We wrapped up a few projects this week and, while photos and details are coming soon, we couldn’t resist sharing a long-overdue house crash. Meet Nicole and her cheerful little boy August. If that photo didn’t give it away, this is Nicole from Making It Lovely. We’ve enjoyed crashing homes of all styles over the … Read more

We interrupt our regular programming for a quick site update: we refreshed the sidebar. It’s not a dramatic redesign, but several readers asked about the changes we made over Memorial Day weekend, so here’s a brief explanation (and an apology to anyone who saw some odd behavior while we tinkered on Monday). Now that I’m … Read more

Check your mailboxes, grab a copy at the newsstand, or if you’re local, pick one up in Richmond—our first piece in R Home magazine has officially arrived! As we mentioned last month, the team at Richmond’s beloved shelter pub invited us to be regular contributors. Beginning with this Nov/Dec issue, look for our new “Try … Read more

Let’s talk about a project that turned out to be less “quick” than we expected. Between patio building and kitchen makeovers, Sherry and I like to tackle a few small, morale-boosting jobs to catch our breath. One of those mini projects was swapping the guest bathroom light fixture for something that fit our style better. … Read more

A recent session of spring cleaning turned into a little archaeological discovery when Sherry found a relic tucked inside a filing cabinet. It wasn’t a dinosaur bone, but it was unexpected: the original installation manual for our ancient dryer. The machine itself had already been donated to make room for modern front-loaders, so all we … Read more

It’s no secret we love when a dark, closed-in room is transformed into a bright, airy space. In summer we especially appreciate a beachy, coastal feel — which Jessica achieved beautifully with help from our friend Rhoda. Read Jessica’s note about the makeover below. We finally finished our family room makeover. It felt like this … Read more

Let’s dive into what Santa brought us this year. This Christmas felt extra special: for the first time in seven Decembers together, we woke up in our own beds and opened presents beneath our own tree as a family. In previous years we’d always been traveling, so staying home made the morning feel cozy and … Read more

The past few weeks on our beach house renovation have been hectic and far from smooth. This week we’re sharing the story of three setbacks that happened nearly back-to-back: a missed deadline, discovering there was no water line to the house, and an unexpected medical complication. We’re keeping it real—renovations aren’t always straightforward—but there’s a … Read more

We nicknamed the sunroom rug “Stinky.” It was a literal name — the corners were damp from moisture seeping in through poorly sealed, aging sliders and some rotting wood. The previous owners disclosed a moisture problem (and a corresponding odor), which helped lower the listing price. So although the rug felt like a curse at … Read more

Our house gets beautiful sunlight—especially upstairs in the afternoons when the sun hits the front of the house directly. We love that light for everything from relaxing to taking photos. And Burger? He loves it for almost everything: napping, grooming, sniffing around, and more napping. That bright afternoon light also exposed one downside of the … Read more