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 contractors, including how one short sentence has saved us $1500 in the past two weeks. We also dive into the not-so-straightforward process of fixing up o...
Sep 11, 2017•38 min•Ep. 63
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 kid-friendly, Sherry gets sentenced to more time in “tooth jail,” and our beach house has a brush with a true-crime saga. Be sure to check out younghouselo...
Aug 28, 2017•35 min•Ep. 62
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 recent trip to tile at the beach house goes less than smoothly, but a bout of good karma saves the day. John also shares some psychology behind how to pri...
Aug 21, 2017•36 min•Ep. 61
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 crazy with labels. Also, Sherry shares two new (free!) sources of design inspiration that she has been devouring, John faces the facts about our online shop...
Aug 14, 2017•39 min•Ep. 60
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 keeping it real about renovations not always being easy or straightforward, it all has a happy ending: we survived nearly 20 hours of tiling, and we shar...
Aug 07, 2017•36 min•Ep. 59
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 “sharenting” and the reasons why we’ve decided to scale back. We also talked with four other bloggers (Erin Loechner, Myquillyn Smith, Cassie Freeman, an...
Jul 31, 2017•36 min
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 original art (in an awesomely broad range of prices) and we share a personal update about our beloved chihuahua. Plus, we’re revealing our new secret weapon for ...
Jul 24, 2017•38 min
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 should consider before you go the For Sale By Owner route yourself - including the HUGE misstep we made when putting our first home on the market. You’ll al...
Jul 17, 2017•39 min
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...
Jul 10, 2017•37 min
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 access...
Jul 03, 2017•39 min
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 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...
Jun 26, 2017•36 min
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 inspire...
Jun 19, 2017•37 min
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 are getting tired - and why older homes shouldn’t be approached in the same way as their newer counterparts. Plus John gets mushy over his favorite saw, ...
Jun 05, 2017•35 min
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 sc...
May 29, 2017•34 min
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 our most hated DIY undertaking EVER (yes, I sound like that guy who hosts The Bachelor, but it's an adequate description), and we explore what features in y...
May 22, 2017•36 min
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 keeping a house more tidy and organized (including the best tools and tricks that she uses on her own home). Plus we’re sharing the Instagram account that surp...
May 15, 2017•36 min
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 wrench into the room. A big, beautiful wrench that snowballed into a bunch of other changes - all of which were totally free. Plus, we talk about what’s ma...
May 08, 2017•35 min
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 ones - from right here in Richmond! Plus, we share how we live without ceiling fans and how Sherry’s nerding it up with her new favorite neckwear. Be sure...
May 01, 2017•38 min
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 - and how you can foster a more social atmosphere with yours. And we learn why paying attention to house staging tips might pay off, even if you have no plan...
Apr 24, 2017•37 min
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 cons of open concept living and pointing out when to avoid the urge to open up a floor plan - plus what to do if you’re struggling with the one you’ve alr...
Apr 10, 2017•38 min
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 has gone too far. Plus, we share how we made good on one of our New Year’s resolutions and how we found ourselves celebrating Sherry’s birthday in a way tha...
Apr 03, 2017•37 min
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, we learn why you shouldn’t touch someone else’s toilet paper, and we school ourselves on the correct pronunciation of “hygge.” Also, MARIGOLDS!!! Be sur...
Mar 27, 2017•37 min
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 talks about how she has been helping our neighbors stage their house to sell, I reveal how I managed to simplify one of our least favorite chores, and we bo...
Mar 20, 2017•37 min
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 fixtures in check - without robbing them of all interest and personality. We're breaking that down this week, along with what pro decorators say guys should nev...
Mar 13, 2017•36 min
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 also take a look at the wacky backstory to one of our favorite household products and an even wackier date night that had us laughing with (and at) our nei...
Mar 06, 2017•36 min
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 talk from Altitude Summit, we tackle all of this and more, including why a Bachelorette turned to us for advice, what we regret about a major moment in our c...
Feb 27, 2017•36 min
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 random and hilarious house quirks, and we share the awesome and the cringe-worthy moments from our trip to Palm Springs. Be sure to check out younghouselove...
Feb 20, 2017•36 min
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 blog into a lifestyle brand - and pushing through the many rejections along the way. We're also talking about a simple upgrade that has streamlined our h...
Feb 13, 2017•37 min
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 one of Sherry’s house schemes quickly unravels and I get real about those online “find your style” quizzes. Plus, we give an underrated kitchen accessory ...
Feb 06, 2017•35 min
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 some great tips from a listener who finally conquered her giant laundry pile. Oh, and John reveals some mildly creepy Facebook stalking that turned him in...
Jan 30, 2017•37 min
