We just found out our first overnight guests will arrive at the end of the month, and right now the guest room looks like this: Not acceptable. Especially since our guests are my in-laws. Sherry’s mom and stepdad are traveling from New York to Richmond to spend some much‑anticipated time with Clara, which gives us … Read more

“The door is the smile of the house.” John has a knack for quirky sayings. Once, after debating the relative merits of bacon and mustaches, he declared, “the mustache is the bacon of the face, and bacon is the mustache of breakfast.” But back to the front door. Our first house had a red door. … Read more

Duuude, let’s go boarding. Clipboarding, that is. I’m not coordinated enough for a surfboard, skateboard, or snowboard, but this I can handle. This old clipboard came from the playroom, where I dropped it among ceramic animals with the thought, “I’ll do something cute with this later.” Months passed and I finally decided it was time. … Read more

You may remember us mentioning the charming “bed & breakfast” house around the corner a few times. We’ve admired that place for years—not just for its in-ground pool, tennis court, and picnic area, but because it has one of the most inviting exteriors on the block. Here’s a photo we took during a snowstorm last … Read more

We made this quick, easy holiday decorating video before finishing our tree (which we shared last week), but because we like to keep things in order, it made sense to publish this follow-up after our first tree video. Good things, as the cliché goes, come to those who wait. So here’s a short video showing … Read more

We’re taking one last look back at December to catch anything you might have missed and to remind ourselves we didn’t spend the whole month in a Christmas-cookie coma. Pausing to appreciate what we actually finished each month helps spark momentum for the projects still waiting in the queue. If you want more monthly roundups … Read more

Prepare to be impressed. When Lindsay sent photos of her kitchen makeover, we were genuinely amazed. Here’s the note she shared: I’ve been meaning to send a before-and-after for a while, and I admit I was nervous because your projects are always so inspiring. Still, I’m proud of our low-budget kitchen makeover and wanted to … Read more

“Refinance” used to sound like one of those grown-up finance words reserved for our parents. As first-time homeowners and relative newcomers to investing—only three years into our first mortgage—we initially ignored the buzz about low rates. After talking with my dad, our loan officer, and reading helpful blogs, we decided to learn more and see … Read more

Booyah: these are the show notes for Episode #7 of Young House Love Has A Podcast. This week we ask whether there’s a particular age when your home begins to feel more grown-up, discussing what three well-known design outlets recommend (and advise against) having in your home by the big 3-0. We also share favorite … Read more

Ok, so maybe our messy garage wasn’t as dramatic as some people hoped, but we did uncover a few new spider species and Sherry had a close encounter with a mouse during the cleanup (it ran over both of her feet — her scream made it sound worse). Regardless of scale, it felt great to … Read more