Let’s talk about wood. As we mentioned on Tuesday, we chose solid oak hardwoods for the four upstairs bedrooms and the hallway because many rooms downstairs and the stairs already have a medium-toned oak that works well with daily life and pets—very similar to the hardwoods we had in our first house. We started by … Read more

There were tons of sales this weekend — nearly everything we still carry for the house was heavily discounted. I kept thinking it would be great to round up the best deals for anyone who’s been eyeing items from our home, but between spring break, Easter and family stuff, I didn’t manage to get it … Read more

It’s no surprise we’re feeling inspired to tackle kitchen makeovers right now — honestly, we’re always up for one. Erin and Zach’s do-it-yourself remodel of their 1950s kitchen is especially relatable and motivating as we begin our own kitchen transformation. Here’s their story: We wanted to share the redo of our 1951 kitchen (notice the … Read more

My dad gave me a toolbox when I was in high school. It contained just a few essentials: a hammer, a handsaw, a set of screwdrivers — and a photo of his dad, a reminder that being handy ran in the family. As a teenager I wasn’t particularly interested in tools, but that small kit … Read more

Before we get into the latest progress on our office, we want to thank everyone who left such kind comments on yesterday’s announcement. Your support has been surreal and deeply appreciated. Now, back to the office updates. You may recall from our initial planning post that we were still letting the concept simmer. After testing … Read more

We’re still making progress on the kitchen—an update is coming soon (probably closer to update #19 than #561). This week should bring some major milestones: new countertops and a working sink at last. While that’s underway, we’re easing into the holiday season. There’s something extra special about celebrating our first real Christmas in this house. … Read more

It’s hard to believe it’s already been four years since we started this little blog — originally just a place for friends and family to follow our kitchen makeover on our first home. So much has happened since then. To celebrate, we’re kicking off a full week of blogiversary festivities and behind-the-scenes posts. The celebrations … Read more

Let’s talk about breathing room. One thing we learned from our last house was that we prefer to let rooms breathe a little. That means resisting the urge to fill every corner and wall with furniture, plant stands, coat racks and baskets. After some thought, we decided to clear the shelf-cluttered corner by the fireplace … Read more

Dyeing your clothes might sound intimidating, messy, or complicated—but it doesn’t have to be. I’m the person who dyed her wedding dress so she could wear it again, so trust me: anyone can dye clothes at home. It’s simple, inexpensive, and a great way to refresh pieces you aren’t wearing. Rather than donating items that … Read more

We’re about 90% packed, which is a relief with moving day just around the corner. We’re loading the truck on Sunday and hope to officially move on Monday afternoon—fingers crossed our closing doesn’t get pushed to Tuesday. Here’s the progress on the to-do list we shared on Wednesday: Remove every item from the walls and … Read more