Looking back at the ways we renovated our previous homes, there are plenty of design choices we’d change if we could. In this post we share five things we’d redo, along with what we learned from each decision. First up: the deck is gone. We removed that massive structure from the back of the house and it instantly opened the yard, but as is often the case, solving one problem created a few new tasks—much like a home-renovation version of “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.” We also revisit Sherry’s Color of the Year predictions and John explains why he won’t pledge loyalty to a single tool brand.
You can download the podcast episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn, or listen via the player on our site. Use this page to find all the photos, notes, and links we referenced in the episode.
What’s New
- We discuss why we decided to remove the deck in Episode #51 (link in show notes), where we walk through the reasons and the planning behind the demo.
- The photo above shows the view from the kitchen now that the deck railing is gone. All that grass that was previously hidden is finally visible, which made Sherry very happy.
- We don’t have a perfect “before” shot from this exact angle, but the next photo was taken during demo from the other kitchen window and shows how dominating the deck felt—almost like a cage in the middle of the yard.
- Once the deck was removed the house’s original rear façade came back to life. We labeled several problem areas in our internal plans, but removing the deck already improved sight lines and light.
- From the opposite angle you can see the stump left behind after the tree removal, but you can also spot the original brick steps that we’re glad to have back.
- Here’s a throwback photo from 2012 showing the deck with the large tree that once stood there. The tree was too close to the house and both the inspector and our arborist recommended removing it immediately. The stump remained under the deck until demo.
- Since demolition we’ve checked off key tasks like moving the air-conditioning unit, having an electrician tidy up loose wires, and having the stump ground. The yard already feels more cohesive.
- It’s still a big work in progress—these photos are good reminders that powerwashing the brick and finishing a few details are on the list—but we’re encouraged by how much more open the backyard feels compared to when we bought the house.
What’s Not
- We talk about Sherwin-Williams’ Color of the Year and how it relates to some of the paint choices we’ve made recently, like the finish on our clawfoot tub.
- In past episodes we’ve also covered other brands’ color announcements and how they influenced our projects; those conversations are linked in the show notes for anyone interested in paint trends and finishes.
Design Regrets
- One long-standing regret was the P-shaped opening we created between the kitchen and dining area in our second house. We mentioned it in Episode #62. The shape disrupted flow and limited how we used the space.
- That photo also highlights other missteps: awkward floor transitions and the placement of tall cabinets on opposing walls rather than grouped together for a more cohesive layout.
- Photographic records aren’t always high resolution, but the images we do have clearly show why we called that layout “P-shaped.”
- Another holiday photo shows multiple floor changes: hardwood in the foreground, cork in the kitchen, and parquet in the hall and living room—making transitions feel choppy rather than intentional.
- On the back side of the house there were additional changes: wide-plank pine in the master bedroom and tile in the sunroom, both offset from the parquet in the living room—another continuity issue we would handle differently now.
- One photo shows the back of a fireplace that we now think would have been far better as a double-sided feature so it could be enjoyed from both kitchen and living room sides. We remodeled one side of that fireplace later and loved the result—imagine if both sides had been designed together.
- We were pleased with how the kitchen-facing side of the fireplace turned out after its makeover. The project improved both the look and functionality of that wall.
- Here’s a photo of the kitchen from our first house on moving day. It’s empty, which shows how much better the space would have felt with a backsplash—something simple that makes a big visual difference.
- Adding a subway-tile backsplash is a manageable improvement for many DIYers; we documented the process when we helped my aunt install one, and it’s a good starting point for first-time tilers.
- We’ve also written about different approaches to hardwood floors—refinishing nailed-and-stained floors in our current house, refinishing in our first house, and installing prefinished hardwood upstairs using both nail-down and glue-down methods.
- For a broader look at our past before-and-after projects, see our house tour pages for our first house, our second house, and our current home (links are in the show notes).
We’re Digging
- One tool we’ve been enjoying lately is the Ryobi ONE+ Cordless Hybrid Trimmer/Edger. The hybrid feature lets you swap in a battery or plug it in if you run out of power, which is handy for yard work at multiple houses.
- For a light, feel-good TV recommendation, we love The Good Place—start with Season 1 before watching Season 2 so the story makes sense and the humor lands.
If you want to revisit items we’ve recommended in previous episodes, we keep a master list of everything “We’re Digging” from all episodes in the show notes.
Finally, thanks to Universal Furniture for sponsoring this episode. They’re running a giveaway for $10,000 in dining room furniture; details are available through the sponsor link in the episode notes.
Thanks for listening and following along with our projects!
*This post contains affiliate links*