Had the same debate when I redid my backyard last year. At first, I went with smart bulbs in the outdoor fixtures—seemed easy, but honestly, replacing...

Funny you mention the neighbor’s cat—mine has a knack for finding freshly oiled wood, too. Last summer, I tried to keep my new pine table looking perf...

I get the appeal of a bold, unified look, but I’ve seen the flip side too. Sometimes when a neighborhood goes all-in on a trend—like rainbow gutters—i...

Totally agree on the lighting—string lights are a game changer. When I redid my own basement, I was tempted by the black ceiling trend but chickened o...

Couldn’t agree more about the “lived-in clean”—sometimes you just have to pick your battles, especially with pets running around. I used to obsess ove...

If it helps, I’ve been in your shoes—spent way too long agonizing over lighting, only to end up with something that looked great but was a pain to cle...

I get the appeal of thorny shrubs—definitely more attractive than mesh—but honestly, I've had mixed results with them. My dog is pretty determined (or...

I've never had much luck with magnetic holders either, but honestly, I think placement isn't the only factor. Even if you get it perfectly secure, the...

Great tips on the aluminum channels—I second that. Another sneaky trick I've found helpful is placing LED strips under floating shelves or cabinets. I...

Yeah, climate definitely plays a big role. I flipped a house in Florida once, and even a relatively new deck had some nasty surprises underneath due t...

I've definitely had my share of tough inspectors. One time, I had a guy who flagged every tiny detail—felt like he was just looking for reasons to say...

Did something similar on a smaller scale with a fixer-upper a while back. Worked well, but yeah, the stairs thing caught me off guard too. Ended up...