I don’t know whether it’s the economy, the ongoing downsizing trend, or just my own tendency toward neatness, but lately we’ve embraced living with less. Instead of accumulating more, we’ve been intentionally cutting back—closets and cabinets have been pared down for a soul-cleansing donations run, paperwork is sorted and reduced, and we’re committed to organizing … Read more

Our recent Chicago meet-up with fellow bloggers Chris Loves Julia, Yellow Brick Home, and Making It Lovely was equal parts heartwarming and hilarious—and we ate well, too. Seeing one of their homes in person challenged a “design rule” we’d confidently shared on the podcast, and it made us rethink how personal photos and small-scale artwork … Read more

This post is long overdue. People often ask about the artwork in our foyer when they glimpse it on social media, so I finally wanted to share the story behind the piece: a pastel sibling portrait that means a lot to our family. It’s relaxed, intimate, and far from the stiff, formal family portraits that … Read more

Who would have thought a half-formed banquette idea would spark such a buzz? More than 800 comments in just a few hours—insane, and incredibly fun to read. We appreciate every suggestion and promise to keep you updated as the plan evolves. There are lots of details to consider and nothing is final, so the design … Read more

We’re working overtime—so many trips to the beach these days—to finish and photograph every room in the duplex so we can list it on Airbnb for weeklong summer stays. We’ll make a big announcement when the listing goes live, so you won’t miss it. Even though two kitchens, two living rooms, two laundry rooms and … Read more

We hadn’t given our office much attention in the eight months since we moved in — aside from repurposing rooms and deciding the original dining room would become the office. Our moving-day strategy was to set the old furniture in place, start working, and pretend the off-center rug and the chandelier over the former dining … Read more

And now for a little chair-related riddle: What’s worse than buying eight chairs on Craigslist only to find out they really don’t work after a year and a half of trying? Answer: Buying eight Craigslist chairs, discovering they don’t work, and then blogging about every one of your failed attempts. We like to keep things … Read more

I know it might sound odd to add a small office area to a vacation home, but when we were deciding what to do with the other side of the pantry, several people suggested a tiny desk nook for emails, writing, or quiet reading in a rental. We considered it, but ultimately chose more cabinets … Read more

We should probably post more photos of blue ceilings on Instagram—judging by the response to this photo from the Homearama Showhouse, they’re a hit. Or maybe the emojis Sherry added had something to do with it. Either way, the office ceiling painted in Benjamin Moore’s bold “Skydive” exceeded our expectations, and we were excited to … Read more

Holiday Photo Cards and a Little Dog Mischief While we wait for the last cabinet to arrive and for the final touches on our project to be completed, we found a fun way to pass the time: making holiday cards. We don’t usually send out photo greetings, but an attractive Target coupon offering free cards … Read more