Our post on Instagram last night was admittedly a little cryptic. We were having an extra frustrating day thanks to two discouraging duplex-related blows that came flying at us rapid-fire, in the span of a mere 10 hours. We’ve always tried to share the bad and the ugly along with the good – like talking about blowing a timeline or breaking a budget (or a ceramic animal). Or when we can’t find the water meter for a month or we fail our irrigation inspection in three different and spectacular ways). Sometimes on “Bad News Day 1” you don’t really feel like getting into all of the nitty-gritty details because you’re still in that “repeatedly screaming WHYYYY?!?!?”
Making the decision to move is one of those big life-changing choices, and we learned the hard way that doing it under the wrong circumstances might not work out as well as it could for you in the long run. So this week we’re sharing our own personal test for knowing when the time is right to move (hint: it has nothing to do with “when the market is hot”). Plus, we look at what’s trending for kitchens in 2018 and we share why we upgraded our TV. And lastly, if you’re wondering if we worry about people trashing the beach house or if you wanna know when you can come rent it, just tune
Although they’re still TBP (to be painted), I’m sharing how we made the built-in pantry shelves for our beach house since there were a bunch of requests for a tutorial when we shared some sneak peeks on Instagram. They’re surprisingly straightforward to construct – they’re made entirely of two things: MDF sheets and 1 x 2″ boards – and the process can easily be adapted to just about any space where you want to add some custom storage (bedrooms, playrooms, living rooms, etc). In other words, think beyond the pantry. And if you scroll to the bottom of this post, there’s a video of some of the steps in action that might help you too
When a neighbor shared some historic documents about our 100 year old beach house, we were stunned to find a story from 1936 of jealousy and even murder. So this week we’re sharing what we learned along with some other surprising facts about our old home’s past. We’re also helping a listener find some creative ways to maximize the storage she has AND uncover additional places to stash things (“I have too much storage space” said no one ever). Plus, we share a Christmas gift that’s helping Sherry combat insomnia and a cheap accessory that’s making John’s special eyes even more special. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and now Spotify – or listen
Guys, meet the dresser of my beach house dreams. Perhaps you’ve already been introduced on Instagram, but let’s dive into our love story (think: The Notebook, but with a dresser and a person instead of two people). I actually found this amazing piece of furniture on Craigslist. YES CRAIGSLIST! Sorry I’m screaming, but you can imagine how shouty this entire experience made me. And dancey. And weepy (I tear up over beautiful furniture when I feel like it’s fulfilling its furniture destiny). Yes, I just typed the words furniture destiny. Anywayyyyy, it’s safe to say this is the best Craigslist score of my life since I got it for $400 and the exact same dresser
Christmas often flies in the face of our efforts to cut down on clutter and simplify the stuff in our house, so this year we employed four tactics to minimize all the excess without sacrificing the merriment of Christmas morning. And it worked! Well, mostly (there was one memorable fail). We also both take wildly different approaches to New Year’s resolutions so we’re sharing a few things we’re resolving to do in 2018. Plus, our big duplex renovation has already hit a snag before we could even start, and why a bunch of naked people on TV are inspiring us to look at our possessions in a whole new way. You can download this episode
Beach house progress, both big and small, feels like it’s happening so quickly that we hardly have time to keep up with documenting it, but I did walk through the whole house yesterday and make a big ol’ video tour… which basically catches you right up to date! So excuse this post for only having around a dozen photos (we have thousands on our phones, but they’d take us all day to upload and explain, and nobody got time for that with Christmas being less than a week away). First let’s start at the front door. We hung a wreath (from Tar-jay) and put some battery powered LED candles with timers in the windows (so they’re
The beach house feels like it’s coming together in fast motion these days. After over a year of working on it, we can’t believe it finally has working appliances, a kitchen island, even a functioning kitchen sink! But taking the freshly plumbed clawfoot tub for a spin didn’t exactly work out the way Sherry thought it would. We also dive into advice for mixing and matching wood tones in a room for a look that’s collected, not chaotic. Plus the autopilot Christmas decoration we’re both loving this year and the triumphant return of everybody’s favorite segment (consider it our Christmas gift to you). You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and now Spotify
I don’t know why I’m always compelled to start these holiday house tour posts by type-shouting “SMILING’S MY FAVORITE” but there I’ve already gone and done it. ‘Tis the season. Moving on. Here’s how we decked our proverbial halls for Christmas this year. As you may have heard in last week’s podcast, we’re continuing last year’s mission to simplify our holiday decorations. We still want our home to feel festive, but in a way that doesn’t feel too crowded and overwhelming (or take too crazy long to set up and take down). So the living room is pretty much just all about the tree and the mantle. sofa / side tables / chairs / round marble table
You haven’t heard a lot about the duplex that we bought three months ago. It might seem like not much is happening, but we’re actually working on three things behind the scenes that are inching us closer to demo day! So we’re sharing all of those details along with learning what really goes into creating a home magazine (the good, the bad, and the sweaty) from HGTV Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Sara Peterson. Plus, some simple ways we’re automating our home on the cheap (without the use of any more smart home devices) and how to make your candles burn longer and stronger. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it
I’m a little late with this, so thank you to everyone who so sweetly inquired about the whereabouts of our annual gift guide. Here she blows! We’ve crammed everything into one big post – so here you’ll find a gift guide for grown-ups, one for the kids (including a bunch of things we got for our own kids or that they already have & love) and a bonus gift guide full of stuff that’s under $20 (some is even under $10 – and a few things are under $5!!!). So without further ado, let’s get to the goods. Holiday Gifts For Grown Ups 1. I’ve purchased four of these gorgeous pillows covers (these & these are my faves). 2. This
As much as we love the holidays, all the “stuff” that goes along with it (gifts, decor, things piling up on every surface) can get overwhelming. So we’re sharing how we’re approaching things differently in an effort to maintain the joy of the season. And one of the most common questions we get is “help me pinpoint my style – I’m all over the place!” so we’re spelling out exactly how we do that when we’re feeling pulled in more than one decorating direction, which actually happens more than you might think. Plus, Sherry revisits a controversial opinion that she passionately shared last week and John declares war on screen time. You can download this
You guys remember our friends Carey and Jordan? We House Crashed them earlier in the year and their mudroom slays me every time I lay eyes on it. Well, we’ve crashed another one of their places – this time it’s a rental home that they recently renovated and furnished. So yes, more eye candy AND more budget friendly tips and ideas to steal for yourself. rug / round baskets / hooks / rectangle baskets / door color: Poppy by Ben Moore The rental is a sweet ranch home in the Richmond area that they’re using primarily as a long term furnished rental, but also as a short term Airbnb between renters. It’s full of furniture and
People always ask if we ever argue, especially with all the house projects we tackle together. Well, the short answer is yes. And the speed bumps we hit while installing our beach house kitchen are a perfect example of what can spark a spat. So we’re sharing what we fought about, how we solved it, and who was right all along. We’re also revealing another big change we’re making in the beach house kitchen (hint: it has to do with the island) and dispelling a myth about a commonly espoused “real estate deal killer” that might not be as scary or expensive as you think! Plus, our take on the new “it” room to have
Our living room is still in flux since we took Karl to the beach house and bought our new sofa (one new living room thing = me wanting to CHANGE ALL THE THINGS!), but I couldn’t wait to show you a few sneak peeks and share a ton of weekend home sales going on right now. We’re talking about $60 side tables and $119 living room chairs and kitchen stools for under $100, so let’s get into it. The two cane-back living room chairs that we recently bought are on sale for 30% off (just $119 per chair plus you get an additional 15% off with the code TURKEY). They’re not too low (they’re around the
I’d like to say we strategically planned to buy all of our beach house appliances (besides the pink stove, that is) during Black Friday sale season. But really, it was just some lucky timing. Timing so lucky that it saved us over $1350, in fact! The appliances won’t arrive until after Thanksgiving, but in case you wanted to snag some of the same deals, we’re sharing what we chose, how we saved, and why a last-minute floor plan change helped us get even more for less. sconces / counters / cabinets / pendants / hood / stove / walls: SW White Heron / trim: SW Stone Isle Let’s first talk about our change of plans. If
Young House Love turned 10 years old this fall (!!!) so we’re taking a look back at our last decade of renovating houses, building a business, and making plenty of mistakes along the way – all while on a public stage called the world wide web. You’ll hear how both in decorating and in business there were some pivotal moments that led us to where we are today – literally without them, we wouldn’t be here – and they didn’t all feel great at the time. In fact, some of them felt downright terrible. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out
We have SO MANY posts that we want to write for you guys (we’re currently working on a full living room update post – and one about all the appliances and window blinds we got for the beach house). But ever since we shared a picture of the kids bedding we picked up at HomeGoods for our daughter’s room in the podcast show notes for Episode #69, we’ve been meaning to share a room update. Because dang it, kids grow up. And sometimes they don’t want their 7-year-old room to look like their “little kid” room anymore (please can’t 7 still be little?!). So here’s how our daughter’s room has grown up a bit –
What we thought would be an easy swap of an old sectional for a new sofa has turned our living room on its head (and one of us is more thrilled about that than the other). So this week we’re sharing how we’re rethinking the layout and reinventing the space to work a little harder. We’re also sharing a full pro & con breakdown when it comes to countertop materials, since we’ve lived with three different kitchens with three different countertop choices. We’ve loved them all, but not entirely, so you can hear our regrets to hopefully avoid making the same mistakes. Plus, I ran into some hiccups in my whole meal-kit-delivery experiment that may
Dude. We got things DONE this weekend at the beach house. And by that I mean, we showed up with a giant to-do list and only got about half of it checked off, but it really felt awesome after four days there (thanks to the kids having no school on Monday & Tuesday) to lock the door knowing that we’d knocked out a huge portion of the kitchen. We still have to get a fridge and a dishwasher, add floating shelves around the stove, add a backsplash, do the toe kicks & quarter round down at the cabinet bases, and the island will have a larger counter with a sink in it and a 12″
Keeping your kids safe at home is hugely important and creating a house that looks nice but is also livable (and not too precious) is basically the holy grail. So this week we’re sharing specific tricks and tips for how we childproofed our house without running down the safety aisle and buying every last foam pad and cabinet lock. We also finally got to meet Vern Yip in person, and he taught us a lot (like our favorite new term for choosing the right lighting) and made us laugh so hard (the hotel trick for stretching his Trading Spaces budget is the stuff of legends). We also talk about juggling the task of furnishing the
Come on in and let’s have a walkabout. But not one of those wildlife walkabouts, just a jaunt around the foyer since we haven’t properly introduced you to many of the updates in here. I’d describe this room’s evolution over the last year or so as just generally lightening things up (thanks to switching out an old dark foyer table and the dark slate floor) and layering in some more tone-on-tone texture (in the new light fixture, mirror, and woven baskets). So let’s break it down with a whole bunch of pics, shall we? Safari hat: optional. Actually just for fun, here’s a before shot from a similar angle: And back to the after again.
Our week was sent into a tailspin when we got a last-minute invitation to appear on The Rachael Ray Show, and within 24 hours we were on a plane to New York so we could DIY in front of a live studio audience the very next morning. As you can imagine, we have some behind the scenes stories to tell you (it turns out Rachael Ray was NOT trying to hug Sherry) and the whole adventure was bookended by two other big beach house milestones: moving furniture in and spending our first night there! So we’re sharing how that went – and what woke us up at 6am – plus we’re learning the hardest pieces
This week I’m laying out why I think the end of HGTV’s Fixer Upper might actually bring some good things, and Sherry’s revealing the secret screw-up that almost ruined our beach house floors. Plus If you’ve ever dreamed of buying a second property or wading into the real estate investing waters, we’re getting pro tips from real estate expert Dana Bull. She’s breaking down a less risky way to buy your first rental, explaining why being a landlord isn’t as scary as it sounds, and sharing tricks for renovating wisely. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos
Beach house stuff is flying along, and we owe you guys a giant post (in the meantime you can see some pics on Instagram and Facebook) but we have some breaking porch news, which is that it no longer looks neglected and abandoned. Plus I got a little “creative” with the bushes so they’ll never die on me again. I don’t have a great “before” photo because it wasn’t something I ever thought to capture for posterity, but think dirty old doormat, dead plants, discolored brick, and spiderwebs (but not of the Halloween-decoration variety). One thing that tipped us off to the problem was taking our annual First Day of School photos out in front
This week we’re giving a listener whose house flooded after Hurricane Harvey some advice on finding the right people to help get her kitchen back together again after the storm. We also share why we’re loving a new “smart” platform for buying and selling secondhand stuff. And we’re sharing a series of recent faux plant scores that make us proud to be fake plant owners. Plus John’s shares a free tool that’s finally putting the kibosh on one of his worst habits. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a
You might think I’m being dramatic. Me? Dramatic? Yes. But in this case, no. Our freshly refinished heart pine floors are complete game changers in the house-feeling-more-finished column. FO SHO. I mean, look at this shot of the kitchen that we snapped when we were there this past Saturday checking them out / doing alllll the drooling: Just as a reminder, here’s what that room looked like a few months ago, right after drywall went up: And let’s take it waaaay back for a second. Here’s what this room looked like when we bought the house last October. In the words of Pepe Le Pew: “Le Yikes.” So this visit was full of bulging eyes and
When we look back at how we updated our previous homes, there are more than a few design decisions we regret – so we’re breaking down five things that we’d go back and do differently if we had a time machine. And ding-dong, the deck is gone! Yup, we ripped that monster off the house, and the yard’s already feeling awesomely open – but checking this item off our to-do list has actually just added more to it (it’s like the plot of ‘If You Give A Mouse A Cookie’). We also check Sherry’s Color of The Year predicting skills, and John explains why he rejects tool brand monogamy. You can download this episode from Apple
We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life. The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!).
As Sherry and I shared on this week’s podcast, we’ve both been feeling gutted by the devastation that Hurricane Maria has brought to Puerto Rico. It would be incredibly hard to see this happen anywhere – but we were in Puerto Rico just a few months ago celebrating our ten year anniversary, so it’s especially heart-wrenching to see this beautiful island suffer. If you’ve followed the news, you’ve heard how the lack of electricity, clean water, fuel, phone service, and food has created an extremely dire situation there. Our friend’s husband works with FEMA and recently returned from Puerto Rico and even he was taken aback by how steep the road to recovery is for
Some people have declared the stainless steel appliance trend over (cue the gasps!). We used stainless appliances in our kitchen, but have decided against them for our beach house, so we’re weighing in on when you might want to pull the trigger on stainless – or avoid it completely. And speaking of the kitchen, we’ve been trying some new things in there lately, including jumping on a certain culinary bandwagon, bringing some organization to our fridge, and finally taking a couple of those meal delivery services for a spin to see if they’re all that they’re cracked up to be. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use
The beach house kitchen will be our seventh kitchen project (!!!) after redoing three of our own (this one’s our favorite), a showhouse that we did in 2014, a spec house for a local builder in 2016 (seen below – we loved that blue tile), and a local teachers’ lounge that we redid last year. And while that sounds like a lot of kitchens to have under our belts, the process can still feel pretty daunting – probably just due to the sheer number of decisions that a kitchen reno brings. “What’s the most functional layout? Is that too many drawers or not enough? Will I live to regret the lighting? Is it all going to come in within
We’ve probably all got dual purpose rooms like a mudroom-slash-laundry room, a breakfast-nook-slash-homework-spot, or the ol’ guest-room-slash-office. So today we’re sharing the key to making one space actually work in multiple ways – instead of feeling like it does one thing waaay better than the other. We also chat about a recent attic clutter revelation, and John shares a negotiation technique so covert you might not even know you’re doing it. He also gets a tool he has daydreamed about for years and Sherry’s love of all things woo-woo leads her to try some unusual accessories that claim to help with sleep, allergies, and even happiness. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn
If you haven’t already heard the news: we’re doubling down in the beach house department. And I mean the “double” part quite literally because we lost our minds and bought a DUPLEX! If you caught our podcast yesterday, you already know the whys, hows, and wheres of this story. The price was right (we even got them down 30K), the location is awesome (close to the park, shops, and a few blocks from the beach), and we didn’t feel like we could ever afford this much house in such a great spot if we waited much longer. This small town only has so many affordable fixer-uppers available before everything gets renovated and we get priced
We’ve got some big news this week that you probably didn’t see coming (also: we might be crazy). Plus we share how we were able to pay off our mortgage (!!) and how the groundwork we laid over a decade ago in our first house made it all possible. We also chat about the stuff you should NOT pass down to your kids (there are some surprising things that experts say don’t make good heirlooms anymore) and we cover everything from our first house’s cost to how our mortgage for our third house was actually smaller than our first. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use
Original article and pictures take www.younghouselove.com site
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