#03-18 The Big Finish - Part Two

Hello people! This week on the show we’re showing you all the little details of the renovated apartment. It’s such fun to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. One of the things we discussed this week was training your drapes. It’s easily accomplished and should be done when new drapes are installed.

Begin by cutting strips of scrap fabric about 4" wide, then stack the drapes back as far as they’ll go, and arrange the folds as you’d like them to be. Then wrap the strips around the stacked back drapes and pin the in place. There should be a band about every 3 feet. Leave the bands on the drapes for about 2 weeks. When you remove them the drapes will “remember" their position when ever you open them.

#03-17 The Big Finish - Part One

Hi people, Brini here with another episode for your enjoyment. This week we’re touring the renovated apartment. Don’t miss it!

I have quite exciting news for you this week. My product line has been launched and is available at www.FelixPopuli.com. For the launch we have two lines of pillows. The Felix Populi line features luxury fabrics, leather appliqué and custom tassels, while the FP line features graphic prints with a pop art feel on cotton canvas with colorful backs. You can also find my book there and soon we’ll have more items going up, including items for the kitchen and bath. I hope you’ll come by and have a look!

#03-16 A Soft Touch for the Soft Touches - Carpet and Upholstry

Hi people! We’re coming into the home stretch with the renovation! This week we’re installing the carpeting and doing some upholstery. Don’t miss it!

I’ll have some exciting news for you next week. Be sure and check back!

#03-15 The Uncommon Fireplace - Cure for the Common Flue Pt. 2

Hi people! Brini here with this week’s episode. We’re finishing up the fireplace this week and it looks great. Have a gander!

The insert we used for the fireplace is a log and grate set that uses gel fuel to create a flame that looks and sounds like a wood fire, but doesn't give off any smoke. It's a lovely alternative to an expensive gas fireplace. Some safety precautions must be observed, however. never leave the fire burning unattended, and never add fuel to an already burning gel pot - it can create flash fires. If you use it safely, it can make a lovely glow!

#03-14 The Uncommon Fireplace - Cure for the Common Flue Pt. 1

Hello people, Brini here with this week’s episode. This time around we’re starting on my faux fireplace. It’s such a fun project and I got a fun girl to help me with it. Her name is Rose Wood and she’s one of the restorers at John Cory Studios. Rose built an enormous door that creates the impression of a flue for my fireplace while concealing oodles of storage! You’ll see us install that door, after getting a little sidetracked by some of Pebbles baking.

#03-13 Cork - It's Not Just for Bulletin Boards Anymore

Hello people, this week on the show it’s all about cork. Part of our renovation found us lining the walls of the office and eventually the ceiling in the kitchen with cork. It a wonderful retro 60’s/70’s treatment and it’s practical to boot! It makes a perfect memo board. The process isn’t difficult – just a little messy. Contact cement is the adhesive of choice and it’s a bit like rubber cement – apply it to both surfaces, wait for it to get tacky, then fuse the surfaces together. As with last week’s project, this is essentially a tile job, so plan out your tiles so the seams are centered on the wall for a professional look.

#03-12 Decorate your Desk with Decoupage

Hello people! Brini here again with some more ideas for your home. This week it’s all about decoupage! Yes, it’s not just for Victoriana anymore – decoupage is a technique that can be adapted to all sorts of fascinating projects.

Now I used it as a furniture finish for the surface of my desk and it’s proved to be both durable and decorative for 7 years now. It’s an easy solution for unfinished furniture and can become the focal point of a room.

What makes decoupage interesting is what you choose to apply to your surface. Now we used computer printouts of a wall paper pattern that mimicked tile. We just scanned the paper into the computer, broke out an individual tile from the pattern using a photo editing program and then printed it out 60 times. We laid the job out like a traditional tile job, working out from the center of the surface. We also planned out the job first, so we could just lay the pre-cut, pre-fitted tiles out without cutting as we went.

Now you don’t have to use tiles or even computer printouts. There are so many options for decoupage out there – magazines, newspapers, playbills, virtually any paper product can be decoupaged to a surface. Some things to remember are that edges can catch and peel, so thin paper is best, if you plan to decoupage a table or desk top it’s a good idea to cover the art with glass and plan the project out before you glue it down – the medium is notoriously unforgiving.

#03-11 God is in the Details - Sanding, Spackling and Painting

Hello people, Brini here with some more ideas for freshening up your home. This week we’re finishing the cabinets and desk that we made on the previous episodes.

Finishing is an important step. Here are some tips.

Webbing tape is a must for filling cracks and holes. It gives the spackle something to cling to and makes the whole process a little easier.

If you have large gaps in your wood work fill them with shims. The shims will fill in the space so you don’t need so much spackle.

Don’t forget to sand – Sanding your spackling job will make it blend into the woodwork.

After you sand, run over your work with a tack cloth. Tack cloth is a loosely woven cloth impregnated with a sticky substance that picks up the dust.

Repeat this process twice for a super smooth look. You can even sand between coats of paint if you want a hand rubbed finish.

#03-10 For the Love of Storage - Cabinet Contemplation and Construction

Hello people, and welcome to another episode! This week we continue our renovation series with the cabinets. Greg, John and I built the unit in an afternoon and I can’t recommend it enough. The clutter in your home will disappear if you utilize the space you live in to its fullest.

Now construction isn’t as complicated as it’s usually made out to be. It’s really just common sense. Here are a few tips:

Planning your project is all about knowing your space. For our cabinets we squared off a wall that had a slant to it, which said something about the architecture of the room. Look at your space with an eye to geometry and you’ll be able to make your built in esthetically pleasing as well as functionally viable.

Measure twice, cut once – it’s an old saw, but it still rings true. When starting to work on your project you can save yourself some grief by confirming your measurements, especially if you’re planning on having your lumber yard cut your wood to size for you – which is a great idea for apartment dwellers without access to table saws and the like.

Take advantage of existing furniture. You saw this on our desk episode – we built in an existing dresser. The professional finishing on furniture is something most built-ins will never be able to match. Using existing pieces of furniture is a great way to get that professional look without having to hire an expensive cabinet maker. Find the pieces in thrift shops and vintage stores for a small investment and your built-in will look like a million dollars!

#03-09 The Salad Bar - Easeful Entertaining During Domestic Demolition

Hello people, Brini here with another episode to help you with life’s little problems. This week we’re discussing entertaining in the midst of renovation. The key is to keep it simple! For me that means a salad bar with an easy dressing.

For the basic salad we combined butter lettuce, radicchio and alfalfa sprouts. We then created a “bar" consisting of two kinds of olives, hearts of palm, cold cut pin wheels, artichoke hearts, turkey breast, sliced avocado and sliced hard boiled egg.

I made a simple dressing in the blender. Here’s the recipe:

1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup vinegar
2 marinated roasted peppers

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend on high until completely liquefied. Pour over salad.

This is a simple one dish salad that’s perfect for entertaining while your home is in chaos. With all the gourmet ingredients and that luscious dressing it seems quite posh.

#03-08 Putting It Together - Building a Better Built-in

Hello people, and welcome to another episode of the vidcast. This week we begin construction. Last week we demolished the dining room, this week we’re delving into the desk. It’s a big job but we’re up to it!

Construction can be daunting, but it can be made easier with a few tips:

Soap your screws – Screws will slide in more easily if you soap the threads.

Pre drill your holes – I can’t stress this point enough. Wood has a tendency to split when you drive screws directly into it without pre-drilling.

Consider using MDF – Medium Density Fiberboard is a composite building material that is comparatively inexpensive, sturdy, strong, doesn’t warp and has a beautiful surface for paint. It’s what we used to build the desk and it looks great!

If you don’t have the luxury of a shop you can have your lumber precut by your lumber yard. It makes for simple assembly on site providing that you are accurate in your measurements. Remember, measure twice, cut once.

#03-07 Breaking Up is Hard to Do - The Ins and Outs of Demolition

Hello people, Brini here with the further adventures of my apartment renovation! This week we’re demolishing the dining room. It’s a very simple process of removing screws and taking the built-ins apart, but the larger issue is change and how we deal with it.

Accepting change in our lives can be scary. The key is detachment. If you’re able to remain detached from objects and outcomes then you’re much more likely to be in a position to welcome exciting new experiences into your life. It’s not as easy as it sounds, however. Letting go of our past, whether it’s in the form of material possessions, relationships or situations can be a daunting proposition. The important thing to remember is that, ultimately, we’re not defined by these things. The more we’re able to derive our sense of self from inside the less we’ll be likely to form limiting attachments to our surroundings.

I’ve found that this can be accomplished with reflection. It’s helpful to keep a journal and record your thoughts about the events in your life that are challenging. These journal entries can serve as a map of your psyche which will help you understand your attachments and see that they are unnecessary. If you’d like to explore these concepts more fully I recommend a book: The Marriage of Spirit, by Leslie Temple Thurston. She has some extremely simple exercises that can help you let go of limitations and live more fully in the moment. As Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living?. Explore your possibilities fully!