Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

Posts By John Petersik

John Petersik is one half of the duo behind the award-winning home improvement and do-it-yourself design blog, Young House Love. Together, he and his wife Sherry have renovated seven homes, published two New York Times Bestselling books, and designed products sold in Target and Home Depot. They are currently enjoying their downsized home on Florida's Gulf Coast with their two kids and their dog, Penny.

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How To Install A Stair Runner

It may seem intimidating to install a stair runner yourself, but it’s so darn easy that we’ve done it twice! Thrice if you count demonstrating it on live TV (more on that later). Just follow the steps in our tutorial below, including our trick for making sure your rug is the perfect size for the project. Adding a rug or runner to your stairs isn’t just a stylish decor choice that can add color, personality, or pattern. It’s also a safety feature! We find that adding a stair runner cuts down on slips, falls, and even makes it easier for our dog to traverse them. They also absorb sound, meaning your less likely to hear

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17 DIY Shelf Ideas

Over the years, we’ve added tons of shelves to our homes – from floating shelves and built-in bookcases to decorative display shelves and heavy-duty storage shelves. So in this post, we’re rounding up some of our favorite DIY shelving projects for anyone looking to add smart vertical storage to their space. We’re going to cover: Our Favorite Floating Shelf Projects Floating shelves are a great way to display or store items with a clean, modern, and lightweight look. They can be hung just about anywhere – in a kitchen, above a TV, in a bedroom for books and toys, even in a dining room – and we’ve used both storebought floating shelves as well as

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Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117) Color Review

White paints can be complicated. And believe me, we’ve tried more than a few over the years. Over a decade ago, we finally landed on Benjamin Moore’s Simply White (OC-117) as our favorite go-to white paint. It’s a warm and bright white that we put everywhere: walls, trim, doors, and cabinetry. Case closed, right? Well, it’s not quite that simple… What makes BM Simply White a popular white? Picking the perfect white paint for your home is hard because a true “simple” white doesn’t exist. And even if it did, you wouldn’t want it on your walls! The best white paints typically have hints of black and subtle colorful undertones like yellow, green, or pink.

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6 Smart Layout Features For A Smaller Home

Since downsizing to our 1400 square foot house three and a half years ago (as a refresher, our previous house was more than twice as large – clocking in at 3150 square feet), you’ve probably heard us proclaim that smart storage is key. It certainly makes living in a smaller home a lot more sustainable and enjoyable, but there are also specific layout features of our house that make sharing less square footage go a lot more smoothly for us. So whether you’re thinking of downsizing, considering a new home with any of these layout details, building a new home, or are just curious about what some of our favorite “living-larger-in-a-smaller-home” features are, we’ve put

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Sherwin Williams Extra White (SW 7006) Color Review

From its name, you might expect Sherwin-Williams Extra White (SW7 7006) to be the brightest, whitest paint on the market. And while it is a crisp clean white color – it has some nuances when it comes to where and when it should (and shouldn’t) be used in your home. So let’s answer some common questions about this popular white paint color so you can decide if it’s right for you. What makes SW Extra White a popular white? Extra White is one of the most popular white paints out there. Lots of these whites have names that lead you to believe they are the best, brightest, or “whitest” white around. You’ll see names like

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The Best Family Board Games

Our family LOVES a game night and we keep a tight collection of only our 30 most favorite games. They cover a pretty wide variety: card games, party games, puzzle games, and more. We believe the best family board games are as fun for grown-ups as they are for kids. So except for a couple of adults-only versions that we’ve clearly labeled below, everything linked in this post is great for the whole family. I’ve categorized our games into the groups you see below. But be warned – there’s definitely lots of overlap! I’ve included a brief description of each game, but to avoid repeating them every time a game appears in a list, you

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Easy DIY Window Plant Shelf

Let’s show you how we whipped up this CRAZY simple window plant shelf! You can make it in less than an hour & without any fancy tools, meaning you’ll be out shopping for more plans in no time. We even used some scrap wood we already owned, so the DIY project only cost us $2 to complete! We’ve put some greenery in this window, but adding the floating shelf gave us room for lots more! It adds some interest to a formerly non-descript window and the plants are super happy in the sunlight! You can see what it looked like previously along with all of our bathroom before and afters. Note: We recently had our

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Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005) – The Best Whole House White

Picking the perfect white paint can be a mind-numbing process. But after trying several, we’ve gone ALL IN on our one true favorite: Sherwin-Williams Pure White. It’s got all of the things you’re probably looking for in a crisp white, without any of the pitfalls that you run into with others (too bright! too gray! too yellowed!). Plus, it’s versatile enough to work on just about every surface of your home: walls, doors, trim, ceiling, cabinets, and more. Is Sherwin-Williams Pure White the best white? Anybody who has looked for white paint knows finding a “true white” is nearly impossible. Whites vary greatly depending on their undertones, often skewing yellow, pink, violet, or even green.

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Two Days In St. Petersburg Florida With Kids

Rather than take one big vacation this summer, we opted instead for a few short trips so we could experience more new places. We kicked things off with a 3-night trip to Charleston, SC, we met up my parents in the Georgia mountains in July, and then capped off the summer with a getaway to St. Petersburg, Florida. Sherry and I had only been there very briefly during this 2008 beach vacation, so we were excited to spend more time there and explore it with our kids. So here’s a quick recap of what we did, where we ate, and why we’re excited to go back. Where Did We Stay In St. Petersburg? St. Petersburg

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Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray: The Perfect Greige

We’ve used Edgecomb Gray in nearly every room of our home because it’s a warm, inviting, and versatile neutral. You might even call it the perfect greige paint color! It’s popular with designers and DIYers alike, whether you’re painting a living room, bedroom, kitchen cabinets, or even your siding. Let’s show you why. We’ve also scoured the Internet to find the best greige paint colors that experts recommend again and again (yes, Edgecomb Gray made the list!). The #1 spot did surprise us a little bit. But you’ll find some great alternative greiges if you want want to test a few. When should you use Edgecomb Gray? Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) is one of

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#183: What’s Next, House Vibes, & Yet Another Embarrassing Moment

We’re dropping this random pop-in episode to share one of the most embarrassing tales Sherry has ever told on this podcast. Of course it had to happen in the nicest house we’ve ever been in (in front of one of Sherry’s personal heroes). We’re also listing what’s left on our to-do list, and answering the much-asked question: what’s your next big project? Plus, we break down what feels different to us about this house compared to our last one (and the varied impressions you might get about us if you walked in without us being there). Lastly, we each share some recent home-related purchases and the books & tv shows that are keeping us laughing

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The 12 Best Haint Blue Paint Colors

We love a blue porch ceiling (something you very commonly see – especially in the south). In fact, we’ve painted our porch ceiling a light blue color in nearly all of our homes! The tradition of a blue porch ceiling actually has a name – “haint blue” – along with a rich cultural history and some very practical reasoning behind it. So let’s dive into how it started and why so many people love a haint blue porch. We’re also sharing some of the best haint blue paint colors if you’re looking for one for your porch. In addition to photos of our own homes, this post also features many haint blue porches we saw

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