This week I’m admitting to a kitchen design choice at our beach house that, in hindsight, wasn’t our best idea. Thankfully it’s an easy fix, so we’re sharing why we changed our minds and how we corrected it. We also weigh in on a divisive design trend that seems to provoke strong reactions, plus tips … Read more

It’s been far too long since our last window-shopping stroll. As some of you know, these mini excursions aren’t sponsored — we simply wander a store with a camera and capture anything that sparks inspiration. This post is a few months late, but now that the photos are uploaded and I’ve settled in to write, … Read more

Remember our friends Carey and Jordan? Earlier this year we “house crashed” their home and I still swoon over their mudroom. This time we visited another one of their projects: a freshly renovated, furnished rental in the Richmond area. It’s full of style, smart budget choices, and plenty of ideas you can steal for your … Read more

Want a chance to win $3,000 to spend on hardwood floors this weekend? Look in the mirror — it could be you. Impressions Hardwood Collection is awarding one lucky person three grand this week, so now is a great time to consider upgrading your floors. Their selection includes wide hand-scraped styles and classic 3 1/4″ … Read more

I’m back with an easy thrift-store makeover. John and I picked up this well-worn brass candlestick at Goodwill for $1.99. I convinced him that a bright, modern color would refresh the traditional shape and give it a clean, updated look in about five minutes. I gave it a few light coats of glossy yellow spray … Read more

Ready for another outdoor update? This time we turned a handful of volunteer hostas from the backyard into a quick front-yard refresh. Our backyard planting bed is a bit of a disaster still, but those extra hostas were doing nothing back there, so we dug up about five and put them to better use. First … Read more

Can you believe December has already flown by and it’s almost 2012? Before the month slips away, here’s a quick look back at what we accomplished, all in one place. We tackled a lot of kitchen projects, refreshed a few other rooms, squeezed in holiday fun, and even shared some new stuff you hadn’t seen … Read more

It’s no secret I enjoy experimenting with paint techniques—stenciling a pillow, two-toning a chair, painting patterns on baskets, or tracing raindrops right onto a wall. Recently I tried a simple freehand pattern on a thrift-store cradle for Clara, and I wanted to share the process and results. A few readers even spotted it in the … Read more

It felt like having my own personal Alcide—yes, a True Blood reference. I kept calling John “Alseed” the whole time he spread seed across our newly leveled backyard. I’m corny like that. He rolled his eyes, but I think he liked it. I tend to prefer tall, dorky, handsome men, so John is even better … Read more

Despite how much fun we had renting a pressure washer a few years back, we hesitated to buy one. We didn’t want another bulky tool to store, and it didn’t seem like something we’d use frequently. Still, signs kept piling up that we were missing out: a neighbor sang its praises, it showed up in … Read more