Q: I would like to know your guys’ thought process BEFORE you start a big project (like your kitchen, living room, bathroom, a nursery, etc). Could you delve into how you ‘read’ a BEFORE and how to consider function along with style? Where/what do you research? How do you decide which projects to do when? What makes a project top priority while others take the backseat for a while? How do you determine your budget? How do you live with the mess while a project is going on? Basically, how do you mentally and physically get from BEFORE to AFTER? Lots of questions, sorry. On a lighter note, how do you unwind and NOT think about every single thing that you want to improve all the time? Sometimes I feel CRAZY making my mental home improvement list! Thanks for all the inspiration and hard work. – Dana
A: Great question. People ask us this a lot, and while there’s no single formula we follow, there are consistent habits and strategies that guide how we move from “before” to “after.” Sometimes we tackle a project because we’re suddenly inspired; other times we wait until we have the energy, budget and motivation. Research varies by task: electrical work demands careful online research and caution, while choosing curtains might simply mean trying several options in-person until one feels right.
Budgeting is usually straightforward for us: we’re deliberate and conservative. If we can’t comfortably afford something, we don’t buy it. That constraint often forces creativity and leads to smarter, more affordable solutions. For example, we once hung two inexpensive blinds side-by-side to mimic the look of one long, costly blind. When it comes to prioritizing and surviving the chaos, our biggest lesson was to finish one project before starting another whenever possible. Completing a single task fully keeps the house from feeling like a constant war zone and gives us momentum and satisfaction to tackle the next thing.
To make this less abstract, here’s how one room—the living room—evolved from raw “before” into a finished space. It illustrates how small, steady changes add up over time.
When we moved in, we didn’t immediately know how we’d use the living room or the formal dining room. We lived in the house, learned what we needed, and let ideas develop rather than acting rashly. The first updates were small and low-risk: removing a dated wooden divider, patching and sanding the wall, swapping heavy curtains for simple honeycomb blinds for a cleaner look. Then we painted. Our initial color choice missed the mark, but painting—even imperfectly—instantly refreshed the room and made it feel livable while we considered more permanent finishes. We also brightened a dark fireplace with fresh white paint to let light into the space.
Furniture was a gradual process. Moving from a big city in a minivan meant we arrived with almost nothing, so we relied on hand-me-downs and budget finds until we could invest in pieces we loved. We upgraded our coffee table, replaced small bookshelves with floating shelves to create a built-in feel, and added gifted chairs from our registry. Small swaps—one larger mirror painted white, a thrift-store table, affordable lamps—made the room feel more cohesive without breaking the bank.
After living with the space and collecting inspiration photos, we repainted the walls a soft sandy tan, added a pendant light to create a dining area, widened the kitchen doorway to improve flow, and found an affordable sofa we loved. A subtle upgrade—installing crown molding—elevated the room’s polish and made everything feel finished.
The final touches brought the room together: bamboo blinds and white curtains to frame the picture window, a soft sheepskin over a bench to warm the palette, and a lively tile rug found on sale to add pattern and personality. We also stained the existing wood floors a bit darker to better match new hardwood in the kitchen and den, creating a seamless transition between rooms.
This is the kind of incremental progression we follow: live with things for a while, save up, tackle manageable projects one at a time, and refine as we go. For the nursery we put together for John’s sister, the process looked more focused and checklist-driven:
- Start with a crib sheet or a key textile and use it as the color palette anchor.
- Choose paint that complements the crib-sheet palette and the rest of the home’s aesthetic.
- Prioritize must-haves: a safe place to sleep, a nursing chair, a changing surface, and storage. Work with existing thrifted or hand-me-down pieces when possible.
- Add a playful, modern detail—vertical stripes in this case—to give the room personality.
- Brighten a windowless room with mirrors and task lighting to keep it airy and functional.
- Select simple, functional finishing touches—hooks, baskets, shelves, and art—while keeping the color scheme and daily use in mind.
We also kept the process enjoyable by taking breaks—pickle and ice cream stops, short timelines of a day or two each week—so the project didn’t burn us out. Giving yourself space between work sessions helps you stay motivated and make clearer decisions.
If you ever feel like you’re moving too fast, take a break. Step away, do something unrelated, and let the project breathe. We did that with our backyard wedding planning and with many home projects; sometimes a timeout reveals the better path and keeps you from wasting money or ending up with a less practical result.
Living with things for a while allowed ideas to emerge that we never would have had if we rushed: using bamboo blinds in a laundry nook instead of expensive cabinet doors, repurposing Ikea wardrobes to create bedside closets, or widening doorways to add a dining area to the living room. Patience and iteration let you create a home that truly fits your life. Happy renovating—take it one do-able project at a time.