Oh snap—our “new” stove for the beach house is actually older than we are. It’s from 1959, and it’s pink. I’m ridiculously excited about it. John’s reaction so far is best described as “cautiously optimistic,” but more on that in a moment. The stove cost $195 at a secondhand shop called Class & Trash about … Read more

Q: I really love Clara’s room! Great color choices. Do you have a formula for mixing prints? I love how they are all so different – even the colors and yet they all complement each other and totally make the room! For my boys’ room, I am mixing prints but find it gets very busy … Read more

Our little guy’s room looks different these days now that the crib is gone and we made a few updates. He’ll be four this April and decided in January that he was done with the crib—bittersweet, since we’d used that same crib in our home for nearly eight years (our daughter used it before him). … Read more

With the shower/tub and floor tiles set, grouted and sealed, the bathroom finally started to feel like a finished space. Still, one missing detail kept the room looking incomplete: baseboards and trim. Before installing them, the floor and openings read like a work in progress. At first I tried to salvage the existing window and … Read more

Holy cow — you had so many questions about the selling, moving, and buying process after yesterday’s announcement that we decided to compile an FAQ to answer as many as possible. We’d planned to post this tomorrow, but the flood of questions made us publish it today. Our usual DIY post will go up in … Read more

Ever since we saw a rain barrel in action at Matt & Kristin’s bungalow last fall, Sherry and I wanted to start collecting our own rainwater. We signed up for a local rain barrel workshop and learned the whole process from start to finish. Here’s a clear, practical guide based on what we did, along … Read more

Choosing a Kitchen Designer: Our Lowe’s vs. Home Depot Experience We’re big fans of Lowe’s. Over the years we’ve found excellent bargains, friendly customer service, and a solid selection of products that fit most of our renovation needs. In fact, Lowe’s has come through for us in plenty of ways. There are only a few … Read more

I hadn’t planned to share this small project, but after seeing a photo of John’s Granny smiling while holding what Clara and I made, I wanted to record the moment here. We created a simple, heartwarming handprint birdhouse—an easy DIY handprint craft that turned out to be the perfect little gift. The roof is decorated … Read more

We’re admitting to a poorly timed project that left our house looking worse right before it went on the market. Whoops. In this post we also explain the variety of ways we’re selling our homes: all three are being sold differently, with some handled by real estate agents and others managed by us. We break … Read more

Few houseplants are as resilient as philodendrons and pothos. We’ve talked before about how fresh greenery breathes life into a home, improving both the look and the feel of a room. That said, when these vining plants get overgrown and begin to snake across furniture and walls, they can look less chic and more like … Read more