When Erica sent her office makeover photos our team immediately wanted to share the before-and-after transformation. Here’s the note she sent: I love reading your blog and learning new, budget-friendly ideas. I recently updated my home office on a tight budget. You can find more details on my blog, but the L-shaped desk is built … Read more

This week we’re sharing how a quick cottage weekend turned into a scouting trip for our own vacation-rental plans. We also tackled a common design dilemma: how to choose ceiling lights that coordinate without being too matchy. After some trial and error, we discovered one simple rule that keeps fixtures cohesive while preserving character — … Read more

We’ve been thinking a lot about how life will change over the coming weeks, months, and years with the arrival of the newest Petersik. A big part of that has been figuring out how to keep this blog active while we adjust to the huge responsibility of caring for a baby. After some brainstorming, we … Read more

It’s about to get exciting… First, a quick aside: I’m a fan of Jones Soda partly because of the random little fortunes under the cap. The other day I found this one: Tasks where skill is essential (sounds like a bathroom remodel) may be accomplished. MAY? Not a very confident fortune. Fortunately, our bathroom project … Read more

The boldest color we’ve ever used on any wall is Martha Stewart’s Plumage, which we painted throughout our guest room walls. We’ve loved it from the start. So when Jackie sent photos of her dining room makeover featuring Plumage, we were excited to share it. Here’s her note: “When we moved into this house, the … Read more

In honor of Halloween, we’re sharing a genuinely spooky occurrence at our beach house that baffled us for months (even I, usually a skeptic, found myself asking, “How did that just happen?”). We also chat with author Miranda Anderson about how her family committed to a yearlong shopping ban and how that choice cultivated more … Read more

***This giveaway is now closed – see who won below!*** This week’s random winner is… Megan (who simply and politely just entered “Pop me, please”). Congrats Megan! Happy Labor Day! We’re back with this week’s giveaway and the answer to the little riddle we left in Friday’s post. The three clues were soda cans (pop), … Read more

You may remember us mentioning the charming “bed & breakfast” house around the corner a few times. We’ve admired it for years—not just for its in-ground pool, tennis court, and picnic area, but also for its exceptionally picturesque exterior. Here’s a photo we took during a snowstorm last year: When Sherry and I began house … Read more

Thanks for all the kind messages about Teddy’s arrival last week. We’re home and settling into life with a newborn again (any tips for getting a baby to sleep between 10pm and 4am are gratefully accepted). We’ll be keeping a lighter schedule for a bit, but one task we squeezed in about 48 hours before … Read more

If you have a tiling project coming up, do yourself a favor and remember Mapei Flexcolor grout. floor tiles: pink, white, and taupe After grouting multiple bathrooms, showers, mudrooms, and backsplashes over the past two years, we can honestly say this product has made tiling easier and more consistent. This is not a sponsored endorsement—just a recommendation based on … Read more