A few months ago we spotted a photo on bhg.com showing open shelves with baskets and immediately started thinking about removing the door from our bathroom linen closet. A few stylish baskets would transform our cramped closet into tidy, functional open shelving—because we love open living. Then, after visiting Lesley & Jeff’s home and seeing … Read more

As I write, the walls in the second bedroom are drying after what I hope is the final painting project to unify our home’s color palette. A few months ago we noticed how warm, neutral tones used in many model homes inspired us to scale back the rainbow of colors we’d collected. We’d also read … Read more

Here’s your chance to win a new paint sprayer plus $200 toward your next project. The Wagner FLEXiO 890 combines a powerful base with built-in storage, making it quieter and lighter than many traditional airless sprayers. An 11.5 ft hose connects to the handle, where you’ll find controls to adjust both spray strength and pattern. … Read more

How do you like those handles? (Handles, apples — same thing, right Matt Damon? What, you don’t think Matt Damon reads this blog? Of course he doesn’t.) I’m back with a hardware makeover play-by-play and plenty of photos we didn’t fit into our door-painting post earlier this week. So buckle up — this one has … Read more

We finally have to tell you about our whirlwind weekend. In just over 48 hours we crossed four states, visited family at four stops and even hit two IKEAs nearly 400 miles apart. It was hectic, but packed with moments worth sharing — and several posts that will be coming soon once we’ve recovered enough … Read more

We’ve been talking for a while about upgrading to an energy-efficient, front-loading washer and dryer when a great deal showed up — and it happened sooner than expected. We discovered our new pair yesterday. While walking through Lowe’s on Saturday, we saw a sign advertising 10% off all appliances. It wasn’t a huge discount, but … Read more

We’ve mentioned the idea of a backsplash that runs from counter to ceiling combined with open shelving and a range hood a few times, so here’s the full explanation: we plan to create a striking accent wall of tile that stretches from the countertop to the ceiling, with open shelves and a range hood incorporated. … Read more

Today I turned 30. My parents didn’t make me pose in front of an “I AM 30” banner this year, but they did invite us to a surprise brunch that Sherry helped organize. I knew family was coming — cousins, an aunt and uncle, and my little sister had driven in from DC — but … Read more

It’s been more than a month since we last wrote about our gardening efforts, but that doesn’t mean nothing has been happening. We’ve just been a little slow to share updates (partly because we wanted things to fill in a bit so we could take photos). Time for a catch-up. Remember when we transplanted some … Read more

We finally painted the office. It happened out of order—after building the wall-to-wall two-person desk—but sometimes DIY works that way. We delayed choosing a color because we didn’t want to commit to a shade and then have to repaint after the desk was finished. After a lot of discussion (and indecision), we chose a soft, … Read more