We painted a section of our exterior brick—but not in the way you might expect. People often ask whether we’d ever paint our little brick ranch. We considered it when we bought the house, but over time we’ve grown to appreciate the brick’s look and its low-maintenance benefits. Brick is durable and ownership-friendly: no siding … Read more

You probably already know that Sherry and I try to make environmentally conscious choices at Casa Petersik, but we come at sustainability from two different perspectives. That means we don’t always agree on how far to go — and that’s okay. Sherry’s approach is rooted in health and safety. For her, avoiding synthetic chemicals and … Read more

Now that we’re back home and settled, here’s a sneak peek at a deck update — yes, more holes are happening — and a look at a reader bathroom makeover that stayed under budget. We’re working toward a passed inspection (remember when we failed here?), and hope to have an update early next week. Fingers … Read more

Our new kitchen rug has arrived! We ordered it online, which felt a little risky since finding the right rug for this spot has been tricky (though we’ve had success with online rug shopping before). After our little rug fashion show, we felt like we’d figured out the right formula for this space, so we … Read more

When Isabel and Thomas sent photos of their DIY mobile—similar to the one featured in a past nursery makeover—we couldn’t resist sharing the delightful results. Here’s what they wrote: You’ve inspired yet another project. Since you recently finished your nursery, this felt timely. I learned to make folded Moravian stars from an online tutorial in … Read more

Having fresh paint in the kitchen has given us a chance to see the room with new eyes and inspired plans to upgrade the fireplace mantel and hearth. We’ve mentioned building out the mantel and retiling the painted-over tile hearth before, and now that the rest of the kitchen feels more finished, we want this … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – scroll down to see who won!*** Today is special — not just because it’s my 29th birthday, but because we gave away a gift card to Target! We don’t need to remind you how much we love Target; we’ve shared plenty of posts that show it. To … Read more

We got a little white Christmas around here — not from snow on the lawn, but from a fresh coat of paint on our upper kitchen cabinets. Last week we sanded, primed, and painted all of the upper cabinets, and we ended up choosing white. That’s a shift from our original idea to go with … Read more

For anyone wondering when we’d move forward with the kitchen banquette idea we mentioned a few weeks ago, the short answer is: we won’t. After a lot of thought (and some disappointed emoticons), we realized it wasn’t the right fit for our space. When we first floated the banquette, the response was overwhelmingly positive—more than … Read more

When Robyn sent over photos of her charming nursery, full of thoughtful details, we knew we had to share. Below is the letter she wrote about the transformation: We welcomed our first baby on 9/9/09 and I wanted to share his nursery. It began as a guest room, but a shower leak soaked the berber … Read more