Can the colors, furnishings, and accessories that we choose for our home actually make us feel quantifiably happier? Today we dive into the science of joy and learn how some tried-and-true design tricks might actually be affecting our daily moods (and how to make tasks that we don’t love a little more enjoyable). We also pin down a few ways that we’ve unknowingly added joy to our house, and a few others that could still use some work. Plus, the lesson we learned from waiting too long to give up on a piece of furniture, and a big dollhouse fail. What’s New That’s the Instagram photo above where many of you noticed that we had
How To Install Cabinet Hardware
The duplex kitchens are looking more and more like real kitchens, and they took an especially big leap forward this past weekend after we got all of the cabinet hardware installed. But drilling holes into new cabinets can be scary and there’s not a whole lot of room for error or do-overs. So unless you’re a fan of buying a whole new door or drawer front, it’s important that you get everything centered and level on the first try. No pressure, right? Thankfully, after installing three kitchens-worth of pulls and knobs in the last year and a half, we’ve perfected our system. So here’s how you can keep things straight, centered, consistent throughout the entire
#129: When It Feels Like Everything’s Going Wrong
House projects don’t always go smoothly. We’ve all been there (heck, we’re there right now with the duplex renovation) so we’re sharing some new strategies that we’ve been relying on to keep our spirits up whenever a renovation feels overwhelming, gets delayed, or hits some other unexpected snag. We’re also discussing some upcoming bathroom trends (one of them shook Sherry to her very core). Plus we’re officially starting our no TV challenge. What’s New If you missed the first few mentions of our fridge delivery drama, you can hear the initial story in Episode #126 and the discovery of the dented door in Episode #127. Below is the photo of the “scrape” the second delivery
The Best Grout (And How To Pick The Right Color)
If you’ve got a tiling project in your future (even the distant future), remember, bookmark, voice memo, tattoo, or do whatever you need to do to remember Mapei Flexcolor grout. I know this sounds like I’m overreacting, but take it from people who have grouted 7 bathroom floors, 3 showers, 3 mudrooms, and 2 backsplashes in the last two years: this grout has been life-changing. And no, this is not sponsored by either Mapei or Floor & Decor, which is where we typically buy ours (sorry, necessary disclaimer because this post is going to sound pretty gushy). I meant to proclaim our love for this grout after finishing the beach house tiling two summers ago
#128: Finding More Life In Less Stuff
Minimalism can still feel like an “out there” lifestyle, so this week we’re bringing in expert Joshua Becker to share how dipping your toes into the minimalist waters can lead to big gains at home and in life. He shares how to stop the slow creep of household clutter, what minimizing can teach our kids, and how it might even help you achieve some of your biggest life goals that have nothing to do with organizing or paring down. Plus, we take you inside a part of our house that many of you have never seen before, and we share what we’re both doing in the pursuit of a better night’s sleep. What’s new Below
How To Hang A Peel-And-Stick Wall Mural
We’ve been eager to try wallpaper in our Duplex and last week we finally installed a peel-and-stick wall mural! And not just one, but two! The process was SOOOO much easier than we expected, plus they turned out like ten times better than we had even hoped. We had our eyes on a few wallpapers, but then we stumbled across these removable wall murals on Society6. They’re effectively the same as peel-and-stick wallpaper, except that their patterns can’t be repeated indefinitely (most are 8′ wide but some are 12′). And since these small rooms are only 8 x 8′, they were perfect! Plus, we’ve dealt with removing lots of wallpaper before, so we liked the
#127: The Real Housewives of Airbnb
This week we’re sharing a simple kitchen change that made it WAY more efficient for us (we’re kinda kicking ourselves for not doing it sooner). There’s also an update on some duplex delivery drama and we’re sharing three specific tips for book lovers who actually want books on their shelves (as opposed to filling them with a ton of decorative objects). Plus, the new show on Netflix that’s debatably as life-changing to us as Marie Kondo’s (we LOVED it – and we also chat about Marie’s show too). You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – or listen to it below! Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click
#126: Is Your Home Making You Grumpy?
Lots of us want a more organized home, but are we going about it the wrong way? Today we’re talking with a home efficiency expert about how rethinking our approach to organizing could end up making us all happier – and maybe even help us be more patient partners and more present parents. She also explains why we should treat our kitchen like an operating room, how Sherry’s minimized closet could be better, and why garages are so hard to keep under control. We’re also sharing how a random phone call and a dicey forecast sucked the momentum right out of our duplex progress, but we’re still finding some silver lining in the news. Plus
#125: A Tale Of Two Kitchens
Our holiday was full of fun, family, and a freakish amount of Ikea boxes filling the duplex. So this week we’re sharing how we navigated the task of installing not one, but two kitchens over winter break – including how things got off to a rocky start – and when we actually saw the light (both literally and figuratively). We also got AN AVALANCHE of feedback from you guys on the small sleeping nook we debated filling with various bed layouts in our last episode, so today we’re sharing how we’ve adjusted our plans to make the room work for as many families as possible. Plus, we tried out a new money-saving trick (why haven’t
Installing Under-Cabinet Lighting
We’ve done so few upper cabinets in our recent kitchens that we actually haven’t installed under cabinet lighting in ANY of them. But we did install it under the cabinets in our laundry room and – surprise! – I just came across a bunch of pictures of the installation process that I took waaaaaay back in 2014 but never shared. It’s a remarkably straightforward process, so it could be an easy upgrade if you needed more task lighting in your kitchen, laundry room, or any other space with upper cabinets. The cabinets in here are from Ikea, so we also used one of their stock under-cabinet lighting options called GRUNDTAL Spotlights. These don’t appear to
#124: One Small Space And Three Options (HELP!)
Today we’re talking about a small space that’s stumping us at the duplex and we’d love to hear what your family would like to rent most. You’ll also hear how an unexpected Christmas request from our daughter sent us on quite the hunt for a house-related gift – and how we stumbled across a new 4-in-1 tool that’s extra handy to have in your junk drawer. Plus we’re asking the hard-hitting questions, like can your astrological sign really help you decorate your home? You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – or listen to it below! Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to
Refinishing Oak and Pine Floors
Last week Sherry and I got to see the freshly refinished floors at the duplex for the first time. And despite having just gone through this last year at the pink beach house, we were still taken aback by what a HUGE difference it makes. Which explains why we’re about to hit you with a bunch of before & afters right now. We can’t get over how finished it makes everything feel. It’s like changing this one surface suddenly takes the whole place from “renovation zone” to “move-in ready.” I mean, let’s just appreciate how far we’ve come for a second. This is that same room (the living room on the left side of the duplex) when
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