We have so many great things to say about our family trip to Costa Rica. It was our first international trip with the kids and turned out to be an ideal choice for their first passport stamp: relaxed, enriching, and genuinely fun for everyone. Below we cover where we stayed, what we did, and how … Read more

Remember when we argued about a refrigerator in Episode #74? Recently we found ourselves debating appliance placement again—this time over two different kitchen layouts for the duplex. In this episode we share our competing views on form versus function and how we eventually compromised in a way that satisfied both (though I needed a few … Read more

This has been a long time coming, and we couldn’t be more excited: our beach house finally has walls again. When we first “met” the house, the original plaster was crumbling and riddled with mold and termite damage, so it has taken more than eight months to rebuild it from the studs up. That work … Read more

A month ago Carla and her husband Evan contacted us for ideas to refresh their wood-on-wood kitchen. They wanted something brighter, more modern and youthful, so we suggested several changes: paint the cabinets and chairs white while painting the table black to echo the backsplash, add bold green curtains and coordinating accessories, and place a … Read more

We did it—we transformed our kitchen’s yellowed laminate counters with a concrete finish. Sherry gave a quick preview of the first coat in Friday’s post, and now we’re sharing the final results, a clear rundown of how we did it, and a short in-action video to illustrate the process. We’re really pleased with how the … Read more

Note: This is a retroactive post I put together in December 2011 to create a complete set of monthly recaps for our first year in the new house. I’m a little type A — so here’s what we tackled in March, presented yearbook-style. Most Archeological: Digging in the dirt beside our driveway turned up all … Read more

Storage makes a big difference in any closet, and it’s essential in small spaces like a laundry closet. We built simple DIY closet shelves soon after moving in, and the project proved quick, affordable, and adaptable. With just a few supplies and a handful of hours, you can create sturdy shelving tailored to your closet … Read more

Let the pantry celebration begin! I never expected organizing a space that stays behind a closed door most of the time to feel so satisfying, but working on this pantry with Sherry has made our whole kitchen — and, honestly, the whole house — feel more functional. It’s amazing how small changes can have that … Read more

Finally — no more living room window limbo. This weekend we picked up bamboo blinds to fill the gap between the top of the window and the curtain rod, instantly making the window look taller and adding warm texture. Here’s the window before the blinds, clearly asking for something beneath the rod: And the finished … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries**** To celebrate our blogiversary we held our biggest giveaway of the year: a $500 gift certificate to Z Gallerie. One lucky reader won the chance to spend five hundred dollars on anything they wanted from this stylish home decor and furniture retailer. Z Gallerie has long been a … Read more