Today we are going to take a break from home design, travel, and real estate, to chat about something bigger. Minimalism is something that Ty and I have have been talking about for a long time (you've likely heard snippets here and there on instagram). It's about time we share why we are so adamant about implementing this new "lifestyle," and discuss the change that it has brought to our lives. 

Project #FlyingDutchmen is complete! We are so excited to begin bringing new, updated rental housing to Greater Grand Rapids, beginning in Downtown Holland. Real Estate Agent, Ty, found one of the very last empty lots downtown Holland. It was the perfect location for the new home we had our hearts set on building.  Rentals often lack character, typically filled with cookie-cutter, base grade finishes. Who decided rentals have to be ugly? This home is the first of many we will be bringing to GR! If you are looking for rental housing, hang tight - we have more coming your way! (Announcement soon!) 

You may have a read a post or two about how Ty and I moved from the country to the city last winter. We love living near downtown, and never take for granted the food, community, and walkability. One of our favorite Saturday morning rituals is to grab coffee, take a long walk, and stroll through a few shops. Dime & Regal is a new shop in town, offering unique products made by local artists. When I stopped in and met the owner, I was thrilled to hear about the focus they have on "local" impact.  I work with local textile retailers, while Ty works locally as a real estate agent. We've both learned the importance of community support, and try to be intentional consumers ourselves. 

Welcome to our home tour! This post has been a LONG time coming! We moved into this condo late December (mid renovation - no floors, no kitchen, and wires hanging from the ceiling. Yikes!). It was a complete overhaul. It's 99% complete; I'm pretty sure I'll always be changing things up! 

Northern Michigan features an abundance of quaint, charming towns that litter the lakeshore. To be honest, even though I grew up in Michigan, I didn’t even know many of these towns existed until I traveled north with my wife for her sales job and began exploring with my free time. To my pleasant surprise, there is an absurd amount of cute, small towns to explore, all of which have their own flavor and feel. Northern Michigan is absolutely worth your time. Even those from out of state should venture to the great north to see what it is all about and all it has to offer. NOTE: The water color in the summer literally resembles a tropical paradise.


This is the first in a series of five Northern Michigan must sees. Stay tuned! 

T-Town. The 6. Air Canada. Drake.. Bieber. Toronto, Ontario, is an incredible city with world class cuisine, more than a weekend's worth of sight seeing, and only a 6.5 hour drive from Grand Rapids. This was the first trip we took with friends. And let me tell you, it won't be the last. Between the laughs and copious amounts of walking, our friend and photographer, Ellen Kermeen, helped to capture the weekend. It was a BLAST. 

The question we get asked most frequently is where we found our matte black hardware. This post has been a long time coming! Finally, all of the links are gathered for you in one place. Matte black finishes are perfect for a minimal scandi vibe. They are dramatic, yet subtle. I had my heart set on matte black. Naturally, all of the black faucets I gravitated to were $700+ (I know I'm not the only one who suffers from always-finds-the-most-expensive-thing-on-the-rack disease). Because I value my marriage, I knew I needed to get creative. Determined to find affordable pieces (that weren't cheesy or plastic looking), I scoured the entire internet. Here are my "go to" matte black selections.