In this article, we’ll talk about cheap and reasonable ways to provide sound dampening and rental space. Although you may have found this article by googling “soundproofing,” the materials and effort required to actually soundproof a space are unrealistic for an average renter on a budget. But the good news is that unless you are…
If chandeliers were a love language, it would be the one I speak most fluently. I love chandeliers and have always gravitated towards them (going so far as to book AirBnb rentals based on a good chandelier in the suite!) At one point, nearly every room (including bathrooms) at Hawk Hill included a chandelier. I used to…
I’ll confess, I get most of my lampshades from thrift stores or secondhand shops. With patience, it’s easy to find just about any shape or style of lampshade that I need. What’s harder to find at secondhand sources are clean lampshades. Often, lampshades I pick up from these sources are brand new but have…
Whether you’re in the investigation/planning stage of installing a doggie door or if you’ve already installed one and discovered the freedom a doggie door gives owners and pets, this article is for you! I love pet doors. The confidence that pups get from having their own freedom to go outside when needed is such fun…
When I lived in downtown Seattle my 35-unit building shared a total of two basement washers, two dryers, and zero elevators. This, combined with living on the third floor of a very high-ceilinged 19th-century building made laundry day a dreaded task. Laundry day meant lugging laundry down several floors only to find the washroom busy…
The Internet is filled with tutorials for fixing scratches on leather chairs and sofas- I know because I read at least a half-dozen of them when I adopted my leather Broyhill armchair from Craigslist. In excellent condition other than surface scratches, this find from the free section of Craigslist was well worth the short drive…
Classy floor lamps are expensive –like, very expensive. As I priced sturdy lamps for my new Seattle apartment, I couldn’t find a single sturdy tripod-style adjustable lamp for under $250. Target and World Market had non-adjustable options in the $80-$120 range, but I’d been tricked into buying cute-but-fragile lamps there before and always ended up…
This post updated: One of my most-read posts – and the post that really got me taking my blog more seriously- is my tutorial on how to convert a light fixture to a plug-in style lamp, but for some of the applications where a portable-chandelier lamp comes in handy, it can be easier and safer…
We all have them: Adorable flats or heels that almost but don’t quite fit, causing them to uncomfortably slip off your heel with each step. Sometimes the result of shopping a bit late in the day (when feet are fractionally larger) or sometimes the result of an against-better-judgment-impulse-buy, we all have a few pairs just…
It would be fair to say that my timing for this project was less than ideal. Although I picked up these BED|STU boots up a few weeks ago at my favorite thrift store, I didn’t actually get around to re-dying them until Seattle was smack dab in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. I…
I’ve always been partial to phone cases with the highest impact resistance, with style as a secondary consideration, but recently a new wave of phone cases seem to combine the benefits of a high-tech case with more natural elements such as wood or leather. As I prepared for recent international travel, I decided to up…
Blundstone is an Australian company that makes a line of books originally marketed as equestrian boots, but now in style as popular, multifunction boots. With a $200+ price tag, Blundstones are an investment. In this post I’m going to show you how to care for your boot investment and keep them looking great for years.…
1. Get Permission to Paint an Accent Wall Some property managers will give a green-light to requests to repaint a room or a single wall, but in many cases- painting is not allowed. Despite this, painting an accent wall can often still be negotiated. Even if you can’t get “permission” to paint you can still paint- …
Living in Seattle on a grad school budget means having to sometimes settle for a lifestyle very different from the one I lived in Missouri only a few years ago. With Seattle’s booming tech industry, housing on a grad school budget usually implies lots of roommates or ultra-tiny studios (some of my fellow students even…
Bathrooms can be a cramped storage space- especially in older homes or apartments. In my tiny studio apartment in downtown Seattle, while the bathroom is relatively enormous it does not have even a single drawer, cabinet, or shelf! Using this space well, without cluttering the room with shelves, vanities, and drawer units has been a…
It’s always been a challenge to find shoes that comfortably fit my wide foot, but when it comes to finding heels, it’s nearly impossible. I’ve always resorted to ankle straps or various other designs to keep a shoe in place on my foot as I walk, but recently I came up with a new idea.…
Today, I want to show you how to line a drawer with felt. This project can be a bit intimidating but it’s actually so easy to create a luxuriously lined drawers to upgrade your closet or furniture project! I’ll be demonstrating this method with a medium sized drawer that I picked up second-hand just for…
