A few years ago, our cousins introduced us to a charming home shop in Old Town Alexandria, VA: Red Barn Mercantile. The shop blends rustic, weathered pieces with modern, often playful accessories and gifts. Its carefully curated mix gives the store a warm, collected feeling that makes browsing a pleasure. We were especially taken with … Read more

This is old news if you’ve already picked up the latest issue of Do It Yourself magazine, but our first column is now live and we couldn’t be more excited. DIY invited us to write a regular column that answers decorating questions from both partners, so we launched with a reader’s dilemma. Nicole was trying … Read more

We loved Stacy’s kitchen makeover—not just because it looks beautiful (a huge improvement over the original), but because it’s a great example of thoughtful balance. Stacy identified where to save money, took her time deciding what she could tackle herself, and knew when to hire help. Her new kitchen even appraised for enough to cover … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** After a week of boy-band nostalgia from NSYNC to NKOTB, random.org helped us pick a winner. Congratulations to Megan G, who says her favorite boy band of all time is the original—The Beatles. Well deserved—congrats, Megan! In the spirit of spring cleaning and … Read more

We received many requests for a tutorial on Clara’s pull-string piñata, so here it is. If you’re not interested in making one, you could always turn this into a post-party drinking game—take a sip every time you see the word “piñata.” Fair warning: you might not be fit to drive afterwards. I hadn’t encountered a … Read more

I’m thrilled with our new living room couch. It’s the perfect mix of casual and elegant, and completely dog-proof. The linen-look twill slipcover gives the sofa a refined, durable appearance, while the clean lines and plush pillows strike a comfortable balance between style and function. Naturally, it makes the pricier couch in the den—one we … Read more

Remodeling a kitchen involves countless decisions, measurements, and plans — and often changes to those plans. It’s unrealistic to expect a renovation to go perfectly without a few hiccups, and our remodel was no exception. You may have already heard about our huge tile miscalculation on our podcast, but here are five other mistakes we … Read more

I recently flipped through some old Better Homes & Gardens issues and rediscovered one of my favorite quote roundups from a February edition: a short piece about choosing, using, and loving color. Paint is basically my go-to, so it’s no surprise I had earmarked the page and circled a few favorites. I thought I’d share … Read more

Remember when we tiled the floor out back earlier this month? It feels like ages ago with all the delays we ran into. The process dragged on thanks to cold weather and rain, but we finally have a (mostly) finished floor. Don’t let that light-looking grout fool you — it’s charcoal gray. I’ll explain why … Read more

We often mention random milestones in our relationship — meeting in New York City, moving to Virginia, and so on — but realized the timing of those events isn’t always clear. Wedding Week Dos felt like the perfect chance to tell our story in order: how boy met girl, they fell in love, moved south, … Read more