For 15 years now, it seems, I’ve had a file on my desk labeled “Softwood Lumber.” Well, maybe not a crinkled up, over-stuffed, physical folder, but at least a collection of digital files and research. I say, “it seems,” because I’m speaking somewhat figuratively. Point being this topic has been part of my life and […]

My 11-year-old daughter is a home design and renovations junkie. (My wife constantly reminds me how close the apple fell.) She started using 3D architecture and home design apps when she was just 10, and, if you let her, she will sit for hours designing homes from the ground up, mulling over every tiny detail. […]

It’s the year of DYI. Or so say the statistics, as in 2020 more homeowners report they’re tackling their own home improvement projects than ever before. Meanwhile, if you’ve read my past blogs (or happen to know me), then you know that they’re all DIY years for me. But 2020 was going to be different. […]

It seems that we all might be adjusting to this thing called social distancing and virtual events/meetings. Meanwhile, not all of us love it, but you have to admit that it’s working quite nicely to keep the business world turning. In addition to journalism and writing for magazines, over the course of my career I’ve […]

It feels like a risky time for pep talks. And who can fault anyone for wanting to hurl something at someone trying to shed any positive light in the current situation. But anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a pragmatic optimist. I can understand why some folks are reluctant to receive a pat […]

It’s hard to find any outcomes to shed a positive light on these days. But if you look close enough, they’re there. Even if it’s a family game of Monopoly that wouldn’t have otherwise been played. A couple of weeks ago, I started a list. It began with things like a shortage of paper products, […]

I remember when I bought my first house. It was a two-bedroom bungalow in one of Richmond’s early suburbs, overlooking a small meadow and one of Bryan Park’s two-acre ponds. This is a rare setting to find in the middle of the city. And to go with that pond view (a feature we came to […]

I’ve watched plenty of people turn their noses up at the mention of vinyl windows over the years. But I’m also digging into a memory bank that dates back decades and includes the clientele of high-end builders—many of whom are purists about wood. There’s plenty of data to suggest that some luxury markets still show […]

Well, if you’ve seen my mugshot and you’ve had a look at our latest magazine cover, then you know that the title for this blog post isn’t about me. And though he’s certainly got a leg up on me, it isn’t about the guy on the cover, either (Andrew Keenan, president and owner of Maui […]

If the old adage is “Good help is hard to find,” there may never have been a time when that comment was more rhetorical—and in more areas than just labor. These days, it also adds insult to injury. At the same time, I would argue that a paradigm has risen, making it more accurate to […]