You guys submitted your favorite life hacks over the last few weeks, so today we’ve got an episode bursting at the seams with all of those cheap & simple tricks for making your home run smoother and your day a little less frustrating. We’ve got everything from clever cleaning tips and unconventional storage ideas to both high and low tech ways to keep you more organized. We’re also sharing why we’re giving a BIG EYEROLL to the latest part of our master bathroom renovation and a new money sav...
Nov 04, 2019•38 min•Ep. 153
In honor of Halloween, we’re sharing a spooky occurrence at our beach house that we legitimately couldn't explain for a few months (even I, the perennial skeptic, was like... "how did that just happen?!"). We’re also chatting with author Miranda Anderson about how her entire family took on a yearlong shopping ban, and how that choice led to more gratitude, patience, and a sense of adventure for the entire family. Plus, an update on how things are getting real (and real messy!) in our master bath...
Oct 28, 2019•39 min•Ep. 152
Today we’re sharing how two recent treat yourself moments in our house turned sideways on us and how it shed some light on when to splurge and when to make like Elsa and let it go. One even involves a feature in our bathroom reno that we’ve dreamed about for years, but suddenly can’t seem to justify in actual practice (although it sounds great in theory!). Also after nearly 11,000 people took our “Side Of The Bed” survey, we have some surprising insights about why people sleep where they do. Plu...
Oct 21, 2019•37 min•Ep. 151
Our home’s exterior makeover didn’t stop with painting it white last year, so today we’re catching you up on some projects we've completed and what’s still to come (and it involves something we’ve changed our minds about twice). We're also reflecting on a few experiments & interviews over the past 149 episodes that truly changed the way we live in our house - and we're issuing a challenge to help us all find some new ways to improve our household routines and daily lives. Plus, we look into ...
Oct 14, 2019•40 min•Ep. 150
We’re sharing how our bathroom reno went from zero to fifty percent (that’ll make more sense when you hear what we did) and how we gained a ton of insight about the right layout and the right size for the vanity, shower, tub, etc. Also… the houseplant struggle is real, so we asked plant expert Carmeon Hamilton everything we've ever wanted to know about how to keep inside greenery alive (and happy!). She shared her favorite easy plants for beginners and even laid out when to water, re-pot, and fe...
Oct 07, 2019•37 min•Ep. 149
People are always asking how we keep our projects and our household organized ("do you make lists? use an app?! help me!") so today we’re outlining the three tools that we use every day. Some are digital, some are old school, but the most important part is that they help to keep us on the same page (sometimes literally) about our projects, purchases, and more. We’re also sharing the near completion of a long overdue outdoor update that almost sent one of us over the edge... of the roof. Also, co...
Sep 30, 2019•37 min•Ep. 148
What happens when you move into a smaller house in a smaller town for over two months? That’s what we found out this summer when we stayed at our beach house to manage the duplex rentals - AND IT WAS THE BEST SUMMER OF OUR LIVES. The smaller home and smaller town lessons that we learned really stuck with us when we returned home - and they have already inspired us to make 4 changes to our life and habits back in Richmond. So even if you aren't planning to move or downsize, there are some things ...
Sep 23, 2019•39 min•Ep. 147
We survived our first summer as Airbnb hosts to 23 different families over the course of the last three months - and, more importantly, so did the duplex itself! But our first rental season wasn’t without hiccups, high anxiety moments, and surprisingly frequent learning opportunities. So this week we’re taking you behind the scenes of a jam-packed few months of learning the hospitality ropes while juggling guests and (more literally) a very full jug of laundry detergent. Sherry also celebrates t...
Sep 16, 2019•38 min•Ep. 146
This week we’re diving into a survey that reveals the top homebuyer regrets - as in what features their homes have that they ended up not loving (and the results may surprise you!). A new study also concluded some shocking-to-us things about millennial dads versus their baby boomer counterparts - and we have some big feelings about one aspect of the results. We’re also sharing a crappy situation (literally) at our beach houses, and the weird measures we’re taking to resolve it. Plus, more design...
Jun 17, 2019•44 min•Ep. 145
We recently made two big changes to our shopping habits that are having both positive and negative repercussions. So we’re sharing what we did, why we did it, and how we’re trying to course correct a few pitfalls that popped up. We also got a refreshing reminder that it’s liberating to acknowledge that you don’t have to be good at everything - especially in a social media world where everyone else seems to have it all figured out. Plus, we share a big hiccup that was narrowly avoided at the dupl...
Jun 10, 2019•37 min•Ep. 144
After over a year and a half of renovation, the duplex officially hosted its first overnight guests!!! And it was an exciting, emotional, and eye-opening test of all the work that we’ve put into it. So we’re sharing what we learned and what we’re changing before it plays host again. We’re also talking about how a house that we considered buying last fall as a long-term rental popped back onto our radar with some surprising news. Plus, how we solved some household frustrations for under $25 - and...
Jun 03, 2019•33 min•Ep. 143
So it turns out there are some weird spots in the kitchen where germs go to party - so we’re learning more about that (and what you can do about it), as well as talking about why we gave up on those meal delivery kits and found a better solution for our family. We’re also talking about how shopping for your home can be fun, but it can also be frustrating and time-consuming. So we’re sharing our tips for how to streamline your hunt and pick things with confidence. Plus, you’ll hear how our backya...
May 20, 2019•38 min•Ep. 142
Our recent Chicago meet-up with fellow bloggers Chris Loves Julia, Yellow Brick Home, and Making It Lovely left us with lots of feels (and very full stomachs). But it was seeing one of their homes in person that completely changed our minds about a "design rule" we had proclaimed for our own home (on this very podcast, no less). We’re also sharing what surprised us most about the final phase of getting our duplex ready to rent. Plus the results of Sherry’s latest staging assignment and a dynamic...
May 13, 2019•38 min•Ep. 141
Home improvement can be stressful, and we’re no strangers to that tension leading to some pretty memorable arguments. So today we’re looking at some data about what do-it-yourself projects cause the most issues between couples to see if we agree (and we share a recent fight we had in the name of data). We also reveal some takeaways from a recent house staging project that we took on together, including the big secret to getting your home ready to sell and how you may have to unlearn everything y...
May 06, 2019•33 min•Ep. 140
Painting our brick house white was just the tip of our home’s exterior update iceberg, so this week we’re sharing more of our plans - including one that’s turning out to be much more complex than we expected. We’ve also got an exciting announcement about a color collaboration we’ve been working on and we're sharing more of everyone's favorite thing: design norms from around the world, including bomb shelters, frost lines, and… special windows that keep witches out of your house?! Plus we try a s...
Apr 29, 2019•37 min•Ep. 139
Installing Ikea cabinets in all three of our beach house kitchens invites the question: why didn’t we use them in our home's kitchen in Richmond?! So this week we’re diving into the answer, including what gave us pause about using Ikea back then, how it could’ve changed our final result, and what we’d choose if we had to select kitchen cabinets for our home today. Plus, we share how a simple outdoor project turned into a major plumbing issue at the duplex (yes, another one - the water curse live...
Apr 22, 2019•38 min•Ep. 138
We’ve got a really exciting announcement this week about a new home project we’re taking on, including how it came to be, what has us most excited, and why it’s gonna challenge us in big new ways (did we mention it’s out-of-state?). Also, we’re sharing how last week’s Spring Break trip reinforced our mission to minimize our belongings, even if John did bring home something very strange from the vacation. Plus, a new solution we’ve found for wrangling our digital photos, a new DIY tool that’s bri...
Apr 15, 2019•33 min•Ep. 137
This week we’re talking to Joyful author and expert Ingrid Fetell Lee about some simple ways to inject joy into your home without breaking the bank. She also explains why joy is easier to achieve than happiness - and how seeking it at home can actually help you unlock your decor style. Plus Sherry marked her recent birthday by getting a long-awaited tattoo (actually, two of them!) so she’s explaining the meaning behind them, how much it hurt, and what finally convinced her to go for it. We also ...
Apr 01, 2019•38 min•Ep. 136
If you think our podcast has tackled this question already, JUST YOU WAIT! The universe recently tested Sherry’s dollhouse fixation and whether she passed or failed it, well, may depend on who you ask. We also share what item Ikea was mysteriously selling in bulk - but only in America (we laughed out loud at the big reveal) and we hear from some listeners about how space makeovers can affect behavior in a fascinating way. Plus some interesting lessons someone learned when they challenged themsel...
Mar 25, 2019•34 min•Ep. 135
Today we’re sharing how to find the right balance when you’re choosing between artwork or family photos for certain walls - and we're revealing where we've subconsciously gravitated towards putting personal photos in our own home (and why we think that is!). We also have tips for how to personalize your walls beyond the usual smiling-at-the-camera snapshot. And we’ve officially gone shed crazy (like really, really shed crazy), and the silver lining that we discovered after a yearlong delay at th...
Mar 18, 2019•32 min•Ep. 134
Nearly 600 people wrote in to tell us about design norms from their specific country or region, and today we’re sharing some of the most popular, interesting, and unique responses. From the different ways we sleep and shower, to how we do laundry and how we do, um, our business - you guys gave us a fascinating window into how and why homes don’t all look alike around the globe. John also issues a public apology for fighting Sherry on a design choice in the duplex kitchen, and we share the Instag...
Mar 11, 2019•38 min•Ep. 133
What if there were little changes we could all make to our bedrooms and sleeping habits to sleep better and feel more rested in the morning? Today we’re talking about how a sleep expert thinks we should all be maximizing our bedrooms, including the perfect mattress size, the ideal bedtime, and what items we should banish from our bedsides. Plus, why are there such diverging practices about shoes being on or off inside people’s homes? We’re sharing our shoe rules and why they may be strange to so...
Mar 04, 2019•39 min•Ep. 132
We were both pretty shocked about the results of going completely without television for a while - especially Sherry. So today we're sharing what we learned, what was hard, and the side effects that even we didn’t see coming. Not to mention the big question of how it will impact our viewing habits moving forward. We also tried a new paint picking method to see if it could solve a wall color conundrum at the beach house. Plus, Sherry updates you on her “tooth jail” sentence and I bask in the nerd...
Feb 18, 2019•40 min•Ep. 131
Can the colors, furnishings, and accessories that we choose for our home actually make us feel quantifiably happier? Today we dive into the science of joy and learn how some tried-and-true design tricks might actually be affecting our daily moods (and how to make tasks that we don’t love a little more enjoyable). We also pin down a few ways that we’ve unknowingly added joy to our house, and a few others that could still use some work. Plus, the lesson we learned from waiting too long to give up ...
Feb 11, 2019•39 min•Ep. 130
House projects don’t always go smoothly. We’ve all been there (heck, we're there right now with the duplex renovation) so we’re sharing some new strategies that we've been relying on to keep our spirits up whenever a renovation feels overwhelming, gets delayed, or hits some other unexpected snag. We’re also discussing some upcoming bathroom trends (one of them shook Sherry to her very core). Plus we’re officially starting our no TV challenge. Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-129 f...
Feb 04, 2019•39 min•Ep. 129
Minimalism can still feel like an “out there” lifestyle, so this week we’re bringing in expert Joshua Becker to share how dipping your toes into the minimalist waters can lead to big gains at home and in life. He shares how to stop the slow creep of household clutter, what minimizing can teach our kids, and how it might even help you achieve some of your biggest life goals that have nothing to do with organizing or paring down. Plus, we take you inside a part of our house that many of you have n...
Jan 28, 2019•38 min•Ep. 128
This week we’re sharing a simple kitchen change that made it WAY more efficient for us (we’re kinda kicking ourselves for not doing it sooner). There's also an update on some duplex delivery drama and we’re sharing three specific tips for book lovers who actually want books on their shelves (as opposed to filling them with a ton of decorative objects). Plus, the new show on Netflix that's debatably as life-changing to us as Marie Kondo's (we LOVED it - and we also chat about Marie's show too). B...
Jan 21, 2019•39 min•Ep. 127
Lots of us want a more organized home, but are we going about it the wrong way? Today we’re talking with a home efficiency expert about how rethinking our approach to organizing could end up making us all happier - and maybe even turn us into more patient partners and more present parents. She also tells us why we should treat our kitchen like an operating room, how Sherry’s minimized closet could be better, and why garages are so hard to keep under control. We’re also sharing how a random phone...
Jan 14, 2019•37 min•Ep. 126
Our holiday was full of fun, family, and a freakish amount of Ikea boxes filling the duplex. So this week we’re sharing how we navigated the task of installing not one, but two kitchens over winter break - including how things got off to a rocky start - and when we actually saw the light (both literally and figuratively). We also got AN AVALANCHE of feedback from you guys on the small sleeping nook we debated filling with various bed layouts in our last episode, so today we’re sharing how we’ve ...
Jan 07, 2019•38 min•Ep. 125
Today we’re talking about a small space that’s stumping us at the duplex and we’d love to hear what your family would like to rent most. You’ll also hear how an unexpected Christmas request from our daughter sent us on quite the hunt for a house-related gift - and how we stumbled across a new 4-in-1 tool that’s extra handy to have in your junk drawer. Plus we’re asking the hard-hitting questions, like can your astrological sign really help you decorate your home? Be sure to check out younghousel...
Dec 17, 2018•34 min•Ep. 124
