How to refinish a hardwood floor — the complete manifesto

We took on the project to refinish the hardwood floors on the upper floors of our new home, The Turret.

This is my essay on how we did it — and the feeling of accomplishment we got after communing with our new home.

The home that produces almost zero trash and looks like a catalogue photo set

When I think of the type of home that might be a “zero waste” home — where occupants strive to eliminate the everyday disposables that seem sometimes to be inseparable from living — I guess I think of a home far from civilization. Maybe something handbuilt. The zero waste home in my imagination looks a lot like the permaculture-loving straw bale home we featured in April 2011. It’s woodsy, it’s cozy, it’s clearly inhabited by hippies.

Well, finding The Zero Waste Home blog goes to show me that assuming and stereotyping are no good.

Rainbow house ideas: inspirations for adding color like WHOA

How many ways can we find to put a rainbow on it (and by “it” I mean “your home”) in two minutes?

Ready?

GO!

Make an endtable out of cardboard — ENTIRELY out of cardboard!

Are you sick of cheap furniture which always looks the same? Are you longing for curvy furniture, furniture with as many drawers as you want, which adapt to the special shape of your home? Do you want customized furniture but can’t pony up the custom furniture price? You can do it: with cardboard furniture. I’m convinced this is the way of the furnishing future for Homies.

Photos and links about grape squooshing, apple bacon cheddar pie, Star Wars pancakes, and a berry-colored entryway

Start your day with our collection of interesting articles web and photos from our readers. In these Clicky Links you’ll find loads of offbeat travel ideas and a hot tip on an artist who makes personalized silhouettes.

Click through, too, to find our links on submitting YOUR stuff to Offbeat Home!

Would you like a tiny German camping headquarters that can also hit the water?

I’ve never really gotten the fascination with amphibious cars. Even James Bond doesn’t need a boat he can drive onto land! But today, I get it. I had to change my mind after meeting this tiny amphibious camper — it’s like something from a dream!

Make a new area rug with $10 and 10 minutes

We are apartment-dwellers, which means we have shitty carpet. Maybe some apartment managers put in nice, expensive flooring that looks awesome after ten years, but our landlords didn’t. After ten years of parties, dogs, and one wild child, the carpet in our place is spotty, threadbare, and wrinkled in places.

When we made over our eight year old’s room recently, one thing we really wanted was a big area rug. Unfortunately, rugs are expensive. Lucky for us (and you), making a rug is easy and cheap!

Someday you’ll find it, a rainbow collection

This collection proves you can make nerdy work, even in the dining room. So if you’ve got a burgeoning vinyl toy collection, get in here and see how it’s done.