Colorful Conversations: DIY & Home Design

Latest Episodes:

How to Find the Time and Motivation to Work on Your Home Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of Colorful Conversations, Thea and Tasha talk about how to find or create time to improve your home! Their goal is for you to learn something useful and have fun every time you listen.

If you are a new listener to Colorful Conversations, we would love to hear from you. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel. As a thank you for listening, we have an awesome FREE guide called “5 Easy Steps to Design A Room You Love.” Text “DESIGNTIPS” to 44222 and you will get the guide in your inbox!

In this episode:

0:31 - Today is a little different - We’re without Joe, as he’s at work, but Thea and Tasha are leading the way with their discussion on how to find or create time to improve your home.
1:00 - What’s happening on Tasha’s homefront? Tasha tells us about embarking on the demo & reno on the kitchen, hallway, foyer and dining room a few days ago - it’s honestly more like a first-floor renovation! The family is on their way to finally setting up their temporary kitchen.
3:26 - Because we’re Joe-less today, Tasha and Thea are taking on the Newlywed Game to test each other’s knowledge of their friendship. The question is: what is the biggest time suck in the other person’s life? Tasha guesses that Thea’s biggest time suck is loading and unloading the dishwasher. Thea admits that she fully avoids that chore, and her actual time suck activity is spending time on social media. Thea guesses that Tasha’s biggest time suck is work because it’s what she spends the most time doing! Tasha agrees, saying work is a big time suck because it’s hard for her to turn her working brain off.
5:50 - Just a reminder that this is not your ordinary podcast! Make sure to follow on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope where we announce our upcoming topics and you can submit your questions for us to answer. If we pick your question, we’ll send you some free swag!
6:50 - The question that Tasha gets by far the most often is How do you have all this time to work on your house? (Thea has asked this as well!) Tasha and Joe both work full time, have twin girls, and enjoy their busy work schedules. They have to make time to work on their house!
11:40 - Tasha shares her tips to find more time in your schedule or create the time needed to improve your home. Tip #1 is a big one: Do not begin until you have a solid plan! You need to think about what you want to change or keep, create a budget, pick color pallets and patterns, and actually plan for what you want to do before you buy any supplies.
14:30 - Tip #2, which can be a tricky one for some people, is once you have your plan, you have to make it a priority. This can mean that you may have to say no to other things that take up your time and money. Set a deadline to complete your project by and don’t treat it as an optional task.
17:00 - Tip # 3 is to shift your mindset. For Tasha and Joe, this meant that they reframed “house project time” as “fun relaxation time.” Taking on work at home has become an enjoyable way to spend quality family time together, while also making progress on their home projects. Make a great playlist to listen to while you paint (or listen to a great podcast, like this one)!
21:55 - Designer In A Binder Pre-Sale! To purchase Designer in a Binder, visit designerinabinder.com. And as a big thank you for listening, you can enter the code PODCAST to receive 25% off either package.
22:12 - Tip #4 is you need to set deadlines! You didn’t get through school without a deadline, and life works the same way. Give yourself realistic deadlines for your projects. It’s okay if you need to change it, but you have to work towards something.
25:20 - Tip #5 is to ask for help, which is a big struggle for Tasha! Don’t be afraid to ask others for help picking up or taking care of your kids if you’re taking on a project, or ask for extra hands if you’re taking on something big. Setting deadlines can also really help you plan for when you need to have extra help.
27:45 - Tip #6 is for anyone with kids--get your kids involved when you are working to improve your home! Parents often feel that big projects aren’t really kid-friendly, but there are ways to get them safely involved. Kids can help with yard work, help with smaller parts of the project, or simply be coloring in the same room, and it can be a great source of pride for children to feel like they contributed to their house. This can sometimes slow the pace down on a project, but Tasha feels that the benefits of involving the kids outweighs any inconvenience.
30:55 - Tip #7 is to take breaks between big projects! These types of home projects are exhausting and can take a toll on the family. Time to mentally and physically recover between projects is important so you can rest and reset, but also so that you can really work on a cohesive plan for your next big project (remember Tip #1?).
34:35 - Tasha is holding Thea’s feet to the fire and asks her to set a deadline for a home project, keeping in mind these tips. Thea has been meaning to paint her dining room table for a while (even bought paint) and agrees to get it done by the end of April!

Join the Conversation

Our favorite part of recording a podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on our social media and in our comments section. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel.

Get Social With Us...

As Mentioned in this Episode…

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

This Enneagram book is the one we used.
Check out our dining room makeover here: Full Dining Room Update
EntreLeadership is the book by Dave Ramsey that Tasha quoted.
Details on our full kitchen remodel including before and after photos can be found here: Kitchen Remodel Reveal.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love & Renovations-How to Survive Renovation Stress Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of Colorful Conversations, Thea, Tasha and Joe talk about how to live your best life by creating a home you love through DIY, home design, and life at home. Their goal is for you to learn something useful and have fun every time you listen. This time, we’re talking about love and renovation and how to survive renovation stress.

If you are a new listener to Colorful Conversations, we would love to hear from you. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel. As a thank you for listening, we have an awesome FREE guide called “Design Vault.” Text “DESIGNVAULT” to 44222 and you will get the password to access the vault in your inbox!

In this episode:

0:30 - Today, we’re talking about Love and Renovation- How to Survive Renovation Stress. First, let’s find out what’s going on on the homefront. Joe and Tasha talk about their ongoing kitchen renovation, which is fully underway. Things have been ripped out, inspected, roughed in, and drywall is expected soon!
2:30 - It’s time for Thea’s favorite game, testing how well Tasha and Joe know each other. Today’s question is: What is the most annoying thing about doing a renovation with each other? Tasha thinks Joe finds it annoying when she says “Oh, that’s good enough,” and “I can caulk that!” For perfectionist Joe, those aren’t always the phrases he wants to hear during renovation. Joe guesses that Tasha gets annoyed by his need to do everything perfectly, even if it means re-doing it. However, what really gets to Tasha during renovation is Joe’s need to over-secure things - nails, wood glue, screws, and more. Everything needs to be super secure because “safety has no holiday.”
5:40 – This is not your ordinary podcast. Make sure to follow on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope where we announce our upcoming topics and you can submit your questions for us to answer. If Instagram isn’t your jam, you can also find us on Facebook to ask your burning DIY and home design questions. If we pick your question, we’ll send you some swag!
6:20 - As always, Tasha has done some research for today’s topic of Love and Renovation. The article, How to Survive Home Renovation Without Killing Your Spouse, is funny but definitely has some truth thrown in! Renovation stress is real and can cause problems, but Tasha and Joe haven’t approached the danger zone yet.
11:34 – So, what are the tips from the article for not killing your spouse? First, whichever parent has to stay at home during the renovation, either caring for kids or because they work from home, always wins the whose-day-was-worse argument. The stay-at-home parent has to deal with all the disruptions that come along with a renovation, while the other partner gets to escape the madness of the house!
13:50 – Surprisingly, Tasha’s research uncovered that going through a home renovation is not one of the top ten most stressful life events. However, Thea, Tasha, and Joe all agree that home renovation should definitely be on the list.
14:45 – Truman Sponsorship Spot
17:50 – Tasha and Joe each share two tips each about how to survive a home renovation together. Joe’s first tip is to be ready to compromise. Even though you love your spouse, sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles throughout home renovation and design.
21:40 – Joe’s second tip is if you’re talking about renovation, you must talk to your partner about money! Talk about your budget and where you want your spending limits to be going ahead of the renovation, so you can both be on the same page if unexpected things come up or if plans change. Leave yourself some budget leeway and keep communication open as you move through the renovation, because reno budgets are rarely less expensive than expected.
23:40 – Now, for Tasha’s tips. Tip #1 is to keep an open mind, which can be difficult depending on personality types. Tasha is a very decisive person and it can be hard to change her mind, while Joe is more flexible depending on the situation and finances. Regardless of what your personality type is, it makes life easier if you are open (or force yourself to be open) to plans changing throughout your renovation.
29:22 – Tasha’s second tip is to give your partner a little more space than usual. Home renovation means there are lots of people in your house, there is dust and dirt all over the place, and it can really be exhausting. Remember to communicate when you can, but also take a break from talking about decisions all the time. Being a little bit more thoughtful towards your partner during renovation stress can help a lot.
33:25 – Now, time for a listener question! The question is: How do you manage or control the dust during a renovation? Renovations are so dusty, especially when installing drywall. Tasha and Joe’s tips for dust management are:

If you can function without a room while going through renovation, seal it off with plastic and tape to protect it from the dust.
For rooms that you need to access during reno, use a zippered door to keep as much of the reno dust from getting in as possible.
Accept that, despite your best efforts, dust will still find a way to get everywhere.
You can make touch-up cleaning up a fun, family event. A once-per-week cleaning can really help with dust accumulation.
Make a rule that shoes stay out of non-renovation areas of the house, and use doormats to help get rid of dust as you transition from a reno-room to the other parts of your home.

39:30 – Remember to subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, and stay tuned for the next episode! Connect with us on Instagram or Facebook.
39:50 – As a thank you for listening, we are offering a free, digital guide to help out with your decorating decisions! Tasha’s Design Vault has a bunch of free design tips like how to choose paint chips or how to create a space plan. Get the password to access the Design Vault by texting “DESIGNVAULT” to 44222 and we’ll email you the password to log in!

Join the Conversation

Our favorite part of recording a podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on social media and in our comments section. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel.

Get Social with Us...

As Mentioned in this Episode...

Here is the Scary Mommy article we discussed: How To Survive Home Renovation Without Killing Your Spouse.
Details on our full kitchen remodel including before and after photos can be found here: Kitchen Remodel Reveal.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is An Open Concept Kitchen Right for You? Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of Colorful Conversations, Thea, Tasha, and Joe discuss open concept kitchens and how to decide if this design concept is right for you, what pros and cons to think about, and how to go about making it happen!

If you are a new listener to Colorful Conversations, we would love to hear from you. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel. As a thank you for listening, we have an awesome FREE guide called “5 Easy Steps to Design A Room You Love.” Text "DESIGNTIPS" to 44222 and you will get the guide in your inbox!

In this episode:

0:33 – Today, we’re going to talk about open concept kitchens and how to decide if it works for your home and your life. But first, updates from the homefront. Tasha discusses her life-changing discovery of high waisted jeans and how great they make her look (very flattering) and feel (they’re super comfortable)! For Joe, he highlights their nightly reading of Harry Potter with their girls. Thea recommends buying the illustrated version of Harry Potter to make it more exciting for the kids.
3:24 – On to the “Newlywed” style questions (even though Tasha and Joe are heading into their 17th anniversary). Thea asks Tasha what she thinks is Joe’s favorite room in the house. Tasha guesses that it’s the family room because it houses the “famous” recliner, they finally have everything situated how they want it, and he just loves it… and Joe agrees! Joe guesses that Tasha’s favorite room is the dining room because the renovation is finished, with new paint, bookshelves, and lighting, so everything looks great. Joe is spot on with his guess!
5:27 - This is not an ordinary podcast. Make sure you’re following on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope because that’s where we announce our upcoming topics and where you can submit your questions for us to answer. If we pick your question to be on the podcast, we’ll send you a free gift! We got a lot of great questions for this episode’s topic, so be sure to keep that up! Also, if you want to see the video footage and behind-the-scenes from any of our episodes, be sure to catch up with us on our YouTube channel.
6:15 - Okay, let’s get into everything about open concept kitchens. Joe starts with a definition of an open kitchen design: this idea mainly applies to kitchens with a lack of walls that divide the kitchen from the family room and/or dining room. It’s more commonly known today as “open concept” or an “open floor plan.” The main feature (or lack thereof) is the absence of walls between the kitchen and other living spaces. Open concept living spaces are all the rage right now on TV and social media.
8:01 - Today, we want to talk about the practical considerations of having and living in an open concept space, and deciding if having an open concept kitchen actually works for you. Joe brings up that he found over 77,000 online advice discussions on the topic “open plan help.” In Tasha’s research for the episode, she found an article (linked in the show notes) titled “Is 2018 the Beginning of the End of the Open Concept Floor Plan,” and Tasha fully believes that walls will be making a comeback. The article notes that brokers, designers, and architects have noticed that an increasing number of buyers are looking for closed floor plans or hybrid floor plans, which provide at least some separation between rooms.
9:41 - First, let’s take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsor… Do any of these words apply to how you feel about your house: uninspired, embarrassed, tired, boring, overwhelmed? If you’re looking for design advice to change those words, you need to check out Designer In A Binder! To purchase Designer in a Binder, visit www.designerinabinder.com. And as a big thank you for listening, you can enter the code PODCAST to receive 25% off either package.
10:49 - We’re back and we’re going to discuss the pros and cons of open kitchen design. Tasha starts on the positive with a pro, explaining that open concept can be a great way to make a small space or small home feel much larger. Small spaces can feel closed in by walls, so removing them can visually open up the space and make it feel bigger. Joe jumps in with another pro, saying that opening the space brings the rooms together which in turn brings your family together, making you feel more connected to the people in the house.
12:42 - Another pro from Tasha is that an open concept can help create a great space for easier socializing and entertaining. Having an open kitchen design means guests can enjoy themselves in the dining room or family room, while the host can prep food or dinner in the kitchen while still participating in the conversation. Joe’s pro point is the beautiful, open sightlines and how visually appealing an open concept space can look (with the proper staging and designing).
14:03 - Tasha’s number one con for the open concept is the noise factor. Joe actually pointed this out to Tasha - he commented that it’s not super great listening to their kids’ cartoons on the TV while they’re preparing dinner or having a more adult conversation, and on the other hand, kitchen noises can be very loud and distracting if someone is trying to watch TV in the living room. Noise in an open space is a big consideration that many people don’t think about.
16:30 - One of Joe’s cons about an open concept is the lack of privacy. If something is going on in the kitchen, like a conversation you want to be private or preparations that you’d rather do uninterrupted, having an open space can make that challenging. Tasha agrees, saying that her and Joe’s time cooking in the kitchen together is really their only one-on-one time to check in and chat with each other. This kind of separation and privacy may become even more important with older kids and teenagers in the house.
18:37 - Tasha brings up another con. While open concept spaces look great on TV and in magazines, these spaces are super clean, staged well, and designed by professionals. In real life, people aren’t always tidy and clean and organized. If there are things not put away in the space, it can make an open concept space look really disorganized and dirty. An open concept kitchen design will make it so you can constantly see into your different living spaces, and real life is hard to keep clean 100% of the time.
20:54 - Joe says if you’re thinking about renovating an existing house to make it an open concept floor plan, this means removing load-bearing walls and using the proper load-bearing beams, which are very expensive.
21:22 - There can also be safety concerns with open concept spaces. Joe says that firefighters have found that fires spread faster in open concept homes due to the lack of walls. One fire safety survey found that 30 years ago, people had an average of 17 minutes to safely escape a house fire, because rooms were more compartmentalized and the fire could be contained easier. Today, people only have about 3 minutes to escape a house fire, largely due to how fast a fire can take over in an open concept house.
22:32 - Tasha tackles a question submitted online from a follower. Dionne asks, “does the open concept kitchen enhance or deter from the family dinner conversation, given the available distractions like TV?” Tasha finds this to be a really interesting question that she hadn’t thought of this before. But it makes sense that distraction is possible from other rooms. Tasha explains that in their house, they and their kids have dinner together every night, and the children are expected to sit and participate until the meal is over. Dinner together is routine and “required family fun time.” For most people, Tasha thinks that there is potential that an open concept can take away from family time. However, you can implement a “no screens” rule at dinner, so no TV and no phones at dinner. It truly depends on your family, how you live together, and your house rules.
27:55 - Joe talks about the path that they decided to take when it came to an open concept kitchen within their own house. Tasha says they initially were aiming for a much more open space, but after looking at some of the pros and cons, they decided to incorporate some walls and separation into their home’s floor plan. They decided to do a cased opening between the kitchen and dining room, allows for a 9 foot wide opening between the rooms.
32:39 - Between the kitchen and the family room, Joe and Tasha have decided to open up the standard doorways to 6 feet wide. This way, they have the option of adding french doors if noise between the rooms becomes an issue. Joe says their dream door may be one of the sliding barn doors, but no decisions have been made yet.
34:32 - Next time on Colorful Conversations, we’ll discuss love and renovations. Make sure to subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, and connect with us on social media. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. As a big thank you for listening to this podcast, we have an awesome free guide called “5 Easy Steps to Design a Room You Love” which is full of great tips for what you want to accomplish in a space. To get this guide, text DESIGNTIPS (all one word) to 44222 and you will get the guide delivered to your inbox.
36:01 - You can also email us at podcast@kaleidoscopeliving.com! We’d love to hear from you and we’ll pull listener questions from our email too. Remember, if we use your question, we’ll send you some free swag!

Join the Conversation

Our favorite part of recording a podcast is participating in the great conversations that happen on social media and in our comments section. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel.

Get social with us...

Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope
Facebook KaleidoscopeLiving
Youtube Tasha-KaleidoscopeLiving

As mentioned in this episode...

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Joe’s Recliner
The illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Take a look at the new dining room makeover that Tasha is in love with!
You can check out our big kitchen renovation plans in this post.
“Is 2018 the beginning of the end of the open-concept floor plan?”- This is the article we referenced by Anna Oros on Philly.com.
Take a tour of our house so you can visualize the floor plan here.
Check out photos of what our kitchen looked like when we moved in and see how we gave it a cosmetic makeover for under $700 in these posts:
Kitchen Remodel Reveal Part 1
Kitchen Remodel Reveal Part 2

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Hire A Good Contractor May 28, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of Colorful Conversations, Thea, Tasha and Joe give useful advice for how to find a trustworthy remodeling contractor for your next home renovation project.

If you are a new listener to Colorful Conversations, we would love to hear from you. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel. As a thank you for listening we have an awesome FREE guide called “5 Easy Steps to Design A Room You Love.” Text "DESIGNTIPS" to 44222 and you will get the guide in your inbox!

0:32 - Today, we’re talking about how to find a good contractor. But first, updates from home! Joe talks about moving into spring, with more renovations planned after finishing up the renovations in the dining room. Tasha talks about packing up the kitchen to start the huge kitchen renovation.
1:55 - Test your love game--how well do Tasha and Joe know each other? On the topic of home improvement contractors, Thea asks about their least favorite renovations. Thea asks Joe what he thinks Tasha’s least favorite renovation project has been – his answer of the garage was correct, although she had blocked it from her memory!
3:33 – Tasha answers the same question for what she thinks is Joe’s worst renovation project. Her guess--replacing all of the carpeting upstairs with laminate flooring. The upstairs is not small, the layout made it difficult, Tasha did not want thresholds, but the end result was totally worth the work. Joe agrees that this was his least favorite project.
5:21 – This is not your ordinary podcast. Make sure to follow on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope where we announce our upcoming topics and you can submit your questions for us to answer. If we pick your question, we’ll send you some swag!
6:04 – Today’s Topic: Finding a good remodeling contractor. Tasha and Joe have just gone through this process, so they know how important it is. Of course, nobody ever intends to hire a bad contractor, but sometimes it just happens. It can be stressful and awful, and possibly ruin your home! Tasha did some research for this topic and found that complaints filed against home improvement contractors rank among the top 5 complaint categories year after year in New York City. From the most recent stats from 2017, there were over 1100 complaints filed against contractors and $1.5 million in fees were issued. So finding a trustworthy contractor is a very prevalent problem, especially because you typically pay something up front.
8:00 – Tasha makes it personal by telling how and why she and Joe decided to hire a contractor for their kitchen renovation. They will walk listeners through their decision-making process and, in part two of the episode, there will be a checklist of questions and concrete tips that you can use if you ever decide to work with a remodeling contractor.
8:33 – Joe talks about how it came to be that they ended up hiring a contractor. He speaks to their prior projects in their former house, where they did most of the renovation work themselves. For this kitchen project, however, Joe and Tasha are making major changes to the footprint of the room (like removing walls) and decided it was safer and more practical to hire someone. After talking to a contractor and reviewing their plans, the contractor pointed out several issues that wouldn’t work in their kitchen reno. The timing of DIY-ing both the dining room and kitchen at the same time would also create complications and strain on the family.
16:40 – Joe will cover tips to help you find your own remodeling contractor.
16:51 – First, let’s take a quick break to hear from our sponsor! Learn about Designer In A Binder, a comprehensive, step-by-step workbook and e-book that teaches you how to design spaces that you love! To purchase Designer in a Binder, visit www.designerinabinder.com. And as a big thank you for listening, you can enter the code PODCAST to receive 25% off either package.
18:03 – Tasha and Joe share actionable tips on how to choose a good remodeling contractor. Joe walks us through each tip and Tasha elaborates. Tip 1: Understand what your area requires in terms of licensing. Different areas have different rules and regulations. For example, in North Carolina, a construction project that costs $30,000 or more requires a licensed contractor. Tasha tells us how their contractor is specifically licensed to do kitchen and bathroom construction projects, instead of being a general contractor. Vet the information about your contractor and don’t assume that they’re licensed!
19:23 – Surprise Extra Tip: Make sure your contractor is knowledgeable about what they’re doing! You wouldn’t go to just anybody if you needed surgery… same goes for home renovation.
20:02 – Tip 2: Have a general idea about what you want before you get estimates. Knowing what you want and what is a must-have for you helps you have much more productive and useful conversations as you plan for who to work with. Have a vision of what you want and you’ll get a more accurate estimate.
22:58 – Tip 3: Do some research and ask around for recommendations. There are so many ways to do this. You can use internet sites like Angie’s List, Facebook Groups and the Nextdoor app. Joe prefers word-of-mouth recommendations because you know it’s coming from a trusted source. Tasha says you can make general observations as well. How long has your neighbor’s bathroom been under construction? Maybe don’t ask for their contractor’s business card if it’s taking six months.
27:25 – Tip 4: Review your list of potential contractors. Check out the Better Business Bureau and do some research on the web to see if there are any red flags about anyone on your list. You can also check with your state’s Consumer Protection Agency to make sure they haven’t received any complaints too.
28:31 – Tip 5: In addition to checking if a contractor is licensed, you’ll want to ask if they are bonded and insured. This is so important!
29:04 – Ask your contractor for references. Get a first-hand account from previous customers about their experience and the results. It might be a red flag if your contractor doesn’t have any references that they will share with you.
30:10 – A good contractor will give you detailed drawings of the renovation plans, a line item estimate, and an anticipated timeline for the renovation. A professional working on a big project like a kitchen renovation should have the capability and technology to provide these items to you. Always have good communication with your contractor, and always have things in writing.
31:30 – When you get the estimate and scope of work, make sure the payment terms make sense and are not alarming. It is common practice with contractors to take advance payment or a deposit before the work starts, with a middle installment, and then a final installment at the completion of work. Ask for a final walk-through to review the work and make sure everything is done to your satisfaction. A key point in this is when you give any money to your contractor, make sure it’s going into an escrow account. This is because they are holding this money in trust for you and your project; it shouldn’t be going directly into their bank account!
34:11 – Tip 6: Make sure that your contractor is paying the sub-contractors, and don’t be afraid to ask for proof of these payments. Even though it’s the contractor’s responsibility to do this, it’s ultimately your house, and unpaid sub-contractors can put a “mechanic’s lien” on your home for unpaid work.
36:30 - Tasha and Joe recap these steps but encourage listeners to also use their intuition and trust their gut. If you don’t feel confident about who you’re working with, even if they check all the boxes, then trust that feeling.
37:58 – Next time on Colorful Conversations, Joe and Tasha will talk about love and renovations.

Join the Conversation

Our favorite part of recording a live podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on social media, and in our comments section. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel.

Get social with us...

As Mentioned in this episode...

You can check out our big kitchen renovation plans in this post.
Check out the prior DIY improvements we've made to our kitchen in the posts below:
How we painted our kitchen cabinets without priming or sanding
DIY Budget Kitchen Makeover for Under $700 Part I
DIY Budget Kitchen Makeover for Under $700 Part II
Check out the Better Business Bureau website here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Marry Different Decorating Styles May 21, 2019

Show notes

If you are a new listener to Colorful Conversations, we would love to hear from you. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and on Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel. As a thank you for listening, we have an awesome FREE guide called “5 Easy Steps to Design A Room You Love.” Text designtips to 44222 and you will get the guide in your inbox!

In this episode we discussed:

2:10 - We start with our version of “The NewlyWed Game”, and this week Tasha and Joe answer a question about the Kitchen Renovation-- “What are you most excited about the renovation?” Joe nails it!

5:35 - Today’s Topic is “How do you marry two different decorating styles?” Tasha finds a survey that was conducted by uGallery that found nearly 60% of the women who responded thought that managing different home decor styles was one of the biggest challenges for couples. Also, an 2013 Survey by Houzz, the home decor website, found that 12% of people who responded considered separating or divorcing during a home remodel. Joe’s tip: Do what your wife says!

7:35 - Joe talk about the commonalities and differences in his and Tasha’s home decor styles. Joe says Tasha is a little more loud with choices of color and he is a bit more low key with a focus on comfort and organization.

10:00 - Tasha and Joe discuss design compromises that they have reached. They talk about finding Joe the perfect leather recliner (after 17 years of wanting one!), the compromises made in the current kitchen renovation and Tasha’s cutlery selection process when they were getting married.

17:55 - Sponsor Break! Learn about Designer In A Binder! To purchase Designer in a Binder, visit www.designerinabinder.com. And as a big thank you for listening, you can enter the code PODCAST to receive 25% off either package.

19:30 - Tasha and Joe share concrete tips on how they have overcome different decorating styles. Joe walks us through each tip and Tasha elaborates. Tip One: First, open the lines of communication, talk about what you like about a room you want to renovate, and what you don’t like about it. Tip Two: Talk about the goals of the room, how will it will function for the family. The first two steps are about opening the lines of communication and finding common ground--no arguing or nitpicking! These two steps are so important and it is something Tasha addresses in detail in Designer in a Binder.

24:15 - Step Three: Start talking about how you want the room to look. Tasha discusses how you can effectively use Pinterest during this stage to visually show each other your wants for the room you are renovating.

29:00 - Step Four: Create a mood board. This is literally taking the individual elements you like and want to use in the room and putting them together in a way that you can determine what is working and what is not. It is a great way to really see the potential for the space and for each partner to enact their veto power!

31:45 - Free Mood Board Guide: Text all one word “Moodboard” to 44222 and you will receive a free guide on how to make a mood board!

37:00 - Tasha recaps the four steps to combining different decorating styles. 1)Talk about likes and dislikes of your current room. 2) Talk about your overall goals for the room. 3) Start to think and talk about how you want it to look and narrow down. 4) Start your MoodBoard!

38:00 - Next episode, we will discuss how to hire a contractor.

Let’s get social...

Explore these Resources

As promised, we have added links to our favorite projects, so you can get a sense of how much you can accomplish without spending a ton or having extraordinary skills

Easy & affordable DIY home projects that make a big impact (and happen to be some of our favorites):

DIY Painted Kitchen Cabinets Without Priming or Sanding- Over 5 years ago, we painted our kitchen cabinets without sanding or priming. YES, it is possible AND durable! Our painted cabinets still look amazing!
DIY Herringbone Plank Wall- We created a statement wall in our kitchen for FREE using wood from an old fence we tore down.
DIY Modern Plank Wall- For less than $100 and in just 2 days we created this modern plank wall in our foyer. It makes a huge impact.
DIY Electric Fireplace- Did you know you can add an electric fireplace to any room? You can! We did it. It was an easy project and requires no special skills (just patience).
DIY Concrete Fireplace- We created our dream concrete fireplace for under $100 (after contractors told us it couldn’t be done our would cost thousands of dollars)
DIY IKEA Hack for a Built-in Look- We purchased some basic dressers and bookcases from IKEA about 8 years ago. I painted them and stacked them on top of each other for the vibe of built-in furniture on a tiny budget.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An Introduction to Colorful Conversations May 07, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we discussed:

If you are a new listener to Colorful Conversations, we would love to hear from you. You can find us 24/7 on Instagram @tasha.kaleidoscope and Facebook at Kaleidoscope Living. You can also check out our YouTube channel. As a thank you for listening we have an awesome FREE guide called 5 Easy Steps to Design A Room You Love. Text designtips to 44222 and you will get the guide in your inbox!

1:00 Let’s get to know Tasha Agruso, the brainchild behind Kaleidoscope Living and the beginnings of her blogging journey.
5:00 First blog post - “How we transformed our laundry room for $71 out of pocket”, and how Tasha did it all while Joe was working a double shift.
7:00 Learn more about Joe, he explains what he brings to the DIY blog table as “his cheapness”. And learn how Joe’s career as a firefighter has lent time to their DIY projects.
8:50 Learn more about Thea - currently she contributes to Kaleidoscope Living as the “Content Manager” her title has changed many times as she has journeyed with Tasha.
10:10 Why Tasha decided Joe and Thea had to be on the podcast, and the perspectives they will bring to the podcast. Joe’s perspective is very helpful and Thea is a think tank professional #truthteller.
12:40 Learn about Designer In A Binder! To purchase Designer in a Binder, visit designerinabinder.com. And as a big thank you for listening, you can enter the code PODCAST to receive 25% off either package.
15:00 Tasha decided some changes needed to be made, starting with updating their bedroom furniture and they were shocked at the price, so Joe proclaimed “ I will build it”.
16:15 Joe begins his journey from never building anything in his life and started his journey with a bottom of the line circular saw and palm sander. He began building his first piece of furniture starting with two end tables and a headboard.
18:35 Tasha has an “aha” moment, realizing they can decorate on a budget -we can do this, create a home that is amazing. They don’t have to spend a fortune to do it and they don’t need super fancy tools to do it--it all evolved from there.
19:35 mins: “Your home matters so much more than you think it does, and it really does set the tone for everything else. It affects your happiness as you walk out the door to go to your job for the day, when you come home at the end of a stressful day that is where you need to recharge your batteries. If you hate parts of your house, it will negatively impact you.”
20:40 mins Tasha explains why the blog is called Kaleidoscope Living.
22.25 Links to our favorite projects below.
23:30 Free Guide: 5 steps to design a room you love. Text DesignTips all one word to 44222 and you will get the guide delivered to your inbox.

Let's get social...

As mentioned in this episode...

As promised, we have added links to our favorite projects, so you can get a sense of how much you can accomplish without spending a ton or having extraordinary skills.

Easy & affordable DIY home projects that make a big impact (and happen to be some of our favorites):

DIY Painted Kitchen Cabinets Without Priming or Sanding- Over 5 years ago, we painted our kitchen cabinets without sanding or priming. YES, it is possible AND durable! Our painted cabinets still look amazing!
DIY Herringbone Plank Wall- We created a statement wall in our kitchen for FREE using wood from an old fence we tore down.
DIY Modern Plank Wall- For less than $100 and in just 2 days we created this modern plank wall in our foyer. It makes a huge impact.
DIY Electric Fireplace- Did you know you can add an electric fireplace to any room? You can! We did it. It was an easy project and requires no special skills (just patience).
DIY Concrete Fireplace- We created our dream concrete fireplace for under $100 (after contractors told us it couldn’t be done our would cost thousands of dollars)
DIY IKEA Hack for a Built-in Look- We purchased some basic dressers and bookcases from IKEA about 8 years ago. I painted them and stacked them on top of each other for the vibe of built-in furniture on a tiny budget.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.