Guide · Tools
The First Toolkit: Fifteen Tools, Bought Once
What to buy, what to buy well, and what to borrow until you know you need it.
28 July 2026 · 6 min read
Section
Guides
Start here.
Evergreen, slow-changing reference material: the tools worth owning, how to paint properly, how to hang things in plaster without regret, how to budget a renovation. These are the pages we link back to from everything else.
Start with these if you are new to making things. They will save you a trip to the hardware shop and at least one filled-in mistake.
Everything in Guides
Guide · Decorating
How to Paint a Room Properly
Preparation is 80% of the job and the only part that shows. The full sequence, start to finish.
11 June 2026 · 6 min read
Guide · Fixings
Hanging Things on Any Wall Without Regret
Identify what your wall is made of, then choose the fixing. This guide is why your shelf stays up.
14 January 2026 · 6 min read
Guide · Planning
Measure Once, Plan Twice: Planning a Project on Paper
Half an hour with a pencil saves a day with a saw. How to plan a build before you buy anything.
9 December 2025 · 5 min read
The Saturday List
One project, one room, one honest cost breakdown.
A single email each Saturday morning: what we built this week, what it cost, and what we would do differently. No affiliate padding.