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

With a new light fixture and added shoe storage this week — and the decision to skip a window treatment for now and simply frost the window when we convert the carport into a garage — we finally checked off the last item on our long to-do list: Frost the side door for privacy — … Read more

Alternate post title: Trees: 0. Sherry: 2. You might not remember what our first house looked like when we bought it, so here’s a quick reminder: And this is what it looked like about five hours after John left and I went a little crazy with a pair of clippers: Three cheers for finally being … Read more

I’m back with the final chapter before next week’s big reveal. I know the suspense has been long, but this project has unfolded at a realistic pace—no fast-forwarded TV-style transformations here. You’ve seen the step-by-step progress as we lived it, which is a bit dustier and slower than a polished show, but also more honest. … Read more

As many of you know, each month we pick up an inexpensive—or sometimes free—bouquet to keep things feeling fresh around here. The idea started with a thoughtful Christmas gift from John a while back, and this month he surprised us again by bringing home flowers after doing the grocery shopping solo. With Clara barely a … Read more

At this point you’ve probably seen our finished and furnished bonus room above the garage, but here’s a clear, practical account of how we installed the oak hardwood flooring. We touched on this briefly in our first post about the space and promised a more detailed how-to. This was our first traditional nail-in installation (we’d … Read more

They say inspiration can come from anywhere, and Sheena’s story certainly brought a smile. Here’s her note: Hey John and Sherry (and Clara and Burger too!) I wanted to thank you for the accidental inspiration. After reading about Clara’s dollhouse, I fell in love with the pattern on the fabric-sample-turned-rug and had to reproduce it. … Read more

As if this morning’s pie charts weren’t enough, we’re back with another numerical roundup. Every year we like to share what Young House Love looks like by the numbers: some stats are surprising, some are serious, some are just for fun. We’ve kept a few figures from last year for comparison, and you can also … Read more

This bathroom transformation submitted by Kathleen proves how one bold change—the floor tile—combined with several simpler updates can create a completely new look and feel. Here’s the dramatic before: And the stunning after: The result is striking. The basketweave floor tile instantly elevates the room with pattern and texture, while the softer wall color and … Read more