If you think you need two sinks in the bathroom you share with your spouse, you might want to have a chat with Asheville’s Sally Spiegel. She’ll convince you otherwise.[…]

“I want your job.” “I wish I could do what you do.” “Your job is so cool!” I have the privilege of living out what many folks experience vicariously through magazine before and after pictures, cruising around on Houzz, pinning on Pinterest boards and watching one of the many renovation shows on television. If I […]

It’s been a while. I’ve been wondering how I’d do this again. As some of you may know my sister died by suicide on the first day of this year. I loved her dearly. In the trenches of grief I have known how dark and difficult life can be and also how real light and […]

When I first met this home, redoing the kitchen was not even on the table (no pun intended). My clients moved to the area with new jobs and two very small children in tow moons ago. When they bought their home -a traditional-style spec house in a new neighborhood- it was right for a young, […]

Dear Sally: My master bedroom closet is a mess. It’s a walk-in, but needs some major work to make it workable and efficient for my husband and me. I’ve talked to several of my friends about it, and most of them have encouraged me to talk to a closet company. I’m skeptical. Would it […]

Dear Sally: My husband has recently inherited a wonderful home that has been in his family for several generations. It’s a circa 1890 home in a desirable historic neighborhood. My husband has always loved the house (it is quite wonderful) and because we liked the area, we decided to move our family and make […]

Some of you may have noticed that the blog took a little time off in September. Though I may have fallen behind on posts, I kept insanely busy in my work life: adding new staff, starting new projects, helping kids transition into middle school and looking toward an extremely booked autumn. Next week, I’ll […]

Here’s how a home renovation happens on television: a designer or contractor visits a messy, outdated home and proposes elaborate, often out of your financial reach, changes. There is limited, if any, discussion, the amiable homeowners easily agree on said changes and are whisked off for a luxurious weekend trip out of […]

This Old House - I love old houses. I love the way they look. I love the way they feel. I love the particular challenges of updating them without losing style or character. Old houses are the world I live in by preference and by personal geography. I will be happy to tell you everything […]

Dear Sally: Just over a year ago, my partner and I finally finished a major renovation of our home. We worked with a contractor for some of the projects and did other parts ourselves over long weekends. It looks beautiful, but lately we’ve noticed some problems, cracks appearing over doorways, separation where there […]

The Truth About Paneling (Faux Real) So you’ve bought your dream house and it is beautiful. There are spacious rooms, high ceilings, plenty of light and almost enough charming architectural detail to make you forget the depressing, ugly and retro (in that way that no one wants to be retro) paneling. […]

You don’t need to have kids to know that it’s hard work being a mom. Because seriously, it’s hard work. Our kids are wonderful. We love and support them in all their endeavors, even when middle school does turn them into crazy people. Being a Mom is a full-time job even if you’re also […]

With temperatures warming up, you might check out the cooler side of the color wheel to make your home the kind of place you want to chill out all summer long.

Dear Sally: My husband and I recently bought a mid-1930s bungalow in a historic small town neighborhood. It’s a rambling old place with a lot of charm and, if I’m honest, a lot of things that need updating. We’re about to start working on the kitchen. The existing cabinets are solid pine, mostly […]

Dear Sally, I’m the owner of an older home (built 1928) and my husband and I have started a renovation process of our downstairs. We’re still pretty early on in construction, but I’ve started to look fairly seriously at paint colors. It’s important to us that the house looks updated. But we collect a lot […]

There’s a place for subtlety and there’s and place to be bold. And sometimes that’s in the same room. You don’t have to paint your kitchen bright pink to get a kick (although I am dying to do a pink kitchen). You just add little color, a little pop to draw the eye and voila! […]

It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time to haul out the holly and get that egg nog out to all your party guests decked out in their best festive duds. Odds are you’ll have a chance to don your gay apparel and sample the crab dip between now and the New Year’s. If you’re […]

Dear Sally: My husband and I have been remodeling the downstairs of our home over the past few months. Our contractor originally estimated that the job would be completed by the middle of October. As is often the case, we’ve had several unforeseen complications that delayed the construction process. This is no one’s fault—our […]

Some things are just better when they’re secret–romantic spots, designer sales, guilty pleasures and hiding places (to name a few). Sure, small storage spaces, cubby holes and hidden appliances can be functional space-saving features. But hiding an HVAC supply vent in a period-inspired filing cabinet or making a sewing machine disappear can also feel a […]

Dear Sally: I have lived in my house a few years, and I am finally getting around to thinking about a backsplash in the kitchen. We have a convection stove, concrete countertops and plenty of sunlight. But something is still missing. Since our kitchen is new and my home improvement talents are few, I definitely […]