Now that we’ve wrapped up our big brick house painting project, we’re sharing the behind-the-scenes twists and turns from the past week. A project this large can go off the rails fast—and ours did, more than once. We’ll explain why the finished result ended up even better than we expected, what’s next on our list, … Read more

This weekend we enjoyed a delightful tour of ten elegant homes in Richmond’s historic Fan district, each dressed up for the holidays. Once a year, a handful of generous homeowners open their doors to share beautifully refreshed interiors and seasonal décor just in time for Christmas. Although interior photography was not allowed inside most homes, … Read more

Tiffany made our Labor Day by sending stunning after photos of her family room, which she redesigned using the globe-trotting moodboard we created for her a few months ago. Before we show the full reveal, here’s a quick look at the family room before the makeover: Tiffany asked us to help her create a cohesive … Read more

Several people asked on Instagram how we introduced Burger to Clara and how we managed the transition from living with just a dog to living with both a dog and a newborn. We did some research and spoke with our vet to make the change as easy as possible for Burger and for us. Here’s … Read more

These posts started because readers asked how we keep track of our long to-do list. We explained that we keep one ongoing document that we update as projects progress. When we first shared this list back in May, nothing had been crossed off yet. A few months later people asked for an update, and I … Read more

As you saw a few weeks ago, we removed our old screen door and painted the door behind it a bright lipstick red. We also took down the scalloped header and shared the results. But Project Pimp My Porch isn’t finished. We still need to redo the front walkway because the existing path looks worn … Read more

So the basement has made it clear it won’t go quietly. Current score: Basement 3, John and Sherry 1. Thankfully we love a challenge. Here’s an update on our underground overhaul and where things stand. Many readers asked for more of the nitty-gritty: not just a shopping list or budget breakdown, but the actual thought … Read more

It’s about to get exciting… First, a quick side note: I’m a fan of Jones Soda for many reasons, including the little fortunes under the cap. The one I found recently read: Tasks where skill is essential — sounds like a bathroom remodel — may be accomplished. “May”? We prefer to think of our projects … Read more

Update: We brought in a few of the items on our to-do list below and it changed everything! Well, not everything, but a few pieces came out (the brown blanket is history, at least in this room) and a few things moved around. Gotta love those last-minute tweaks. Check out the whole reveal here. Here’s … Read more

I’ve had a lot of requests for an update on how we’re doing with the elusive work/life balance we publicly promised to improve this year. We never intended to work nights, weekends, and even on vacation, and we’ve realized only we are responsible for changing that. We figured this was a good topic to discuss … Read more