So far, with the exception of electrical work, most of the work on our project has been restricted to the new addition, the kitchen, and the basement. Well, recently all that ended as Anne Brady began removing wallpaper from the hallway, upstairs and...

Roger and Bill secure edging around the new patio We did it! We made our own patio—under Roger's careful instruction, of course—and with family and friends pitching in to help. It was a perfect fall day for work outdoors, and I think we all...

What fun to have one of our favorite NPR radio hosts (and fellow Newton resident) Tom Ashbrook visit the job site the other day! He arrived for lunch, and then Tom gave him a tour of the house, and was interviewed for an On Point segment you can...

Ronnie sets up the new boiler in our basement Winter is just around the bend. And this worries me, since we don't yet have a working heating system to take the edge off of the chill. We have our fingers crossed that it'll be up and running soon....

We'd heard it all before. We'd been warned by friends, seasoned renovators—even by Tom Silva himself: The most dangerous words you can hear from your contractor while renovating your house are, "We really oughta..." or "We might as well..."  We...