Magazine

In This Issue

• April 2013 Issue No. 167

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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

• Vintage Charm

  idea file

  before + after: kitchen

  An open-plan redo gives a cozy cook space an efficient flow

  before + after: bath

  This master bath is literally the stuff that dreams are made of

  budget redo

  Lumber and hooks turn a front entry into a handy drop spot

  Photoshop redo

  A gabled addition and Stick-style details give a plain house a personality boost

  from fixer-upper to refined farmhouse

  With the help of open-minded pros, an 1850s house becomes everything its owner envisioned

  An urban lot is transformed into lush outdoor rooms screened from the street

  13 thrifty ways to give your house vintage charm

  Add character to every room with budget-friendly materials and a dose of DIY initiative
  

  • BONUS: Get the full step-by-step for painting kitchen cabinets
  

  • BONUS: Watch a video on installing a stair runner using the waterfall method
  

  • BONUS: Find a more detailed how-to for DIY window grilles
  

  upgrades

  get this look for less

  Farmhouse-fresh breakfast nook

  shopping

  Stylish laundry bins

  build it or buy it

  Window cornice
  

  • BONUS: Find a full cut list and lists of tools and materials for this project
  

  all about

  Groundcover

  home solutions

  home solutions

  Give walls a cottage touch with picture frames made from lattice; 10 uses for discarded vinyl mini blinds; websites and apps that help save cash; the right way to paint masonry, metal, and other tricky surfaces; and more

  how-to projects

  animal house

  DIY ways to fix the wear and tear and "accident" damage your dog unleashes on your wood floors

  landscaping

  Edible plants: a tasty way to add ornamental value to garden beds

  paint ideas

  Bands and blocks of color create the illusion of a high ceiling and architectural detail

  weekend remodel

  Get your clutter under control with a handsome oak storage chest you can build yourself
  

  • BONUS: Find a full cut list and instructions for this project
  

  • BONUS: Watch a video of this project
  

  ask this old house

  Q & A

  Prevent moisture from seeping through a basement wall; replace a fascia board; guard against water-heater leaks; and more

  step-by-step

  Install a bath fan
  

  in every issue

  digital

  Ideas to help you dream up your perfect landscape

  • BONUS: Make the most of a small yard
  

  • BONUS: Create a dramatic front garden
  

  • BONUS: Plant a flowery backyard paradise
  

  Video of the month

  • BONUS: TOH general contractor Tom Silva on the basics of deck and stair building
  

  reader mail

  letter from This Old House

  Inching toward the finish line

  checklist

  Easy ways to improve your home right now

  save this old house

  A unique post-Civil War Italianate in Danville, Va.