Always looking for ways to refresh our home for the season, I quickly transformed a $30 thrift-store coffee table into a lighter, airier piece that works better for warmer weather. Below is the table’s original bookish, low-profile look: And here’s the updated version with a brighter, more reflective feel: I exposed more of the glass … Read more

This time of year we often feel behind on everything—projects, emails, gift wrapping, cleaning, even basic self-care—but somehow we’re ahead in one area: creating our homemade family calendar. For the past five years we’ve put together a simple, colorful calendar in Photoshop. Readers like Lauren and Alexandra have already asked whether the new version is … Read more

You asked about how we handled our own newborn photos, Teddy’s birth announcement, Clara’s four-year picture and annual video, and what I received for Mother’s Day (spoiler: a sentimental photo book of Clara’s quotes). This post rounds up all of that documentation. At first I worried John and I might be unusually document-happy — shooting … Read more

When Jennifer sent photos of her sitting nook transformed into a home office, we had to share the result. Here’s her note: Hey YHLers. I’m totally hooked on your blog and wanted to share my recent home office makeover. It went from a non-functional sitting room (it actually did function as a laundry dumping ground … Read more

We’ve marked April 22nd in many ways over the years. In 1985 I welcomed my little brother into the world (happy birthday, Dan!), and in 2006 we put an offer on a brick ranch and learned it was accepted that same evening. This year we’re doing something a bit more down-to-earth: planning an edible garden. … Read more

We’ve gushed before about how much we love the Kurv (no sponsorship — we genuinely adore it), and now we’re even more excited: we’ve finally found a full-sized vacuum cleaner that we love just as much. In short, it really sucks — in the best way possible. When we combine the carpet-friendly power of our … Read more

… that was Burger’s inspiration for his latest holiday greeting-card photoshoot, which produced this playful mistletoe-themed card we sent to family and friends: While this year’s “Merry Kissmas” design was a cheerful way to share smooches with our circle, we still have a soft spot for last year’s Rudolph-themed card — a collaboration between a … Read more

We’re back with a second place-setting post focused on creating a festive holiday atmosphere. Using only items we already had at home and humming a few Christmas carols for inspiration, I put together seven different tablescapes. Below is a simple, practical play-by-play to help you recreate these looks. I started the first setting by using … Read more

A lot of people asked for the specifics of the thrift-store chair we refreshed for our latest column in R. Home magazine. Here’s the step-by-step rundown of how we brought this little find back to life. We found the chair at Diversity Thrift in Richmond for $10 and brought it home to begin work. First … Read more

Q: Please, please tell me, you darling darlings, that you disagree on decor once in a while. Please. My hubby to be is lovely & supportive but not terribly interested in design and remodeling (he’s a grad student right now, mostly he is interested in sleep/school). However, he doesn’t like what I pick out most … Read more