The basement has made it clear: it’s not going to cooperate without a fight. Right now the score feels like Basement: 3, John and Sherry: 1. Fortunately we love a challenge. Here’s an update on our major underground overhaul and how we plan to turn a damp, spider-filled storage dungeon into a useful, organized space. … Read more

We’ve shared this stunning back porch on Instagram before—once over the holidays and again last summer—and it belongs to our friends Carey and Jordan. The response to that view was so enthusiastic that we decided to do a proper house tour so you can see more of their home. They also shared helpful tips on … Read more

You may remember Krystol from the porch makeover she shared with us previously. She’s back with another impressive renovation: a full kitchen transformation that looks high-end but stayed well within a modest budget. Below is her account of the project and the details that made it successful. Thank you so much for featuring our porch … Read more

When two of our readers sent in photos of makeovers inspired by our blog, we were genuinely thrilled. Seeing how ideas translate into real homes is one of the best parts of sharing projects, and these two transformations—one lighting update and one painted front door—are great examples of how small changes can have a big … Read more

I had some fun putting together a simple fall-inspired tabletop and wanted to share the result. I used mostly items I already had around the house, so this was an easy, budget-friendly refresh that gave the table a warm, understated autumn look. For this arrangement I used an old runner from Target, a white vase … Read more

***This giveaway is now closed – see who won below!*** After receiving 10,000 entries in under 24 hours, we returned to crown a random winner of the SINGER One sewing machine. The lucky recipient is Angela (who says she’s a 1 on the sewing skills scale: “I can sew a straight line, but only if … Read more

As of 5:30 p.m. yesterday we hit our second major Homearama Showhouse deadline. The builder hosted a preview party, so everything had to be finished, cleaned and staged for a crowd of realtors, prospective buyers and generous local companies who donated furnishings and accessories. Even the weather cooperated at the last minute, giving us a … Read more

Whether you’re actively house hunting, planning a new build, renovating, or simply daydreaming, you probably have a list of home features you love and a few you’d skip next time. In this post we share seven favorite features we’ve learned to appreciate (and some we’ve decided to avoid) based on life in our current and … Read more

Well, that can of worms is officially open. We’ve begun making changes in the kitchen. This isn’t entirely brand new—after all, we removed the wallpaper a few weeks ago—but late last week we pushed forward with a few more meaningful updates. We still plan to live in this house for a long time and save … Read more

“Can we make it like the Home Alone house?” Clara asked when we started planning our outdoor Christmas decor. She adores the movie — “Kevin and Bros,” as she calls it — and had even noticed that the house in the film resembles ours, only much larger and fancier. After a family brainstorming session (mostly … Read more