DIY guy: Bruno Bornsztein, creator of Curbly (www.curbly.com) and other DIY-oriented websites.
Home base: A 1912-built house, bought in 2003 and since redone top to bottom.
Shares with: Wife, Alicia, and their daughter, Ayla.
Toughest project: "The kitchen. I learned there are limits to DIY. Wiring I would never do, and Sheetrocking I would never do again. It's hard to get professional results unless you know what you're doing. Sometimes you end up doing things twice or paying more."
Best DIY tip: "It all comes down to tools. The difference between a DIY-er and a professional is that a professional has tools and knows how to use them. You can rent almost any tool you don't have. And if you don't have the tools, don't even try."
Favorite tools: "A shopvac -- and not a cheap one. That's a universally good tool. A solid drill -- that's a must-have. And a Sheetrock jack. Sheetrock is heavy, and the jack lifts the Sheetrock up so you can drill in. Without that tool, it's really tough to Sheetrock."
Next project: "Now I'm thinking about outside stuff," he said, including re-landscaping and fixing up an old brick grill oven in his back yard. "I like to make pizzas. That would be awesome, to rehab that thing."
DIY confession: "Alicia does all the decorating. She has vision -- and better taste."
