Tag Archives: design

Episode 223: Decluttering, the Mud Nook, Kitchen Cleaner Review, Painting Foundations

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SEGMENT 1: Decluttering

We all have cluttered spaces in our home. And yes, sometimes, we’ve spent a good number of months letting them get that way. But the good news is that decluttering is manageable! In this segment we talk about a few simple steps that will help you get started.

SEGMENT 2: The Mud Nook

Many of us would love to have a huge mudroom . . . . Benches, ample storage for boots and coats . . . . But most of us just don’t have the space. In this segment, we speak with Michaela Noelle from Michaela Noelle Designs about a small mudroom “nook” she and her husband pulled together.

 

SEGMENT 3: Kitchen Cleaner Review

We discuss 4 of the internet’s most recommended kitchen cleaners and see how they perform. Also, we stumble into another cleaner that is basically a weapon of nearly unlimited power. It can do stuff that few other cleaners we’ve ever used can do . . . . But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility . . . .

The Four General Purpose Cleaners We Tested

The Super Powered Cleaner We Tried

And just for good measure, here are some before and after picks of the caps that sit over the burners on the stove. The first picture shows what I had even after I tried the cleaners in my house AND the 4 cleaners above. 

The second picture shows what I ended up with after an application of Carbon-Off. It wasn’t a complete “no-elbow-grease” kind of cleaning . . . but still, I was blown away by the results. 

Just remember, as we said in the segment: this stuff is potent! You can take paint off surfaces, damage counters, damage the teflon in your pans, and so on. It’s a super weapon against carbon in the kitchen . . . but it needs to be used with care!

 

SEGMENT 4: Painting Foundations

Unpainted foundations . . . or foundations that have been patched . . . can give your home a bit of an unfinished look. If you’re looking for an inexpensive curb appeal project with a big payoff, this might be for you!

EP160: Generation Helpless, Garage Organization, Murder Hornets, and Fiascos

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Segment 1: Generation H(elpless)

We found an article that we really struggled to believe. And yet, it brought up a great topic that is worth digging into: kids who have no idea how to do anything around the home. Here’s the article for your reading (dis)pleasure, but suffice to say, as parents and grandparents, let’s do what we can to teach our kids the skills they’ll need when they have their own places! We don’t want to read articles about how they left burnt out lightbulbs in because they were too afraid to  change them….

Segments 2 & 3: Garage Organization

Getting the garage organized is one of those tasks that provides a great deal of satisfaction! It’s normally a monumental undertaking . . . but when it’s done and done well, it’s worth the work!  Here are a few of the resources we mentioned in the show today,  starting with the article from  the Family Handyman website!

Segment 4: Murder Hornets

Yep. Something else bad is apparently on the horizon in 2020. At least according to the news! In fact, everywhere you look (where they’re not covering COVID19), they’re showing pictures of INSANELY large hornets known as Murder Hornets. And nothing with the word “murder” in front of it is a good thing. Murder House, Murder Weapons, Murder Rooms, Murder Tigers, Murder Puppies. Nope. Nothing with “murder”  in front  is good.

Well, we sit down with David Popp from Rose Pest  solutions and talk about these insects. And fortunately, right now,  David says, we have  a  long  time to go before we’ll see these in West Michigan . . . if they even can survive in the U.S.

Bonus Segment: Fiascos

Betsy stumbled onto a  great podcast from This American Life. It was a collection of stories about fiascos–true fiascos. And we talk about a couple of our own….

 

 

EP159: Lawn Mower Tune-Up, Spring/Summer Design Trends, Deck Materials, and Hardwood Deck Coatings

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Segments 1: Lawn Mower Tune-Up

The snow has been gone for a while and with all the rain we’ve had, it might be time to mow your grass. And, because we’re all stuck at home, it’s the perfect time to tune up you mower before you need it. We cover the tune-up portion in the show but here are some other things you might want to consider doing as long as you’re at it.

CLEAN IT

  • Scrape off grass caked on underside of mower deck
  • Brush off grass clippings, etc.
  • Be careful about using too much even with the clean out ports
  • And let it run a few minutes after you’ve done that.
  • Also, you could apply an automotive wax to the deck to potentially stop grass from sticking there — 
    • But you’re better off to just not mow when it’s  wet if you can help it.

 

OLDER MOWER, RUSTING DECK?

  • Slow the deterioration down
  • Wire brush the rust, clean it up
  • RepcoLite’s 449 Metal Primer and Met’l Clad can be used

 

LUBRICATE MOVING PARTS

  • Use a spray lubricant on the front wheel adjusters
  • Grease the wheel bearings as necessary

 

  • Do the maintenance — it’s a huge investment
  • JUST DO IT ALL WITH THE SPARK PLUG DISCONNECTED
  • Consult the owners manual for the recommended steps and procedures specific to your equipment
  • Look online if you don’t have one
  • Check YouTube for How-Tos

Segment 2: Spring/Summer Design Trends from High Point

With the current COVID-19 pandemic, High Point, NC didn’t hold their annual spring market this year. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! And just a heads up, don’t throw everything in your basement away because you think it’s out of style. That old wicker peacock chair from the 60’s and 70’s….yup! Back. In. Style!

Segment 3: Deck Materials

We sat down with Jason Slenk, one of the owners of Overisel Lumber in Holland, before the pandemic to talk about the different decking materials that are available.

Segment 4: Hardwood Deck Coating

Following our conversation with Jason, we decided it might be beneficial to discuss what type of stain to put on a hardwood deck and what to do if you have an old Trex deck that has seen better days after years of fade.

 

 

EP135: ON THE ROAD! The Center Punch, Home Repair Services, and Fun Design!

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Segment 1: Automatic Center Punch

There are a lot of tools that get ZERO fanfare! They’re not flashy. They’re not fun and exciting. They’re not powered by huge motors or batteries. But they do their job in an unassuming manner and move on to the next project. One of those is an automatic center punch. It’s a simple tool that is designed to quickly and easily pop a small divot in a surface so you can drill holes without having the drill bit “walk away” from the spot you wanted to drill.

It looks like a steel pen and you just place the point on the exact spot you want the hole and push. It’s spring loaded and pops a small divot into the surface quickly and easily.

Segments 2 and 3: Home Repair Services

Being out and about in Grand Rapids, we were thrilled that Joel Ruiter was willing to meet with us on the spur of the moment! (Thanks, Joel!) Anyway, we sit down with Joel in the boardroom at HRS and discuss some of their upcoming endeavors.

Segment 4: Fun Design

Calling on Architects and Interior Designers is fun on a number of levels not least of which is having the opportunity to see the spaces in which they work! We stopped at one particular architectural firm that drove home the idea that fun design isn’t just for kids or homes! Fun design can be professional AND it can also create at atmosphere in your place of business that makes your employees eager to be there!

EP113: Thermal Tracking, Finding Color with Jennifer Butler Design, Home Improvement Wedding Gifts

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Segment 1: Thermal Tracking or Ghosting

A listener wrote in and described a strange situation in his home: dark shadowy spots in the corner of his ceiling. He wondered what was going on. Well, while it could be something as simple as actual shadows, or as frustrating as mold or mildew. . . there’s a good chance it’s something called Thermal Tracking or Ghosting. We discuss what that is and what you can do about it!

Segments 2 & 3: Choosing Colors with Jennifer Butler Design

Jennifer Butler and Andy Yates from Jennifer Butler Design join us to talk about how they go about helping their clients create unique, personal spaces. If you’ve ever struggled with color and design, listen in! They have a lot of great advice!

 

Segment 4: Home Improvement Wedding Gifts!

Yes, it’s Wedding Season. And, yes, there are lots of different gifts you can give the newlyweds. But . . . we’ve got some home improvement-themed gifts that are perfect! And, we also have a video of a dancing lamb.

  • Orbital Sander
  • Hammer
  • Screwdriver Set
  • Drill Driver / Impact Driver
  • High Quality Drill Bits
  • Jig Saw
  • Tape Measure
  • Levels
  • Clamps
  • Tool Box — Milwaukee’s modular storage solution
  • Battery powered tools — might be smart to look at a system with a wide ranging number of tools and accessories that will work with the same batteries. Milwaukee tools has an incredible area of items all using the same batteries
  • Push broom
  • Leaf Blower
  • Weed Whip
  • Wet/Dry Vac
  • Socket Set
  • Flashlights
  • Extension Cords
  • Snow shovel
  • Corn Shovel
  • High Quality Garden Hose
  • Spade
  • Potato Fork
  • Extension Pole Trimmer with “Lopper”
  • Pruners
  • Loppers

EP73: Gilda’s Club, Building Your Inspiration, Finding Your Vision

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Today’s a little different. We sit down with Jeff Larabel to talk about an event he’s organizing: The Second Annual Ruth Larabel Yahtzee Tournament! It takes place on September 8 and all the proceeds will be donated to the Children’s Grief Counseling Program at Gilda’s Club, a Grand Rapids organization that provides free emotional healthcare to children, adults, families, and friends on any kind of cancer journey or those grieving the death of someone in their life due to any cause. RepcoLite is happy to provide one of the prizes for the auction. More details about the event are below!

We also interview Faye Fredericks, a listener who wrote to us after a segment several weeks ago about Frank Lloyd Wright. Faye has a story about what it takes to get what you want when you tackle a building project, a remodel, or even a repaint! It is a great interview and Faye is a ton of fun! We’ve also got a little bonus story from Faye that didn’t fit into the show. Don’t miss out on that! It’s below in the notes for segments 2 and 3.

Finally, we end the show where we figured we should: giving you some ideas as to how you can create or discover your own vision. Faye makes a point that lots of us don’t know what we really want. How do we find out? We’ve got some tips. And we’ve got a “first-of-its-kind” event coming up this fall that will help you! More info in the notes for segment 4.

Listen here:

SHOW NOTES

SEGMENT 1: GILDA’S CLUB

  • The Yahtzee tournament will be held at GILDA’S Clubhouse 1806 Bridge St. Grand Rapids, MI 49504.
  • It is open to the public there is seating for 120 participants. Raffle tickets will be sold and there will be a raffle after every other game, we will play six games.
  • Top four high scores will win prizes for their placement. Afterwards there will be a drawing for the auction prizes.
  • Snacks and refreshments will be provided for a goodwill offering.

SEGMENT 2 and 3: BUILDING YOUR INSPIRATION

We are so happy Faye and Jim Fredericks took time to share their story with us. Unfortunately, they shared a number of other stories that couldn’t make it into the show. Here are a couple of our favorites!
Listen here:

SEGMENT 4: FINDING YOUR VISION

Finding your vision can sometimes be easier said that done. But we want to help! Coming up on September 7, at the Sunnybrook Country Club in Grandville, we are hosting an amazing color and design event! Benjamin Moore will unveil the new color of the year, we’ll talk about what it takes to create your vision, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk with experts in the flooring, furniture, design, and paint industry. On top of that, we’ll have some pretty amazing food and wine! CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS!