We’ve probably all got dual purpose rooms like a mudroom-slash-laundry room, a breakfast-nook-slash-homework-spot, or the ol’ guest-room-slash-office. So today we’re sharing the key to making one space actually work in multiple ways - instead of feeling like it does one thing waaay better than the other. We also chat about a recent attic clutte ...…

We’ve got some big news this week that you probably didn’t see coming (also: we might be crazy). Plus we share how we were able to pay off our mortgage (!!) and how the groundwork we laid over a decade ago in our first house made it all possible. We also chat about stuff you should NOT pass down to your kids (there’s some surprising stuff that ...…

Who wouldn’t want more money in the ol’ bank account? So we picked a money expert’s brain for the most common places he finds his clients overspending, and for his best tips on making (and sticking to!) an easy household budget - which is definitely the key to saving more each month. Plus we share our not-scary techniques for negotiating with c ...…

Watching your former homes get altered by their new owners can be tough, and we witnessed some changes that bothered us more than we expected. This week we’re sharing how we got over those feelings and how to find the silver lining in seeing someone undo your designs. We also took a long overdue step in making our current home’s driveway more k ...…

When it comes to paper clutter around the house, the struggle is real. Where does it come from? Is it in the rabbit family, because HOW IS IT MULTIPLYING?! We get it. And this week we’re sharing exactly how we keep it at bay (and exactly where we put everything, from receipts and school papers to bills, party invitations, and coupons). Also, a ...…

We’ve been on an organizing bender lately, so we called up pro organizers to the stars (yes, they’ve done Gwyneth Paltrow’s pantry!) and Target’s new home organizing experts: The Home Edit. Clea and Joanna explain how people are sabotaging their own organizing efforts, the right way to shop for baskets and bins, and how to not drive yourself cr ...…

It’s been a busy few weeks on our beach house renovation and they’ve been... well... less than smooth, to say the least. So this week we’re taking you through the saga of three setbacks that happened pretty much back to back (including a missed deadline, having no water line to our house, and a surprise medical complication). And although we're ...…

When does sharing things about your kids online become oversharing? And how do older kids who have grown up on their parents' blogs and social media feeds feel about having their childhoods posted for public consumption? You’ve probably noticed we’re much more private about our own kids these days, and in this special episode, we’re diving into ...…

Decorating is incredibly subjective, and everyone has design choices they LOVE and other things that make them feel… I don’t know… twitchy? Sad? Hangry? So we’re sharing what we’re neurotic about avoiding in our own home: like a certain way of arranging furniture and a specific color combo. We’re also detailing a range of places to find origina ...…

With another wave of decluttering washing over our house, we’re looking back at our last yard sale and the strange trick we used to make it a fast-selling success (and the minor detail we overlooked that nearly turned it into a major disaster). We’re also talking about how we sold both of our homes without a realtor, and what five things you sh ...…

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 ...…

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 ...…

Sherry has taken on a new side job that John's 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 de ...…

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 ...…

It may seem counterintuitive (don’t most people want to add a deck?!), but ous is GIANT and it’s 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 ...…

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 p ...…

There’s no denying that we’ve fallen hard for the color pink over the last few years, and we’re certainly not alone (Millennial Pink, anyone?). So today we're talking about the color trend that’s seemingly everywhere, how it relates to our beach house, and the pitfalls of being swayed by style trends. We also share the dramatic conclusion to ou ...…

Making over our beach house isn’t all rainbows and unicorns and pink siding. So this week we’re diving into a few tasks that have been especially stressful - and we’re sharing one thing we did to calm our nerves (and remind ourselves why we’re doing all of this in the first place). We also get some pro tips from the Clean Mama herself for keepi ...…

What happens when you aren’t sure if your current house is your long-term house? And if it’s not, how do you know when to stop improving it? We’re tackling those two BIG questions, including how the answers affected our own renovating decisions. Also, pretty soon after we shared our mostly-finished master bedroom on our blog, someone tossed a w ...…

We did it! We finally cut the cable cord (thanks in part to your suggestions) and now we’re spilling how it all went down and, more importantly, how it’ll save us tons of money this year! And yes, Sherry still has her beloved Bravo channel. We also learn some pretty eye-opening secrets about a few big HGTV stars and even get to talk to two new ...…

We had an “a-ha” moment while we were away on spring break, which led to a HUGE whole-house purge (including lots and lots of toys) and a ridiculously surprising reaction from our kids. So this week we talk about what inspired the change, and how it has shaped our outlook moving forward. We also share how we got so chummy with our neighbors - a ...…

This week we’re sounding off on an article that says open floor plans should be a thing of the past. We’ve been known to knock down walls and widen doorways to add a more expansive feeling and better flow in all three of our homes, but there are undeniable reasons why it may NOT always be the right call. So we’re breaking down all the pros and ...…

One of the hardest things to master at home is mixing color and pattern (which can look CRAZY or *yawn* if you go about it without much direction). So we turned to someone who’s great at it for advice: Cassie from Hi Sugarplum. We loved hearing how she balances her bold aesthetic to create a high-impact house, and even how she knows when she ha ...…

As we find ourselves in the midst of our biggest and most pocket-draining project ever, on this week's episode we’re sharing our system for planning and managing our spending during any large scale upgrade or renovation (plus we divulge a few money-saving tips along the way). We also share how some simple house updates paid off big for a friend ...…

In this week's episode we go behind the scenes of a home makeover show with Candis and Andy Meredith, who tell us how they got their HGTV show and what surprised them most about the process. Plus, they share their infectious affection for historic homes and give us their best tips for bringing old character to a house of any age. Sherry also ta ...…

This week we're sharing how a recent weekend getaway to a small cottage turned into a reconnaissance mission for our own vacation rental project. Plus, finding ceiling lights that look good together but aren’t too matchy can be tough. We struggled with it ourselves until we learned to rely on one simple trick for keeping our home’s light fixtur ...…

Guess what? Even pro house cleaners hate cleaning. So we asked YouTube cleaning guru Melissa Maker to share her secrets for making your cleaning chores faster, more effective, and all-around less painful. Plus, Sherry dives headfirst into the (often mispronounced) Danish concept of “hygge” and how it can make for a happier and cozier home. We a ...…

In this special episode, we’re talking about the unpredictable and sometimes dramatic ways that we’ve seen the internet change in the last decade. Has social media dethroned blogging? Has sponsored content made things worse? And what has made us more guarded about opening our lives up for public consumption? In this recording of our keynote tal ...…

In this episode we’re talking about what women “should” and “shouldn’t” have around the house (Sherry’s guilty of at least one!) and we’re diving deep into the question of metal finishes. Should they all match within a room? How about throughout the house? And is the brass trend over or here to stay? Plus, you guys call in with your very own ra ...…

In this long overdue update on our beach house renovation, you’ll hear how we’ve got some walls going up and many others coming down - and why we’ve changed our mind on the floor plan (again!). We also revisit our master bathroom reno for a sec (which is still percolating). Plus, we talk with Oh Joy’s eponymous founder, Joy Cho, about turning a ...…

What should you do when a sentimental hand-me-down just doesn't fit in with the rest of your home? And if you try and try but just can’t find a way to love it, do you keep it out of guilt and give it everlasting side eye or let it go and cry because you feel heartless? We’re weighing in on that tough call most of us have to make. Also, another ...…

This week we count down our five favorite tricks for adding flow to any space so it feels larger and less cramped. We also divulge a big financial plus for buying a beach house in such bad condition (it's saving us thousands!). Plus we explore what organizational items annoy professional organizers, and what they recommend instead. We also get ...…

What’s it really like to downsize? We talk with House*Tweaking blogger Dana Miller about how moving to a smaller home (at a time they’re family was expanding!) helped them achieve their financial and family goals, and why it’s not always as easy as it may seem. Plus, our own pursuit to spend less money on things and more on experiences leads to ...…

When a listener asked about the strange habits or odd things you might uncover in our house, we jumped at the chance to pull back the curtain and call each other out: from the unusual supply that John keeps in the office to the confounding items you might find sitting on our couch and in our kitchen drawers. Plus, a local realtor puts the kibos ...…

We didn’t find love in a hopeless place, but we found a beach house color in a surprising one. Yes, several weeks, multiple test swatches, and 1,500 comments later, we’ve finally settled on a color for our beach house’s exterior - and the decision came from one of the most random places! Plus, we talk to blogger, designer, and Domino contributo ...…

We asked you to call in with your house-related resolutions for 2017, and boy did you guys deliver! In this episode we play some of our favorite listener voicemails and share what home-related changes we’re hoping to implement in the coming year. Plus, we share why we were giving all of the presents under the tree some serious side eye on the n ...…

When you’re hiring out renovation work in your home it can be exciting and awesome.. and sometimes it can be deflating and frustrating… which was the case recently for us. So we’re sharing some red flags to look out for and some tips to try to avoid that issue along with a few more ways that we’ve cut down on holiday stress (and gift excess). P ...…

Who has 7 kids, a gorgeous Brazilian vacation house, and is on this week’s podcast? The Novogratz, of course! This week Robert and Cortney talk to us about creating the perfect guest experience in your home, as well as designing around a big household with a wide range of kids. Plus, we are CRAZY STUMPED about an upcoming paint color choice. Li ...…

This week we talk about pacing yourself through your home renovations, so your eagerness to make changes doesn’t get you in deeper than your budget, time, or ability allows. We also list a few places to start, and how to redirect yourself if you’re pondering a project that might be better left for later. Plus, John shares one of his weirder DIY ...…

We’ve got something pretty major that we couldn’t wait to share with you on this week’s podcast (Sherry almost can’t contain herself). We’re also chatting with designer Brian Patrick Flynn, the man behind several of HGTV’s Dream Homes whose work has also graced the pages of Domino and Country Living. Plus, with holiday hosting around the corner ...…

Christmas is around the corner, which means so is the fun (and the frenzied chaos) of the season. So this week we’re sharing how we decorate our house for the holidays - and the seasons in general. Plus, Sherry takes on a surprising decorating client, John lets go of the pursuit for the perfect family dinner, and we share a seemingly small feat ...…

Our friends from the blog Chris Loves Julia have renovated three kitchens in three years - and they’ve even redone a kitchen in under 6 days (!!!). So yeah, they have a ton of experience, advice, and hilarious stories to help anyone else out there who’s contemplating a kitchen remodel of their own. We’re also talking about John’s shed organizin ...…

Coming at you from a hotel room in Baltimore, this week we answer three callers seeking home-related updates, from how things are holding up years later to whether it was a shock to move from a smaller ranch-style home to a larger two-story one. Sherry also celebrates *almost* predicting a 2017 color of the year, John gets emotional over anothe ...…

You know when you just can’t seem to find your momentum on a certain home task? Well, today we fess up to one that’s had us stuck for months. We also get to talk to HGTV’s Nicole Curtis about rehabbing old houses, working in a “man’s world,” and why she thinks it’s hard (but important) to be an open book with her fans. John also spooks up a Hal ...…

How the heck does any home improvement get done with kiddos in the mix? We’ve been asked this question countless times (and have wondered it ourselves in more than a few moments of desperation). So today we’re sharing four of our favorite tactics for juggling parenting and DIY duties, while fending off the frustration of feeling like nothing’s ...…

We’ve all seen the ubiquitous white wall trend, but do bloggers and designers just choose them because they look good in photos? In person do they feel bright & cheery or cold & stark? We talk to two bloggers - one who loves ‘em and one who isn’t sold - and we weigh in with our own pros & cons on the subject. We’re also spilling the beans on a ...…

When is it best to do something yourself and when should you hire it out? We faced that question a lot during our big kitchen remodel, and today we’re discussing how we made the call, including strategies for saving time and money. We also bust out our five favorite routines that keep household clutter in check (bonus: they’re all pretty easy!) ...…

Design*Sponge founder Grace Bonney shares what 12 years of design blogging has taught her about her style, the Internet, and why there’s no such thing as work-life balance. We also take you behind the scenes of our new coloring book, turn to a titillating source for some design advice, and talk about the curse that’s plaguing John this year. Pl ...…

We’ve been working on a HUGE project at home and we’re excited to be spilling the beans about it here first! Also on this week’s episode, we help a listener who’s looking for fast & cheap ways to fill her empty walls - including some of our favorite sources and easy tricks for affordable art. We also share a tech upgrade that’s allowing us to b ...…

In this episode, we chat with furniture designer and tool ninja Ana White about how she found the courage to dive into building everything from beds and bookcases to tiny houses and forever homes. We also go behind-the-scenes of our recent teachers lounge makeover (you’ll never guess what item threw us the biggest curveball) and discuss Gwyneth ...…