Showing posts » Curbly | DIY Design Community

bruno's Blog

Removing Debris in a Tight Spot with the Bagster Bag

By: Bruno Jun 15, 2012

created at: 06/18/2012

As you might have seen yesterday, our Curbly House project is starting to generate a lot of construction debris. We're ripping out all the ceilings throughout the house, so we're ending up with generous portions of ceiling tiles, plaster, lathe, and even a few deceased rodents.

But in the case of the Curbly House, getting that stuff hauled away isn't so simple; there's no garage at the house – and thus, no driveway – in which to set a… Continue Reading

1883 views | Comments (6)

Week 2 Journal: Ripping Out the First Floor Ceilings

By: Bruno Jun 14, 2012

Always wear your respirator, Luke! This week we really got into it on the Curbly House. We turned a pretty normal looking old house into a mostly gutted mess in just a few days, and loved every minute of it (well ... except the rats). Read on to watch my week two video journal, and find out all the details.

1082 views | Comments (3)

Week 1 Journal: Getting Ready for Demolition

By: Bruno Jun 07, 2012

Curbly House Week 1 Video Journal - Preparation for Demolition
I can't tell you how excited I was to finally start real work on the Curbly House. Even if the first week was just me spending a few hours a day over there getting protection down on the floors, walls, and windows, it felt great to actually be doing something.

Week 1 was about getting ready for week 2. We decided to tear out the first floor ceilings; they were covered in foam tile and the plaster under that was crumbling. Plus, taking… Continue Reading

1433 views | Comments (3)

Our Home's Energy Audit: Results and Recommendations

By: Bruno Jun 04, 2012

The Curbly House Home Energy Audit
We like to think of homes as impermeable. After all, that’s why we have them; to keep the rain, wind, and cold out. Not to mention insects, small animals, and pollen clouds.

But the truth is, your home’s shell is a membrane. It breathes, just like you do. (That’s a good thing!) Every home does it. The important question is not if your home leaks, but how much.

To figure out if our new house had an appropriate level of breathability, we… Continue Reading

1248 views | Comments (3)

SALE: Three Make It! eBooks for the Price of Two

By: Bruno Jun 01, 2012

Now through June 30th, you can buy all three of our Make It! how-to manuals for just $20 (that's three for the price of two). That's Make It! Mid-Century Modern, Hardware Store Decor, and Secondhand Chic for just $20!

Each book includes a bunch of detailed, beautifully-photographed projects created by your favorite Curbly writers. And it's a high-res download, so you can print them out at home!(You can always buy the print version,… Continue Reading

206 views | Comments (0)

CanvasPop $2,500 Canvas Art Giveaway!

By: Bruno May 28, 2012

It was a warm Sunday morning in March, and Alicia, Ayla and I were sitting on the front steps enjoying the unseasonable sunshine and blowing bubbles. Watching your three-year-old squeal with glee as she chases luminescent soap spheres is about as good as it gets, and those moments get burned in your memory pretty easily.

But just then Alicia grabbed her iPhone and snapped a picture that I think will be iconic of Ayla's childhood. As… Continue Reading

862 views | Comments (4)

Introducing The Curbly House: Our Family's Dream Home Makeover [VIDEO]

By: Bruno May 28, 2012

The Curbly House introduction

We walked into the house at 4:30 p.m. on a cold, dark December afternoon.

The real estate agent fiddled with the lock box for a moment, then cracked open the front door. We kicked off our shoes and stepped in. The floors were cold like a skating rink. We left our overcoats on. The place smelled empty.

“One sec,” the agent said. “Let me get the lights.”

Click. Nothing. Click. Footsteps. A different switch. Click. Nothing. A… Continue Reading

4435 views | Comments (12)

The Inconstant Gardener: Misadventures in Landscaping

By: Bruno Apr 13, 2012

This month we're focusing the part of your house that's outside its walls; your garden, your back yard, your patio, or your deck. Last year, I tackled what, for me, was a major landscaping project: fixing up our front yard garden. Here's what it looked like before I got started:

With a couple weekends of hard work, I got the garden looking downright, well, curbly… Continue Reading

3409 views | Comments (0)

Our Simple Front Porch Makeover

By: Bruno Apr 04, 2012

Our porch, before.
Spring is here (or is it summer, lately it's hard to tell), and that means we're focusing on Outdoor and Garden posts this month on Curbly. And what better way to enjoy the outdoors than from a lovely, screened-in front porch. Last year we gave our a quick, simple makeover, and I'm sure it'll continue to be our most-used-room-in-the-house this season.

First, we spruced up an old, kid-sized rocking chair so our daughter would have a… Continue Reading

2995 views | Comments (0)

Window Cleaning Tips from the Pros

By: Bruno Mar 30, 2012

Window Cleaning Tips from the Pros
With the unseasonably warm winter and spring this year, lots of people are thinking about cleaning their windows earlier than usual. Ours were looking more like walls than windows, after a couple years of neglect. Dirty windows are kind of weird; you don't really notice how bad they are until after you get them cleaned.

credit: See how dirty these windows were?

This spring, we got in touch with our friends at Fish Window Cleaning (remember we worked with them last year on… Continue Reading

1997 views | Comments (4)

Popular Posts