***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries**** To celebrate our blogiversary we held our biggest giveaway of the year: a $500 gift certificate to Z Gallerie. One lucky reader won the chance to spend five hundred dollars on anything they wanted from this stylish home decor and furniture retailer. Z Gallerie has long been a … Read more

The console is back. Like a beloved movie franchise, it’s had sequels, and this is the final reveal of our big console build. After many posts documenting the process, this is the official finale — and my favorite part, because it’s all about styling and little finishing touches. I’m sure it will evolve over time, … Read more

Let’s take some shelfies — you know, instead of selfies. We didn’t have Beyoncé to photobomb them, but we finally installed the Ikea floating shelves in the kitchen and the room instantly feels brighter and more open. There are still a few big tasks left — like painting the cabinets — but swapping out the … Read more

Sing the title if you like — it fits the mood. Yesterday we spent the day painting the living room, and between tending to Clara and keeping up with the blog, it turned into a 12-hour marathon from 9am to 9pm. The good news: the living room is officially painted in Moonshine. Even better: the … Read more

We were thrilled to find Beth’s email in our inbox. Her account of the kitchen renovation had everything a great makeover story needs: an awkward before (yes, a brown fridge!), plenty of hands-on DIY work, a bit of tense timing (the countertops arrived the day before Christmas), and, best of all, a stunning after. Here … Read more

Our approach to renovating our new house from a distance has shifted a lot since February, when we began house hunting. At one point we thought we wouldn’t take on any major projects, but plans changed multiple times. Many of you have asked what we’re doing now, what remains, and how long the renovation might … Read more

When we paint, we end up talking about all kinds of odd little things we wouldn’t normally get around to. While repainting the bedroom, the conversation drifted to the names our parents almost gave us. It turns out my mom nearly named me Gina — which would have made us John & Gina. We laughed … Read more

Remember our playful visit with Katie and Jeremy of All Bower Power back in May? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when two home bloggers get together: within minutes they’re directing the guys, moving furniture, and creating a mini bedroom refresh that cost exactly zero dollars. The makeover took place in Katie and Jeremy’s … Read more

Who doesn’t love an almost-two-thousand-word deep dive into hunting for a dining room table? Here’s our story. We’ve been searching for a large round table almost from the moment we moved into this house. The first time we walked through the small formal dining room back in late 2010 during house hunting, John said, “this … Read more

Yesterday marked two months since we moved in, and our bedroom was the last space to shift from “dumping ground of unpacked things” to a comfortable room that actually feels like ours. Here’s an update on how it looks now and what’s still on the list (including a little bad Photoshop to share our plans). … Read more