Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven

Lee Noel Chase joined me for this episode to talk about the design process and deepening human connection. About our guest: Artisan-architect pioneering a heart-centered approach to residential design. 25+ years creating compelling custom high-end residential architecture. Her pursuit to connect with homeowner's feelings about home consistently yields unique, meaningful, beautiful houses.&nbs...

In Massachusetts there is an effort to get a million homes to be all electric by 2030. What is that going to mean, and why does it matter? I found Ben Butterworth in a Boston Globe article about electrification of Massachusetts houses from August 2021. He had had some resistance when trying to remove his existing system and I wanted to talk to him about how he achieved his goals. About our guest:...

Architect Neal Pann tells the story of the renovation he and his wife undertook many years ago at their family home. He learned some lessons through some struggles, but ended up with a transformed and beautiful house (see the episode enhancement). About our guest: Neal Pann is an architect and podcaster from Livermore, CA. He has a broad range of experience in architectural project types and is al...

This is our third episode having to do with windows- one of the first episodes was about windows and doors, about 26 episodes in we talked about rebuilding old wood windows, and now we are back to talking about window and door basics. Justin Reif, an Andersen window dealer in North Carolina, joined me to explain the options available to consumers. If you've ever been confused by the many lines of...

Bruno Oliviera of NS Pro Painting is my guest this week and we talked about painting. Why hire a painter? Isn't painting something all of us can do? We discussed the value of a professional finish and what to consider when painting your house. About our guest: Bruno Oliviera has run his painting business for over 10 years. He is active on instagram @nspropainting **********************************...

Staci Barber got in touch with me after listening to the podcast, wanting to share her experiences renovating her first house, moving on to a second house and the lessons she is going to implement the second time around. About our guest: Staci Barber is a marketing director for Boston-based architecture and interior design firm Margulies Perruzzi. Staci has a passion for all-things home renovation...

Alan and Nancy Benoit, of Sustainable Design in Vermont, joined me this episode to talk about the 1880s farmhouse that they are transforming into a net zero house for themselves. Their architecture firm works exclusively on affordable, sustainable architecture and their house is a demonstration of their techniques and values. Check out their website for examples of their work and for many beautifu...

Karen Swanson of New England Design Works joined me this week to talk about curated kitchens. She describes her design process, what to look for in cabinets and appliances, thoughts on countertops and tips for renovating your kitchen in 2022. About our guest Karen Swanson is the Owner and lead designer at New England Design Works, an interiors firm specializing in kitchen and bath design. Her work...

Michael Maines joins me in this episode to talk about the new book Pretty Good House- A guide to creating better homes. Mike was one of the authors of the book, and a residential designer and writer from Maine. The Pretty Good House movement is explained at www.prettygoodhouse.com About our guest: from his website www.michaelmaines.com "I grew up on an old farm in central Maine, learning practical...

Anytime is a great time to think about planning exterior spaces, but, for me in Massachusetts, dreaming about gardens will get me through the month of March. I was lucky enough to get Barbara Ballinger and Michael Glassman, co-authors of The Garden Bible, to come on the show to discuss the importance of a master plan for your exterior spaces, trends in gardens, how to get the help you need and mor...

Dave Rademacher of Rademacher Revival is back this episode, answering my many questions about choosing to live in and renovate an old house- maybe a very old house. Dave was my guest in episode 65 as we discussed Kitchens and Baths in Old Houses. As I contemplate my next house and project I wanted to have a conversation with Dave about what it means to be the custodian of an old house, how can we...

Tom Hazzard tells the story of renovating and adding onto his 1905 home in upstate New York on Chautauqua Lake. We talked about sinking porch columns, working with an architect, finding the right contractor for your project and replacing trim in an historic house- and more! About our guest: As a top influence strategist for speakers, authors & experts, Tom Hazzard and helps major publications,...

Architect Wendy Brown talks about her 1894 Italianate house in Western Massachusetts that she and her husband have been working on for 24 years. Should we remove vinyl siding from these old houses once they've been covered and what are the challenges in doing so? What is Passive Survivability? About our guest: Wendy Brown is an architect located in western Massachusetts, licensed in Massachusetts...

Mitra Shahri is a well known and very successful attorney licensed to practice law in Oregon and California. After giving up on the idea of ever finding love, she bought her first ever property, a 2 bedroom 2 bath penthouse unit in a sought after downtown highrise in Portland Oregon with amazing views of river and mountains. She hired a general contractor with a great reputation that was highly re...

Michaele Novinger is a listener who wrote to me asking to hear more about my experience renovating the hoarder house my husband and I bought 13 years ago. I thought it would be fun to have her come on the show and ask me questions and talk about her upcoming project too. About our guest Michaele Novinger is a 3rd generation soybean and corn farmer in Missouri. She will be renovating the house her...

Massachusetts architect Chris Novelli joined me in this episode to discuss common mistakes that people make while undertaking a renovation to their house. If you enjoyed this episode then you will enjoy Chris' podcast for homeowners, Home Design Academy. Chris has a book for homeowners coming out soon, working title is Your Guide to Residential Design and Construction Projects,What to Expect...

Many homeowners want a fixed price contract for their construction project, but is that going to get them the best value for their money? Fine Homebuilder Kevin Cradock joins me to discuss fixed price contracts versus time and materials contracts, or cost plus. About our guest: Kevin Cradock grew up in Jamaica Plain surrounded by classic homes that awakened a love of carpentry and an appreciation...

What role can an owner's representative play in a residential project? Fred Gutierrez is now an owner's rep, and has practiced professionally as both an architect and builder for over 25 years. His focus today is building better teams by educating owners to lead with purpose. Even though the homeowners do not have the expert knowledge, they are the only ones able to define the measures of success....

Lora Teagarden is an architect from Indiana who has been working on her Queen Anne Victorian for many years, gathering a following on Instagram at @l2designllc. She shared her experience and insights she gained while renovating. How to hire the right people How to tackle a large project while living in the house What to do yourself and what to hire someone to do About our guest: "Approaching life...

We are on a break for the rest of 2021 so I'm putting out this rerun of my skylights episode from December of 2019. Lauren Furtney, then of Velux Skylights, joined me for the discussion.  Episode recap New Velux skylights don’t leak Skylights bring in more daylight than vertical windows Ve= Ventilation, Lux= light, hence the company name VELUX Integrated blinds can be programmed You still need to...

We are taking a couple of weeks off over the holidays and will return with new episodes in January. In the meantime, please enjoy this popular episode on Lighting Design with Interior Designer Kathryn Goldenoak. The episode first aired in November 2019. Episode Recap How layers of light work and why they’re helpful Ambient vs. task vs. accent lighting Why our eyes like varied rather than uniform l...

Brent Pearson of Alpha Foundations joined me on this episode to discuss types of foundations and problems you might encounter with them. For a deeper dive into foundations, check out Brent's podcast called Alpha Foundations . About our guest: Brent Pearson is the Senior Sales Director with Alpha Foundations, a full-service foundation repair, crawl space repair, concrete lifting & leveling, sin...

Historic homes can seem like a bother to maintain, but make no mistake: many of these properties are often still sound investments that just need a little TLC. So strap yourself in as we take a look at restoring and preserving these old homes for new households. In this episode, Katharine MacPhail sits down for an interview with  Hugh Siler , President of Historic Home Row and a historic home...

Canadian Architect Dory Azar joined me to discuss what it is like to work with an architect. What are the keys to success in this relationship? About our guest Dory Azar Architect Inc. is a small and energetic architectural firm with a great work environment. We leverage decades of residential and commercial design experience, along with an international portfolio, into memorable, user-driven arch...

Jake Flitton and his family bought an abandoned house in upstate New York- this episode is about their journey. About our guest: Jake Flitton is a licensed architect, practicing in East Aurora NY. He runs his firm from his home office or dining room table, or the living room couch, whichever is most comfortable that day. Jake works on single family residential projects, focusing mainly on renovati...