How to paint ceramic and use spray paint for an ombre effect + a thrifted vase gets an Anthropologie-inspired makeover. If I had a dollar for every time I said, “I found this random thing at the thrift store,” I’d have enough for a serious thrift-shopping spree. I picked up a vase last week that, … Read more

A 5-day free course to simplify decorating and designing, help you find your personal style, and show how to transform your home on a budget. We finally did something big that we’ve been meaning to do for years: we created a completely free, practical email course designed to make decorating and DIY feel simple, doable, … Read more

A thorough checklist to get your outdoor spring cleaning projects on track, plus the products we use to make backyard cleanup easier. This post is sponsored by Lowe’s. Spring is finally here, and with it comes the annual backyard refresh that lets us enjoy warm-weather months outdoors. If outdoor cleanup is on your to-do list, … Read more

Navy blue paint is a timeless classic. Like a perfect pair of blue jeans, navy pairs well with almost any color and suits a wide range of interior styles. Yet choosing the right navy can be challenging. When you want a bold touch that still reads calm and refined, dark blue is a safe choice. … Read more

This post contains affiliate links to help fund more DIY adventures. A few weeks ago I shared ideas for updating our breakfast area and asked for opinions while I hovered over the first brush stroke on our kitchen chairs. Even after all that input, I found myself standing in the kitchen more times than I … Read more

Have you ever watched one of those Bush’s Baked Beans commercials—the ones with the golden retriever always trying to let the family recipe slip out? We haven’t built a restaurant around a secret family recipe, but if we did, this one would sell out every night. This is our family’s cherished Carolina Crab Stew recipe: … Read more

This post has been a long time coming—three years to be exact. Our house is finally finished, or at least mostly finished. (Is a house ever completely done?) There are still a few small projects left—our laundry room, a patch of flooring, and a handful of finishing touches—but I was so excited to pull out … Read more

Some days all you want is to refresh your living room, yet a tight budget often gets in the way. Owning an older house comes with unavoidable, costly repairs — from replacing the water heater to updating electrical work and HVAC systems. Those projects can quickly eat up discretionary funds. The good news: there are … Read more

Find modern vintage-style beds that look high-end for under $1,000 with this curated shopping guide — perfect for achieving a classic bedroom on a budget. When I design rooms, I lean toward investing in large, timeless pieces and using trend-driven accents for color and personality. That approach keeps big furniture useful for years while allowing … Read more

How we packed tons of media and DVD storage into a small under-stairs closet using just a few pieces of lumber in one weekend. Our kids and grandkids will never fully understand the ritual of wandering through a Blockbuster on a Friday night—searching the new releases, hoping you’ll snag one of the few copies of … Read more