Now that our big brick house painting project is finished, we’re sharing the behind-the-scenes twists and turns from the past week. A project this large can go off course quickly—and ours did, more than once. We’ll explain why the result ended up better than we expected, what’s next on our list, and why John could use some gadget advice from fellow enthusiasts. We’ll also share details about our upcoming furniture collection launch.
You can download the episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, or Spotify — or listen on this page. Use this post to find the links, notes, and photos we referenced. Note: if you read this in a feed reader you may need to open the post to see the player.
What’s New
- If you missed last week’s post with all the details and photos of painting our house white, check it out to get up to speed.
- We discussed this project on several podcast episodes while deciding whether to paint the house, deciding to move forward, and sharing our concerns before starting. If you want the backstory, search for those early episodes in our podcast archive.
- The photo below shows areas of siding that had to be painted to match the Benjamin Moore brick paint. Seeing these unpainted sections makes it clear how unfinished the exterior would have looked if they were left the old gray-brown color.
- On Wednesday—our marathon workday that happened to be Halloween—we worked to reconstruct the porch before trick-or-treaters arrived. This early morning shot shows two large holes in the brick on either side of the new door frame we were building. Those spots later became perfect mounting locations for new lanterns to light the stoop.
- A few hours later the electricians arrived to wire the new fixtures. We mounted the lights on white composite blocks to cover the brick holes—this rot-resistant backing both serves as a stable base and safely sealed those gaps, just like we did at the pink house.
- We expected running wiring through the right-side hole would require drywall repairs inside, but the crew cleverly snaked the cable through the crawl space and up the opposite wall so no interior drywall was disturbed. It required a good bit of coordination—one electrician yelling through the closet floor to the other down below—but it saved us extra repairs (and provided a little crawl-space suspense when someone thought they heard scratching).
- By Friday it was a photo finish. Lance, our painter, took a few final shots from high in the lift for his portfolio. Our neighbors were incredibly supportive—popping by often to check progress, offer encouragement, and celebrate the finish. Their daily visits really touched Sherry.
- If you want to see more of Lance’s before-and-after work, he shares work samples and contact info on his Instagram page. He also travels for antique limewash applications if that finish appeals to you.
- One after photo shows the trimmed landscaping that Sherry calls our “Target ball” look—she did a lot of pruning to tame the yard and create cleaner sightlines around the house.
We’re Digging
- If you haven’t previewed our new furniture collection yet, you can see it now at YoungHouseLoveFurniture.com. We’ll announce when pieces go live for sale on Wayfair and Wayfair Canada in the coming weeks.
- The navy X-back chairs and the mixed-finish Cinch Table (metal base with a glossy white top) are some of the pieces Sherry mentioned. Details like white dentil molding appear on the Wisp Dresser and Debonair Dresser to echo our house’s exterior trim.
- The Noble Dresser was inspired by a vintage dresser from my dad—an heirloom we cherish. Seeing the new version in person was a meaningful moment.
- And John would love to hear your thoughts on the Apple Watch. Is it worth spending birthday money on? Will it actually help during yoga? Send a DM, message, or tweet with your opinion.
If you’re trying to find an item we mentioned on a past episode, check our episode index for a master list of everything we’ve been digging. You can also browse recommended titles on our Book Club page.
Finally, thank you to Annie Selke for sponsoring this episode. Their Cyber Sale begins Monday, November 19th, with 25% off sitewide. Visit annieselke.com/YHL to start your list.
Thanks for listening and for following along with the project.
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