Renovations
My Pre-Holiday Home Project List (Fingers Crossed)
At the start of each new year, Chris and I take the time to get on the same page regarding all the things we’d like to accomplish in the home! 2023's project list is far from finished, and with the end of the year approaching and the holidays right around the corner, I have a […]
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November 13, 2023
Renovations
Fall Around The House—Our Modern Colonial House Tour Video 2023
Here in North Carolina, we're entering what's known as "False Fall." The weather is beginning to cool, and the leaves are starting to turn, but after more than two years of living here, I know we're due for some more hot weather before we enter actual fall. Regardless of what the temperature is, I've been […]
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September 25, 2023
Cleaning & Organization
Marble Countertop Restoration: Everything You Need to Know
Nearly 2 years have passed since our honed Carrara marble countertops were installed, and (*confession) we haven't done a thing to keep up maintenance besides wiping them daily with a little dish soap and water. I know, I know, the cleaning gatekeepers would be ashamed, but hey, I've never claimed to be a perfectionist over […]
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September 14, 2023
Renovations
Choosing a Color For Our Exterior Trim & Windows
We've been on a journey to find the perfect exterior color to pair with our red brick. You see, our windows need replacing, so we're taking this window of opportunity (see what I did there?) to paint all the exterior trim, soffit, and fascia to match. We color-matched my top window colors, and we've been […]
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August 23, 2023
Renovations
How Much Does It Cost to Install Wallpaper?
There was a moment in home design history when wallpaper was everywhere! Remember when we all started tearing it out and painting over our walls? Whether or not you like it, it's back, and I think we learned our lesson about throwing it out completely. Wallpaper can be a timeless design choice, and I am […]
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June 29, 2023
Design
Comparing Home Office Spaces Then and Now
When we first moved into this house, we weren't exactly sure what we wanted this front room to be. We had thoughts about it being a music room/sitting room, but the longer we lived in this house, the more we realized that we needed a formal office space for work and everyday life! The study […]
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June 26, 2023
Renovations
Does a bedroom have to have a closet?
We recently removed the closet in our daughter Faye's bedroom and revealed that we don't plan to build a new one. The amount of DMs I received informing me of bedrooms requiring closets was through the roof! So I figured we should clear the air once and for all by answering the tale old question, […]
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June 21, 2023
Renovations
Revealing Faye's New Traditional Wallpaper and What's Next
To catch you up, we're currently in the process of renovating our daughter Faye's room. She's nine, and she's pretty interested in design, so I've been including her in some of the decision-making. Well, I presented her with 28 wallpaper samples (all selected by me), and after much contemplation from her, and a little back […]
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June 14, 2023
Renovations
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 […]
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May 17, 2023
Decor
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 […]
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May 11, 2023
North Carolina Home
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 […]
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May 3, 2023
Renovations
When to Install Pocket Doors (and All The Times We've Done It)
This certainly isn't our first time having pocket doors installed, and it won't be our last because they solve so many design problems! After pivoting from our initial plans to source some antique French doors to lead into the study, we realized we could add just as much charm with pocket doors. And it turns […]
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April 10, 2023
Renovations
Revealing the High Gloss, Custom Built-in Cabinetry in the Study
Deciding to add these built-ins was 100% a necessity for the study. When we moved in, this was somewhat of a formal sitting room. Really it was just a box of a room with no character beyond the crown molding. At first, we pictured this room as a music room, but once we decided it […]
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April 3, 2023
Renovations
Painting the Study a Glossy Dark Green
I've painted many rooms before, and there's that moment of truth when you finally get a good look at the finished paint color, where you might question everything. You spend so much time picking the perfect paint color, and even as you're painting, you never know how it's going to look until the paint has […]
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March 15, 2023
Renovations
What's Been Going on With the Landscaping?
If you've been following along on Instagram, you may have noticed our front yard has been torn up since December. It all started with wanting to expand the driveway because it's sort of a bottleneck situation when it comes to cars coming and going. We also wanted to take out some of the trees and […]
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March 13, 2023
Renovations
Renovation Diaries in the Study
In true renovation spirit, things in the study have gotten a bit worse before getting better. But all the pieces are getting put back together, and we're in the home stretch! To catch you up, we're in the process of narrowing the opening into the study, adding pocket doors, and building shelves and cabinets on […]
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March 9, 2023
Renovations
Steal Our Kitchen Measurements!
Years ago, when we were designing the Fullmer's kitchen and set out to make decisions on all of the spacing and measurements, we put together The Ultimate Kitchen Space Planning Cheat Sheet. This was based on our old kitchen, which we DIY'd, and I highly recommend you reference it if you're designing or DIYing your […]
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March 2, 2023
Renovations
Our Plans to Add Pocket Doors & Built-In Shelves to the Study
Over the weekend demo started in the study (deep breaths). One of the 13 projects on our 2023 project list includes adding some built-in shelves and pocket doors in the study. And there's no turning back. Before Demo After Demo Although we've transformed the study into a formal dining space for special occasions, we use […]
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February 6, 2023
Renovations
Building a Staircase Vs. Removing a Staircase (How Much Did It Cost?)
The very first time Chris and I took a tour of this house, I was alarmed at the open sawtooth stringer on the staircase. There were too many jagged lines, and my eyes couldn’t handle it wrapping around the whole entry when you come in the house! This began the start of the staircase renovation, […]
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January 16, 2023
Renovations
The 13 Home Projects on Our 2023 List
The time has come to share our annual list of home projects we plan to do in 2023. Along with setting family goals, personal goals, and financial goals, Chris and I take the time to get on the same page regarding all the things we'd like to accomplish in the home! In 2022 we took […]
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January 4, 2023
