Category Archives: Home Improvements – DIY Renovations

We’ve done many home improvements over the years and want to pass our experience along to you! We’ve fully renovated our basement to include a man cave, laundry room and craft studio. You’ll find tutorials on renovating bathrooms, installing baseboards, laying engineered hardwood floors, how to hide the electrical panel and more.

Home Improvements – Some Ideas

Over the years we’ve slowly improved the builder grade finishes in our humble abode by renovating. However, it didn’t happen overnight! We’re making our way through each room of the house and learning as we go.

If you’re a beginner, I hope our projects will give you some ideas and help you build the confidence to try a renovation project or two in your own home!

We’ll show you storage solutions for the kitchen and laundry room. We’ll even show you how to renovate your kitchen if you’re thinking of moving.

Check out some of our most popular home improvement posts:

Sustainable Savings in the Laundry Room

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A few years ago, we replaced all our kitchen appliances with Energy Star appliances and are reaping the benefits of energy savings. However, we still have a set of washing machines that my grandmother purchased for me over 20 years ago when I was still single. Given the sentimental value, and the fact that they’re still going strong, I don’t have the heart to replace them. Unfortunately that makes sustainable savings in the laundry room a challenge. They are energy guzzlers; my 1990s electric clothes dryer, for instance, use at least 17 percent more energy than those produced today. Continue reading →

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Reduce Food Waste: Waste Not Want Not (II)

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As you saw in Part I of Waste Not Want Not, in trying to live a more a sustainable lifestyle, it’s important to us to reduce food waste. In Part II, we’re taking it another step further.  Along with reducing food waste, we’re reducing water and excess packaging waste to reduce our environmental impact.

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Renovating for an Aging Population

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Have you ever given any thought to renovating for an aging in population? Like the needs of an aging parent – or for your own future needs? Neither had we until recently! Birdz of a Feather is known for it’s in-depth, hands-on DIY tutorials. But today I’m stepping away and taking off my tutorial writing hat to switch it out for one that supports my role as a daughter. Continue reading →

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Mold Prevention After a Water Leak (Part 2)

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Mold prevention – and remediation – after any kind of leak or flood is hugely important because of health implications. We learned a hard lesson last year after the pipe connected to our outdoor faucet burst and caused water damage in my newly built craft room. In that post (part 1), we showed you how we installed a frost proof faucet to repair it and make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Now that it’s Fall, we’d like to remind you to remove the hose from the faucet – even if you have a frost-proof one, so you don’t make the same mistake we did. Leaving a hose connected during the winter is a recipe for disaster! Continue reading →

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Front Paver Walkway Makeover

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I had yet to install a paver walkway, despite owning and renovating two houses before this one. Hubs came into the picture shortly after I bought this house so it was great timing for me; maybe not so much for him! Faced with rows of underwhelming builder slabs that the previous owner lived with for over 20 years, the perfect opportunity presented itself for both of us to learn a new skillset! Continue reading →

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Crackle Paint Finish – Transformed Ikea Cabinet

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Have you ever thought about a crackle paint finish to upcycle an Ikea wall cabinet? Neither have we: this update was a fluke! Hubs and I are supplement users so when our local pharmacy started a twice a year anniversary sale, we wanted to take advantage of the huge price savings. Unfortunately we didn’t have anywhere to store a 6-month supply of supplements until the next sale! Enter Ikea! Continue reading →

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Patterned Backsplash Tile – Tile a Wall (Pt2)

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When we were looking for backsplash ideas for our laundry room, we fell in love with a patterned backsplash tile. Today we’ve got a tutorial specifically on how to install a patterned backsplash. I have to warn you that it’s a long post because there’s a ton of valuable information 🙂 Continue reading →

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How to Install a Ledger Board: Tile a Wall (Pt 1)

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A ledger board is a must-have step for supporting the weight of the tile as it dries when starting with a clean slate (no lower cabinets). If you’re as indecisive as us and you want to move ahead with tiling a backsplash, keep this post handy. We’re going to explain how to install a ledger board to keep wall tile level when installing. Our updated how-to guide for tiling a patterned backsplash will follow here tomorrow!

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