What began as a simple sink replacement in the beach house en-suite turned into a much bigger project: a hole in the wall and an unexpected spray of water. The cause was something we’d never encountered before. Here we explain what happened, how we fixed it, and why we’re still postponing a full upstairs bathroom renovation. We also highlight a decorating show we love, a gadget Sherry is using nonstop, and a surprise moment from our first book tour involving a ’90s rock singer and two Bravo reality stars.
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What’s New
- That photo shows the bathroom wall at the beach house after the plumber repaired the area we opened up. You can see a small nick left from where I cut away drywall to find the source of the spray. Fortunately, it hadn’t been leaking long-term and everything was repaired.
- The new vanity is mostly installed. We still need to replace a section of baseboard behind it and swap the tiny factory pulls for new hardware—the existing holes are very close together.
- This is the vanity we chose and we installed a single-hole faucet to maximize counter space.
vanity | faucet | floor tile | blue accent tile | toilet | mirror | glass shower
- You can hear more about our issues with the old sink in Episode #103.
- Below is a photo of the downstairs beach house sink showing how we cut baseboard around a vanity to keep it flush with the wall.
vanity | light | mirror | floor tile | towel bar
- For those wondering about Sherry’s encounter with Tom and Jax from Vanderpump Rules during our first book tour, here’s a 2013 photo that also includes Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray. It’s a fun reminder of how far phone cameras have come.
- Also included is a page from our first book, Young House Love, that helped break the ice with Mark.
Listener Question
- The before photo above and the following image show how much improvement we achieved with simple Phase 1 updates. We still love small, impactful changes that don’t require a full gut job.
- Sidenote: extra-long shower curtains are an easy, affordable update for rooms with 8-foot ceilings. We often use a 7-foot shower curtain with a 7-foot liner for a better look.
- What began as a temporary Phase One update has stayed working for 4.5 years since we removed the shower door, stripped the wallpaper, and added a cheerful paint treatment. For now, it’s functional and we’re fine with it.
- The hall bathroom the kids use had a similar approach: paint and a few fixture swaps. It’s been perfectly acceptable without a full renovation.
- Here’s how that hall bathroom looks today after the Phase 1 updates — mostly paint and minor swaps that made a big difference.
We’re Digging
- We’ve been enjoying Netflix’s Stay Here, which teams Genevieve Gorder with real estate expert Peter Lorimer to transform vacation rentals. The design makeovers and rental-focused angle are compelling.
- There’s a handy roundup that links to the actual Airbnb listings for the featured homes. The Malibu oceanfront property mentioned in the episode rents for about $1,500/night, not millions, which was a surprise to us.
- Also check out Making It on NBC if you want a lighthearted crafting competition—Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman bring a lot of charm.
- Genevieve guested on our podcast in Episode #9, and you can find Nick Offerman featured in our second book, Lovable Livable Home, on page 170.
- On the tech front, I surprised Sherry with a Fitbit Alta HR and a rose-gold band, which she’s been wearing daily. It’s a small thing that’s helped her stay active.
If you’re trying to find something we mentioned on a past episode, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from previous shows, plus a page listing all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
Finally, thanks to You Need A Budget (YNAB) for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at YNAB.com/YHL to get your first three months free.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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