I admit it, the color selection defeated me. I called in the Big Dogs of Design, James Linville and Lina Husodo of Studio H+L, two very cool architects whom Bill and I befriended/worked with when we lived in Austin. They’re gonna help us take our house back to what it used to be, but better.

Hopefully we’ll get to see them soon. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see Bear and Della (their dogs, whom we adored as much as the design process) too.

We’ve got a couple of test patches so far that show we have an absolutely beautiful floor underneath all the grime; a lot of elbow grease and some re-waxing later the dining room is going to be even more beautiful.

I’ve added One Stop Modern to the Links & Resources page.

I’ve been taking trash out, doing laundry, and so forth – I’m just talking about vacuuming, properly dusting, and things like that. I also seemed to have acquired quite a collection of Amazon.com boxes and computer parts on the dining room table that needed to be put in their proper place, and a pile of extension cords that need to be hung up in the garage.

Fortunately it was nothing that a couple hours of work and some trash bags and elbow grease couldn’t solve, and our home once again looks good enough that I can invite people over without apologizing for the mess.

A few years ago I acquired a book that really dove into the concept of “housekeeping”, Cheryl Mendelson’s Home Comforts : The Art and Science of Keeping House. The best way I can describe it is “cleaning porn” – almost like Alton Brown Does Housework.

The author recently came out with another book, Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linens. It’s really interesting, but I’m a guy. My method of doing laundry remains “put in washer, throw in a scoop of Tide, set dials, come back in half an hour.”

Now that the house is clean, I need to stay on top of things and keep it that way. If I get overwhelmed with work, I may just hire a home cleaning service to come in once a week from now on.

The day after the storm was spent cleaning up fallen tree limbs and branches out of yards and off of roofs; everyone in the neighborhood pitched in and worked together to help. We got the generator running and ran extension cords all over the house; we ended up with a fridge/freezer, lots of fans, satellite TV (the dish didn’t blow off the house!) and surprisingly enough, DSL Internet access. I opened up my wireless network and let anybody use it that could reach it.

We’d parked the car in the garage; it came out just fine. Thanks to a natural-gas-powered hot water heater, we had hot water and the ability to take normal showers (in the dark) all week.

For the next week, we alternated between running off the generator and then an extra-heavy-duty extension cord strung across the street after the other side got power back before we did. City power finally came back on for us eight days after we lost it.

For the most part, homes will run fine, but some things are good to keep an eye on with regards to regular maintenance and might reduce the hit on your checkbook or save on a repair bill.

It’s a good idea for homeowners to purchase home warranty insurance. This type of insurance provides coverage if common appliances fail, or if trouble areas pop up in your home. A home warranty insurance policy can be worth its weight in gold if an expensive repair is necessary.

1. Leaky Faucets. This can affect every homeowner, but it is easy enough to fix. Usually the problem is a washer in the fixture that needs to be
replaced. Parts can be obtained at just about any neighborhood hardware
store or home improvement center.

2. HVAC Issues. A furnace or air conditioner will usually decide to quit on the coldest or hottest day of the year. Replacing part of a HVAC system can be one of the biggest expenses of owning a home, but can be covered by home warranty insurance.

3. Failed Appliances. Anything with moving parts will eventually
experience a failure, and it seems that products sold today aren’t designed to last as long as the ones our parents bought. A broken dishwasher or clothes washer/dryer isn’t as critical as a refrigerator that won’t cool, but none of them are items that we like to live without for very long.

4. Broken Water Heaters. This is one problem that should be dealt with
immediately, especially im winter when you runs the risk of frozen/burst
pipes. In addition, nobody likes a cold shower!

5. Burst Pipes. This can be a common occurence in cold climates where the temperature can drop below freezing. Pipes can be protected with
insulating tape and wrap, and faucets should be left dripping on very cold nights.

6. Running Toilets. The “catch a running toilet” joke isn’t funny anymore when you’re dealing with an increased water bill and added noise. However, a continually running toilet can be easily fixed with a parts kit avilable for under $20 from any home improvement or hardware store.

7. Broken Garbage Disposal. This is another convenience that doesn’t get noticed much until it no longer does its job. These can be an easy repair, especially if covered by a home warranty and someone else gets to do the job!

8. Mildew / Mold. This can be a health hazard if left untreated. Make sure that rooms with a water supply (bathrooms, kitchen) are properly vented and have good airflow to promote drying.

9. Cracked/Damaged Flooring. This can be a common issue for older homes
that have tile or wood floors. It’s always a good idea to get damaged
flooring fixed before it can cause personal injury due to tripping or
splinters.

10. Water Damage. Out of all of the home repair issues you can face, this is one of the most frustrating and the one that can do the most damage. Always make sure that your roof is properly sealed and that your pipes do not leak, and that your HVAC ducting is well insulated to prevent condensation. It’s easier and cheaper to prevent water damage than to repair it.

With proper maintenance and upkeep, you can avoid most common home repair problems, or at least mitigate the effects of any that do occur.

They look a bit better, are easier to install, and are lots cheaper – $80 for the set, versus $75 per number for the Neutra stuff.