We made four small updates around the house, so here’s a quick recap of one of the easiest and most satisfying changes we made: converting a toilet to a dual-flush system. We’d been meaning to add dual-flush functionality for a while — we’d already updated the hallway toilet and the one in our first house … Read more

Ever since we saw a rain barrel in action at Matt & Kristin’s bungalow last fall, Sherry and I have been eager to collect our own otherwise wasted rainwater. We recently attended a local rain barrel workshop and are sharing a clear, practical rundown of what we learned. Why install a rain barrel? Positioned beneath … Read more

When Blayne contacted us a month ago for an elegant bedroom makeover with a subtle Moroccan touch, we didn’t expect her to complete everything so quickly. Here’s the note she sent: Well, my room is done and it looks amazing! Even better than I expected. I followed your design plan pretty much to a T … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries*** We’d heard of the “slow food movement” before, but not the “slow clothes movement”—until this week’s sponsor reached out. Saffron Marigold produces luxury Indian linens, crafting each tablecloth, bedspread, curtain and cushion cover with careful attention to traditional techniques and quality. Every pattern is hand-printed, inch by inch, … Read more

Yay! We finally sorted through more than 1,000 photos from our ATL adventure and put together the first of several House Crashing posts. This one features Jae, who lives in the Atlanta area and kindly invited us over to snoop and take pictures. Her home is a great example of using bold color and pattern … Read more

That’s how many yards I estimated I’d need to make eight living room curtains. My rule of thumb is five yards of fabric per window or sliding door for two floor-length panels hung high and wide. So five yards times four windows/sliders equals eight panels (two for the big back window, two for each of … Read more

What if small changes to our bedrooms and bedtime habits could help us sleep better and wake up feeling truly rested? In this episode we speak with a sleep expert about practical ways to optimize your bedroom — from choosing the right mattress size to setting an effective bedtime and removing distracting items from your … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries*** This week’s prize is extra special: entirely eco-friendly and from a nearby Virginia business in Culpeper, just a short drive from Richmond. Green Nest offers a wide selection of sustainably made home goods, and our lucky winner will be able to choose several stylish, earth-conscious items. Below are … Read more

This is one of the strangest things we’ve encountered in nearly three years of blogging. A reader (thanks, Sara!) alerted us that photos of our living room and guest bedroom were being used on a vacation rental listing on Airbnb. The listing’s “host” claimed the images showed their home in Pasadena and was offering the … Read more

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? I’m no woodchuck expert, but I can answer a related, lesser-known question: how many pallet planks could a Petersik pry free if a Petersik could pry free pallet planks? Say that five times fast while I walk you through what happened. Our … Read more