Team Two Times

We can't wait for Saturday because we'll be on Garden Gossip with our pals Nancy & Lisa giving you DIY tips and discussing what projects you should do yourself and when you should swallow your pride and call a professional. You can also call in with your own DIY questions, or to say hi, at 914.338.1788. Tune in this Sat., June 6th from 10am to 11am PT.

Labels: diy tips, garden gossip, hgtv, marcus hunt, russ hemmis, team two times

The possibilities are endless if you have a tired old living room and $1,000. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Add chair rails for instant charm. If you want to take it a step further, try painting a dark color below the rail and a lighter shade above. For a little work and about $200, this is an easy project that offers dramatic results.

Change your flooring. If you think you can’t afford hardwood floors, you’re wrong. There are many great looking laminate floors on the market for $1-1.50/sq ft. This puts the cost of wood flooring for the average living room at about $400, and with the new “click lock” or “snap together” flooring systems, anyone can install them. There’s no glue or mess and you can change them in a few years just as easily.

Don’t forget to accessorize. An area rug is a simple way to ground the space and add color. A new media center will also change the feel of your room. If you don’t have money in the budget to buy a new one, try looking in the online classifieds for one that will work with your design. If you can’t find one that matches your current furniture, think about painting or refinishing one that will fit in your space. You’ll not only get the look you love but imagine the bragging rights!

Save money for beer and pizza, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy your new living room. I should also note that if you invite friends to assist you ALWAYS serve the beer after the job is done. Trust me on this.

Labels: $1000 living room makeover, 24 hour design, budget, design on a dime, do it yourself, fun home projects, hgtv, home improvement, russ hemmis, team two times

Here are some good basic tips for painting from my friend Carmen De La Paz:

1. Prepping your Paint job right will save you time in the end and your paint job will look a lot better. Don’t just grab a roller and start, take the time to evaluate and prep the project. Do you need to spackle holes, sand, caulk, etc?
   
2. Tape is your best friend. Use it to mask off and you will have crisp lines, making your end result look professional. They make a completely smooth, blue painter’s tape that stops the little flecks that you get when the paint smooshes behind regular tape.
   
3. Use a good brush. Spending a little more money on a quality brush will make the job more enjoyable. Suggested brand – Purdy. A cheap brush can fall apart and leave pieces behind on your project.
   
4. Oil and water don’t mix. If you are painting over a wall that has oil-based paint you must apply a primer to neutralize the surface and allow it accept the new latex paint with out crackling of flaking off in the near future.
   
5. Is it oil or isn’t it? Do the Goof off test. If the paint melts when you rub Goof-off on it – it is latex or water based. It the Goof-off doesn’t melt it, you have an oil-based surface.
   
6. De-fuzz your roller by rolling it over tape to get rid of the loose fuzz – it’s better than leaving them on your wall during the paint process.
   
7. Paint can impact a room up to 70%.
   
8. When patching holes, instead of sand paper, use a wet rag to sand down the surface – you won’t have any dust and you will end up with a much nicer blend and feathering in your end result making the hole disappear.
   
9. When painting a darker color on your wall, consider applying a tinted primer to help achieve the full saturation of the color without 5 or six coats. Ask your paint store to help select the shade of your tinted primer.
   
10. Painting is not brain surgery. If you mess up either clean it up or paint over it and start again.
    

Labels: 24 hour design, hammer heads, hgtv, how to paint a house, marcus hunt, painting tips, russ hemmis, team two times

Team 2 Times blogger extraordinaire, Marcus, was recently featured on Bob Vila's Home Improvement Website. The article was featuring cool play areas built for kids! Check out the article on Bob Vila's website!

Labels: Bob Vila, construction, Cool kid ideas, creative home projects, Creative Kid spaces, do it yourself, fun home projects, Kids play areas, marcus hunt, team two times

Although the joke behind Team Two Times name is that it usually takes us twice to get something right, the key to starting any project is taking your time and preparation. You’ll save both time and money by not just jumping in blindly. This may mean doing some internet searching, buying a do-it-yourself book at your local hardware or book store or having someone with experience help you.

We hope you will consider us a resource too. We have made a living buying properties in the Los Angeles area and renovating them ourselves and we are so fortunate to now be on HGTV and to be able to share our experience with you.

We started this blog not only to share funny stories of our mistakes, but to actually help other people who want to tackle home renovations and could value from those mistakes. So email us, yell at us, whatever...just keep stopping by!

Labels: cable, construction, do it yourself, hgtv, home improvement, los angeles, marcus hunt, properties, renovation, russ hemmis, team two times