The 3 car garage in this brand spankin’ new production home looked fine to me as I walked up the driveway, I had an appointment to add garage storage cabinets in this Columbus Ohio suburban home. The garage still smelled of fresh paint. There weren’t even nicks on the walls…. yet.

As I measured and talked to the new owners, I learned some disturbing construction design problems which weren’t obvious to the naked (as opposed to the fully…

Updated September 7, 2020 

I’ve got a question for you. How many custom closets have you designed? If you answered none, I totally get it. You’re in the majority. Even most people ‘in the trades’ (your builder, remodeling contractor or interior designer) are clueless about closet design (even though there are 5 to 10 closets in every home). Many contractors and builders think, “Just slap in a few rods and wire shelves and call it a day.”

The…

The story of an empty nester couple whose “nest” no longer fits their lifestyle

You’ve raised Joannie, Anthony and Bobby and lived to tell about it! Too many to mention sleepless nights when they strolled in late from parties with some lame excuse why they were home late. You enjoyed good times with your kids’ and their friends. In a strange way, you enjoyed the craziness that was your home as they were growing up. Now, all 3 “kids”…

The holiday season (and especially Thanksgiving) is the best. We’ve been hosting Turkey-day 23 years and running with our “weird family.” The reason I say weird is all 20 of us get actually get along. No judgmental family members chiming (‘er butting) into your life telling you what you “should” do. Fantastic food including my sister in laws “Greek stuffing.” My sister Venera brings her famous cheesecake. Rose makes cranberry…

Lou Slangen immigrated to the United States from Holland as a young man with 2 simple suitcases, a boat-load of dreams and the perfect formula for success. He exuded passion, persistence and eventually found the perfect partner for his journey – his wife Linda.

He and Linda raised 4 kids while moving around to multiple cities during his journey. He led large sales teams for a multinational healthcare products firm - rising to become the…

You decided to host the big holiday gathering. Now you’ve come to your senses and the reality of this big-time commitment is slapping you in the face! You’re saying to yourself, “Oh crap (OK – you’re using some ‘choice’ swear words, but this is a family-friendly blog, so I cleaned it up) my house is a cluttered disaster!”

Your mind wanders to the ‘state’ of your guest bedroom, your pantry and your mudroom entryway (areas your guests will…