Yup, after months of working on a little behind the scenes blog makeover (not kidding, this stuff literally takes us months) we’ve FINALLY let ‘er rip. Like any project, there were unexpected delays: mysterious coding glitches, inexplicable site crashes (thanks for your patience on those, btw), an earthquake and even a hurricane to round things out. But before we let another excuse get in our way, we decided to just go for it. It’s not 100% done. It may crash the site again. There could be a blizzard next week. Who knows.
It’s actually surprising to us that we haven’t done this sooner. We’ve had the same exact blog look/background/layout since the spring of 2008 (if you can believe it). It seemed silly that we’ve been through so many room re-paintings, furniture re-arrangings, and even a move to a whole new house… but hadn’t so much as changed the background pattern for three whole years. So it was definitely time. It just sort of felt like we were wearing old clothes that didn’t quite fit anymore. So although we know there are probably folks out there who will miss the old look (we’re sentimental creatures too) we’re excited to finally put on a fresh new outfit.
Here’s a little bit of what we were hoping to accomplish with the new design:
- Update the look (colors/patterns/typefaces) to be more reflective of our design choices in the new house
- Make the header more inclusive of the things we blog about (folks kept saying it just represented the “house” part of our name)
- Lighten up a bit, since the old color scheme was feeling a bit dull & heavy at moments
- Improve navigation and help you guys discover content more easily
- Overall just make the site feel fresher, more 2011 and less 2008
So this is what our amateur web designing skills came up with. So far we really love it, even though there are definitely things we’re still trying to finesse. We’ve been tweaking it for the past several weeks, so we’re kinda used to it by now – but we understand if some of you are still skeptical of the change. Think of it like rearranging a room or painting a wall – you might just need to give it a few days to get used to it.
When it comes to the actual header, we photographed a collection of objects that had special meaning to us on white cardstock outside (you know we love keeping things personal). In case you can’t figure it all out on your own, here’s the meaning behind each item:
- Photostrips have always been something we’ve enjoyed, hence their appearance at our wedding
- Clara and Burger are as much a part of this blog as any DIY project, so their picture was a must
- A little wooden “C” block for Clara and a small bone-shaped dog treat (on the other side) were another way to tie them in
- Sherry and I met in 2004 when we lived in NYC, so the little wooden skyscraper and taxi cabs remind us of those early days
- We’re cheap. So we save our pennies. Hence the change, which actually adds up to seven cents – which is a lucky number of ours (plus the dates on each of the pennies are 2007, which is when we started this little ol’ blog)
- We live in (and love) Richmond. So we tossed in a little Richmond magnet. Represent.
- Paint swatches and fabric samples = our idea of a good time. So we picked a few that felt like our current house/style
- There’s not a much more sentimental object than the key to our house (although we altered the tip of it in Photoshop because we’re paranoid)
- Of course we also squeezed in a photo of our current house (had to have that happy yellow door in there somewhere)
- A white ceramic rhino is kind of our mascot at this point (at least behind Burger and our dearly departed ceramic dog).
When it comes to the background, we actually created that as an homage to our previous logo (you know that little YHL heart? the background is actually just a gazillion of those laid out at all different angles to make an abstract-ish pattern). And as for the actual functional changes that we made, here they are:
1. We added a new side-deal called Young House Life (see the “Life” title under the header on the right?) to serve as sort of a “mundane everyday happenings area” where we mostly share Clara & Burger pics/videos along with behind the scenes blog stuff and other odds and ends that aren’t beefy enough for a dedicated YHL post over here (you know we love to over-share). But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean Clara, Burger, and other life stuff (vacations, anniversaries, etc) will suddenly be gone from the main site. Those things have always been a huge part of who we are, so they stay. Just think of Young House Life is a little “bonus footage” spot. Oh and it has a separate feed address for you to subscribe to as well (if you’d like to get those updates on your reader).
2. We finally made a paint color page about all of the ones we’ve used in this house and linked to it from our sidebar (like this one that we made for our first house).
3. We also made a dedicated source list for where we got nearly everything in this house (like this one that we made for our first house) and also linked that up on the sidebar.
4. We tossed in a Fav. Posts button, also on the sidebar (with little thumbnails and links). We intend to update it every month or so with new faves (since we’re fickle folks and because we’ve also heard from a bunch of readers who’d love to see more archive stuff, but aren’t sure what’s worth digging around for).
5. We also added a Videos button on the sidebar, which shows thumbnails of a few of them. All of our videos used to be accessible from the bar under the header, but we moved some other stuff up there and thought videos could breathe better down below – so now you can access them all by clicking the link at the bottom of this button.
6. We added a Giving Back button to share the love for three charities that we’re thrilled to support, each of which were chosen because they represent stuff we love (homes, kids, & dogs). We make an annual donation of $1,000 to the Richmond Habitat For Humanity along with $500 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and $500 to the Richmond SPCA (and we definitely encourage others to check them out – you can donate here, here, and here or find a local Habitat for Humanity or SPCA in your area here and here).
7. We retooled a lot of other buttons that have always been on our sidebar (like the House Crashing one) with some updated pics/type/colors. But that’s more decorative slash fun than functional. As is the new Twitter button which now goes by the name of Tweetersiks. Oh yeah, we officially out-punned Mr. Tom Petersik (my dear old dad).
8. Oh and we were inspired (by Kate over at Centsational Girl) to add a nice thorough pagination capability (so you can click back to the very first post in our archives, you know in case you have a year to spare reading 2,000+ of them).
So there it is. Of course we still have a bunch of stuff on our blog-to-do list, so here are just a few things that we’re hoping to roll out in the next few months (or years, you know how long these things can take us, haha):
- Completely “renovate” our Projects page so it has some images instead of just a ton of crazy links (can you believe we’ve tackled over 500 projects?)
- Update the designs/header on the Mood Boards and Room Gallery pages (since they’re still rocking the old tan stripes)
- Add about 100+ other makeovers to our Room Gallery (we have so many amazing Reader Redesigns in our archives to toss in)
Should keep us busy for a while. And we do have our $6 cabinets to finish. Might switch back over to DIY for at least a little bit. Web stuff is kind of fun (when you’re in the zone), but there’s nothing like paint under your nails and sawdust flying. Hope you guys like the new look. Has anyone else done a little site tweaking lately? Any new color schemes or functionality that makes you giddy in that “it’s 2:52 am and we’re still working on this post way?” Not that we are. That would be irresponsible parenting.
Steph Blachowiak says
Love (love, love, love) that you included the ASPCA on the donate portion of your blog. You guys are truely awesome!
Brittany C. says
Beware oncoming creeper comment…but the new design reminds me of the mirror in Clara’s room, and how you didn’t notice the hearts until after you spray painted it!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh I forgot all about that! Totally! And you’re not a creeper, you’re just observant. Haha.
xo,
s
rhiannon says
it looks so much more awesome! and you guys were always more punch and colorful than those drab tan stripes. i’m lovin’ this.
Natalie says
I love, love, LOVE the new look!!!
Gray and turquoise are my favorite. :) Plus, now everything on your site now feels really fresh and inviting. And I love all of the little extras.
Well done! :)
Jessie says
Heyyy! This isn’t so much about the post (although I do love the new layout!!!), but it is worth your time, ha! I actually saw something on Pinterest (you got me hooked, Sherry!) and it made me think of you guys! A possible present for Little Miss Sherdog?
https://www.fancyfrenchcologne.com/shop/products/hand-made/seamstress-bracelet/
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so cute! I love it.
xo,
s
Kelly says
Well I haven’t had quite a year, but I have made it from the beginning of your archives to December 2010 since starting to read a few posts (sometimes months of posts) a night! (I’m a teacher, so I’ve had lots of free time. :)) A few days ago, I realized that the format had changed on how the archives were viewed from one month to another and thought something might be up! Looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much for reading all the way from the beginning to Dec of 2010! You’ve made some serious progress. So funny that you knew something was up when we started tooling around with stuff! Haha.
xo,
s
Noelle says
I know you were joking, but… I actually did go back last year and read all the way back to when you started the blog. I’m not a stalker, I promise. I just really love your blog … and I may or may not have at that time had a horribly boring job that couldn’t hold my attention for 8 hours a day.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s amazing. Anyone who can make it all the way through deserves some sort of medal. Or a ceramic animal. Haha.
xo,
s
Shannon says
I’ve been following your blog since early 2008 and when I visited today I thought something was wrong and you had been taken over! Usually I resist change, but I am digging the new look! Great job!
Belle says
Love it! After an initial ‘OMG! But I liked the old one!’ i liked it and love that it’s really who you are. Also loving the life section (cue stalker music. ok you’re my poster couple for happiness ok!)
Two teeny weeny suggestions:
1. When you rollover the navigation on a Mac using Firefox (havent tested other browsers, thought i’d be specific in case) the link text goes to a darker colour of the header – but it’s so similar to the header (on this set up anyway) that you can’t read the font anymore. Boo :-/
2. When you click the ‘leave a comment’ text at the top of each comments section it just moves you to the first comment, rather than to the comment box at the base of the page.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the good suggestions, Belle! We’ve fixed the navigation text so it’s more readable, but sadly the comment thing is something we haven’t been able to get to work quite right. Maybe someday!
-john
Kate (&Ben) says
I don’t normally comment, but I really love the new design. It’s fantastic, the muted brights are very fitting.
Also, by wondering around the site I reacquainted with the many reasons why I first started reading regularly a few years ago. You two are adorable and I love that you try to remain as authentic as possible. Your history in the DIY biz and your success with home improvement now is the best argument i have against my Rock Star for our plans in our newly bought (we signed TODAY!! [eep!!!]) house.
Best wishes for your family now and in the future.
[end ultra-cheese fest]
-K
YoungHouseLove says
Aw schmanks Kate (and Ben). You’re sweet. And good luck with your newly bought (wahoo! signed today!) house!
xo,
s
RachelSD says
LOVING the new archive feature that allows me to more easily read through a month at a time (I am slowly making my way from your earliest post to present… stuck in September 2008, and couldn’t be happier about it because it means there are still so many more entries to enjoy!).
Love, love, love your blog. I read it last on my list in the morning because “gotta save the best for last.” :) Congrats on the new design.
Annika says
Looking good!
Kim says
Love the new look! Not that you are taking suggestions, but I think you should put the house photo in the center, since that is the main part of your blog, and the reason for it existing. And I would put it straight rather than so angled, but keep it the smaller size. But I know you guys like to do your own thing! Love the fun new items, love young house life, too.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the suggestion Kim! We placed those items a bunch of different ways and seemed to like the layout we landed on best (when the house photo got towards the middle it seemed to complete with the title, so we kept photos on the two sides and the title in the middle so it hopefully doesn’t look too cluttered!
xo,
s
Elle says
I like the new look. Clara and Burger are special DIY projects!
alison says
Fantastic! The personal touches in the banner are incredibly sweet and I love how you added the heart from the old title to the wallpaper (I think that is what you call the area on the sides).
Marian says
I love the new look guys. I’ve been hooked on YHL since the article in the Washington Post this May(?) Yup, a NOVA girl. But I thought it was fun to hear all the little details about your banner, etc. I am building my own “barn sale”/craft/art show for this November and was working on web stuff yesterday, so it was fun to hear about your coding adventures. I am new to the online art world and just emerged as a professional collagist last year, so thanks for being such excellent mentors on how to present my stuff to the world.
Maky says
The ;) smiley tab jumped out at me first when I came across the new design (yeah, I’m weird like that, blame the parents). It’s just like you guys to make this blog so very special by telling US we rock! (when we all know that YOU are the ones that rock, slate, tile… ahm… you know what I mean!)
LOVE the redesign, the ‘restructure’ of everything and am so very, very happy to be able to move through the archive pages now in this simplified way!
Having read through your entire blog backwards last year, I can definitely see this being a megahit!
Any chances to get a forum/message board on here? I’d love to be able to have a place where I could exchange ideas with other readers – Facebook just isn’t really that kind of place, I found. Obviously that would mean a lot more work for you but I figured I’d ask :)
Well done, you guys – as with everything you do, this is another resounding success!
YoungHouseLove says
We have definitely toyed around with the idea of forums (we love how you guys chat and help each other, even here in the comments) but have found that it might be too much for us to handle when it comes to maintaining them (there’s a lot of coding and spamming that goes on, so removing junk and hacking issues can easily eat up 30+ hours a week). We’re still holding out hope that we can figure out how to make them work someday – maybe when the software gets a little more self sufficient! We’d love to figure it out!
xo,
s
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Not another earthquake! Did you guys feel this one??
YoungHouseLove says
I’m usually the one who feels everything (I woke up for some aftershocks last week) but we both slept right through it. Maybe because we were up until 3am on Tuesday night launching the new site design. We were soooo tired. Haha.
xo,
s
Courtney says
Love the changes! Feels clean and can see the ads better (which I know has to be pretty important!) Sure do love you guys – thank you for sharing your life with us. :)
Pamela says
Shoot, I’m not seeing wallpaper hearts on my home computer (fairly new laptop), other than a strip of hearts at the bottom of the page where the “Powered by” & “Copyright” info., etc. is listed. Whaa?? Dangit! Wonder how I can get the super-cute wallpaper hearts to show where they’re supposed to? (I’m so visual). :) I adore your fresh new format & colors, though, & appreciate all the tremendous work & time that y’all have invested in the updates, so thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Are you using Internet Explorer version 7 or later, or Safari or Firefox? If it’s an older version of any of those it might not load correctly, but if you upgrade to a new browser (it’s free!) you should hopefully see everything! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Cortney says
YES it looks awesome. Seems to have a bit more personality to match you guys and your awesome style. Great job!
Christine says
Better late than never…LOVE the new layout! I really appreciate how everything you use has a special meaning to you. Very cool!
Nicole @ Wonderful Joy Ahead says
Love the new look! It’s fresh, clean, represents you, and very easy to navigate, making it perfect for people new to the site (which is your goal, right?). Job well done! I imagine it feels GREAT to get this checked off your list of to-do’s.
P.S. It’s fun to see Clara in action, especially since she’s close to my daughter’s age. Of course, being a mom, I casually compare milestones with every other child close to her age (not to criticize or anything… just to see how things are different).
P.P.S. My 2 cents: Maybe at some point you could put a little link someplace to show chronological archives to browse by date.
P.P.P.S. It’s my 2nd day with the new site, and I haven’t any issues with things loading; Chrome browser, Mac OS=Lion. Just wanted to throw that out there in case you’re trying to trouble-shoot why things aren’t working for others.
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! So glad everything is loading and working for ya! As for a link to chronological archives to browse by date, there’s a little tab that says “archives” on that sidebar button with our faces on it. Just click that to browse our archives by date! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Alanna L. says
Love what you all have done! I’m sure that was a lot of work, but it paid off! :)
I have an idea that could be cool and useful, but A LOT of work for you guys– an interactive clickable tour of each room. Readers could highlight walls, closets, light fixtures, etc, that would bring them to the corresponding post from that individual project.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah- that would totally be amazing someday! It sounds really hard to code, but I wouldn’t put anything past my genius hubby! Haha.
xo,
s
Susan says
The banner looks a little pixelated. Is that just me?
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone else having this issue?
xo,
s
Marcy says
LOVE the new blog update! Thanks so much for being such a great inspiration! I always rave to my fiance about all the projects you take on. Thank heaven for your blog, otherwise I probably wouldn’t make it through the work day! =)
Amber says
I love the new look…it does seem to be “more you.” You guys did a great job! I don’t comment too often but just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it each day :) Keep up the good work!
Clare says
LOVE love love! I still loved the old design, but this one is just so you guys…and I love the life tab too!
Julie B says
Just my 2 cents. I am totally not trying to be a party pooper. I like the new header w/ the things that are your family…but the white backround makes it hard to differentiate the other lighter colored items. Kind of washed out. But…all this could be my “lady of a certain age” eyeballs!
J
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry Julie! We’re learning that colors read so differently on different monitors, so we’re trying to balance not making things read too bright or too light (since everyone sees them differently). Still tweaking though- here’s hoping we end up somewhere nice for all!
xo,
s
Amy says
Absolutely love the new look! And seriously love your site – it’s one of my few “dailies”. You snagged me as a loyal reader with your peacock blue bedroom: I had picked the same color out for our (1st) new house and was searching for “real” images when I stumbled onto your site (thanks, Google). I’ve been hooked ever since (even though I’m pretty sure this is my first comment).
Peggy says
love the changes! the colours are so fresh =)
Ruth Ellen says
you can get free key “rejects” at most hardware stores. My pre-schoolers liked to play with them on key chains when playing House outside. But I’ve seen diy projects with them as well. Hardware stores usually toss key copies that never worked or weren’t copied correctly.
Barbara says
Three words….I LOVE IT! Yes I shouted that! Lol
Rachel says
It looks wonderful! I always loved the old design, but this is fresh and new. It’s so funny, just last week I updated my blog design too. Similar color schemes, even! I wanted to match our kitty (silver fur, yellow eyes) and the outfit our baby was wearing in our new family portrait.
I love that your tiled background is your YHL heart all over…I had no idea until you said it! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Your site looks awesome too! Love using the kitty as inspiration!
xo,
s
Jessica says
You know what would be amazing? And I’m not sure if someone already mentioned this or not… but I LOVE what you did with the heart background. You should totally get that printed on a fabric!
YoungHouseLove says
I’m with ya! I keep telling John that I want to order some from spoonflower!
xo,
s
Colie says
I think that header i missing a can of ORB lol! But i love it
Bridgette says
Been a couple of posts since this…and I love it. It is a more crisp and clean look. It was neat you included the things that you guys love and what represents you as a family. I am on my way to subscribe to your new “life” blog and look forward to the changes in the future.
Kayla Black says
LOVE the new layout!! It seems much more you!! a nice breath of fresh air!
Nellene says
Did I overlook something or is Burgers blog link gone? I hope not, that was one of my favorite things!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Burger’s blog still exists (www.hamburgershouse.com) but since he hasn’t updated it in a year we figured he would be represented more by Young House Life (where he’ll pop up in pics and videos – there’s a great one of him and Clara and another one of him doing a “leave it” trick).
xo,
s
Emma says
I logged on when I usually do here in Australia which I think is about the 3am mark in the US when you guys hit the go button! I saw it change before my very eyes! At first I loved the grey muted background, then you explained it was the YHL hearts and I loved it even more! So cool. Am loving the Life mini-blog too…and the header…and the Tweetersiks…and the new sidebar action…love it ALL! So fresh and inviting. Can’t believe you did it all yourselves, I thought you’d get pro’s for sure :) Who am I kidding, as if!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- you’re so sweet! So glad you like it- and got to be one of the first ones to see it!
xo,
s
Natasha says
I love the new look! Its’s so fresh!!
Emma says
I’m not sure if this has already been asked but what is the font you’ve used for the header? Thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s Ostrich Sans for the Young House Love and Apple Symbols for the tagline. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rosanne says
STEAM ME UP!
Looking forward to campfires (aw-just the smell!) and the yummy things you roast on it.
patty says
I love the new design!! But one thing I have a question about (really nothing to do w/ the blog design): How do I know when/if you’ve responded to my question in the ‘comments’ section. You have answered every question (thank you J&S, btw) – but sometimes I’ll forget which post or what page I posted a question on, which leaves me sifting through thousands of comments. Is there any way that when you respond to an individual’s question, the answer can be emailed to them? Since we give you our email anyway? Or may I just have to keep better track if I was roughly at the beginning of the comments, the middle or the end of an old post…
Either way, just something to consider from a reader’s perspective.
Great job on the “refreshed blog”!! :)
YoungHouseLove says
We tried to add that email alert capability and it routinely crashed our site every time. So sad! We’re still working on it, but in the meantime folks have mentioned that they have luck remembering what page of comments their question is on (that never changes) and then just go back into that page and either scroll or use a search command to find their name. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica says
So, I’ve read that you guys code most of the site yourself, right? Did you ever write a post about how to do that? If not, I’d love to see one! It sounds like a huge undertaking to write about that, though, so no pressure. What did you read to teach yourself? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
We’ve actually got something to that effect in the works for next week’s blogiversary. So stay tuned!
-John
tyler says
Looks great! I like the font(s) too :)
Sarah says
Ha ha! I actully have been reading all the archived posts…. Since the end of April.
And I have a 7 Month old… So it doesn’t quite take a year…
There: an odd fract for YHL
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Love it.
xo,
s
Karen says
Hi Youngsters!
I just have to say that, in perusing this post, I definitely had a little giggle over this statement about the pagination update: “you know in case you have a year to spare reading 2,000+ of them.”
Now is confession time, as well as an explanation as to why I’m commenting on a year old post with no obvious linkage (like the faves posts). I discovered your blog a couple weeks ago now (I think, I didn’t exactly write down the date or anything – I’m not THAT obsessed). Long story short, my job involves a lot of time sitting at my desk waiting for something to actually work on (fun, right?), so in the last couple of months, I’ve managed to go through a good bit of my (by no means small) collection of long fiction novels. Coming to the end of my collection, I began to get rather desperate for some more reading material. Enter your blog, at the most opportune moment! I decided that 750+ pages of excessively long blog posts about decorating would be a fabulous way to fill a few weeks of time that would otherwise be spent staring at the walls of my cubicle (as a reference, most books in the 500+ page range last me less than a week). So, I have now read my way through 600+ pages (this post is currently on page 140 btw), and and quickly closing in on the present. Exciting and sad at the same time.
All of that to say, I was originally not really intending to post (I’m in general a fly under the radar kind of person), and if I did, I certainly wasn’t going to confess to going back and reading through every. single. post. (well, I did start skipping some of the design dilemmas and fab freebies posts). Because really. That’s just crazy/stalkerish. But I felt compelled after reading this post to let you know that there is someone crazy/bored enough at work (not stalkerish, I swears) to do just that, and that it did not actually take a year. Only a 2-3 weeks (so far). Now that this post is also excessively long (yay for massive word counts!), I figure I should probably wrap it up.
Thanks for being so fun and writing this blog that has entertained me for the last few weeks (and given me some fun ideas for decorating mine and my hubby’s apartment).
Much appreciation,
Karen
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it Karen! And you’ll be thrilled to know you’re not the only one. We grin from ear to ear whenever we hear that someone “made it through!” – haha. I think we should make t-shirts to send out that say “I survived the YHL archives.” Hahaha.
xo,
s