Tonight's cuppa: peppermint tea

Starting next Thursday, March 31, the final episode of the Los Angeles project of PBS' "This Old House" starts airing around the nation (check local listings for date, time and channel in your area).

In the episode airing this week, host Kevin O'Connor takes a tour of the historic Adamson House, a 1930 Spanish Colonial Revival right on the beach in Malibu. I first discovered it when I did a set visit there for the show "Fastlane", with stars Peter Facinelli and Bill Bellamy (believe it was standing in for a Mexican drug lord's mansion).

Later, at one of my first visits to the L.A. "TOH" project, I told producer Deborah Hood that the show couldn't hardly do a Spanish Colonial Revival remodel in Los Angeles without visiting this prime example of the style.

Couldn't be happier that she took my suggestion.

And if you have some time left over once you're done visiting Adamson House, you can go next door and catch some waves at Surfrider Beach, or go next door on the other side and see brown pelicans and other seabirds at the Malibu Lagoon State Beach.

And if you're lucky -- and I was on that day with "Fastlane" -- you might see some dolphins.

Here's a teaser of some of my shots from the wrap party.

(Click on "This Old House" in the Categories to the right and see the previous Los Angeles project entries and photo slideshows.)

As you will see, the house is fully decorated, but alas, the homeowners don't get to keep that. It's just for TV.

Today's cuppa: Barry's Irish Breakfast tea

On Thursday, KOCE -- now the lead PBS station in Southern California since KCET cut ties with the Public Broadcasting System -- started airing episodes covering the "This Old House" project that has been ongoing in L.A.

(For viewers of KOCE -- now rebranded PBSSoCal -- the episode repeats on Saturday, from 3:30-4 p.m. PT)

As Cuppers know, HCTV has been all over this since the beginning -- click here and here and here for set reports and photos -- and now everyone can see what's been happening. A lot of PBS stations started carrying the new episodes on Thursday and likely more will roll in over the weekend. Check local listings for time and date in your area.

Here's my syndicated feature story, which came out this week ... and remember what master carpenter Norm Abram (left) always says, "Measure twice, cut once!"

'This Old House' sets up shop in Los Angeles' Silver Lake

East of Hollywood and northwest of downtown Los Angeles, the trendy neighborhood of Silver Lake clusters around a reservoir, with many houses packed tightly on narrow, hilly streets.

For the last few months, a Spanish Colonial Revival house on one of these streets has been ground zero for PBS' venerable home-renovation series "This Old House," which is tackling a Los Angeles project for the first time in its 30-year history.

Beginning on Thursday, Jan. 27 (check local listings), TV fans can watch host Kevin O'Connor, master carpenter Norm Abram and the rest of the Boston-based "TOH" team, along with Los Angeles-based design-build firm Home Front, start adding 750 square feet - comprising a second floor, larger kitchen, family room, and two bedrooms and baths - to the 1,500-square-foot 1930s home, which boasts a water view out the back.

It belongs to Kurt Albrecht and his wife, Mary Blee, who both work in the entertainment industry and whose expanding family necessitated more room.

"It goes well," says O'Connor on the job site in October (the wrap party is set for early February). "You've seen our little gem here in Silver Lake. This is quintessential California - red roof, clay tiles, stucco walls, earthquake prevention and hillside fire prevention."

In the early days of the show, when renovations were more modest and technology not as advanced, owners could be on site providing "sweat equity." Now local contractors do the work, with help and advice from the "TOH" experts - who also get to learn new things themselves.

"We did a whole scene on the first two steps of four on the exterior stucco," says Abram a few weeks later on the site. "They can now really fly over the next couple of weeks. When we come back in January, hopefully, we'll see the final two steps.

"It's just clean. I wish we could do more stucco in New England."

But just because the homeowners aren't swinging a hammer doesn't mean they're not part of the process, and that's where on-site executive producer Deborah Hood comes in.

"At times," she says, "it seems like a psychology degree would be very useful on the job site. In some cases, the homeowners have thought about the renovation for a long time, planned it, but once you actually start building ... .

"When they sign up with us, they commit to a schedule. We're not a miracle makeover show, but it does move right along. There are at least a couple of months shaved off this timeline, and they had to commit to not a lot of change orders."

Luckily for the homeowners and "This Old House," Home Front keeps a designer on staff.

Perched on a chair between contractors' trucks at the curb, in-house designer Nancy Ganucheau says, "The way I work with the company is, I come in at the beginning, and I work up a design with the client, and I work up the code issues.

"That's (company owner) Steve Pallrand's dream, to have the design integrated with the construction. It also means that all through the design process, they're doing pricing, so there are no surprises."

Pallrand joins the conversation, saying, "Often architects or designers come in, and what they've been taught is to impose their will on the design. We try to work with the existing house.

"Whoever designed this thing did a really good job. It's beautiful. We don't want to overwhelm it."

Even when O'Connor, Abram, Ganucheau and Pallrand aren't on the job site, site supervisor Angel Leon (below) is. He's going to become a familiar face to "This Old House" viewers over the course of the project, and he's also figured out how to integrate with the demands of making television.

"The camaraderie with everybody has been the funnest part," he says, taking a two-minute break from working. "It's a very relaxed atmosphere. It's not all tense, with everybody running around, trying to make something into what it really isn't.

"Basically, they come in, and we get to do our normal thing, on a daily basis, and they accommodate to us."

As to whether he's prepared for TV stardom, Leon says, "Um, I'm not prepared. My family may be, but I'm not."

He's also gotten a taste of the affection and respect that the show's viewers have for those who work on it, especially Abram.

"That's what I've noticed," Leon says, "traveling around with 'This Old House,' with people coming from long distances, just to see Norm. 'Where's Norm?' It's all about Norm, absolutely.

"He's special. He does have a ton of knowledge. I've got to watch him work a little bit, and watching him talk about stuff, is impeccable. There's nobody who has that knowledge, unless you've been doing it for 35, 40 years."

Tonight's cuppa: peppermint tea

One thing's for sure about television -- it's sometimes a very long time before what I see on a set visit actually hits the airwaves.

Back in September, I headed to Pasadena, Calif.. (home of the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl, incidentally) to meet up with the "This Old House" companion show, "Ask This Old House," in which ordinary homeowners get expert help on relatively small projects.

On hand were the regular "TOH" crew -- including senior producer/director David Vos, cameraman/director of photography Stephen "Dino" D'Onofrio (white shorts in the picture at left), production coordinator Heath Racela and host Kevin O'Connor (blue shirt and jeans)-- and a local contractor, Charles Vargas of B&M Electric in Torrance, Calif.

(For those not familiar with the Los Angeles basin, Pasadena is as far east as you can get without being in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, and Torrance is almost as far west as you can get before you fall in the ocean).

Earlier this fall, I wrote a short syndicated piece based on my interview with O'Connor on this day -- click here for that --  but now the episode itself is airing, starting Saturday, Dec. 18. As this is PBS, check your local listings for time, date and channel in your area. Some local stations may run as much as a month behind the national premiere date.

Homeowner Stephen wanted to get rid of the fluorescent lights in the galley kitchen of his ranch-style home,  but he couldn't find a contractor who would educate him as well as trying to sell him something.

"I figured I could do the actual work myself," he says, "but I wanted to know whether what I wanted would be a good idea, what size cans to use, what kind of lights, what color lights, the placement of them."

So he filled out the form to apply to be on "Ask This Old House," and out came Vargas to help him decide what to choose.

Asked if he is B or M in B&M Electrc, Vargas says, "I am neither. B&M stands for Bill and Mike. They are the original father-and-son team, the owners. I worked for them for 15 years, and after 15 years, I purchased the company from them.

"They were ready to retire, and I was ready to keep on trucking."

Vargas showed Stephen many different kinds of lights and demonstrated a variety of ways to install them. Apparently this is not just for TV, but Vargas' standard practice - -and it has a very practical reason

"That one person talking bad about us," says Vargas, "trickles down to 20 people. So my goal is to educate people by showing them exactly what they're going to be purchasing to light up the space.

"It helps them make the most educated choice, and it also helps me in the end, because I know they picked what they liked."

So, what did Stephen pick? What challenges were there in the install? Did everyone get a good lunch? OK, even if you tune in, you won't know that last one -- but I had a grilled tuna sandwich, and it was yummy.

See below for some of the things I saw that day...

I've also been out to the current Los Angeles remodel project for "This Old House." Click here and here to see what I saw there.

Today's cuppa; Irish breakfast tea

Last week, I headed back to the "This Old House" project in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, to gather more interviews -- first on the list, master carpenter Norm Abram -- for a syndicated feature story to come out close to the premiere of the new episode cycle on Thursday, Jan. 27 (check local PBS listings for time and station in your area).

The house is slowly coming together, and they'd better keep on schedule, since a wrap party is planned for early February (and yes, HCTV is invited!).

Here's some of what I saw there (if you want to chart the progress, click here first for some shots of my first visit to the site) ...

Today's cuppa: English afternoon tea

Earlier this fall, I visited the crew and host of PBS' "Ask This Old House" as they helped a homeowner in Pasadena, Calif., upgrade his kitchen light fixtures (more on that when the airdate is announced). Then, a few weeks later, I headed to the eastern side of Los Angeles to visit this year's winter project for the mothership, "This Old House."

(Above, from left, landscaper Roger Cook, HVAC/plumbing expert Rich Trethewey, general contractor Tommy Silva, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram)

Below find excerpts from the press release that describes the project, and below that is a slideshow of a few of the things I saw that day. I'm planning to head back over when Abram is in town, to add more material for a feature story to run closer to the premiere.

(And, BTW, I learned from producer Deborah Hood that Silva can cut a rug, so will he be the first general contractor on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars"? If I could see him and "Deadliest Catch" crab Capt. Sig Hansen in the same show -- blue-collar ballroom nirvana! Ah, well, a girl can dream ..)

THIS OLD HOUSE® EMBARKS ON FIRST-EVER RENOVATION PROJECT IN LOS ANGELES

Spanish Colonial Revival to Get Hollywood Treatment on New Season of Emmy® Award-Winning Show

CONCORD, Mass., (September 23, 2010) - For the first time in its 30-year history, the PBS home improvement series This Old House is traveling to Los Angeles to tackle a West Coast renovation project. A charming 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival home located in the picturesque hillside community of Silver Lake will get a Hollywood makeover from the show's expert crew. The This Old House Los Angeles project, featuring 10 brand-new episodes, premieres nationally on PBS beginning Thursday, January 27, 2011 (check www.thisoldhouse.com/tvschedule or your local listings).

In order to accommodate a growing family, the This Old House team, with the help of local tradespeople, plans to expand the home's existing footprint, add a second floor and make updates for modern living, while preserving the quaint period details that make the property unique.

Homeowner Kurt Albrecht purchased this home in 1998 and moved in with his wife, Mary Blee, shortly thereafter. The couple was not only drawn to the original period style of the house and its view of the Silver Lake Reservoir, but they loved the diverse community and its central location to most Los Angeles areas like Downtown, Glendale, Burbank and Hollywood. The one floor, 1,500-sq.-ft. house was the perfect size for a young, married couple so they only made minor cosmetic updates at first. However, in recent years as their family began to expand and basically outgrow the two-bedroom, one-bath house, they decided it was time for more extensive renovations.

The This Old House experts are working with Los Angeles-based contractor Steve Pallrand and his design-build firm Home Front on a modest 750-sq.ft. expansion which includes a new second floor, larger kitchen, new family room, two additional baths and two more bedrooms. The plan also calls for preserving and replicating some of the homeowner's favorite existing period details such as arched doorways, tray ceilings, plaster ornamentation, inlaid floors and art deco light fixtures. ...

Show producers found this Silver Lake property after an exhaustive search, which included extensive outreach to the local building/architectural community and a public call for entries earlier this spring, which yielded several hundred project submissions. Previously, the expert crew renovated four other homes in California, two in Santa Barbara, one in Napa Valley and one in San Francisco. The last California project was completed 10 years ago.

Click here for my second visit to the job site.

Tonight's cuppa: Peppermint tea (gong off caffeine early for the stress of Election Day)

As you head to the polls tomorrow -- and you ARE headed to the polls, if you're eligible to vote and still alive? (gotta throw that one in for some precincts in the nation, and you know who you are) -- you'll have a choice between two major parties and a plethora of smaller ones.

But for a lot of folks, the perfect thing would be a "None of the Above" checkbox.

How to fix a broken political system? Easy -- I went to three of TV's top handymen, figuring that any guy who build out a closet, put in a new sink or pour a foundation just might have some suggestions on how to put together a new political party.

(Photo credits: Kevin & Matt, me! Steve, courtesy of Steve.)

So, here goes ...

Kevin O'Connor (PBS' "This Old House," "Ask This Old House"): "Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party and then the Toolbelt Party. 'Ingenuity, Competence, Thriftiness,' those are the planks. You get paid for showing up; you get get paid for what you do; you don't get paid until the job is done."

Matt Iseman (Style's "Clean  House," Versus' "Sports Soup"): "As someone who majored in American History with a focus on political theory, i truly believe that our divided nation can only be unified by one party -- The Party Party.

"Our platform is that liberal and conservative can truly come together over an ice-cold keg of beer. The most contentious issues could be resolved once and for all over an epic game of beer pong. Who needs health care or Social Security when the beer's flowing?

"In my defense, I first formulated the idea for the Party Party the night after graduation, so some of the details are a bit hazy."

Steve Watson (HGTV's "Don't Sweat It," formerly of Discovery Channel's "Monster House"): "The DONE! Party. I don't care how you do it, just quit bitchin' and get the job done."

So as you get ready to cast your ballot tomorrow, remember ...

Competence is sexy. No, really, it is. And when your roads are beautifully paved; your state, city or country's budget is balanced without raising taxes; there's a short DMV line; and you can get your license renewed, drive to the restaurant and have money left in your pocket to romance your beloved, you'll agree with me.

You're the boss. And, as the boss, hire wisely, and fire when necessary.

Voting earns you the right to kvetch later on. If you're eligible to vote, but don't, and you still insist on complaining about the state of things, then you're a moron. Pull the lever, ink the dot or do whatever it is you do, and your Creator-endowed right to yell at your television or fire off dissenting missives to your elected representatives is both morally and Constitutionally protected.

Vote on, America!

Today's cuppa: Irish breakfast tea, with scones bought at the Malibu Farmers Market (where my companion claimed to have seen Daryl Hannah, but I didn't), made by The Wilde Thistle, run by a woman whose family hails from the same county in Ireland as mine. Oh, and the scones are awesome!

Ever since I was knee high to a channel knob, I watched PBS' home-renovation show "This Old House" (I go back to the Bob Vila years, so that'll give you an idea). Click here for a history of the show.

(Above: The "This Old House" crew -- Roger Cook, Rich Trethewey, Tommy Silva, Kevin O'Connor, Norm Abram)

Several years ago, I got the chance to head to the show's home city of Boston and see a project in progress. The visit also included the actual garden from "The Victory Garden" and the actual "New Yankee Workshop," both of which were located at that time in the backyard of Russell Morash, executive producer of all three shows.

Of all my set visits over the years, that's definitely in the top five.

Now, I don't hammer or nail or saw or build anything. I come from a handy family, but my dad -- probably wisely -- kept me away from the power tools. But, thanks to "This Old House," I can now identify a 3/4-inch rounding over bit for a router on sight. I'd rather be able to play the guitar, but there you go.

Now that I'm grown up, I still am a mad fan of "TOH" and especially its master carpenter Norm Abram, but I've branched out to other home-improvement shows (TV itself has also branched out in this area), and among my favorites is "Holmes on Homes," airing in the U.S. now on HGTV.

It stars Canadian contractor Mike Holmes (below, left), whose mission in each episode is to undo damage and redo work done by unscrupulous or incompetent handymen and contractors.

These are not the only shows I watch -- I get a huge kick out of "Blog Cabin" on DIY; and, on HGTV, I enjoy watching former "Trading Spaces" carpenter Carter Oosterhouse rescue hapless homeowners in "Carter Can,"  and Steve Watson (right)  shake up a remodel project on "Don't Sweat It" -- but you might ask, since I don't nail, why?

Here are the top 10 reasons I watch home-improvement (and used to watch house-flipping) shows, and why you should, too.

1. It's about transformation. The moment you think something terrible can't be made better, watch these handy individuals take a pile of crap and turn it into something beautiful.

2: Transformation is not easy. The moment you think that you can just turn something around on a dime, watch these handy individuals shed blood, sweat and tears to make it happen. Nothing good is achieved without hard work.

3: Demolition is the fun part. The final reveal is the other fun part. Very little in between is lots of fun -- but you do get the fun parts at either end, giving you something to remember and something to anticipate.

4: Measure twice, cut once, the motto of "This Old House." Seriously. I used to have pencils and a mug that said this. There's no end to the amount of misery that a little forethought can avoid. MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE.

5: Problems can be solved, but not by sitting in the middle of the floor and crying about them. They have to be analyzed and broken down into their component parts before a solution can be crafted. Sudden bursts of imagination may work in the arts, but building requires logic and planning, skills that can be applied to many aspects of life.

6: Everything costs money. In a project, you have to budget for all the materials, from little nails to giant panels of sheetrock to tons of wood and steel girders. It all has to be chosen, purchased and fit into a finite amount of money (because all amounts of money, however large, are finite). There's nothing like watching a budget balloon out of control to learn that four of the most dangerous words in the English language are, "While we're at it ..."

7:  Adding or redoing a bathroom has probably wrecked more marriages than infidelity. To survive a building project or remodel, you need extraordinary communications skills, a deep well of good will and practically inexhaustible patience. If you don't hate each other by the time you take that first bubble bath, much else in life will seem like a cakewalk.

8: Few things are as sexy as competence. Bumbling may look cute on TV, but it's murder on the job site. Watching a contractor show up, analyze, prioritize, delegate and supervise to a successful conclusion is better than being serenaded below your bedroom window (especially if that window could use a new sash and a couple of panes of glass).

9: Waste not, want not. Russ Morash once told me he hired Norm Abram to do a carpentry job at his house because a former customer remarked what a tiny scrap pile he left behind -- and the rest is history. Old timbers can be reused; careful cutting and building techniques can stretch expensive materials further; and a minimum of waste is the hallmark of someone who plans well and executes better.

10: Hope vs. reality. Watching house-flipping shows quashed any thought I had of buying a house at the height of the real-estate craze. While following the transformation and hearing about the potential profits was exciting, I noticed after a while that there wasn't much follow-up -- like, how much did the house sell for, or did it sell at all? When some of of the shows began including this information, for the most part, it wasn't pretty.

Once again, TV has much to teach us, if we're willing to learn. On a personal note, I'm pretty excited because "This Old House" is coming back to Los Angeles to shoot a project to air in early 2011. Can't wait to smell the sawdust again!