One last word of caution about double key deadbolts: many children and older people have more trouble grasping and turning a key than they do a traditional deadbolt knob. So even with a key left in...

You might also be able to add some table locks to keep the leaves in place when extended: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=778

I definitely do the kitchen first, too (although I also always pack one box of essentials for the bed and bathroom - sheets & pillows, toilet paper, towels, toiletry kit, shower curtain & rings, et...

Yum! Does anyone know what goes into the dipping sauce that usually comes with these?

Go for it! I bought a butcher block island about 10 years ago and still love it. Mine is solid wood with two drawers, a wine rack, and a shelf - not to mention the expanse of prep space on top. It'...

If you already have a regular pour top and don't need absolute precision, you can always use the bartender's count method instead. (Meaning, just figure out how long it takes your particular top to...

@northwind - for our sliding glass door we have a double curtain rod with white sheers that we generally leave closed behind regular curtain panels. It works well for both privacy and light control...

@jameslear - they have similar canisters at the Container Store. I've also seen them on cooking.com and amazon.com (not sure if you care but some have plastic lids instead of glass - something to c...

Oops - just realized that my subconscious wouldn't even let me type the grammatical error that really gets me - I meant as bad as "between you and I." Nothing wrong (and everything right) with "bet...

Thank you for defending the chaise longue - both the piece of furniture itself and the correct spelling/pronunciation! I have to confess, it makes my ears hurt when people say "chaise lounge" (espe...

I once tried to make a recipe for cherry ricotta mousse from the Moosewood Cookbook (or maybe Enchanted Broccoli Forest). I think the recipe called for blending the cheese into mousse in a food pro...

This is the very first thing on my Christmas wishlist. My old food processor just threw up all over me while I was making pumpkin puree. Only babies are "allowed" to throw up on me - appliances get...

Love the gray tile! What a fantastic job. We recently purchased the Toro chairs from CB2 for our dining room (http://tinyurl.com/cb2toro). Although they aren't upholstered, they are V...

One secret to not getting tired when whipping by hand is to start out by just quickly moving the whisk back and forth in the bottom of the bowl (not lifting it at all). This allows you to use your ...

This Old House is renovating a Dutch colonial this season - you might check out their website and the episodes for more inspiration/ideas. Like others have said, I think your house is lovely alread...

When I first moved to NYC I always found it funny that people would give subway directions (get off at the front of the train, take the stairs to the left, etc.) until I realized how useful they ar...

Have you tried Room & Board? It looks like they have several pieces that might work in the quality & price range you're looking for (check out the Anders or the Copenhagen lines, to start). They us...

I love this! I've been looking for a way to do magnetic jars on the side of the refrigerator without buying the standard tins with clear tops because I've heard from multiple sources that the lids ...

It's not so much the size that bothers me but the fact that the doors open the wrong way. I hate it when I open the refrigerator and then the door is between me and the rest of the kitchen - so I c...

I agree with ScottyT that there's no shame in going for the budget brands. My grandfather was raised in France drinking wine from some of the most famous estates and collected a vast cellar full of...