We’re thrilled to announce that our book is finally arriving this November—officially due on the 6th, though that may vary slightly depending on the source. After more than three years of development, it’s safe to say this project has been a true labor of love. Deep breaths, everyone: hee, hee, hoooooo.
For everyone asking about pre-orders: you can reserve a copy through the retailers listed below or ask your local bookstore to pre-order it for you. Pre-orders often come with discounted pricing and sometimes arrive early, which is a nice perk for readers and a big help for authors.
It’s funny to think this whole thing began years ago. We remember key milestones vividly: signing with an agent, writing a 100-page proposal in 2010, choosing a publisher after our move in 2011, turning the proposal into a full manuscript around New Year’s, spending three intense weeks shooting in our house this past February, and then countless rounds of revisions and proofreading. And now, we’re holding a 336-page mockup packed with ideas that’s heading to the printer this week.
The book isn’t a formal decorating bible filled with designer jargon. Instead, it’s an idea book for people like us—full of practical, affordable, and adaptable suggestions. Some projects are quick and simple, others are more involved. Some cost nothing, and others might require saving up. Essentially, it’s the blog shaped into a book: 243 ideas presented with photos, checklists, tutorials, illustrations, bonus tips, sidebars, and our trademark dorky humor.
We included more than 200 photos and over 100 illustrations that have never appeared on the blog. Nothing was copied and pasted from previous posts; we created fresh, original content specifically for this book. Familiar topics—like painting furniture or upholstering a headboard—are presented in new ways and accompanied by new projects that were completed especially for the book.
Throughout the process we were often surprised. Two things stood out: how little the publisher altered the meat of the book, and how much influence they had over the exterior design. The editors let our voice shine through; we remained the same pun-loving weirdos readers know from the blog. That authenticity meant a lot to us.
The cover process was different than we expected. While authors typically provide feedback, the publisher has the final say, which led to a collaborative approach. During the photo shoot we tried several concepts, including some awkward shots of us posed on a sofa. Ultimately, the team moved away from a forced lifestyle photo and landed on a playful, hand-crafted design that felt much more fitting for the tone of the book.
One early idea featured wood letters, a painted “O,” stitched spine detail, and a cheeky, colorful layout. We offered suggestions—adjusting the spine color to teal, adding house keys hanging from the letter “e,” using chunkier wood letters, and jokingly asking to be removed from the cover. The design team embraced our feedback, crafted custom wood type, and incorporated many of our ideas, though they kept our likenesses on the cover to maintain a personal feel.
During development some numbered tips became bonus tips to help manage page count and keep the book affordable. We landed on 243 tips—our lucky number—with a subtitle refined through focus-group feedback. The final design balances playful and polished: not childish, yet delightfully cheeky, with masculine wood elements paired with feminine script touches and a vibrant teal spine.
We intentionally avoided directly lifting the blog header for the cover. The book contains never-before-seen projects and photos created especially for print, and we didn’t want the cover to suggest it was simply a repackaging of blog content. We also wanted a timeless design that wouldn’t feel dated as the blog evolves. Collaborating with a professional book designer offered fresh perspectives and creative decisions we wouldn’t have imagined on our own.
Inside the book you’ll still find familiar faces—Clara and Burger make playful appearances throughout. Burger, in particular, adds a hilarious running commentary as he pops in and out of chapters. While they’re not on the cover (so the title reads clearly as a decorating book), their personalities are woven into the content.
We’re so proud of how this project turned out. It feels like a real representation of our blog and our taste: practical, warm, and approachable. We’ll share more behind-the-scenes stories, a sneak-peek video, and book tour dates as those details are finalized. For now, we just want to say thank you—for all the encouragement and support along this intense and incredible journey. We couldn’t have done it without you. Love, love, love.
Psst—stay tuned for more updates, sneak peeks, and book-related happenings. We’ll share behind-the-scenes moments and tour information as soon as it’s ready.