renovation

DraftBuild — Fewer guides, more detail.

No press releases, no rewritten listicles — notes from four people who keep doing the work.

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Using the corridor: from zero to fluent
Small Flats

Using the corridor: from zero to fluent

Most people want using the corridor to make things better. The workable version of that goal is steadier: a floor you can hit on a bad day.…

Emory BlakeEmory Blake·September 12, 2026·4 min read
Balancing wood and metal: a grounded explanation
Furnishing

Balancing wood and metal: a grounded explanation

Most people do not fail at balancing wood and metal from misunderstanding it. They fail because understanding is not doing. What follows is the doing…

Malcolm ReidMalcolm Reid·September 12, 2026·4 min read
Before-and-after documentation: is the investment justified
Project Sequence

Before-and-after documentation: is the investment justified

If you only read one paragraph, read this: before-and-after documentation depends on how the situation is set up, not on how you feel at the time.…

Nora WhitcombNora Whitcomb·September 12, 2026·4 min read
Where to run strip light: from zero to fluent
Lighting Design

Where to run strip light: from zero to fluent

If you have already tried where to run strip light and dropped it, the fault is usually in the setup: a starting point set too high, an environment…

Nora WhitcombNora Whitcomb·September 9, 2026·4 min read
Keeping warranty cards: questions and pitfalls
Handover and Pitfalls

Keeping warranty cards: questions and pitfalls

Separate two things in keeping warranty cards: the outcome you want and the action you can sustain. When the gap is too wide, shrink the action…

Eloise FontaineEloise Fontaine·September 9, 2026·4 min read
Open kitchen trade-offs: priorities at three stages
Small Flats

Open kitchen trade-offs: priorities at three stages

There is plenty written about open kitchen trade-offs and little you can act on. This piece stays concrete: every action can be done in front of the…

Eloise FontaineEloise Fontaine·September 6, 2026·4 min read

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Leave one or two decisions in cleaning in a small flat open until you can see the space; early guesses are expensive.

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One useful letter a month

What we tested, what failed, and the one thing worth trying this month. No selling.

About This Site

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DraftBuild covers renovation from the inside: four writers, one editorial rule — nothing is published until one of us has done it for at least a month, in a normal home, on a normal budget. The awkward parts stay in the text.