Behind the Scenes: A Friday Outtake from Our House-Hunting Adventures
We wanted to share a little behind-the-scenes moment from our recent house-hunting posts. When we decided to write about the homes we toured, we also wanted to be respectful of the sellers’ privacy. That meant finding a way to show the character of a house without revealing identifying details. After some thought, we settled on using edited exterior images that hide specific features — a simple, honest compromise between sharing our experience and protecting the homeowners’ privacy.
But before we landed on that approach, we tried a different, more whimsical tactic that didn’t quite work out the way we’d hoped.
My wife is wonderfully creative. She draws charming illustrations of our own house, including a neat floor plan and a clear sketch of our lot. Her drawings capture our home in a way photos sometimes can’t: warm, quirky, and full of personality. Because of that, I thought her handmade interpretations might be a perfect, playful way to disguise the houses we were discussing. I imagined colorful, slightly stylized renderings that would convey the look and feel without revealing specifics.
That optimistic idea quickly ran into reality.
Sherry sat down with colored pencils and really leaned into the concept. The results were earnest and full of heart, but they didn’t obscure the homes in the way we needed. The sketches were still too recognizable, and rather than providing a helpful disguise, they risked giving away details about the properties. It was a rare moment of creative ambition colliding with practical constraints.
We both had a good laugh at our initial attempt. Sherry laughed and I had to deliver the awkward news that while I admired her effort and loved the drawings for our own projects, they weren’t the right solution for this particular series. Thankfully she saw the humor in it too, which made pivoting to a different plan much easier.
We then turned to a more technical solution. Using image editing software, we applied a filter that softened and blurred the exterior photos enough to mask identifying features while still preserving the overall impression of the property. The technique lets us discuss architectural cues, curb appeal, and layout without compromising privacy. We kept the edits tasteful and subtle so readers could still get a sense of the homes we saw, but nothing would allow anyone to trace the images back to a specific address.
This whole episode was a reminder of how creative solutions often come with trade-offs. Handmade illustrations convey warmth and personality, but they can be too revealing if you’re trying to anonymize a real place. Digital editing can be more neutral and effective for privacy, but it lacks the human touch that makes a drawing feel special. Balancing those elements is part of the fun — and the occasional facepalm.
We also had a bit of comic timing behind the scenes: Sherry was catching up on reality TV while she drew, which she jokingly blamed for the whole thing. It became an easy, affectionate joke between us — one of those small moments that feels very real and very ordinary, even amid the bigger project of finding our next home.
So that’s our little Friday outtake: an honest peek at how an idea that seems perfect at first can require some rethinking. We learned from it, enjoyed the process, and moved on to a solution that felt right for both our readers and the homeowners we encountered.
Have you ever had an ambitious Plan A go sideways and end up being replaced by Plan B? We’d love to hear about your creative pivots, whether they involve art, home projects, or something completely different. Sometimes the best stories come from the missteps along the way.