Four editors, three states.
The masthead is small on purpose. Each editor has a beat, a house, and a notebook of mistakes that became the seed of half their guides.
Nobody writes outside their beat without a co-byline from someone who lives in it. That is the second-most enforced rule in the office, after the comma.
A small team, on purpose.
Three editors. One test reader. A rotating bench of people who have actually held the tool. We keep the masthead small so we can stay accountable for every line.
- ME
Maya Ellsworth
Editor in Chief
Brooklyn, NY
Maya bought her first house in 2019 and rewired the kitchen with one YouTube tab open at all times. She's been writing about home renovation since 2021 and started The Home Renovation Blog after one too many forum threads that began "this is obvious, but…".
Owns the desk on- Kitchens
- Renovation Planning
- Budgets
Owns three multimeters. Could only find one this morning.
- JQ
Jonas Quintero
Senior Editor — Plumbing & Electrical
Asheville, NC
Jonas spent eleven years as a residential contractor before moving to the editorial side full‑time. He writes the parts of the blog that involve water or amperage — the parts where being wrong is expensive — and he is firm, kindly, about when to put the wrench down.
Owns the desk on- Plumbing
- Electrical
- When to Call a Pro
Has snaked his own drain so you don't have to. Wishes you wouldn't.
- RB
Ruth Beam
Editor — Beginner Projects
Portland, OR
Ruth came to the publication from a decade of teaching middle‑school science, where she learned that nobody learns anything from a person who is annoyed they have to explain it. She owns the first‑weekend guides — the small wins that make a house start to feel like yours.
Owns the desk on- Painting
- Patching
- First Weekends
Believes a primer coat is a love language.
Plus a rotating bench of plumbers, electricians, and cabinet‑makers who fact‑check the technical guides. They are credited at the bottom of every piece they touch.
The rest of the masthead.
Each of these is a short page. Most readers walk all five in one sitting; some come back once a year to see what we have changed our minds about.
Our editorial principles
The eight things we agree on, in writing, before we publish anything.
How we test a guide
Seven steps from a Saturday-morning question to a published article.
Write to the editors
We read every reply. Here is the kind of letter that gets answered fastest.
Press & syndication
Logos, recent mentions, syndication terms, and how to commission us to speak.