So Here We Are…

Hi, I’m Thomas Hart. I’m a draftsman on Long Island with over 24 years in the construction industry, and after years of helping other people design and build their homes, I figured it’s time to start sharing some of my own thoughts.

I’ve owned a few homes over the years, but in 2015 my wife and I traded suburban life for Manhattan. For seven years we embraced the city — the energy, the small apartments, and the convenience of having everything right outside our door.

Then in 2022, with an infant in tow, we decided it was time to come back to Long Island and buy a house again.

The return to homeownership has been a mix of the familiar and the unexpected. Even with decades of experience in construction, nothing quite prepares you for the reality of living in a house day-to-day — the little projects that snowball, the decisions about what’s worth upgrading, and the constant balancing act between comfort, cost, and sanity.

This blog isn’t an instruction manual, and I’m not here to sell you anything. Think of it more like a journal:

• My thoughts on home design and what actually works in real life.
• Honest takes on products, gadgets, and materials.
• Lessons learned (the easy way and the hard way) about maintaining and improving a house.
• And sometimes a look at the regulations and trends that affect all of us as homeowners.

If you’ve ever stared at a broken water heater, debated whether solar panels are worth it, or wondered if you really need a smart doorbell, you’ll probably feel right at home here.

Thanks for stopping by.

— Tom