North Carolina Home
Reflecting on Our Home Renovation after Two Years and Planning for the Future
North Carolina Home
May 22, 2023
Reflecting on Our Home Renovation after Two Years and Planning for the Future
It’s been two years since we traded our black Modern Cottage in Idaho for this North Carolinian Red Brick Modern Colonial. Two years in, and I'm amazed at how much we've accomplished. Renovating a home top to bottom takes time, and we're enjoying the process as much as we can. So, in honor of our […]
May 22, 2023
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Chris Cooks
Mango Coconut-Glazed Chicken Wings | Chris Cooks
Chris Cooks
May 21, 2023
Mango Coconut-Glazed Chicken Wings | Chris Cooks
The best flavors are the ones on sale, and yellow mangos are everywhere right now. I'm a big fan of chicken wings so this week I went a little tropical for Chris Cooks and it paid off in a big way. Because these wings are incredible. Blender | Tongs | Cutting Board | Lantern Pendants […]
May 21, 2023
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Fashion
16 of the Best Men's T-Shirts
Fashion
May 19, 2023
16 of the Best Men's T-Shirts
Chris is a t-shirt guy through and through, but more than that, Chris is a guy who prioritizes quality and comfort when it comes to everything in his wardrobe. So since I shared my favorite women's t-shirts, it only made sense to pass the baton to the collector himself and spotlight some of the best […]
May 19, 2023
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North Carolina Home
The Gradual Two-Year Transformation of the Living Room
North Carolina Home
May 18, 2023
The Gradual Two-Year Transformation of the Living Room
Sometimes room renovations happen over the span of a few months, and sometimes they take time. Ever since painting the living room, we have been slowly making tweaks and adjustments to the layout and furnishings. The living room started off as a conglomeration of furniture and decor from our last house. But over the last […]
May 18, 2023
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Renovations
Before You Paint a Room with High-Gloss Paint, Read This Cautionary Tale
Renovations
May 17, 2023
Before You Paint a Room with High-Gloss Paint, Read This Cautionary Tale
You may have noticed (maybe not) that I've been dancing around a somewhat sore subject: the study. I've been sharing updates on Instagram, but it's time I hop over here and fill in some of the gaps with a good old-fashioned long-format blog post. For over 14 years I've been documenting and sharing our home […]
May 17, 2023
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Design
Top Sources For Traditional Wallpaper
Design
May 15, 2023
Top Sources For Traditional Wallpaper
My 9-year-old daughter Faye and I have been hunting and hunting for the perfect traditional wallpaper for her room. When I shared the initial mood board, I included a potential wallpaper that I was really drawn to, but as more and more wallpaper samples have arrived (spoiler alert, many samples are free), the direction has […]
May 15, 2023
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Chris Cooks
Recipes You Can Make For Mom On Mother's Day | Chris Cooks
Chris Cooks
May 13, 2023
Recipes You Can Make For Mom On Mother's Day | Chris Cooks
This year for Mother's Day, I wanted to share with you some delicious dishes you can make for your mom, your wife, or any mother figure in your life to show some love and gratitude. Now, since I do 90% of the cooking in our house, Mother's Day is just a regular day of cooking, […]
May 13, 2023
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Fashion
The Best Classic and Graphic Tees
Fashion
May 12, 2023
The Best Classic and Graphic Tees
I don't know about your local climate, but North Carolina is warming up!! And as the weather is shifting, my wardrobe is following suit. Enter in all of the classic and graphic tees! I've collected a few favorites over the years, but I think my tried and true is something loose, boxy, and always a […]
May 12, 2023
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Decor
Instant Home Upgrade: Swap Out Your Switch Plates
Decor
May 11, 2023
Instant Home Upgrade: Swap Out Your Switch Plates
It's been over a month since I shared an update on the study, and I might have mentioned that it's been needing some paint touch-ups, so although it's been in use, we've been anxiously awaiting everything to be finally "done, done." Well, the good news is that it's being touched up as we speak, and […]
May 11, 2023
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Decor
My Favorite Spring Faux Trees
Decor
May 10, 2023
My Favorite Spring Faux Trees
Years ago, I accepted that I'm not a "real plant" kind of girl, and I'm happy with that life. Sure, sometimes I get a bit of plant envy when I see other people with thriving houseplants, but it's not my specialty nor my passion. Plus, I love shuffling around my favorite faux trees from room […]
May 10, 2023
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Design
Mood Board Monday: Baby Boy Nursery & Little Girl Bedroom
Design
May 8, 2023
Mood Board Monday: Baby Boy Nursery & Little Girl Bedroom
We're still riding the high from the recent launch of our Pottery Barn Kids collection, thanks to all of you, of course. Seeing our vision come to life and receiving so much support has warmed our hearts, and we're just so grateful. We designed this kids' collection to be versatile across age and gender, and […]
May 8, 2023
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Chris Cooks
Cambodian Spicy Lime Table Sauce | Chris Cooks
Chris Cooks
May 7, 2023
Cambodian Spicy Lime Table Sauce | Chris Cooks
I'm going to make a claim right now. And it's a claim you hear over and over from food bloggers. So much so, that it feels trite and meaningless, so I hesitate to say it. But please, read these words with the same spirit that I write them: this is my favorite recipe ever. glass […]
May 7, 2023
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product lines
Introducing the CLJxPottery Barn Kids Collection!
product lines
May 5, 2023
Introducing the CLJxPottery Barn Kids Collection!
I remember in February of 2021, we had just finished renovating Faye's Real-Life Princess Room when we got an email from Pottery Barn initiating a CLJxPottery Barn Kids collection. It was the fastest, easiest, yes. They mentioned that they had been following our renovations for a few years and loved our take on kids' spaces, […]
May 5, 2023
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Design
Three Layout Options for Faye's Room
Design
May 4, 2023
Three Layout Options for Faye's Room
The study project is almost a wrap, and we're itching to get another project going–something that's a bit of a lighter lift and possibly more in our hands. So we referred to our 2023 project list, and we're excited to get started on Faye's room next! Shop Faye's Bedroom We've spent some time in both […]
May 4, 2023
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North Carolina Home
5 Things to Consider Before Installing a Pool
North Carolina Home
May 3, 2023
5 Things to Consider Before Installing a Pool
This post is sponsored by Anthony & Sylvan. We haven't even hit the year mark of our finished pool installation, but as the weather's been warming up, the girls have been enjoying weekend swims in our heated pool, and I've been reflecting on our new life as pool owners. I never had dreams of having […]
May 3, 2023
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Lifestyle
3 Practices That Grew My Social Media Following to 1M!
Lifestyle
May 2, 2023
3 Practices That Grew My Social Media Following to 1M!
When I started Chris Loves Julia 14 years ago, Instagram wasn't around. There wasn't a social media handbook, and the term "influencer" was still in its infancy. Yet, here we are, 1 million Instagram followers later, and we've been able to turn our love of DIY and renovating into a full-time business with a team […]
May 2, 2023
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Decor
Every Front Entryway Needs a Mirror
Decor
May 1, 2023
Every Front Entryway Needs a Mirror
Now that we narrowed the opening into the study, we had enough wall space to hang a full-length mirror in the entry! It took four people to secure it safely, and we had to be extremely cautious about not disturbing the pocket door within the wall. Alas, we placed it perfectly, and now I'm questioning […]
May 1, 2023
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Chris Cooks
Grilled Lemongrass Beef | Chris Cooks
Chris Cooks
April 30, 2023
Grilled Lemongrass Beef | Chris Cooks
I continue to work on my southeast Asian cooking, and the process has me very quickly falling in love with lemongrass. The flavor is so vibrant and it works so well with every type of meat out there. But right now, beef is my favorite and specifically skirt steak. Skirt steak, cut into strips against […]
April 30, 2023
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Best Of
A Recap Of April 2023
Best Of
April 28, 2023
A Recap Of April 2023
My brain is struggling to comprehend the blur of events that took place in April because WOW–what a month. We revealed the high gloss built-ins in the study (spoiler alert, the whole room needs repainting now), featured my two sisters, Andi and Victoria, on the blog, conducted a very important test, threw a baby shower […]
April 28, 2023
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DIY
How many light sources do I need?
DIY
April 27, 2023
How many light sources do I need?
With the recent launch of our lighting collection with Shades of Light, we've been getting so much love and kind words, so thank you all for your continued support. After all, we designed the collection with you in mind, so it brings us joy to know that you're just as excited as we are! I […]
April 27, 2023
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