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 can work beautifully in a home. In this post we also share what surprised us about the final stretch of getting our duplex ready to rent, show the results from a recent staging assignment, and offer a lively decor idea that feels more dynamic than simply hanging another framed picture.
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s New
- Here’s the crew from our recent Chicago trip. From left to right: me, Nicole Balch from Making It Lovely, Sherry, Julia Marcum from Chris Loves Julia, hosts Kim and Scott Vargo from Yellow Brick Home, and Chris Marcum. It was such a fun blend of catching up, touring homes, and swapping design ideas.
- You can relive parts of the trip through highlights on Sherry’s Instagram profile—look for the circle labeled “Chicago.” Julia also has highlights where you can see some quieter, behind-the-scenes moments.
- We ate and explored our way through a great list of spots in Chicago, including Lula Cafe, Lost Lake, Garfield Park Conservatory, Dove’s Luncheonette, Toni’s Patisserie, The Modern Wing at the Art Institute, Revival Food Hall, Chicago Athletic Association (bocce, anyone?), Lonesome Rose, Cafe Marie-Jeanne, Same Day Cafe, Pretty Cool Ice Cream, Summer House, and Little Goat Diner. Each stop had its own charm and inspired us in different ways—especially when it came to home details and styling.
- On Episode #134 we talked about why our walls have few family photos. Touring Kim & Scott’s Chicago home gave us fresh perspective: smaller, thoughtfully framed snapshots can have real impact without taking over a room. Their arrangement of small Polaroids—framed in simple shadowbox-style frames—felt personal and stylish at once. Kim even wrote about how she DIYed those frames.
- If you’re curious about the renovation project we toured—the “Two Flat”—Kim and Scott shared a before tour on their blog that highlights just how much potential the place has.
Update
- For the full background and before-and-after photos from Sherry’s recent staging project, check the notes from Episode #140. The transformation and staging choices are worth a look if you’re planning a refresh or selling a place.
Finishing The Duplex
- Back in Episode #125 we talked about kitchen progress and I optimistically hoped the duplex would be done by summer. Construction delays had already frustrated us, and I underestimated how long the furnishing and finishing phase would take.
- Over the last four months we made 16 separate trips to Cape Charles, each involving a 5–6 hour round-trip drive in most cases. Those visits quickly became a pattern of heavy unpacking, assembling furniture, making lists, and returning with new items on subsequent trips. What we thought might take “three long weekends” expanded into a much larger effort.
- Here are a few snapshots of those early trips: piles of boxes, half-assembled furniture, and the satisfying progress that comes from checking one task off at a time.
- We’re finally in the home stretch. The duplex still needs a few kitchen staples stocked and a handful of outdoor finishing touches, but we’re about 98% complete on this nearly two-year-long project. Reaching this point feels incredible.
- After listing the duplex, every single summer week we offered was booked within 24 hours—an amazing and unexpected response. At the moment one week on the right side has a cancellation, so that week is available again. We also plan to release fall off-season dates (shorter stays) later this summer and will open reservations for summer 2020 after this season wraps. We’re taking it season by season to make sure everything goes smoothly.
We’re Digging
- We hung a mobile in one duplex bedroom to add movement and visual interest to an otherwise quiet corner. The mobile originally came from a retailer that no longer stocks it, but it was a great reminder that simple hanging elements can make a room feel finished without heavy decor.
- Because we borrowed that mobile from our own bonus room, Sherry is now scouting replacements. There are lots of good options and many sales happening right now—mobiles and hanging pieces are an easy way to add charm without overcrowding a space.
- We also hung another mobile in the beach house’s middle bedroom. It was an affordable find from a big-box retailer, and although that exact model isn’t available anymore, it illustrated how budget-friendly accessories can still feel curated.
- We included a short survey to gather reader feedback and help plan future content. Your thoughts on what you want to see—design topics, rentals, staging tips—are really helpful as we map out upcoming posts and episodes.
- One practical item we’ve appreciated is a compact car battery jump starter. It hasn’t been needed yet, but having one on hand brings peace of mind after dealing with a couple of dead batteries recently.
If you’re trying to find something we’ve covered in past episodes but don’t remember which show notes to check, we keep a master list of everything we’ve shared across episodes, as well as a Book Club page with all the books we’ve recommended.
We also want to thank Rothy’s for sponsoring the episode. They offer comfortable, machine-washable shoes and free shipping and returns on every order.
Thanks for listening and following along—we appreciate you!
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