Man Made DIY

Every man's home or office needs a good place to stash the booze. Unless you have to hide it away in a desk drawer somewhere, I prefer to go the way of Mad Men and have it on display in the classiest way possible. Unfortunately, a nice bar cart can cost hundreds of dollars, so I decided to do a little hunting for an old Cosco cart I could repurpose into my own classy moonshine… read more

For any DIY enthusiast, the clearance bin at the DIY store is a regular stop. This project, the Oddstock Floored Wardrobe was designed and built to take advantage of that bin. Brazilian teak prefinished hardwood flooring was found on clearance for an irresistible price. The box had apparently been returned from a large flooring job.

To make use of all the boards, they were cut to short, mitered pieces and arranged in a chevron pattern. Metal tile flooring dividers were used to hide the board edges, trimming out the doors. A simple box deep enough to house clothes on hangers was placed on Queen Anne legs for a romantic look. After many searches for the right door handles, utilitarian garage door handles were chosen because of their large size and casual appearance. A coat hook and mirror were added to the inside of the door for accessories.

You can change the look to be more modern by using straight legs instead. Fill the bottom with shoes or boxes and add shelves if you like, or try other types of wood flooring and experiment with… read more

Last summer, I shared this cool photo from Sonoma winery Medlock Ames, which featured an old picnic table, into which a recess had been cut to accept a cooler to keep drinks cold. A great idea, but know what's even cooler? 

Building the table from scratch without a bunch of fancy woodworking tools, and incorporating the built-in cooler from the… read more

There's a new blog by Ben Uyeda called "Homemade Modern," that's making quite a stir in the DIY-o-sphere. Ben and company are setting out to create modern and contemporary style furniture by hand,… read more

A bedroom is often the most overlooked room in the house. You spend the big money on the rooms your guests will see - quality, lasting furniture for the living room, a dining table for hosting - or on practical pieces, like small appliances in the kitchen, or setting up your media gear for music all over your… read more