Today we have a very special tutorial by a special guest--this never happens! This tutorial was written by my amazingly talented sister, Andrea, who is a product stylist and commercial photographer living abroad in sunny Monterrey, Mexico for the past 10 years. She taught Digital Photography and Advanced Photoshop for five years at a private school before […]
Over the weekend, we did a whirlwind bedroom makeover and we can't wait to show you how it turned out later this week! But first, I wanted to show you the board and batten wall treatment we added that completely transformed the room. Here's how it looked when we started--just your basic, neglected master bedroom: […]
I hear from a lot of people that have a major fear of putting a hole in their walls. Don't let a hole keep you from hanging art or curtains or mirrors or anything else! And at the same time, don't let a large hole dictate where something hangs just because you aren't sure how […]
This post is in partnership with MINWAX®. Ever since we made the art ledge in our living room four years ago, we've loved seeing them pop up in so many of your homes. They are such a functional way to display art, but finding one that is the perfect size for that wall in your […]
This post is sponsored by Lowe's. We've partnered with them to share how-to's, from easy to elaborate. This one is an easy one! In preparation for summer guests, some of our friends were talking about replacing their tile in one of their bathrooms, because it looked "so dingy". When we looked at it, we realized, […]
It's been 2.5 years since we installed our black walnut countertop from CraftArt (more on that here) in our kitchen and this past weekend we took some time to refinish it. The wonderful thing about butcher block is it can be sanded down and made new over and over and over again and it's a pretty painless […]
This project and post is sponsored by Lowe's Home Improvement. A couple months ago, we filmed a series of simple bathroom how-to videos for Lowe's Home Improvement (how to tile a floor, how to install a tub insert and surround, how to swap out a vanity, and how to hang a mirror and lighting) and […]
I preach it often--the best, most well-received photos across platforms are going to come from your actual camera. (I use this camera, and just upgraded to this lens (it's ridiculously good)--but used the stock lens that came with it and a 50 mm lens for YEARS and did just fine. This wireless SD card is also […]
A month ago, we got a call from Lowe's that they would like to revamp the how-to videos on their YouTube channel. And by "revamp", they really mean--make them less showy. Isn't that funny? Awhile ago, they invested in a production company, actors, the works (!!!) to film tutorials on how to do basic bathroom projects like: […]
This is a post about light bulbs, but I hope the topic won't turn you off because I've learned that lighting has as much impact on a room as paint color or flooring or finishes! Light bulbs have completely changed over the past decade and I'm a firm believer that they can (and will) absolutely […]
When we were choosing the metal finishes for the room--faucets, lighting, towel rings and bars, toilet paper holders, mirrors and frames--I was all over the map. I knew I wanted to mix a few different metals, but I also wanted to make sure it didn't look crazy. There were a lot of choices to make […]
It's been a little while since we checked in with the girls' bathroom, but the tiling is this close to being done so I thought we were due for an update! In our last update, we shared the tile combination we were planning on using for the space--this very budget subway tile (it's on sale!) and ceramic […]
Last week, we shared with you the new, large, porch swing we found for a great price (bonus! it's an extra 10% off through the 4th with code OUTDOOR10)--the only problem being the wood was a little too orange for our taste. We polled our readers in this post and while the majority in the […]
Our stairwell has been through a lot over the years. From gallery walls and then no frames, to a new railing and the elimination of a DIY baby gate that was attached to the wall, the scars and gashes the drywall has seen in this corner of our house have been too many to count! […]
You may be aware that we're deep into a full bathroom renovation in our daughters' bathroom downstairs. While we're waiting for the concrete patch to cure so we can move on, I wanted to share a quick Bathroom Reno 101 tip that you can implement in under 10 minutes that only requires 1 tool and […]
A few months ago, we layered a really gorgeous vintage rug (from here) on top of our FLOR tiles in our entry. While we loved the character it added, and the extra layer of dirt camouflage, we struggled with it constantly bunching and moving around on top of the FLOR carpet squares. Often resulting in a look […]
We're so excited to share how the shared room for our daughters progressed in just one week! As soon as we hit publish on last week's ORC (One Room Challenge) post, we headed straight to Lowe's to pick up supplies and get started on the largest project in the room--the built-in bunkbeds. Just yesterday, we […]
I shared this cool trick I discovered on Pinterest on my Instagram story, but since those disappear after 24 hours, and have had a few questions about it, I decided to share it here, too. So many times, our favorite inspiring spaces on Pinterest, are full of droll-worthy products and pieces that really make the space and […]
The kitchen renovation we did in Pittsburgh earlier this summer is starting to pop up in a few publications--which is so exciting! Table Magazine was there on set after we finished to shoot the kitchen and food stylist, Quelcy Kogel made us all the BEST Whole Grain Apple Butter Parmesan Biscuits and topped them with a […]
Our backyard underwent a major transformation this summer. We added a sprawling deck to our backyard and furnishings and finally, built an outdoor fireplace as the finishing touch. As a reminder, just a few months ago, the space looked like this: We went between the idea of fire pit vs. fireplace, but in the end, […]
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Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations