I’ve been so excited to show you Teresa and Andrew’s kitchen makeover. They’re some of our closest friends who live right around the corner from us, and ever since we filmed this bookcase styling time-lapse video in their living room, I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for their new appliances to arrive so we could share a big ol’ virtual kitchen tour with you guys.

Not only do they have amazing style, they also made SO MANY budget-friendly choices in this kitchen and I really hope they help to demonstrate that you can often work with a lot more than you might think (you don’t always have to scrap everything and start over!). And you can save a bunch of money doing that! Plus I get to share my trick for refreshing old wood cabinet doors so they look like new for just a few bucks – and I even caught the magic on video – so that’s in this post for you too.

Continue reading A Big Kitchen Makeover Created From Little Changes at Young House Love.

It goes without saying that we’ve always been suckers for a good before & after (show me someone who isn’t and I’ll show you someone who hates fun). But thanks to our adventures in 100-year-old-beach-house-renovations over the past few years, we’re especially fond of seeing people bringing old houses back to their glory. Oh the things you’ll find behind the walls! So when Mandy shared photos of her and her husband Joe’s project in nearby Charlottesville, VA, we were basically cooing over them like two pigeons discovering an old pizza crust on a New York City subway platform.

Even without furniture (they fixed it up and then sold it before even needing to furnish it) the transformation is stunning. They also named the house “Blanche” (you know I’ve never met an inanimate object I didn’t want to name) since she is a classic old beauty – built in 1901 on a great street.

Continue reading House Crashing: A Jaw-Dropping Old House Transformation at Young House Love.

You guys remember our friends Carey and Jordan? We House Crashed them earlier in the year and their mudroom slays me every time I lay eyes on it. Well, we’ve crashed another one of their places – this time it’s a rental home that they recently renovated and furnished. So yes, more eye candy AND more budget friendly tips and ideas to steal for yourself.

rug / round baskets / hooks / rectangle baskets / door color: Poppy by Ben Moore

The rental is a sweet ranch home in the Richmond area that they’re using primarily as a long term furnished rental, but also as a short term Airbnb between renters. It’s full of furniture and accessories from a range of places and price ranges. There are thrift store pieces, HomeGoods finds (like the console table pictured below) and Target accessories (like the gold mirror) mixed in with some elevating pieces, like Restoration Hardware cabinet pulls to make their kitchen look top of the line.

Continue reading House Crashing: A Rental-Ready Renovation at Young House Love.

When we were visiting the Bowers this weekend, we shared some fleeting photos of a super adorable kids bookstore on Instagram stories. Then we got a barrage of messages and comments to the tune of: PLEASE DO A POST ABOUT THIS STORE SO IT WON’T BE GONE IN 24 HOURS! So here we are, with those photos (and some more we didn’t share on IG) for anyone who’s looking for some fun kids room ideas. Or adult room ideas. We all LOVED this place so much. It’s in Monroe, Georgia and it’s called The Story Shop – and it’s the cutest bookstore we’ve ever seen. You think I’m exaggerating with that description but in the words of Hamilton: just you wait.

See that grand bookcase, library ladder, and globe collection? It’s like all of the elements of a cool old library executed in a fresh and playful way.

Continue reading Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) at Young House Love.

We’ve shared this glorious back porch on Instagram twice (during the holidays, seen below, and last summer, seen here), which belongs to our good friends Carey & Jordan. And based on the reaction to just this view alone from you guys, we figured we should do a good old fashioned House Crash so we can show you guys more of their beautiful home. They’ve also got some really great tips about what wears well with kids and dogs (and what they wouldn’t do again), which was especially helpful since we’re currently mulling over some bathroom renos. But enough jabbering, let’s get on with the tour!

similar storm door / similar black sconces / string lights

Carey & Jordan used to live right behind us (Carey was actually one of the first neighbors to come introduce herself with a giant plate of cookies, which we basically inhaled while laying hardwood floors upstairs).

Continue reading House Crashing: A Family-Friendly Whole House Renovation at Young House Love.

Can you believe it has been a month since our last house crashing adventure? And while February’s house tour was from across the pond, this one was local, so we got to stop by and soak up all of the details in person.

Meet Becky and Brian (and their dog Fergie). They live just outside of Richmond with their two daughters and this charming red door. It’s Heritage Red by Benjamin Moore – and she got that charming “Hello” decal here.

When you walk inside, there’s a room to your right that they call the music room. Let’s just say that the yellow piano, which Becky painted herself, had my heart immediately. It was Brian’s grandma’s piano that was passed down to their family (here’s a link to Becky’s post about painting it). Becky also found the swivel stool at an antique store and made the slipcover herself.

Continue reading House Crashing: Joyful & Happy Go Lucky at Young House Love.

We like to House Crash at least once a month but somehow it has been nearly two since our last one, so we’re sorry for the delay, but we hope that this awesome one all the way from the UK makes up for it! We knew as soon as we saw this place that it was primed and ready for a crashing, and since it’s a little too far for a road trip, we had a lot of fun getting all of the virtual details (and photos) for you guys.

Meet Kimberly. She’s married to Wayne, and is an American who has been living in Manchester, UK for over a decade.

This is her charming Edwardian home that was built in 1906. They’ve lived here since June of 2010, and have been having fun putting their stamp on it since the day they moved in.

Continue reading House Crashing: Cheery Across The Pond at Young House Love.

Ack, sorry for the late post – technical difficulties.

We’re excited to share the cottage that we mentioned on Friday, especially since a bunch of you seemed anxious for us to spill all the beans (and a lot more photos). So here’s the deal: it’s about 45 minutes west of Richmond in Columbia, Virginia, it’s called Rassawek, and it’s a bonafide log cabin from 1910. It was actually moved to this location by the family who owns Rassawek (which is also a vineyard) and there were all sorts of other fun out-buildings nearby (many of which were moved as well) along with the coolest treehouse we’ve ever seen. So let’s get this tour started…

John’s sister was actually the one who found it and suggested it as a way for the entire family (nearly two dozen of us, with 8 kids running around) to come together for a nice Christmas meal together at one big table, followed by a s’more roast and a big ol’ sleepover.

Continue reading Cottage Crashing: Rustic Rassawek at Young House Love.