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

Thanks to our master bedroom’s full-length mirror (a surprise wedding gift from John so I could get a final look before walking out the back door to get married), the second mirror to the right of the bedroom door felt redundant. We decided to replace that extra mirror with one of our homemade botanical prints … Read more

Lock your doors, folks — we were at it again with another house crash. This time we visited Union Hill in Richmond to see Diana Mathews, one of the gallery stars we met at Quirk. We’d heard about the incredible century-old American Foursquare Diana and her family renovated three years ago (now shared with three … Read more

You may have noticed our DIY cork vases in the big office reveal and the guest bedroom/playroom follow-up. Here’s a clear, step-by-step version of how we made two different looks: natural cork and fabric-covered cork. Keep the cork natural for a simple, textured look… …or cover it with fabric for a colorful, patterned option. The … Read more

This is it — wall-opening week (aka “w.o.w.”). Woot! Before demo starts, here are answers to a few questions we’ve been asked a lot: How we chose a contractor How we handled permits How we determined the exact spot for the new opening (so we wouldn’t wish we’d moved it later) First, why hire a … Read more