We recently realized we don’t need as much space as we have. How did we end up buying a house that’s too large? What made this clearer now, and what square footage would feel just right for us? In this episode we talk through the moment we noticed we’d gone off track during our house hunt, and we share what rooms we could easily live without. We also take you behind the scenes of a recent charity makeover for three deserving kids and explain why things have finally turned a corner at the beach house. Sherry hunted for the perfect Mother’s Day gift while John discovered an exterior gadget that left us all speechless — it’s honestly mesmerizing.

If you listen to the episode, you’ll find links, notes, and photos referenced on this page. Below are highlights, photos, and a few updates from our recent projects and trips.

What’s New

• Those three photos are sneak peeks of the kids’ rooms we designed for the ASK Childhood Cancer charity showhouse. It was a privilege to design for real kids — their personalities guided the rooms instead of hypothetical design briefs. We’re working on a full blog post with photos and details, which should be up in a few days.
• This project is part of the annual Richmond Homearama event. Years ago we designed an entire house for the same show; if you’re curious about past projects you can find the original tour online. The Homearama runs Wednesday through Sunday over the next two weekends, ending May 20th, and it’s a great way to see a lot of design work in one place.

• If you want to learn more about the ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation, check their site to see ways to volunteer, donate, or get involved. They do meaningful work for families who really need support.
• We also spent a productive weekend in Cape Charles where we made progress on the beach house and enjoyed Historic Garden Week on the Eastern Shore. The first two photos below are from a huge estate whose gardens date back to the 1800s and whose house has roots in the late 1600s.

• We also toured a lovely home in town with a curved wraparound porch; interior photos weren’t allowed, but the exterior was inspiring. Another highlight was the youth garden’s “Blessing of the Worms,” where kids each dropped a cup of dirt with a blessed worm into raised beds — a joyful, hands-on gardening moment.

• We squeezed in a beach visit (it was nearly 80°F and the bay is shallow, so it felt warm) and capped the trip with a stop at the new candy store downtown. We also reflected on an HGTV episode that filmed near the beach house before we owned it; small-world moments like that are part of why these places feel special.

Email Newsletter

• We launched an email newsletter last week to share updates, tips, and quick recaps of things you might have missed. It’s a simple way to catch up on our latest projects and announcements — thanks to everyone who has signed up already.

Our Too Big House

• The photo above shows the bonus room we finished, which added usable square footage. Now that it’s complete, it’s one of several spaces we realize we could live without. That realization has sparked a broader rethink about how much house we actually want and need.
• Below are thumbnail links to tours of our first house, our second house, and our current house. Looking back, photos can be deceiving: our second house looks small in street shots but actually had about the same square footage as our current home because of a large addition at the back.

• Are you happy with your current home size? For us it’s been eye-opening to realize that “more” doesn’t always mean “better.” We’re curious how others feel: did you equate value with square footage when shopping for a house, or did you focus on layout and usability?

We’re Digging

One little product that impressed us recently is the Pocket Hose, an ultra-light expandable hose that stores compactly and is easy to manage for watering plants at the beach house. I may have hyped it up a bit, but its convenience for seasonal use is undeniable. A quick note: reviews online are mixed, with some users reporting leaks, so we’ll update you if we see problems. There are alternatives that tend to get slightly better reviews if you want other options.

• Sherry ordered a delicate necklace for her mom for Mother’s Day that represents four grandchildren; they also sell a version representing two parents or grandparents if you prefer a different symbol.

Finally, thanks to West Elm LOCAL Experiences for sponsoring this episode. They’re running a giveaway and hosting local maker events that celebrate small-scale makers and DIY culture — initiatives we really appreciate. Thanks for listening and for following along with our projects. *This post contains affiliate links*