Funny home cut out stickers.
Those salt and pepper shakers you've had your eye on are on sale. They've knocked $800 off!
iTable. These guys have made a touch-screen table that attaches to an iPhone (basically, the table becomes a giant iPhone).
Hungry, but not sure what to make? Check out photograzing! Browse a boatload of quality food pics to find the perfect meal.
Sandwich coasters that you can set your Brass knuckles coffee mug on.
Cold + Pillow = Chillow. Chillow is fun to say. Chillow.
A lightbulb storage solution to a problem we didn't know we had!
Nice magnetic doorstops Via KK's Cool Tools
Do I really need this thing? Ask yourself these questions while attempting to de-clutter the house.
NY Times articles on the tools you really need to maintain your home.
Pumpkin launchers should enjoy this collection of trebuchet/catapult designs.
NOTICE: Large moosehead wall lights have finally been invented.
360 Modern is a real estate firm in the Pacific Northwest U.S. that specializes in modern homes. Beautiful stuff.
Handy way to skip all the intro crap on DVDs that is usually forced on you when you throw a disc in your player. Apparently the chapters on DVDs that you can't skip (FBI warnings, copyright stuff, etc.) are flagged, on the disc, as UOP, or User Operation Prohibited. This site lists some of the techniques you can try to skip the ennui.
This colour coordinated bookshelf looks cool, but you might have a hard time finding a particular title.
For chewie edge lovers or corner brownie fans - it's the Edge Brownie Pan. All edges, all the time. Via BoingBoing
Puzzle carpet.
This to That is a handy site that will tell you what adhesive to use when attempting to glue various objects together.
Super creative bathroom tiles.
Skinny house in Brazil.
Apparently there are many LED lightbulbs available already. Via TreeHugger
WiiRoomba. YouTube of a guy controlling his Roomba with a Wii remote.
Hardcore Lost fans have a party and repackage the snacks and beer as Dharma Initiative rations. Make your own with the PDFs that they've so generously shared.
Here's a nice set of home improvement videos with the energetic and snappy Eric Stromer.
Faucet Fountain turns your regular faucet into a drinking fountain.
Kids and the Home Office. Here's a list of tips for the parent that works from home.
Save the Internet.
Great Pac-Man bathroom tile work.
Crazy toaster from the future TODAY!
Here is a nice napkin folding howto site with clean pictures and straightforward instructions. I think the shirt's my favourite.
DIY T-Shirt Rack via Instructables.
Stainless steel paint.
Onion goggles.
Batman-esque underground garage with hydraulic lift.
Microsoft to unveil a home server at CES this week in Vegas? This article at Arstechnica discusses the possibility of a machine focused on home automation and entertainment centralization.
Here's a blog full of interesting gifts for under 10 bucks.
WikiHow has a DriCore installation howto available for your edification.
Here is an energy saving tips post from last winter.
The USB humping dog you asked for is in.
Unique DIY photo ornaments.
A table that walks. Finally!
Twist and grow table. Amazing.
Roller toaster.
Make a nice 3D paper snowflake.
Tiny houses from the Tumbleweed Tiny House company.
Post-it note wallpaper made up of four different grey tones which, over time, reveals a usage driven design.
Sweet mug that comes with convenient built-in cookie chamber. Here's a great review of the mug in use.
Great unique gift idea and store thread on Ask Metafilter.
This is one massive bed that measures 12 feet by 10 feet.
Build your very own bottomless pit with this howto (heads up: there is some embedded audio on the site).
Laundry chute turned Cat chute.
PacMan arcade cabinet Halloween costume.
Crazy awesome self assembling robotic chair. Amazing.
DIY Bean bag sofa and/or bed from Instructables.
Another site on transforming household items into other useful (??) household items. Thanks for the tip Paul!
Environmentally friendly home cleaning service. I hadn't realized that there were companies that will clean your home using only animal and environmentally friendly products. This particular company is in the UK, but a quick googling pulls up similar companies in North America as well.
Here are some very unique hand made leaded glass doors, produced using the lead came method, a method in use since the middle ages.
Pumpkin carving. This site has some seriously impressive pumpkin carvings as well as a tutorial, which, although informative, still looks like it requires a lot of artistic ability. Worth a shot though - it's just pumpkin.
Another declutter your home tip page. This one's by FlyLady.net.
USB twister hub with Rubik's cube-like rotating ports.
An outdoor pizza oven party would be a cool alternative to summer barbeques.
Skeeter Bag is a bag that attaches to box fans to catch mosquitos by the thousands.
Lego ice cube tray.
Turn maple leaves into roses with the help of this photo tutorial. Very autumn/thanksgiving.
Interesting Alton Brown video on knife sharpening and maintenance. Instructables also has a step-by-step sharpening howto.
CNN Money article: Middle-class families in worse shape than ever.
Nice and clean magnetic tool rack from Instructables. The nice thing about this organizer is that the actual tool holders can be positioned and rearranged (on the fly) on the metallic backboard.
Designer wood computers handmade in Canada.
Humanoid shaped shelves. Kind of looks like James the doorstop.
How to find a good neighbourhood. MSN article, via Lifehacker.
How to make clear ice cubes.
Use your PC and webcam as a motion activated security camera.
This Old House has made available a very large fall home inspection checklist for your downloading pleasure.
Mike Jagger of Provident security has been on the scene of thousands of residential burglaries and has put together this interesting walkthrough of a typical break-in.
Concrete countertops on Flickr.
This is pretty damn clever. Sizeasy is an online tool that helps you visualize the size of something you're reading about or considering buying online. Punch in your dimensions and see your widget along side things like a deck of cards or a piece of paper.
Here's the skinny on upgrading your home network to Gigabit ethernet. It's probably worth doing simply because "gigabit ethernet" just sounds cool and not at all nerdly.
Greenpeace is getting on Apple's case about their use of certain hazardous chemicals in iPods, iBooks and the like. Greenpeace claims that other manufacturers have discontinued the use of some of the chemicals that are still found in Apple products.
De-Clutter your home to sell it faster. Here's a page with a lot of ways to do just that.
Consumer Reports: 20 Free Ways to Save Energy is a nice list of things you can do, mostly around the house, to save energy and of course, as the two go hand in hand, cash.
Those salt and pepper shakers you've had your eye on are on sale. They've knocked $800 off!
iTable. These guys have made a touch-screen table that attaches to an iPhone (basically, the table becomes a giant iPhone).
Hungry, but not sure what to make? Check out photograzing! Browse a boatload of quality food pics to find the perfect meal.
Sandwich coasters that you can set your Brass knuckles coffee mug on.
Cold + Pillow = Chillow. Chillow is fun to say. Chillow.
A lightbulb storage solution to a problem we didn't know we had!
Nice magnetic doorstops Via KK's Cool Tools
Do I really need this thing? Ask yourself these questions while attempting to de-clutter the house.
NY Times articles on the tools you really need to maintain your home.
Pumpkin launchers should enjoy this collection of trebuchet/catapult designs.
NOTICE: Large moosehead wall lights have finally been invented.
360 Modern is a real estate firm in the Pacific Northwest U.S. that specializes in modern homes. Beautiful stuff.
Handy way to skip all the intro crap on DVDs that is usually forced on you when you throw a disc in your player. Apparently the chapters on DVDs that you can't skip (FBI warnings, copyright stuff, etc.) are flagged, on the disc, as UOP, or User Operation Prohibited. This site lists some of the techniques you can try to skip the ennui.
This colour coordinated bookshelf looks cool, but you might have a hard time finding a particular title.
For chewie edge lovers or corner brownie fans - it's the Edge Brownie Pan. All edges, all the time. Via BoingBoing
Puzzle carpet.
This to That is a handy site that will tell you what adhesive to use when attempting to glue various objects together.
Super creative bathroom tiles.
Skinny house in Brazil.
Apparently there are many LED lightbulbs available already. Via TreeHugger
WiiRoomba. YouTube of a guy controlling his Roomba with a Wii remote.
Hardcore Lost fans have a party and repackage the snacks and beer as Dharma Initiative rations. Make your own with the PDFs that they've so generously shared.
Here's a nice set of home improvement videos with the energetic and snappy Eric Stromer.
Faucet Fountain turns your regular faucet into a drinking fountain.
Kids and the Home Office. Here's a list of tips for the parent that works from home.
Save the Internet.
Great Pac-Man bathroom tile work.
Crazy toaster from the future TODAY!
Here is a nice napkin folding howto site with clean pictures and straightforward instructions. I think the shirt's my favourite.
DIY T-Shirt Rack via Instructables.
Stainless steel paint.
Onion goggles.
Batman-esque underground garage with hydraulic lift.
Microsoft to unveil a home server at CES this week in Vegas? This article at Arstechnica discusses the possibility of a machine focused on home automation and entertainment centralization.
Here's a blog full of interesting gifts for under 10 bucks.
WikiHow has a DriCore installation howto available for your edification.
Here is an energy saving tips post from last winter.
The USB humping dog you asked for is in.
Unique DIY photo ornaments.
A table that walks. Finally!
Twist and grow table. Amazing.
Roller toaster.
Make a nice 3D paper snowflake.
Tiny houses from the Tumbleweed Tiny House company.
Post-it note wallpaper made up of four different grey tones which, over time, reveals a usage driven design.
Sweet mug that comes with convenient built-in cookie chamber. Here's a great review of the mug in use.
Great unique gift idea and store thread on Ask Metafilter.
This is one massive bed that measures 12 feet by 10 feet.
Build your very own bottomless pit with this howto (heads up: there is some embedded audio on the site).
Laundry chute turned Cat chute.
PacMan arcade cabinet Halloween costume.
Crazy awesome self assembling robotic chair. Amazing.
DIY Bean bag sofa and/or bed from Instructables.
Another site on transforming household items into other useful (??) household items. Thanks for the tip Paul!
Environmentally friendly home cleaning service. I hadn't realized that there were companies that will clean your home using only animal and environmentally friendly products. This particular company is in the UK, but a quick googling pulls up similar companies in North America as well.
Here are some very unique hand made leaded glass doors, produced using the lead came method, a method in use since the middle ages.
Pumpkin carving. This site has some seriously impressive pumpkin carvings as well as a tutorial, which, although informative, still looks like it requires a lot of artistic ability. Worth a shot though - it's just pumpkin.
Another declutter your home tip page. This one's by FlyLady.net.
USB twister hub with Rubik's cube-like rotating ports.
An outdoor pizza oven party would be a cool alternative to summer barbeques.
Skeeter Bag is a bag that attaches to box fans to catch mosquitos by the thousands.
Lego ice cube tray.
Turn maple leaves into roses with the help of this photo tutorial. Very autumn/thanksgiving.
Interesting Alton Brown video on knife sharpening and maintenance. Instructables also has a step-by-step sharpening howto.
CNN Money article: Middle-class families in worse shape than ever.
Nice and clean magnetic tool rack from Instructables. The nice thing about this organizer is that the actual tool holders can be positioned and rearranged (on the fly) on the metallic backboard.
Designer wood computers handmade in Canada.
Humanoid shaped shelves. Kind of looks like James the doorstop.
How to find a good neighbourhood. MSN article, via Lifehacker.
How to make clear ice cubes.
Use your PC and webcam as a motion activated security camera.
This Old House has made available a very large fall home inspection checklist for your downloading pleasure.
Mike Jagger of Provident security has been on the scene of thousands of residential burglaries and has put together this interesting walkthrough of a typical break-in.
Concrete countertops on Flickr.
This is pretty damn clever. Sizeasy is an online tool that helps you visualize the size of something you're reading about or considering buying online. Punch in your dimensions and see your widget along side things like a deck of cards or a piece of paper.
Here's the skinny on upgrading your home network to Gigabit ethernet. It's probably worth doing simply because "gigabit ethernet" just sounds cool and not at all nerdly.
Greenpeace is getting on Apple's case about their use of certain hazardous chemicals in iPods, iBooks and the like. Greenpeace claims that other manufacturers have discontinued the use of some of the chemicals that are still found in Apple products.
De-Clutter your home to sell it faster. Here's a page with a lot of ways to do just that.
Consumer Reports: 20 Free Ways to Save Energy is a nice list of things you can do, mostly around the house, to save energy and of course, as the two go hand in hand, cash.
Making Concrete Countertops Flickr Set
Here's a very interesting photo set that nicely documents the process of making concrete countertops (previously) for the kitchen. There are 64 pics in the set so you get a pretty good idea of what's involved in the project, including the mixing, pouring, grinding and subsequent application of a finishing sealer/enhancer. It at least looks to be a doable project for the brave novice, but the authors seem to know a lot of the tricks and techniques that usually come from experience (or maybe just a lot of pre-work research). See also:
Gorgeous Concrete Countertops
Concrete countertops seem to be becoming more and more popular, and with example galleries like this one (and previously this one) it's easy to see why. Concrete combines solid, chunky beauty with a lot of flexibility-through-moldability, enabling designers to create some stunning countertops in both kitchen and bathrooms. The site does a nice job of describing a concrete countertop's personal value to its owner:
But remember, don't fall too deeply in love with anyone else's piece. You can have the exact same design and color as they have, but yours will be yours alone. Because as the mixture of sand, stone, water and cement cures, it captures a moment in time that's unique. The pattern of stone will always be different. The color will always vary slightly. And that's what makes it uniquely yours.
See also: Concrete Countertop HowTos
Tile Over Laminate Countertops with Tavy Thin Skin Underlay System
Generally speaking, installing ceramic tiles on an existing laminate countertop isn't possible as mortar doesn't adhere well to laminate surfaces. To get around this problem, installers remove the countertop and replace it with mortar-friendly plywood before any tile work is done. A product called "Tavy Thin Skin" promises to simplify and accelerate this process by eliminating the need to remove the countertop altogether. Tavy Thin Skin is a two part process. The first step involves applying a special glue that, unlike mortar, bonds strongly to the laminate countertop surface. This is followed by adhering a thin underlayment paper to the glue, readying the surface for mortar and tiling.
View the complete process with pics and video here.
Beautiful Soapstone Countertops
Here's a nice gallery of soapstone countertop installations. It's a little surprising that soapstone can be used as a countertop, as one might have assumed that because of its use by the Inuit and others as sculpting material, it would be too soft to stand up to the wear and tear of a kitchen countertop. Perhaps it's the fact that, according to the Soapstone West FAQ, countertop scratches can be repaired easily by sanding it with...120 grit sandpaper to remove the blemish then mineral oil can be reapplied to achieve a good as new look.
The company clarifies the material's properties here:
What is Soapstone?
Soapstone or Steatite is a metamorphic rock that comes in degrees of hardness. It is composed of talc, magnesium silicate and chlorite. The softer is known as "talc" and is used to carve or crush to a powder for a variety of purposes. Soapstone West uses the harder version of steatite, which makes it appropriate for countertops and other similar uses that require durability and other unique properties. It is a quarried stone that comes in shades such as green/gray, blue/gray and charcoal gray in its natural state but turns quite dark to almost black with the application of mineral oil.
The material seems to have real drama and weight, even if it doesn't appear to be the most flexible or versatile stuff available for countertop installations.
Here's their soapstone sink gallery.
DIY Kitchen Countertop
Extremehowto.com walks you through constructing and mounting a kitchen countertop. The project appears quite intensive, which, come to think of it, is totally consistent with their site name. The amount of work involved seems to be more than what's involved in the DIY concrete countertop project, although that might not be the case once one becomes more acquainted with both jobs, but it does explain why kitchen work can be so costly.
Ultra Low Profile Food Processing System by TCC
This is one of the more clever space saving kitchen appliances in recent memory. The TCC Kitchen Center food processing unit lays innocuously flat on the countertop, unlike the clunky food processing space-hogs most of us are familiar with. The genius of the TCC system lies in the fact that the unit is nothing but a control panel and motor - at least until the processor is activated when different attachments (mixer, chopper, blender, etc...) are coupled with the base. Not only is the unit slim to begin with, but is also installable in a pull out drawer (like the Sharp Microwave) which would obviously save even more space.
Via Mocoloco.com.
Concrete Countertop HowTos
Here is a nice howto on making your own concrete countertop from the diynetwork that covers template construction, mold making, pouring, and finishing up.Here's another very detailed tutorial from NaturalHandyman.com. Both are good, but the diynetwork breaks down the materials needed in a nicer format.
For some inspiration, take a look at Cheng Design to see some amazing examples of what's possible to accomplish with concrete.
Categories: concrete countertop kitchen bathroom diy howto unique renovations
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