Egg-shaped chairs: You can't beat them

July 4, 2009

It's summertime people. And while I don't love the heat or humidity (I'm a fall and winter kind of girl), I do enjoy kicking back in a comfy chair, poolside, and drinking a cold glass of lemonade. So with the temperature rising I started scouring the market for outdoor chairs that not only looked cool, but had some sort of sheltering design that could help keep me cool.

Pottery Barn's Palmetto All-Weather Wicker Egg Chair is a fine example of what I want to sit on while in the sun. This retro-style find has a woven construction and two circular cutouts for beat-the-heat ventilation, and its domed top shades rays. Plus, it has plush throw pillows and a weatherproof cushion that is perfect for curling up on and taking a siesta. And even though this item truly is the best choice for those like me who want to participate in the season but not bake in the sun, at $1,039 (on special) it's not the best choice for my budget. Sigh.        

Bissell vacuum for pet owners

July 3, 2009

I am currently contemplating becoming a dog owner again (I grew up with a wonderfully loyal Shih Tzu-Lhasa Apso mix, and I've found myself eyeing cute-as-a-button Malteses). My entire apartment is carpeted, however, so I'm concerned about dog hair and other dirt that rambunctious puppies bring in. That's why I'm seriously considering splurging on the new supercharged Lift-Off Multi Cyclonic Pet vacuum from Bissell.

Deal of the day: Table, mirror, clock, and lamp for $50

July 2, 2009

The Ashton console kit from the Westwood Collection is $49.99 at Graveyard Mall. It includes a table, a mirror, a clock, and a buffet lamp. 

Kitchen sink mats: Good clean fun

July 2, 2009

I have a thing for glassware. I have a pretty solid collection of tumblers, goblets, mugs and stemware. They're all different. Some are etched, frosted, clear, glossy white or black. Some are pricey and some not so much. But due to my clumsy nature each glass group is incomplete. They've fallen victim to the kitchen sink.

So rather than continuing on this destructive path I've decided that it's time to invest in a sink mat that will cushion the fall of my precious breakables (and protect my stainless-steel basin from shrapnel-related scratches, too). And lucky for me, and you, these mats are inexpensive and easy on the eye. Here are a few of my favs.

Coming soon: Toasty toes

July 1, 2009

As an incurable do-it-youselfer, I'm always in the middle of two or three home-improvement projects. And what I've learned over the years is that you can never start a project too early. Even the simplest DIY tasks take twice as long to complete than you'd ever think humanly possible. 

And that's why I didn't wait until winter to upgrade the heating system in our bathroom. If I had, chances are it wouldn't have been ready until next spring.

So, last week, prior to putting down a new tile floor, I installed a Nuheat electric radiant-floor heat mat. The thin, woven mat has flexible heating cables embedded in the fabric. It delivers about 41 Btus of sole-soothing heat per square foot.

Nuheat offers several standard-size mats, which are suitable for most installations, but I ordered a custom mat that was specifically designed to conform to the layout of my bathroom. Installation was fast, easy and virtually impossible to mess up (always a selling point to me).

This old neighborhood is now a landmark

July 1, 2009

Prospect Heights—the historic Brooklyn neighborhood featured in the winter 2009 edition of This Old House TV—has one of the finest collections of late 19th-century brownstones in New York City.  So many here long wondered why their nabe never garnered landmark status from  New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Deal of the day: Save 10% on Energy Star appliances

July 1, 2009

Lowe's is offering 10 percent off Energy Star appliances valued at $397 or more. 

Indoor-style plastic rugs create an outdoor room look without the fuss

June 30, 2009

 Weather-resistant, waterproof, and cheaper than the indoor version, plastic outdoor rugs have come a long way from those stiff mats you used to take to the beach. A few like this one from Outdoorrugsonly.com come in patterns which imitate expensive oriental, Persian and Apache-style flat-weaves which look close enough to the real thing from a distance, but cost no where near as much. Instead, it's a refined outdoor-room look for your deck or patio for just $45 to $100, depending on the size, in polypropylene, which you can also wash clean with the garden hose. It's one quick and easy way to get that outdoor room feeling in time for summer guests, even if you don't have a fancy outdoor space.

What is it – corn peeler or caulk gun?

June 30, 2009

Is it a...

…water gun
…corn peeler
…industrial cork screw
…caulk gun
…apple core extractor

(Answer after the jump.)

Stanley's bright idea: Lighted levels

June 30, 2009

If you've ever strained to see the bubble on a level while working in dark, shadowy spaces, then you're going to love the new line of FatMax lighted levels from Stanley Tools.

Each aluminum box-beam level is equipped with tiny, but superbright LED lights that illuminate the vials and the entire edge of the tool, making it easy to not only see the bubble, but also to mark the line.

In fact, the LEDs are so bright, you can use the level as a substitute worklight when searching for a dropped screw or previously drawn reference line.

A tiny drill that's enormously useful (and glows in the dark!)

June 30, 2009

Had I known about Bosch's new super compact 4V Max Screwdriver I would have spared myself several bumps of the funnybone last weekend while doing some finishing work on my bathroom's vanity sink cabinet. My bathroom is, shall we say, cozy, so anyone fixing anything to do with the sink has to get in some moderately challenging yoga poses to get the job done right.

Use 60% less energy on cooling with DuCool's DyHybrid air-conditioning

June 30, 2009

You'd be crazy not to want to use less than half the energy you use now on cooling. Or, you could just be without a DuHybrid air-conditioning system by DuCool. It, illustrated above, can operate in one of two modes: renewable energy (default setting, applying solar thermal and geothermal power) and electric (applying waste heat of the embedded compressor as an internal energy source).

Aside from conserving energy and saving yourself some money, other benefits of installing one of these include independent humidity and temperature control, elimination of 91% of bacteria in the air in a  single pass, and removal of 80% of all particles larger than five microns (i.e. allergens like pollen, dust, etc.)

For more wallet-friendly tips, see 10 Ways to Beat the Heat.

Learn more about this, and other DuCool systems, at ducool.com

Skil’s new router tables

June 30, 2009

Routers can intimidate some DIYers and that’s a shame because you’d be hard pressed to find a more versatile tool. Mount a router under either of Skil’s new tables and you’re well on your way to having a mill shop to make custom molding and furniture.

Deal of the day: Save 10% at the Great Indoors

June 30, 2009

Save 10 percent at the Great Indoors when you sign up for the retailer's email newsletter. The discount applies to regular, sale, and clearance merchandise and is valid for seven days after you signup. 

Storage beds: An uplifting idea

June 30, 2009

I have a lot of junk stashed under my bed. And while I’ve tried to mask the clutter by placing throw pillows around the perimeter of the mess of objects—there are a few suitcases, a printer, linens, an old-school Ab Roller and more—they don’t do the trick, and it doesn’t look pretty. So for those of us who have too much stuff and nowhere but under the bed to keep it all, then a sleeper with built-in storage might be the answer.