The author, a retired architect, lives in a one-of-a-kind suburban home that had grown under previous owners without an overall plan. He describes, with photos and drawings, the various projects he undertook to improve the houset functionally and visually, almost always without any outside help. He dug out a crawlspace under the center portion, added a glass-covered patio, rebuild the upper deck, and completely reconfigured the entrance from the garage. The only project where he had significant outside help was the construction of a workshop/tool shed in a strategic location. Along the way, the author aims to convey a sense of "how architects think".