Note: This post was born from an updated Before & After page that we heard people were having trouble finding (since it wasn’t at the top of our blog feed). So here it is, forever immortalized as a chronological post. And now, since we’ll continue to update our Before & After page over time, we have this post frozen in time, which is nice to look back on. Wish we had done it around 6 months in and at the year mark too.

We downsized to this 1,400 square foot house in Northwest Florida on May of 2020 after a fast, furious, and long-distance three-month renovation. You can read more about how we found ourselves craving a pared-down lifestyle for our family here and here (that last one is a really good synopsis of what led us to this exact spot).

Continue reading Before & After Photos: 14 Months In! at Young House Love.

Young House Love turned 10 years old this fall (!!!) so we’re taking a look back at our last decade of renovating houses, building a business, and making plenty of mistakes along the way – all while on a public stage called the world wide web. You’ll hear how both in decorating and in business there were some pivotal moments that led us to where we are today – literally without them, we wouldn’t be here – and they didn’t all feel great at the time. In fact, some of them felt downright terrible. 

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

Presentation Slides

• Below are some of the key slides from our presentation in Bristol, VA a couple of weeks ago.

Continue reading #73: The Secret Power Of Mistakes, Setbacks, And Almost Getting Sued at Young House Love.

This week we talk about a fun new design assignment we’ve taken on (our first commercial space!) and we finally have some good news in the beach house department! We also get a crash course in Feng Shui by an expert, and learn the places in our home where we’re intuitively following their guidelines… and the spots where we’re not doing so hot: like the wrong message our bedroom decor might be sending, and how our office floor plan might be thwarting one person’s productivity. Plus we share how you can hang out with us this summer thanks to HGTV Magazine, and we both reveal an item of clothing that we’re oddly particular about getting right.

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

What’s Not

• Above is a “before” of the loft office space we’re working on for the ad agency I used to work for full-time.

Continue reading #55: What’s Feng Shui? And Are We Screwing It Up? at Young House Love.

Back in July of 2007, we couldn’t imagine getting married any other way than exactly how we did: a small sweet wedding held in our very own backyard. But fast forward ten years and there are a few things we’d do differently in hindsight. So we’re diving into those details, along with sharing the special way we rang in our 10th anniversary (some old habits never die). Plus we reveal what home purchase we’re arguing about these days, and why I need an intervention when it comes to a certain accessory that I’ve been married to longer than Sherry.

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Overcast, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

What’s New

• As we mentioned in this week’s episode, we stole away for a few days to celebrate our 10-year anniversary in Puerto Rico, and it was the perfect mix of relaxation (pool and beachside swimming, eating, and reading), adventure (kayaking, hiking, paddleboarding), and culture (touring Old San Juan).

Continue reading #54: What We’d Change About Our $4000 Backyard Wedding at Young House Love.

Sherry has taken on a new side job that I’m steering clear of, and – spoiler alert – it has already given her a good excuse to go shopping. Plus, we’ve missed our goal of being able to spend a night at the beach house by the start of summer, and it’s all due to something we never could’ve anticipated (or prevented). We also find out which design trends most people are ready to be done with (shiplap? succulents? decorative poufs? *gasp!*) and you’ll hear what annoying outdoor to-do list item I checked off my list for Father’s Day. And – oh, look! A deer!

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Overcast, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

Continue reading #53: The Curveball That Blew Our Beach House Timeline at Young House Love.

We don’t always see eye-to-eye when it comes to purchases for our home, so this week we’re sharing some strategies we’ve developed for helping the other person see things our way – whether they’re the one who is itching to buy something, or the one trying to rein it in. We also picked up a surprising trick for online shopping that has saved us over $1,500 on items for our beach house so far! Plus, how we’re making good on our goal to get outside more often, how cutting the cable cord has inspired a new kid-friendly TV option, and why you shouldn’t craft and talk on the phone at the same time (it could literally ruin the world).

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

What’s New

• As we mentioned, the beach house kitchen cabinetry and counters are coming from Ikea.

Continue reading #52: Six Phone Calls That Saved Us $1,500 at Young House Love.

It may seem counterintuitive (don’t most people want to add a deck?!), but ous is just not pulling its weight anymore. So you can find out why we think tearing it down is the way to go – and what the heck we want to put in its place on this week’s episode. We also talk with Manhattan Nest’s Daniel Kanter about which design trends are getting tired – and why newer homes shouldn’t be approached in the same way as their older counterparts. Plus I get mushy over my favorite saw, Sherry considers the trip of a lifetime, and we both can’t stop talking about a talking fish.

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

Continue reading #51: Why We Want To Tear The Deck Off Our House at Young House Love.

We’re celebrating fifty episodes and one year of podcasting (!!!) with a special episode that takes you behind the scenes and unearths some of our weirdest moments, cringiest sound bites, and even an email we got from Beyonce’s dad (for real). We share the stuff that we love about podcasting (sometimes even more than blogging) along with what parts we loathe, and how a pizza got this whole thing off to a rocky start. Plus we introduce you to the crew of people who work on this show behind the scenes. Spoiler alert: they’re all weird.

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos that we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player. 

Podiversary

• Here are some of those blogiversary posts of yore that we referenced:
  • Our annual Q&A video from our 6th blogiversary
  • Looking back at our blogging firsts, fails, and facepalms from our first five years
  • What a day in the life of a blogger looked like in 2012
  • The hilarious results of our 2013 reader survey (probably the only place you’ll find a pie chart with Chris Farley in it)

• And speaking of surveys… if you’re a podcast listener, please PLEASE take a couple of minutes to fill out our listener survey.

Continue reading #50: Behind The Scenes – Regrets, Bloopers, & Beyonce at Young House Love.