We’ve had a recurring challenge with tubs, and the duplex renovation has been no different. Today we share how a strategic cost-saving choice trimmed about 30% off a major renovation expense—yet triggered a tub-related stress spiral. We also have updates on painting our brick house white, a somewhat gross backyard experiment to keep deer from eating our plants, and whether Sherry is still called “Laura” in Cape Charles. We discuss pros and cons of laundry room placement, and explain when it makes sense to choose multiple wall colors versus painting an entire house one cohesive shade.
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What’s New
- This is one of our tubs installed in place. Despite the planning stress, the tub install and plumbing went in relatively smoothly.
- Below is a photo Sherry took of our second tub being retrieved from a very high shelf at Home Depot. I’m impressed she spotted it up there.
- We selected the Delta Classic 400 because its front is fairly straight (not overly curved) and it offered a good price.
- And of course, here’s a victory photo of successfully procuring both tubs. It cracks me up that Sherry had Sean take this celebratory shot.
Updates
- If you missed the original conversation about painting our brick house white, that’s covered in Episode #101. Below are renderings that helped sway the Instagram poll.
- We’re planning to use Rombio BioDomus II Mineral Paint for the brick. The warranty and the differences from regular paint are compelling. We’ll share more details as the project progresses.
- If you missed the gross backyard experiment to deter deer from our new landscaping, that’s in Episode #99.
- We’re in week three of using Liquid Fence and haven’t seen signs of deer chewing. Their recommendation is weekly applications for the first two weeks, then monthly. We’ve applied weekly for three weeks so far and still have plenty left in the jug.
- If you want to hear the original story of Sherry being called Laura, that’s in Episode #59, a personal favorite.
Listener Questions
- The photo above shows our upstairs laundry room in Richmond; below is our downstairs laundry area in the mudroom at the beach house.
- As promised for Debbie, we ran a poll about which laundry location people prefer (not necessarily which one they have). We recognize many homes have garage or basement setups, which tend to be less popular.
(POLL HAS ENDED)
- Sherry also ran a version of the poll specific to the beach house scenario—where sandy feet and towels are more common—to see whether preferences shifted. For us, the beach context changed our preferred layout.
(POLL HAS ENDED)
- Lauren asked about color choices: our beach house is painted one consistent color (Sherwin Williams White Heron), while our Richmond home uses a variety of neutral tones. Below is a sampling of that difference.
- Part of the reason for multiple colors in Richmond was practical: we painted (and repainted) rooms ourselves over the years, while the beach house was painted by contractors all at once during a renovation. If we were starting fresh in Richmond today, we might use fewer colors, but we don’t regret the variety because it helped us find favorite neutrals.
- We commonly use Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray in sunlit spaces like our bedroom, office, dining room, and foyer.
- For rooms with less natural light, a slightly lighter, cooler neutral like Behr’s Irish Mist has worked well—examples include our bonus room and kitchen.
- The other colors we used are more one-off choices: Benjamin Moore’s Going To The Chapel in our son’s room and laundry, Simply White in the living room, Revere Pewter in our closet, and Sparrow as a dark accent in a guest bedroom.
We’re Digging
- I got an inflatable stand-up paddleboard for Father’s Day that we’ve been using a lot this summer. Our favorite moments are evening trips to the beach at sunset when we take delightfully clichéd photos like the one above.
- Our SUP is 11 feet long; there’s a slightly cheaper 10.5-foot option, but we trusted the 11-footer after trying it firsthand on Father’s Day. Because the bay is shallow and calm, we often end up with extra passengers onboard.
- I highly recommend getting an electric pump. It plugs into your car’s 12V port and automatically stops at the desired PSI—an absolute lifesaver for inflating and deflating quickly.
- Also, a brief non-SUP note: Sherry discovered a new mascara at Target that she loves and wears in the selfie below. She pairs it with Invisaglin in the photo.
If you want to find topics we’ve covered in past episodes but don’t remember which episode notes to click into, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from our previous shows.
Finally, thanks to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring this episode. New customers receive a free Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning set and a 2-month VIP membership when they sign up and spend their first $20.
Thanks for listening!
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