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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The New DSLR Camera We Bought

You guys get extra credit for being especially perceptive, because as some of you have noticed, we got a new camera (we weren’t paid or perked, we just bought it with our own benjamins for reasons I’m about to explain). It’s a Nikon 3200 that we purchased on Amazon (here’s an affiliate link to the same model we bought) – basically the latest version of our previous DSLR, the Nikon 3000 that we got back in early 2010. The reason for the upgrade? Well, let’s just say the resident klutz around here (that’s me) finally klutz-ed it up a bit too much for our poor camera to handle. Can I get a womp womp? It actually happened back

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Fab Freebie: Moore Candice To Love

*** This contest is now closed – see who won below!*** And this week’s random winner is… Stacy (who says “when I was little, I got the local radio dj’s autograph and thought I was so cool! Looking back, it is just funny how silly it was!”). Congrats Stacy! We love us some Candice Olson (and still pinch ourselves that our faces share a webpage with her over on BenjaminMoore.com). So we sweet talked our way into a little Benjamin Moore / Candice Olson prize for you guys – including a signed copy of her latest book, Candice Olson Bedrooms. So once you’ve torn yourself away from petting her signature (not that we’d do that,

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A Small Bathroom Update With Teal Glass Tile

The bathroom makeover below that Gemma sent us impresses us for lots of reasons – the cool dark mirror choice, the attention to detail in using some of the shower tile over the sink, etc, etc. But what gets me the most is that the gorgeous vanity you’ll see, which was built from scratch. Color me impressed. Better yet, color me the greeny-grey color they used because it’s awesome. Here’s her letter: Hey John & Sherry! My hubby and I have just recently re-hauled our bathroom. What was a boring and beige space (and seriously outdated) has now become fresh, sleek, and classic. The whole project was a DIY affair – from the plumbing, to

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How We Film & Edit Our Blog Videos

You may have noticed that we share the occasional video or two… or 80-ish, if you’re counting things on our video page: And just like we did with this post with our Photoshop tips, I’m finally back to share some insight into how we go about making these clips since a bunch of you fellow bloggers/family-paparazzos asked for some pointers. Just like with photography, we’re not experts and it feels like there’s lots of room to grow in our video shooting and editing skills, but we were hoping our little rundown might help a few folks out there, whether you’d like to incorporate more video into your blogging routine or are just trying to better

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August Superlatives: Accidents & Fish Baskets

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! That means that both summer and the month of August are coming to a close. Let’s all shed a communal tear. But before we mentally check out for the long weekend, it always helps us keep the ol’ momentum up by taking an appreciative look back on all of our happenings from last month (along with some bonus never-before-seen stuff). It definitely inspires us to keep plugging away, plus it makes browsing our archives a lot easier (you can read back through January of 2011 right here in just 19 posts instead of 665). Woot! And below you’ll also find a hint about Monday’s giveaway, so feel free to guess

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A Sunroom Makeover With Wood Tile By Jenna Sue

Maybe this is just me trying to hang on to every last vestige of summer. Maybe it’s me wanting a big sunroom makeover (we haven’t even touched ours since we moved in). Or maybe it’s just that Jenna Sue has a knack for awesome makeovers (you may remember her entryway transformation). Whatever the reason, feast your sunshine-loving eyes on this cheerful update. Here’s her letter: Hello once again! Our sunroom began with white walls, green trim, carpet and a sagging ceiling. We removed the ceiling, added insulation and fresh new humidity resistant drywall (which I painted a light blue and added recessed speakers and lights). And we replaced the carpet with gray ‘wood’ tile planks.

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Fab Freebie: Bliss Full

***This giveaway is now closed – see who won below!*** Thanks to random.org, the person who’s about to experience $750 worth of bliss is… Eryka (who also finds bliss in clean sheets and sleeping in!). Congrats! Who doesn’t love a good house splurge? Especially when it’s blissfully free because you win it. This week’s prize comes from Bliss Home & Design, a high-end home furnishings boutique that curates luxurious furniture, accessories, bedding, and antiques that blend old-world craftsmanship and timeless style. Basically, tons of statement pieces that can take any corner of your room and immediately posh it up. And did I mention that they’re giving away a $750 store credit? Not a bad way

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How To Build A Deck

The deck is officially done. Sound the celebratory cowbells! I actually finished it on Friday and we’ve spent the last few days crossing all appendages and waiting for an inspection (I couldn’t bear to share my triumph until I was actually sure it was a to-code triumph). The inspection finally happened yesterday afternoon, and – ta-da! – we passed. Relief flooded over me like all the sweat that I put into building this thing (lesson learned: build decks in the spring or fall). Here she is in all of her wood-riddled, approved-by-the-county glory: It’s definitely an upgrade from the tiny rotting balcony that we started with: We thought it’d be great to have it done

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Fab Freebie: Get Your Fixture Fix

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** And the random person getting their fixture fix this week is… Anne L (who simply described the problem in her bathroom as: “Pink carpet in bathroom?! Nasty!”) Congrats Anne! Got a bathroom that could use a new faucet? Or new showerhead? Or new just about every fixture? Well then you’re in luck. The generous folks at Moen are dishing out an ENTIRE suite of bathroom fixtures in your choice of three of their most popular collections: the modern 90 Degree, the sexy Voss or the classic Boardwalk. You’ll get: Two bathroom faucets A rainshower showerhead and matching tub spout One 18-inch towel bar

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Window Shopping: High Bridges & Green Fronts

We took a little day trip last weekend to a nearby town called Farmville. It’s about an hour away from Richmond and, as the name suggests, involves driving deep into rural Central Virginia. The reason for our adventure was actual to do a family bike ride on a new rails-to-trails park that opened up around Farmville called High Bridge Trail State Park. For those of you who catch our Instagram pics on Facebook or Twitter, you saw a picture of that very (very, very) high bridge already. But coercing Sherry into riding her bike over this steel and wood skyway was my main thrill of the day. And hers was something else entirely. She was

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A Painted White Brick Fireplace In A Vaulted Living Room

Should all brick fireplaces be painted? No way. We always tell anyone who’s on the fence not to touch that brush. But if you’re 100% sure you prefer the look of painted brick, then it can be a great way to bring an airy and light vibe to a room (we sold our first house in two weeks with two painted brick fireplaces so it didn’t seem to be a resale deterrent at all). This makeover from Jamie and Ehren is all about crisping up a space – both with white fireplace paint and some darker blue paint worked in there for contrast on those awesome built-ins. Here’s their letter: Hey YoungHouseLovers! Your blog inspired

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Fab Freebie: Let’s Be Honest

*** This giveaway is closed – see who won below!*** The randomly-selected-and-very-lucky lady in this week’s giveaways is… BeccaK (who wishes “I could trust the lube & oil folks when I go for an oil change – is a radiator flush REALLY necessary?”) I’m with ya on that one Becca. Congrats! As much as we love a good looking home, we also like ours to be as good for the Bean and the Burger as possible. So this week we’re dishing out $500 worth of products from The Honest Company to keep your casa clean and green. You may know this family-friendly company thanks of their familiar-faced co-founder, the lovely Jessica Alba. And when you

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