Installation day one arrived with all the anticipation of a holiday morning, but like most home projects, it didn’t go perfectly. John and I stayed up late and woke early, buzzing about finally seeing our kitchen cabinets installed after nearly two months without any—no cabinets, counters, or sink. The excitement was palpable. The day started … Read more

Thanks to the fact that our master bedroom has a huge floor-length mirror (a surprise wedding gift from John so I could check my dress before slipping out the back door to get married)… …the second mirror to the right of the bedroom door felt redundant. We took the chance to replace that mirror with … Read more

Let’s talk about a small bathroom-door makeover that involved more hiccups than expected. Back in January we decided the mirror on our master bedroom door could stay (unlike the one on the guest-bath door, which we got rid of because you could see your entire body from the toilet). We agreed to keep the bedroom … Read more

As you saw a few weeks ago, we removed our old screen door and painted the inner door a bright lipstick red. We also tore down the scalloped header and shared the results. But Project Pimp My Porch isn’t finished — the front walkway still needs to be relaid because it’s uneven and unattractive. While … Read more

We’re back with our weekly basement update, and since we’re getting closer to that glorious word—finished—this week’s project is quick and simple. It’s connected to the built-in cabinet to the right of the Ikea workstation we painted last week. That cabinet was bare, but we promised a storage solution. Here it is. Yes, those are … Read more

If you listened to this week’s podcast you heard John and I explain that our bathroom planning has moved out of the very long phase of indecision and dreaming (which took more than six years while we renovated most of our house as well as the entire beach house and a duplex) and into the … Read more

I know it might seem odd to publish a beach-focused travel guide after summer ends, but Sherry has been answering so many questions about Cape Charles that we decided to gather everything in one place. This post consolidates all the practical details and favorite spots we return to again and again. If we haven’t met: … Read more

Remember yesterday when our shelves looked like this? Then I had fun filling them (you can watch the video without sound and still get the idea): If you watch, you’ll see I can reach most of the top shelves. The corner by the window is a bit awkward, but I can sit on the counter … Read more

Believe it or not, the mattress we recently purchased for our guest bedroom was the first one either of us had ever truly shopped for in person. Previously, our beds were hand-me-downs from family or inexpensive finds from thrift stores (we actually got two daybed mattresses from Goodwill back in the pre-bed-bug-awareness days—though they claimed … Read more

It may seem counterintuitive—don’t most people want to add a deck?—but our deck is no longer pulling its weight. In this episode we explain why we think tearing it down makes sense and what we plan to put in its place. We also chat with Manhattan Nest’s Daniel Kanter about design trends that are becoming … Read more