Spring Refresh: Our Living Room Makeover and Simple Decorating Ideas I planned to write a punchy list—“10 Ways to Bring Spring Into Your Home” or “5 Ways to Make Your Living Room Look Effortless With Florals”—but after weeks of finishing Olivia’s room and prepping for a yard sale, my brain is running on half power. … Read more

I grew up with stacks of Better Homes and Gardens on our family room coffee table, and even as a preteen I would flip through them, admiring the houses and wondering how real those staged scenes might be. It felt a little surreal when I opened my inbox one afternoon and found a message from … Read more

17 Luxurious Master Bedroom Designs to Inspire Your Own Home Retreat I’m finally tackling a master bedroom refresh, and it feels amazing to think about turning our tired space into a calm, luxurious retreat. Until a few weeks ago, a full makeover wasn’t on my radar, but after living for years in a bedroom still … Read more

A step-by-step tutorial and budget breakdown for using IKEA Billy bookcases to transform his and her bedroom closets into custom, built-in style storage — plus an update on how these systems have held up after four years. IKEA provides another affordable, clever storage solution—this time for small bedroom closets. We’ve used IKEA pieces for built-ins, … Read more

Slowly but surely, we’ve been making progress on the breakfast nook refresh we’ve had planned since February. This little corner has been a bit of a design challenge for me since we moved in. While I appreciate the farmhouse look, it has felt out of place in our traditional colonial home, so I’ve been trying … Read more

How to Create a Faux Reclaimed Wood Look on a Solid Painted Wood Table Top Using Just a Circular Saw and Paint I love the look of reclaimed wood, but I don’t always want to deal with the cost, weight, or the loss of storage that real planks can bring. This step-by-step guide shows how … Read more

We’ve covered tips before on how to make smaller bathrooms look bigger. In our 1960s house none of the bathrooms have generous footprints, so creating the illusion of height and space has become a regular design challenge. One of the simplest, most effective tricks we’ve tried is hanging an extra-long shower curtain high above the … Read more

I love this lamp. That’s the short version — Anchorman reference, anyone? Beyond that, I’m smitten with everything happening in Olivia’s room right now. The makeover is coming together and it’s absolutely adorable. But before I share more of the room updates, it’s officially Trash to Treasure Tuesday. This time, I rescued a pair of … Read more

Three mattresses at three price points: how they compare and how to get a luxury-feel mattress without overspending When a baby arrives, decorating often takes a back seat to something much more valuable: sleep. After a lot of research, reviews, and price comparisons while planning a guest bedroom refresh, we landed on a surprisingly affordable … Read more

A boring guest bedroom gets a luxe, vintage chic makeover using thrifty projects, budget finds, and simple decorating tricks to maximize style and space The idea for this guest bedroom refresh began in February after a big family reunion when about ten cousins ended up sleeping in the living room. The next morning I walked … Read more