We finally painted our brick house white last week — hooray! The transformation was thrilling, but it wasn’t without the behind-the-scenes stress leading up to the big day. In this update we’re sharing the realities of taking on a major exterior project: the decisions, the small panics, and the doubts about what comes next. We’ll also share a sweet spotlight interview with a young fan who completely won our hearts, discuss the experience of having an Instagram account hacked, name a new favorite decorating show, and reveal which celebrity finally convinced Sherry she’s a fan. This post collects everything we mentioned on the latest episode and expands on the questions you’ve been asking about the paint process.
You can find the latest episode on your preferred podcast app. If you prefer to listen on this site, the episode audio is available through our podcast player on the original post. Use this page to review the show notes, view the photos we referenced, and find answers to common follow-up questions. If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to open the post in a browser to access the player and full notes.
What’s New
- It feels a little odd publishing this episode now because a handful of things happened after we recorded it. Next week we’ll follow up to let you know which concerns proved valid and which worries were needless. While many aspects went exactly as planned, a few curveballs kept us on our toes — nothing catastrophic, just the typical surprises that come with a big exterior project.
- We’re also preparing a detailed blog post that answers the most common questions about painting brick: what products we used, who we hired, the real costs, the timeline, and the maintenance expectations moving forward. That post will include photos and notes so you can decide whether painted brick is right for your home.
- If you want the backstory on how we landed on this plan, you can look up our earlier discussions where we debated the idea and then confirmed the decision in subsequent episodes. Those conversations walk through the pros and cons and give more context for why we chose to move forward.
- We discussed a recent wave of Instagram hacking incidents and what we did to protect and recover accounts. For anyone worried about security, prioritize two-factor authentication and keep recovery information up to date. We also highlighted a couple of makers and small shops we love — their work is charming and worth supporting.
Ellie Interview
- We met Ellie, an unbelievably sweet six-year-old, at our Richmond West Elm grand opening. She introduced herself wearing black in honor of Sherry and immediately recognized a pair of shoes Sherry had mentioned on a past episode. Her confidence and enthusiasm were such a delight that we invited her into the episode for a short interview.
- During our conversation we talked about little comforts and routines. We also mentioned the sound machine we use at home — the same model is scattered throughout our beach house and now sits in our bedroom in Richmond as well. It’s a simple way to improve sleep and add calm background noise.
- Ellie’s mom sent us photos of her pumpkins on the porch, which we’ve included below. We also chatted about a potential light magenta wall idea for a future project — no firm plans yet, but the concept made us smile.
We’re Digging
We’ve been watching a new decorating show that’s become a favorite around here. The hosts bring a playful, spirited energy to each episode, and the reveals are genuinely satisfying. If you like design shows with personality and strong styling, this one is worth a look. It’s a nice blend of humor, thoughtful recommendations, and practical decorating solutions.
- I’ve been revisiting a beautifully designed book that blends data and creative visual storytelling. It’s fun to flip through for inspiration or to study more closely if you enjoy projects that combine art and everyday information. The authors released a companion journal that’s perfect for anyone inspired to start a similar personal project — it’s a lovely way to track little moments and observations.
We’re grateful to our episode sponsor for supporting the show. They’re offering a seasonal promotion on furniture and a sweepstakes for a dining room furniture prize. If you’re in the market for an update, it’s worth checking out the current promotions directly on the sponsor’s site.
Thanks for listening and reading along. We appreciate all the thoughtful questions and helpful comments you send our way — they make these projects and conversations so much more fun. Stay tuned for the follow-up episode where we’ll report back on what surprised us, what went exactly as planned, and what we learned from painting the brick.
*This post contains affiliate links*