Why I Stopped Thinking of Hallways as Wasted Space (And You Should Too)
I hate wasted space. Well, actually. There are lots of things I hate about most American houses, but wasted space is up near the top of the list. We have…
Why I Ditched Vinyl Siding Dreams and What Actually Works for Real Families
It’s funny. When Tyler and I bought this house, I didn’t mind the vinyl siding. Everybody says how low maintenance it is. No painting like traditional wood – just hose…
The Real Deal on Window Replacement – When It’s Actually Worth the Money (And When It’s Not)
Windows. Ahhhhhhhhhh windows. For people who don’t care about home improvement things, windows are sort of a dud. They’re functional. They don’t scream “look at me!” like a kitchen remodel…
Why Your Expensive Patio Sits Empty (And How I Fixed Mine)
One of the things that always annoys me when browsing Houzz, Pinterest, Instagram and whatever other home design sites/apps people use is all of the beautiful backyard photos that feature…
The Paint Tricks Nobody Tells You (That Make All The Difference)
Painting disaster. Yep. That was my very first experience with painting a room in our house. Freshly moved into our house in Kannapolis, with Mason barely two years old and…
The Paint Colors I Swear By After Too Many Pinterest Disasters (These Actually Work in Crappy Lighting)
Hi there! Please tell me that you’ve never painted your walls the wrong colour. Me either … until now. Let’s just say that my DIY skills have seriously tried to…
The Weekend I Finally Fixed Our Embarrassing Guest Bathroom (Without Actually Renovating It)
Teachers don’t typically make a lot of money, but we hate to ask for help. When folks come visit, you want your house to at least look like you’ve got…
Why I Ditched Most of My Upper Cabinets (And You Might Want To Too)
Moment of truth. One fine day last year I was visiting my friend Carmen and watched her struggle to grab a large serving platter from her upper cabinet. There she…
The Weekend Bathroom Fixes That Actually Matter (From Someone Who’s Been There)
Let’s start this off by saying I didn’t always care about bathrooms. When I first moved into my condo three years ago, the guest bathroom was beige and white tile…
My Friend’s Tiny NYC Bathroom Taught Me Everything About Squeezing Storage from Nothing
I recently spent some time with my friend Eliza in Manhattan. Eliza lives in a classic NYC studio flat with (you guessed it!) zero closet space. But what shocked me…