I’ve written before about the IKEA effect, but—as Daniel Kahneman warns his readers in Thinking, Fast and Slow—we are all helpless to biases, even when we know about them. I went to IKEA this weekend to pick up two tables to serve as desks in our remodeled home office—and raced home to feel that sweet, … Continue reading On the delight of IKEA
Tag: DIY
On 7 things from last week (10/2)
Fort Morgan. If the eastern half of my adopted state offers anything, it’s a stark contrast to the mountains. I had to drive out to Fort Morgan last week—and WOW is the land flat and the highway straight. Range anxiety. I had it—driving to Fort Morgan—for the first time in my life. Not fun! Baseboards. … Continue reading On 7 things from last week (10/2)
On hidden things in your home
There was a patch of carpet in our office that made a distinctive crunch when stepped on. I noticed it years ago, and it became just another quirk of the house—I knew something was odd but wasn’t sure what. Today, I learned the culprit: the installer had left a tatter of plastic wrap between the … Continue reading On hidden things in your home
On 7 things from last week (7/31/23)
A new deck! A finished construction project somehow makes you want to never do another big DIY project ever again and simultaneously begin brainstorming the next one. Dinosaur Ridge. Will a toddler enjoy the famous Dinosaur Ridge? Yes, if we're talking about the sandbox where the museum manager hides fake fossils for kids to find. … Continue reading On 7 things from last week (7/31/23)
On 18 things I learned building a deck over the past 11 days
Use leverage whenever possible. Walk away before you get frustrated. You can use your drill chuck to pull off stripped screws. I need to buy a crowbar. Put tools back in the same place once you’re done with them. (Otherwise you waste hours of walking around grumbling over the whereabouts of the orbital sander.) Impact … Continue reading On 18 things I learned building a deck over the past 11 days
On not being handy
Oh, that I were born handy. Some people are, I want to think, even as I know they are not. There may be innate tendencies toward handiness—but there’s no a priori knowledge. No one leaves the womb knowing how to hold a hammer. So I can’t lay the blame for my lack of handiness on … Continue reading On not being handy
On 7 things from last week (7/24/23)
A new deck. Over the past eight days, I’ve embarked—in the good company and far more capable and qualified hands of my father in law—on a major deck renovation. Wish me luck! The joy of a dumpster. Enlightened (Season 1). Excited to have dug up this gem of a show, co-created by Mike White and … Continue reading On 7 things from last week (7/24/23)
Taylor Coe 