We’ve had quite the rollercoaster with the diamond‑paned doors for our duplex renovation — a disappointing low followed by an unexpected high — so we wanted to share the full story this week. We also dig into a frustrating trend: why some home‑improvement pros can feel impossible to reach. Unreturned calls, missed appointments and ghosting are more common than they should be, so we asked a contractor to explain why this happens and to offer practical tips for getting better service. Plus: a look at some eccentric “smart” home gadgets, a new favorite paint company we’ve been testing, and a tale of John falling for a sponsored post.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify. Use this page to follow links or view photos we mention. Note: in some feed readers you may need to open the full post to see the audio player.
What’s New
- The first diamond door we secured was a real lifesaver — shoutout to Amy, who drove it down from Pennsylvania while taking her daughter to a soccer tournament. We share the full pickup story and an interview with Amy in Episode #100.
- Here’s the second diamond door, which I drove to North Carolina to collect from Rebekah. You can see the metal corner plates that keep the door stable.
- And the happy ending: the Dutch door we picked up from Cathy in Northern Virginia (thanks to her mom, who brought it to Richmond for an appointment). Huzzah!
- For reference, here’s a view of the backyard where the doors will be installed — you can see the first door already hung. It’s the same door as the first photo, shown from the back (it was painted dark green). Our plan? Paint it mint.
- We’re also adding a tin awning above the door. We’ll share photos once it’s hung.
We also discovered Clare Paint recently — an online paint brand that simplifies color selection and naming. A Fast Company piece introduced us to Clare, and their Color Genius quiz is a handy starting point if you’re overwhelmed by paint choices. We tried several of their wall colors and really liked the curated palette and friendly names.
What’s Not
- We rounded up some of the strangest smart gadgets out there — the kinds of products that make you laugh and wonder who thought they were a good idea. Business Insider published a list of 17 of the more ridiculous devices if you want to read the full roundup.
- Some of the oddball products we mentioned on the episode include the Quirky Egg Minder (budget price now, mixed reviews), the Hidrate Spark smart water bottle, the Onvi Prophix smart toothbrush, the HapiFork smart fork, and novelty items like the Oombrella smart umbrella or vibrating belts that once trended online.
- If you’re more interested in practical smart home uses, we also shared our post on 10 ways we use smart devices around the house to make daily life easier.
Listener Questions
- We get a lot of contractor‑related questions, and we’ve addressed this topic in several past episodes you might find helpful:
- Episode #63 — Sherry’s top tips for negotiating with contractors.
- Episode #68 — How to find a reliable contractor or handyman (a listener favorite we still get asked about frequently).
- Episode #104 — An interview with our contractor Sean about how to be a better client so renovations run smoother and can cost less.
- We also talked about the challenges of getting a vintage pink stove repaired in Episode #103, which is another episode full of practical repair and sourcing tips.
We’re Digging
- I bought the MagnetMount phone holder and, while I like it, I regret falling for the marketing countdown tactic. The product photos—complete with hundred‑dollar bills casually on the dash—definitely sold the hustle. If you’re shopping on a budget, there’s a similar Amazon option at roughly half the price that includes more mounts and has strong reviews.
- Sherry’s favorite recent find is the DropStop seat gap filler. It comes in a two‑pack, looks great in our black seats, and has been one of the best inexpensive upgrades we’ve made lately.
If you’re searching for products or recommendations from past episodes, we keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging in our episode notes, plus a Book Club page with every book we’ve recommended.
Finally, a thank you to Annie Selke for sponsoring this episode. They offered a 20% Labor Day sale August 29 – September 5 across their site, and their new fall collection is worth a look.
Thanks for listening — and for following along with the duplex project. We’ll keep you posted as the doors, awning, and paint choices come together.
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