Episode 249: Ironing Wood, Home Gym Colors, Caulk 101, and Dual Flush Toilets

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SEGMENT 1: Ironing Wood

Sure, it’s an old trick . . . but we’ve never tried it before. This week we try to remove dents and dings from unfinished wood with water and an iron. And the results were amazing!

SEGMENT 2: Home Gym Colors

Last week we talked about creating a home gym. This week, we dig into some colors you may want to consider.

SEGMENT 3: Caulk 101

In the paint world, caulk is probably one of the least flashy topics! And yet, when it’s done right, your project will look amazing. When it’s done poorly (or not done at all) . . . well, the results suffer.

SEGMENT 4: Dual Flush Toilets

We received a question about Dual Flush Toilets and conversion kits. Are they worth it? Well, to get the answer, we contacted the experts at Service Professor and Mark DeVisser from Great Lakes Plumbing.

Episode 248: A Skunky Valentine, No More Scary Basements, Home Gym Flooring Options

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SEGMENT 1: A Skunky Valentine

What do you do when your dog is sprayed by a skunk? Break out the tomato juice? Toss her in the bathtub? Actually, the right answer involves baking soda, peroxide, and a little dishsoap–just don’t leave it on the fur too long, since peroxide could bleach it! Here’s the article we reference along with a tried and true recipe for de-skunkification.

In this same skunk segment, we “about-face” and transition to some Valentine’s Day Trivia. Do you know why women of the middle ages ate hedgehogs? Check out the segment to find out!

SEGMENTS 2 & 3: No More Scary Basements

Basements often feel uninviting. (And that’s putting it mildly). However with a little bit of work and some paint, you can take that old, block wall “dungeon”, and brighten it up significantly. We talk about everything you’ll need to know to get the project underway.

SEGMENT 4: Home Gym Flooring Options

In this segment, we sit down with Nick Sargent from Johnson Carpet One to discuss a wide variety of floors for your home gym–everything from heavy-duty rubber for weight lifting, to easy clean floors for yoga. You can learn more about Johnson Carpet One right here!

Episode 247: The Art of Purging (the Home!), Primers 101 with Dean Veltman

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SEGMENTS 1 & 2: The Art of Purging (the Home!)

Getting our homes decluttered and organized isn’t always easy. It takes work–physical and emotional! On the show today we talk about some of the reasons we all hang onto far too much stuff . . . and better, we discuss some positive steps to help you start the purge!

SEGMENTS 3 & 4: Primers 101 with Dean Veltman

We’ve all heard about Paint and Primer all-in-one products. Today, we sit down with professional contractor, Dean Veltman from Veltman Painting, to discuss his thoughts on those products. From there, we walk through some of his favorite primers for tough situations.

Episode 246: Tool Snobbery, The Five Laws of Interior Design, Our Apologies to Plastic Drop Cloths

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SEGMENT 1: Tool Snobbery

Hailey is a very particular person…some people might even say snob. While that may be true, one thing she is NOT a not a snob about is tools.  

  • Good tools can definitely make jobs easier, safer and faster. They are absolutely necessary for professionals or serious hobbyists. 
  • If you are like most DIY’ers, however, there are tools that can make a project easier but are not going to be used on a regular basis.  
  • In this case we do advocate for finding entry level tools. You do not have to buy a $400 chop saw to use it 10 days out of the year. 
  • Don’t let tool snobbery keep you from tackling a project, just find something safe and affordable.

SEGMENTS 2 and 3: The Five Laws of Interior Design

We have come up with our own Laws of Interior Design…while we did technically make these up… they are actually really solid and will hopefully help people who struggle to get their home looking just right. 

  • THE FIRST LAW: IT’S OK TO TRY TO BREAK OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE ONLY TO END UP BACK IN IT. It’s good to push ourselves once in a while but sometimes we try something new only to find out it’s not for us. 
  • THE SECOND LAW: LET THE SPACE TELL YOU WHAT IT NEEDS! Listen to the architecture of the home so your design works it with instead of against it. 
  • THE THIRD LAW: IT’S OK TO GO SLOWLY! You don’t have to figure out the entire design at once. Sometimes doing one color at a time is less overwhelming and can help give you real direction instead of forcing it. 
  • THE FOURTH LAW: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SAMPLING COLOR IN YOUR SPACE! Far too often people pick paint colors without sampling them. Scale, lighting and texture can change a color’s appearance dramatically. It’s worth the extra time to get it right and feel happy about your results. 
  • THE FIFTH LAW: IF YOU’VE GOT A PAINT PROJECT ON THE HORIZON, START WORKING ON COLOR CHOICES NOW! If you are going to put these laws into practice, waiting until the last minute is not an option. Give yourself time!

Also, we mentioned that a number of RepcoLite locations have In Store Color Consultants who will do an in-home consultation should you desire that!

Here are some details:

  • In store Consultations: Always Free!
  • 1 Hour In Home Consultation: $85
  • In-Home Consultants are at the following locations:
    • 17th Street (Holland)
    • Fulton Street (Grand Rapids)
    • Plainfield Ave (Grand Rapids)
    • Chicago Drive (Jenison)

Stop by or call any of those locations for more info!

SEGMENT 4: Our Apologies to Plastic Drop Cloths

Last week we talked about canvas drop cloths and ended up disparaging plastic drop cloths. In fact, we were drop cloth snobs. And so we wanted to give them their time in the limelight as well. There definitely are places they can be handy!

Episode 245: Organization Skills for the New Year, Making Your Home a Space YOU Love, and Drop Cloths

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SEGMENTS 1 and 2: Organizational Skills for the New Year

Many of us aren’t as organized as we’d like to be. It’s a goal, sure, but getting there isn’t always easy. In these two segments, we talk about a number of skills to develop that will help you on the journey. (And yes, it’s a journey… Understanding that is part of the recipe for success!) Here are some of our recommendations:

  • Have a place for everything and put everything in its place
  • Put items away now, rather than later
    • Tools
    • Dishes
    • Dirty clothes
  • Develop a productive routine
    • Open and deal with mail on a daily basis
    • Have a set day for watering plants
    • Wash dishes after every dinner
  • Label everything!
    • If you go down the road of storing items in totes . . . label them!
    • And maintain those labels — when items change, relabel
  • Stay positive and remember it’s a PROCESS

SEGMENT 3: Steps to Creating a Space YOU Love with Lauren Figueroa

Lauren Figueroa is an interior designer covering West and Southeast Michigan. She joins us on the phone and talks about a concept she’ll be presenting at the Remodeling and New Homes Show in Grand Rapids, January 14 – 16.

Connect with Lauren here!

SEGMENT 4: Drop Cloths

You may think drop cloths are boring, but you’d be SO wrong! Sure they are absolutely critical to have on hand when you tackle paint projects around the home, but there’s so much more you can do! Just google “drop cloth projects” and sit back!

We talk about a few of the fun things people are doing with drop cloths and highlight a sale that we’ve got running right now.

Episode 244: Smart Garage Door Openers, Veltman Painting on Kitchen Cabinets, and the Old Farmer’s Almanac

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SEGMENT 1: Smart Garage Door Openers

Thinking about a smart garage door system? Here’s an inexpensive way to give it a try!

SEGMENTS 2 & 3: Veltman Painting on Kitchen Cabinets

In these segments, Dean Veltman, owner of Veltman Painting, discusses products, tips and tricks, and everything else you need to know if you’re going to hire a contractor to paint your cabinets.

Veltman Painting’s website and contact info is here!

SEGMENT 4: The Old Farmer’s Almanac

We talk about the smart phone of 1792 and why you still need one today!