Here is the next installment in my 5 Key Tips series, a road map for consumers to follow when planning a remodel. It’s time to decide how much money to invest in your home and lifestyle.
Unless you are in the construction industry it is unlikely Continue Reading…
Posted 2 weeks, 4 days ago at 10:22 am. Add a comment
Just follow this link to Kirkland First…a great new resource bank for eastside consumers and businesses!
Posted 2 weeks, 6 days ago at 1:05 pm. Add a comment
For most homeowners, remodeling is a bit like a trip to a foreign country. Our industry has its own language, customs, and most people do not visit often! Whether it is traveling or remodeling, your success usually depends on the planning you do before you begin. Today’s article is Continue Reading…
Posted 3 weeks, 1 day ago at 10:27 am. Add a comment
5 Reasons Your Home Is Drafty
Most of us hate being cold in our homes. There are many many reasons why this happens during the heating season, but there are 5 Continue Reading…
Posted 3 weeks, 1 day ago at 10:18 pm. Add a comment
This is the time of year when our mudrooms are being put through their paces. If you have school-aged children or had grandchildren visit you over the holidays you experienced first hand how much stuff it takes to keep a family warm.
Here are a few tips to share from our small mudroom:
- Extra coat hooks for guests. Are hooks okay or do you need hangers?
- Ice melt away from kids – we have small children so our Ice Melt is way up high out of their reach. I keep the refill downstairs on a storage shelf so we don’t have a 50 lb. bag on the mudroom floor.
- Baskets – Kristin labeled each basket with a picture. That is so cool!
- Boots & Shoes are directly on resilient flooring.
- Mailboxes – We have our at home Inboxes, and there is one for Bills.
- Electrical outlets – there is an outlet down low for the paper shredder and there is a quad outlet in the cabinet for cellphones & the ipod docking station. We have a no cellphone rule in the bedroom so this is where my smartphone gets parked. Yeah, you know who tried to take his phone to bed.
- Bead board – This is a simple architectural detail to make this very simple built-in look like a piece of furniture.
The cost on this built-in is very reasonable, it looks cool, and it functions great! Thank you, Sara Tow, www.MomsBloom.org, for the inspiration for this column via Facebook.
Visit Bens Blog

Posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago at 8:33 am. Add a comment
This morning I finished reading South of Broad and I’m sad it is over and that Pat Conroy takes so much time between his wonderful novels. The story could only be set in Charleston and could only be told by a master of the language. Mr Conroy weaves the intricacies of his surprising plot lines with the emotional angst of his characters so as to give his story a life of its own. My hat is off to Pat Conroy, one of the great story tellers of our time!
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago at 12:57 pm. Add a comment
As the days grow shorter and the cloud cover becomes more persistent many northwest home owners are looking for ways to brighten our days. Using a few proven lighting strategies can make a huge change in our environment and our mood, often at minimal cost. Continue Reading…
Posted 3 months ago at 7:55 am. Add a comment
Very few local traditions have outlived the Seattle Home Show! Born in 1939 as our country began to recover from the great depression, this venerable exhibition now features both fall and spring shows.
Continue Reading…
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago at 6:45 pm. Add a comment
I just cleaned and put away the last of the peaches from our tree…fall is coming on fast and I’m just not ready! Time to tour the property and take a good look at what we want to accomplish before the holidays!
Posted 5 months ago at 12:02 pm. Add a comment
Today we set up Eastside Networkers own group on Facebook so all of our fans and new members can find us easily. Check us out on FB and on line!
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago at 4:57 pm. Add a comment