I should warn you: many of the photos (and the video) in this post don’t exactly scream “rebuild”—more like “WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT HOUSE?!”—but there has actually been a lot of meaningful progress at the duplex. Here’s an update on the flurry of activity over the past few weeks, the floor plan changes we’ve made, … Read more

The wall is down (more here). Drywall is up (more here). Now it’s time for trim. I actually enjoy doing trim. It demands focus and attention to detail, but it’s rewarding to see rough edges transformed into crisp white borders. Before getting to the trim, I had to handle the half-wall ledge and the door … Read more

Every couple of years we splurge on that fake spiderweb stuff and go all out on the porch for neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Since we skipped last year, this season was definitely a go. We picked up the webbing at Target and used a mix of items we already had — some dead branches, a few white … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** Random.org cut through more than 6,000 entries and picked our winner as… Stephanie (who would love a few hundred laughs with Zach Galifianakis). Congratulations! The phrase “cut it out,” popularized by Full House’s Uncle Joey, takes on a whole new meaning with the … Read more

This impressive bathroom makeover submitted by Kathleen shows how one bold change—the floor tile—combined with several smaller updates can completely transform a space. Here’s the dramatic before: And the gorgeous after: The centerpiece of this update is the basketweave floor tile, which instantly elevates the room with texture and visual interest. Pairing that statement floor … Read more

We thought frozen pipes were a concern we’d left behind after moving to Florida, but last month’s arctic blast dropped nighttime temps into the low 20s for three nights straight — with a record low of 18°F, an event locals called once-in-a-century for Northwest Florida. That was especially alarming because many local homes aren’t built … Read more

The story of Sherry’s Valentine’s gift began a month earlier when I received an email titled “OMG I need this for my birthday” that included a link to a white ceramic rhino from Z Gallerie. Her birthday is in March (and I already had plans for that), so I assumed it would make the perfect … Read more

I used to assume every houseplant needed a sunny windowsill to thrive. I’ve since learned that many popular houseplants are perfectly happy in shaded corners and low-light rooms. So before you decide your home is too dark for plants, consider this guide to the best indoor plants for low light. You may be surprised by … Read more

Last weekend my cousin got married in Brevard, North Carolina — which meant a fun weekend road trip. It wasn’t as long as the road trip we took to Texas for another cousin’s wedding a couple years ago, but it was a great time nonetheless. Brevard sits in southwestern North Carolina, not far from Asheville … Read more

Hopefully by now you’ve heard that we redid our kitchen. Last week we shared how we settled on an entirely new layout, but moving things around on paper is one thing — today we’re walking you through how it happened in real life, including taking down a wall to open up the sight lines to … Read more