Bob Vila meets with contractor Ed Weller, who explains how the steel-framed kitchen table will support a surface of Surell and also how the table will be mounted.

A butcher block table can help make your kitchen much more efficient: Built to take a beating, butcher block doubles as a functional chopping surface as well as an eating or serving table. Butcher block is made of hard maple, a dense, strong wood that doesn't add flavor to what you're chopping on it. It's cut across the grain so it will wear evenly without warping. Just keep it clean and oil it occasionally; it will last for years.

This 1920s-era house had almost no exterior lighting and not even a place to plug in the Christmas lights. Electrician John Schiavone installed new lighting outlets for the exterior and interior of the home. The lighting fixtures and table lamps in the living room are all operated by wireless control. Ben Wilson Jr. of Lutron/Keyes North Atlantic reviews the features of this system. The control unit has five settings for the homeowner to set, which will control various lights in the house. The system seeks out and uses wireless frequencies that are not currently in use and will not impede the use of other wireless devices in the area. Each room of the house is equipped with a dimmer switch that for manual operation.

Interior Designer Leslie Curtis takes Bob on a tour of the Lyman Estate in Waltham, Mass. Curtis has chosen many items for the house from The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) licensing program. Carol Bruce from SPNEA joins them to talk about the furniture selections that will be used in the project house. Among the pieces is a demi-lune table for the foyer, chosen for it's light weight and dark, earth tones. Curtis and Bruce also show Bob the leather bound, wing-back chair for the great room, as well as a tufted leather chair that will be used in the study. For the master bedroom, Leslie has chosen a federal-style high post bed, and Bruce shows them an authentic reproduction from the 1800's. Also on display is an original 18th century high chest, as well as a reproduction of an original mahogany dresser.

…angle. • For best adhesion, be sure to "tool" caulk, using your finger, a disposable spoon or a damp rag for latex caulks. • For better energy savings, caulk windows & doors on the inside AND outside. • Check around your home…

…the cleats. The bottom of the box will rest on 3/4-inch square cleats nailed 1 1/4-inches up from the bottom of the rail…
…the slots under the rails. Cut eight lengths of 3/4-inch square cleat material to slide into the slots under the rails at…

…pergola started with BrattleWorks 5-inch-square by 84-inch-high sleeved posts that were slid over 3-1/2-inch-square by 48-inch solid posts attached…
…posts come either 5-inch or 7-inch square. Joists allow for openings from…

…folded squares. Valleys typically require 16-inch-wide flashing, while dormers and sidewall junctions use one 6x6 or 8x8 inch square of step flashing per course of shingles. Don't forget to add extra shingles for hip and ridge caps, along with drip edge…

Latex paint makes clean-up simple and fast: Clean any spills with a damp paper towel before they dry; Clean brushes, rollers and other tools with soap and water; Brushes should be paper-wrapped in a manner that retains their original shape before storing.