As we mentioned here, the bedroom is “still looking rough and we’re not sure about a lot of things – just waiting for inspiration to strike – which might involve repainting and rearranging furniture along with refinishing the floors”. In the comments we clarified that we love the paint color, but something about the room … Read more

We’re excited to share a recent house tour we photographed, featuring a beautiful local home that appeared in Domino magazine last summer. Homeowner Katie Ukrop graciously welcomed us in and showed us around her charming Richmond residence. Katie is well known in Richmond as the owner of the beloved gallery Quirk, which later became the … Read more

After several readers asked how we upholstered the green headboard in our guest bedroom, we decided to share a straightforward tutorial. John’s sister Emily wanted a pink headboard for her daughter Olivia’s room, so we showed her how simple this project can be. Don’t worry — if you can wrap a present, you can upholster … Read more

Jen sent us a simple but striking dresser makeover that proves sometimes the best updates bring furniture back to its natural wood roots. While painted furniture is lovely, this two-tone treatment—stained wood surfaces paired with soft-painted body—feels fresh and modern. Here’s what she shared about the project: I recently discovered your site and love it! … Read more

Dudes and dudettes, I finally tried chalk paint. Many of you asked if I’d used Annie Sloan chalk paint, so here’s my experience. First, how we used it: John and I brainstormed options for the table we trimmed down and two thrift-store chairs we found in West Virginia (they were $8 each). We considered several … Read more

We painted a $39 Marshall mirror to tone down its formal black finish and give it a playful, nursery-ready look by transforming it with several coats of deep asparagus green. The process was simple, though the curvy openings around the frame took a bit more time than a plain frame would have. Even so, it … Read more

We know many of you are eagerly waiting for our nursery makeover to begin. It will happen—just not immediately. Right now the third bedroom (the future nursery), which normally looks like this… …actually looks like this: Yes, it’s embarrassingly messy. You might be surprised how many readers find comfort in knowing we live in occasional … Read more

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put my faceless ceramic pooch back together. Well, maybe they could have — but they weren’t around. So I tackled the job myself, armed with a mother’s stubbornness and some super glue. Because I’m paranoid about fumes, I worked on the back patio while Clara … Read more

We were busy in the yard this Sunday — put in about four hours of work. We started while Clara napped (which turned into a glorious three-hour nap), then rotated watching her so each of us could finish projects. The goal was simple: replace that enormous weedy planting bed with grass. That bed steals a … Read more

True to our 2011 resolution, which inspired us to sneak off to Maui last year, this year we road-tripped to Destin, Florida to soak up sun and recharge our DIY batteries. Even if you love painting, sanding, and stripping wallpaper, it’s healthy to step away from primer and sawdust for a week and reboot with … Read more