And now for the fun wedding-week DIY decor you’ve been waiting for. From the moment guests arrived, we wanted them to feel welcomed and comfortable. We built a simple wooden welcome sign with a hand-painted message. Because it was a sandwich-board style (two boards joined with hinges at the top), we used the back to … Read more

Tiling a backsplash is equal parts nerve-wracking and thrilling. We dove into this project a few days ago and it took longer than we expected — nearly three hours just to work out how to cut the tiles, set up our workspace, and mix the thinset before we even began. By the end of the … Read more

When we shared this Instagram photo last month, we hinted that it wasn’t an ordinary snap—our caption even mentioned that both of us had to put on makeup for it. That shot was taken on the set of a photoshoot for Richmond Magazine’s Best & Worst issue. This annual, reader-voted roundup highlights local favorites in … Read more

We could hardly believe our eyes when we saw this remarkable kitchen transformation. Here’s a note from Gord about the renovation: I wanted to share a quick update about the kitchen renovation we just finished. The project involved relocating windows and doors, taking down walls, enclosing the odd railing that separated the family room, and … Read more

As our arms recover from the recent kitchen priming and painting marathon (shared here this morning), we thought we’d slow things down with a post about sinks. Think of it as a mellow song after an energetic dance number. One interesting part of owning our second home has been comparing its features to our first … Read more

Our neighbor recently asked for help installing a drip irrigation system in their new garden. My previous experience with a full DIY irrigation setup felt overwhelming, so I approached this one cautiously. It turned out to be the complete opposite—simple, affordable, and quick. The whole install cost roughly $75 and took only a few hours. … Read more

After yesterday’s first house vs. current house comparison, one reader’s comment made us rethink the timeline: “I think it’s an unfair comparison to put 8 months of work at the current place up against 4 + years at the old. You should have compared current photos from this house to what your old house looked … Read more

Hi, I’m Sherry Petersik, and I have a soft spot for white ceramic animals. This one is actually white resin. Can you guess which creature stole my heart this time? Here’s a hint. I’m adding a few words so you don’t see the picture below before you take a guess—assuming you want to play along. … Read more

Anyone can recreate this photo Christmas card — all you need is a dog and a baby. As the holiday weekend approaches, we’re excited to watch “the kids” unwrap their presents (yes, Burger gets gifts too), indulge in seasonal treats, and spend quality time with family and friends. Before the celebrations begin, we wanted to … Read more

Come on in and take a stroll through the foyer. Not a wildlife walkabout — just a quick tour of the updates we’ve made here. Over the past year the space has been brightened up (we swapped out a heavy, dark foyer table and the slate floor) and layered with tone-on-tone textures in the light … Read more