The perks of downsizing keep revealing themselves — most recently while we were shopping for curtains and blinds. The contrast between outfitting this house and our previous homes was striking, and it underscored some of the freedoms that come with a smaller, more intentional space. We also explore how past pandemics influenced the way homes … Read more

We recently shared how we waterproofed the entire basement with Drylok (days of heavy rain have proved that the seal works—there’s not a trace of moisture down there) and painted the floor a rich chocolate brown. Now for the fun part: planning the floor layout and choosing the right storage. We still have a few … Read more

Big news — major progress is happening at the duplex and we couldn’t be more excited. We last shared an update about a month ago when the duplex had been drywalled, and since then the project has taken some huge, planned steps forward. I’m Sherry Petersik and I’ll admit I’m a little “messy” with excitement … Read more

We’re back from our week at the beach and excited to jump back into projects. The weather was great, we squeezed in some window shopping and a thrift-store stop, and otherwise we were total beach and pool bums soaking up the sun. To be honest, with three little kids under four there were meltdowns and … Read more

Thanks to the generous support of True Value, our basement is finally dry and functional, ready for storage and everyday use. We previously documented the waterproofing and prep work that transformed the space from a damp “bug graveyard” into a usable room; this update focuses on the furniture and storage plan that helped pull the … Read more

When Angie sent us photos of her simple, inspiring chair makeover we were so impressed we had to share the transformation. Below is her note describing the process and results. I love your style and your blog. I just got into blogs a few months ago and yours is a must-read every day! I’m so … Read more

It’s time to open every cabinet, drawer, and door to show how we organized our smaller kitchen after a slow, two-year renovation. This update builds on our earlier small-kitchen storage post from almost two years ago and includes a video walkthrough that highlights current storage solutions and a couple of planned outdoor cabinets for the … Read more

There’s nothing like a handful of fresh blooms to brighten a gray winter day. True to his promise, John reminded me that the start of January marked the beginning of his “one bouquet a month” commitment. Standing in line at our local Kroger with a three-dollar bunch of pink frilly flowers turned out to be … Read more

Sometimes a small aside becomes the most asked-about part of a story. Case in point: after John’s third triathlon, we posted a photo on Instagram and Facebook with the caption, “Third triathlon complete for this beast (and yes, we make Christmas ornaments for our tree from his medals, because we are nerds).” That tiny mention … Read more

Remember the trash compactor that used to live in our kitchen? We removed it back in March and finally replaced the empty space with two slide-out baskets. It only took three months to get around to it. The empty opening was useful and, frankly, a favorite hideout for Clara. But it was time to make … Read more