Your Home Story

It can feel like there are so many barriers to DIY projects and home renovating in general, but we believe that not all barriers need to block you from doing what you want to your home. Ashley and Suzannah are sharing their thoughts (and skills--they differ in what they are good at) about DIY projects that are good to start with, how project costs grow, learning and having access to the right tools, and more. You are going to leave this episode with at least one of your barriers knocked down!

“Cozy” means way more than warm and snuggled up in a blanket. It can mean being present in the moment, being grateful for your home, feeling content and relaxed... but also bringing pieces into your home to accommodate that lifestyle. You’ll feel warm and fuzzy (and inspired!) after the positive vibes from this episode!

We figured it was about time to update you on what we are both up to (personal and home decor), all things ORC, and even what we are excited to talk about on the podcast over the next few months. If you love gabbing with your BFF, then this episode is for you.

Organizing your kitchen cabinets is a small-scale DIY that can make a huge difference. Today we talk through common issues for kitchen organizing, including listener questions like hard-to-reach upper cabinets, corner cabinets, deep pantry shelves, and more.

Sometimes the smallest rooms can make the biggest impact--but small doesn’t always mean easy for a DIY renovation! Tune in to hear all about Ashley’s powder bath renovation including what it ended up costing!

It happens to the best of us… overwhelm and burnout with DIY and/or design projects around our homes. It can be so hard when you want to do more to your house than you really can--physically, mentally, logistically, financially, for your health…! We’ve both been there and we have a completely honest conversation about what we’ve struggled with AND what has worked for us! There are solutions!

We talk a lot about “Your Home Story” and what the story of your spaces are. Today, Ashley is sharing all about her eat-in kitchen’s  story, from where it started (spoiler, it had blue wallpaper), to the more eclectic updates that she did a few years ago and now, to the space that she really feels is the perfect addition to her home. 

If you’ve ever wondered what a modern mansion is like inside, or what you’d choose for your home if money was no object… listen up! Ashley and Suzannah both visited multi-home tours of show homes in their areas and chat about elements they liked, trends they both saw at the respective tours, regional differences, and what we can learn by visiting these elaborate, massive homes!

Functional updates make both of us so happy. On the show today, Suzannah and Ashley are both sharing recent functional updates they have made at each of their houses. Suzannah brightened up her back entry by doing lots of grunt work and is so much better than where it started. Ashley took her over-filled coat closet and purged, painted and built a bench to help transform the space into something that they use and love. Tune in today to be inspired to tackle a mini functional update of your own.

This high-energy, fun episode will get you inspired for updating your family’s bonus spaces! A “bonus room” is a multi-purpose space that can be used as a  family room, sewing or hobby room, game room, home cinema, office, or den. They can be super functional or catch-all, to the point of not matching the rest of your home’s style. But we have tips! We talk about bigger projects for adding character and function, plus simple decor updates you may not have thought of. 

What does a kid really think about his/her room? Do they know what they want in a space JUST FOR THEM? Today’s episode is unique in that Ashley is interviewing her son, Greyson, all about his room. She’s getting ready to embark on transforming his space but wanted to get a bit of direction from him to hear what he would really enjoy having.  Hear about where the space started (it was dark pink with wallpaper) to all the DIYs they’ve done so far, plus the functional upgrades they are going to do so

Sometimes, we only have short windows of time and we want to actually accomplish something home-related in that window. The show today, is all about 2-hour house projects that you can do. We are here to inspire you to tackle a new project, start-to-finish!

This week we are hearing the inside scoop and getting tips from Suzannah’s 100% DIY “modern traditional” kitchen reno! Hear about the biggest projects and design decisions, plus... why she chose white cabinets despite being a little bored of them these days!, would she do anything different in hindsight? This project was almost “down to the studs”--hear why she kept and covered some elements. Hear her favorite finishes! And finally, you WILL be surprised what this beautiful kitchen reno cost!

Today, we are sharing all about how to design, makeover and use and love your front porch.  Suzannah shares her front porch setup and some wishes for the future (specifically with curb appeal). Ashley shares that she loves the updates that she’s done in her space, but after the talk, comes to the realization that she doesn’t actually take advantage of her space the way she would like to. 

Open shelving is all the rage! And for good reason! Ashley and Suzannah have both done open shelves in their kitchens and Suzannah is planning some more in her current kitchen reno. Kitchen open shelves need to be deep (about 10”) and sturdy, but can be made of wood, metal, or glass and can be floating or mounted with basic or beautiful brackets. There are several kinds you can DIY!, and some to consider ordering or getting custom. We share technical info on lots of options.