Do you ever get those last-minute worries about how your house looks before hosting a party? In the run-up to Clara’s birthday on Saturday I found myself thinking things like “I should touch up the caulk in the sunroom,” even though no one would probably notice. Sherry was worrying about repainting the patio table while … Read more

Put a birdcage on it. That’s right — why stop at putting a bird on something when you can put an entire birdcage on it? Follow-up question: why stop at one when you can hang three? Quick aside: you might notice a brown sheet on the daybed. We still haven’t picked up proper sheets yet, … Read more

I’ll admit South Dakota wasn’t on my short list of vacation spots. Yet this summer my daughter and I joined other family members for a dad-and-daughter trip — and it turned out to be one of our most memorable getaways. It was a refreshing change from the usual beach or theme-park vacations, so I wanted … Read more

Before we put our first house on the market we quietly dug up a Japanese maple from the backyard. We had planted it around the time we got married, and it was a little offshoot from a beautiful maple that grew at John’s parents’ house—the only home he lived in during his childhood. That house … Read more

I’m absolutely in love with the latest addition to our bedroom: a lovely linen-look ottoman trimmed with nailhead detailing. It looks like a pricey pouf, but we found it at TJ Maxx for just $119 — the most we’ve ever spent on an ottoman. (For comparison, two leather ottomans in the den were $69 each … Read more

UPDATE: This post isn’t updated with recent tour info, so click here to see our official regularly‑updated tour page. The day has finally arrived — we can now share the finalized tour dates for our book, straight from the publisher. We’re thrilled to get out on the road and meet so many of you. Here … Read more

With Halloween finally here, we’re curious how you plan to celebrate: hosting a party, attending one, dressing up, or simply answering the door and handing out handfuls of candy to pint-sized ghosts and goblins. This year Halloween feels especially intriguing—perhaps because it marks a clear before-and-after for the home (we gave our porch and our … Read more

Ok, not the whole world, but a good selection of it. If you watched our house tour video yesterday, you probably noticed a shot of these prints in action — eight freshly framed city illustrations we hung in the hallway above the board & batten. Here are some close-ups and a rundown of how we … Read more

We were thrilled when Erica shared her medicine cabinet makeover. Open shelving remains a favorite trend, and this small niche conversion is crisp, practical, and stylish. Below is Erica’s description of the project. Inspired by the open shelving we keep seeing, my husband and I decided to replace our builder-grade medicine cabinet with a simple … Read more

Who knew that posting one little picture on Instagram with Clara would spark such a “tell-me-more-about-the-bangs” frenzy? You all were curious and asked for a post about my hair. There were even conspiracy theories that the bangs weren’t real and I was pulling a Kim K-style ponytail flip to fake them. Funny, but they are … Read more