Things just got real in the foyer. We picked up this striking pendant at our local lighting outlet in Richmond, The Decorating Outlet, for $135 — a returned item that originally retailed for much more. I had imagined something bold and architectural in the foyer, probably in an oil-rubbed bronze finish to coordinate with the … Read more

A certain pregnant friend I love has a birthday this week, so we decided to celebrate by giving one of Sherry’s favorite things to a reader: jewelry. Specifically, $500 to spend at Kendra Scott. Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. The widget may take a moment to load; once it appears you can … Read more

What’s better than one quick, easy family photo project? How about two. First up: Photo Project Number One. We’d enjoyed the small cards-turned-art that had hung above our sofa in eight Ikea frames for the past two years. At first we backed them with bright paper, and later we switched to textured fabric for a … Read more

In the spirit of sharing our favorite shelter magazines and decorating shows, we wanted to round up the top decorating books that inspire us most. We own more than thirty design books, but seven consistently stand out. Here are those favorites, with what makes each one worth a spot on your shelf. 1. The Design … Read more

Is it odd that John glanced at my headline and turned it into a bit of stand-up? His “room-crisping” ideas included: 1) Flambé it. 2) Scatter crunchy noodles on the floor. 3) Starch it. Funny guy. But seriously, here are seven inexpensive, easy ways to refresh any room. These tips are simple, but the right … Read more

When a “before” photo landed in our inbox recently, we did a double-take — it wasn’t our photo at all but a beautiful dresser redo by Desiree, on the same piece we refinished for Clara’s nursery a few months ago. Small world. Here’s Desiree’s note about her project: Technically this isn’t a Reader Redesign since … Read more

Back in April we announced three winners in our Behr paint giveaway, and now one of those winners has returned with photos of her painted room transformation. It’s always a pleasure to see how winners put their prizes to use. Below is an excerpt from Kim’s blog post about her laundry room and entry hall … Read more

Let’s talk about grout. With our penny rounds finally all installed, grouting was the next step. It’s the stage that turns a project from “in progress” to “completely finished,” and the difference is dramatic. Here’s how we did it. First, a quick materials list and photo: Bucket of clean water Putty knife and a separate … Read more

Every time we share a photo featuring the framed letter collage above our living room console table like this… …or this… …or this… …we get lots of messages asking where we bought the large “P” print that sits front and center. The truth is it’s not a store-bought monogram at all but a simple DIY: … Read more

There’s a joke I have with my running buddies that somehow our conversations always circle back to sheds. We’ll admire the ones we pass on our runs, complain about needing more storage, or plot ways to convince our spouses that a shed should come before the next home update. Clearly we lead very exciting lives. … Read more