#51: Why We Want To Demo The Deck

It may seem counterintuitive (do not most people want to add a deck?!), but ous is simply not pulling its weight anymore. So you can find out why we think tearing it down is the way to go – and what the heck we want to put in its place on this week’s episode. We also talk with Manhattan Nest’s Daniel Kanter about which design trends are getting tired – and why newer homes should not be approached in the same way as their older counterparts. Plus I get mushy over my go-to saw, Sherry considers the trip of a lifetime, and we both cannot stop talking about a talking fish.

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you are reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.

What is New

• That picture above is about 3 years old, which is sorta when our back deck area peaked. We had stripped and re-stained it the prior summer, and had simply wrapped up the sunroom area.
• You can also see what we mean about the railings truly “jailing” in you in from the rest of the yard. From the kitchen windows we can barely see grass.
• We are a bit behind in getting everything tidied up for summer, so I will simply treat you to these shots to demonstrate the deck’s sad decline.

Swift Pointer

• Shown above (along with Burger and Bearger) are the sheets that we picked up twice over since we liked how they fit our thick mattress (and stayed on!). Our pattern of choice is “Beachcomber”, which is pleasant and subtle, but they come in a ton of others too.
• If you wanna grab yourself a more traditional boxspring cover, there are some pleasant options at places like West Elm or Wayfair.
• And do not forget the bedskirt pins!

What is Not

• Here is the inforgraphic on ForRent.com about decorating fads through the years that sucked Sherry in.
• We were responsible for 2 of the millions of Nest thermostats sold, and you can read all about how we installed them here. We still enjoy ours and are so glad we splurged on them (there is nothing better than turning the air on from bed if you are hot).
• Oh, and if you had forgotten what a Big Mouth Billy Bass looked like… you are welcome.

Manhattan Nest

• You can follow along with Daniel’s renovations on his journal, Manhattan Nest, and on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
• Pictured above are the kitchen in his current Kingston, NY house, and the living room from his old Brooklyn apartment. He also simply revealed his den last week (the before & after are below).
• And here is that New York Times article he was quoted in about how the fiddle-leaf fig became the design world’s “it” plant.

We are Digging

• Yes, my enjoy of wet saws endures. The recent backsplash project in my aunt’s kitchen rekindled the flame, so above are some links to mine and a few others you might want to consider if you’ve got a tile project (or ten) in your future.
  1. Ridgid 7″ Wet Saw with Stand, $297 – This is ours, and we enjoy the sliding cutting tray, stand, and laser sight.
  2. Skil 7″ Wet Saw, $83 – This is similar to the starter saw we used for years. It’ll get the job done, but the low price makes it fairly basic in terms of features.
  3. DeWalt 4 3/8″ Masonry Saw, $128, – This portable saw is smaller and would work strong for larger tiles, but requires a steadier hand.
  4. Kobalt 10″ Wet Saw with Stand, $499 – The higher price on this puppy gets you features like a larger blade, a collapsible stand, a bigger work surface, and a spray guard.
• Here is Tsh Oxenreider’s At Home In The World, which has given us the travel bug. You can also follow her on her journal, The Art of Plain, and her podcast, The Plain Show.

• And if you have not already, please PLEASE take a couple of minutes to fill out our podcast listener survey. It will be a big assist in getting a sense of who you folks are and what you like, so we can serve up more of that in year #2!

If you are looking for something we have dug in a past episode, but do not remember which show notes to click into, here is a master list of everything we have been digging from all of our past episodes.

And lastly, a big thank you to Modsy for sponsoring this episode. Visit Modsy.com/YHL to see our home office reimagined as a modern living room (their computer renderings are crazy realistic – and it is so helpful to see everything to scale). Do not forget to use code YHL20 to get 20% off your first Modsy room.

Thanks for listening, folks!

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