Last weekend, we went a couple hours south to the small town of Fish Haven, Idaho right on Bear Lake and spent some time connecting as a family. The Airbnb we rented had access to a private beach and it was peaceful and wonderful to be able to feel like we're on a vacation for […]
Demo on our bathroom happened this week and it was so shocking to see the space after it was completely cleared. I actually gasped. It seems to have grown 10x! My sister was so sure there must have been a wall cheated out somewhere. Our minds just couldn't get around the fact that this huge, open space […]
There are ups and downs to every job, but I've always said one of the biggest downsides to this job--sharing our home online every day--is that the Internet never sleeps. It doesn't sleep when the baby sleeps or through illnesses or pandemics or summer. It's always there. So occasionally, we have to force ourselves to […]
Piano bench | Tree art | Landscape | Fox art | Sconce | Pendant In Tuesday's post I mentioned that I got the itch to paint something. We had been planning on turning the music room into a jewel box — a bold, color in the middle of our Alabaster-walled home. I was leaning toward blue/green/gray, […]
Our house is getting a facelift. Two weeks ago, we shared the scary news that the plywood under our stucco exterior was completely rotted and riddled with black mold – especially on all of the inside and outside corners, which our house has a lot of. Our contractor and his team have been working diligently […]
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 […]
We get asked often if our girls are interested or involved in what we do and the answer has always been, "not really." They have their personal passions that we nurture and don't force design, renovating or home decor interests in their direction. But Polly. Polly, our sweet 2 and a half year old has […]
What was the total cost? Can we see real numbers? How close have you stayed within budget? I can't share the total cost, because we aren't finished yet. But I'm happy to share a few insights around this subject. Before you begin a renovation project, it's essential to sit down and make a budget. This is […]
Happy November! What?! Was October the fastest month for anyone else? This week, we cleared out our bedroom again and right now, Chris and I are cuddled up in Faye's Queen size bed--which feels really significantly smaller than our King, I'm not going to lie--while she is currently sleeping in the extra bed in Greta's […]
Last week, Chris and I taped off a few living room changes that are coming up in the next couple weeks. The door on the right will become a tall, arched passthrough out to the new dining space. On the left will be built in shelving of the same dimensions to balance the doorway and […]
Earlier this week, in preparation for laying new floors at the Fullmer Kitchen project, we got a test kit for asbestos. While the creamy white vinyl floor with checks and florals we uncovered during demo was clearly from the late 80s/early 90s, there was another layer of flooring we discovered under the cabinets. Our plan […]
A few weeks ago, we were named Best Renovation Blog by Domino Magazine!!! Thank you for everyone who nominated and voted for us. And especially for enduring all the rough pictures knowing there is always an after coming for the last 9 years! That’s at the core of what we do and what we love […]
We just finished a week long bathroom renovation in the Pugmire's home, and it turned out super awesome. We talk about how that project came about, who foot the bill, and the purpose behind it. We also talk about some of the flack we received because of some of the design elements, and our thoughts […]
Thanks for all the love with yesterday's big reveal of the Baltimore kitchen! Due to popular demand, I've added a very candid, behind the scenes video Jules took throughout the renovation to the bottom of this post. You'll see how each day played out, which is nerve-wrecking to re-watch, how much fun our team had together and […]
I know that talking about money is a little taboo and can be kind of uncomfortable, but renovating a home actually costs money (what?!) so we're going to make today's post a safe place to have a conversation about how our finances and budget have evolved to a place where we can afford to make […]
Chris and I just got back from an 8 day trip to Cancun! We booked the trip to the new Secrets Playa Mujeres there last year before we knew about Chris's back surgery. After the surgery and his recovery at the beginning of this year, among a few other things, well, the vacation couldn't have […]
I know, I know. We're a broken record over here lately talking about our flooring project. The project has consumed our lives in almost every way. The goal was always to have the project done before the end of March, and I am happy to say--right now, I think we're on track to do that. […]
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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