It doesn’t matter whether you live in a 600 square foot loft or Versailles. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a renovation manager, it’s that nobody ever has enough space. Or rather, no one thinks they have enough space. That’s why so many people build giant-sized new homes or add enormous, and often under-utilized, […]

Dear Sally: My husband and I are renovating the living room in the downstairs of our historic home. It’s a fairly big project, but we’ll be staying in the house for most of the renovation. I love our contractor. I love the crew. I’m not exactly a clean freak, but every morning I walk […]

Thomas Edison may have invented the light bulb, but the light fixture has been a focal point of the room since the first person thought of putting a candle in something fancier than just a candlestick. Then came the lantern, the lamp, the sconce, the chandelier, the fluorescent tube and whatever you call those ashtray-shaped […]

It happens all the time. A normal person, facing a renovation project goes suddenly quiet. Some little idea, some OMG-what-about-the-landscaping-will-this-cause-the-babyPTSD-maybe-we-should-refinsh-all-the-floors-how-many-can-lites-does-the-playroom-need-will-my-mother-in-law-approve starts buzzing round their brain. That little idea can unleash a whole hive’s worth of meddlesome details. What once seemed like a sensible renovation project suddenly feels huge and unmanageable? And now you’re frozen like […]

Dear Sally, I’m a single woman living in a small historic home and it’s high time to renovate my
 no-longer-charmingly-vintage bathroom. But I’m worried about hiring contractors. 
My house is small enough that I will have to move out for much of the renovation and 
provide the contractors a key. I’ve never hired contractors for […]

Managing a renovation project requires a lot of multi-tasking, moving things around and doing your dead-level best to be in two places at once, even when the laws of physics aren’t exactly on your side. Those with kids will note that the above job description nearly matches that of being a parent. Does being a single mom make […]

We’ve all seen a great outfit ruined by a terrible scarf or a hideous belt. For furniture and cabinetry, hardware can make all the difference between an exceptional room and one that might seem awkward or challenging. These little necessities, be they doorknob, window latch, drawer pull or escutcheon plate, serve a clear function as […]