Again? Already?! If you’d told me ten months ago that I’d be doing deck work again less than a year later, I would’ve given you a look that said “I’d punch you if I were the punching type.” It’s not that I didn’t enjoy building the deck the first time around — I did — … Read more

Remember how the kitchen looked the first time we walked through the house? Now it looks like this. Angles can change everything. It’s surprising how much brighter the room feels now—like someone added a handful of light fixtures. The contrast is huge. We jumped in and primed and painted the baseboards, crown molding, and window … Read more

Aw yeah, it’s hall bathroom time. We’re tackling this room in several phases, and here’s phase one. For a while we’d been hiding something in our hall bathroom. That big empty frame wasn’t there just for looks — it was concealing a repair project we kept postponing. To explain the story behind this oddity over … Read more

Sometimes I get impulsive and demo things without thinking through what comes after the dust settles. For some reason, after staring at the jumble of towel racks in our hall bathroom for the five hundredth time, I finally decided to take the hammer to them. Who really needs that many towel bars? And why was … Read more

At this point you’ve probably seen the big front porch makeover we completed for the 48-Hour Challenge with Better Homes & Gardens and Home Depot. Here’s a clear, simple tutorial for refreshing an old wood deck or bringing new life to a worn front porch. When we decided to repaint our porch we chose subtle … Read more

We love gathering friends around our backyard fire pit, which means we make a lot of s’mores. That also gives us plenty of chances to experiment with creative twists on the classic. A traditional s’more is always satisfying, but trying new ingredients and combinations keeps things fun — and we’ve discovered a few upgrades we … Read more

Looking for an easy starter houseplant? Pothos are ideal: low-maintenance, fast-growing vines that suit beginners and experienced plant owners alike. The golden pothos is common, but don’t miss the neon pothos — its bright yellow-green leaves add an eye-catching pop. We have several neon pothos at home and they’re beautiful and forgiving. Below is everything … Read more

They really do take their time. Installation began yesterday and, unsurprisingly, it didn’t go exactly as planned. Then again, nothing in home improvement ever does. It felt a bit like waking up on Christmas morning as a child—barely able to sleep the night before, impatiently waiting to tear into presents. John and I stayed up … Read more

Granite is a natural, porous stone, which means it can absorb liquids and become stained. That sounds alarming, but removing stains from granite is often straightforward. We’ve dealt with stubborn stains on our own granite countertops and lived to tell the tale—so take a breath and read on for reliable, practical steps. For instance, we … Read more

For anyone wondering where the March superlatives went—here they are! Happy belated April (I resisted the urge to write “hoppy belated April,” by the way). With a new month already underway, it’s time for our customary yearbook-style look back at what March brought the Petersik household. We even included a few never-before-seen moments for fun. … Read more