Budget Breakdown: She Turned a Long Island Cottage Into a Creative Retreat for $418K

Writer and filmmaker Lisa Sardinas opened up the interiors, put in a Reform kitchen, and splashed out on a new pool.

A few years ago, Lisa Sardinas, a writer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, was ready for a fresh start after a divorce. This life change led her to a small 1950s house in Bellport, a village on Long Island known as "Unhampton" for its charm and modesty compared to its flashier neighbor further east. The house was simple—a three bedroom, one-story structure with clapboards and a brick chimney—and she initially dismissed it, but an established beech tree on the property, plus its large garden, intrigued her. "I knew that with the right architects, I could turn it into something that I would love," Lisa says. She closed on the house in 2022, the very same day she received her divorce decree.

In Bellport, New York, Space4Architecture transformed a three-bedroom 1950s house into a retreat for Lisa Sardinas, a writer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn.

Lisa hired Clementina Ruggieri and Michele Busiri Vici, founders of the New York firm Space4Architecture, to reimagine the home as a retreat. In addition to being longtime friends, the trio share a similar modernist sensibility rooted in simple and warm materiality. They decided to keep the exterior identity of the house the same so that it matches the character of the neighborhood, but to untangle the cramped interiors and "see if we can create more airiness, more flow in the space yet keeping a bit of tradition," Ruggieri says. "We didn’t want to make it too modern."

Lisa and the architects conceived of the interior as two "wings:" a bedroom suite for Lisa and one for her son, separated by another bedroom. They also opened up the eight-foot ceilings where they could—in the living room, kitchen, and part of the primary bedroom—in order to create more verticality. They then clad everything inside above eight feet in plywood. "It reproportions the space to a human scale so that it doesn’t become too loud or too luminous," Ruggieri says. "It’s still in line with the feel that Bellport has and that it should have…It’s an honest house."

The renovation brings openness and airiness to the interior while retaining the traditional exterior.
To make the interior feel more spacious, the architects opened the ceilings to create a double height space. They clad everything above eight feet, the original ceiling height, in plywood to maintain a human scale and the house’s original proportions. The sofa is from Hay, the Tokyo chaise lounge is from a now-closed Bellport vintage shop, the coffee tables are by Giotto Stoppino, produced by Kartell 1950s and 1960s, and the yellow chair, inspired by Pierre Paulin, was a find at Wright Auctions. Lisa painted the artwork on the mantel.

See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: She Turned a Long Island Cottage Into a Creative Retreat for $418K
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This Eye-Popping Madrid Apartment Overachieves on Its Only Goal

Architecture studio Bardo’s renovation surprises at every turn with cloistered, colorful spaces.

Houses We Love: Every day we feature a remarkable space submitted by our community of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners. Have one to share? Post it here.

Project Details:

Location: Madrid, Spain

Architect: Bardo / @bardo.arq

Footprint: 1,399 square feet

Builder: Nuevo Habitat S.A.

Photographer: Germán Saiz

From the Architect: "This refurbishment project in Madrid is born from a simple idea: surprise. The client had one clear desire: a fragmented floor plan, with independent spaces that would provide intimacy for the different areas of the home. From this premise and taking advantage of a private courtyard that allowed for a continuous perimeter circulation, Bardo conceived the home as a sequence of interconnected rooms, designed to generate surprise as one move through them. With surprise as the guiding thread, the project gradually took on a distinctly theatrical and eclectic character. Each element is conceived as part of a scenography, designed to transform everyday domestic experience and give each space its own identity.

"A structural column and beam, impossible to remove, are transformed by being clad in neon-colored acrylic. What was initially a technical constraint becoming a sculptural piece that articulates the space and visually separates the living area from the bedroom. The neon acrylic functions as a true architectural device: it filters light, creates reflections, builds layers of transparency and superposition, and turns the transitions between rooms into scenography moments. Rather than dividing, it connects. In the dining area, a curved wall paneled in lacquered MDF in aubergine becomes a backdrop. A bold gesture and an unexpected color that reinforce the project’s narrative and underline its theatrical character.

"The spatial sequence is reinforced through an expressive use of color and materiality, where each space constructs its own atmosphere without losing the continuity of the whole. The kitchen is conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional domestic space. The geometric order of the white tiled surfaces contrasts with the strong chromatic presence of the deep blue cabinetry, while the stone countertop, with its undulating geometry, introduces an almost topographic reading of the work surface, transforming a functional element into an architectural gesture.

"The bathrooms are conceived as autonomous pieces within the overall narrative of the home. In one of them, curved geometry, micro-tiling, and the use of color create an almost dreamlike atmosphere, where architecture is perceived as an immersive experience. In the other, the project becomes more restrained: continuous surfaces, earthy tones, and a quieter material palette generate a space of calm and retreat. The courtyard is integrated as another room within the sequence. The architecture softens, colors become more earthy, and vegetation introduces a different sensory dimension, acting as a counterpoint to the more stenographic character of the interior. The result is a home that is not understood as a collection of rooms, but as a continuous spatial experience. A house conceived as a journey, where each space is a scene and each transition a moment. An architecture that is walked, discovered, and lived as a narrative, in which surprise is not a singular gesture, but the very essence of the project."

Photo by Germán Saiz

Photo by Germán Saiz

Photo by Germán Saiz

See the full story on Dwell.com: This Eye-Popping Madrid Apartment Overachieves on Its Only Goal
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One of Frank Gehry’s Early L.A. Homes Just Hit the Market for $1.7M

The famed architect experimented with raw materials as he constructed the landmark Benson House in the Calabasas Highlands.

Designed as two structures connected by a vertebrae-like bridge, Gehry described the composition as "Almost touching. It is like a Japanese sculpture, when you have two stones almost touching.

Location: 23685 Clover Trail, Calabasas, California

Price: $1,745,000

Architect: Frank Gehry

Year: 1981

Footprint: 1,719 square feet (2 bed, 3 bath) 

From the Agent: "Before Bilbao, the Disney Concert Hall, and the other iconic global works that would define his career, Frank Gehry quietly rewrote the rules of domestic architecture on a hillside in the Calabasas Highlands. Completed in 1981, The Benson House belongs to Gehry’s pivotal early Los Angeles period, when residential work carried the same experimental force his museums would later claim. Created for law professor Robert ‘Bob’ Benson, who told Gehry, ‘Whatever you want to do, we will go for,’ the home became one of Gehry’s favorite projects and most personal residential works. Set into a slope, the architecture separates from the hillside to create a moat-like negative space, allowing two distinct vertical volumes to emerge. A vertebrae-like wooden walkway connects the bedroom wing with the living and gathering spaces, creating a daily experience of movement, sequence, and spatial discovery. Clad in humble asphalt shingles and grounded by concrete floors, exposed rafters, and raw material contrasts, the home reflects Gehry’s early language of recontextualized vernacular, California modernism, and architecture as sculpture. The Benson House is Calabasas Historical Landmark No. 2 and an important early Gehry residence archived at the Getty Research Institute. Early Gehry homes rarely come to market, making this a singular opportunity to own a formative work by one of the most influential architects of our time."

Frank Gehry’s Benson House is composed of two structures connected by a wooden walkway.

Frank Gehry’s Benson House is composed of two structures connected by a wooden walkway. "It is like a Japanese sculpture, when you have two stones almost touching," the architect noted.

Photo by Michael McNamara

Photo by Michael McNamara

Gehry would later remember The Benson House as "one of my all-time favorite projects because the budget was so tight and so impossible."

Gehry would later describe The Benson House as "one of my all-time favorite projects because the budget was so tight and so impossible."

Photo by Michael McNamara

See the full story on Dwell.com: One of Frank Gehry’s Early L.A. Homes Just Hit the Market for $1.7M
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Ask a Realtor: I’m a First-Time Homebuyer. Should I Even Bother?

Real estate agent Nicole Reber unpacks what questions to ask if you’re considering purchasing—including whether it might be better to just keep renting in the current market.

Welcome to Ask a Realtor, an advice column about the ins and outs of home finding, renting, buying, and selling from expert Douglas Elliman real estate agent Nicole Reber. Have a question? Submit it here.

Q: First-time homebuyer here. I haven’t bought yet, but I’m not sure if I can even afford anything these days. What advice would you give me (40 years old, partnered, no kids, no pets) if I want to buy in a large or medium-size city (L.A., NYC, and surrounding areas) or places like Tucson—i.e., smaller cities closer to bigger cities? What questions do I need to be asking? Are there special loans for first-time homebuyers? Anything else that can help first-timers in this political climate (poor stock market, etc.)? What do interest rates mean for home-buying? Is now a bad time to buy? Should I just rent the rest of my life?

A: Hi reader, first off, you’re definitely not alone in these feelings. I’ve found that with clients who have many of these same questions, breaking things down one by one and getting really concrete with the numbers can help make these big decisions feel easier to make. I’ve always found that numerical clarity can help center the conversation and make it clear whether the highest-driving factor for your decision-making is emotion or logic—and then, of course, where to go from there.

As a first-time homebuyer, what questions do I need to be asking?

It’s hard to predict the future, but the length of time that you stay in your home can have a direct effect on the equity you may gain while living in your property. Being as realistic as possible about how long you’d plan to live in the house you purchase will help with making the numbers make sense when investing in property. In the U.S., the average homeowner now stays in their home for around 12 years, though that varies dramatically depending on the market. Los Angeles, for example, has one of the longest homeowner tenures in the country at roughly 20 years, which helps explain why inventory can feel especially tight there. Manhattan homeowners, by comparison, average closer to 10.5 years before selling. In places like Tucson, where housing inventory has become somewhat more balanced and prices remain significantly lower than larger U.S. cities, you may find a different mix of affordability, competition, and flexibility to choose between available properties in a price range based on each neighborhood in the city.

I find that it’s helpful to think about your movement patterns thus far in your life to see how long you would be comfortable committing to owning the house to ensure (to the best of your ability) it’d be a positive investment. While many conventional mortgages are structured as 15- or 30-year repayment plans, most people don’t actually stay in the same home long enough to fully pay off the loan before selling, refinancing, or moving. The longer you stay, the more opportunity you may have to build equity and offset the upfront costs of buying and selling. Knowing this can also give context to how often homes may come on the market in the cities you’re considering. Are you the type of person that has stayed in your apartment or city for long stretches of time? That can make deciding whether to commit to a purchase easier.

When it comes to the larger U.S. cities, the entry and carrying costs—like the cost of the down payment for your mortgage, taxes, insurance, and upkeep—can often be the biggest hurdles, and with those higher average price points, it just becomes more expensive to live. However, some of those larger cities can often have a faster value appreciation because of the tight supply of available homes for purchase driving up the price. You may be more focused on appreciation potential or more interested in finding a place you can comfortably settle into for a longer period of time. Understanding which priority matters more to you can help narrow down the markets that make the most sense to explore.

Still, I always think it’s a good idea to reach out to a real estate agent to have them do an analysis of the places you’re considering to get a sense of how the prices of the properties have increased in the past few years (while acknowledging that the pandemic saw one of the fastest periods of appreciation ever recorded). Appreciation is often neighborhood-specific as well, so be sure to ask them where they’ve seen the biggest changes and see if that aligns with where you might want to live in that city. For the smaller cities near the larger hubs, you may have lower purchase prices and more space. By speaking to real estate agents local to the market you’re looking to buy in, you can potentially uncover a place that can be a great fit for your desired lifestyle and work with your budget that could also be on a popularity precipice.

Are there special loans these days for first-time homebuyers?

Most incentives are localized to a state and local city when it comes to first-time homebuyers. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Federal National Mortgage Association (aka Fannie Mae) may also have loan programs that can help reduce the amount of the down payment costs you have to come to the table with. In my experience, your best bet is opening up a dialogue with a few different lenders to get a sense of the possibility of what programs you have available to see if something can align for your budget.

What do interest rates mean for home-buying? Anything else that can help first-timers?

Interest rates determine the cost of borrowing money. When the rates are higher, your monthly payment goes up. However, when rates are at historic lows like they were in 2020 and 2021, you can also have more competition with multiple buyers bidding on the same properties. When the rates go up, that can sometimes cool competition as affordability can become harder for people. It’s always important to know that you do have the option to refinance the interest rate on your mortgage when the interest rates improve, so the monthly payments you initially sign up for can potentially be reduced down the line. That’s not often a scenario you’re going to find with a rental agreement.

Another thing to consider is the age of the properties that may be available in your price range. Renting may preserve flexibility and lower monthly pressure when you’re looking at purchasing properties that are older and may require larger cash reserves for any unexpected fixes that may come up.

If pricing and updates are your biggest concern and you’re willing to make compromises on those amenities to get into ownership, I’ve typically seen more ability to negotiate in November and December, as some people put their house searches on pause with the holidays. This is a great window to have more leverage despite whatever is happening economically during the rest of the year. Weather can also be a factor, depending on the seasonality of the city you’re considering purchasing in. Here in Los Angeles, I’ve seen a slowdown at the top of the summer season—late June through August—as people travel and are distracted with enjoying themselves. National holiday weekends are also micro windows that can sometimes work in your favor. In the past few years, there’s been a heavy pickup in showings and offers even in the first and second weeks of January, so making that move before the holidays can often leave you with less competition which can help with the pricing conversation.

Is now a bad time to buy? Should I just rent the rest of my life?

Ultimately, these decisions are often about timing and what makes you comfortable, but I think assuming that you can’t find a good deal solely based on reports of the broader real estate market landscape can lead to stagnation and regret. Be honest about what you’re willing to take on but don’t miss out on an opportunity that might be there after lingering on the market due to bad photos, longer days on market, or cosmetic things that you can easily fix. (Like not buying because you prefer hardwood floors over carpet—this happens too often!) Asking questions to licensed and trusted financial advisors can really help, especially around what monthly payment feels sustainable for your income, how much house you can realistically afford without becoming financially stretched, how long you’d likely need to stay in the home for buying to make sense, and whether buying would limit other financial goals like saving, investing, or maintaining an emergency fund. You don’t want to resent where you live just to potentially gain appreciation and equity, but knowing that you have that forced savings through equity once you do own a house is a great hedge against other inflationary costs. If circumstances change, you can potentially keep your home still and rent it out to someone, if you’re comfortable with that and focused on growing your equity.

Buying a home can still be a powerful financial tool, but it only works when the timing and numbers make sense for you personally. I think people sometimes put enormous pressure on themselves to make the "perfect" real estate decision, but life rarely works that way. Some people buy and stay for 20 years (hello, L.A.); some people rent happily and use the money they would have spent as homeowners on maintenance to be invested in other ways. The goal is finding a living situation that supports the life you actually want to live. Knowledge is power, so ask questions of professionals, analyze your past patterns and personal bandwidth, and allow yourself the space to make the decisions right for you. 

Top illustration by Ana Galvañ

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Have a burning real estate question or want a realtor’s advice about the ins and outs of home finding, renting, buying, or selling? Ask our expert columnist!

Questions will be anonymized and may be edited for publication. Content shown in this column includes fact-specific advice, limited by the context given. We recommend consulting a licensed professional for your individual needs.

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More Ask a Realtor stories:

What’s the Most Important Thing to Do to Prep My House for the Market?

I’m Selling a Niche Property. How Do I Find the Right Buyer?

At-Home Wellness Is Going High Design

From mirrored outdoor saunas to smart steam showers, sculptural and tech-forward fixtures are redefining how we treat ourselves at home—and how home feels.

The Thermasol Vue allows the sauna to become an integral and playful part of the architectural vision.

A proper steam or sauna has long meant leaving the house to find one at a spa, gym, or hotel with a day rate. That’s quickly changing, and at-home wellness is more than a trend—the global sauna market is expected to grow from $950 million in 2025 to more than $1.5 billion by 2033, with private homes making up the biggest share of this growth. 

For many design-conscious homeowners, steam showers and backyard saunas are now just as desirable as chef’s kitchens, pools, and outdoor entertaining spaces. And, when it comes to at-home wellness, few companies have been shaping the category for as long as Thermasol.  

The company introduced the first residential electric steam shower in 1958, and has spent the 68 years since proving that wellness belongs at home. Now owned by Finnish sauna pioneer Harvia, which acquired it in 2024, Thermasol is continuing to elevate and revolutionize the way we experience wellness at home.

The Thermasol Vue sauna is an elegant glass form that reflects its surroundings, making it a visually unobtrusive way to introduce a sauna to the home.

The Thermasol Vue sauna is an elegant glass form that reflects its surroundings, making it a visually unobtrusive way to introduce a sauna to the home. 

Photo courtesy Thermasol

"We’ve officially outgrown the era where a home wellness space meant cramming a stationary bike into a spare bedroom and calling it a day," says Nathan Hagemeier, president of Harvia. "Today’s homeowners are demanding intentional, architecturally stunning sanctuaries built directly into the floor plan. We are no longer designing houses just to shelter people; we are designing them to actively restore them, turning ancient thermal rituals into the ultimate modern domestic luxury."

The Thermasol Vue allows the sauna to become an integral and playful part of the architectural vision.

The Thermasol Vue allows the sauna to become an integral and playful part of the architectural vision.

Photo courtesy Thermasol

The Thermasol Vue sauna epitomizes this approach. Unrecognizable from the typical cedar box in the corner of the garden, Vue—which has been awarded a Luxe RED Award for its design—features panoramic glass walls framed in black enamel and thermally treated wood. The glass reflects its surroundings, allowing it to dissolve into the landscape while offering privacy to those inside.

Thermasol Fortis is an elegant outdoor sauna with timber cladding and glass front that creates a contemporary take on the classic sauna typology.

Thermasol Fortis is an elegant outdoor sauna with timber cladding and a glass front that creates a contemporary take on the classic sauna typology.

Photo courtesy Thermasol

See the full story on Dwell.com: At-Home Wellness Is Going High Design
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Before & After: How a Portland Couple Took Their Midcentury Kitchen From Cramped to Chef’s Kiss

After a decade living in the 1965 house by a celebrated local architect, the pair tasked Risa Boyer Architecture with reconfiguring a few of its common spaces—which went a long way in rejuvenating the residence.

After a decade living in the 1965 house by a celebrated local architect, the pair tasked Risa Boyer Architecture with reconfiguring a few of its common spaces—which went a long way in rejuvenating the residence.

As soon as Jeff saw this midcentury-modern house by renowned architect John Storrs in Portland, Oregon, he knew it was the one.

Jeff, based in San Francisco, was being transferred to Portland for his job as a marketing executive in 2013, and his East Coast–based husband, Todd, was about to join him. Together, the couple planned to divide their time between Portland and Massachusetts. 

After 10 years of living in this post-and-beam house designed by celebrated local architect John Storrs, Jeff and Todd knew they wanted a renovation to focus on opening up the kitchen.

After 10 years of living in this post-and-beam Portland house designed by celebrated local architect John Storrs, Jeff and Todd hired Risa Boyer Architecture to renovate. They knew they wanted to focus on opening up the kitchen.

Luke & Mallory

To prepare for the move, Jeff and a friend convened in Portland to scout 12 houses with his real estate agent in a single weekend. Their focus was mostly historic homes in walkable central-city enclaves—but then the car weaved upward into the Southwest Hills neighborhood and they reached this house at the end of a quiet street.

"My friend literally walked in the front door and she said, ‘We live here,’" Jeff recalls with a laugh. Todd had to make a leap of faith, not seeing the house in person before they made an offer, but he trusted Jeff and loved what he saw—first electronically, and then in person after the purchase.

Before: Kitchen

The kitchen, like in many midcentury-modern homes, was relatively closed off from the adjacent dining area, but the hanging upper cabinets above the peninsula counter were not in the original plans.

Before: The kitchen, as in many midcentury-modern homes, was relatively closed off from the dining area, but the hanging upper cabinets above the peninsula counter were not in the original plans.

Photo: Risa Boyer Architecture

In the cramped kitchen, even some cupboards were hard to access without bumping into the fridge or knocking over the dog bowls.

Before: In the cramped kitchen, even some cupboards were hard to access without bumping into the fridge or knocking over the dog bowls.

Photo: Risa Boyer Architecture

See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: How a Portland Couple Took Their Midcentury Kitchen From Cramped to Chef’s Kiss
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Women-Led Repair Workshops Are Teaching Hard Skills—and Confidence Too

Much of the U.S.’s housing stock is suffering from deferred maintenance. So those who weren’t taught to DIY growing up are turning to newcomer-friendly classes to fix up their pads.

As the sun sets over Chicago, a group of 20 gather in a parking lot in Logan Square watching Juliana Masci, their home repair instructor, hold up a wall anchor. "This will need to be drilled into the drywall," Masci says, with a power drill in her other hand. "Who’s up first?"

One volunteer, Lauren, takes a cautious step forward. "I’ll try, I guess," she says nervously. Lauren takes the anchor in one hand, while Masci shows her how to place it against a sheet of drywall mounted on a box of two-by-fours. She demonstrates how to use her full bodyweight to lean into the drill as she pulls the trigger. It takes a few tries; there’s not enough pressure on the drill to get the anchor into the drywall. She tries again. The group starts clapping, shouting "you got this!" as she tries again, then again. Finally, the anchor slides right in. The group erupts into cheers.

"It’s perfect," Masci beams.

This is the scene at Babe’s, Chicago’s first-ever women’s sports bar. But these 20 visitors aren’t here to watch the Chicago Sky WNBA game—they’re here for Tool School, a training program that teaches women and femmes DIY home repair skills. Founded and led by Masci, Tool School is part of a growing movement to impart a set of basic construction and renovation skills to homeowners and renters who weren’t necessarily taught to hold a hammer or wield a drill as children. In a digital-first world, it’s a surprisingly novel idea: Unlike the usual DIY training that comes from YouTube videos or Home Depot online learning, Tool School is focused on the IRL meetups and group training that build community around the often-assumed niche (and gendered) skills like replacing a light fixture or mounting your television. During this Tuesday evening’s Drywall Mounting course, several students said they hoped to learn how to properly hang art in the apartments, or secure floating shelves that could hold the weight of their library. For these attendees, home repair is more than a chore done alone in one’s apartment; it’s a reflection of the growing numbers of woman homeowners and the rising costs of renovation.

Students at Chicago’s Tool School meet at Babe’s, the city’s first-ever women’s sports bar.

Students at Chicago’s Tool School meet at Babe’s, the city’s first-ever women’s sports bar. 

Photo by Taylor Moore

The idea for Tool School stemmed from Masci’s own love for tinkering and building, which she developed as a child through her father. Though she went on to study architecture, she gravitated toward the construction side. After years of working in the industry as a construction project manager, it dawned on her that many home and business owners might actually be able to do some of these projects themselves if only they had the skills. Those who grew up with parents who taught them, like Masci, had an advantage. "I determined that more people need DIY education, specifically women and femme folks."

This is especially true in recent years, as women have become a force in the housing market. Though women weren’t legally permitted to obtain a mortgage without a man’s signature until 1974, they are, today, surpassing men in buying homes. A 2025 report from the National Association of Realtors found that single women account for 25 percent of first-time home sales, up 14 percent since 1985; single men account for merely 10 percent. Though some might opt to hire out even minor projects, a survey by Lombardo Homes found that 27 percent of women don’t feel safe being alone with a contractor, and 60 percent felt that they were treated differently from men by contractors.

Though DIY projects are often framed as making aesthetic changes like remodels or refreshes, many first-time homebuyers end up addressing unseen, basic maintenance issues within the first year of buying a home. Especially for those lower-income buyers, neglecting even minor repairs—recaulking bathtubs or fixing cracked drywall, for example—can have an outsized impact on income in the future. The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies notes that deferring maintenance can increase a household’s long-term expenses; a study by anthropologist Robin Bartram finds that "routine dilapidation makes otherwise affordable housing unaffordable."

The ContractHer founder Tisha Jordan, in blue, with workshop participants.

The ContractHer founder Tisha Jordan, in blue, with workshop participants.

Photo courtesy The ContractHer / Tisha Jordan

In Baltimore, The ContractHER, a DIY training company for women, provides multiday home repair and improvement workshops; they also teach students how to bid out projects and hire contractors if needed. Founder Tisha Jordan was navigating a difficult divorce and purchased a fixer-upper, opting to do renovations herself to save money, she told Washington’s NBC4. In New Hampshire, Mill Hollow Works teaches a variety of co-ed carpentry, woodworking classes, but understanding the need for peer support they also provide a Handy Woman Master series where participants learn framing, flooring, plumbing and electrical, and more. These IRL programs like Tool School teach skills and techniques, but Masci adds that they most importantly build self-assurance for those jumping into the unknown.

"It’s not a lack of skill," she says. "It’s a hundred percent a lack of confidence—a feeling of I’ve never done that before, so I don’t feel like I could do it." That sentiment echoes other findings from the Lombardo survey, where 40 percent of women feel they are treated differently from men at hardware stores and one in five report feeling judged by store employees. It can lead to insecurity, not just in these physical spaces but in their own abilities, says Masci. "It’s a natural progression of what's happened throughout history; women have to be overprepared, you have to be twice as knowledgeable," she explains. Showing up to a hardware store as a woman or femme might require extra confidence, which can be fostered in supportive, positive group settings like these.

The Women’s Carpentry Weekend held by Mill Hollow Works took place outside.

The Women’s Carpentry Weekend held by Mill Hollow Works took place outside. 

Photo by Heather Holloway / Mill Hollow Works

See the full story on Dwell.com: Women-Led Repair Workshops Are Teaching Hard Skills—and Confidence Too
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