In short: we reduced the number of exterior doors in our bedroom from eight to six, and the room is just as wonderful. We mainly use the middle pair of doors to go outside, but the remaining glass doors flood the room with light and frame the view, which makes the space feel bright and … Read more

Long before I had a positive test, I was browsing BabyCenter for articles about early pregnancy signs. Once my test confirmed I was expecting, John and I logged on to calculate our due date. I signed up for the weekly emails tracking our baby’s growth (which I still read aloud to John whenever they arrive) … Read more

This DIY guide to adding built-in bookshelves is much simpler than it looks. Achieving the classic floor-to-ceiling shelving around a doorway is within reach for most DIYers. We planned these bookcases as part of our kitchen remodel, and they quickly became one of my favorite parts of the renovation. The wall originally had a bookcase, … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries*** This week’s freebie is a colorful one: 3,700 hues from Behr. We will choose three winners; each will receive a free gallon of Behr paint plus a complimentary Behr paint fan deck — a perfect boost for your spring refresh projects. Picking the right paint color can be … Read more

Just like last year we answered a batch of personal and random questions from our Facebook and Twitter friends to celebrate the blogiversary. You asked more than 200 questions, so we couldn’t get to them all, but we picked a bunch that were fun, revealing, or just plain silly. Here are our answers — edited … Read more

We did it — we unpacked all our Christmas decorations and officially decked the halls. Because we keep our holiday storage organized, setting up the tree and decorating the house is always straightforward. Ornaments that belong off the tree (in hurricanes, bowls, etc.) live in labeled zip-top bags so they’re easy to find and put … Read more

You often ask which tools we consider essential for DIY projects, and I’m still surprised to be the person people turn to for tool recommendations. Growing up, I never imagined I’d enjoy trips to the hardware store—I remember my first set of screwdrivers from my dad and wondering what I’d ever use them for. Fast … Read more

Yes, it’s me — Sherry, the mediocre seamstress — back with another sewing tale: part frustration, part triumph. I managed to turn one boy’s duvet cover into two, and I’m here to walk you through how it went down. The situation was simple: my best friend inherited her husband’s childhood twin-bed duvet set for their … Read more

When Frances sent photos of her recent living room makeover, we were excited to share the results. Here’s the note she sent: I’m a huge fan of your site and what you do. For that reason, I wanted to introduce myself and submit these photos of a recent project that I completed in a one … Read more

We like Lowe’s — it offers low prices, friendly service, and a solid product selection. For the most part it meets our needs. There have only been a couple of times when Lowe’s couldn’t help and Home Depot came through instead: vinyl floor tile options and a special-sized toilet tank for our tiny half-bath. Recently … Read more