We’ve had quite the adventure tracking down the diamond-paned doors for our duplex renovation. There was a disappointing setback followed by an unexpected win, so we wanted to share the whole story this week. We also dug into why some home improvement pros can be hard to reach—unreturned calls, missed appointments, and even straight-up ghosting are all too common. We asked a contractor to explain why that happens and what you can do to improve service and get projects back on track. On top of that, we explored some quirky new “smart” gadgets for the home, highlighted a rising paint company, and recapped a funny moment when John got duped by a sponsored post.
You can listen to the episode on popular podcast platforms, or use the player on our site to stream it. Use this page to check out the links, notes, and photos we mentioned. If your feed reader doesn’t show the player, click through to the post to listen.
What’s New
- The top photo shows the first diamond-paned door we secured. Amy brought it down from Pennsylvania while she was taking her daughter to a soccer tournament. We share the whole story and a short interview in our episode about it.
- The next image gives a peek at the second diamond door, which I drove to North Carolina to pick up from Rebekah. You can see the metal plates added to the corners to stabilize and hold the door together.
- Our happy ending is the Dutch door we got from Cathy in Northern Virginia, assisted by her mom, who was passing through Richmond. Hooray!
- For reference, here’s the backyard view where the doors will be installed, including the first door that went up last week. It’s the same door from the first photo—this is the backside painted dark green. We’re already planning to repaint it our favorite mint color.
- We’re also planning to add a tin awning above the door. We’ll share photos once it’s installed.
- We learned about an up-and-coming paint company from an insightful article that introduced us to Clare Paint. Their streamlined approach and curated colors caught our attention.
- Clare offers an online “Color Genius” quiz to help narrow choices and a lineup of playful paint names. We listed a few favorites during the episode and enjoyed how accessible their palette feels.
What’s Not
- We rounded up some of the oddest smart-home gadgets out there—novelty tech that ranges from mildly useful to downright ridiculous. It’s a reminder that not every “smart” product improves life, though some are fun to consider.
- Some of the quirky devices we mentioned include an egg-tracking gadget, a smart water bottle, a connected toothbrush, a tech-enabled fork designed to slow overeating, and a few novelty wearables. Reviews and usefulness vary widely for these items.
- If you want practical takeaways, we also shared ten real ways we use smart devices around our home to simplify everyday tasks and make life a bit easier.
Listener Questions
- We answered questions about managing contractor relationships and getting better service. If you missed earlier discussions on these topics, we’ve covered them in previous episodes:
- A show where Sherry shared negotiating tips for working with contractors.
- An episode focused on how to find a reliable contractor or handyman and what to look for when hiring help.
- A conversation with our contractor, Sean, about being a better client to speed up renovations and possibly lower costs.
- We also revisited the saga of getting our vintage pink stove repaired and what we learned from that process.
We’re Digging
- One recent purchase was a magnetic phone mount. I liked it, but I admit I fell for some aggressive marketing. There are similar, more affordable mounts that perform just as well and come with extra pieces—if I could choose again, I’d go that route.
- Another small win was a seat gap filler that prevents items from falling between seats. It’s inexpensive and blends in nicely with our car interior; a practical little upgrade we’ve come to appreciate.
If you’re trying to find something we’ve recommended in an earlier episode, we keep a master list of our favorite finds and a separate page listing books we’ve discussed in our book club. Those collections make it easy to track down items and titles we’ve mentioned over the years.
We also want to say thanks to our sponsor for this episode. They offered a seasonal sale and highlighted a new collection that we thought was worth mentioning. We appreciate their support for the show.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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