Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Make Pleated Curtain Panels

I’ve always thought that curtains are the unsung hero of room makeovers because everyone’s quick to talk about how paint can make such a huge difference (agreed, it totally can) but I’d argue that curtains can rival the whole “wow, paint totally changed that room” because they can: make a small window look twice as wide draw the eye up and make ceilings feel taller add a whole lot of color/pattern/interest (or not, if you just want something simple/breezy) make any room feel more cozy by adding softness add function (block light and drafts, provide privacy, absorb sound, etc) So there it is. My name is Sherry, and I’m a fan of curtains. Just look

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What To Do If You’re Second Guessing A DIY

Question: Are there any projects that you wish you hadn’t DIY-ed? I’m in the middle of one that’s not going smoothly and I’m second-guessing my decision not to hire it out. – Holly Answer: This question comes up fairly frequently – it even popped up during the Q&A portion of our talk at the Richmond Home & Garden Show earlier this month. The truth is that we both have trouble recalling a project that we got to the end of and said “man, I wish we hadn’t DIYed that one.” Maybe it’s that post project rush of victory, the relief of completion, or the joy of saving money? Or maybe it’s like childbirth and you

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How To Make A Paper Mache Narwhal Bust

The built-in bookcases in the nursery have officially been filled with board books, toys, stuffed animals, framed prints, and a few other random bobs and bits that I hope our little man will love feasting his eyes (and mouth?) upon. We even created an easy paper mache craft there on the bottom left shelf. Can you spot him? Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Norman The Narwhal. He’s FAR from a perfect specimen, but it was the sweetest project to do with soon-to-be big sister Clara. I think I love him more for his handmade wonkiness than anything else. Dude has some serious character going on. So let’s file this under “made by a

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Fab Freebie: A Good Impression

Wanna see my impression of someone who might win $3,000 to spend on hardwood floors this weekend? Go look in a mirror. Get it? Because it’s you. Okay, terrible segue aside – Impressions Hardwood Collection is giving someone three grand this week, so now might be your shot to upgrade your floors. They’ve got options ranging from wide hand-scraped varieties to traditional 3 1/4″ planks, with a variety of color options, all backed by a lifetime warranty. Oh, and through March you can get $250 off any order of 750 square feet or more from their Classic Series with the code YoungHouse. Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter (it might take a second

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How To Organize A Pantry

Let the pantry party commence! I never thought organizing a space that sat behind a closed door 90% of the time could be so cathartic, but working on this pantry with Sherry has made us both feel like the whole kitchen – nay, the whole house – is more functional. Clearly it has even made us more prone to hyperbole. First we got an outlet added, switched up some shelves, and moved the microwave in. Next we moved the trash out. Then it was time for a few fresh coats of primer and paint. Sherry and I briefly debated choosing a happy or bold color in there (either on the walls or the shelves or

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Organizing The House When It Gets Out Of Control

That’s me these days. At least I like to think it is. Checking off those tedious and lingering to-do list items that I’ve been meaning to do forever, and taking names. So how about a Friday smorgasbord post? The funny thing is that just a few days ago we got a comment that said “hey I miss your Dude Get On That Already updates – will those ever come back?” Do you guys remember those? Where I’d finally get around to tackling something that had been sitting around waiting to get done (usually just painting or hanging something) and I’d share a little update – like this wall plaque, this box, this coat hook, and

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How To Install A Pull Out Trash Can

Thanks for all of your thoughts and suggestions on the beginnings of our pantry project on Tuesday. We’re kind of swimming in ideas for what to do, but for starters we knew we wanted to take everything out (even the door off its hinges) to begin the process of priming and painting. And, thanks to the conversation between Sherry and I that Tuesday’s post sparked, one thing that won’t be going back into the pantry is our trash can. Instead, it’s gonna go into this cabinet right here. This the cabinet on the end of our peninsula, facing in towards the prep area (as opposed to the eating area). Just ignore all of the pantry

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What To Splurge On & What To Save On?

We get this question a ton, and although it’s completely one of those varies-by-every-scenario things (we might splurge on one mirror because we love it and can’t find anything like it for less, but then save on another mirror because we fall in love with it for $5 at a yard sale), we thought we could attempt to answer it as simply as we could. With a junkload of words and bullets and lists. You know how we do. Of course the words “splurge” and “save” can have wildly different definitions according to the individual. For example, one person might consider a splurge to be hiring out some custom built-ins to the tune of $5,000

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Adding Extra Shelves And A Microwave To The Pantry

There’s a party in my pantry. And everyone’s invited. Although, it’s not really a party. And the pantry is far too small to host any sort of gathering. Hmmm. This invitation is going over just about as smoothly as Brick Tambland’s. But back to the pantry. See it there, hiding in the back of the kitchen by the fridge? This is the only “before” I could find of it with the door open. By all the wallpaper and brown trim I could’ve sworn this was from before we moved in, but something about it being stocked with our mess of food tells me this is post-move. #sherlocking Regardless of when the photo was snapped, you

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Fab Freebie: Cupid’s Bar

Valentine’s Day is Friday and since we can’t take you all out to a romantic dinner for two, we’re giving away $500 worth of jewelry courtesy of BaubleBar. Their site is well stocked with an ever-updating array of necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, and even some handy storage items. You can shop by what’s trending, what’s new, and even by what’s on tap from their notable “guest bartenders.” Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. It might take a second to load, but it should eventually pop up below this paragraph. And there’s a chance to win another $500 over on Style Me Pretty today, too. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States

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Adding Crown Molding Around Built-In Bookcases

We hoped to have all of the nursery’s extra chunky crown molding painted, cut, hung, caulked, and touched up by the end of the weekend, and we just made it by the skin of our teeth (where did that gross expression come from anyway?). Crown is always one of the those “it’ll be nice” things on a to-do list, and then whenever we add it we’re blown away by how much of a difference it makes. Even the most basic and boxy rooms suddenly look taller and just generally upgraded in a surprisingly significant way. Which we always appreciate since a lot of the rooms in our homes have been devoid of amazing architecture (no

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How To Pick An Exterior Paint Color

When we last updated you on the progress of the showhouse that we’re working on for Habitat For Humanity (you can read more about it here, here, and here), its exterior was largely complete and it was awaiting some paint. Well, then it snowed for three weeks in a row, which is a complete rarity in Richmond, so while we continued to scurry around finalizing materials like light fixtures, tile, and cabinetry (more on that here), we weren’t able to update you on our color choice. UNTIL NOW! Can you tell I’m EXCITED?! Get those jazz hands up, y’all. We knew from the get-go that we wanted it to be in the navy family with

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