Afleveringen
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Episode Title
Original Air Date: 07/08/26 Episode Number: 467
Episode SummaryA full episode this week. Dan picks up the smoke smell series with fabric, carpet, upholstery, and the full cigarette smoke remediation process -- including the right primer and why it's step four, not step one. Then a long segment on painting in summer heat: surface temps vs. air temps, when to start, when to quit, how to chase the cool shade, bees on ladders, and the best products for the job. He closes with a cement truck taking out his power line, his electrician son saving the day, and a case for encouraging the next generation toward the trades.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Show Intro and Teaser[01:16] -- Microwave Fire Story[04:27] -- Wash Smoke Out of Fabrics[06:22] -- Carpet and Upholstery Deodorizing[09:47] -- Cigarette Smoke Reality Check[11:15] -- Deep Clean and Remove Odors[15:00] -- Prime and Repaint Correctly[18:53] -- Heat Weather Painting Setup[19:28] -- Heat Lovers and Painting Risks[21:13] -- Heat Painting Is Fine[21:39] -- Air vs. Surface Temp[23:10] -- Hot Surface Failures[24:01] -- Start Early, Plan Your Walls[25:13] -- Chase the Cool Shade[26:34] -- Infrared Thermometer Hack[27:35] -- Quit Before the Dew[28:16] -- Heat Safety and Breaks[29:11] -- Bees and Ladder Panic[32:47] -- Treat Your Crew Right[33:46] -- Best Paint for Heat[35:27] -- Power Pole Chaos Story[37:32] -- Why Trades Matter[39:41] -- Wrap Up and Events
Microwave Fire Story [01:16]Dan circles back to the microwave fire story from a couple weeks ago. His daughter put a cherry pit heating bag -- the kind you warm up in the microwave, no cords, homemade, probably acquired at a flea market in Shipshewana -- in for 20 minutes instead of two. Flames ensued. He hauled the microwave outside in his underwear at bedtime. Kids still love that story.
He covered getting the smell off hard surfaces in episode 465 (find it at repcolite.com). Today he's picking up what he didn't have time for then: getting smoke smell out of fabrics.
Wash Smoke Out of Fabrics [04:27]Fabrics act like odor sponges. After any kind of kitchen fire or smoke event, the first step is getting everything washable off the walls and into the machine -- curtains, slipcovers, throw blankets, pillows, towels, rugs if possible.
No special detergent required. Start with regular laundry detergent and the warmest water the fabric can handle. Don't cram everything into one load -- the fabric needs room to move so the soap and water can actually pull the smoke residue out.
The important rule before the dryer: do the sniff test. If it still smells smoky, wash it again. Don't dry it yet. Dryer heat can lock odors in and make them significantly harder to remove. Once it smells clean, then dry it.
Carpet and Upholstery Deodorizing [06:22]For things that can't go in the washing machine, start by vacuuming thoroughly. Smoke leaves behind particles and residue that are physically sitting in the fibers. Vacuuming first gives you a better starting point before adding anything wet.
From there, baking soda -- plain, unscented -- can help absorb and reduce odors. Sprinkle it on, let it sit overnight, then vacuum it up completely. Dan is cautious about the heavily scented carpet deodorizers because they can mask the problem rather than solve it.
For tougher situations, OdoBan (O-D-O-B-A-N) markets products specifically for smoke odors that can be misted onto carpet and upholstery. It neutralizes rather than masks. Follow the label carefully, test a hidden spot first, and don't soak anything.
If the smoke smell is light, baking soda or a fabric-safe neutralizer may be enough. If it's strong, actual carpet or upholstery cleaning may be necessary. And if the odor has gotten into the carpet pad or foam backing, surface treatments may only mask things temporarily -- in those cases, replacement may be the only real fix.
Cigarette Smoke Reality Check [09:47]Cigarette smoke is the same problem as kitchen smoke, just dramatically worse. Instead of one event, you're dealing with months or years of buildup. Nicotine and tar accumulate on walls, ceilings, in carpet, drapes, cabinets, ductwork, insulation, and unfinished wood. It yellows paint. It gets into everything. It's a big job, and it has to be treated like one.
Deep Clean and Remove Odors [11:15]Step 1: Remove what you can. Old curtains, old carpet, old blinds -- anything soft that's holding the odor. If it's reasonable to just pull it out and start fresh, that's usually the easier path. Don't try to rescue things that aren't worth the effort.
Step 2: Wash everything down. Everything. Walls, ceilings, trim, doors, cabinets, closets, inside drawers, light fixtures, fan blades, switch plates, outlet covers. Anywhere smoke residue could have settled over years.
The choice of cleaner depends on the goal. If you're trying to preserve the existing paint and avoid repainting, start mild -- warm water with Dawn dish soap, gentle enough not to damage the finish. Don't scrub aggressively. Don't soak the walls. Test anything stronger in a hidden spot first.
If the odor is coming back after a mild wash, or if you've already decided to repaint, then you're not trying to save the old paint anymore. At that point, a degreaser or TSP substitute can come in. Still: follow the label, protect nearby surfaces, rinse thoroughly, and let everything dry completely before priming. Cleaner residue can cause problems just like smoke residue.
Step 3: Replace HVAC filters. If the smell is heavy, it may be worth calling a duct cleaning company and asking specifically about their process for smoke-affected systems. Some use deodorizers or neutralizers after cleaning -- worth asking about before assuming they're not needed.
Prime and Repaint Correctly [15:00]This is where most people go wrong. After cleaning, they roll on new paint and it looks and smells fine -- for a week. Then the stain and odor start coming back through.
For cigarette smoke and nicotine, you need a true stain-blocking or odor-blocking primer after cleaning and before painting. A shellac-based primer like BIN is a reliable choice. RepcoLite Zip Prime is an oil-based option that will block smoke stains and water stains effectively. It cleans up with mineral spirits, but it gets the job done. It's on sale this month at RepcoLite and is available in spray cans -- which makes it a handy fix if you've got a few water damage spots on a ceiling you want to seal without breaking out brushes and rollers.
Dan's caution on water-based stain blockers: they can work in some situations, but with heavy cigarette smoke and persistent odor, don't cut corners. Ventilate well and use the shellac or oil-based products that are built for this kind of problem.
The full sequence for cigarette smoke:
Remove what's holding the odorVentilate and filter the airWash and rinse all surfacesPrime with the right productPaintPrimer is step four, not step one. A lot of people skip straight to it and wonder why the smell keeps coming back.
When to call a professional: if there was an actual fire (not just a small appliance incident), if there's visible soot beyond one small area, or if smoke got deep into the HVAC system, a restoration company may be the right call rather than DIY.
Heat Painting Is Fine -- With the Right Approach [21:13]People ask constantly whether they can paint outside in summer heat. The answer is yes -- with conditions. The problems come from working like it's a 75-degree day in May when it's not.
Air vs. Surface Temp [21:39]The most common mistake in hot-weather painting: looking at the weather app, seeing 88 degrees, checking the paint can and seeing a range up to 100 degrees, and assuming everything is fine.
The number on the app is air temperature. Paint doesn't care about just air temperature -- it cares about the surface it's going onto. A wall or siding that's been baking in direct sun can run 15 to 20 degrees hotter than the surrounding air. The app says 88, the south wall could easily be 105 or 110. That's the number that matters.
Hot Surface Failures [23:10]Paint applied to an overheated surface dries almost the instant it touches. That sounds fast and convenient. It's not. You can't blend edges before they set, so you get lap marks -- visible streaks where one pass overlaps the next. The paint can bubble or blister. And the bigger problem: it doesn't get the chance to bond properly to the surface. A job that looks fine in July can start letting go within a year or two, or faster, because the adhesion was compromised from the start.
Start Early, Plan Your Walls [24:01]In extreme heat, start early -- but not before the dew has burned off. A damp surface is a problem too. The rule: start early, but only after the surface is fully dry.
Once you start, be strategic. If one side of the house is going to get hit by sun first, and it's still cool, that may be the place to begin --...
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Original Air Date: July 4, 2026 Episode Number: 466
Episode SummaryIt's the annual Home In Progress Fourth of July Extravaganza. This year Dan covers three topics connected to the Revolutionary era: the Liberty Bell, and how almost everything most people think they know about it is a little off; colonial curb appeal, what colors those front doors actually were, and why any of that matters for your house today; and the real story of Betsy Ross -- not the polished legend, but the full picture of a feisty, independent tradeswoman who kept getting knocked down and kept getting back up. Better than the myth. More American, too.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Fourth of July Kickoff[00:34] -- Liberty Bell Origins[01:45] -- Revolution Myths Debunked[03:09] -- The Bell Was a Lemon[04:44] -- How It Got Its Name[05:41] -- Break[06:39] -- Colonial Curb Appeal[08:07] -- Real Colonial House Colors[10:02] -- Paint Forensics Explained[13:23] -- Classic Door Color Palette[16:55] -- Why Door Color Still Matters[18:38] -- Paint Project Payoff[19:23] -- Betsy Ross Legend Setup[19:59] -- 1776 Flag Shop Scene[23:59] -- Meet Elizabeth Griscom[24:38] -- Trade Skills and Elopement[29:16] -- Widowhood and Resilience[31:57] -- Washington Bed Hangings Proof[34:29] -- Did She Make the First Flag[35:51] -- Why the Myth Spread[37:34] -- Real Betsy Ross Legacy[39:31] -- Fourth of July Signoff
THE LIBERTY BELLLiberty Bell Origins [00:34]Most people can picture the Liberty Bell -- big bronze bell, long jagged crack running up the side. Most people also have the story at least a little wrong.
The bell was not made for the Revolution. It was ordered in 1751, a full 25 years before the Declaration of Independence, for the Pennsylvania State House. The most likely occasion was the 50th anniversary of Pennsylvania's original constitution, a document called the Charter of Privileges, written by William Penn in 1701.
It happened to be in the Pennsylvania State House -- the building we now call Independence Hall -- when the Declaration of Independence was debated and adopted. It was there. So was dirt. Nobody's made a monument out of that either.
Revolution Myths Debunked [01:45]There's a story that the Liberty Bell rang out to call people to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Dan loves that story. Historians do not. No evidence supports it, and the general conclusion is that it was made up.
The Bell Was a Lemon [03:09]The bell was ordered from a London foundry, shipped to Philadelphia, unpacked, and rung for the first time. On that first ring, it cracked. Two Philadelphia metalworkers -- John Pass and John Stow -- offered to fix it. They melted it down and cast a new one. That one didn't sound right. They melted it down again and cast another. The bell we know today is that second attempt. Three tries, two complete restarts.
How It Got Its Name [04:44]For most of its existence, the bell was called the State House Bell or the Bell in the Steeple. The name Liberty Bell first appeared not during the Revolution but in abolitionist circles in the 1830s. People fighting to end slavery noticed a verse from Leviticus engraved on the bell: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants thereof." They claimed it as their symbol and renamed it the Liberty Bell. The name eventually stuck.
The Liberty Bell, in other words, is named for a fight that came decades after the Revolution ended.
COLONIAL FRONT DOORSColonial Curb Appeal [06:39]In late 1700s New England, a lot of homeowners put their money, skill, and creativity almost exclusively into the front of the house. The face you showed the road. That side got clapboard siding, embellishments around the windows and doors, and paint. The sides and the back were often covered in rougher shingles and left to weather -- going gray, brown, silver in the salt air, depending on the climate. Nobody who mattered was looking at the back of the house. That's where the family went. The important people came to the front.
Real Colonial House Colors [08:07]Most people picture colonial houses as white. White is part of the story but not the whole story. In the late 1700s, a clapboard house might be white or off-white if the owner had money, but it might just as easily be red-brown, yellow ochre, gray, or tan -- or just left to weather, particularly on simpler rural homes.
The one place that almost always got paint, even when the rest of the house didn't, was the front door. It was the place to make a statement without the expense of painting an entire house. That was true 250 years ago and it's still true today.
Paint Forensics Explained [10:02]How do we actually know what colors colonial houses were painted? The original paint is buried under 20 coats applied over two centuries, and old paintings of the buildings can't be trusted -- the artist may have taken liberties, and the pigments in the paintings fade over time.
The answer is cross-section microscopy. A conservator finds a protected spot where old paint survived -- behind a shutter hinge, under a piece of molding -- and takes a sample smaller than the head of a pin. That sample gets set in clear resin, polished down, and examined from the side under a microscope. Every coat of paint the building ever wore shows up as its own distinct layer. Count down to the very first one, identify the pigments, adjust for yellowing and fading, and you know the original color.
The man who pioneered this in America is Frank Welsh. He's read the paint on Independence Hall, the White House, and Grand Central Terminal, and saved over 50,000 samples in his career. In the 1980s and '90s, Colonial Williamsburg brought him in to study their historic buildings -- and what he found turned everything upside down.
For decades, people assumed colonial colors were soft, muted, grayed down. Turns out that look was just old, dirty, faded paint. The real colors were bolder, brighter, and more saturated than anyone believed. Williamsburg has gone back and repainted buildings to match what the science found. The colonists liked color a lot more than we gave them credit for.
Classic Door Color Palette [13:23]If you were walking through a New England town in the late 1770s, these are the door colors you'd have likely seen:
Deep red-brown. Iron in the soil -- the same stuff that makes rust red -- produced a family of dull, brick-red earth colors. One common version was called Spanish brown. Dirt cheap, in the most literal sense of the phrase, and very common on doors and trim.
Deep green. A dark, earthy green was a popular choice for doors and shutters. The classic colonial green door has roots going back to this period, which is part of why it still reads as traditional today.
Black. More common as you move into the early 1800s. It looked formal, looked sharp, looked especially good against a pale house.
White and off-white. These came from white lead, which was expensive. A crisp white door was a quiet declaration that there was money in the house. What looks like an understated choice today was a statement then.
Prussian blue. A rich, deep, slightly greenish blue that arrived as a new pigment in the early 1700s and became a sensation. A blue door said you could afford something special.
Vermilion red. The most expensive of all. A brilliant, clean fire-engine red that came from a pigment worth nearly its weight in gold at certain points in history. A truly bright red door was the loudest possible way to tell the world you had money.
Why Door Color Still Matters [16:55]When Dan pictures colonial America, he pictures parchment tones -- old paper, brown wood, gray stone, candlelight. Even the red, white, and blue of the flag feels muted in his mental image. But these people cared about color. They cared about curb appeal, they just didn't have the phrase for it. The front door was where homeowners made that statement without the expense of painting the whole house.
Two hundred and fifty years later, people still stand in front of the paint display and agonize over a quart of paint for the same reason. The front door speaks before anyone inside gets a chance to. That was true in 1775 and it's still true now.
Paint Project Payoff [18:38]If you're looking for a summer weekend project, Dan's case is simple: look at your front door. What is it saying to the world? What is it saying to you? If the message needs to change, stop into any RepcoLite location and they'll help find the right color. It's a quart of paint and about four hours of work. The payoff is big.
THE REAL BETSY ROSSBetsy Ross Legend Setup [19:23]Dan sets up the Betsy Ross segment by acknowledging that most people know some version of the legend. Before getting into whether it's true, he wants to introduce the real woman -- because she's considerably more interesting than the simplified version most of us grew up with.
1776 Flag Shop Scene [19:59]Philadelphia, June 1776. A secret committee...
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Episode Summary
This week on Home In Progress, Dan opens with a story about a flaming microwave, a snowbank, and a pair of whitey tighties -- and turns it into a genuinely useful guide on getting smoke smell out of your home. He's then joined by Jeff Mot, manager of the Lakewood RepcoLite, to talk about a car show and ice cream social coming to that store on July 18. Then Dan picks up where last week's bathroom lighting conversation left off, diving into something almost nobody considers: what the color on your bathroom walls is doing to your face in the mirror every morning. He closes with a Hannah SpaghettiO story that leads directly into the case for handy paint cups and pails -- both on sale through the end of June.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Show Preview[00:48] -- Microwave Fire Story[02:56] -- Smoke Smell Fixes[03:47] -- Wash Away the Residue[06:40] -- Car Show Tease[07:06] -- Event Basics: Lakewood Car Show and Ice Cream Social[09:11] -- Why Jeff Loves Cars[10:15] -- What Makes Car Shows Fun[13:08] -- Why RepcoLite Hosts[14:50] -- Family Friendly Details[15:22] -- Directions and Construction Note[16:02] -- Bring Your Classic Ride[17:24] -- Rusty Car Banter[17:38] -- Ice Cream Social Details[18:06] -- Event Details Recap[18:43] -- Bathroom Color Cast[24:04] -- Worst Bathroom Colors[26:53] -- Makeup Gone Wrong[31:15] -- Flattering Color Picks[33:25] -- Sample Testing Tips[35:13] -- Cut-In Bucket Story[38:19] -- Handy Paint Pails Pitch[39:54] -- Wrap Up and Sign Off
Microwave Fire Story [00:48]Dan's daughter punched an extra zero into the microwave and walked away. Twenty minutes later, Dan spotted smoke, ran into the kitchen, found something spinning around with actual flames coming out of it, grabbed the microwave, ran outside barefoot in his underwear, and threw it into a snowbank. In Zeeland. Around 10 at night. The kids have loved that story ever since.
The aftermath is what the segment is actually about. The smoke smell wouldn't leave. Day after day, it just sat there. If that's happened to you, here's how to actually fix it.
Smoke Smell Fixes [02:56]Step 1: Ventilation and filtration.
Open windows, run exhaust fans, use box fans to push air out. If the smoke moved through the HVAC system, replace the furnace filter -- smoke particles can get pulled into the return and stay there. A portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter helps pull fine particles out of the air. Do all of this first, but understand that ventilation alone almost never fully solves a smoke smell.
Wash Away the Residue [03:47]Step 2: Wash everything.
The key thing to understand: smoke isn't just something floating in the air. It's made up of tiny particles and oily residues that land on every surface in the room -- curtains, upholstery, carpet, cabinets, walls, ceilings, clothing, all the little cracks and crevices. That's why airing the place out isn't enough. You have to physically remove the residue.
Start at the source. If it was a microwave fire, unplug it, remove everything removable, and wash all of it separately. Then spread out: walls, ceilings, cabinets, doors, trim, light fixtures, switch plates, top of the refrigerator. All the surfaces that don't normally get cleaned. Smoke residue is oily, so one pass usually isn't enough -- clean, rinse, change the water, and go again.
Cleaners: A mild Dawn dish soap solution works well on painted surfaces. Krud Kutter and Champion are solid degreasers for non-painted areas. After washing, OdoBan (O-D-O-B-A-N) is a cleaner and heavy-duty odor neutralizer that can knock out what remains. Vinegar, baking soda, and activated charcoal are supporting players -- not substitutes for actually scrubbing everything down.
Cigarette smoke is a different conversation -- Dan plans to cover that in a future episode.
Lakewood Car Show and Ice Cream Social [07:06]Dan is joined by Jeff Mott, manager of the Lakewood RepcoLite, to talk about a car show and ice cream social coming to the store.
Date: Saturday, July 18 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Note: flyers say 11 to 1 -- it's 11 to 2) Location: Lakewood RepcoLite
Jeff has been trying to get Dan to host a car show for roughly five years. He owns a 1966 International Scout and grew up around old cars. The event is part of RepcoLite's Summer Stops program -- different events at different store locations throughout the summer, built around community and getting to know customers and contractors better.
The Corvette Club will be there with vehicles ranging from brand-new to 1950s and '60s models. Jeff is also welcoming any old cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The appeal of a show like this, Dan has come to understand, is the stories that come with the vehicles -- the restoration history, cars passed down through families, little museums on easels in the parking lot. That part Dan can actually get into.
Admission: Free Ice cream: Free, while supplies last, with toppings Bring a classic vehicle: No registration required -- just show up and they'll direct you. If you want to give them a heads-up, call 616-393-0025. Directions note: Road construction on Lakewood Drive limits access to westbound traffic from 120th. You can get in, you can get out, but plan accordingly.
Dan will continue reminding listeners as July 18 gets closer.
Bathroom Color Cast [18:43]Last week's show covered bathroom lighting and how a poorly lit mirror can make you look worse than you are. Dan adds a second layer: the color on your bathroom walls.
He sets it up with a moment from his own week. Walking through the warehouse where he works, he noticed an entire section had gone pink. Bright pink panels had been moved into a spot where they were catching the sun and reflecting it everywhere. Nothing had actually changed -- it just looked that way.
Your bathroom walls do the same thing, every morning, to your face. The color reflects back onto your skin while you're standing at the mirror. Most people have no idea it's happening.
Photographers call it color cast. Whatever color surrounds you gets cast onto you. Photography studios often paint their walls flat neutral gray to avoid adding a false tint -- they want the true skin tone, then they warm it up with lighting from there. Makeup artists watch for this constantly. A colored wall, a bright shirt, anything nearby can throw a tint onto a face and change the whole look.
Bathrooms are especially susceptible because of the combination: small space (you're close to the walls), you're staring into a mirror, and bathrooms tend to be among the more brightly lit rooms in the house. All of that means more wall color gets bounced back at you.
Two jobs, not one. Most of the time, when choosing a paint color, you ask how it will look in the space. In a bathroom, you have to ask a second question: how will I look in it? A moody charcoal or a deep, trendy green can look beautiful on the walls and still make the person standing in the room look a little unwell. The room can be magazine-worthy and the color still be wrong for you. That's a distinction people almost never make.
Worst Bathroom Colors [24:04]Yellow and yellow-green. Especially anything with green in it. Reflects a sallow, slightly sickly cast onto skin. Cancels out the natural pink and red tones that make a complexion look healthy and awake.
Strong reds. A bold red throws a heavy warm cast over everything, including your face. The stronger the color, the more tint it pushes around.
Gray. This one surprises people. Photography studios use gray walls because gray tells the truth -- no invented tint. But without warm lighting aimed at you, that truth isn't always flattering. Gray tends to drain warmth out of a face and leave it looking flat and washed out. Given how long gray has dominated bathroom design, a lot of people may be dealing with this every morning without knowing it.
Makeup Gone Wrong [26:53]For anyone who wears makeup, a bad wall color doesn't just affect how you look -- it affects what decisions you make getting ready.
If the wall casts a color onto your face while you're applying makeup, you're working with inaccurate information. Say the wall makes you look sallow and tired -- you compensate, adjust your color, add more than you normally would. But you're correcting for a problem the room invented. You walk outside into real daylight with makeup calibrated for a wrong starting point, and nothing looks right. Everyone else sees what's on your face. You were perfectly matched for your bathroom wall. That's the mismatch.
Flattering Color Picks [31:15]Soft, warm neutrals. Warm whites, soft peach, muted pink, warm beige. These reflect a gentle warm glow onto skin that flatters nearly everyone. It's like standing in good morning light.
Muted nature colors....
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Episode Summary
This week on Home In Progress, Dan dedicates the whole show to bathroom remodels -- why they're trending, and how to think one through before spending anything. He covers the tub-or-shower decision, storage planning, lighting that stops working against you, upgrades worth baking in while walls are open, aging-in-place choices, and a full closing section on painting the bathroom right. A practical episode worth saving if a bathroom is anywhere on your horizon.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Bathrooms Are Trending[02:15] -- Start With What Bugs You[05:04] -- Tubs or Showers First[07:45] -- Freestanding Tub Reality Check[10:43] -- Tub to Shower Conversion[13:41] -- Storage That Fits Life[16:15] -- Smart Storage Ideas[18:31] -- Bathroom Lighting Problems[19:25] -- Why Mirrors Make You Cringe[20:22] -- Fixing Harsh Shadows[21:43] -- Layered Lighting Basics[22:14] -- Mirror Task Lighting[23:56] -- Sconce Placement Tips[24:54] -- Shower and Night Lighting[26:02] -- Bulb Temperature Consistency[28:00] -- Remodel Upgrades to Add[30:44] -- Aging in Place Choices[33:52] -- Bathroom Paint Essentials[37:02] -- Paint Cure and Humidity[39:10] -- Prep and Tight Spaces[41:19] -- Ceilings and Caulk[43:05] -- Wrap Up and Store Deals
Bathrooms Are Trending [00:00]Bathroom remodels aren't overtaking kitchens -- kitchens are still the most popular project -- but bathrooms are closing the gap. They're smaller, usually less expensive, and more manageable. And the daily impact is bigger than most people give them credit for. If a kitchen remodel feels out of reach right now, a bathroom is worth serious consideration.
Start With What Bugs You [02:15]Before looking at tile or faucets, walk through the bathroom you have and write down everything that bothers you. Not what you'd love to have -- what actually annoys you about the space right now. A lot of renovations look great but feel disappointing because they didn't solve the actual problems. New finishes don't fix a bad morning. Start with what the bathroom needs to fix, then work forward from there.
Tubs or Showers First [05:04]The shower or tub is the biggest decision in any bathroom remodel and where serious money gets spent. Dan breaks it into two parts: what fits your life better (some people love a bath; others haven't taken one voluntarily in years), and what fits your existing bathroom layout. Getting swept up in a vision without looking honestly at the space is where projects get expensive.
Freestanding Tub Reality Check [07:45]A freestanding soaking tub is a popular idea that can get complicated fast. Most existing bathrooms have an alcove setup -- tub against three walls, drain in place, plumbing at one end. Switching to a freestanding tub means relocating the drain, addressing the floor and walls after the old surround comes out, and making sure there's enough clearance around the tub for it to look intentional.
The alternative worth knowing about: deeper alcove tubs, drop-in tubs, or soaking tubs designed to fit a traditional footprint. These can deliver the soaking experience without requiring a full redesign. Even replacing an older alcove tub with a newer one in the same footprint can be a meaningful gain.
Tub to Shower Conversion [10:43]If baths aren't your thing, converting a tub surround to a walk-in shower is often a practical fit for what most bathrooms already have. Plumbing can often stay in roughly the same location, the footprint works, and the project tends to line up more naturally with the existing space than a freestanding tub would.
One thing to stop and think about first: is this the only tub in the house? Families with young kids need one. Pet owners often do too. Future buyers may care. That doesn't mean you keep it -- just means the decision should be deliberate.
Storage That Fits Life [13:41]Storage isn't the exciting part of a remodel, but it may be the biggest factor in whether a renovated bathroom still feels good two weeks after the job is done. Before choosing a vanity, go back to your list of annoyances and ask honestly whether storage is on it -- and whether it should be.
The practical question isn't what vanity looks good. It's what the vanity needs to do. Drawers let you see what you have; deep cabinets swallow things. A vanity drawer with a built-in outlet keeps hair tools off the counter. Storage that matches how you actually live beats storage that just looks organized in the showroom.
Smart Storage Ideas [16:15]If the footprint isn't changing, there are usually more options than it feels like. Going vertical -- tall cabinets, shelving from counter to ceiling, built-in storage above the toilet -- can add meaningful capacity without touching the floor plan. Recessed medicine cabinets don't have to look like the metal box from 1978; modern versions are framed, mirror-faced, and look like part of the room. And awkward spots -- a dead corner, a gap beside the vanity -- are worth a second look.
Better storage organization inside existing space also counts: drawer organizers, pull-outs, a bottom drawer for towels or toilet paper. Build the answer in. Don't assume things will find a home after the remodel if they haven't found one yet.
Bathroom Lighting [18:31]Bathroom lighting is often bad in ways people don't fully notice. One harsh overhead fixture, or a row of bulbs above the mirror, creates shadows on the face -- under the eyes, under the nose, under the chin -- that make people look older and more tired than they are. If you walk into your bathroom every morning and immediately want to look somewhere else, the lighting may be a bigger factor than you think.
Why mirrors make you cringe [19:25] -- Most bathroom lighting is designed to illuminate the room, not the person at the mirror. A ceiling fixture in the middle of the room does the former. It doesn't do the latter well.
Fixing harsh shadows [20:22] -- Light from both sides of the mirror is significantly better than light from above. Sconces on either side spread light evenly across the face, cut shadows, and make grooming more accurate. If side lighting isn't possible, a long horizontal fixture above the mirror is better than a single small bulb.
Layered lighting [21:43] -- Good bathroom lighting usually comes from more than one source. General light -- ceiling fixture, recessed lights, or both -- makes the room usable. Task lighting at the mirror is where the real work gets done. One fixture can't do both jobs well.
Mirror task lighting [22:14] -- The goal is light on your face, from roughly face level. That's what reduces shadows. A fixture above the mirror alone usually can't deliver that.
Sconce placement [23:56] -- Height matters. Too low creates the campfire-flashlight effect. Too high brings the shadows back. Aim for face-level illumination, and let the person who needs the most help from the lighting make the call on placement.
Shower and night lighting [24:54] -- A shower with walls that block the main room's light probably needs its own fixture. A dark shower feels less clean and less comfortable than it should. Night lighting is the thing people forget: a dimmer, toe-kick lighting, or a softer secondary source lets you use the bathroom at odd hours without switching on every bulb in the room.
Bulb temperature consistency [26:02] -- Cool bulbs feel sterile; warm bulbs can make whites and skin tones look strange. A warm neutral bulb is a solid starting point for most bathrooms. More important than the specific temperature is keeping it consistent across all fixtures. Mismatched bulb temperatures can make the room feel off in a way that's hard to identify -- paint reads differently in different spots, tile can shift color. Sort out lighting before finalizing paint colors or any other choices sensitive to light.
Remodel Upgrades to Add [28:00]When a bathroom is torn apart, some things are much easier to add than they'll ever be again. Worth at least pricing out:
Heated floors -- bathroom square footage is small, and if the old floor is already coming up, now is the time to askVentilation -- a weak or struggling fan should be replaced now, not after it causes moisture damage to a freshly renovated roomOutlet placement -- if outlets are always in the wrong spot, fix it while walls are openShower niche -- easier to build in now than to add laterShower lighting -- while the walls are accessibleBlocking for grab bars -- you may not want them now, but blocking costs almost nothing during a remodel and makes installation easy whenever you do
Aging in Place Choices [30:44]If you plan to be in the home long-term, a remodel is a good moment to make choices that work better as you age. This doesn't have to look like a care facility. Options have improved considerably. A curbless shower can look modern. A wider shower entry feels more open. A shower bench can feel spa-like. A handheld...
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Original Air Date: June 2025 Episode Number: 463
Episode SummaryThis week on Home In Progress, Dan tells the story of Earl Young -- a self-taught architect from Charlevoix, Michigan who never finished his degree, never drew a blueprint, and never really cared what the architecture establishment thought of him. What he left behind are some of the most unusual homes in the Midwest: curved stone walls, swooping roofs, fireplaces that feel like the center of the universe, and boulders he spent decades hauling out of Lake Michigan. Dan covers the full story -- where Young came from, how he worked, and what eventually happened to the neighborhood he built. Then he takes six design lessons from Young's approach and applies them to homes most of us actually live in.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Opening: Rain, Roofs, and a Dead Sprinkler Pump[01:40] -- Charlevoix, Michigan[02:34] -- The Mushroom Houses[05:15] -- Earl Young: Origins[09:05] -- Breaking With the Rules[13:41] -- Vision and Inspirations[16:39] -- No Blueprints[19:31] -- The Boulder Problem[24:24] -- The Weathervane Restaurant and the 9-Ton Boulder[26:26] -- Fireplace as the Heart of the House[28:08] -- Legacy[29:22] -- How to Visit[32:29] -- Six Design Lessons from Earl Young
Opening: Rain, Roofs, and a Dead Sprinkler Pump [00:00]Dan opens with the classic split-brain problem of being a homeowner in summer. He's relieved that rain is coming -- the yard needs it. He is not relieved that rain is coming -- the roof has been suspicious lately. Then, one more thing: the sprinkler pump died. Standard summer. He moves on quickly.
Charlevoix, Michigan [01:40]Before getting to the houses, Dan sets the scene. Charlevoix sits on a narrow isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. It's a resort town -- the kind of place people drive through and immediately start calculating whether they could afford to move there. It's also the kind of place that, if you grew up on its beaches and walked them long enough as a kid, could do something permanent to the way you see the natural world.
The Mushroom Houses [02:34]Charlevoix has a neighborhood most people don't know about unless someone tips them off. The houses there don't look like anything else. Curved stone walls. Rooflines that swoop down low to the ground. Windows tucked into stone like they were always meant to be there. The whole feel of the place is fairy-tale -- which is why people have been calling them hobbit houses, gnome houses, and Flintstone houses for decades.
They have an official nickname too: the Mushroom Houses. Named for the way the rooflines spread outward from the walls, sort of like a cap on a stem. Once you know that, you can't unsee it.
They were all built by the same man. One man, working from dirt sketches and intuition, over most of his adult life.
Earl Young: Origins [05:15]Earl Young was born in 1889 in Mancelona, Michigan. He moved to Charlevoix with his family around age 11. His parents divorced -- which wasn't common then -- and Young spent a lot of time on his own, walking the beaches around town. He wasn't doing anything in particular. He was just out there, picking up rocks, watching water, paying attention to the way the land looked.
He fell in love with stones. Big ones specifically. The kind of boulders that Lake Michigan just deposits on the shore like it has nowhere else to put them. Most people walk around them. Young was already thinking about what he could do with them.
Breaking With the Rules [09:05]Young went to the University of Michigan to study architecture. He lasted about a year. The curriculum was heavy on classical styles -- Victorian, Greek revival, Roman influence -- and Young had no patience for it. He didn't come to school to copy old European buildings. He went home to Charlevoix.
For a while he sold insurance and real estate. He wasn't building yet. But he was watching. He kept picking up rocks.
He eventually started building. No firm, no staff, no architecture license. Just an eye for stone, an instinct for how a building should sit on a piece of land, and a willingness to take as long as it took to do things the way he wanted them done.
Vision and Inspirations [13:41]Dan identifies three things that shaped the way Young approached his work.
The first was Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy -- not Wright's specific style, but the underlying idea that a building should belong to its site. It shouldn't be dropped onto a lot. It should feel like it grew there. Young took that idea and ran with it in his own direction.
The second was his rejection of academic architecture. Everything he'd been asked to learn and repeat in school was exactly what he didn't want to do. The rebellion wasn't just aesthetic -- it was personal.
The third was the stones. Young's whole sensibility came from what Lake Michigan left on the shore. The materials weren't a choice he made at a building supply store. They were the starting point for everything else.
No Blueprints [16:39]Young did not draw blueprints. When he had an idea for a house, he went outside and drew his plan in the dirt with a stick. He'd sketch the layout right there on the ground, work it out, make adjustments, and that was the plan.
His wife Irene was an art teacher. At some point she started translating his dirt sketches and descriptions into actual drawings -- not formal blueprints, but enough that a builder could follow them. The designs came from him. She put them on paper. They worked like that for years.
The Boulder Problem [19:31]Young didn't just use the rocks he could find lying around. He hunted for specific ones. When he found a boulder he wanted, he'd sometimes bury it in the woods to keep it safe until he needed it. Or he'd sink it in Lake Michigan and come back for it later.
Dan compares this to hiding GI Joes as a kid -- the careful stashing of things you intend to retrieve. Except the things Young was hiding weighed several tons.
When it was time to retrieve a boulder, he'd bring in teams of workhorses. No machinery, no cranes in the early years. Just horses, ropes, and however many men it took to move something that heavy across however much ground stood between the boulder and the house.
The Weathervane Restaurant and the 9-Ton Boulder [24:24]The clearest example of how far Young would go for the right stone is the Weathervane Restaurant in Charlevoix. He built it. And for that building, he had been saving a single boulder -- nine tons -- for 26 years.
When they finally set it in place, the floor sank. The supports weren't adequate for a 9-ton rock sitting on them indefinitely. They had to redo the foundation underneath it before they could move on.
Young didn't reconsider the rock. He redid the floor.
The Weathervane is still there. The boulder is still there too.
Fireplace as the Heart of the House [26:26]Young treated the fireplace as the center of everything. Not a feature of the house -- the heart of it. In a lot of cases the fireplace was the first thing he designed, and the rest of the floor plan grew outward from there.
The fireplaces in his houses are big and boulder-built, and they feel exactly as permanent as they look. They're not decorative. They're structural in the emotional sense of that word -- the thing the rest of the room organizes itself around.
Legacy [28:08]Young built somewhere around 26 to 28 homes and three or four commercial buildings over his career. His last major project was the Castle House, which he worked on from 1970 to 1973. By then he was legally blind. He designed parts of it by touch -- running his hands over stone and timber to make decisions he couldn't make with his eyes anymore.
He died in 1975. His last act, reportedly, was directing the placement of a boulder at the entrance to his neighborhood. Not a plaque, not a sign. A rock. In the right spot.
How to Visit [29:22]The homes are private property. You can drive through the neighborhood and see them from the street -- people do that all the time and it's welcome. Just don't go up to the windows. They're people's houses.
The Weathervane Restaurant is open to the public. You can eat there, walk around, and see the 9-ton boulder up close. Dan recommends it. Website: weathervanerestaurant.com.
Earl Young's personal home is available to rent on Airbnb. If you want to actually sleep in one of the houses, that's how you do it.
Six Design Lessons from Earl Young [32:29]Dan spends the back half of the episode pulling practical design lessons out of Young's approach. Not abstract principles -- specific things a regular homeowner can actually do.
1. Snag What Speaks to You [32:29]Dan tells a story about a Cleopatra bust he found years ago. Bought it without knowing what he'd do with it. Then built a whole corner of a room around it -- brass candlesticks, an Art Nouveau painting of Cleopatra by a Michigan artist, pieces that fit the theme. The room came from the object, not the other way around.
Young did the same thing with rocks. He found something he loved, and let that be the starting point. Most people wait until they have a plan before they start collecting anything. Young's lesson -- and Dan's -- is that sometimes the piece you can't explain wanting is the piece that tells you what to...
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Note: This episode originally aired in June 2025. The RepcoLite Endura sale mentioned at the end ran through the end of that month.
Episode SummaryThis week on Home In Progress, Dan dedicates the entire show to one topic: choosing exterior paint colors without the stress, the second-guessing, or the Smurf house. He adapts a color training that RepcoLite's own Haley developed for store employees, adds a few of his own thoughts along the way, and walks listeners through everything from basic ground rules to architectural styles to brick homes to how many colors are actually too many. Practical, thorough, and worth saving if you've got an exterior project anywhere on your horizon.
In This Episode[00:49] -- Sweet Corn Disaster Story[06:20] -- Why Exterior Color Choices Are So Stressful[08:41] -- The Training Framework from Haley[09:39] -- Three Ground Rules Before You Pick a Single Color[13:27] -- Working With What's Already There[20:00] -- Architectural Styles and Their Traditional Color Palettes[25:53] -- Working With Brick[30:08] -- How Many Colors Does an Exterior Need?[33:29] -- Shutters and Doors[34:42] -- Final Tips and Tools[37:43] -- Picking the Right Paint
Opening: The Sweet Corn Incident [00:49]Dan opens with a story from his week that he feels compelled to share and equally compelled to forget. Hot dogs and sweet corn for dinner. A deep-in-thought face while eating. His daughter Hannah catching the whole thing and trying not to laugh. Dan catching her. And then, involuntarily, the entire table getting covered in sweet corn. The family was not pleased. The corn was found in unexpected places for weeks. Dan relates this story on live radio to a large audience, which he acknowledges is exactly the kind of decision that defines him.
From there, on to the actual show.
Why Exterior Color Choices Are So Stressful [06:20]Dan did some research on how other homeowners describe the experience of choosing exterior paint colors. A few real quotes he pulled:
"I cried. A lot, actually.""It was the most stressed I've ever been."One person described the finished result as looking "so childish. It was like a Smurf house, and I couldn't afford to have it repainted."It's not an irrational reaction. The exterior of a home is visible to everyone who drives by. Getting it wrong costs real money and time, and it's on display for the whole neighborhood to see. Getting it right matters.
The Training Framework from Haley [08:41]This episode is built around a color training module that Haley -- longtime show co-host, now full-time RepcoLite product and color trainer -- recently developed for store employees. Dan adapted it for the show and gives her full credit throughout. What follows is largely her framework, with Dan's thoughts mixed in.
Three Ground Rules Before You Pick a Single Color [09:39]1. Colors Look Lighter OutsideOutdoors, with the sun as the light source, your colors are going to look two to three shades lighter than that same color would look inside the home. This is one of the most common exterior paint mistakes. Someone picks a mid-tone gray, it looks clearly gray on the chip, and then comes back to say it looks almost white on the house.
The fix: choose colors a couple shades darker than you want the final result to look. It feels counterintuitive, but it's how it works.
2. Scale Changes EverythingThe exterior of a home is a huge canvas, and colors gain strength at that scale. The "Smurf house" situation almost always comes from a color that looked good at smaller doses but became overwhelming when it covered the whole exterior.
Look for toned colors that have some gray in them. They're easier on the eye, feel more sophisticated, and don't overwhelm at large scale. Good starting places: Benjamin Moore's Affinity Collection, the Historic Collections, and the Williamsburg Collection (144 muted tones inspired by 18th century colonial homes). These fan decks are safe bets that scale beautifully on big surfaces.
3. Sample on the Actual SurfaceBenjamin Moore color samples put real paint in your hands. Use them. Paint a large area -- at least two feet by two feet -- directly on the siding, brick, or whatever surface you're actually painting. Texture affects how color looks, so a smooth foam board won't give you an accurate read. Paint the real surface, then observe it in the morning, at midday, and in the evening before you decide anything.
Working With What's Already There [13:27]Before you even open a fan deck, take stock of the materials already on your home that aren't changing. These aren't limitations -- they're clues. Constraints, it turns out, actually help narrow decisions rather than just frustrating them. Research in psychology shows that small obstacles can increase creative problem-solving by nearly 40%. The things that feel like limits are often what give you a direction to push from.
Landscaping and Fixed Materials [16:06]Landscaping -- Easy to forget about if you're choosing colors in winter, but it plays a big role. A lot of green in the yard -- hostas, ferns, evergreens -- means you probably don't want a green exterior. The house will disappear into the yard. Lots of white blossoms in spring? Maybe skip white for the body color. Look at the dominant tones in the landscaping and choose colors that complement them, not match or compete with them.
Unpainted materials -- Stonework, brick, block foundations all have color. If you're leaving them as-is, they should guide your choices. Dan drives past a house where the stone has a cool bluish tone and the new siding clashes with it. From straight on you don't notice it. From an angle where they meet, it's jarring. Let permanent features inform your palette.
Gutters, downspouts, fascia, and soffits -- These can be painted or changed, but if you're not planning to, factor them in.
Roof Color [17:36]The biggest and least flexible element on most homes. Roofs don't get replaced often, so their color really matters when you're making paint decisions. As a general rule, the body of the house should be lighter than the roof. Gray or black roof: cooler tones like blues and grays tend to work better. Brown roof: warmer tones like beige, taupe, and red are usually a safer bet.
Architectural Styles and Their Traditional Color Palettes [20:00]Style Guides, Not Rules [20:00]Unless you're in a historic district with regulations to follow, you're not locked in to any particular color scheme based on the style of your home. Architecture can guide and suggest. It doesn't have to dictate. Dan's main message going into this section: you've got more freedom than you probably think.
Colonial Color Classics [21:30](Cape Cod, Georgian, Dutch Colonial)
Traditional palette: muted classic neutrals for the body -- crisp whites, soft creams, beiges, grays. Usually paired with darker accent colors for doors, shutters, and trim: dark green, black, barn red, or yellow.
Victorian Color Freedom [22:07]Lots of options here. More than most people realize. You can go rich jewel tones like emeralds or sapphires, soft pastels, or anything in between. There really aren't many firm rules with Victorian architecture. If you've got a Victorian home, stretch a little and have some fun.
Craftsman Earthy Palettes [22:49](Bungalows, four-squares, Mission-influenced homes)
These homes are about warmth, craftsmanship, and natural materials. Traditionally they lean toward earthy, muted colors -- browns, sages, grays. Colors that feel grounded and historically accurate for the style. Mustard and olive accents work particularly well as a way to modernize without losing the character.
Ranch and Mid-Century Options [23:53]Mid-century Americana. Earthy tones are most common for the body: beige, taupe, brown, tan. White or brown for the trim. Burgundy or deep green for doors and shutters. That said, ranches in the '50s and '60s could be pretty expressive -- soft pastels on the body with bright doors and shutters wasn't unusual, and it still works on the right house.
Working With Brick [25:53]Brick deserves its own section because it shows up across all architectural styles and it's frequently handled wrong.
Brick isn't really a single color. It's a texture and a collection of tones that your eye averages into one overall impression. Any painted surface on a brick home -- shutters, trim, doors, foundation -- should take a backseat to the brick. That's the guiding principle.
The most common mistake: going straight to white trim. White is too stark against brick. It breaks up the home's natural flow and creates visual tension. The brick is absorbing light while the white trim bounces it back aggressively, and the result just looks wrong.
Instead, choose trim colors that recede: dark taupes, browns, blacks, dark blues, teals, greens. These complement the warm orangey-red tones in most brick without competing for attention. The house ends up looking more settled and intentional.
If you're committed to lighter trim on a brick home, match the mortar color rather than going white. Mortar is already part of the visual mix that makes up the brick's overall tone, so it works with the pattern rather than against it.
How Many Colors Does an Exterior Need? [30:08]No single right answer, but here are some practical guidelines.
Two colors -- body plus one accent. Clean and simple. Works well on a ranch or any home where the...
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Episode Summary
Dan opens with something that might ruffle a few feathers: gray exterior paint has had a long run, and it's starting to show. He talks about where the design world seems to be heading instead. Then he takes a detour into the surprisingly long and interesting story of how the tape measure came to be. From there, he walks through six practical budgeting tips for anyone with a renovation project on the horizon. And he closes out with a solid how-to on painting a front door, including one trick most people don't know that can save you from a really frustrating result.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Is Gray Going Out? Exterior Color Trends Right Now[05:27] -- The Surprisingly Long History of the Tape Measure[18:43] -- Six Budgeting Tips to Keep Your Renovation on Track[34:30] -- How to Paint Your Front Door the Right Way
Segment 1: Is Gray Going Out? Exterior Color Trends Right Now [00:00]Why Gray Took Over [00:50]Dan opens with a mild provocation: if you're thinking about painting the exterior of your home this year, gray might not be the move it used to be. Not because it looks bad -- it doesn't -- but because it's become the default. Drive through almost any subdivision built or updated in the last decade and you're looking at gray on gray on gray. When a color gets that ubiquitous, it stops signaling that someone made a deliberate choice. It just signals that someone painted a house.
Gray came in as a reaction to the builder-beige era, and when it first appeared it really did look sharp. The modern farmhouse look, black window frames, white trim -- it all worked beautifully together. It still does. But a decade is a long time to run on the same palette, and a lot of homeowners are starting to feel like their neighborhood looks a little sterile. A little samey.
What's Taking Its Place [02:42]The shift that's showing up in paint stores and design forecasts is toward colors that feel connected to the natural world around them. Warm greens, muted sage tones, earthy olives, sandy neutrals, warm taupes, creamy whites, and greige (the gray-beige hybrid) are all gaining ground. These aren't colors that scream for attention, but they don't disappear either. They feel settled. They feel like they belong to the land around them -- to wood and stone and brick and landscaping.
Importantly, a lot of these same tones are showing up in interior color forecasts too, which makes sense. They're grounded, natural colors that work in a lot of contexts.
The short version for anyone thinking about an exterior project this year: the design world is starting to say "maybe try something warmer." Cool, flat gray has had its moment.
Dan's first rule of color still applies, though: if you like it, that's pretty much all that matters.
Getting Help Choosing an Exterior Color [04:15]Picking a specific exterior color involves a lot of variables -- roof color, brick or stone if you have it, how much sun the house gets, which direction it faces. RepcoLite color consultants can help in store based on photos you bring in. Some will come out to the house for a design fee and make recommendations in person. Stop into any RepcoLite location to start that conversation, or reach Dan directly at [email protected] and he'll connect you with the right people.
Segment 2: The Surprisingly Long History of the Tape Measure [05:27]Measuring Before Tape Measures [06:10]People have needed to measure things for as long as they've been building things. Early on that meant body parts -- hands, feet, fingers. The Egyptians used cubit rods. Surveyors used rods, cords, and chains, including something called Gunter's chain, which turned out to be less exciting than it sounds: a 66-foot chain made of around 100 links, dragged through farmland and over rocks. Useful, but not exactly something you clip to your belt. Tailors had flexible cloth tapes, but those could stretch, wear out, and absorb moisture, making them fine for measuring shoulders and waistlines but not reliable for repeated job site work.
The challenge nobody had fully solved yet: how do you build something flexible enough to coil up for portability, accurate enough to trust, and durable enough for real work?
James Chesterman and Spring Steel [09:05]Enter James Chesterman, born in England in the 1790s. He started out making powder flasks in London, which led him deep into the world of small spring-loaded mechanisms. He became fascinated with springs, flex, tension, and controlled energy. He later moved to Sheffield, one of Britain's great steel centers, where he became especially skilled with flat wire and spring steel.
Spring steel is one of those materials that does remarkable things quietly. You bend it and it wants to come back. You coil it and it stores energy. You release it and it moves. That basic behavior shows up in clocks, doorbells, umbrellas, window blinds, and eventually in measuring tapes.
One of Chesterman's applications for spring steel was crinoline frames, the steel-hooped undergarments that gave Victorian women that famous bell-shaped silhouette. Before spring steel frames, achieving that shape meant layers and layers of heavy petticoats. Chesterman's spring steel cage was lightweight, bendable when the wearer sat or moved, and then it would spring back into shape. Fashion application, yes, but also real engineering.
The Crinoline Myth and What Actually Happened [11:50]There's a popular story that says Chesterman invented the tape measure because the crinoline craze died out and he was left with warehouses full of flat spring steel wire and needed something to do with it. It's a neat story. Dan admits he started researching this segment specifically because of that story.
The problem is the timing doesn't hold up. The steel-frame crinoline became a major fashion item in the 1850s, but records show Chesterman was already working on steel measuring tapes as early as 1829. So the better version of the story is this: Chesterman was deep into spring steel and flat wire well before crinolines became fashionable, and those same skills turned out to be valuable during the crinoline boom. When fashions changed and that market faded, the same flat steel technology was redirected back into tools -- especially longer steel tapes for surveyors and engineers. His steel measuring chain improved on Gunter's design by using flat spring steel tape instead of links, jointed in 20-foot sections, markable with measurements, and rollable into a compact leather case.
It was more portable than anything before it. But it still wasn't the modern tape measure.
The Tape Measure Becomes What We Know [14:08]The next big leap came in America in 1864 when William Bangs Jr. patented a spring-return tape measure. Pull the tape out, take your measurement, let go, and the spring winds it back into the case. Useful -- and almost certainly the cause of more than a few pinched fingers.
A few years after that, Alvin Fellows improved on the idea by adding a spring click that could hold the tape in place. Now it would lock in and stay instead of immediately retracting.
Then in 1922, Hiram Ferrand solved one of the last big problems. A flat strip of steel will bend under its own weight the moment you extend it into the air. Ferrand changed the shape of the blade by curving it across its width -- concave on one side, convex on the other. That shallow curve gave the tape stiffness and let it extend several feet without collapsing.
Stanley Company took all of these ideas and put them together into what we think of as the modern tape measure. They moved to a flatter, more squared-off case (which made inside measurements much easier), added the floating hook on the end (which slides slightly to compensate for its own thickness -- if your hook looks a little loose, that's intentional, not a defect), and stamped the case length right on the tool so you can push the back of the case against a surface and add that number to your tape reading without bending it into corners.
In 1956, Stanley combined the curved blade with a retracting spring, which they describe as the point the first modern coilable and retractable tape measure was born. In 1963 they introduced the PowerLock -- molded case, thumb lock, yellow blade, sliding hook, one-handed convenience -- and when that patent expired, the PowerLock became one of the most copied tape measure designs in history. The one in your junk drawer is almost certainly descended from it.
Segment 3: Six Budgeting Tips to Keep Your Renovation on Track [18:43]Home projects have a way of getting away from people. The obvious costs are easy enough to plan for. It's the stuff around the edges -- broken things, things you had to rebuy, delivery fees, disposal, unexpected problems behind the drywall -- that can quietly blow a budget wide open. Dan runs through six tips for thinking about money before the project starts so you're not scrambling once it's underway.
Tip 1: Budget for What You Actually Want [20:45]Most people get this backwards. They pick a number first -- "we want to spend $20,000 on the kitchen" -- and then try to force the project into it. Once the work starts, they realize the kitchen they actually want costs $27,000, and now they're stuck making compromises under pressure.
Flip it around. Start by being honest about what you actually want: the scope, the materials, the finish level you're expecting. Price that out as realistically as you can. Then work with the number you get. If it's too high, you can still make cuts, but you do it intentionally before the project starts...
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Episode Summary
This week on Home In Progress, Dan opens with something a little different -- a look at the animal kingdom's most surprising builders and tool users, and what any of us can take from that. Then he gets into the main topic: the growing number of homeowners who've decided they're staying put, and what that shift in thinking should mean for how you spend renovation dollars. Dan walks through five can't-lose projects for the forever home, including some smaller-scale, paint-friendly versions of each one for when the budget isn't there yet. He closes with four questions that can help you figure out which project is actually the right first move for your specific house.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Welcome and Teaser[00:34] -- Animals Using Tools (and What That Has to Do With You)[05:35] -- The Forever Home Mindset[09:59] -- Project 1: Outdoor Living Space[13:21] -- Project 2: Kitchen Refresh[19:25] -- Project 3: Windows, Insulation, and Air Sealing[24:36] -- Project 4: Basement Upgrade[30:50] -- Project 5: Primary Bathroom[33:46] -- Four Questions to Find Your Best First Project[38:53] -- Paint, Final Thoughts, and Wrap-Up
Segment 1: Animals Using Tools [00:34]Dan opens with a fun detour into the animal kingdom. Turns out humans aren't the only ones who build things, use tools, and pass down traditions.
Termites [01:09] -- Termite mounds can rise more than 20 feet in the air with walls 18 inches thick. Inside, they're honeycombed with tunnels, chambers, and air channels that regulate temperature and humidity like a built-in HVAC system. Architects have actually copied the design. The Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe, designed by Mike Pearce, uses passive cooling modeled directly on termite mounds and consumes about 90% less energy for ventilation than a comparable conventional building.
Sea Otters and Chimps [02:07] -- Otters float on their backs, rest a stone on their belly, and smash open clams and mussels against it. Some otters even have a favorite rock they carry tucked in a pouch of loose skin under their arm so it's always handy. Chimpanzees strip leaves off twigs and use them to fish termites out of mounds. The more interesting part: different chimp communities in the same forest have entirely different tool traditions, passed down like family recipes. In Tanzania, two neighboring groups both fish for termites with sticks, but one group consistently makes their tools wider and longer than the other. In Senegal, one community has invented something no other chimps on earth do -- they make actual spears, sharpening the tips with their teeth and using them to hunt.
Crows and Elephants [03:55] -- In a famous Oxford experiment, a crow named Betty was given two pieces of wire, one bent into a hook and one straight. Her cage mate stole the hook. Betty took the straight wire, jammed it into a crack, bent it into a hook on her own, and used it to fish meat out of a tube. She did it nine out of ten times when the scenario was repeated. Asian elephants snap branches off trees, strip them down, and shorten them to just the right length for swatting flies. They're not using whatever's lying around -- they're modifying the tool to fit the job.
The Takeaway [04:51] -- If termites with brains the size of a grain of salt can engineer a skyscraper, and crows can fabricate hooks on the fly, and otters are basically one step away from a tool belt, whatever you're telling yourself you can't learn probably isn't as true as you think.
Segment 2: The Forever Home Mindset and 5 Can't-Lose Projects [05:35]Why People Are Staying Put [06:10]Dan poses a question to start: if you knew without a doubt you were never moving from the house you're in right now, what would you change first?
That question is reshaping how a lot of homeowners think about renovation right now. Homeowner spending on home improvements is projected to hit $518 billion in 2026, and it's not being driven by the luxury market or house flippers. It's regular homeowners who've decided they're staying. According to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and a 2026 survey from Great Day Improvements, nearly two-thirds of homeowners expect to be in their current home for 11 years or more. And 44% of homeowners now describe where they live as their forever home.
If you bought or refinanced around 2020 or 2021 at 3% or lower, you already know why nobody's moving. A 7% mortgage waiting on the other side of a sale has a way of making your current house look a lot better.
When that's the context, the renovation calculus changes. You stop asking what a future buyer will want and start asking what will actually make your family's life better for the next decade or more. That shift changes everything about where renovation dollars go.
Project 1: Outdoor Living Space [09:59]West Michigan winters get all the complaints, but the springs, summers, and falls are genuinely great. If you're staying in your home, it pays to think about how much of that you're actually using.
Dan's honest about his own situation here: his deck has no seating, nobody ever uses it, and they're wasting dozens of evenings out there every year just by not having the space set up. The vision for this project can be as big as a covered pergola, an outdoor kitchen, a hot tub area with weather-safe TV and speakers -- spaces that function as actual rooms. The return on that isn't measured in resale dollars. It's measured in summer evenings with your family.
Paint-friendly version: If the bigger build-out isn't in the budget, start smaller. Get the deck cleaned up and restained. Get dedicated seating out there. If you've already got wood or metal chairs that have seen better days, RepcoLite can usually help you get them cleaned up and looking good again. Create a space that actually invites you to sit down.
Project 2: Kitchen Refresh [13:21]The kitchen is where most families spend an enormous amount of time, almost all of it either cooking, cleaning, or entertaining. A kitchen that looks good and functions well makes daily life easier in ways that are hard to overstate.
Dan talks through what a refresh can include: painting or refacing cabinets, new countertops, updated hardware, a new sink and faucet, new appliances, updated lighting, new floors. Some of those things aren't cheap. But the payoff comes from 300-plus dinners a year in a space that doesn't make you feel bad every time you walk into it.
Dan's own kitchen confession [15:33]: '80s oak cabinets he doesn't like, dated hardware, a track light that's a direct import from the same decade with shiny brass everything and two or three working bulbs, Formica counters that have lost most of their original color. He's not proud of it. He knows it drags him down. He also knows it doesn't have to, and that a couple of weeks of work would change most of it.
Paint-friendly version: Painting the cabinets and updating the colors is one of the highest-impact, most budget-friendly changes you can make in a kitchen. Pair that with better lighting and some new hardware, and you can dramatically lift the mood of a space without touching the counters or the layout.
Project 3: Windows, Insulation, and Air Sealing [19:25]Older homes lose a significant amount of heat through inefficient windows, attics, rim joists, and basement walls. Every year you stay in the house, you're paying for that inefficiency. Replacing outdated windows with modern low-E glass triple-pane units, combined with serious air sealing and insulation in the attic, is one of those projects that starts paying you back the day it's done.
The payback isn't just in lower heating bills, though that's real and measurable. It's also in comfort. Eliminating drafts, keeping warm spaces warmer and cool spaces cooler -- that changes how you feel about being inside your own home.
Dan is careful not to oversell the financial return. Windows alone don't always pay for themselves quickly in energy savings. Insulation and air sealing tend to give you better bang for your buck on the utility side. But when you're in your forever home and you're not doing the math on resale, the calculation shifts. It becomes less about payback period and more about making the house a more comfortable place to live every single day.
Dan also mentions a past show segment on opening painted-shut windows from 2024, and will link to it in the show notes for anyone dealing with that specific problem.
Paint-friendly version: You can't make old windows more efficient with paint. But you can improve how they look and feel. Getting painted-shut windows functioning again doesn't cost much and doesn't require much more than some know-how. Dan's got that covered in the 2024 segment linked below.
Project 4: Basement Upgrade [24:36]Almost every West Michigan home has a basement. A surprising percentage of them are being used for storage and not much else. A finished basement adds livable square footage without changing the footprint of the house, and it grows with you -- a playroom becomes a teenage hangout space becomes a home gym as the years go by.
Dan's current lower level is wall-to-wall paneling, drop ceiling tiles, and carpet, all from the '80s. It works. The kids have used it. It's served its purpose. But there's a lot more potential there.
Paint-friendly version: This is one where paint can genuinely transform a space on a fraction of the budget of a full finish-out. Dan tells the story of doing exactly this in his first house -- a dark, dingy Michigan basement that nobody...
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Episode Summary
This week on Home In Progress, Dan starts off with one of the more entertaining detours the show has taken in a while: spite houses. Real buildings, built by real people, for the sole purpose of making someone else miserable. Then he gets into a deep dive on two-tone kitchen cabinets, answering six questions that almost always come up when people consider taking on that project. And he closes out with deck season, including why most product claims about longevity don't hold up in Michigan, and why RepcoLite's Deck and Dock Wood Protector works differently than most of what's out there.
In This Episode[00:00] -- Show Preview[00:54] -- Spite Houses: When Homebuilding Gets Personal[15:26] -- Two-Tone Kitchen Cabinets: Six Common Questions Answered[41:25] -- Deck Season: What You Need to Know Right Now
Segment 1: Spite Houses -- When Homebuilding Gets Personal [00:54]Most people who've had a bad run-in with a neighbor or a family member haven't responded by constructing an entire building. But spite houses are real, they show up throughout American history, and they're exactly what they sound like: buildings put up primarily to annoy, block, or inconvenience somebody else.
The Tyler Spite House -- Frederick, Maryland [02:27]112 West Church Street, Frederick, MD
In 1814, the city of Frederick decided to extend Record Street straight through a piece of land owned by Dr. John Tyler, a wealthy ophthalmologist who was also credited as the first American-born physician to perform a cataract operation. Tyler fought the decision, lost, went home, and started thinking.
He found an old local ordinance that said the city couldn't build a road through a parcel if construction on a substantial building was already underway there. So he hired a crew and overnight, they poured a foundation directly in the path of the road. When the road workers showed up the next morning, they found a hole in the ground, a crew of builders, and Dr. Tyler reportedly sitting in a chair watching the whole thing and looking very pleased with himself. The road was never built.
Tyler finished the house. It ended up being a three-story Federal-style mansion with 17 rooms, over 9,000 square feet, 14-foot ceilings, and eight working fireplaces. He never actually lived in it. He already had a house right next door. The whole thing was just a very expensive way to win an argument.
The Tyler Spite House still stands at 112 West Church Street in Frederick. It's been a bed and breakfast, been used as offices, and has been on and off the market for well over a million dollars for years. It's also rumored to be haunted, so there's that.
The Boston Skinny House [05:57]44 Hull Street, North End, Boston (along the Freedom Trail, across from Copp's Hill Burying Ground)
This four-story wooden house is 10 feet wide at its widest point and tapers down to just over nine feet in the back. At the narrowest spot inside, you can stand in the middle and touch both walls without fully extending your arms. There's no front door. You enter from a side alley.
The story that's been passed around for generations goes like this. Two brothers inherited a piece of land from their father. One went off to fight in the Civil War. While he was gone, his brother stayed home and built himself a large, comfortable house on basically all of the inherited land. When the soldier brother came home and saw what happened, he had one thin sliver of land left to his name. So he built the narrowest house he could fit on it and positioned it to block his brother's light and kill his view.
Whether that's all historically accurate is a little murky. But the house is real, it's still there, and if spite didn't build it, something at least a lot like spite was probably involved.
The Plum Island Pink House [09:47]Newbury, Massachusetts, outside Newburyport near Plum Island
A pale pink house with a cupola, sitting completely alone in the middle of a salt marsh. No neighbors, no trees, no context. Just wetlands in every direction.
Built around 1925, the story goes that a couple going through a divorce agreed the husband would build his wife an exact replica of the home they had shared in town. The catch was she forgot to specify where it had to be built. So he built it in the middle of an isolated salt marsh, with no fresh water and plumbing hooked up to saltwater. She allegedly took one look and refused to set foot inside.
Whether that's true or legend, nobody can say for certain. But the house is still out there if you've ever made it up toward Plum Island.
A Note on Exterior Color and Spite [12:43]Dan wraps the segment wondering if some of the truly baffling exterior color schemes you see driving around might have a little spite behind them. If you're going the other direction and want a color scheme that's actually beautiful, RepcoLite and Benjamin Moore can help. And if you do go bold, Benjamin Moore Aura covers beautifully no matter what color you choose.
Current sale: Benjamin Moore Aura and many other premium Benjamin Moore exterior paints are 20% off at every RepcoLite location through May 25.
Segments 2 and 3: Two-Tone Kitchen Cabinets -- Six Common Questions [15:26]Two-tone kitchen cabinets look great in photos. Then you stand in your own kitchen and try to figure out where the colors go, and suddenly you've got a lot of questions. Dan works through six of the most common ones.
Question 1: Where Do the Different Colors Go? [19:17]Stop thinking about color first. Start by looking at your kitchen and finding places where it already naturally changes or transitions. Two-tone cabinets work best when the color shift happens somewhere the eye expects a shift anyway.
An island is the most obvious example. It already sits apart from the perimeter cabinets and reads as its own piece, so a different color there makes sense to people right away. But there are other natural breaks to look for too, like a pantry wall, a built-in hutch, a coffee bar or desk area that feels separate from the main kitchen, or a clearly defined wall of cabinets that stands apart from the rest.
The most common rule of thumb is lighter colors up high and darker or stronger colors lower or on a focal point. Lighter uppers make the kitchen feel more open. Darker lowers give it some weight and ground the space. That's why you see so many kitchens with cream or white perimeter cabinets and a navy or charcoal island.
It's a rule of thumb, though, not a hard rule. Dark uppers can work if the kitchen has great natural light, taller ceilings, glass-front cabinet doors, or a mix of open shelving. Context matters.
What you want to avoid is a scattered approach where the second color shows up in a random cabinet over here, another section across the room, maybe one upper somewhere else. Even if each individual spot makes some sense on its own, the overall effect reads as unplanned. Keep the color placement logical and intentional.
Question 2: Do I Need an Island? [24:47]No. In kitchens without an island, the most straightforward move is light upper cabinets with darker lowers. But you can also pick a defined zone to give a different color to, a pantry wall, a built-in hutch, a coffee bar, a prep area that sits apart from the main run of cabinets. Designers talk about this as giving an area its own identity, treating it more like a piece of furniture than a cabinet that has to match everything else. A deep green pantry wall against off-white perimeter cabinets can look great, for example.
One thing to watch in a no-island kitchen: keep it to two cabinet colors. Once you add a third on top of floors, countertops, backsplash, hardware, and appliances, the kitchen starts to feel like a lot very quickly.
Question 3: Will Two Colors Make My Kitchen Feel Smaller or Busier? [26:17]It can, but it doesn't have to. In a larger kitchen with good natural light, you've got a lot of room to work with. You can go darker on the lowers, use a bold pantry color, push the contrast further. A smaller kitchen with limited light is a different situation. Two cabinet colors in a tight, low-light space can make the room feel chopped up, and one cabinet color might genuinely be the smarter call there.
Dan admits this is the question that probably rules out his own kitchen for the project. That's okay. Not every space is the right fit for it, and it's a lot better to figure that out before you paint everything than after.
Question 4: How Do I Choose Two Colors That Actually Work Together? [29:07]One color should do the calming. The other should do the talking. That's the principle. Pick one quiet color and one color with some character. If both are loud, the kitchen becomes visually exhausting to be in.
The quiet color is almost always going to be something like a warm white, a cream, or a soft greige. The character color is where the personality comes in: a navy, a sage green, something deeper and moodier.
Three Benjamin Moore pairings Dan mentions that work in just about any kitchen:
White Dove and Hale Navy -- a warm white paired with a navy that basically acts like a neutral. It's not going to look dated in 10 or more years. About as safe and timeless as it gets.
Swiss Coffee and October Mist -- a creamy white with a soft sage green. More muted than the navy option, better for someone who wants to step into color without it being too loud.
White Dove and Aegean Teal -- Aegean Teal was Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year back around 2021 and is still going strong. A little more current-feeling than the other...
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Episode Date: 05/09/26 Episode Number: 458
Episode SummaryThis week on Home In Progress, Dan tackles one of the most dreaded things a homeowner can face â the smell of a dead animal somewhere in the house â and walks you through exactly how to find it, remove it, and get your home smelling normal again. Then he shifts to the practical side of Art Deco: how to bring that bold, geometric style into your own home without going overboard. And finally, Dan makes the case that paint finish is just as important a design decision as color â and shows you some surprisingly elegant tricks you can pull off with nothing more than a change in sheen.
In This Episode[01:46] â Dead Animal Smell: How to Find It, Remove It, and Prevent It[19:25] â Art Deco at Home: A Practical Guide[33:26] â Paint Finish as a Design Tool
Segments 1 & 2: Dead Animal Smell â Finding It, Removing It, and Preventing It [01:46]Dan's son Caleb bought a house and discovered a smell that turned out to be a dead possum under the floor â frozen all winter, then very much not frozen come spring. Dan uses that story to kick off a practical, no-nonsense guide to dealing with dead animal odors in your home.
How bad will it be â and how long will it last? Size of the animal, temperature, humidity, and airflow all determine severity and duration. The rough timeline:
Mouse: a few days to about a weekRat or squirrel: a couple of weeksPossum, raccoon, or larger: several weeks â potentially up to two months in a warm, damp, enclosed spaceHow to find the source:
Use your nose. Walk slowly, close doors to isolate rooms, and track where the smell intensifies.Check near outlets, baseboards, vents, attic hatches, crawl space doors, and under stairs.Let your pets help â a dog or cat obsessively sniffing one spot is a clue worth following.Watch for blowflies. Large, metallic-looking flies congregating indoors often indicate a nearby carcass. Follow them.Note: the smell often seems to come from vents, but pest pros say the animal is almost never inside the ductwork â it's usually in a wall or attic space near a duct run. The HVAC is just moving the odor around.Once you've found it â how to remove it safely:
Wear gloves and a mask, especially in enclosed spaces.Get air moving before you start: open windows, run a fan.Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings â that stirs particles into the air and can spread disease. Instead, spray droppings with a disinfectant or a 1:10 bleach-and-water solution, let it soak 5â10 minutes, then wipe with paper towels and mop the area again.Double-bag the carcass and dispose of it per your local regulations.What happens after removal depends on the surface:
Hard, non-porous surfaces (concrete, metal, vinyl): Clean promptly, ventilate well, and the smell usually clears quickly.Porous materials (insulation, carpet pad, unfinished wood, drywall, ceiling tile): Decomposition fluids soak in and the smell can linger â or seem to come back on humid days â long after the animal is gone. In these cases, remove the contaminated material, clean with disinfectant, and then apply an enzymatic cleaner to break down any remaining organic residue at the molecular level. This is the step that eliminates the odor rather than masking it.If you can't find or access the source: The intense phase will eventually pass on its own as the carcass dries out. While you wait:
Activated charcoal bags â place them as close to the affected area as possible. They trap odor molecules physically rather than adding a scent. Recharge them in sunlight every couple of weeks. Available at most stores for around $10â15 for a multi-pack.Foaming enzymatic cleaners (like BAC-A-Zap) â drill a small hole into the wall cavity, inject the foam, and the enzymes go to work on organic material from the inside. Available online or through pest control suppliers.Use both together for best results â but be honest with yourself: if fluids have soaked into porous materials inside that wall, you may eventually need to open it up.The final step â odor-blocking primer: Once the source is removed and the area is clean and dry, if you're still worried about lingering odor, you can seal hard surfaces with a shellac-based odor-blocking primer like BIN. Important: this is the last step â a lock on a problem already solved â not a first response.
Two things worth knowing:
Not every mystery smell is a dead animal. Propane and natural gas have a chemical odorant added to them that some people experience as a decay or skunk smell rather than the classic "rotten egg" description. If you can't find a source, the smell isn't fading, or it has a sharp chemical edge, leave the area and call your gas company.The "poison makes them leave the house" idea is a myth. Rodent poisons do not cause mice or rats to go outside searching for water, and they don't dry out the body to eliminate odor. The rodent eats the bait, gets sick over several days, and dies wherever it happens to be â usually inside a wall, under insulation, or behind an appliance. This is one of the reasons pest professionals often recommend snap traps inside the home instead of poison: you know exactly where the animal is.Prevention â sealing entry points:
Inspect the exterior of your home for gaps and holes.For small openings: skip foam or caulk alone â rodents chew right through it. Pack the gap first with copper or stainless steel mesh, then seal over it with exterior-grade caulk or pest-blocking foam.For larger openings: use hardware cloth, metal flashing, or other chew-resistant materials.Check chimney caps, vent screens, damaged soffits, loose siding, and gaps around pipes and utility lines.Go into your garage, close the door, turn off the lights. If you can see daylight around the door frame big enough to fit a dime, that's a mouse entry point.
Segment 2: Art Deco at Home â A Practical Guide [19:25]Last week Dan covered the history and origins of Art Deco. This week he makes it practical: how do you actually bring Art Deco into a real home without making the space feel like a 1920s movie set?
The good news: Art Deco translates surprisingly well into modern interiors â especially when you borrow selectively. You don't need to go all in. Borrowing a few core principles can give any room more elegance, confidence, and visual impact.
Three core ingredients of an Art Deco-inspired room:
Shape â Art Deco loves geometry, clear lines, and repeated patterns. Think: a mirror with a stepped frame, wallpaper with a fan or geometric motif, a rug with bold linear structure, a light fixture with globes and symmetry, a vanity with fluted details, or a cabinet with curved corners and brass pulls. It's a structured style â not casual.Contrast â Art Deco works best when there's tension in the room: light against dark, gloss against matte, soft upholstery against hard metal, cream walls against black trim, jewel tones against warm metallic finishes.Sheen â Art Deco has always had an affinity for surfaces that reflect light: lacquer, mirrored materials, polished metal, glass, smooth stone, sleek tile. Even if your paint color is quiet and reserved, bumping up the sheen can push a room toward an Art Deco feel without committing to bolder colors.Color: Art Deco isn't just black and gold (though black, ivory, brass, and chrome is certainly one classic palette). The style also works with:
Rich jewel tones: emerald green, sapphire blue, deep teal, burgundy, plumSofter palettes: blush pink, dusty rose, pale aqua, warm cream, smoky taupe, elegant grayWhat matters most is that the color choices feel deliberate â polished and intentional, not random.
Two approaches to bringing Art Deco in with paint:
Go dramatic: A deep green in a dining room, a rich navy in a bedroom, a charcoal in a powder room â especially when paired with brass lighting, crisp trim, and geometric accents.Go soft and elegant: Warm cream, pale blush, or a light gray-green on the walls, and let black accents, metallic fixtures, and geometric shapes carry the Art Deco energy. This is often the smarter route â the paint creates the atmosphere and the accessories do the style work.The golden rule: make a statement, not ten statements. Art Deco becomes overwhelming when every element is competing for attention. Let one or two things speak.
Best rooms to try it:
Powder rooms â small, high-impact, and a great place to experiment with darker, glossier choices. A jewel-toned wall, brass sconce, bold mirror, black vanity, and geometric tile can be a knockout.Entryways â Art Deco is great at first impressions. A strong console, a sunburst mirror, and a crisp wall color can make an entrance feel intentional and elegant.Dining rooms â Art Deco... -
In this episode of Home in Progress, Dan Hansen starts with a look at why smells have such a powerful effect on the way we experience a home. Unlike sights and sounds, odors connect quickly to the emotional and memory centers of the brain, which means a smell can instantly shape how comfortable, clean, or welcoming a house feels.
That leads into a real-life odor problem involving Danâs sonâs house, several cats, a squirrel in the attic, and a dead possum under an entryway. From there, Dan lays out the most important rule for dealing with household odors: donât just cover them up with candles, sprays, or air fresheners. If you want the smell gone, you have to eliminate the source.
The segment walks through three practical tools for removing odors at home. First are absorbers and neutralizers, including baking soda, activated charcoal, and white vinegar. Next are enzymatic cleaners, which are especially useful for biological odors like pet urine, but need to be used properly and should not be mixed with bleach or harsh disinfectants. Finally, Dan explains encapsulation, using odor-blocking primers and shellac-based products like BIN or clear shellac to seal in stubborn smells that regular paint will not solve.
In the second half of the episode, the conversation shifts to the history and philosophy of Art Deco design. Dan explores where Art Deco came from, how it developed in the 1910s through the 1930s, and why the style felt so fresh and forward-looking after World War I. He covers the importance of the 1925 Paris exposition, the visual traits that define Art Deco, and how the style eventually evolved into the sleeker, more aerodynamic look of Streamline Moderne after 1929.
Along the way, Dan explains why Art Deco was more than a decorating style. It was a design philosophy built around modern life, new materials, elegance, technology, and the belief that beauty did not have to come from copying the past. Art Deco found beauty in the present, and that is one reason it still feels stylish nearly a century later.
Episode SummaryThis episode covers two very different but practical home topics: how to eliminate household odors and how to understand Art Deco design. Dan explains why smells are so emotionally powerful, how to stop masking odors and start removing them, and which odor-removal tools actually work. Then he explores the origins, materials, colors, and philosophy of Art Deco, showing how this iconic design movement changed the way people thought about modern homes, buildings, furniture, and everyday beauty.
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In this rerun episode of Home in Progress, sponsored by RepcoLite Paints and Benjamin Moore, Dan Hansen opens with a personal update about his golden retriever, Maggie, whose health emergency led to a change in this weekâs schedule. From there, the episode revisits a practical homeowner question: does air duct cleaning actually reduce dust in the home?
Dan shares listener feedback and real-world experiences with duct cleaning, noting that while some homeowners notice a cleaner smell or short-term improvement, most do not report a dramatic, game-changing reduction in dust. He explains when duct cleaning may be worth considering, especially for allergy sufferers, homes that have recently gone through renovation work, and households with pets that shed heavily. He also offers a simple DIY inspection tip using an inexpensive snake camera so homeowners can see what is actually inside their ducts before spending money on a cleaning service.
The second half of the episode features highlights from Danâs conversation with painter Keegan Summers of Vivid Creative Contracting. Keegan talks about growing up in a fourth-generation painting family, stepping away for college and the Air Force, and eventually finding meaning and purpose in the trades. The conversation covers common DIY painting mistakes, how to fix paint problems, the importance of prep work, and what homeowners often misunderstand about professional painters.
Keegan also shares practical advice on cabinet painting, including multi-stage cleaning, sanding, and the amount of prep required for a long-lasting finish. He discusses favorite tools and products, including microfiber rollers and Benjamin Moore Scuff-X, and makes a strong case for young people considering the trades before taking on major college debt.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and Rerun Announcement
00:33 Maggieâs Health Update
02:33 Why This Weekâs Episode Is a Rerun
03:17 Recapping the Dust Problem
04:32 The Reality of Air Duct Cleaning
06:36 Is Duct Cleaning Worth the Money?
07:44 A Simple DIY Duct Inspection Tip
09:08 Meet Painter Keegan Summers
09:56 Growing Up in a Painting Family
11:43 College, the Air Force, and a Career Detour
14:33 Finding Meaning in Trade Work
16:09 Why Purpose Matters in Your Work
19:26 Back from the Break
19:44 What Homeowners Misunderstand About Painters
20:00 Common DIY Painting Mistakes
21:35 How to Fix Paint Problems
23:05 Bats on the Ladder
25:05 Favorite Tools, Rollers, and Paint Products
30:08 Cabinet Painting Prep and Process
34:29 Life Beyond the Job
36:19 Why the Trades Can Beat College Debt
39:12 Wrap-Up and Final Offers
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In this episode of Home in Progress, Dan Hansen opens with a story about slicing his finger on a new rotary shredder and officially passing cheese-grating duties on to his kids. From there, he wraps up his multi-week series on what the brain wants from the spaces we live in by turning to one of the biggest design decisions of all: color.
Dan explains that paint color is not just about personal taste. It also affects us biologically. He explores how color sends signals through the eye and into parts of the brain involved in stress, alertness, and emotional regulation. Along the way, he breaks color down into its three core elements: hue, brightness, and saturation.
The episode looks at what research suggests about common color families. Red tends to be stimulating and physiologically activating. Blue is often associated with lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and better emotional recovery. Green shows especially strong connections to stress reduction and restoration. Dan also explains that saturation works like a volume knob, making colors feel louder or quieter, and notes that very dark spaces can sometimes make us feel more watchful or on edge than mid-range values.
Most importantly, he offers a practical framework for choosing paint colors more wisely: do not start with the color itself. Start with the feeling you want the room to create. From there, Dan walks through helpful color guidance for bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, home offices, and bathrooms. He also reminds listeners that RepcoLite color consultants are available to help homeowners make confident choices.
Timestamps00:00 Welcome and sponsor
00:12 Rotary shredder mishap
01:31 Why color affects us
02:59 The biology of color
07:15 Hue, brightness, and saturation
08:49 What research says about red, blue, and green
14:00 Saturation as a volume knob
16:02 Brightness and hidden stress
18:40 Turning the science into practical advice
19:27 When the deeper point finally clicks
20:28 Why color affects biology, not just preference
21:52 Choose the feeling first
24:32 A living room color regret
26:52 Room-by-room color guidance
28:08 Bedroom colors for calm
30:00 Kitchen colors and controlling warmth
31:10 Flexible color ideas for living rooms
32:47 Home office colors for focus
33:37 Bathroom colors for a reset
36:49 What the feeling of home really means
39:01 Final thoughts and where to get help
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In this best-of episode of Home in Progress by RepcoLite Paints, sponsored by Benjamin Moore, Dan Hansen covers two popular home improvement topics: how to reduce dust in your house and how to paint kitchen cabinets. In the first half of the episode, Dan explains what household dust actually is, where it comes from, and why some homes seem to get dusty so quickly. He breaks down common causes of indoor dust buildup, including skin cells, pet dander, fabric fibers, pollen, soil, HVAC airflow, and dirty or inefficient furnace filters. He also explains how low indoor humidity can keep dust floating in the air longer and shares practical tips for reducing dust throughout the home.
Danâs dust-control advice includes using a HEPA vacuum, dusting with damp microfiber cloths, washing bedding and curtains regularly, vacuuming upholstered furniture, replacing furnace filters on time, checking filter efficiency, using air purifiers, and maintaining indoor humidity around 40 to 50 percent. He also discusses whether duct cleaning may help and previews that topic for a future episode.
In the second half, Dan gives a detailed step-by-step guide to painting kitchen cabinets, especially older stained or varnished cabinets. He explains how to remove and label cabinet doors and hardware, clean away built-up grease, sand the surface correctly, choose the right bonding primer, block stains and tannin bleed, and select a durable cabinet paint that will hold up over time. He also shares tips on sanding between coats, using better brushes and rollers, avoiding common mistakes, and giving the finish enough time to dry and cure before reassembly.
Whether you are trying to cut down on dust in your home or thinking about repainting your kitchen cabinets, this episode offers practical advice that can help you get better results.
Episode Breakdown00:00 Best-of episode setup
00:42 Why the house gets dusty so fast
01:27 A short tangent on height and dust
05:09 What dust actually is
07:14 Where household dust comes from
08:39 HVAC filters, airflow, and ductwork
11:09 Humidity and why it matters
12:09 Practical ways to reduce dust
16:21 Building a realistic cleaning routine
17:12 Air purifiers, filters, and duct cleaning
18:37 Wrap-up and cabinet painting preview
19:31 Why painting cabinets can be worth it
22:02 Understanding project scope and cabinet types
22:43 Remove and label doors and hardware
24:47 Prep mindset and deep cleaning
26:53 Scuff sanding the right way
28:54 Priming and blocking stains
32:07 Sanding primer and choosing paint
34:05 Applying the second coat and allowing cure time
35:42 Reassembly and finishing touches
36:45 Final tips and wrap-up
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Host Dan Hansen opens the episode by noting a technical mistake in the original on-air broadcast, which led to the spring painting segment being repeatedâthen leans into it with a quick apology and a story about how contractor Joe helped him upgrade from a box grater to a rotary cheese grater after a painful pizza-making mishap.
From there, Dan dives into one of the most common spring questions: When can you actually start painting outside? He explains why air temperature alone isnât enough, emphasizing the importance of surface temperature, dew point (keeping surfaces at least 5â10°F above it), and moisture content in wood (ideally below 15%). He also discusses surfactant leaching and how overnight conditions can impact fresh paint. To help extend the early-season window, he highlights Benjamin Moore Element Guard for its ability to handle lower temperatures and resist rain quickly, and shares a practical day-by-day approach to spring exterior paintingâincluding why you should always store your paint indoors overnight.
Shifting indoors, Dan shares a firsthand experience helping his son repaint a home, where RepcoLite Optima delivered impressive coverage over both deep, dark colors and even bright bubblegum pink. While nearly achieving one-coat results, he still recommends two coats for a consistent, professional finish.
The episode wraps with a deeper look at biophilic designâhow incorporating elements of nature into your home can reduce stress and improve well-being. Dan walks through simple, practical ways to apply it: using natural color palettes, incorporating wood and stone, embracing imperfection through ideas like wabi-sabi, protecting meaningful outdoor views, and adding plants (real or artificial) to create a calming environment.
He closes by encouraging listeners to connect with the Home in Progress podcast and Facebook pageâand offers a warm Easter greeting.
Timestamps00:00 Welcome and On-Air Correction
00:42 Rotary Grater Upgrade
02:56 Michigan Spring Frustrations
04:38 When to Paint Outside
05:34 Surface Temperature Matters
06:47 Dew Point Basics
07:43 Moisture in Wood
09:06 Surfactant Leaching
11:08 Element Guard
12:12 Outdoor Painting Schedule
13:40 Keep Paint Warm
14:22 Shift to Interior Painting
15:08 Repainting Sonâs House
15:51 Optima Paint Overview
16:36 Dark Colors Coverage
18:18 Covering Bright Colors
18:32 Final Recommendation
19:00 Greenery Benefits Tease
19:09 Sponsor Break
19:31 Brain Needs at Home
21:05 Biophilic Design Explained
21:53 Nature Lowers Stress Fast
24:21 Earth Tone Color Tips
26:20 Natural Materials
28:17 Sponsor Break
29:43 Wabi-Sabi and Imperfection
32:04 Protecting Your Views
33:43 Plants: Real or Artificial
36:14 Series Wrap and Next Week
37:45 Podcast and Facebook
39:35 Easter Sign-Off
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When can you really start painting outside in the spring? Itâs not just about air temperatureâand getting this wrong can ruin a project.
Dan Hansen breaks down the real factors that determine whether exterior paint will succeed or fail. He explains why surface temperature matters more than air temperature, how to use an infrared thermometer to check it, and why dew point and moisture content can quietly sabotage your work. Youâll learn when wood is actually ready to paint (hint: below ~15% moisture), why frozen or damp substrates cause problems, and how to plan a smart early-season painting schedule. He also highlights Benjamin Moore Element Guard, designed for cooler conditions and rain resistance as fast as 60 minutes.
Then the conversation shifts indoorsâto something most people completely overlook: lighting.
Your brain is constantly responding to light in ways that affect your sleep, mood, focus, and overall wellbeing. Dan walks through the research behind this and explains why âirregular lightâ (the wrong kind of light at the wrong time) can throw off your system. He connects this to real-world environmentsâfrom hospitals to workplacesâand shows how lighting choices at home can either support or fight against how your brain wants to function.
Youâll get practical, actionable advice:
Why morning light exposure (within an hour of waking) matters more than you thinkHow to choose the right bulb color temperature (2700K vs 3500â4000K) depending on the roomWhy layered lighting beats a single overhead fixture every timeFinally, Dan tackles a viral carbon monoxide ad and clears up a common misunderstanding: CO detectors are not designed to detect every trace of carbon monoxide immediately. He explains how UL 2034 standards actually work, including threshold levels and built-in delays, and what that means for your safety.
Youâll also learn:
Where and how to install CO detectorsWhen to replace them (typically every 5â7 years)Why annual inspection of fuel-burning appliances mattersWhen a low-level CO monitor might be worth adding as a supplement
Episode Timeline00:00 Welcome and March Rant
01:53 When to Paint Outside
03:05 Why Surface Temperature Matters
04:18 Understanding Dew Point
05:14 Moisture Levels in Wood
06:37 Element Guard in Cool Weather
07:47 Planning a Daily Painting Schedule
09:57 Why Lighting Matters More Than You Think
10:31 How Light Affects Your Brain
14:31 Real-World Research Examples
17:13 What âIrregular Lightâ Means
18:28 Practical Lighting Fixes
19:54 Why Morning Light Is Critical
22:45 Choosing the Right Bulb Temperature
24:56 Warm vs Cool Lighting by Room
26:51 Why You Should Layer Lighting
30:58 Carbon Monoxide Ad Breakdown
34:00 How CO Detectors Actually Work
36:21 CO Safety Tips and Best Practices
39:02 Wrap Up
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Dan Hansen hosts Home in Progress by RepcoLite Paints (sponsored by Benjamin Moore), opening with a memorableâand painfulâstory involving a cheese grater that leads into a practical takeaway: 100% silicone caulk cannot be painted and often must be removed if used incorrectly.
From there, the episode shifts into a deeper exploration of what makes a space feel like home.
Hansen connects neuroscience to interior design, explaining how the brain acts as a prediction engineârapidly evaluating environments and forming physical responses before conscious thought kicks in. Within seconds, a room can create a sense of ease or low-level friction that we often canât explain, but definitely feel.
Through relatable examples and a simple visualization exercise, he demonstrates how the body âreadsâ a space. He shares a personal realization that even a well-designed, comfortable room can create subtle stressâtriggered in his case by a cluttered desk just out of sight.
The episode introduces two key design principles:
Coherence â creating a consistent visual and material âlogicâ that allows the brain to settleVariation â adding just enough visual interest to keep the space engaging without becoming overwhelmingTogether, these ideas form a practical framework for designing spaces that donât just look goodâbut feel right at a deeper level.
Episode Overview00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup
01:10 Cheese Grater Mishap (and Why It Matters)
04:23 Paint Tip: Silicone Caulk Warning
06:38 Neuroscience Meets Interior Design
07:03 Why Some Rooms Feel Instantly Right
10:09 The Brain as a Prediction Engine
11:48 âFeelingâ Texture Without Touching It
14:17 Friction vs. Ease in a Space
14:54 The Hidden Cost of âFineâ Rooms
17:52 Try This: Room Visualization Exercise
19:03 Sponsor Break
19:19 Your Body Is Reading Your Space
20:53 The Desk That Changed Everything
24:19 Your Nervous System Keeps Score
27:04 Coherence: The Thread That Ties a Room Together
32:00 Why Coherence Doesnât Mean Boring
34:32 Variation: Giving Your Eye Something to Do
36:38 Finding the Balance Between Calm and Overload
38:14 Whatâs Coming Next: Light, Color, and More
38:51 Paint With a Purpose
39:26 Wrap-Up and Sign-Off
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In this episode of Home in Progress, Dan Hansen explores how overlooked spacesâespecially laundry roomsâcan quietly affect our mood and stress levels. Drawing on research linking cluttered, chaotic environments to higher stress, Dan argues that even small design improvementsâbetter lighting, thoughtful organization, and especially colorâcan transform repetitive chores into calmer, more enjoyable routines.
He explains why paint is often the simplest and most affordable way to reset a neglected space, sharing the dramatic difference a fresh coat of paint made in a dark Michigan basement.
The episode also tackles a practical spring concern: water in the basement. Dan walks through common causes after heavy rain or snowmelt and offers practical steps homeowners can take to prevent problems. He explains how roof runoff, clogged gutters, poor grading, frozen ground, and failing sump pumps can all send water toward your foundation.
If water does get inside, Dan outlines safe cleanup strategies, including pumping out standing water, drying the space quickly to prevent mold, evaluating whether carpets can be saved, and protecting yourself from electrical hazards and contaminants. He also recommends installing water alarms for early warning and documenting damage for insurance claims.
Finally, the episode returns to laundry room design with practical ideas for making the space more invitingâusing paint, lighting, hardware, and personal touches to turn a purely functional room into one that actually feels good to use.
Episode Timeline00:00 Show Intro and Preview
01:29 Why Rooms Affect Mood
04:06 Clutter Stress and Beauty
07:07 Laundry Tasks and Creativity
08:40 Paint as the Fast Fix
09:04 Basement Paint Transformation
13:39 Shift to Basement Water
15:15 Keep Water Out Basics
18:56 If Water Is Already In
20:17 Donât Panic First Steps
20:22 Floodwater Safety Gear
20:49 Electric Shock Precautions
21:45 Pump Out Standing Water
22:19 Extension Cord Safety
23:26 ShopVac Cleanup Tips
23:56 Dry Out Fast Prevent Mold
24:41 Carpet Save Or Toss
25:22 Drywall Hidden Damage
26:48 Wrap Up Flood Advice
28:34 Basement Waterproofing Paint
29:15 Laundry Room Can Be Beautiful
30:24 Confidence Zones Bold Design
31:52 Warm Minimalist Color Picks
33:53 Go Dark With Contrast
35:30 Lighting Hardware And Art
38:45 Laundry Room Mindset Shift
39:33 Final Sign Off
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In this episode of Home in Progress, Dan Hansen welcomes back former co-host Hailey Johnson for a conversation that blends art, creativity, and home design.
Hailey shares what sheâs been doing since stepping away from the showâfocusing on product and color training at RepcoLite and continuing her work as an artist and curator. One of her newest projects is Hammer Space Gallery 2.0, an artist-run exhibition space she operates out of a detached garage, created to give installation artists and experimental creators more opportunities to show their work in Grand Rapids.
The conversation explores installation artâa form of art that creates an immersive environment rather than a single object on a wall. Hailey explains how installation artists think about space, movement, materials, and the emotional experience of viewers.
Dan and Hailey also preview the upcoming exhibition âHeaviest, Heaviest, Heaviest,â opening March 14 from 4:30â7:30 PM at Do Not Start in southwest Grand Rapids. The show features work by filmmaker Seejohn Czaplicki, installation artist Isabella Werschky, kinetic sculptor Abhishek Narula, and sound artist Nick Buwalda, including a live-composed sound performance.
Along the way, the discussion connects artistic thinking to everyday design decisions in our homes. Topics include how objects relate to one another in a room, designing spaces around emotion rather than rules, choosing materials intentionally, and creating environments that invite curiosity.
Whether youâre an art lover or simply trying to make your home feel more intentional, this conversation offers a fresh way to think about the spaces we live in.
HEAVIEST, HEAVIEST, HEAVIESTMarch 14, 4:30 - 7:30at Do Not Start (1265 Godfrey Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503)Learn More
Episode Breakdown00:00 Welcome back Hailey
00:55 Why loving a color matters more than perfect technique
02:34 Life update since leaving the show
04:16 Hammer Space Gallery and artist-run spaces
06:01 Why Grand Rapids needs more exhibition opportunities
10:51 What installation art actually is
13:19 Preview of Heaviest, Heaviest, Heaviest
20:47 Event details and invitation
24:21 Design lessons from installation art
25:42 Thinking about rooms as a whole composition
27:33 Flow, movement, and how people move through spaces
28:40 Designing rooms around feeling
30:16 Concept behind the exhibition
31:28 Making intentional material choices
32:31 A performance built around simple materials
35:25 Collecting art with personal meaning
37:14 Inviting curiosity into your home
41:05 Finding joy in quirky design (the cat clock moment)
44:13 When art challenges the viewer
45:31 Seeing ordinary materials differently
47:38 Event details and closing
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On this episode of Home in Progress, Dan Hansen sits down with Ginger Herman of Suprins Group at Five Star Real Estate Leaders for a timely 2026 West Michigan real estate update â plus a behind-the-scenes look at Gingerâs own ski chalet renovation.
Ginger explains that as winter fades, Michiganâs spring market is heating up. Inventory remains tight but is improving, particularly in the $350,000â$400,000 range. Bidding wars are still happening, though not as frenzied as previous years. Mortgage rates have eased compared to last year, hovering in the high-5% to low-6% range, while home prices continue their steady climb.
For sellers preparing to list, Ginger emphasizes the fundamentals: deep cleaning, decluttering, and addressing small deferred repairs. Strategic prep depends on your pricing goals and neighborhood comparables â but presentation still matters.
In the second half of the episode, Ginger shares the story of purchasing and refreshing a fully furnished 1970s ski chalet rental â complete with orange accents and dated finishes. Instead of gutting the character, she leaned into it. Keeping the black trim and wood floors, she updated the space with Benjamin Moore Ballet White and Sweet Rosie Brown, using Scuff-X for durability in a high-traffic rental. With guidance from a color specialist and expert advice on finishes for tall, light-filled walls, the chalet now feels fresh while honoring its roots.
A practical market update and a real-world paint transformation â all in one conversation.
EPISODE TIMELINE00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:24 Winter Walk Mirror Moment
03:32 Spring Market Warming Up
05:09 Inventory and Buyer Segments
07:00 Mortgage Rates and Pricing
08:44 Offers and Timing Strategy
11:03 Seller Prep and Touchups
13:23 Deep Clean and Declutter
18:14 Contact Info and Break
19:19 Ski Chalet Project Begins
20:15 Buying the Chalet Fast
20:57 Renovation Plans and Style
21:57 Seventies Decor Tour
23:15 Renovation Vision
24:26 Color Plan With Hailey
27:18 Neutrals Versus Cabin Dark
28:51 Bathroom Color Pop
29:34 Paint Finish And Scuff X
32:06 Why Experts Matter
33:49 Wrap Up And Furnishings
34:33 Rentals And Repeat Guests
35:56 Consultations And Store Help
38:27 Company Experience And Thanks
39:17 Contact Info And Sign Off
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