Magazine

In This Issue

• January/
  February 2013 Issue No. 165

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  • Tell Us Your Story

    Here's your chance to be featured in the pages of THis Old House magazine — and earn $250
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  • Editor Spotlight

    
    Scott Omelianuk, Editor of This Old House magazine, began his long relationship with home improvement at age 15, when he started working after school as a carpenter's gopher. After years of jobsite toil and practical jokes—including being s
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    More Editor Bios:

    • Alexandra Bandon
    • Amy Hughes
    • Mark Powers

• Amazing Money-Saving Makeovers

  idea file

  before + after: kitchen

  With a revised ceiling and traditional touches, a bland box becomes warm and welcoming
  

  before + after: bath

  Pale finishes and a space-uniting arch give a gloomy guest bath an airy, open feel

  updating a cozy Craftsman

  A skilled DIYer brings a tired, torn-up 1916 bungalow back to life

  low-cost custom details from design pros' own homes

  Get inspired with these interior-enhancing ideas

  how to get the most out of your contractor

  Our insightful guide to today's remodeling realities will help you keep things sailing smoothly

  TOH tv

  finding the right finish

  After some experimenting, the interior woodwork at the latest project house gets just the look the owners were longing for

  upgrades

  shopping

  Standout stools
  

  • BONUS: Post your suggestions for what you want us to shop for
  

  DEALS
  

  • BONUS: Find TOH-exclusive deals on select stools
  

  shop smarter

  Induction cooktops

  get this look for less

  Quirky cottage-style home office

  all about

  Pellet stoves
  

  • BONUS: Post what you want to know all about
  

  home solutions

  home solutions

  Turn vintage balusters into handsome candlesticks; 10 uses for sash chain; alternative deicers; tips for tracking down bargain remodeling supplies; and more
  

  • BONUS: Read the step-by-step instructions for making candlesticks from vintage balusters
  

  how-to projects

  budget redo

  Wood trim and paint turn a homely hearth into a handsome centerpiece

  paint ideas

  Five color combos that will spice up any kitchen's personality

  weekend remodel

  Give your entryway a style boost with a columned room divider
  

  • BONUS: Find the cut list and step-by-step instructions for this project
  

  • BONUS: Watch a video of this project, including extra footage of working around a receptacle
  

  ask this old house

  Q + A

  Keep kitchen drawer fronts securely in place; the right way to route a bathroom fan duct; cool off a hot dimmer switch; and more

  step-by-step

  Install kitchen crown molding
  

  • BONUS: Find a list of tools and materials used in this project, along with instructions
  

  Norm's tricks of the trade

  Remove the stubborn masonry nails that anchor sleepers to a concrete slab

  TOH tested

  Combination squares

  Issue Theme

  letter from This Old House

  On survival: Wishing us all a safe haven
  

  • Find Hurricane Sandy relief and volunteer sources at thisoldhouse.com/give
  

  digital highlights

  Reader Remodel Contest
  

  • How to take magazine-worthy photos of your home
  

  • How to take more-artful garden photos
  

  • Meet last year's Grand Prize winners
  

  reader mail

  • BONUS: Find instructions to make a wall-mount light fixture from a barn pulley
  

  checklist

  Easy ways to improve your home right now

  save this old house

  A Second Empire in Frankfort, Maine, that's loaded with original details