People often ask whether we ever argue, especially given all the house projects we tackle together. The short answer is yes. The bumps we hit while installing our beach house kitchen are a great example of what can spark a disagreement. Here we share what we argued about, how we resolved it, and who turned out to be right. We also reveal another big change we’re making in the beach house kitchen (hint: it involves the island), and we debunk a commonly repeated “real estate deal killer” that may not be as scary or costly as it sounds. Plus, our thoughts on the new “it” room to have in your home and a quick trick for getting holiday cards done faster.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen to it below. Use this page to find the links, notes, and photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- Above is a photo of our fridge “compromise” (please ignore the hole that still needs patching and the missing cabinet drawer). Our full-sized fridge for the pantry will be delivered tomorrow.
- We decided to convert the breakfast nook into a pantry. You can read more about that decision and see photos of our cardboard mock-up and final appliance choices.
- Our new island installation is still a week or two away. We chose Silestone quartz in Pearl Jasmine. In this week’s podcast we explain ways we saved money on the quartz, which may help if you’re shopping for countertops on a budget.
- In the photo above you can also spot one of Jeremy’s wooden bowls. We’ve included another shot of it below.
- If you missed our talk at the Bristol event—where we covered ten years of decorating and life lessons from growing our business and refining our style—check out Episode #73 for more details.
Quiz
- That photo shows our so-called “Pajama Lounge.” You can read more about the finished bonus room and how we set it up in a dedicated post.
- We also shared a snapshot from House Beautiful that Sarah tweeted to us—special thanks for the shout-out and for using the charming word “newfangled.”
- We recently helped friends refresh their formal living room; there’s a post with before-and-after photos that shows the full makeover.
Can We Just Talk About
- As a refresher, that image shows how the beach house looked earlier this year after we removed a large section and rebuilt from the foundation up. We documented the process and shared updates in a dedicated progress post.
- While a failing foundation was part of the problem, the house had several unrelated issues—severely rotten siding you could fit your arm through, a caved-in roof, and more—that made rebuilding the most practical solution.
- The rebuilt area now contains all three bathrooms, the mudroom, the new pantry, and the upstairs bunk room.
We’re Digging
- Above are several Minted holiday card designs we’re loving this year. We chose one of their designs and have been happy with the selection and quality.
- We’ve enjoyed ordering from them in recent years because they include complementary address printing. This year we received our cards within 48 hours of ordering without paying for rush printing or expedited shipping.
- Sherry mentioned a self-inking address stamper that saves time when addressing envelopes; it’s quick and convenient for a big batch of holiday cards.
- We also love the personalized page-a-day calendar from Social Print Studio. It’s affordable and makes a thoughtful gift—we’re already collecting photos to create 2018 calendars for family members.
- Below is a photo of how our kids tape their favorite “Polaroid” calendar pages to the inside of the mudroom doors. It’s fun to watch the wall grow as the year progresses, then we tuck the previous year’s pages into each child’s memory box at the start of the new year.
If you’re trying to remember which episode covered a product or topic we mentioned, we keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging from past shows so you can find the related episode notes easily.
Finally, thanks to Cardboard Safari for sponsoring this episode. Use the code YHL20 for 20% off your first order at their site.
Thanks for listening—we’re grateful for you.
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