Here’s a project we’d been thinking about for a long time and finally completed: transforming two five-year-old side tables from Target into padded ottomans to sit at the foot of our bed. We hadn’t used these tables since our first house, and they were perfect for creating low, cushioned steps for Burger to reach our … Read more

Almost every surface in our home is constantly changing, so I documented the quick transformations I made to the den fireplace mantel. It started as a pleasant but predictable display, so I began swapping and layering pieces to add color, texture, and visual interest. First, I added a mix of pale blue vases and recycled … Read more

I was finally ready to buy the Coco mirror from West Elm that I’ve been dreaming about for ages. We’re moving soon, but it’s a timeless piece that would work in this house or the next, so I decided to treat myself—$199 seemed reasonable for something I’m almost certain would bring me joy for years. … Read more

It’s been almost a month since we last shared our plans for stenciling the floor in our sink nook. We’ve been juggling a lot of projects lately—Clara’s room, outdoor tiling, installing a stair runner, landscaping, and starting work on the kitchen—but we still had a few tasks to finish in the sink nook: seal the … Read more

Meet the dresser of my beach house dreams. You may have seen it on Instagram, but here’s the full story of how it came to live in our front bedroom. I found this gorgeous inlay dresser on Craigslist—yes, Craigslist. I practically squealed when I saw the listing. The seller had originally listed it for $650 … Read more

Keeping your children safe at home is essential, and balancing a stylish house with a practical, livable one is the ultimate goal. This week we share straightforward strategies we used to childproof our home without buying every foam edge and cabinet lock in the store. We also had the pleasure of meeting Vern Yip in … Read more

It’s December 1st, which means it’s officially time to start the holiday decorating. We kicked things off last Sunday by setting up our artificial (reusable) Christmas tree. It’s not fully decorated with ornaments yet, but if you want to jump into the season with us, here’s a short video that captures the process — broken … Read more

A few weeks ago, when we shared our son’s new “big boy room,” we felt a little sentimental not only about the crib leaving the house, but also about the white daybed that’s been with us for more than a decade. It’s funny how furniture accumulates memories: that daybed has witnessed a wedding, two births, … Read more

For our blogiversary this year we asked you on Facebook to send questions, and just like in 2009 and 2010 we recorded a rapid-fire video answering many of them. We tried to pack as many responses as possible into about 20 minutes, so although we didn’t get to every one of the 80+ questions, we … Read more

We’ve been thinking a lot about how life will change in the coming weeks, months and years with the arrival of the newest Petersik. A big part of that reflection has been figuring out how to keep this blog thriving once a tiny (but enormous) responsibility arrives that will need tending, cuddles and attention. So … Read more