My dad gave me a toolbox when I was in high school. It held just a few things at first: a hammer, a handsaw, a set of screwdrivers, and a photo of his dad — a quiet reminder that being handy ran in the family. As a teenager I wasn’t very interested in tools, but … Read more

Removing that section of wall (and the contractor) was an exciting milestone, but there’s still quite a bit to do before the opening feels finished. Unless, of course, this is your idea of a beautiful dining room: Quick note about the contractor: neighbors have asked for Steve’s contact information, and since we were very happy … Read more

Fire up your laser pointers and Bunsen burners — it’s time for our annual by-the-numbers roundup. Each year we tally up the stats that describe what this site looks like: some are wild, some are surprising, some are serious, and some are just for fun. This year we added a handful of fun blog facts … Read more

Woot! Yesterday we officially broke ground on the big deck project. “Broke ground” might be generous since we haven’t started digging post holes yet — we’re still focused on getting the ledger board installed. For anyone who’s never cut or drilled into brick, especially the exterior wall of your house, it’s a humbling experience. There’s … Read more

We promised photos of the old house emptied and ready for its new owners, so here they are. (These were uploaded while parked at Panera using their Wi-Fi because we couldn’t get service set up at the new house until the next day.) We intended to share more updates yesterday, but coordinating a domino closing—where … Read more

Our approach to renovating a house from afar has shifted a lot since February when we first began house hunting. For a while we thought we wouldn’t be undertaking major projects at all, but plans changed multiple times. Many of you have asked for a clear update on what’s happening now, what remains, and how … Read more

A lot of readers asked for details about the thrift-store chair we refreshed for our latest column in R. Home magazine. Here’s a clear, step-by-step account of how we transformed it. We found this chair at Diversity Thrift in Richmond and paid $10. Once home, the first task was sanding. We used 100-grit sandpaper to … Read more

Q: I have an idea for a blog post: “Design mistakes we won’t make again.” Looking through photos of your beautiful projects, I’m tempted to copy many of your styles and purchases. But over time — did you ever regret a design choice? — Shannon A: Great question. Here’s the short version condensed into a … Read more

We’re still finishing drywall for our new opening, but while we wait and get photos ready, here’s an inspiring kitchen makeover to keep the momentum going. We got especially excited when we read “1948 ranch style house” and “kitchen renovation” — and the before-and-after photos sealed the deal. This renovation proves that regardless of budget, … Read more

When Sherry’s mom visited a couple of weekends ago for Clara’s birthday party, she spent hours helping us get the house ready. Her most impressive accomplishment was tackling the future playroom/second kids’ bedroom (currently our junk room). It looked like this when she arrived (no joke): We had planned to simply close and lock the … Read more