With most of the interior renovations and redecorating finished in our brick rancher, curb appeal becomes the priority this spring. We wanted to bring charm, color, and a timeless look to the exterior—transforming our modest home from plain to striking—starting with the front porch. Our one rule: spend a little, get a lot. Below is … Read more

Our kids still love traditional Jack-O’-Lantern carving, always trying to outdo last year with scarier, gloopier, or goofier faces. But there was a time when toddler- and baby-friendly pumpkin decorating was our priority, so here are six simple, playful, and unconventional pumpkin ideas we’ve used. One of them is delightfully romantic — yes, a romantic … Read more

We love a dark room transformed into a bright, airy space, and in summer we especially appreciate the beachy, coastal style Jessica created with help from our friend Rhoda. Read Jessica’s note about the makeover below: We finally finished our family room makeover. It felt like this project took forever. The previous palette and furniture … Read more

Ok, we’re calling it: the kitchen is officially done! Well, mostly done. There are a few finishing touches on our list: Add decorative molding to the back of the peninsula Install a message center or chalkboard on the side of the pantry Add the remaining floor transition pieces and finish that patch of fireplace tile … Read more

When Angie sent her simple, inspiring chair makeover we loved the result so much that we had to share it. Here’s her note: I love your style and your blog. I just got into blogs a few months ago and yours is a must-read every day! I’m so excited to share my before-and-after chair makeover. … Read more

This post has been updated now that I live in Florida & wear sunscreen every day This post started because I kept listing all of these personal care details at the bottom of another article about our home and personal care products, and readers had trouble finding the information hidden there. Instead of adding more … Read more

We’ve been showing off our new floors but haven’t explained how they came to be—so here’s the story. When our kitchen designer suggested hardwood instead of ceramic tile, it made sense: white cabinets pair warmer with wood than with cold tile. We started shopping at Lowe’s and Home Depot, where we found a reasonable selection … Read more

Many people are surprised to learn we light our entire pool area with only solar LED landscape lights. The sun powers a soft evening glow with no wiring, no plugs, and no noticeable change to our electric bill. Today I’ll share the three solar products we use in case you want to brighten your outdoor … Read more

Well, our new washer and dryer have finally arrived, and we promised to share how the installation went, what we did with the floors beneath them, and our impressions so far. Over the years we’ve experienced a few different laundry setups: in our first house we had front loaders with a countertop, in our second … Read more

We fell in love with Brooke’s second-floor conversion the moment we saw it. Read her note and view the before-and-after photos of the transformation below. I’ve been a reader for years and wanted to share the transformation of our home’s second floor. When we bought the house it was divided into two separate apartments: the … Read more