblogs that have joined this month. To check out them all visit the recent profiles page of our site.

You can also click on the yellow box below for a sampling of writing by out newest members. Maybe you'll find your new favorite houseblogger! (Remember, if you're logged in to houseblogs.net you can use the small icons to save, track or ignore your favorite writers or writing.)

Happy houseblogging everyone...

In Praise of the Victorian Home

2008-01-17T10:17:21-06:00

Victorian housebloggers like Fixer-Upper get some attention in the latest issue of Victorian Home magazine.

In the February issue of Victorian Home magazine, a two page article entitled "Preserving the Preservation Experience" gives a nice overview of houseblogging and highlights several Victorian housebloggers who are members of Houseblogs.net.

The article is one of the best treatments of houseblogging that we've seen, including thoughtful interviews with several writers about why they do it. They even include a very nice sidebar piece with tips on starting a houseblog. It goes goes beyond the basic 'use Blogger' advice to even provide tips on how to develop a unique writing style and attract an audience.

The sites featured in the article were Fixer Upper, The Devil Queen, Victorian Restoration, This Old Crack House, To Restore a House in Churchill, Richmond, Virginia, Casa Decrepit and Petch House.

Houseblogs.net was also mentioned as being "a lot like a support group" which both makes us laugh and also feels kinda right.

You can read more via the blog entries referencing the story (click the link in the yellow box below).

If you're visiting Houseblogs.net for the first time after reading the article, you might also enjoy checking out the Victorian topic page. From there you can see all the latest blog entries specifically about Victorian homes, blog entries by housebloggers who own Victorians, and related discussions from our forum.

Congrats to all the Victorian housebloggers on a nice write-up and thanks for the great contributions you each make through sharing your stories! :-)

What Interests You?

2008-02-10T22:44:44-06:00

The bloggers at Ramblings of a Renovating Couple show off their Guest Bedroom Inspiration Board.

To celebrate the month of February, we've asked the housebloggers to choose what interests them most during any week of Houseblogs.net entries.

If you are a houseblogger, honor a fellow houseblogger by tagging an interesting entry with the special FSTAG.

Don't use the FSTAG lightly! It's for an entry that intrigued you, made you drool, made you sob, made you laugh or made you think differently. Maybe it taught you something or gave you some ideas of your own. Whatever it did, it was an unusual or unique entry during the month of February.

If you want to take a look at what other housebloggers find interesting, check out the entries featured in the box below.

Color Me In!

2008-01-28T08:23:47-06:00

Redemption in Corktown is inviting readers to color in his house. He'll post the submissions and, who knows? Your creative genius might end up on his domicile in the future! So, grab the nearest toddler and get coloring. (Hey, he didn't say that we had to stay within the lines.)

Color can affect your mood. Color is a part of a house's history. Color can be fun!

Check out some of the latest musings about color from a few of our housebloggers by clicking on the yellow box below.

TOH Goes to New Orleans

2008-01-24T14:57:43-06:00

For its newest season, TOH is going to New Orleans to restore this home damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

For many long time fans of the television series, the latest season seems like what we would have hoped for as the This Old House crew brings their expertise to help with on of the thousands of homes ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

While it might have seemed like a long time in coming--the hurricane hit over two years ago this past December--it's reasonable to acknowledge that the typical TOH season takes an enormous amount of preparation and lead time.

In fact, even though the television series premieres tonight (check your local PBS listings, date and times may vary) regular visitors of Houseblogs.net saw first signs of the project when the official TOH houseblog started posting about the project in early December.

The home they selected--an Italianate-style shotgun house in the Lower Ninth Ward--is what you'd expect. It's traditional New Orleans architecture with a home owner who, while obviously devestated by the storm, is eager and energized to put her life and home back together.

It will be interesting to see how the cast and crew approach the project. While the massive rebuilding underway share many of the same principles and values that first launched TOH, initial signs are that the show might stay away from anything too touchy. In a recent interview with the blog Charles & Hudson, host Kevin O'Connor was clear to state that "I'm not sure we have a company philosophy on New Orleans. [...] Personally, I don't get caught up in the politics and shouting about what should and shouldn't get rebuilt."

Regardless of any politics, the show should provide an excellent view in to what it's taking to rebuild in the Big Easy. Indeed, in the same interview, O'Connor referenced that labor shortages and infrastructure problems have had a major impact on the building and the shoot.

If there's one thing that viewers can be assured of it's that the TOH crew will take the same near obsessive approach to documenting the process that the craftsmen take in completing the project. Already you can find links to the floor plan, home tours and products used on the project overview page of the TOH website.

Of course, there's also the blog. For the past three seasons TOH has listed their project and supplied updates to housebloggers through Houseblogs.net.

You can see the initial posts by clicking on the link below. Fans can also catch every update by adding the blog to your favorites--just register for an account, go to the Old House, My House profile page, and click the 'Add to favorites' link in the right hand column. Then you'll be alerted to any new posts when you come back under the 'Updates for You' box on our home page.

Humble Beginnings: From Horse Stables to Guest House

2008-01-10T09:33:33-06:00

The folks at Our New Farmhouse in Germany converted their stables to a guest house.

A motivated renovator can see the potential in anything...just ask Stefan and Tiffany the houseblog Our New Farmhouse in Germany. After Stefan got a three month window between switching jobs, they decided to convert an existing horse stable on their property to a guest house.

The project ended up taking a bit longer than three months (8 months from start to finish, to be exact) they're more than pleased with the results. Given what they started with, we're sure you'd agree!

Like any renovation, the devil is in the details...and they certainly ran in to challenges along the way. But as any DIYer knows the journey is part of the reward, and thankfully Stephan and Tiffany have been generous enough to document the entire process for others to enjoy.

Use the link below to read their blog entries documenting the process. We encourage you to check it out.

Congrats to Stefan and Tiffany for a job well done!

Bubble Your (Dirty) Troubles Away

2007-12-20T13:42:13-06:00

American Foursquare tries out a radical cleaning method for vintage subway tile and saves a bathroom!

30% hydrogen peroxide solution...suicide blondes have known about its magic powers for years.

If you are keen for green cleaning methods, 3% hydrogen peroxide (the less strong kind) is one of those best bets. It's fume-free, odorless, antibacterial and nontoxic. What's there not to like?

But what does it clean? And what is just rumor?

Here is a partial list of what it does clean:

- certain stains from fabric (including blood, perspiration and red wine)
- jewelry
- cutting boards
- fruits and vegetables
- shower curtain liners

...and now, white subway tile.

Be careful though! Hydrogen peroxide is also a bleach so always test an inconspicuous area before using.

Check out the before and after shots for the subway tile in the entries below from American Foursquare. And let us know what you clean with hydrogen peroxide!

Houseblogging 2007: The Year in Review

2007-12-31T09:06:19-06:00

1912 Bungalow's post on Bungalow Christmas was one of the most popular entries of 2007.

The past 365 days have been busy for housebloggers and for Houseblogs.net. Here are a few of the highlights...

You can read all the most popular blog entries from the year by clicking on the yellow box at the bottom of this story.

Most Visited Blog Posts
The most viewed posts by visitors to Houseblogs.net...

1. Window sashes: paint stripping 101
2. Stripping a Door: Part 1
3. How to Strip Like a Professional
4. Office Lamp Mock-ups
5. Oh and did I mention?

Most Favorited Blog Posts
The posts most frequently marked 'favorite' by our members...

1. 5 Tips for Working with a contractor - from the wife of one!
2. Flipping houses the safe way
3. Stripping a Door: Part 1
4. Sex and Corn and the Kitchen is Done
5. Bungalow Christmas 2006

Most Active Discussions
The conversations on our site with the most comments
1. Home Depot - True Stories Campaign
2. Angie's List?
3. CFLs - What Do You Think of Them?
4. Knob and Tube Wiring
5. Tools

Thanks to all the members, readers and housebloggers that make this a great community! Here's to a great 2008!

Make No Small Plans! Houseblogger Resolutions for 2008

2008-01-03T22:51:22-06:00

They'll be finishing their kitchen remodel in 2008 at College Hill House.

Housebloggers have been making plans and new years resolutions for 2008. Keep reading to check out their big ideas...

Over 30 housebloggers have posted 2008 project lists on their blogs in the past week, with another 7 folks sharing their plans over in our 2008 resolutions discussion thread.

What are the big themes?

Energy Efficiency. Attic insulation was far and away the most popular project among our members. I'm guessing the cold weather crossing many parts of North America and Europe right now (and the heating bills that follow) have something to do with it, but there are a fair number of 'green' projects in there too.

Landscaping. Maybe it's wishful thinking about warmer days, but ideas about landscaping and gardens was a popular choice. My personal favorite? 'De-ghettofy the back yard.'

Stripping woodwork. As is the case with older homes, there's always more paint to strip from old woodwork. There appears to be some bad 70s wallpaper to remove for some folks, too. :-)

The resolutions didn't stick to projects, though. Some of the resolutions were about improving life at home. Among my favorites...

Keep going! Motivation is always a challenge, so more than a few housebloggers are simply committed to staying committed.

Finish. More than one person is hoping to actually finish more projects than they start. Lots of hold overs from 2007, me thinks? :-)

Find time to enjoy life while renovating. Always a challenge--keeping perspective that there's always another project to do, so be sure to enjoy things along the way!

That's just a taste of what people have in mind. For the full detail, click on the link below to surf all the submissions by our members. After that, be sure to leave a comment below to share your own plans!

Happy new year...and good luck!!!

Homes for the Holiday

2007-12-24T08:19:43-06:00

The family opens presents at Bare Hill Barn House, their copy of Dwell not far from hand.

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas from those of us who run Houseblogs.net to everyone who makes the houseblogging community great.

To read more well wishes from our members, click the yello box below.

Members of this site can share your own holiday messages, too. Housebloggers can post holiday greetings by tagging your blog entry 'seasonsgreetings07'. If you don't have a blog, you can participate too--just leave a message in the comments below.

Happy holidays everyone!

Great Finds Friday!

2007-12-21T12:04:14-06:00

A sign pulled from the plaster and lathe of a living room by NunkProTunk.

All the great finds from the week that was. Get 'em here.

Check out some of the fine finds from our members this past week. And, if you are signed in, go ahead and mark your favorites so that you can find them later!

Help! They Need Somebody...Not Just Anybody...

2007-12-18T13:45:22-06:00

Jeff from Jeff's Home Renovation is looking for some kitchen layout advice. Can you help him out?

We all need second opinions once in awhile. Housebloggers are no different. If you are someone who generously gives out advice in grocery store checkout lines or at cocktail parties, have we got a proposition for you!

Folks are looking for advice on the following:

- Paint color
- Cleaning
- Storage and organization
- Kitchen appliance selection
- Choosing rugs / light fixtures / art / vacuums
- How to fix a noisy radiator
- Where to put the guitars
- And more

Help! And thank you.

Great Finds Friday!

2007-12-18T12:29:28-06:00

Maryam from My Marrakesh scores some lovely Moroccan goodies.

Yes, Great Finds Friday is a little late. Long story. But anyway.

Here are all of the fabulous finds from last week! Including--but not limited to--some superb mid-century salvage, amazing historical discoveries, and really keen purchases.

Get yer' nosiness geared up and check out the stuff that others have uncovered. Enjoy!

And Let All Your Porta-Potties Be Bright...

2007-12-18T11:25:05-06:00

It's beginning to smell a lot like Festivus at Chez Neumansky.

The annual Festivus has begun! Put up your aluminum pole, air your grievances and get ready for the feats of strength!!!

More holiday decorating fun and festivity from the Houseblogs.net community. Enjoy!