You might be wondering why we put up our Christmas decorations so early this year. We’re excited to share that we’ve been invited to write a regular column for R. Home magazine, Richmond’s bi-monthly home and design publication. After they discovered our blog last spring and featured our before-and-after story earlier this summer, the editors … Read more

Have mower troubles or need to upgrade your outdoor equipment? This week you have a chance to win more than $1,400 worth of Husqvarna outdoor power tools. The winner will be able to choose any three items from a list of premium gear, including an all-wheel-drive walk-behind mower, a low-noise hedge trimmer, a heavy-duty chainsaw, … Read more

Let’s make a floating frame. I tried a simple, low-cost frame hack that anyone can do with a few basic supplies or for just a few dollars if you need to buy them. If you like the look of a floating glass frame but don’t want to spend $20 or more, you can probably convert … Read more

The laundry room is finally finished! We owe a big thanks to Lesley for inspiring us to carve out this dedicated laundry room — it feels like it was always part of the house. The new glass door at the end of the formerly dark hallway floods the space with light and completely transformed the … Read more

Sure, it’s Sunday, but here’s a little behind-the-scenes story about my expedition to find matching clothespins for the Pinterest Challenge light fixture we’re building. Other possible titles I considered included: “The Petersik Clothespin Tour of Richmond,” “Wow, I’m a really patient husband,” and “Sorry environment, we vow to plant three trees to make up for … Read more

Remember yesterday when our shelves looked like this? After that, I had fun filling them up (you can watch the time-lapse video without sound and still get the idea): If you watch, you’ll see I can reach almost everything on the top shelves. The only spot that’s a little awkward is the corner by the … Read more

It feels like a small miracle: we went from having zero closet space in our bedroom—just dressers when we moved in—to a wall of storage that matches the capacity of our previous home’s large walk-in closet. We’ve already shared how we installed Ikea PAX wardrobes and how we made them look built-in, so today we’re … Read more

A lot of you have been asking whether we’re taking weekly baby photos of Teddy like we did for Clara during her first year. The answer is yes — and we’ve given the project a slightly different twist this time. Below are Teddy’s first two weekly shots: Note: the number font is Sullivan and the … Read more

My birthday effectively started early this year with a weekend trip to Williamsburg last Friday, followed by an outpouring of cards and thoughtful deliveries over the next few days. Since today is actually my 26th birthday, I thought it was the perfect time to share what I received. First up: an adorable, playfully edited photo … Read more

When Danielle and her husband Nick sent the listing for their beautifully restored Church Hill home, we couldn’t resist visiting in person and sharing the details. They bought the house in rough condition in 2003 and worked with the Better Housing Coalition to make it livable. The property dates back to at least 1855, though … Read more