Every year I post photos from our friend Justine’s wildly over-the-top Fourth of July party on Instagram Stories, and every year readers ask for a full post with photos and recipes. So here it is: a full look at one of the most festive backyard celebrations I know. Justine and her husband John throw this … Read more

Let’s talk about bringing holiday cheer to different surfaces around the house. Sherdog had some fun with the mantel—as she often does—and, true to form, she shared the step-by-step of her surface swaps for the season. So buckle up: things got festive fast. Spoiler: the console table and built-ins got a makeover too. The mantel … Read more

When you invest significant time or money into a project, you’ll go to surprising — sometimes gross — lengths to protect it. In this episode we share the full story, including why renovating a house that’s more than two hours away can get complicated. We also gathered practical advice for building a new home from … Read more

Hold on to your jaws, because they might hit the floor in a few moments. Jordan and her husband completely transformed their kitchen for just over a thousand dollars, and the result is stunning. Here’s Jordan’s note: I’ve been obsessed with your blog for a while now. I check it every day! My husband and … Read more

This time last year we had just finished our first book tour stop in Cincinnati, where it was a delight to finally meet in person some of the names we’d known from comments and the blog community. Today we’re excited to share a room makeover for one of those people — Sarah — and her … Read more

Please tell me you sang that title to the tune of The Brady Bunch. If not, take a minute—I’ll wait. Now that we have that out of the way, I wanted to share our go-to inspiration when planning colors for the new house: a napkin we found on clearance at Crate & Barrel. You might … Read more

Q: Can you share how you store all of your Christmas decorations? Since you rotate ornaments each year and have a large tree plus a smaller tabletop tree, along with exterior decor and mantel pieces, I’m curious how much space it takes. I have an attic similar to yours, which I think is where you … Read more

We used a few quick, simple upholstery tricks to add softness and texture to a store-bought bench in our family room. We finished it just in time for the holidays, and it immediately made the space feel cozier. ottomans | sofa | similar rug | similar mirror | similar bench | similar console | frame … Read more

After giving our floor stencils a full seven days to cure (it’s humid here), we finally moved the furniture back into the sunroom and took photos of the completed mini makeover. We split the work into three phases; earlier posts documented each step. To appreciate the change, it helps to remember how the room looked … Read more

After our chaotic week last August—when we experienced both an earthquake and a hurricane within days—we received many requests for a post about emergency preparedness. We hesitated because we’re not professionals in this area, but fortunately two knowledgeable readers stepped in to share practical, experience-based advice. They sent us clear, useful recommendations that boil down … Read more