What began as a simple sink replacement in the beach house’s en-suite bathroom turned into a bigger mess than expected: a hole in the wall and an unexpected spray of water right in our faces. The problem stemmed from something we’d never encountered before — an odd plumbing issue that took some detective work to track down. In this post we explain what happened, how we fixed it, and why we’re still procrastinating on renovating the two upstairs bathrooms at home. We also share a few recommendations: a decorating show we’ve been enjoying, a gadget Sherry can’t stop using, and a strange anecdote about how our first book attracted the attention of a ’90s rock singer and a couple of Bravo reality stars.
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What’s New
- That photo shows the bathroom wall at the beach house after the plumber repaired the hole we uncovered. If you look closely you can see the small nick we found when I cut away a bit of drywall to locate the source of the spray. Fortunately it hadn’t been leaking for a long time and the repair was straightforward.
- The vanity is mostly installed now, though we still need to replace some baseboard behind it and swap the tiny pulls for new hardware — those factory holes are really close together.
- We chose a single-hole faucet to maximize counter space and that helped make the installation cleaner and simpler.
vanity | faucet | floor tile | blue accent tile | toilet | mirror | glass shower
- We’ve talked about our complaints with the old sink before — you can find more background in Episode #103.
- Below is a photo of the downstairs beach house sink that shows why we cut the baseboard around the vanity so the cabinet sits flush against the wall.
vanity | light | mirror | floor tile | towel bar
- While reminiscing about the first book tour, we dug up this photo from 2013 showing Sherry with Tom and Jax from Vanderpump Rules, along with Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray. It’s hard not to smile at how much phone cameras have improved since then.
- Here’s the page from our first book, Young House Love, that helped break the ice with Mark during that event.
Listener Question
- The before photo above and the images below highlight how much improvement a few Phase 1 updates can deliver. We still love small, strategic updates that make a big visual impact without a full renovation.
- Quick tip: extra-long shower curtains are an easy way to upgrade a bathroom with 8-foot ceilings. We often use a 7-foot curtain and a 7-foot liner to give the space a taller, more finished feel.
- What started as a temporary Phase One refresh — removing the shower door, stripping wallpaper, and adding a cheerful paint treatment — has lasted 4.5 years and still works perfectly for our needs.
- The hall bathroom used by the kids went through a similar light refresh: paint and a few fixture swaps. The before and after show how far simple updates can go.
We’re Digging
- Netflix’s Stay Here has been a standout for us. Genevieve Gorder and real estate expert Peter Lorimer renovate vacation rentals, and the combination of design and travel makes the episodes both inspiring and entertaining.
- We spotted an article that tracks down the actual Airbnb listings for many of the homes featured on the show — an interesting way to see the real-world rental impact of a makeover.
- If you enjoy lighthearted competition and crafts, Making It on NBC is a feel-good show with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman that’s worth watching.
- Genevieve guested on our podcast in Episode #9, and Nick Offerman appears in our second book, Lovable Livable Home.
- For anyone who prefers getting out and moving, Sherry has been loving a Fitbit Alta HR we surprised her with, paired with a rose-gold replacement band for a dressier look.
If you want to revisit items we’ve recommended previously, check our master list of “We’re Digging” picks from past episodes and the Book Club page for every book we’ve suggested.
Thanks to You Need A Budget (YNAB) for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at YNAB.com/YHL to get your first three months free.
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