A few principles guided the planning for the Independent’s new office on the first floor of Provincetown’s Whaler’s Wharf: simplicity, versatility, and cost. The challenge was to create quiet work […]
Home / Making
Inspiration for the crafty, projects for the practical, spaces for dreamers.
Browse all Home / Making stories below or dive into a topic:
DIY
Declutter Now and Be Ready for Spring
Need it? Use it? Love it? If not, let it go.
Some people think of these indoorsy months as a time for cocooning. That sounds lovely. But if you’re surrounded by clutter and your closets are overflowing, you may have noticed […]
MEET THE MAKER
Upholstery as an Act of Sculpting
One-of-a-kind pieces, built on good bones
My work as an upholsterer weaves together many threads of my past: an education in art history, fine art, and printmaking; a passion for patterns in wallpaper and fabric; and […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Custom Shingle Design Lends Quiet Flair
The Question: I’m renovating my cottage and considering going from clapboard to shingles on the exterior. I know it will mean we won’t have to paint anymore. But is there […]
GALLERY
A Guide to Shelf Care
Reset them with edited vignettes and muted colors
Winter on the Outer Cape is a time to reset. While most people focus that effort on their inner lives, some of us go for an easier kind of reorganization, […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Not Those ’70s Skylights
New technology adds energy efficiency and ease
The Question: I want to bring more light into my house without losing wall space. I’m thinking of installing skylights, but I have heard they can create more problems than they […]
GALLERY
A Collage of Technicolor Curiosities
When you have hundreds, throwaway plastic objects are art
“We prefer to say that we’ve curated a collection rather than decorated a house,” Robert Rindler says about the Wellfleet home he shares with his husband, James Connors. To wander […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Built-ins Make the Most of Every Corner
Storage solutions should reflect the way you live
The Question: I need additional storage in my home. I’m tired of the bins and baskets I’ve been piling things into. But the truth is I don’t have a lot […]
LOST & FOUND
A Project for Doing Projects
A kit house for the messy business of making things
Being an artist is a messy business. After a day of work, I end up with paint on me, the ceiling, the floor, the dog, and every doorknob in the […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Build a Better Chicken Coop
How to keep your chickens from becoming takeout
The Question: I’d love to build a chicken coop in my yard so we can have fresh eggs, but I’m afraid of rats — not to mention foxes, coyotes, and […]
GALLERY
Roadside Finds That Fit a Small Space
Setting the scene in 700 square feet
Saudade is a Portuguese word that roughly translates as “yearning for a lost time.” Marisa Felton uses the word as she describes gatherings at her childhood home in Provincetown, now […]
GALLERY
Wallpaper for Drama or for Charm
In Provincetown, John Golden’s artistry is appreciated
“I hang the wallpaper — I don’t take it down,” says John Golden, who has worked in Provincetown […]
DIY
Upcycle Your Favorite Old Tees
A tote that makes the most of your knot-tying skills
If you have a T-shirt obsession like we do, the truth is you probably have too many of them. They stack up, they multiply, but it’s really hard to let […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Adding Color, Carefully
Be bold with no regrets; paint your front door
The question: It’s February, and I’m tired of seeing gray. I’d love to add some color to my house, and I love turquoise. I’m considering painting the trim in a […]
GALLERY
At Home With Geometry and Light
The art of Grace and Budd Hopkins in a space by Charlie Zehnder
Grace Hopkins and her daughter Gigi moved to Wellfleet from Portland, Maine in 2012 after the death of Grace’s father, the artist Budd Hopkins, one of the founders of the […]
