Maybe it’s the seasonal urge to organize, a bit of last-minute nesting, or simply my lifelong love of order, but lately I’ve been focused on putting everything in its place. I’m talking about finding a home for every paperclip and utensil, and even sorting our photos into coordinated leather albums with chronological numbering. It may … Read more

We’ve finally reached the moment many of you have been waiting for: a simple, easy-to-browse mood board gallery. After plenty of late-night tinkering and more than a few coding headaches, we created a Mood Boards section you can explore by color or by room. You’ll find the new Mood Boards tab near our blog header. … Read more

We’re back with a quick kitchen update since we promised to share every step of the process, just like we did more than four years ago with our first kitchen makeover. The electricians arrived this week, and because electrical work in an older house can be risky, we hired a two-person team recommended by friends … Read more

It’s already February, so we finally replaced the outdated December calendar in our kitchen — and this year John wanted to make one himself. His idea was simple: pick a handful of our favorite inside-joke quotes and place them on long, narrow numbered pages so we’d smile every time we checked the date or wrote … Read more

We’re slipping in one last December roundup to catch anything you might have missed and to remind ourselves we didn’t spend the whole month in a cookie-induced haze. Taking a moment to celebrate what we actually finished each month gives us a boost to tackle the projects that remain. It’s that nice “you did it … Read more

Yup, this highly embarrassing video can only mean one thing: it’s Pinterest Challenge time. Not sponsored by Pinterest or anyone else — this was dreamt up by Katie Bower to push us from pinning to doing. My favorite part is the outtake. Yes, at one point I joke about nearly peeing my pants. Graceful? Not … Read more

We made great progress on the deck this weekend — despite an unexpected water main break right in front of our house that sent gallons of water rushing down the street. We called it in, and a crew of five worked roughly seven hours (with our street’s water turned off) to repair the break after … Read more

Some readers have asked how Burger is settling into the new house. In short: very well. In a slightly more playful tone: simply splendid. It only took him a day or two to learn where his food bowl now lives and which door to wait at when he wants to go out. Beyond that, he’s … Read more

We don’t yet know exactly what our future living room will look like, but right now these are the elements I’m loving: Soft gray walls—think Benjamin Moore Light Pewter—paired with crisp, glossy white trim for a clean, modern backdrop. A large, comfortable sectional with washable covers in a warm gray-brown tone. Practical, cozy, and surprisingly … Read more

When we bought our house, the deck was in rough shape. Before we could refresh it with a new coat of stain, we had to strip away the old finish first. It took time and effort—our deck is nearly 700 sq. ft.—but it was a totally doable weekend project even for a first-timer. That photo … Read more