This Summer, I used part of a friend's redwood fence to build an additional garden box. Craftster member Emilyhell was lucky enough to try something similar thanks to some generous friends with a remodeling project. She writes, "My boyfriend and I got some old recycled redwood for free from some friends who were replacing their deck. We built these five-foot-square planter boxes and just today finished planting our fall/winter vegetable garden."

I love the kneeling/sitting area that Emily and her boyfriend built with the top, flat piece of decking. This will help them to lean over and brace themselves when they're harvesting all of their yummy veggies. What a smart, eco design. Nice work!

Home theaters have almost become a requisite for Americans building mega-McMansions, and they're quite common in the homes of the Hollywood elite. Personally, I just find them excessive. And since going to the theater is one of my favorite pastimes, I'd never give up popcorn and Slurpees in favor of a leather La-Z-Boy, even if ticket prices are well above $10 these days. Woody Allen, on the other hand, favors the home theater. When recently asked by New York magazine if he still goes to the movies, he said, "I don’t, because I have this [gesturing to the screening room], and so it’s much easier for me to call up and say, 'Can I get a print of The Women sent over here?' and I can just come in here with a couple of friends on a Saturday night and see it." What are your thoughts? Would you have a home theater built if you could afford to?
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To accommodate visits from their four grown children, an Illinois couple decided to clean up and renovate their basement space. The project, which was recently featured on This Old House, dramatically improved the function of the previously uninhabitable space.

Here's how it looked prior to renovation.

To see how this couple transformed their basement, read more