There's no place like home

On any given day, the San Luis Obispo home of Sean and Lindsey Cheney is a classroom, an office, a workshop, and a hub for extended family. The space is designed as an efficient multi-tasker, but also as a nurturing and comfortable haven for the couple and their three young children.

When the Cheneys purchased the pre-1920s built home in 2005, they knew it would require extensive upgrades, including new plumbing and electrical systems. As with many remodels, one project snowballed into another.

Eclectic yet elegant

Seventeen years ago, Jean Herring moved to Morro Bay to begin a new life. In doing so, she also gave new life to a small and outdated beach cottage.

The cottage was built in the mid-1960s by Jean’s late husband, Jack Letsinger, who was a real estate developer. The couple lived in Porterville and used the cottage as a vacation home.

“It was small and easy to keep clean — just two bedrooms and two baths,” she said.

Faith in their home

LaVonne Rae Andrews-Welsh and Don Welsh were looking for a convenient work-at-home arrangement when they moved to Templeton from Palmdale in the fall of 2009.

The one catch: they are both ministers.

The Welshes are a husband and wife ministerial team ordained with the Church of Religious Science. Members approached them early last year about heading up the Templeton congregation. Although the church, built in 1927, “needed some love,” according to LaVonne, they decided they would make it both their workplace and their home.

A haven of serenity near Laguna Lake

Jonathan and Holly Lindenthaler took what could be called the “three bears” approach to finding the right house.

Their San Luis Obispo family home of 23 years, which architect Jonathan had designed and built, was simply too big once their children had moved out. They moved into a condominium for six years, which proved to be a bit too small — and not conducive to their needs.

“We realized we really preferred more privacy, solitude, and a stable neighborhood,” Holly explained.

Arts & Crafts redo

David and Dede Leece discovered their love for Arts & Crafts design as two resourceful college students, rescuing an old desk from the trash. After stripping away several layers of paint to reveal beautiful quarter-sawn oak, they were eager to learn more about its simple design and superb craftsmanship.

Modernizing Your Home With Wainscoting | Pan Earth Interior Designs

Wainscoting or panelling, as it is more commonly known, is a type of finish carpentry. Instead of covering walls with wallpaper or paint, you can choose to wainscot instead. Beautiful wainscoting can serve as a great decorative accent to any room and add additional insulation if you live in a cold area. It is also a great way to cover up unsightly parts of the wall.

Wainscoting refers to panelling only the lower section, about 3 to 5 feet of the wall, right below molding or a dado rail. The great thing about this nifty type of home improvement is that you can do it to any part of the house and you can find a type of wainscoting that suits your lifestyle and budget.

Traditionally, hard wood or soft wood is used for wainscoting. A cut of wood known as the tongue and groove (so named because they can be joined to make a flat surface) is normally used for most wainscoting projects. The groove is a slot cut into one edge and the tongue fits right into these grooves, creating a seamless look. This allows for a close fit that gives the impression of a flat surface. If you’re into DIY home improvement projects, this is definitely one of the best materials around for wainscoting.

One of the lovely things about modern technology is that there are a variety of materials available for any homeowner looking to improve their home. Plastic, vinyl and other materials can be used for wainscoting as well. Bamboo is also a great alternative if you are looking to use environmentally friendly materials in your home.

You can even think out of the box and use upholstery or cloth when wainscoting. Budget friendly, pre-made wainscoting can be found in most hardware stores. It really depends on what type of look you are going for.

For those with higher budgets, you can also think of decorative wood panelling, known as boiserie, where carvings or other decorations are placed directly on the wainscot to add an ornamental touch. For the more traditional minded, this can give you a lot of design opportunities.

If you are just looking to make some visual improvements, then faux wainscoting may be the solution for you. This type of wainscoting involves using only paint or wallpaper for minimal work and maximum impact.

You can even wainscot areas of your bathroom with tile or bead board. If you use wood, keep in mind that the wood must be sealed to prevent future mold build up and water damage. Caulking, or sealing the joints of the wood, comes in handy and prevents future problems.

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