Conversation with Jonathan Adler: Design Insights & Stories

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Anyone who knows me knows I adore Nate Berkus and Jonathan Adler above nearly everyone in the design world (I also have big girl-crushes on Sarah Richardson and Candice Olsen). So when I received an email asking if I wanted to do a phone interview with Jonathan Adler—who I secretly refer to as “J-Ad” in … Read more

DIY Garage Shelving: Step-by-Step Guide to Build Sturdy Shelves

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When we needed heavy-duty shelving for our new shed, we followed a clear tutorial from Ana White. These shelves hold heavy items like power tools and paint cans and are surprisingly easy to build — even for beginners. We liked this approach so much we repeated it in the beach-house shed and the small shed … Read more

House Crashing: Classic Natural Style With a Modern Twist

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Quick note Book holla! -We’re publishing this post early since we’ll be at our stop in Wilton, CT this morning and then we’ll be at Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ at 5:30 pm (and staying as late as it takes to hang/sign/geek out with everyone). More details here. We’d love to see ya! Recently we took … Read more

How to Replace an Old Bathroom Light Fixture Quickly

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We rarely mention our hall bathroom. In the 17 months we’ve lived here it’s only been the subject of two posts (removing a towel bar and fixing the toilet). Since we later used nearly the same hue as our inspiration room in the guest bedroom, we decided not to repeat that color here, so the … Read more

Cabinet-Mounted Recipe Pinboard: DIY Guide for Small Kitchens

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We finished a quick, inexpensive DIY that gives us a handy, out-of-the-way spot for recipes and meal ideas. We wanted something easy to access—recipes tucked into a book tend to be forgotten—and we didn’t want to add clutter to the kitchen. The answer was simple: a hidden cork pin board mounted inside a cabinet door. … Read more

Frost a Glass Door Without Bubbles: Step-by-Step Guide

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It’s clear the biggest upgrades our laundry area needs are energy-efficient appliances and built-in storage to make the most of the small space. While we save and plan for those larger changes, we spent a few hours after Clara’s bedtime tackling smaller projects on our list a few nights ago. First on the list was … Read more

Inside an HGTV Green Home: What to Look For When Touring

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I’ll admit it: we’ve been entering the 2009 HGTV Green Home sweepstakes every day lately. As much as we love our own house, the idea of winning an eco-friendly home in sunny Florida — plus the hybrid car that comes with it — is hard to resist. And imagine the posts we’d write if our … Read more

How to Arrange Egg Chairs for Maximum Seating and Style

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I’m back as promised with an update on our egg chair plus a quick peek at three tiny egg chairs we recently added to the collection. An update on the full-size egg chair (I had initially just tossed pillows on it and promised to share the finished details). Three new dollhouse-sized egg chairs we brought … Read more

How to Paint an Old Wood Cabinet White: Step-by-Step Guide

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When Michelle sent in photos of her furniture makeover, we had to share the striking before-and-after shots. Here’s the note she included: About a month ago I found your site by accident and completely fell in love with it! You even inspired me to start my own blog. I don’t want to take up too … Read more

Dishwasher Installation Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions for Homeowners

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As we mentioned earlier this week, before catching a flight yesterday we finally replaced our old bisque dishwasher, and the new stainless steel model is already a hit (we like it, but Clara absolutely loves it). Here’s how the installation went. We’d planned to wait until our new floors were installed so we wouldn’t risk … Read more