We love a good Ikea-hack kitchen. This delightful one comes to us courtesy of London-based architects James Alder and Thom Brisco (formerly of Alder Brisco, now practicing as James Alder Architect and Brisco Loran). Tasked with building an extension to a 1930s townhouse in West London for a couple with young children, they came up with clever, economical solutions—including selecting Ikea base cabinets and hard-wearing, no-fuss materials. “Prior to the remodel, the tiny galley kitchen was isolated from the living and dining spaces,” explains Thom. “The clients hoped to see it enlarged and repositioned to become a focal center of…

Unless you have a walk-in attic, chances are that your attic access is some sort of trap door in the ceiling, likely fitted with a set of fold-down stairs. And even if your attic is insulated (and it should be), chances are that the trap door itself is not. That’s a problem. There’s nothing to stop that expensive climate-controlled air—heated in the winter, cooled in the summer—from escaping through the trap door. It’s like having a slow leak in your bank account. The good news is that it’s a relatively easy fix. Fiberglass Insulation The easiest hedge against a thermal…

Whether claw-footed or modern and clean-lined, freestanding bathtubs with no faucet holes require a floor- or wall-mounted tub filler. We like the flexibility of floor-mounted models. Here are 10 to consider. N.B.: The bathtub comes first. Variations in shape, height, style, and placement in your bathroom will drive faucet-buying considerations. And, as with all faucets, quality counts. This is a fitting that warrants an investment; look for faucets constructed of brass. Above: The A&E Bath & Shower Milan Round Spout Freestanding Tub Faucet (FSTF-01-R-CR) is $956 at Vintage Tub & Bath. Above: The Bond Floor Mounted Tub Filler (BXT37A) is $3,105…

Builder Jerry Effren had originally planned on a nine-month build-out that was shortened to just five months thanks to delays at the Planning and Zoning and Permitting offices. Adding fuel to the fire, he launched construction on each of the other four duplexes in the pocket neighborhood in one month intervals to achieve economies of scale and keep his team of subcontractors on the job. Shown: The TOH 2021 Idea House in the upper right-hand corner is one of 5 duplexes being built concurrently in this Norwalk, CT pocket neighborhood. Proper Basement Drainage Courtesy Greyrock Homes An excavator drops gravel…

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George McCalman is the Lois Weisberg in my life. He has a gift for meeting interesting people, forging an immediate bond, and—here’s where the Lois analogy comes in—instinctually connecting them to other people in his orbit to yield new friendships and creative collaborations. George wasn’t a born connector, though. When I first met the creative director and artist in the early 2000s, in fact, he wasn’t one to mix his social circles (I was then firmly stuck in his “work friend” group). “When I turned 35, I freaked out because I realized none of my friends knew each other,” he…