At least that’s how I feel about stairs. Some people dislike them, but after pinning countless gorgeous staircases and DIY stair upgrades on Pinterest I was hooked. After seven years of living in single-level houses, we finally bought a home with stairs. Half of me worried I’d regret the change; the other half couldn’t wait … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** Thanks to random.org, our four winners are…Kathryn (who wants to know how long this paint will keep, since she’s in an apartment now), Kristen: Turning A House Into A Home (who wonders if it’s better to dust or vacuum first), Alisa Decatur (who’d … Read more

Our little guy’s room has a fresh look now that the crib is gone and we made a few updates while we were at it. He’ll be four this April and decided in January that he was ready to leave the crib — a bittersweet milestone. We’ve used the same crib in our home for … Read more

You may remember Krystol from the amazing porch makeover she shared a while back. She’s back with another budget-friendly transformation — this time her kitchen — and the results are stunning. Here’s the letter she sent detailing the project: Thank you so much for posting our porch reno on your blog. I was so amazed … Read more

Aura quartz is a striking form of quartz distinguished by its iridescent, rainbow-like surface. Sold under names such as rainbow quartz, aqua aura, and angel aura, these pieces are created by bonding metal to natural quartz to produce vivid, shimmering colors. Some collectors debate the treatment process, but many people—myself included—appreciate them for their beauty … Read more

We believe a house should evolve with a family’s changing needs, and this kitchen with its adjacent sitting area feels about as finished as anything in our home has been. Over the last two years this space has stayed remarkably steady. We swapped in my dream chandelier that resembles bubbles at a beach sunset and … Read more

We’ve done it again. For the second year in a row, the bushes in our large wooden porch planters died from neglect. Chalk it up to miscommunication: Sherry thought I was watering them, I thought she was, Clara had no clue, and Burger was busy “watering” other plants. By the time we noticed it was … Read more

We finally found chairs for the dining room, thanks to a Craigslist tip from our friend Sandra—muchas gracias! You might be thinking: Parsons chairs? Yes—exactly what we wanted from the start. Thirty dollars each? Sold. The green-and-blue swirly fabric? That’s another story. Because the price was right (we negotiated them down to $25 per chair, … Read more

We’ve been in our new house for a month now, and some things have unfolded differently than we imagined. Today we’re sharing what home projects were easier than expected, which parts of settling in took surprising turns, and a few design-history nuggets — like the real origins of subway tile and why fiddle‑leaf figs have … Read more

It had been a long time since we updated the guest room — the last big effort was the hurried refresh we did for my mom’s visit over two years ago. That small, panic-purchased mirror from Target above the bed always felt too small against the dark wall, and its tiny reflected circle didn’t suit … Read more