DIY
Our Most Loved Before-and-Afters
DIY
April 29, 2020
Our Most Loved Before-and-Afters
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: We're not a before-and-after blog. We're an in-progress blog. We're a trouble-shooting blog. We're a figure-it-out-and-then-try-again blog. We make mistakes. We change our timelines. We get sidetracked by new inspiration. We embrace project creep. We scratch our heads and ask, "What's not working here?" We're a […]
April 29, 2020
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DIY
What I Learned from Buying a House for the First Time
DIY
April 27, 2020
What I Learned from Buying a House for the First Time
This is a guest post by Andrea Ahedo, our Visual Media Producer/Head Photographer. See her bio at the end of the post. When our family made the decision to move to the United States, after I had called Monterrey, Mexico home for 10 years, we automatically planned on renting. That's just how we were wired […]
April 27, 2020
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Lifestyle
Weekend Sales! April 24, 2020
Lifestyle
April 24, 2020
Weekend Sales! April 24, 2020
Le Creuset is having a 20% off sale at Crate & Barrel. They are some of Chris's absolute favorite dishes to cook with. Here is the skillet! The Signature Round 7.25 qt Dutch Oven is also at the top of his list. Linked some more favorites below. You can see the recipe for this sausage and […]
April 24, 2020
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Gift Guides!
Mother's Day Gift Guide 2020
Gift Guides!
April 24, 2020
Mother's Day Gift Guide 2020
Mother's Day is just over 2 weeks away on May 10th. And you know what I realized this year? I actually like Mother's Day more than my birthday. There's a lot of hype and attention and focus on what are we going to DO for birthdays and Mother's Day is more about not doing things and appreciation...but […]
April 24, 2020
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Projects
Master Closet Update: Filling Holes, Adding Trim, and Nixing the Ceiling Beams
Projects
April 23, 2020
Master Closet Update: Filling Holes, Adding Trim, and Nixing the Ceiling Beams
We've got another master closet update for you! Last week, we built the wardrobes, and this week, we've spent a lot of time trimming them out and making them look really custom, solid, and professional: 1. First, we filled all of the holes. IKEA cabinets come with lots of little holes on the sides so […]
April 23, 2020
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Projects
Why we hired a designer for the first time
Projects
April 20, 2020
Why we hired a designer for the first time
After a eight-month renovation to our new home, we were looking forward to a little downtime. We planned a summer of projects we could DIY. And with our house structurally where we want it, and we were excited to get our hands dirty making all of the inspiration we've gathered into a reality. And then […]
April 20, 2020
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Chris Cooks
12 Kitchen Essentials For Every Home Cook
Chris Cooks
April 19, 2020
12 Kitchen Essentials For Every Home Cook
A couple weeks ago during the Chris Cooks Instagram Live, we received questions numbering not a few about which kitchen items I would say are "essential." I've spent a lot of time thinking about this, because "essential" really forces some editing. I have drawers full of utensils. Cupboards full of cookware. A wall of cutlery. […]
April 19, 2020
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Lifestyle
Weekend Sales! April 18, 2020
Lifestyle
April 18, 2020
Weekend Sales! April 18, 2020
Our Ben Soleimani rug is 30% off with code HOME. I have never seen it on sale, let alone 30% off! We have the Honey/Natural. It is so beautiful and durable. The floor lamp and vase are both 30% off, and the faux stems are 25% off with code EARTHDAY. Here are some other great sales […]
April 18, 2020
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Casual Friday
Casual Friday: The week we found mold covering our exterior, the Oneders!, Our Closet MVP and Vanity + More
Casual Friday
April 17, 2020
Casual Friday: The week we found mold covering our exterior, the Oneders!, Our Closet MVP and Vanity + More
After nearly finishing the first phase of our renovation just last month, I felt like I needed a bit of a mental break before diving into something else huge. I know most people wouldn't consider DIYing a closet renovation a "break." But it really has been that for us. (BTW, this DeWalt Gyroscopic Screwdriver has been […]
April 17, 2020
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Design
Our 5 New Dining Room Doors
Design
April 16, 2020
Our 5 New Dining Room Doors
This post is sponsored by Pella. Way back in September, we dreamed up these doors. Working with an architectural draftsman for the first time, we imagined the weird enclosed porch space on our first floor to be an elegant but casual dining room, one with a table long enough to feed both of our families […]
April 16, 2020
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DIY
Master Closet update: Building up the wardrobes, and a photoshop rendering!
DIY
April 15, 2020
Master Closet update: Building up the wardrobes, and a photoshop rendering!
It's time for another check-in in the master closet! In case you missed it, we made a double story space (that the previous owners used as a dining room) into our closet by adding a ceiling/floor to the room right off of our bedroom. We loved our last Ikea Pax closet so much, we're doing […]
April 15, 2020
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Decor
What to do with a $1000, $1500 and $2000 budget for an outdoor space!
Decor
April 14, 2020
What to do with a $1000, $1500 and $2000 budget for an outdoor space!
Last year we shared how we approach budgets when renovating (here) and shared a hypothetical 3 phase bedroom makeover under $2000. The gist? If you have $500, that doesn't mean you have to buy the cheapest of everything to get the room done. That means, choose a few budget-conscious pieces to start your space and […]
April 14, 2020
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Lifestyle
Weekend Sales! April 11, 2020
Lifestyle
April 11, 2020
Weekend Sales! April 11, 2020
We recently rearranged our shelves in the office and I am loving how fresh and airy they feel. These wooden balls from McGee & Co. are 20% off right now (along with all decor from McGee & Co). They are a very kid-friendly decor piece. This little wood pedestal is just $16 with code THEGREATINDOORS. We did […]
April 11, 2020
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Casual Friday
Casual Friday: What's the new bright spot in your daily routine?
Casual Friday
April 10, 2020
Casual Friday: What's the new bright spot in your daily routine?
Even though I have worked from home for the last 11 years, my daily/weekly schedule has changed drastically with the rest of the world's over the last month. I'm deeply missing the hour to myself at the gym every morning and the 20 minutes before and after where I got caught up with friends on […]
April 10, 2020
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Decor
Essential Decor: Wood Pedestals — They're so Versatile!
Decor
April 9, 2020
Essential Decor: Wood Pedestals — They're so Versatile!
Lately, we've been "shopping our house" more than usual. We'll take a pillow from the couch and throw it on a bed. Lamps that used to switch on in the office are brightening the living room. We hauled the sectional from the office down to what will be the family "theater" room. All of this […]
April 9, 2020
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Decor
Full Length Mirrors Aren't Just For the Closet + A Roundup of Favorites!
Decor
April 8, 2020
Full Length Mirrors Aren't Just For the Closet + A Roundup of Favorites!
A full length mirror is a household staple, but over the years I've learned it isn't just for the closet. But before we get to those examples, I wanted to give you an update on our closet mirror! We're working on having one custom made to fit our design plan. Where our current arched mirror […]
April 8, 2020
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DIY
Our Home: 10 Months In!
DIY
April 6, 2020
Our Home: 10 Months In!
Recently I was looking through the archives of our site, and ran across a post called 7 months in. It was from our previous home and showed the updates that we had made in 7 months. I remember feeling like they were DRASTIC...and, I guess the thing is they were. But nothing compared to the […]
April 6, 2020
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Recipes
27 Meals For Staying Home
Recipes
April 5, 2020
27 Meals For Staying Home
It's a stressful time. For everyone. Stress leads to stress eating. Which, at least for me, usually centers on foods high in carbs and low in nutrition. And that wouldn't be so bad if it weren't arguably more important than ever to have your immune system firing on all cylinders. Below we share 27 recipes […]
April 5, 2020
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Entertaining
Have a VIRTUAL Game Night!: Our Favorite Games To Play Online
Entertaining
April 4, 2020
Have a VIRTUAL Game Night!: Our Favorite Games To Play Online
One of the very first memes I saw when this pandemic was just starting to pick up in the US, read "Check on your extroverted friends. They are not okay!" If you are hosts at heart and have been going through entertaining withdrawals like us, playing games virtually with our friends has been a little […]
April 4, 2020
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Lifestyle
My Picks From Studio McGee's Target Launch!
Lifestyle
April 4, 2020
My Picks From Studio McGee's Target Launch!
Today's the day!!! The Studio McGee Target line is here!!! This will be a multi-YEAR contract so this isn't the one and only line we'll get from our friends, but this launch with 120 pieces is so good. Shea has been a good friend for years and I feel like so proud to celebrate this launch. Here […]
April 4, 2020
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