We’re long-time fans of saving and refinishing original hardwoods — we’ve refinished floors in several houses and usually love the results. Back in 2020 we refinished the downstairs pine here hoping it would hold up similarly. Over six years of living on those floors it became clear they weren’t up to the job. Between the material itself and how the previous refinish was done, the floors wore poorly and created a real obstacle when we reconfigured rooms and added square footage.

Short version: the original yellow pine downstairs was much softer and less durable than heart pine or new hardwoods. Many boards had been replaced or patched before we moved in, and those repairs began separating and splintering over time. Add frequent beach-house traffic — sand, wet towels, pets, and high heels — and the soft pine showed dents, scratches, and gaps. Because the renovation involved moving walls and creating a new room, patching and matching that old floor for a seamless look would have been difficult and probably temporary.

Why Did You Replace Your Floors?

There were three main reasons: the material, the installation quality, and the renovation scope. The downstairs was standard yellow pine from the 1990s, which is softer and dents more easily than denser heart pine or oak. Second, the 2020 refinish didn’t hold up — some areas were poorly sanded, filled, and sealed, and patched boards later separated. Third, reconfiguring rooms and adding an entire new room created many gaps and transition challenges; patching would have been difficult and likely short-lived given how the existing flooring had already behaved.

We don’t regret trying to save the floors in 2020 — it bought us six years while we figured out our ideal layout. But when we finally did the big renovation, fully replacing the downstairs flooring made the most sense for a long-term, cohesive result.

What Flooring Did You Use?

We installed luxury vinyl plank (LVP) across the entire first floor. We know that might surprise some hardwood purists — it surprised us too — but modern LVP has improved dramatically in look and performance. For our climate and our house by the beach, it offered important advantages.

The specific product we used is V-Evo XL by Durato in the color “Biscotti.” We selected it after seeing it installed in a nearby new build our contractor was working on. Seeing and walking on the material in a completed home convinced us more than samples or photos could.

Why Did You Choose LVP?

Three practical reasons led us to LVP: installation speed, durability for a beach environment, and cost. LVP installs far faster than traditional unfinished hardwood nailed and finished in place. Our new floors were demoed and installed in about three days, and we could walk on them immediately. There was no dust, no long curing time, and minimal disruption to daily life — the installer worked in sections so we only had to move furniture as he progressed.

Most importantly for our location, LVP is waterproof and stands up to sand, water, and frequent traffic better than soft pine. It looks convincingly like wood but performs more like tile in terms of resilience, which is why many modern beach homes use high-quality LVP.

How’d You Pick This Color and Size?

We chose the Biscotti color and the wide-plank size after seeing them installed in the contractor’s model home. Seeing and standing on the finished floor was invaluable — it showed us scale, texture, and how the color reads in natural light. Because we liked the installed look so much, we didn’t overcomplicate the choice with dozens of comparisons.

Do We Like Our LVP Floors?

Yes. The floors feel even, quiet, and solid underfoot. They brought a level of polish to the renovation we couldn’t have achieved by patching the old pine. The wide plank and the Biscotti tone make rooms feel larger and fresher, and the texture and grain read very naturally. For our 1991-built beach house the look fits perfectly.

A couple of adjustments: barefoot the material doesn’t feel exactly like real hardwood — it’s denser and slightly different in slickness — and in the first week the texture felt a little coarse underfoot until normal use softened the sensation. Also, LVP can be dented; unlike hardwood it can’t be sanded out, so we keep extra boxes for potential spot replacements and try to be careful when moving heavy appliances.

What About Your Upstairs Floors?

We left the upstairs floors alone. They’re original heart pine that we refinished in 2020 and have held up much better than the downstairs yellow pine ever did. The two floors don’t meet directly because the painted stairs with a sisal runner separate them, and for now we like that the upstairs retains its original wood character.

That covers our floors: why we replaced them, what we installed, how we chose it, and how it’s living up to expectations. We’ll follow up with the full renovation post soon, including details on the new bathroom and the layout changes that made this flooring upgrade possible.

More Flooring Posts

If you want more reading on floors and installations, we have posts about refinishing hardwoods, installing hardwood and click-and-lock floors, and other flooring projects that may help whether you’re repairing old floors or picking a resilient option for a busy household.

• Refinishing Hardwood Floors 101
• How To Install Hardwood Flooring Yourself
• How To Select Hardwood Flooring
• How To Install Hardwood Floors Without Nails
• How To Install Click-And-Lock Cork Flooring
• How To Remove Carpet
• How To Stain A Concrete Floor

The post New Flooring FAQs: Installation, Maintenance and Warranty first appeared on Duebak.

The annual Color of the Year announcements have started arriving unusually early again. One company has already revealed its pick even though it’s only August 2026, so we made our own predictions this morning. Sherry picked two colors she’s been secretly hoping to see for years. Below you’ll find our choices alongside the industry announcements we’re tracking. As we did for prior years, we’ll update this post whenever new Color of the Year selections are released so you can view every announcement in one convenient place.

While color forecasting is serious business for these brands, one of the most enjoyable parts is the guessing game and watching how people respond to the choices. Reactions can get surprisingly strong—last year’s Pantone announcement sparked a lot of debate. Our own predictions for this year are included at the end of the post.

What Were Last Year’s Colors?

Below is a quick snapshot of the Color of the Year choices from recent seasons. Viewing several years’ picks side by side helps reveal broader shifts in taste and mood. In general, 2025 leaned darker and more muted than 2024, with deeper browns and purples commonly chosen. The 2026 selections showed a bit more variety in hue but remained fairly subdued and neutral overall. Many of us are still hoping for a brighter, more colorful wave in coming announcements.

Looking at these picks together gives a clearer picture of how trends ebb and flow—sometimes toward moodier, introspective tones and sometimes toward brighter, more optimistic shades. It will be interesting to see whether 2027 marks a return to stronger color or a continued preference for calm, muted palettes.

Every 2027 Color of the Year

We’re tracking announcements from a range of paint and color authorities this year. As of August 14, 2026, only one brand has released its 2027 Color of the Year. We’ll add new entries here as more companies reveal their choices.

• Valspar: Cottage Door

Below is a closer look at the color Valspar selected and what it communicates.

Valspar’s 2027 Color of the Year

Valspar opened the season by naming a steely blue called Cottage Door as its 2027 Color of the Year. The brand describes this shade as trans-seasonal and suited to thoughtful, introspective spaces, framing it as a response to a growing cultural emphasis on intentional, authentic living. Valspar suggests pairing Cottage Door with warm neutrals like creamy pinks and soft grays, along with natural textures and playful patterns to create cozy, layered interiors.

This is Valspar’s fourth year naming a Color of the Year, and the brand has shown a consistent fondness for blues. Their past selections have been steady and dependable choices that lean toward calming, versatile tones. Whether future picks will maintain that pattern or shift in a new direction remains to be seen.

Our 2027 Color of the Year Predictions

Each year we like to make three guesses about which colors will appear on COTY lists. It’s a lighthearted exercise and a way to pay attention to subtle shifts in trends. For transparency, I had seen Valspar’s announcement before choosing my predictions, but Sherry’s picks were made completely blind. We both hope the industry leans toward more vibrant, expressive hues after a couple of muted years.

We’ll update the image above if any of our guesses look particularly close to the official selections as they’re announced.

The post All 2027 Color of the Year Picks Announced So Far first appeared on Duebak.

I don’t claim to be a professional organizer, and there was definitely some trial and error. Still, the workflow below is practical and reliable, and I’ve included a short FAQ at the end for quick answers to common concerns.

Why Digitize Your Old Photos

Our project had three primary goals:

1. Protect memories: Create digital backups so irreplaceable photos are safe from loss or damage.
2. Save space: Replace bulky albums with slimmer photobooks so the same images take far less physical room.
3. Declutter: Eliminate duplicates, blurry shots, and images that aren’t worth keeping.

We achieved all three, but this guide focuses primarily on the first goal: how to sort, organize, and back up files during the digitization process.

Photo Digitization: A Step-By-Step Process

Digitizing more than a few loose prints benefits from a clear plan. The major steps are:

1. Assess what you have
2. Decide the project scope
3. Gather supplies
4. Create main backup folders
5. Move existing digital photos into one place
6. Sort physical prints
7. Scan and save in batches
8. Create multiple backups

Breaking the work into these pieces makes the project manageable rather than overwhelming.

1. Assess Your Stash

Start by finding where all your photos are and what formats they’re in. Gather them in one place or make a list. Common formats include:

• Photo albums
• Boxes or piles of loose prints
• Framed or displayed photos
• Negatives and slides
• Digital images on computers, phones, or cloud services
• Files on CDs, flash drives, and memory cards
• Photos stored on older photo-sharing sites or accounts

We discovered many overlapping sources: physical albums, loose photos, and older digital files. Locating everything before scanning makes the final photobooks much more complete.

2. Define Your Scope

If the inventory feels overwhelming, limit your initial scope. Start with one album, one year, or one event. Starting small lets you settle on a workflow and organizational system before tackling the entire collection. Useful sub-tasks include:

• Collecting all photos into one spot
• Removing unwanted pictures (duplicates, blurry images)
• Sending negatives or slides to a specialist if needed
• Sorting prints roughly by year or event
• Scanning in small batches

We chose to digitize photos taken before a certain year to keep the project manageable while keeping everything important.

3. Buy Supplies

Choose tools based on the formats you’ll handle. Typical items include:

Photo scanner

A dedicated flatbed or feeder scanner designed for prints will speed the process and improve quality. We found a mid-priced photo scanner to be a solid balance of speed, image quality, and convenience.

Film or slide scanner

If you have negatives or slides, a dedicated film scanner or a service that digitizes them will save time and usually yield better results than trying to scan them on a flatbed.

CD and card readers

Older media may require an external CD drive or memory-card adapter so you can transfer files to your computer.

External storage

An external hard drive is a convenient, cost-effective way to store large collections. Flash drives can also work for smaller collections or temporary transfers.

Cloud storage

Cloud accounts (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox) offer an offsite backup. Free tiers exist but you may need to upgrade depending on the volume of photos you digitize.

4. Create Your Main Backup Folders

Before scanning, set up a single main backup folder structure on your computer or in the cloud. Decide whether you’ll organize by year, event, person, or location. Having a consistent system makes it easier to find files later and keeps your photobook workflow smooth.

I recommend choosing a consistent filename format and using batch rename tools. For example, a Person-Year-Month format helps you quickly spot which files you’ve processed.

5. Transfer Existing Digital Photos

If any prints already exist as digital files, copy them to your main backup folders first. Digital camera files usually contain metadata with accurate dates, so they’re often higher quality than scans and easier to place into your timeline. It’s frustrating to scan a print and later find the original digital version, so look for existing files before you scan.

6. Sort Physical Photos

Prep prints before scanning to speed the process:

Remove prints from albums

If you’re not keeping the original album, remove photos for faster scanning. If you want to keep the album intact, remove, scan, and replace one photo at a time.

Copy captions

If albums have captions beside photos, rewrite that information on the back of the print so you don’t lose names, places, or dates when you discard the album.

Pare down

Eliminate duplicates and poor-quality images now so you have fewer files to scan and sort later.

Put prints in rough chronological order

Arrange piles to match your backup folders. Use any clues—written dates, clothing styles, events—to estimate where loose photos belong. Doing this before scanning makes the batch-scanning process much smoother.

7. Scan and Save in Batches

Scan in batches that match logical groupings—by month, event, or year. Many scanners allow multiple photos per pass and then export a batch of images. I preferred exporting every time I finished a group from the same month or event; exporting small batches makes bulk-renaming and assigning to folders much easier.

A typical workflow looks like this:

1. Scan all photos from a single month or event (up to your scanner’s batch limit).
2. Export that group to the matching year folder in your main backup.
3. Bulk-rename the exported files with a consistent naming format (for example, Person-Year-Month or Person-Year-Month-Event).
4. Move on to the next batch.

Repeat until everything is digitized and saved in the correct folders.

8. Back Up to Multiple Locations

Store your photos in at least two different places to reduce the risk of data loss. Our setup includes:

1. Local copies on a laptop or desktop
2. An external hard drive
3. Cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, or a similar service)

Keeping files on your computer can make photobook creation easier, while external and cloud backups provide redundancy. Back up at natural stopping points—end of the day or after finishing a year or album.

A Visual Backup Option

Uploading scans to a photo app (Apple Photos or Google Photos) makes them easy to view and share and gives you access to search and facial-recognition features. Keep two cautions in mind:

Dates may be incorrect

These apps sort by the file’s embedded date. Scanned prints often show the scan date, not the original capture date. You can edit dates in batches after uploading, but that can be time-consuming and those edits may not change the original file metadata.

Old and new photos can mix

If you upload scans into the same account as your everyday phone photos, scanned images may appear next to recent shots unless you carefully edit dates or use separate accounts. We kept old scans in a separate photo account to avoid mixing timelines.

What’s Next for Our Photos?

After scanning and organizing, we focused on two final tasks:

Making photobooks

Replacing bulky albums with printed photobooks saved shelf space and made our collections much easier to enjoy. We created annual family yearbooks and theme-specific books like wedding albums and childhood collections.

Paring down originals

We kept physical prints until photobooks were finalized so we could reference notes and chronological order. Once books were complete, we kept only favorites in a small decorative box and discarded or recycled the rest, knowing the digital copies and photobooks preserve the memories.

Photo Digitization FAQs

How much storage will I need?

Scanned file sizes vary, but a few thousand photos at typical scan resolutions can fit in only a few gigabytes. Your needs will depend on how many photos you have and the resolution you choose when scanning.

Are scanned photos good enough to print?

Scans at 300 dpi reproduce well at the original print size. If you plan to enlarge photos significantly, scan at a higher resolution (for example, 600 dpi) at the cost of slower scanning and larger files.

How much will storage cost?

Costs range from free (small cloud tiers) to modest yearly fees for larger cloud plans. External hard drives and inexpensive flash drives are also affordable one-time purchases for local backups.

Other Family Photo Posts

• The Best Way To Digitize Old Photos
• How We Make Family Yearbooks
• A Look Inside Our Family Yearbook
• Starting An Old Photo Digitization Project

*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post How We Organize Our Digitized Photos first appeared on Duebak.

My husband and I bought our first house in May 2007 and immediately set to work repainting every single room—the previous owners had four girls and favored various shades of pink and purple. This space, which we now call the “hearthroom,” was the first we completed, and we’re really proud of it. We chose Behr’s Olivine for the walls, a bold change from the beige of our apartment. We painted the backs of the built-ins the same color and gradually added personal touches over the following months. We were eager to finish this room because it opens from the kitchen and we knew we’d spend a lot of time here. The previous owners used it as a dining room, but my husband Ryan and I reimagined it as a relaxed spot to lounge by the fire, play board games, enjoy casual dinners, or read a book.

Below is the multi-colored country dining room as it looked before Sarah and her husband moved in:

And here is the newly transformed “hearthroom” — a cozy, inviting space for lounging, reading, and relaxing after a long day:

Lovely, right? Great job, Sarah! Here’s hoping for a few chilly evenings to make that fireside lounging even cozier.

The post Cozy Hearthroom Ideas: Arrange Chairs Around a Fireplace first appeared on Duebak.

Instead of launching into a speech about Nate’s collection (which I could have happily given), time was tight. I dashed to the car and urged John, “Other Target, go!” We tried a second store: nothing. My excitement started to wane; it wasn’t a sell-out, nothing had been shelved yet. I worried the launch might be limited to certain cities. We had a family party across town, so my hunt paused until we were driving home and passed another Target. That location only had an unlabeled endcap with a few towels from Nate’s line, so I began to think Richmond might be left out or the shipment was delayed. Then John surprised me by stopping at a different Target “just to be sure.” It turns out we have a lot of Targets in our city.

When I walked in at that stop, I finally spotted the display—and it felt like the clouds parted. I immediately snapped and shared the moment on Instagram, so some of you may have seen it. I’d already taken the photo after grabbing the two items I wanted and standing protectively next to them, half-expecting a rush of shoppers to scoop everything up. Here’s my “mine” shot:

I’d admired the white tortoiseshell piece since seeing it in a preview video of his collection, and the spiky urchin accessory was delightfully quirky and almost porcupine-like—too charming to resist. Back at the car I was grinning so widely that John, who stayed with Clara in the vehicle, burst out laughing. I couldn’t stop smiling.

Funny enough, within 24 hours my friend Katie from Bower Power posted her own Instagram haul, and she had nabbed the same pieces:

Does buying the same things unknowingly confirm best-friend status? I think it does. We called each other the second we saw our posts and laughed. Good times.

As for where everything ended up in our home, that corner on the left always felt a bit heavy, so adding the tortoiseshell helped balance it out.

It’s glossy and has that ceramic-animal vibe I love. I’m really happy with how it looks.

Bam—here’s a close-up. Isn’t it sweet against our stenciled wall?

The spiky urchin found a spot on my little fall mantel. I already had a bronze spiky orb on the other side, so the new piece fits in perfectly and adds a playful texture to the display.

So that’s my Nate shopping story. What did you pick up? Were items hard to find where you are? Did anyone score bedding or towels from the collection? I loved the bold-colored chain pieces—especially the yellow one—but I couldn’t think of the right spot for it, so I passed. It could make a fun DIY project, though: an old heavy chain and a coat of spray paint would get a similar look.

The post A Night Out With Nate: What Happened on Our Date first appeared on Duebak.

We also decided it was time to remove the hulking medicine cabinet (the one with two lights sticking out the sides like arms) and replace it with a sleeker solution: a mirror beneath a wall-mounted light fixture and a plan to add a wall storage cabinet nearby. The project wasn’t painless—three trips to Lowe’s and several searches for the perfect cabinet later—but the end result was worth the effort.

Before sharing the “after” photos, here’s a look back at the original styling. Our very first attempt included black molding around the window to echo the small checkered floor tiles. In hindsight that was a mistake: the black trim and bright blue accessories made the room feel juvenile, and the tiny shutters and frilly window treatment had to go.

Next we painted the trim white, added a soft blue to the walls—similar to the shade we used in our bedroom—and frosted the window for privacy. That was definitely an improvement.

Still, that old medicine cabinet haunted me. After repainting much of the house in neutral tones, we realized the bathroom would feel calmer with a tan coat of paint and a less plastic-y shower curtain. Here’s the updated bathroom with the new light fixture, paint color, and fabric shower curtain:

We love the light fixture we found at Lowe’s. It looks like a designer piece, but cost a fraction of the price—around $90 instead of hundreds—so it felt like a win. The lighting is dramatically better now: we moved from two 60-watt bulbs to the equivalent of much brighter, more even illumination. The room feels warmer and more polished. All that remains is finding an attractive storage cabinet to hang on the wall, and then brushing our teeth will feel a lot more stylish.

The post Bathroom Renovation: Our Third Remodel and What Changed first appeared on Duebak.

We’ve made two large DIY hook rails so far, and both have been low-effort, high-reward projects that get used constantly. One lives in our garage (you can see it in our second book, Lovable Livable Home) and the other is the six-hook rail we installed in the beach house laundry/mudroom that we’re sharing here.

blue towel / black baskets / shelf brackets / gold hooks / cabinet pull / pendant / gold frame

If you’re not familiar with hook rails, they’re a board with a row of hooks mounted on it—perfect for keys, coats, bags and more. They give you multiple hanging spots while only requiring a few wall holes. The problem with many store-bought rails is that they’re short, so hooks feel cramped. On a large wall you often want something longer to spread items out and create a cleaner, more functional look.

For the mudroom/laundry wall in our beach house, a standard rail would have been too small. Sherry liked the gold-and-marble single hooks from Target that we showed when we first revealed the laundry room makeover:

Originally we slapped up three of those hooks about eight months earlier just to have a place to hang coats and purses while working at the house. They were rushed and unlevel—definitely not the finished look we wanted.

Simply adding more individual hooks had two drawbacks. First, I prefer mounting hooks into studs for strength—anchors are okay, but with kids pulling towels or heavy beach bags being tossed on hooks, studs are safer. If you only put hooks where studs fall, spacing can look random and you might not get as many hooks as you need. Second, the large wall needed a visual anchor to organize the space and make the hanging area read as intentional.

The solution was a long rail: in our case a 1×4 primed board that spanned from door trim to built-in cabinet. It shares a similar profile to the door molding so it fits aesthetically, and by screwing it into studs in four places across the span we created a secure backing for as many hooks as we wanted, positioned anywhere along the board.

Tips for installing a rail: use a stud finder and make sure the rail is level before fastening it. Countersink the screws so you can spackle over the screw heads, then paint the rail to match the wall for a seamless finish. Once secure, you can mount your hooks wherever you like without worrying about strength or awkward spacing.

When hooks attach with a single screw, they can twist when items are removed. Our trick is to apply a small bead of caulk to the back of each hook before fastening it to the rail. The caulk acts as a light adhesive to stop spinning while still allowing removal without damaging the rail.

After adding the hooks we also updated the cabinet hardware with a dark pull to coordinate with the iron shelf brackets. The finished rail isn’t flashy, but it adds a huge amount of function for very little cost and effort, and you can customize the style and spacing to fit your needs. If you want more storage, you can even add a shelf above the rail.

The hooks Sherry liked have a small inset of marble that adds a subtle, elegant detail. It’s harder to capture online than it looks in person, but the marble really warms up the hardware.

We finished this project a few weeks ago, and although the photos show lighter items, the hooks have already handled packed beach bags, coolers, two beach floats and even umbrellas—sometimes two on one hook. They’re sturdy workhorses. In winter they’ll easily manage coats, purses, hats and jackets—no more four people fighting over three hooks.

If you want more easy organization projects, try simple updates like better shed storage, maximizing pantry space, reorganizing kitchen cabinets, or adding hidden wall shoe storage—small projects that add big wins for daily life.

*This post contains affiliate links

The post How to Make a Long Hook Rail for Your Mudroom first appeared on Duebak.

For anyone hoping to see us doing thrilling things like cutting wood and firing a nail gun: those projects are happening right now. We’ve kicked off a big board-and-batten project and are hoping to have the nail holes filled, primed, and painted — along with the hallway walls — by next Wednesday. We’re busy, excited, and can’t wait to share the progress.

One night around 11pm Katie and I got the itch to craft instead of sitting on the sofa. We raided the house for supplies and quickly cobbled together a little project using two old terracotta pots, faux-wood wrapping paper, pom-pom fringe, and craft paint. We painted the interiors and the lips — Katie chose red and I went with a soft blue — then measured and cut the faux-wood paper into a curved C-shaped sleeve to wrap around the tapered base of each pot. After fitting the paper, we used Mod Podge on the pot, smoothed the paper in place, and sealed the top with another layer for durability.

Two countertop pots later: perfect for pencils, keys, or loose change. We planned to add pom-pom fringe along the lip (pink on mine, blue on Katie’s) but it read a touch too over-the-top, so we ditched it — for now. I did pick up a remnant of pom-pom trim at JoAnn to use on a future project, so expect more pom-pom shenanigans soon.

Our visit wasn’t all Mod Podge and paint. Katie and I have a special bond from being pregnant together with Clara and Will, so we love outings where our kids can run and play. We enjoyed playground and backyard time and spent a morning at Imagine It, a children’s museum in downtown Atlanta. Clara and Will had a blast exploring trains, water, sand, and a big play kitchen — I swear Will was frying strawberries while Clara microwaved cereal.

During a miraculous simultaneous nap (all three kids asleep), Katie and I squeezed in a pedicure and a Starbucks run — a rare treat for two busy moms that made us feel like queens for an afternoon.

We also went antiquing. Katie took most of the photos, so I’ll just list my finds: two wooden doll chairs (too big for the dollhouse but perfect for Clara’s bigger dolls), an old metal moose hook (you know I love a good moose), and a small red wagon for Clara’s dollhouse with wheels that turn. The prices were reasonable — about $4 for both chairs, $3 for the moose hook, and $3 for the wagon — so ten dollars got us some charming pieces that fit right into the house.

The moose hook found a home in the hall bathroom, where we’ve needed a towel hook near Clara’s bathing area. It pairs perfectly with an old metal horse I repurposed as a towel holder, which made me ridiculously happy. The doll chairs cleaned up nicely with soap and water, so I left them as-is instead of painting them. Don’t mind the oversized clown pants on one of the dolls — Clara likes to mix and match outfits.

The red wagon may be my favorite find. The next morning I discovered Clara had staged a hilarious scene: two plastic pigs in the wagon, one “pulling” the other, watched by two dressed pigs named Olivia and Olivia’s dad. It wasn’t staged — she really did that — and it was pure kid logic and joy.

We spent lots of time eating, chatting about blog life and ordinary life, and watching our kids play in the house and yard. It was an ideal long weekend. We also made a little video and took tons of adorable kid photos while we were there.

On Monday we published the morning post and began the eight-hour drive home, approving comments as we went. Clara even treated us to an epic nap on the road, which made the drive much more pleasant.

It’s hard to believe Katie and I have been friends for nearly four years. We met before either of us had kids and used to travel, go out for late sushi, and generally be carefree. Now we collectively have three kids under three — everything has changed, but in the very best way.

One thoughtful surprise capped the trip: the morning after our last book signing I found a gift box outside the guest room. Katie had left a handwritten note celebrating the end of the tour and wishing us a calm, fulfilling new season — and she labeled each gift inside with a matching sentiment. The chocolates were “sweet and refreshing,” the notebook represented “a fresh new start,” and the mug and herbal tea were “soothing and calm.” It was perfectly timed and exactly what I needed after months of living out of a suitcase.

Huge thanks to the Bowers for hosting and for being wonderful friends. John and Jeremy even caught a movie together while Katie and I stayed home with the kids — a small thing that made us all grin. We love that our partners get along so well; it makes planning future visits feel effortless. What road trips have you taken lately? Have you received a gift so thoughtful it begged to be shared? And are you crafting or antiquing this season? We’d love to hear.

Psst — Clara’s getting funnier by the day. Hear her take on everything from baby naming to wheeling away from a yogurt raisin over on Young House Love.

The post Finding Time for Craft Projects: Quick Ideas for Busy Crafters first appeared on Duebak.

In last month’s column we explored creative ways to decorate with ornaments. This month we share fresh, budget-friendly ideas for making custom art using everyday items. Affordable materials—such as keys, wrapping paper, greeting cards, photographs, spray paint, fabric, corks, and matchbooks—can be transformed into striking pieces for your home. Our column walks you through easy techniques and inspiring examples so you can create original artwork without spending a fortune.

Read the full column to discover simple projects, step-by-step tips, and clever ways to repurpose common objects into gallery-worthy art. Whether you’re framing a collage, arranging found-object sculptures, or experimenting with mixed media, we offer practical guidance that works for beginners and experienced makers alike. The emphasis is on low-cost materials, accessible methods, and personal expression—so you can let your creativity lead the way.

If you prefer a printed copy, you can subscribe to R. Home magazine. A subscription often includes other titles such as Richmond Magazine, Dine, R. Healthy, and Richmond Bride, and delivers the glossy layouts and photos that don’t always appear online. Subscribing is a convenient way to receive each issue and enjoy the magazine’s full visual presentation.

The post How to Get an Artistic License: A Guide for Creatives first appeared on Duebak.

I absolutely love your blog and find your style so inspiring. I wanted to share my latest project with you as I am so pleased with it. I created a wall of colorful pictures in my kitchen and I love how it turned out. I am a photographer so all it cost me was the price of the prints (they are 8×12 inches each) and the frames were only $8 apiece. Thanks again for all of your inspiration! – Jen

Here’s the blank slate before:

And the delicious after photos:

A few inexpensive frames and some well-chosen, food-themed prints completely refreshed the space. Jen used 8×12 prints and affordable frames to create a cohesive gallery wall that brings color and personality to the kitchen. The result is a bright, inviting area that looks thoughtfully styled without a big budget.

If you’re planning a similar update, consider these tips inspired by Jen’s project:

• Choose a consistent print size to keep the arrangement tidy—8×12 works well for compact gallery walls.
• Stick to a theme, like kitchen-related or food photography, to create visual harmony.
• Use simple, inexpensive frames in a single finish to unify the collection.
• Arrange the prints on the floor first to find a balanced layout before hanging.

We love seeing before-and-after photos—please keep sending them. Real transformations and practical, budget-friendly solutions are exactly the kind of inspiration we enjoy sharing.

The post Refresh Your Kitchen Fast With Framed Art Ideas first appeared on Duebak.