Holy cow — has it really been five years since we started blogging? Time sure flies. It feels like only yesterday we put together a simple page with a big blue background so friends and family could follow our first kitchen makeover in our first house. To celebrate our fifth blogiversary we thought about staging … Read more

Our recent road trip to visit Katie and her beautiful home reignited our DIY momentum. We often work in bursts: a period of intense progress followed by a short break to recharge (sometimes that means a quick trip). After returning from the nine-and-a-half-hour drive, I woke up early, sorted through photos, wrote a shopping post, … Read more

When my little sister Carrie recently guided us through the streets of Philadelphia, she was eager to hear our take on the corn pancakes and brioche French toast at her favorite brunch spot, Devil’s Alley. We enjoyed the meal, but what really caught our attention was how thoughtfully the restaurant had been designed. We couldn’t … Read more

Updated 2018, Originally Posted 2009 We get a lot of questions about edging, cutting in, and trim painting, so here’s our favorite tool: a short-handled, 2-inch angled brush made by Wooster. With this brush and a little practice, you can paint crisp lines without relying on painter’s tape. Best Cutting In Brush Buying Options Short-handled, … Read more

Nope, we didn’t discover we’re having twins. There’s definitely just one little baby on the way (we actually found out the sex the day before Christmas Eve and will reveal it soon, so stay tuned). What we did find were two unexpected and delightful holiday surprises waiting in our PO Box when we checked it … Read more

When we shared John’s less-than-stellar bedroom yesterday (for reasons unknown, it seemed kind of charming at the time), we also got quite a few requests to show my NYC homes. So here’s a look back at where I lived in the city—plus the one photo I could dig up of John’s Upper West Side apartment … Read more

This week’s kitchen mood board blends French-inspired charm with clean modern details for a collected-over-time look that feels fresh and original. 1. The color scheme centers on navy-charcoal tones, deep pistachio greens, soft blue-grays, and antique whites. Consider painting the walls an artichoke-like green to ground the space—the large green swatch at the top of … Read more

We were sneaky. Before we put our first house on the market, we dug up a Japanese maple we had planted in the backyard. We planted it around the time we got married; it was an offshoot from a beautiful maple that grew at John’s parents’ house—the only home he lived in during his childhood, … Read more

Q: You’re putting time and energy into this “temporary” job for your bathroom (not to mention some money), so why not just go ahead and do the full gut job? I know you guys watch money really well, but isn’t this not the most cost-effective in the long-run? 🙂 – Karen A: Great question. We … Read more

On this week’s podcast we share our top five tricks for creating better flow in any room so it reads larger and less cramped. We also reveal a major financial upside to buying a beach house in rough shape (it’s saving us thousands), discuss organizational items that professional organizers dislike and what they recommend instead, … Read more