Sound-proof Room Keeps Drummer, Neighbors Happy

by Cara Pallone

Tom Barr is a drummer with a passion for music that no neighbors could ever stifle. So when he and wife Robbie started remodeling their Erie basement the day after they moved into their house on Madison Drive, Tom’s hand-drawn plans included a soundproof band room. (more…)

July 2007

A “Party Basement” for Two, or Two Hundred

by Cara Pallone, photo by Patrick Kelley

Ted and Mary Ott love swing dancing. When they decided to renovate their 3,100-square-foot basement, a vinyl dance floor was at the top of the list. (more…)

July 2007

No Need to Mess with Multi-plexes Anymore

by Cara Pallone

Scott and Lisa Lyle clutch enough popcorn to feed their family of five. They enter the movie theater, excited to watch “Shrek” as floor lights guide them to their favorite seats. Their youngest, 3-year-old Aden, is making a lot of noise, running up and down the aisles and climbing on the furniture, but neither parent tries to quiet him. (more…)

July 2007

by Cara Pallone

Most houses have one: that unfinished abyss below a beautiful main floor that tantalizes homeowners and screams with possibility. The excitement of a totally untouched basement sits on the backburner until you are faced with the reality of turning the concrete cave into the ultimate retreat. (more…)

July 2007

Help is here with our annual home improvement section

There’s a reason you can find a Home Depot or Lowe’s every three exits north of Denver on I-25. Every weekend, homeowners grab their lists of “Honey Dos” and projects that just need to get done. They usually don’t get finished, but that doesn’t slow the requisite trips to a hardware giant for nails, hammers, ladders and perhaps a first aid kit to nurse all those injuries back to normal. (more…)

July 2007