rashadsmello

[rashadsmello]

5 “Decor Rules” That We Think Should Be Broken And How To Do It

Welcome to round two of our design “rule breakers” series. Last time, Emily wrote about bathrooms and it was pretty freaking inspiring to see the designers from her book really show off the real visual benefits of saying “Rules? Who needs ’em?!” And look, while I will never not love looking crazy cool bathrooms and kitchens, ya girl is a renter and will be for the foreseeable future. So my decor is really the only thing I can truly “break some rules with” without breaking the rules of my lease. The whole idea of Em’s book is to teach you the rules/lingo and then show you how to make informed design decisions (and maybe break some rules) to make your house unique to you. So let’s go over some of our favorite (and easy-breezy) ways you can let your inner design rebel out. Shall we? The first one might hurt your brain…

Too Small Rug

design by william hunter collective | styled by velinda hellen, erik kenneth staalberg, emily edith bowser, and julie rose | photos by sara ligorria-tramp

GASP! I know. We have written ad nauseam about “the right” rug size for every room and we still stand by our rules. Most of the time a rug that is too small for a room looks like an accident and not an intentional decision. But as we have also stated, rules are meant to be broken if you can nail them. So above we have a room designed by William Hunter Collective and styled by the ole EHD alum styling team, Velinda, Erik, Emily Bowser, and Julie. While I don’t know the exact reason behind this rug choice I have some ideas. But before I do that here is the general rule when it comes to choosing a rug size for a bedroom from our Bedroom Rules post:

RULE: Ideally your rug should have at least 24″ on all three sides of your bed. Our typical sizing rules are: for a Twin go for a 5’x8′, a Full 6’x9′, a Queen 8’x10′, and a King 9’x12′.

As you can probably tell this rug does not follow that rule. Now, first off this isn’t just a bedroom which I think is important to point out. It’s a guest room/office. So a large plush, soft-under-your-feet rug would be a nightmare to have under an office chair. This rug is also heavily patterned so if it were a lot bigger it might overwhelm the space and compete with the gallery wall. The size actually helps to create a divide between the bed and desk zones. Basically, it just works!

Also, this stunner is vintage which also makes it prime rule-breaking material. Let’s talk more about that…

photo by michael sinclair | via ad italia

In this bedroom (not in the book), you don’t have the same need to zone out different areas in the same room like the one before. Instead, they were like “we don’t care if this rug is too small OR that it’s running vertically not horizontal. It looks cool!” I think this really works because of the relaxed style of the room and also because the rugs are vintage. I feel like there’s an unspoken rule that when it comes to vintage rugs the rules do really apply. They’re the cool kids that do what they want.

home of allison pierce | styling by velinda hellen & erik staalberg | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: the no-reno house that looks completely renovated

Now to end this WILD topic, let’s touch on living room rugs. Here’s our rule…

RULE: Your area rug should be large enough for at least the front legs of the sofa and all chairs to rest on top of it.

Again, this rule is a great way to make your living room look and feel great. However, it’s not the only option, Take a look at Allison Pierce’s living room rug. It’s not large enough to fit under all the front legs of all the pieces of furniture BUT it works. Why? Well, it does go under the front legs of that gray side chair and then it gets real close to the sofa and pink accent chair’s legs but still leaves a couple of inches for breathing room. If you like this “almost touch the sofa legs” look we highly recommend leaving that tiny bit of space (but not too much) because if the rug butts up against the legs it’s going to look like you chose a rug that was too small instead of it looking like an intentional design choice. Embrace some negative floor space.

Huge Sectional In Small Room

I’m sure you’ve heard a hundred times that you shouldn’t put big furniture in a small room. “DON’T OVERWHELM THE SAPCE” they say. So it may seem counter-intuitive to put a big sectional in a small living room, right? But there’s a way to do it so it looks and feels more intentional and “custom”.

styled by emily bowser | photo by bethany nauert | from: all your living room styling questions answered (plus some furniture & decor reviews)

Take Emily Bower’s living room that she styled for a shoot last year. In her actual, everyday setup she has a non-sectional sofa and it looks awesome because she designed it and she’s a professional. But when we saw this cream beauty we realized that if you choose a sectional that nicely fits in a corner against two walls, and you don’t fill the rest of the space with a ton of other pieces, it looks like it was made for the space. Plus it’s more seating for guests (and two beds if needed for sleepovers:)).

design my melanie burstin | photo by tessa neustadt | from: mel’s moto reveal – it’s the breath of minimalist, uncluttered air we all need

Mel also chose a sectional for her new living room but her’s was custom because she’s a girl after my own heart. Now, choosing a light-colored fabric isn’t “a rule” but it does help a sectional in a small space look and feel airier. But hey! Maybe a deep blue velvet sectional in your small living room is exactly what it needs. Just make sure that you have it pushed into a corner out of the way of any pathways so that it looks really intentional. Can you tell we can’t get enough of “intentional” design?? Or saying it?? 😉

“Too Many” Statement Pieces

design by dee murphy | styled by velinda hellen | photo by sara ligorria-tramp

I know, I know. We are BIG on saying to not have every piece in a room be a statement piece. Because if you want your space to feel balanced and interesting (and you don’t have a ton of experience) it’s a pretty good rule of thumb. But then you see a room like Dee Murphy’s living room and you start to rethink everything. I mean look at each piece…they are all “statement” or “conversation” pieces. However, they do balance with each other. First off, I think having white walls and white curtains was a great choice since they are really some of the largest “pieces” and the foundation of the room. Then she used color sparingly but with impact. I’m talking about the saturated blue in the sofa, pom throw pillow, and parts of the rug. Everything else is fairly neutral in color but super-rich in shape and texture! I also love how she spaced out green with the two trees (notice the variation in leaf size) and that beautiful mint fireplace mantle. The last thing I’ll say is how perfect that lucite and glass coffee table is. It’s super cool, unexpected in this space, and since it’s clear it feels weightless. Basically, a solid coffee table could have made the whole space feel too visually heavy. This one is a quiet statement that lets the other gals shine.

Art Placement

Boy, do we love talking about “unexpected” places to hang art. I mean it’s fun and soooo easy. But when it comes to gallery walls we do have a no-fail formula. But let��s look at what Scott Horne did for his gallery wall…

design and home of scott horne | styled by velinda hellen & erik kenneth staalberg | photo by sara ligorria-tramp

I will never forget seeing the photo for the first time. I was shook! I loved it so damn much and could not get over it. I have since calmed down (barely) and am excited to talk about why it sparked all that joy. First, I love that 90% of the art is aligned on an imaginary line. Almost like they are sitting on a shelf but not…because they are nailed into the wall. Then smaller pieces are filled in to make the top have varied heights which makes it cool and interesting. But Scott did not stop there. Those bottom two, “out of line” pieces really make it for me. They somehow make the whole collection seem so much wider but really it’s just two extra medium to small pieces. It just looks cool and is a configuration I hadn’t thought of. I’m pretty inspired to get creative with any future gallery walls!

design by sara ruffin costello | styled by velinda hellen and erik kenneth staalberg | photo by sara ligorria-tramp

This next one isn’t about a gallery wall and it’s the opposite of the under-the-window art placement (another personal favorite of mine). It’s a reminder that art can, and maybe should, go literally anywhere…even over a doorway. This may not be the first time you’ve seen this but I know I don’t see it a lot and that’s a shame. It’s such a cool spot, especially if you have tall ceilings! But if you don’t and have shorter ceilings, how cute would a little mini art piece above a door be?! Point is, try new things when it comes to art. Command strips exist for a reason, so test things out then make your holes:) Decorating should be fun.

Non-Matching Pendants

I know but hear us out.

design by ben medansky | styled by velinda hellen and erik kenneth staalberg | photos by sara ligorria-tramp

This concept was definitely something I hadn’t really thought of before. But why do pendants need to match? Well, they don’t! Now, the ones above do match in shape but the colors are ombre’d. Get outta here Ben! This is a very easy way to have some fun. But if you wanted to hang two totally different pendants next to each other we say, yes. We do recommend that they have some materials or colors in common if the shapes really don’t talk to each other. But for the final time, if they don’t match at all in any way but you love them and think they work, GO FOR IT.

Hope this was a fun read that has your creative juices flowing. Sometimes all we need are some different ideas to get our minds thinking differently. Happy Thursday!

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credit: Design and Home of Scott Horne | Styled by Velinda Hellen & Erik Kenneth Staalberg | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post 5 “Decor Rules” That We Think Should Be Broken And How To Do It appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/cool-rule-breaking-decor-ideas

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The Bathroom Tile Grout “Trend” We Are Trying – Matching Tile To Grout to Create A Monochrome Look

The tile at the farmhouse is being installed and it looks INSANE. It’s going to take about a month because this lady likes things that are complicated, but it looks incredible and I get so excited every single time I am there. When we originally designed this house, 12 years ago, we wanted the bathrooms (the whole house really) to be quiet and more monotone, so when there is color there isn’t also a TON of contrast. At times I’ve questioned and doubted this vision, but I hope that we were right – that there will be enough contrast and interest in the rest of the elements to still look interesting. And now that the bathrooms are coming along, and the tile is almost done, I feel SO confident in that decision (quite a f*cking relief, TBH). It’s not what a lot of designers would do – they would add more color, pattern, etc, but the vibe that we want is a more calm, restrained, simplistic (ha. that sunroom). So for most of our bathrooms, we chose 1 color and used it in different patterns and scales in the same room (mixed with white), with hopes that the grout would not create more contrast. But there is a hole in the grout market and while you can customize grout colors, it cost $200 and takes 2-3 weeks. So today I’m walking you through our grout thought process, how we chose what we did with some sneak peeks at what it looks like now:

Our Desire: Monochrome

This might be boring to you but it’s not to me. It feels simple but special (drink! drink! – anyone else playing the drinking game for how often I use those two words?). There is some contrast of course, but not within the tile and grout itself (note that Heidi’s bathroom has dark tile with a white detail – not totally monochrome).

design by heidi caillier design | photo by haris kenjar photography

design by jr corleto | photo by virtually here studios | via cle tile

I know that a lot of people might want MORE, but y’all I’ll style it out, I promise. I just love how the floor just reads as a texture and not too busy – but there is so much movement. So now that you know the “tile vibe” we are going for let’s go grout by grout:

Primary Bath Floor – Our Bathroom

As you can see we chose a 1×8 herringbone, otherwise known as “the gray hair maker”. Our tile team, which was FANTASTIC, loved installing this purely for the sake of the challenge – or so they said. This is from Pratt + Larson, made in Portland and it was an idea I came up, using a custom color just for us – but you can call them and order it, too (if you want to let me know I’ll try to wrangle a discount code for you) Remember: the smaller the pattern = more cuts = make more expensive to install and this mosaic was not netted so it was installed individually. This is not a cheap install (not sure how much as it is all tied in with the overall house tile budget which everyone is shielding me from, but likely a few thousand for just this floor as it took 3 days of labor with two guys, not including prep). We played with spacing a bit since the tile is only 1″ wide we didn’t want the scale of the spacing to get funky…1/16″ you lost some of the impact so 1/8′ felt just right!

It’s absolutely incredible and this is even PRE-grout. So the question is what color do we want for that grout that will enhance the tile, but not distract from it? This seemed like a pretty fantastic time for us to do some sample boards, and by “us” I mean Erik and his Level Plane crew (Sergei! Vlad! Jeremy! – It warms my cold old social media heart to know that these dudes are cheering us on social media)

This is not something any tile setters will just do for you, but you might be able to pay a bit more for this and my goodness I’m so glad we did.

Our first instinct was that the middle (charcoal which leans black) is just WAY too modern and strangely masculine. Then the one on the left was beautiful but we feared that on the entire floor it would be too busy.

So we laid it on the floor in the bathroom and tried to give it more context – really picturing it over the whole floor with the wood to represent the vanity and the white tile that will go on the vanity wall. We still nixed #2 Charcoal, feared that #1 would be too busy, so I guess it’s #3? The one closest to Brian? I’m using question marks because it wasn’t a “hell yes” and I was not going to risk the beauty of this tile by messing up the grout.

So I begged Erik to make one more board and promised to give so much love in exchange. Thank you, Erik!

The second Brian and I saw the “twilight” grout it was a “hell yes”. Not because on the board it was the most dynamic, but because picturing over the floor of the bathroom we felt it did exactly what we wanted – let that color pop, drawing attention to the texture of the tile shape but NOT a busy pattern – almost like a beautiful quite sea of handmade blue texture. Incredible. Plus look how much it brought out the blue?!

The Guest Bath Floor And Walls

This is the first glimpse you are getting of our guest bath…and as I said we are leaning in on the tone-on-tone grout trend and kinda REALLY loving it. This dusty rose Pratt + Larson tile is such a striking color. The mixture of shape and scale is plenty to make this space feel special without accentuating the grout lines, so we chose to let them “rest”.

Somehow this one matched perfectly! Slightly darker which is GREAT. Isn’t that color just so beautiful and has so much variety! Again it’s a custom color from Pratt + Larson, but one that you can ask for.

The grout is called “Quarry Red” and it’s a warm deep brick color. It was an easy decision and we didn’t need to get boards made.

It turned out SO PRETTY. The grout really highlights the color variation and the texture of the tile, versus the pattern of the tile shape.

The Mudroom Floor

We chose this beautiful blue/green/gray tile with a “brownstone” finish meaning that it’s more rustic, which we thought was so appropriate for a more utilitarian space that feels like a landing spot for mud.

It’s a herringbone in the middle with a border around the outside that is just a staggered brick.

I can’t even express my love for this room. Something about that blue/green with the white oak cabinets from Unique Kitchens and Baths feels so perfectly PNW to me. But what grout? We needed to see this one mocked up as well so…

Erik and crew kindly helped us visualize by mocking up two boards.

There was a pretty quick all-around consensus on this one. We liked both, the “Platinum” (which is strangely the darker grout) was so pretty and again calming. It went on light then dried darker. We felt that it would be way easier to clean since this room will get a lot of mud from the kid’s shoes and dogs.

They had only started grouting here and the grout hadn’t dried yet (will be slightly darker). Right now this is turning out to be my favorite room in the entire house (probably because it’s the closest to being done).

Kids Bath

The floor of the kid’s bath was the biggest challenge thus far because this green had nothing we could match with. The closest was “Autumn Green” but as you can see it just read more brown than green.

While in a perfect world we would have ordered a custom grout that matched the green, we didn’t feel like it was important enough to set the project back a few weeks. I’m in the “let’s move in” phase of this renovation, so anything that sets us back too much is a big no-no.

So that’s where we’re at with our grout. It feels more real every day! Lots more content headed your way. xx

The post The Bathroom Tile Grout “Trend” We Are Trying – Matching Tile To Grout to Create A Monochrome Look appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/best-farmhouse-grout-colors

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Is This The New Wicker? Breaking Down Pencil Reed, Vintage Sourcing Advice + 24 Pieces To Shop Now

Last year, I sat down, wrote a post, and posed a pretty big question: Have I Lost My Actual Mind? At the time, I was concerned about my newfound obsession with cabbageware (and with whimsical home decor in general – wine openers shaped like butlers, tureens shaped like rabbits – you know, the kind of stuff normal people like. Right?? Normal people like this stuff, right???). Thankfully, you assured me that I did still appear to be mostly sane – a blessing, as my love of weirdly-shaped furniture and decor is still going strong – but today, well…just wait until you see my NEW newfound obsession, guys. It’s nearly 8′ tall and 3′ around (again, normal proportions for furniture, right?), 70% of the people I polled on my Instagram told me not to buy it, and I’ve been checking in on it every week for months anyway…ready?

YEAH. I’M LOSING IT. For sure. Yes, this is a giant, bottle-shaped pencil reed bar cabinet with a mirrored interior. Yes, it is a cool $2,000, plus shipping. And taxes. (That means it’s currently cost-prohibitive for me, but maybe it’s for the best?) And yes, I will continue to dream about it for months to come, despite the fact that literally everyone in my life has looked at this and said “ooooh, baby, noooo, what are you thinking?”

But there’s a method to the madness, y’all! I loved the shape, obviously, but I also fell in love with the pencil reed texture – I’m opting for a lot of lucite and lacquer in my apartment, so this felt like an awesome way to bring in a new material without straying too-far from my self-imposed style guideline (“Would this make sense in ‘disco deco’ space?” – me, before making any purchasing decision – it’s surprisingly helpful!).

ANYWAY – I brought my dream cabinet up in passing while chatting with Em, and she mentioned that she, too, had also been loving a lot of pencil reed furniture. I thought I had only been ogling this cabinet, but when I looked at my Chairish favorites, a little pattern emerged – y’all, I had been favoriting NOTHING BUT pencil reed for WEEKS.

And while the prices on pencil reed pieces (or split reed, or rattan – the nomenclature folks use isn’t always consistent) have been rising online, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are still PACKED with incredible inventory. We’re still EARLY in this trend, which means it’s a great time to hop on board – like, sure, your home will feel really special and you’ll be on-trend, but prices are also still VERY low on our peer-to-peer buying sites and apps. (If you need them, here are my tips for Marketplace and here are my tips for Craigslist – I’m a seasoned vintage-buying professional! “Coastal” and “boho” also bring up great pencil reed results, too.)

Buuuuut if you’re a little less excited about the hunt but you still want to add some rattan to your home, I’ve also linked up 24 purchasable pieces below (straight from my own Pinterest collection – I’ve been saving my favorites in a folder for weeks). All that said…are you finally ready to see some pencil reed styled out in the wild?

photo by keyanna bowen | from: reveal – all the details of the primary suite at the real simple home

This modern-classic House of Hackney wallpaper and horizontal shiplap combination could have left this office nook feeling very formal – especially when paired with those luxe curtains and that velvet and brass chair! – but the pencil reed desk brings such a casual and relaxed warmth to the space. It makes a great backdrop for some more whimsical styling, too. (Things I’ll never be able to get over: that little geometric candle next to the chain!)

design by brady tolbert | photo by sara ligorria-tramp

A lack of color ≠ a lack of interest! I love how Brady’s new coffee table (a $150 Facebook Marketplace find!!! Can you believe?!) elevates his organic-meets-geometric living room. Pencil reed is an AWESOME choice for those calm color palette lovers – as a material, it brings a lot of texture and sculptural interest without totally dominating a room. This coffee table is huge and pretty dense – in any other material, it would probably feel VERY imposing and heavy! – but it just works in pencil reed.

left: photo by alex zarour, from: there are 3 design trends in kirsten blazek’s guest house that we love | right: design by erica reitman, photo by sara ligorria-tramp, via the new design rules

An overwhelming majority of styled shots featuring pencil reed pieces are in coastal-leaning rooms (you know, light blue walls, lots of bright white accents…all that jazz) so it’s really exciting and refreshing to see folks choosing to use rattan in new and interesting ways. You may recognize the home on the left from this recent house tour or the home on the right from Em’s book – the vintage coffee table looks incredible in both spaces, doesn’t it?

design by dee murphy | styled by velinda hellen | photo by sara ligorria-tramp

First: I just realized that the hexagonal burl box sitting on top of that huuuuge blue Surfing book is now sitting on *my* bookshelf – I grabbed it from Em’s garage last summer. (Or, more accurately, Jess allowed me to take it. NEAT, RIGHT?!) Second: this is the best example of how pencil reed plays well with others – in an eclectic space and collected space with tons of different styles, this console holds its own. If you’re uncomfortable mixing woods (full disclosure: I am, even though I theoretically understand the rules for, you know, mixing and matching woods), this is a pretty no-fail way to bring another natural piece into your home.

design by jane hallworth | styled by michael reynolds | photo by sam frost | via architectural digest

This vintage Gabrielle Crespi reed and brass lantern does a great job of connecting the organic and earthy kitchen table setup (that’s a Perriand table with Berthet chairs – Google if you want to experience near-paralyzing sticker shock) with the uber-luxe kitchen in the rear (yeah, those are bronze cabinets paired with an all-marble surround of, uh, literally everything). A metal lighting choice here would have felt over-the-top; paper would have felt too light; glass would be too fussy – pencil reed brings the perfect mix of nature, weight, and glam.

design by caroline rafferty interiors | photo by carmel fasano brantley

But wait – it isn’t just for folks with $40,000 kitchen table setups! (Had to drop the number in here somewhere – knew you all weren’t going to Google it!) Pencil reed can be styled in an achievable and livable way, too. This shot is one of my favorites because everything in here has a buddy – like, the mint Prouve-style chairs speak to the art; the shape of the art is echoed in the table and pendant; the texture of the rattan pendant balances all the sleek and minimal surfaces. Thoughtful AND cheery – what else could I ask for???

design by alex morrison interiors | photo by dave wheeler | via est. living

Jess sent this shot to me and man, it’s a showstopper!!! Don’t you love how the lines of this formal travertine console are balanced out by the wavy, free-form mirror? Squiggles are trending right now – they’re huuuuge with Gen-Z, in case you missed it – but this feels like the mature, grown-up version of that trend.

design by mary patton | photo by molly winters culver | via martha stewart

This shot has been particularly inspiring for me – I’m eyeing a similar shade of pink for my living room and I’m loving how that captain’s chair at the head of the table shines against this peachy tone. Big fan of the mix-and-match here, too – like, who would have guessed that a coastal reeded chair with chintz fabric would work so well with sharp-angled Jeanneret-style dining chairs, a stone and lucite table, glam sconces, and Ikat curtains?

design by studio db | via coco kelley

Another huge swoon – look at the paint finish on the ceiling! (Gotta appreciate the little things, you know?) But take a look at how much depth this scroll coffee table brings to this room – the whole space is pretty devoid of pattern (outside of the rug and that sweet little pillow!), but it’s still really dynamic and warm and comfortable. Any other coffee table would fall pretty flat in here, don’t you think? (Also, check out that sweet Murano sconce!!!)

design by studio ko | photo by francois halard | via architectural digest

FLAMINGO ESTATE. If you’re not familiar, check out the full tour of this home – the entire place is unbelievable and thoughtful and layered and it’s such a treat!!! The history, of both the home (a former adult film studio) and the stuff in it is fascinating, too (case in point: the homeowner saw that elephant chair to the right in a hotel restaurant in Ibiza and was like “hey, I want to buy this,” even though it wasn’t for sale – INCREDIBLE). To that end, this rattan coffee table with a richer, deeper finish is the perfect grounding piece for this eclectic collection, right?

design by nickey kehoe | photo by roger davies | via domino

So many good things and hidden gems in here (looking at you, plaid bedskirt), but my favorite ~design element~ is how the shape of the headboard is reflected in the curve of those bright red light fixtures AND that vintage chandelier. (It reminds me a lot of the fixtures from the Holbrooke Hotel, actually!) The contrast between the granny William Morris wallpaper and the 70s pencil reed is so special, too. BIG HEART EYES.

design by james farmer | via laurel bern interiors

I wanted to share this one because it’s absolutely the most traditional example I could pull – pencil reed has a tendency to feel a little casual, but doesn’t it SHINE in this more formal space? A mahogany or four-poster bed would have looked a little more heavy and serious – which is also beautiful, don’t get me wrong!!! – but this French rattan feels light and whimsical, especially when paired with those charming duck/bird/unidentified avian creature (someone who knows birds, help me out?) prints.

Now – if you’re ready to add some pencil reed to your home (and if you’re not interested in, you know, digging through the flea market or trolling the depths of Facebook Marketplace), I’m here with a few of the pieces I personally have been pinning…

1. Claire Sideboard | 2. Oval Natural Rattan Console | 3. Reflect Rattan Credenza | 4. Coastal Armoire | 5. Antonia Desk | 6. Pencil Reed & Brass King Bed | 7. Swirl Queen Headboard | 8. Crespi Style Chair & Ottoman | 9. Round Natural Rattan Coffee Table | 10. Waterfall Coffee Table | 11. Amato Dining Armchair | 12. Vintage Trunk | 13. Edie Rectangular Coffee Table | 14. Caroline Nightstand | 15. Pencil Reed Desk

Here’s the deal: pencil reed ain’t cheap, but there are a few sources with awesome deals. I’m really impressed by the price and quality of World Market’s offerings (#2 is a great deal that I’m considering for my house!), and CB2 often has some sales where you can scoop their rattan pieces at a discount. (#3 and #13 stand out to me, but there are LOTS of options on their site – highly recommend checking it out if you want to capture this look on a “budget.”)

And then a quick little lightning round of vintage feedback: #6 is my dream bed (albeit not at my dream price, WOOF!); I’m especially taken by #12; you may recognize #8 from Kacey Musgraves’ house (check out our review here!); #15 is actually a pretty good deal, IMO.

1. 36″ Round Mirror | 2. Rattan Wall Rack | 3. Alona Tray | 4. Riverwalk Mirror | 5. Ria Table Lamp | 6. Hanh Wall Multi-hook | 7. Hanh Wine Rack | 8. Freeport Table Lamp | 9. Italian Dome Chandelier

Before spending the big bucks on pencil reed decor, pleeeease be sure to check out your local thrift or flea! The savings will be worth your time, I promise. That said – I have been loving #4 since 2018 (the shape is so good!) and #9 is such a freakin’ dream to look at, don’t you think?

That’s a wrap from me today – WHAT SAY YOU? Any pencil reed listings you wanna share with the class? Is this trend a yay or a nay for you? Would YOU put my massive dream bar cabinet in your house?! LET’S TALK ABOUT IT ALL, ok??? xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Dee Murphy | Styled by Velinda Hellen | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post Is This The New Wicker? Breaking Down Pencil Reed, Vintage Sourcing Advice + 24 Pieces To Shop Now appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/design-trend-pencil-reed-rattan

[rashadsmello]

How We Are Restoring Our Vintage Doors + Splurging On Some Special Salvaged Doors

Today’s post is for the real design enthusiasts – as not everyone is as interested in doors as we might be. But boy does a good door make a subtle but strong impact. So when we bought the farmhouse we went through it with an eye for what could be refreshed not replaced – and there wasn’t as much as you’d think, but the doors on the second floor were wonderful five-panel solid ladies, so we started there. But once I started shopping for vintage doors to supplement I was HOOKED and wanted every door to be “special” which was quickly reigned in by Brian (seriously, thank god for that guy being so involved in this project). So today I’ll show you how we are rescuing the vintage doors and salvaging others to make the house feel special.

The Original Lead-Filled Doors

Those vintage five-panel doors were great and solid, but the paint was falling off and technically full of lead. So the ARCIFORM team pulled them off and stored them in hopes of us wanting to reuse them.

The original upstairs layout looked like this…with 4 doors opening into the second floor landing.

This is the layout now…

With the new layout, we needed 7 more doors upstairs…we wanted them to play nicely with the originals and the style of the house which meant we needed to go vintage…first stop was Aurora Mills.

Shopping For Doors At Aurora Mills

Aurora Mills is my happy place…the excitement, the thrill of the potential find feeds my soul. They have an abundance of REALLY special salvaged doors and we are ecstatic with what we found.

We shopped for these in February 2021 – almost literally a year and a half ago hahaha!!! Funny not funny! ARE WE STILL SAYING THAT??!! Aurora Mills (as well as other salvaged stores in the city) have rows of old doors. They are for this exact type of project – an older home that can handle (or needs) the age and character that vintage doors can bring. They sell from anywhere from $80 – $800 each, each PAIR of ours were between $300-$400 (I forget the exact price either because it’s been so long).

We added a laundry closet upstairs, so instead of getting new five-panel doors, we found a pair of these guys (they are red on one side and blue on the other as you’ll see down further).

This pair will go downstairs one to the family room as a pocket door and the other to the mudroom…I imagine peeking through the windows to check on the dogs as they lounge on the warm floors in the Mudroom after a bath…eeek so excited!

Salvaged Doors at Arciform

So in addition to the statement doors from Aurora Mills we also needed some other closet doors to match our five-panel doors for the upstairs, so ARCIFORM found a few at an auction.

I didn’t know that Stephyn had found these doors, so I went for a visit to the ARCIFORM warehouse to see them for myself. Some of them are abnormal sizes which we had to decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing – the bathroom door was only 24″ wide (which is so sweet, but let’s just say not ADA compliant) and the kids closet doors are shorter. We ultimately decided that this would be fun and cute. Also, they were done and signed off on for framing so we’d have to re-source them all and then reframe. The ARCIFORM team found these at GREAT prices – I think they were all under $100, some as low as $60 (from my memory).

We added double doors to all the closets upstairs so we had to find pairs. Again, these are hilariously small, only 6′ tall but absolutely perfect and quirky for a kid’s closet and I smile every time I see them.

The rest of the closet doors didn’t match perfectly but they were five-panel and solid, so we are into them.

Now The Hard Part…Time To Refurbish Them!

The vintage/salvaged doors needed repair…holes filled, damaged pieces replaced, and everything sanded to be ready for paint.

So while the cost of a door this special is much cheaper than new doors, the refurbishment is still time-consuming and laborious. I’d estimate (based on nothing) that it took about 3-4 hours to restore each door, at $90/hour so that gives you an idea of what you might be in for). If you are handy this might be something you can do yourself, too. These guys are pros so they knew exactly how to do it and even had to replace some of the trim work and wood details.

Where We Are Now – Installed and Ready to Paint

The new laundry closet doors look great and will be EVEN better when they are painted (the inside is the painted red you saw above). Again, although the doors are salvaged and cost about $300 each, it is important to always account for the cost of labor to get salvaged doors in tip-top shape if you go in this direction. We love how unique they feel they are definitely the focal point of the upstairs landing at this point…let’s see if they can hold that title after the floor is painted! We are actually planning on color matching that blue color because we love it so much.

In case you forgot, the landing used to look like this…

Can’t wait for everything to be painted!

This is the narrow door we had modified to become a pocket door for the guest bath, it is so sweet and wee and allowed for wall space in the room for a piece of art or a little moment. We plan on painting it one color on one side, another on the bedroom side.

Here ARCIFORM used a couple of the original closet doors to create a pair in one kid’s room and they look GREAT. We are actually using all of the original hardware on these, too.

These are the “mini” ones… which makes us smile/laugh. It might bug people that they are shorter and that the casings don’t line up – and I’m not sure it bugs me, yet, and if it does it’s frankly not my room (it’ll be one of the kids – unsure yet) so I’ll be able to easily ignore it.

The doors I’m most excited about (along with the laundry closet doors upstairs) are these two pocket doors – the mud room here and the matching family room/living room pocket door.

A huge thanks to Jamie and the ARCIFORM team for managing all these moving doors – it’s so much easier to scrap and buy all new – to not deal with the idiosyncrasies of older doors with weird widths, trying to get them to match, odd sizes, etc. But I think it’s worth it in the end to have this soul and charm injected back into the house. Now to choose paint. Coming at you asap…

The post How We Are Restoring Our Vintage Doors + Splurging On Some Special Salvaged Doors appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/vintage-or-salvaged-farmhouse-doors

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The Link Up: The New Show That Has Emily INTERESTED, The Affordable Makeup Primer TikTok Convinced Jess To Buy, And Our Favorite Jeans Are Back

Happy Sunday and we hope the weather is nice where you are! We wanted to continue something that we tried a couple of weeks ago when we added a few photos of the jewelry and clothes Em was recommending in the post. Did you like that? Now, we won’t have photos of everything but when we do we thought they would be nice additions and show you the IRL version. Let us know what you think! In the meantime, let’s get to this week’s links…

design by we are duet | architecture by ajh+ | styled by megan morton | photos by anson smart | via est living

This week’s house tour is SO FUN. Caitlin’s exact words were, “Omg this whole house rules”. Designed by We Are Duet, this home is bursting with modern color combos and bold patterns. The extra cool part is that the home style and architectural details are pretty classic European. Just go and see for yourself!

From Emily: I read Under The Banner of Heaven three times (Local and Kindle), which is A LOT for a non-fiction. This is partly due to being raised Mormon but also because John Krakauer is the Shakespeare of non-fiction storytelling/journalism. So you can imagine how happy I was when the tv series launched. While I’m only 3 episodes in (What? I go to bed at like 9 pm and they are 2-hour-long episodes!), I’m LOVING IT. Anything that tells the story of the early religion OR relates to how I grew up I find endlessly interesting. Of course, my perspective is skewed, but I find myself being both defensive and critical of so much of the storytelling/history. Regardless of your views, it’s so far an excellent show with interesting sets, fantastic acting, and so much mystery.

From Mallory: I recently found out about this workout class called P.volve (they have a few locations around the US) and then I also found out they have an online version!! Really love this for a low impact workout that gets your heart rate up:)

From Ryann: I recently upgraded my every day jewelry collection with these earrings and this bracelet. They are from a black-owned jewelry brand called Ten Wilde that I have been admiring from afar for a while. I finally hit the purchase button and am so happy I did! The pieces are quality, very cute, and pretty affordable. I will definitely be buying from them again!

the jeans in action

From Caitlin: I just got the email that my favorite flare jeans are back in stock at Madewell! They went missing from the site for like, a full year, and I am THRILLED that they’ve returned!!! (You may be, too – they were one of our bestselling items in all of 2021.) I have them in this light wash – and the EHD team will attest that I wear them nearly every time we meet up in person – but I am SO SO SO excited to fiiiinally replace some of my worn-out dark wash skinnies with these guys. My only note is that they have an 11″ rise, which I absolutely LOVE, but it may be kind of high if you don’t love your pants like, being on or over your belly button.

Also From Caitlin: Coming in hot with another Rajiv Surendra-style recommendation, y’all!!! (You know – educational, but in a charming/friendly/accessible way.) My boyfriend just introduced me to Architecture with Stewart, a YouTube channel where an architecture professor (multi-hyphenate – he does A LOT in the field) breaks down architectural concepts and ideas in SUPER fun and interesting ways. I’d recommend starting with something like The Architecture of Curb Appeal or Why Architecture Today Lacks Character, but my first foray into his channel was this week’s upload about The Secret Weapon of Great City Design, which I looooooved. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. (PS. If you like watching something while you’re eating, these are the perfect length. Hooray!!!)

From Jess: As I’ve said many times, I am not a full-face everyday makeup lady. But when I do put in the extra effort I want it to stay put instead of disappearing within a matter of a few hours…literally. Example: In an attempt this week to feel a little better/put together, I decided to put on makeup for a team brainstorm Zoom call. When the call started everything looked great but 3 hours later it was noticeably not as good! Luckily, I had already ordered this primer that the TikTok makeup gals swear by. They say it’s the way more affordable dupe of Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Hydrating Makeup Primer. I tried it for the first time on Wednesday night when I went to my friend’s book signing (GO BUY HER BOOK IT’S SO GOOD (Local and Kindle) and I can attest it gripped! Sorry, I forgot to take pics. I will mention that if you have really sensitive skin it might not feel awesome. I had a little itchiness but it did go away. Just an FYI:)

We hope you have a restful Sunday and see y’all tomorrow. Oh and don’t forget Father’s Day is coming up! If you need some ideas here ya go🙂

Opening Image Credits: Design by We Are Duet | Architecture by AJH+ | Styled by Megan Morton | Photo by Anson Smart | via Est Living

The post The Link Up: The New Show That Has Emily INTERESTED, The Affordable Makeup Primer TikTok Convinced Jess To Buy, And Our Favorite Jeans Are Back appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/best-affordable-makeup-primer

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15 Really Good Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Last year for our annual Father’s Day post, my dad was the author. I highly recommend you take a peek at that one too. FYI, writing it was his idea (confidence has never been his issue). So after a couple of drafts and a thumbs up from Emily, we all got to hear his great father’s day gift ideas. Honestly, I was both surprised and relieved by his list. Nothing was over the top but totally useful. I guess why I was a little surprised because he loves giving gifts which then makes me feel like I need to find some one-of-a-kind thing that will knock his socks off. My dream is to buy him a luxury vacation. Maybe someday. But 8/10 times I end up totally screwing up by not getting him anything or something belated because of the pressure I put on myself. SO DUMB. So this year I challenge all of us to not overthink our gifts too much and keep it simple. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to think about what they might like. So here are 15 gift ideas that have been dad-approved by the dads/guys in our lives.

Selfcare Is Important For Everyone

Theragun | BOOM 3 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker | Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager with Heat Deep Kneading Massage

While the words “self-care” and “dad” aren’t as synonymous as it is with “self-care” and “mom”, dads need to have things that relax and recharge them too!

Theragun: I gave my dad this a couple of years ago for Christmas and he loved it. I was over the moon, to say the least. Honestly, everyone I know who owns one has nothing but amazing things to say about it. There are a bunch of different kinds so check them out if he doesn’t have one yet.

Wireless Bluetooth Speaker: Sarah, Em’s new Portland design and social assistant, says that her husband (and her family) love this speaker. They use it everywhere, don’t have to worry about it getting wet because it’s waterproof, and say the sound quality is tops!

Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager: Another Sarah rec (actually she gave us a lot which is awesome because who doesn’t love new gift ideas that are tried and tested!). She couldn’t stop singing this massager’s praises. Not only does her husband love it, but again, the whole family uses it all of the time. And at $45, that sounds like a great investment.

Because Coffee Is Great (And Maybe Necessary)

Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine | Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder | Ember Mug² Temperature Control Smart Mug

Is your dad or “father person” in your life a coffee lover? Mine too. Here are our top coffee lover recommendations:

Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine: You guessed it! A Sarah rec. Another machine that her husband (and she love). She said that within 4 months of making delicious lattes at home and not going to a coffee shop that it paid for itself. Plus it looks really nice!

Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder: What’s good coffee without a great coffee grinder?? This one is EHD approved and will last you. A great add-on if you are getting a coffee maker.

Ember Mug²: This one I added because SO many of you raved about it specifically in our Mother’s Day gift idea call out. It is kinda a genius gift for any hot drink drinker. This is a great stand-alone gift or the ultimate last piece to the coffee lover’s trifecta gift:)

All The Best Basics

T-Shirt | Underwear | Socks

I can’t remember if this was Emily’s or her brother Ken’s idea, but regardless it’s awesome. What’s the gift you may ask? It’s a total refresh of your dad’s basics. It’s no secret that men tend to keep things like socks a little too long. We are all about wearing your clothes for a long time but there comes a point when too many unfixable holes means it’s time to part ways. So if you are buying for your dad maybe you might just do socks and shirts but if it’s for your husband, maybe some fresh underwear would be really appreciated! Let’s get into the favs:

T-Shirt: Brian loves this t-shirt and here’s why – “It fits really well – it’s more snug on arms and chest and loose in the belly, if you know what I mean. Plus it’s really soft and stretchy and doesn’t wrinkle easily (Emily says that’s from the Modal in the fabric).” For another rec, Sarah’s husband is a huge True Classic fan.

Underwear: Nothing like asking your boss and coworker’s what their dude’s favorite underwear is…But here are favs. First up (and pictured) are from Uniqlo. Sarah’s husband loves them and thinks they are a perfect fit. He also likes the boxer briefs from True Classic. Mallory’s boyfriend is a Calvin Klein guy through and through. All are pretty affordable!

Socks: Brian talked about his deep love for Bombas socks in his Christmas gift guide and he continues to love them. They have A TON of designs so go take a peek. Also for a more affordable option, Ryann’s fiance loves these ones from Uniqlo. They also come in so many awesome colors.

Work It Out HARD

The MYX II | TRX Fit System Suspension Kit | FightCamp

Does your dad or husband love fitness? Well Sarah’s husband and Brian do so here are their top recommendations:

The MYX II: This is basically a more affordable Peleton! Both Sarah and her husband LOVE it, love the classes, loved the lower price, and use it all the time. Emily would like to mention that she and Brian do love their Peleton too. Dealer’s choice!

TRX Fit System: Sarah’s husband also loves these TRX bands. He says they are super easy to use and are the best for traveling since they hardly take up luggage space.

FightCamp: Brian’s review – “This is, no joke, the best purchase I’ve made in the past like, ten years. I was never into boxing, I’d either go for runs or drive to the gym, but the instructors and classes on FightCamp are insanely good and insanely fast.” I don’t think anything else needs to be said:)

Do We Have A Grill Master On Our Hands?

Probe Thermometer | Grill | Cuisinart Deluxe Grill Set

Look. We know that getting dads grilling stuff for gifts may feel kinda stereotypical but hey, does your dad, stepdad, grandfather, or husband like to grill? The EHD men do so stereotypes be damned.

Probe Thermometer: Another rave review from Sarah’s husband. They use this digital thermometer all of the time and think that every household should have one. For $23 we are in.

Grill: This is what Sarah actually got for her husband for father’s day this year so this might be the most “father’s day approved” gift on this list. Like many of the gifts on this list, this grill is also a gift that keeps on giving…delicious meals.

Cuisinart Deluxe Grill Set: This is one of the only gifts we haven’t owned or tried but Em requested I find a good one. So what did I do? I went to the man himself, Bob Villa. Plus there are 14,000 4.5-star reviews AND it’s under $50. Win-win-win. Happy grilling!

Well, that’s it, folks. We hope that you found a gift or it inspired the perfect gift idea for the father figure in your life. Obviously, time spent together is the best gift so we hope that you get a version of that. I also know that holidays like mother’s and father’s day aren’t easy for everyone. So regardless of how you spend the day, I hope it’s great and that you take care of yourself too.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Photo Credit: Photo by Suraya Barbee

The post 15 Really Good Father’s Day Gift Ideas appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/15-really-good-fathers-day-gift-ideas

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One Tiny Change: 26 Rooms Where Curtains Made All The Difference

Can curtains REALLY change the entire look and feel of an entire room? That’s what I found myself wondering this week as I attempted (and failed, for the record) to select window treatments for my soon-to-be pink living room (!!). Like, sure, we all know that the correct placement and length and width of your curtains will make your windows look better – here’s a refresher on those rules, if you need it – but can a single curtain panel actually take your design from “wow, this looks pretty good” to “holy crap, this is phenomenal?”

At first, I was a little skeptical – I mean, a pretty room is a pretty room, you know? Does it really matter if the curtains are gray or purple if they ~go~ with the rest of the space? And, well, spoiler alert: IT DOES MATTER. When I looked more closely at what made certain rooms sing, or what made homes feel finished or polished or well designed…well, y’all, it was the window treatments, EVERY SINGLE TIME. Sometimes it was the color (or the lack of color); sometimes it was the proportion; sometimes it was the pattern – but every time, the curtains were the piece that cemented each room’s look and feel. Can I show you what I mean? (This first example is my favorite.)

Bring In Some Color

left: design by ricky strauss, photo by trevor tondro, via house beautiful | right: design by martyn lawrence bullard, photo by jaime kowal, via trendland

The bones of these rooms? Incredibly similar. Both are located in Hollywood, both have green lacquered walls, both have lots of brass with hits of black and classic glam elements (veined marble on the left and leopard on the right – my favorites!).

The feel of each room, though, couldn’t be more different. The gray curtains on the left feel a little more masculine and formal, while the magenta window coverings on the right leave this lobby feeling cheery and open. With a few easy (and affordable!) styling swaps, you could totally change the look and feel of each one of these spaces. NEAT, RIGHT???

left: design by rachel chudley, photo by michael sinclair, via house & garden | right: design by beata heuman, photo by simon brown, via clever

Here are two more examples of single-color, high contrast curtains that totally transform each of these rooms. A monochrome look in either space would have fallen a little flat, don’t you think? The contrast feels intentional and bold and special – it’s a little detail that adds SO much. (Speaking of little details, check out that copper curtain rod on the left. BIG swoon.)

design by reath design | photos by laure joliet | via architectural digest

You may recognize that shot on the left – this house tour went very viral – but do you see how Frances Merrill, the mastermind behind Reath Design, continued to play with tonal curtain panels throughout the entirety of this California home? It’s a fun and fresh idea if you’re looking to add a LOT of visual interest without layering in a ton of busy or competing patterns.

left: design by waldo works, photo by michael sinclair, via yellowtrace | right: design by matilda goad, photo by yuki sugiura, via house & garden

Take your hand and cover up the yellow curtain on the left for a second. The room feels a lot colder and a little darker, right? Opting for a bright yellow curtain and adding those warm, saturated pillows makes ALL the difference in the world. On the right, a bold pop of orange velvet brings a lot of vibrance and youth to this otherwise-traditional nursery.

Keep It Simple

design by jett projects | photo by christian harder | via elle decor

If pops of color aren’t your thing, that’s okay! Quiet and tonal curtains can be total showstoppers, too. If you’re looking to draw attention to a view, consider opting for window treatments that are a near-match for your wall color – do you see how your eyes are drawn straight to the windows and to the view outside when everything else in the home lives within a tightly restrained color palette?

design by jett projects | photo by christian harder | via elle decor

Who DOESN’T want to take a nap in here? It’s like an adult version of a nursery – so restful and calming and serene. The weight of these curtains, in particular, is so lovely – they have the perfect level of light-filtering ability, don’t you think? A velvet in here would have weighed down the space and made an already-narrow space feel a little claustrophobic. Keep your materials AND colors in mind, gang!

design by edel legaspi | photo by roger davies | via architectural digest

Keeping it simple doesn’t necessarily always mean going all-tonal, though. See how the ombré curtains above work to blend the shades of several pieces in this room? An all-white curtain in here may have felt a little boring, but a pattern would have taken away from the quiet sophistication – this light-to-dark faded drape was the right choice to keep things interesting.

Play With Proportion

design by reath design | photos by laure joliet | via remodelista

I KNOW. You came in here with a full knowledge of the rules of curtains and now I’m here to tell you that soooometimes, it’s kind of fun to experiment with breaking those rules. EEP.

Case in point: both of these rooms were completed by Reath Design, and I am really taken with the different approaches they took to outfitting two sets of arched windows. On the left, you see a more traditional rod placement paired with a fun, cropped curtain. On the right, though, we have a traditional length with a less-traditional placement, which allowed room for some modern sconces on either side of the window. It’s cool to take chances and play with your design!!!

design by wesley moon | photo by pernille loof | via architectural digest

LONG LIVE THE CAFE CURTAIN. I think a lot of folks would have opted for roman shades here, but this little curtain adds SO much charm while drawing your eye straight to those painted grilles. (Personal update: I was eyeing romans for my kitchen, but this shot alone swayed me to look into something smaller that only covers the bottom half of my windows. It’d be quaint and sweet, which feels like a perfect match for my lemon-printed wallpaper!)

design by studio gram | photo by jonathan vdk | via yellowtrace

Okay, okay – I know this is a restaurant, but LOOK HOW COOL THIS CURTAIN PLACEMENT IS. It’s a tiny piece of fabric that creates such a sense of space and place around each booth – could you do anything similar in your home?

design by linehouse | via sfgirlbybay

One more from a restaurant – I know, I know – but sometimes, it’s fun to look for inspiration outside of homes. These above-booth curtains create such a sense of privacy without sacrificing light or aesthetics. Maybe this will inspire you in some way, too 🙂

Opt for Some Pattern

design by reath design | photo by laure joliet | via architectural digest

Alright – we’re wrapping it up with my favorite section and kicking it off with one of my favorite photos: it’s time to POWER CLASH, baby. This is another room from the viral multicolor-curtain home that we peeked at earlier and it’s a masterclass in mixing and matching (the tiny print on the rug! The medium scale wallpaper! The large block print on the window treatments!). Let this be today’s reminder that Em’s classic advice of “pretty looks good next to pretty” is, well, PRETTY SPOT ON. Bring on the pattern!!! You got it!!

design by matilda goad | photos by yuki sugiura | via house & garden

I adore Matilda Goad’s home for, uh, about a BILLION different reasons…but her use of window treatments is pretty high up there on the list, TBH. I love how the stripe breaks up those long curtains on the right (and this could be a GREAT idea if you need to extend the length of some drapes you already have – attach a different fabric at the bottom!). And on the left, man – that bold cabana stripe makes SUCH A DIFFERENCE. Seriously – cover it up with your hand – it’s the finishing element that makes this room feel fresh and new.

design by charlap hyman & herrero | photo by laure joliet | via architectural digest

A little extra? Yes. VERY fun? HELL YES. It’s not totally uncommon to match your wallpaper and your window treatments – it’s actually super common in more traditional homes – but this version, with a storybook print and custom bed and leopard carpet, is really exciting and one-of-a-kind. (That said, you don’t have to try this only with wallpaper – do you think you could achieve a similar effect with paint?)

design by jacquetta wheeler | photos by isabel parra | via architectural digest

Pattern can be a little subtler, too. First off – both of these rooms are in the same home and I love how cohesive they feel, despite the variation in color palette and architecture. Second off – a big part of said cohesion is owed in part to these simple horizontal-stripe curtains, which bring a hit of visual interest while weaving a common thread through each space.

design by meta coleman | photo by rett peek | via domino

How freakin’ HOME-Y does this feel? It’s designed, but it’s also lived in and cozy and un-intimidating. (Like, you’d feel comfortable eating a snack in here, you know?) The big patterns in this room are pulled towards the front of the shot – the plaid piano bench, the striped ottoman, the gingham chair – and the curtains in the background provide a great balance for those strong patterns in the foreground. The layering of wooden roman shades is really really lovely, too.

left: design by beata heuman, photo by simon brown, via domino | right: design by laura gonzalez, photo by stephan julliard, via 1stdibs

Primary color shades, partially painted wall, bold hits of color – is this my new favorite bathroom formula? While I actually think that both of these spaces would look just as great with a solid shade (who am I?!), the bold stripe adds something dynamic to each space – it’s the perfect finishing touch that makes it feel ~designed~.

design by meta coleman | photo by rett peek | via domino

Last but not least – this is one of my favorite room reveals of 2022. Everything in here is incredible – the palette! The rug! The deep sectional! The wicker stool! The casegoods! That patchwork chair! – but those gridded curtains are the icing on the freakin’ cake. They speak to the other colors and patterns in the room; they add quiet interest; they bring depth and warmth. (The rod placement is perfect, too.) It’s a nice reminder that pattern doesn’t always mean in-your-face – sometimes it can just be a liiiiiittle something that makes your home feel polished and considered.

So, uh, WHAT SAY YOU? Let’s talk about our window treatment woes and wins, yeah??? xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Meta Coleman | Photo by Rett Peek | via Domino

The post One Tiny Change: 26 Rooms Where Curtains Made All The Difference appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/26-rooms-where-curtains-made-all-the-difference

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Things to Consider before Purchasing a Rug for Your Home

When decorating a room, you need to choose the right pieces of furniture. One thing people often neglect to get or don't put too much thought into is their rug.

 However, a rug should not be an afterthought when decorating. It should be seen as a centerpiece as it holds the entire room's look together. If you are shopping for a rug, there are a few things that you need to consider.

Budget

One of the first things you need to decide when shopping for a rug is how much you can afford to spend. Sure, you can turn the entire room into a sea of color and splendor, but keep in mind that having a rug that costs a fortune may not be practical.

Luckily, rugs come in all price ranges. Some may be more affordable than others. So it is best to plan out a budget that you are willing to spend. We suggest that you do some research to know the average price for rugs, so you can tell whether you are over budgeting or under budgeting.

Size

Of course, you need to be aware of the size of the room. One thing you should avoid is buying a rug that is too big for the room. It is better to have a rug that is a little small than too big, as it may not look as balanced.

If you are not sure how to measure the room to know the size, it is best to include your furniture in the measurements. Try to include the armchairs and table in the measurements as well. If the rug is a lot bigger than the furniture or room, it may make the room look overcrowded, so you don't want that.

Design

Perhaps the most important thing you should consider is which design you are going to choose. Design is a huge factor when it comes to rugs. You want to get a rug that fits the theme of the room. It doesn't matter if you are getting a Persian rug or a Western rug; you still want the design to fit the theme of the room.

If the room is Asian or Middle Eastern-themed, you should consider getting a rug with a traditional Persian design or a Chinese design. If the room is a Western-themed room, you can get a more modern rug. It is best to find a rug that matches your room's theme.

Durability

You will also need to consider the durability of the rug. The rug is something you are going to be spending a lot of time with. You want to get a rug that can handle your daily use.

Try to find something that is more durable. It is best to buy something that can withstand wear and tear.

Maintenance

When it comes to rugs, there are things you need to know about cleaning. Some rugs can be hand-washed, while others are easier to clean when you have to wash them by machine.

You need to know what the rug needs for cleaning before you get one. Perhaps you have a lot of pets. If that is the case, you need to get something that is easier to maintain, so you don't have to do a lot of work cleaning your rug.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing the right rug, you need to consider the budget, the size, the design, the durability, and maintenance. If you can address all of these areas, you will be able to find the perfect rug. Something that will match the theme of your room, fit the room perfectly and be something that can handle your daily use.

Atlas Weavers carry an extensive collection of rugs but mostly specializes in Moroccan rugs. We also offer restoration services for rugs that have been damaged. Contact us for all your rug needs.

Via https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/things-to-consider-before-purchasing-a-rug-for-your-home

source https://atlasweavers.weebly.com/blog/things-to-consider-before-purchasing-a-rug-for-your-home

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Ryann’s Personal Deep Dive Into Wabi Sabi + 5 Ways To Get The Look In Your Home

A few months ago, I started what I am now calling my design identity crisis. I am usually drawn to vintage, moody, old-world, dark academia inspired interiors. My whole living and dining room design is based on that fact. But what happens when there are neutral, minimalist interiors that stir something in me, making me reconsider the deep moody green walls in my apartment?? It seems I am being confronted by my attraction to two opposing styles, causing me to rethink my whole design aesthetic.

It all started when my fiancé Rocky and I were looking for bedroom inspiration. We were both very drawn to an aesthetic we’ve been calling “Monastery chic” and through searching for that inspiration Rocky came across wabi sabi design. I had heard of wabi sabi before but had never researched what it really is. Rocky is a quarter Japanese so he resonated with this ancient philosophy right away, and when he showed me photos I was immediately hooked. We both share an admiration for Japanese art and culture so learning more about wabi sabi felt natural. Pretty quickly, our research into it turned into a deep appreciation and desire for a wabi sabi-inspired home (and life).

The kick is our current design aesthetic is quite the opposite. We have dark green walls, a huge gallery wall, books stacked from floor to ceiling, and collected items on every surface. In short, we aren’t minimalists. We both like decorating with a lot of things. But when wabi sabi crossed our radar we both felt extremely drawn to the philosophy, style, and practice of it.

design by boris vervoordt | photo by jean-pierre gabriel | via house and garden

After some introspection, we came to the conclusion that we can’t scrap everything we already have and replace it with a wabi-sabi design. In fact, that would go against a lot of the tenants of the philosophy itself. Instead, we realized we can have a mindful wabi-sabi mindset, apply it to parts of our home, and still accept the things we already have in our home.

If you want to learn more about the history of wabi sabi as we did, just know you will have to practice patience because its history is hard to track down. According to Wabi Sabi – The Japanese Art Of Impermanence (a book I highly recommend on the subject), “wabi sabi as a product of the Zen mind, can find its earliest roots in Zen’s forerunner, Taoism” but the exact time it popped up is nearly impossible to pinpoint. The closest timeline is during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) which is when art started to show some of the ideals of wabi sabi. But no matter the exact timeline, there is no doubt that it has influenced art and design for centuries.

Speaking from an American, English-speaking point of view, wabi sabi can be an elusive, mysterious concept because it has no clear translation. Again, it’s ironic because the whole idea is to embrace imperfection. So with that in mind, I can tell you that wabi roughly translates to “things that are fresh and simple” and sabi is defined as “things whose beauty stems from age” but the truth is, those are imperfect translations.

From a design perspective, one definition of wabi sabi is “a Japanese aesthetic concept that finds beauty and serenity in objects, landscapes, designs, etc., that are simple, imperfect, and impermanent.” This definition is easy to comprehend but can be hard to put into practice. Can we find beauty in anything and call it wabi sabi? Maybe, but the trick I’ve found is knowing that it might look slightly different to everyone. It’s an idea, not a tangible thing you can point to. You can look at a room or photo and feel like it’s wabi sabi-inspired but it might be hard to articulate why. Of course there are certain elements that speak to it, but they are not uniquely wabi sabi in nature. There is no rule book on how to achieve a wabi sabi design because the point is to create something unique, personal, tranquil, and imperfect.

But don’t worry, we don’t have to guess or go at it blindly. To guide us, there are 7 principles of wabi sabi:

1. Kanso – Simplicity 2. Funkinsei -Asymmetry 3. Shibumi – Beauty In The Understated 4. Shizen – Naturalness 5. Yugen – Subtle Grace 6. Datsuzoku – Freedom from habits 7. Seijaku – Tranquility

To apply these terms to design isn’t futile, it just might take thoughtful practice. Like I said, a key pillar of wabi sabi is embracing imperfection so if you want to attempt this style, there won’t be a perfect “How To” to get you there. So am I attempting to do the impossible by providing tips on how to get this look in your home? Yeah, pretty much. But since I am trying to apply it in my own home and life, I’m willing to share a few things I’ve found useful.

1. Go For Textured Walls

design by andrew trotter and gianni emiliani | photo by salva lopez | via yatzer

Step one is live in a very very old building, preferably an old abandoned castle if you can swing it.

Oh wait, your not Axel Vervdoodt?? Okay then, well, you can also use different wall finishes to add texture to your walls. Limewash, heavy plaster, basic plaster, or Venetian plaster can create an aged, imperfect look.

Highlighting anything old or aging is common (and necessary) with a wabi sabi-inspired design. Have peeling walls? Wabi-sabi will have you embracing them! The point is to accept what you have and find the beauty in it. Instead of trying to erase naturally aging elements in your home, try embracing them (as long as it’s safe of course). In our apartment, we have peeling paint and instead of hating it I am learning to embrace the natural deterioration that happens to all things.

design by andrew trotter | photo by salva lopez

Limewash walls are a staple of modern wabi sabi design because it can make plain, uniform walls look textured and antiquated. A rough, uneven surface is welcome in wabi sabi design and actually preferred over a smooth surface. This is a trick I am excited to try in my own home and will report back on how it goes

2. Find Naturally Tarnished Objects And Furniture

design by andrew trotter and gianni emiliani | photo by salva lopez

Wabi sabi is about impermanence. Nothing stays the same forever so a key component is holding on to objects that have meaning and admiring signs of natural age. Wabi sabi will teach you to hold on to your things for as long as possible instead of replacing them with something new.

If you are going for a wabi sabi-inspired design, avoid shiny, uniform objects and instead look out for naturally aged, organic decor pieces that show the passing of time. A cracked pot or tarnished vase is beautiful, and finding these used objects to decorate your home is also sustainable and good for our earth.

design by andrew trotter and gianni emiliani | photo by salva lopez | via yatzer

Natural wear and tear is meant to be shown according to wabi sabi philosophy. So to achieve the look you should opt for organic materials that show age over time. Wood, clay, brick, and stone will age imperfectly and gracefully. I write this from my wood dining table that I bought used from Facebook Marketplace. It’s over 100 years old and has some new cup rings that I am not proud of but if I had to choose my favorite piece of furniture this would be it. The flaws and age make it unique and (you guessed it) imperfect.

3. Embrace Simplicity

design by soar design studio and architect chen-tien chu | via dezeen

As someone who loves ~things~, this is a hard pill to swallow. But to truly achieve the wabi sabi aesthetic, you need to let go of clutter and rid your home of anything that is not significant or useful to you. Wabi sabi teaches us to detach from material things and focus on tranquility. Unfortunately, there is nothing tranquil about busy or cluttered surfaces (she says to herself).

styled by joseph gardner | photo by anson smart

To embrace wabi sabi you are not required to get rid of all things and live like a monk. Instead, look at what you do have and consider its purpose or importance to you. If it’s useful or meaningful you don’t have to give it up. The point of the simplicity component is to create a sense of peace with your surroundings, which can be hard to do if there is clutter around you.

4. Opt For Earthy, Muted Colors

image via potters house mallorca

Color (or lack thereof) is highly effective in creating peaceful surroundings. Avoid highly saturated colors if you want a wabi sabi look, and instead opt for muted colors you would find in nature.

design by axel vervdoodt | photo by jan liegeois | via the design files

One main quality of this aesthetic is an austere look and feeling. This is where a light moodiness comes into play (and likely where my main attraction to it comes from). Despite many wabi sabi interiors being neutral and minimal, the color palettes associated with this style are often a shade darker than most neutral rooms. Gray, brown, light brown, white, and even black are often present in this style. The darker tones create a lived-in, austere vibe as opposed to a warm, comfortable vibe. This is not to say that wabi sabi interiors can’t be inviting, but they are often a bit rougher around the edges.

5. Lean Into Asymmetry

design by andrew trotter and gianni emiliani | photo by pia riverola | via yatzer

Anything too uniform disrupts the nature of wabi sabi. The point is to embrace imperfections so if a room has all of the above elements but feels very symmetrical, then it won’t be perceived as wabi sabi. In my home, I plan to apply this by having one nightstand instead of two, hanging a small piece of art off-center, and embracing our fiddle leaf tree that has sadly lost 90% of her leaves.

design by louisa grey | photo by rory gardiner | via dezeen

Another way to incorporate asymmetrical lines is with furniture placement. You can arrange your furniture with uneven space in between each piece and this will create an unbalanced yet pleasing look. In the above bathroom, the stool and sink are closer together and the chair is farther away in the corner. This creates asymmetry without doing anything permanent to your floorplan or walls.

As I said before, this is not meant to be a perfect “How To” on wabi sabi design but if you are looking for small ways to incorporate it in your home, I hope these 5 tips help. If you want to learn more about the subject, I loved pouring over this book, and I hear this is another great resource on living the wabi sabi-inspired lifestyle.

Thanks for coming along this journey with me, and bearing witness as I unpacked my feelings about this ancient, beautiful, simple yet intoxicating design aesthetic. I may not have articulated it perfectly but that is, dare I say, a great lesson in wabi sabi. xx

Opener Image Credit: Design by Axel Vervoodt | Photo by Jake Curtis

The post Ryann’s Personal Deep Dive Into Wabi Sabi + 5 Ways To Get The Look In Your Home appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/what-is-wabi-sabi-design

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Our Sunroom (Dining Room) Design Plan And What Table And Chairs We FINALLY Chose

There were only a few rooms where I knew that we would need to shop for – that our furniture just wouldn’t work. This room is one of them, and boy am I glad that I waited to pull any triggers on the furniture until the tile went down last week. This room is the new addition that is going to be this dreamy victorian indoor/outdoor vibe that is super special. It’s definitely a different style/feeling from the rest of the house but it works because it’s separate enough and looks/feels like a conservatory addition (think a sunroom attached to the back of a brick house in England). We clad it in brick instead of wood siding to keep it feeling separate (but will paint it white). It’s just awesome. Functionally I’ll use it to work/write, gather, entertain, etc. Aesthetically, it’s the eccentric English grandma side of me who can get inspired here, write fun blog posts, then retire to her calm house to eat soup.

On Building the Sunroom (Aka My Writing Studio)

I dreamed it up and ARCIFORM drew it up, handed it off to an engineer to get approved, etc. And then we dug out to pour the foundation and built it up like a legit room. It took months and months, multiple subs during a very high demand time. It’s hard to know how much it will cost in total but definitely over 100k. Luckily, since we “work from home” this will be my “writing studio” we can at least write off a bit through the company. It’s not free money, but it helps.

The Biggest Changes – After The Design “Indecision”

Originally, it was supposed to have windows or french doors on all three and half walls, with the east wall being french doors onto the front porch. But then I realized that we literally had no wall space, like in this whole house, which is fine in a lot of ways (we opted for windows instead which we are so happy with) but that also means no storage furniture to even hold paper or office supplies. Whoops. We also really didn’t NEED access to the front porch. The front door was right there and we aren’t lacking entertaining areas in this house. So we decided to close up this wall instead, brick the outside like the rest of the sunroom and make it big enough so that I could have a credenza or a hutch. This way we could also create a sitting area on the front porch (with a sofa since it’s covered) whereas the french doors limited that.

During this time, the back deck became a covered porch – to wrap it around (which we love) and give us some outdoor sitting areas during the rainier days. All fine and good, but it did limit the light coming into the french doors of the sunroom.

More Skylights. Always More Skylights.

Also during this time (months ago), we nixed the skylights in this room fearing that installing them on what was supposed to feel like an older conservatory might be weird, especially from the exterior. So after the custom diamond patterned windows were installed (which came in without a middle shadow bar and are being replaced as we speak thanks to Sierra Pacific‘s excellent customer service), we walked into the room and strangely it wasn’t as bright as we had hoped. To most people, it’s bright enough. But because it faces north to a line of tall trees and we had covered the porch as well as gotten rid of the east sliding door, we needed more light. So right before drywall, we made the call that made us both feel like crazy people – but yes, we decided to put the Velux Skylights back in and luckily for us the framing and the electrical made it easy. We also realized that driving up to the house you are so far down that you really can’t see the top of the sunroom roof – like a tiny bit but hardly! So right now the ceiling is ripped open waiting for the tile installers to be done so we can throw those suckers back up there. (We had them already ordered and I had planned on putting them in the future “workout barn”).

Oh My Gosh, The Tile Install!!

Ok so now we are down to tile install – and BOY OH BOY is it exciting. The tile from Pratt and Larsen is so high quality, the colors are PERFECT – bright, happy, energetic, and the install details are so thought through by the ARCIFORM team. It’s a custom color (much brighter in person) but if you want it just request it. The border ended up needing to be troubleshot to make sure that we were dividing the triangles in half equally (not an awkward cut). The border along a long straight run is easy to figure out (says me) but once you turn it you have to troubleshoot how that works and often the math doesn’t pan out. But the guys from Level Plane (Erik, Jeremy, Alex, Sergei) cared SO MUCH and we spent hours mocking it up before setting it permanently.

Furniture – The Dining Table

I have been pinning for this room for a year – fantasizing about quiet writing days and energetic dinner parties. I started looking for vintage as that is my general preference but after a year I’ve officially called it on finding the right vintage pieces and here is why:

The scale of the table we need is hard to find – 11′ long by 40″ deep. Any deeper and it can look like a conference table (42″ could have been fine, but honestly with 8-10 chairs it’s a lot). There were so many “harvest” tables that were 30″ wide (very narrow) or had a deep apron that you can barely get your legs under and I love those. Unfortunately, they just aren’t practical for 8 people to chill around.

The few tables that I did fine on 1stDibs were in Europe and over 10k. Even if I had that kind of money, it just felt unwise to buy it sight unseen and spend $2k having it shipped, etc. What if it’s wobbly and janky. Although like art, some of the ones I loved were by important makers and their work does appreciate but that’s assuming that we’ll take great care of them and well, that just felt unwise.

We wanted light wood to warm up the tile (so not white, black, marble, etc). We wanted timeless and classic but not too shabby chic. We still wanted a bit refined but not pretentious.

So to be expected the tables that I was most attracted to were custom made, in America, pricey, and frankly gorgeous.

1. Oval Penn Table | 2. Mt. Lebanon Shaker Work Table | 3. Penn Table

For those of you looking for more affordable versions that aren’t the length that we needed (proving to be the most difficult part) here are some others that I loved.

1. Hargrove Expandable Dining Table | 2. Provence Farm Table | 3. Shaker Dining Table

So here is the table we just ordered, after staring at it for almost a year:

Reclaimed Wood Oval Farm Table

And here’s why she is the winner: The design of it is perfect – classic and timeless, but casual. That turned leg is so pretty, with a scale that is delicate yet big enough and you know how I prefer an oval (especially against all those squares). We also love that it’s made out of reclaimed wood, in this beautiful waxed pine finish, made in California, and totally customizable by a woman-owned company. BOOM. We ordered it without the middle leg so we had flexibility with chairs, and changed the dimensions to 11′ long, 40″ deep, and 30″ tall. We had to pay a 20% upcharge for the customization, which seems totally fair and in total it cost us around $5k. This is a lot for a table, I realize, but after looking for the size for over a year I feel that it’s fair and we are getting exactly what we want in every single way. And no, this is not gifted or even discounted, but they are offering free shipping and have a ton of really beautiful pieces if you’d like to check it out. Just imagine it in here:

Now For 8 Vintage Dining Chairs?? Hard To Find

I shopped for the table and the chairs at the same time, waiting on the right one to pull the trigger that I knew would affect the other. But that wasn’t before I spent a year looking at dining chairs. Again, I’m so glad that I waited because once the tile was installed, we realized that we wanted fewer lines, and less finishes – the tile is the STAR, so the chairs need to be the supporting character. Also remember, I need 8-10…that’s a LOT of chairs so they need to be relatively affordable. But before then here is what I considered:

The Comfortable Upholstered Chair – As you know we believe in comfort so I tried pretty hard to get chairs that were going to be cushy for long dinners. Eight to ten of these are virtually impossible to find vintage (where I could afford or love enough). So here are a few that I debated on the market right now:

1. Vaquero Dining Chair | 2. Wolfgang | 3. The Allen Dining Chair

The Shaker Spindle Back Chair – Oh how I love these and will forever, and while the busyness of the lines with the tile could be totally fine, ultimately it’s just too much. But these were the ones I loved:

1. Bowback Chair | 2. Rian Dining Chair

Wicker, Rattan Bistro – We’ve seen these for years and years, but it’s because they are a great look, they are affordable, and have that casual indoor/outdoor vibe. So here are the ones I was considering:

1. Linton Scalloped Side Chair (Set of 2) | 2. Rustler Woven Dining Chair | 3. Sunwashed Riviera Dining Chair

Captain Chair | Side Chair | Pendant | Dining Table

I keep apologizing to people when I show them the chairs (that I still need to buy but feel pretty great about them) because they aren’t this crazy new design or anything. But as you can see in the mood board below they really do look awesome, pulled together, and let the tile shine. Plus they work with the rest of the vibe of the house (lots of wood tones, Scandi and casual). I might do a fun chair for me (peacock? upholstered wingback?).

So here is where we are at!!! The floor is the star. The chairs and table are so pretty and casual (but quiet), and the light fixtures are elegant which works so well with the floor. The custom windows from Sierra Pacific are incredible (the frames are lighter than what you see above) and that hutch is insane (although it might live near the kitchen instead to bring color in there). I’ll of course add some plants and style it all out.

Figuring out the border was hard to make sure that we cut the diamond perfectly in half and stretched the border so that the corners matched up perfectly without messing up the running pattern. Head to stories to see more on that (and huge thanks to ARCIFORM, Pratt and Larson, and Level Plane for doing an incredible job). I’m SO EXCITED about this room I can’t even tell you. I hope we all love it as much as I do in my head

The post Our Sunroom (Dining Room) Design Plan And What Table And Chairs We FINALLY Chose appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/farmhouse-dining-room-furniture

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Designing With A Partner? See How This Celebrity Couple Designed Their Dream Home Despite One Major Opposing Style Preference

A question we get A LOT is how to combine different styles with a partner. Honestly, it can be tricky but completely doable. I mean, it was the whole basis of Em’s HGTV show, Secrets From a Stylist, right? It’s about finding the style connections (shapes, colors, materials, etc.), incorporating both styles with pieces that have those connections, and of course, some good ole fashion compromise and understanding. That’s precisely what Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach did when designing their new family home in Southern California and were starting from scratch. Well, first I should say that this house was half designed when they bought it (go read the AD article for the scoop) but luckily they loved the cozy vibe that designer, Katie Lester, had already established. Personally, I think that was a MASSIVE blessing given that decision fatigue is very real (just ask anyone that has gone through any kind of renovation). But here’s the deal, it sounds like Glennon has much more of a love for colorful interiors than Abby. Abby even said that had it been up to her initially, she likely would have gone for way less color. Sounds tricky, right?? What do you do when one partner wants color and the other doesn’t? Well, I’m going to walk you through how Katie and Glennon (who was mostly in charge of the decisions) made this cozy home both colorful yet calm and airy so that everyone was happy.

I’m sure when you look at this photo you aren’t thinking “whoa, this is a wildly colorful room!” BUT, at the same time, it doesn’t feel like a totally white/neutral “California causal” living room either. Here’s why. First off, the room has a lot of texture and pattern which automatically makes it feel more alive. You have the brick walls, mixed with the paneling, mixed with the stone, and all of the fabric patterns. Then within those fabrics, you have that saturated indigo, hints of deep purples, reds, yellows, and other tones of blue. Also, those warm camel brown bench cushions do such an incredible job of livening up the room. Lastly, never underestimate the power of books and how they are an easy and sneaky way to bring color and personality into a room. Take the books out you have a pretty room. But with the books in? You have a personalized room.

Moving over to the dining area, the colors are classically neutral but baby do we have some texture! The chandelier, those woven chair backs and leather cushion straps, the black table to contrast and ground the space…all help to make the open concept plan feel warm but not too colorful because…

Y’all the kitchen is a beautiful bright blue. If you ask us (and DEFINITELY Emily), blue is a neutral in our book. So incorporating blue is a total no-brainer if there’s a couple that’s on different ends of the color-loving spectrum. Plus this blue, in particular, is so cheerful. Then by adding that beautiful warm-toned wood extension off the end of the island, brass pendants, and brass hardware it’s an irresistibly welcoming space. It feels both well designed but really approachable. That was their goal for the whole house and they achieve it.

Please note the mix of patterned counter stools and a solid leather cabinet bench. I think I’m into it! Also, note that they are all upholstered and have backs which is an EHD requirement for ideal comfort when sitting for a while. This kitchen was made for hanging out in:)

Now we are cookin with some “conversation piece” gas. The first things that catch your eye are those vintage chairs because A. the shape is amazing and B. they have that fun and unexpected leopard print fabric. Then for me, my eyes go right to those notched bookcases. GAH, I love them and they remind me of the CB x Lawson-Fenning bookcase that I have not been able to get out of my head. To finish it off, you see the modern and graphic pedestal table that helps make this house more “cool eclectic” than “California cool”. Oh, and see that colorful railing to your left??

Yikes, I ADORE that railing color choice. It’s subtle but so impactful! The railing equivalent to “I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom”. This may feel like a design risk but what an easy way to bring in a subtle color that will make your home feel so cozy and unique. A perfect compromise for a colorful moment that doesn’t scream “color”. Plus, again you have more books and a beautiful muted toned runner to add color in a way that feels decorative and not permanent (so less scary to the color averse if you are trying to ease them into it).

Oh, and I love a gallery wall and all of those different toned frames add a ton of dimension. Also notice that they carried the paneling throughout the house but varied the scale and orientation.

As you are about to see they really leaned into highly patterned wallpaper that’s colorful but doesn’t feel super saturated. If you can’t tell that’s how I think they balanced their differing love of color in their interiors. I don’t look at this very cute powder bath and think this is an overwhelming color. I think the wallpaper (by EHD fav Rebecca Atwood) is the perfect amount of color that’s still calming, with a pattern that’s playful but not too visually overstimulating. It’s also balanced by that beautiful warm wood vanity base, a simple white marble counter, a modern sconce, and a natural woven roman shade and floor basket.

Moving onto the primary bedroom. I really love this room. It captures the love of color and pattern but also feels like a very calming space because of the more muted tones. The choice of the tall chair rail with the pink and purple wallpaper at the top was a great way to add in a fun wallpaper but have it not take over the space. Imagine if the walls were floor-to-ceiling wallpaper…not as calming right? What I also love are those burlwood nightstand dressers! They add so much warmth and with their natural pattern, balance out the wallpaper. Are you wondering why the roman shade pattern and wallpaper pattern work right next to each other? Different pattern scales! The wallpaper is a larger scale and the roman shades are medium. That’s the secret to mixing patterns. Just mix up the scales. Lastly, the bed, bedding, and chandelier are incredible.

Their primary bathroom is definitely on the more neutral side but I think that’s ideal for this kind of space. They carried the paneling from the bedroom which nicely ties those two rooms together but then went ham on the white marble. I love the large slabs of book-matched marble on the walls and that extra-long bench! Then on the floor, you can see they chose marble tiles. This is a great way to still have marble floors but in a more cost-effective way since large slabs are pricey. I also love that the shower it totally enclosed. Both Emily and Brian are big on a fully enclosed shower as opposed to the large open-air style that’s been super popular. They like to stay warm and that other style can bring in a lot of cold air. This one is a marriage of the two! It’s large and almost looks like an open-air shower but isn’t.

This is one of their daughter’s bedrooms and that bed is so pretty! I love the contrast of delicate pieces (wallpaper, shade fabric, bed, pillows) with the more graphic ones (art, side tables, lamps, blankets). Perfect for a teenager to grow into and then a great potential guest room. The surfboard makes it even cooler.

Another dream teenage room! The color palette is similar to the rest of the home but through fabric and pattern choices feels a bit more fun and youthful. I love those pink and maroon pillows and that roman shade fabric is my favorite in that whole house. Please also note that the ceiling is painted black. I can’t get enough. Maybe this is my favorite room?

While not all of us need a podcast studio in our homes, a lot of us can relate to needing an office. This space looks like it would be a dream to work in. That built-in bookcase is incredible and I love the two-toned wood paired with those beautiful sconces and cool brass knobs. I mostly love all of the books and collectibles that really make it personal to them. However, those awesome chairs and travertine side table don’t hurt either:)

So as you can clearly see this is a home that is filled with love, family, happy but muted colors, and A LOT of great patterns that all make it the cozy, welcoming, lived-in home they were hoping for. The view also helps:)

So do you have a favorite room? Any tips on designing with a partner with a different style? Let chat xx

Love you, mean it.

*Design by Kate Lester **Styled by Amy Chin ***Photos by Douglas Friedman ****via Architectural Digest

The post Designing With A Partner? See How This Celebrity Couple Designed Their Dream Home Despite One Major Opposing Style Preference appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/glennon-doyle-and-abby-wambach-ad-home-tour-review

[rashadsmello]

The 2022 Memorial Day Sales We Wanted And Got (So Yes, The Best Ones On The Internet)

HI, HEY, HELLO. Happy Memorial Day, gang! Below, you’ll find a roundup of today’s best sales in a (hopefully?) new-and-improved, easy-to-navigate format. I’m usually a pretty big yammerer (“yeah, we know,” said the daily readers), but in an attempt to keep this sleek and streamlined, let’s just JUMP ON IN. Without further ado, I hereby present to you the best deals of summer 2022…

& Other Stories

The Sale: 15% off orders over $175, 20% off orders over $250, 25% off orders over $350 through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: This flowy midi dress with sweet sleeves, a lightweight linen dress that’s perfect for summer events, and these on-trend high waisted trousers. Note: You can see a few of these in action in our affordable dress review!

Abercrombie & Fitch

The Sale: 20% off site-wide, plus free shipping on all orders through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: THE SHORTS. (And if you have a bigger butt, the Curve Love fit will change your life.) There are a ton of great affordable dress options, too – A&F has gotten SO GOOD (who saw that coming?) and it’s a great spot if you’re also at a loss of where to shop right now. (Like, why does everything either look like it’s from 2000 or like I’m about to embark on the Oregon Trail? Did brands forget there was a middle ground between crop tops and like, a shapeless gingham sack???)

AllModern

The Sale: Up to 40% off select sofas, accent chairs, outdoor furniture, and more through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: You’ll find the best savings on rugs (in person, this one looks like it should cost WAY more), table lamps (this one is so chic!!!), and accent chairs.

Annie Selke

The Sale: 20% off in-stock items through Monday, 5/30 with code MEMORIAL22. Best Deals: The rug we literally can not stop using, these cordless roller shades that won’t break the bank (I know how hard they are to find!), and this modern, textured, easy-to-clean indoor/outdoor rug with a perfect rating. Note: No joke – we literally JUST used that rug again in another room makeover. It’s that great.

Anthropologie

The Sale: Extra 40% off all sale items through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: In order – the home selection is incredible, the accessories are VERY fun (albeit a little winter-heavy, inventory wise), and I recommend sorting the clothing by picking your sizes in the sidebar – it’s a little hit/miss, but still worth exploring.

Apt2B

The Sale: 15% off site-wide, 20% off orders over $2,999, and 25% off orders over $3,999 through Tuesday, 5/31. Best Deals: This streamlined (and cute!) queen-sized sleeper sofa, a comfortable velvet sectional that can ship in 3-5 days, and one of my all-time favorite upholstered beds. Note: The lead times here are pretty unbeatable, so keep this spot in mind if you’re ever in a pinch!

Article

The Sale: Up to 15% off select chairs, lighting, sofas, and more through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: This Mouille-style plug-in sconce, Sara’s go-to sofa (case in point: her apartment, her mom’s house, her mom’s house second update, and her own house), and a great rattan daybed for those trying to recreate Birdie’s nursery look on a budget.

Brooklinen

The Sale: 15% off site-wide through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: THE BEST ROBE. I’m telling y’all – people think I’m nuts until they try it on and then they’re like, “oh, I do feel like I stole this from a fancy hotel.” Also, the weighted comforter that transformed my sleep (way less nightmares, and I can change the duvet cover! So much better than a weighted blanket!) and Em’s all-time favorite windowpane-printed sheets. Note: We each reviewed/rounded up our Brooklinen favorites right here! (You know, in case you’re looking for more opinions. I get it.)

Burke Decor

The Sale: Up to 25% off select coffee tables, credenzas, consoles, and WAY more through Tuesday, 5/31. Best Deals: This is truly the best-curated selection of furniture and decor on the entire internet with unbeatable sales. (Seriously. That’s my #notsponsored and #neverbeengifted opinion, too!) My current favorites: this super modern leather sofa, this ivory sofa that looks like a hug, literally all the coffee tables, this simple-meets-industrial media console…I mean, the inventory is just STACKED with great stuff, guys.

CB2

The Sale: Up to 30% off outdoor furniture and accessories, up to 20% off in-stock furniture, and up to 60% off sale items through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: This quick-ship pencil reed desk (spoiler: pencil reed is the next big thing – I’m working on a post about it now!), a chic and modern bed frame with all sizes available for $500, and this AWESOME and sculptural leather-loomed lounge chair. (Also, my brass bistro table is on sale! Still holding up great after a year outdoors.)

Circa Lighting

The Sale: 20% off site-wide through Tuesday, 5/31. Best Deals: HUGE savings on chandeliers and pendants, but I’m particularly obsessed with these traditional-with-a-twist sconces and this brass articulating library sconce.

Crate & Barrel

The Sale: Up to 20% off outdoor furniture and decor and up to 60% off sale items through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: This half-priced statement coffee table, a 2022 version of the safari chair for under $1,000, and be sure to check the decor section for great small styling pieces and affordable curtains, too.

Everlane

The Sale: 25% off over 400 summer-ready styles through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: These breezy pull-on linen shorts, a super flattering sleeveless top you can grab in 16 (!!!) different colors, and this simple scoop-neck tee (great if you’re trying to show off your collarbones!).

HigherDOSE

The Sale: 20% off site-wide through Monday, 5/30 with code MDW22. Best Deals: The classic sauna blanket (of course), the newly-introduced blanket insert (so you don’t need to sweat through your pajamas anymore – you can enjoy your sauna au natural!), and the red light face mask. Note: Emily wrote a review of her sauna blanket after using it for a year, and you can read about her experiences right here.

Interior Define

The Sale: 20% off everything custom, plus 15% off decor through Tuesday, 5/31. Best Deals: You’ll save the most on sectionals, but I’m currently obsessed with the new Lowen collection of channel-tufted sofas, chairs, and more.

Jayson Home

The Sale: 15% off site-wide through Monday, May 30 with code SAVE15. Best Deals: These bold and organic bar stools, this tortoiseshell rattan hall tree (again – it’s about to be the next big thing, I swear!), and don’t forget to check out their vintage and antique inventory!

J. Crew

The Sale: 30% off (almost) everything, plus an extra 60% off all sale styles through Monday, 5/30 with code SUMMER. Best Deals: The dresses! The skirts! The SWIMWEAR! Note: Broken record here, but J. Crew Factory’s inventory is also SO GOOD and SO CHEAP.

Lulu & Georgia

The Sale: 20% off site-wide through Monday, May 30. Best Deals: Guys, my order for this bed has officially been placed – anyone wanna match with me? Alternatively, you couuuuld grab Jess’ comfy sofa (designed by an EHD alum!) or one of these gorgeous rugs. Note: You may have already shopped this sale (gotta love when a brand kicks off their promotions early!) but if you haven’t, I rounded up a few of the best picks right here!

Madewell

The Sale: 25% off site-wide plus an extra 30% off sale through Monday, 5/30 with code LONGWEEKEND. Best Deals: I recently tried on this dress in-store and was shocked that it looked SUPER cute (usually my boobs don’t play well with tent-style dresses). Also, these are the BEST alternatives to skinny jeans and this dress is SO flattering in person (if you’re between sizes, size down!).

Minted

The Sale: 15% off sitewide (excluding fine art) through Tuesday, 5/31 with code MEMORIALDAY22. Best Deals: Pro tip: this much art can be overwhelming, so the best way to search is by scrolling to “art” and then hitting “shop by style” – it gets WAY easier once you can narrow down the types of pieces you like, I promise! Note: My whole hallway is Minted, and I STILL FREAKIN’ LOVE IT. Steal my entire professionally-designed gallery wall (because obviously, I had their art stylist help me out) if you want – dimensions are in the post!

Nordstrom

The Sale: Up to 60% off TONS of styles through Sunday, 6/5. (It’s the Half-Yearly Sale!) Best Deals: Biggest savings are on shoes (I un-ironically love these Tevas, guys), bags (the shape of this one feels so fresh!), and swimwear (like this VERY cute striped swimsuit coverup).

One Kings Lane

The Sale: 25% off site-wide through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: The quick-ship section is a goldmine right now – so many pages of great pieces without mind-boggling lead times! I also love this elegant single-cushion sofa and this navy raffia nightstand with storage.

Parachute

The Sale: 20% off site-wide (including furniture!) through Monday, May 30. Best Deals: The nightstands are like, Architectural Digest-worthy. Also, check out the dog beds (cute!!) and the BEST extra-long bolster pillow insert (it’s the perfect finishing touch for those who don’t love a lot of clutter when they’re making the bed!)

Pottery Barn

The Sale: Up to 70% off select furniture, outdoor, bedding, and more through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: These indoor/outdoor lanterns (the shape feels a little special, right?), this minimalist upholstered bed frame with sleek little legs, and this textured rug that looks like the comfiest knit sweater.

Rejuvenation

The Sale: Up to 70% off select lighting, hardware, furniture, and more plus site-wide free shipping through Monday, 5/30 with code FREESHIP. Best Deals: The hardware is a given, but also be sure to peek at the pendant lighting, the dining furniture, and the planters – there are SO many great deals. Note: If you ever want to see Em’s Rejuvenation favorites in one place, you can check out her official partnership landing page right here!

Schoolhouse

The Sale: 15% off select outdoor items through Wednesday, 6/1. Best Deals: This cheery flush mount light fixture, this simple and beautiful walnut cutting board, and this classic midcentury-style planter with a stand.

Serena & Lily

The Sale: 20% off site-wide through Tuesday, 5/31 with code WAVES. Best Deals: Dining chairs, baby! Stay tuned for a post from Em next month – she’s eyeing some chairs from Serena & Lily for the sunroom. (Any guesses on which ones she loves?) The dressers/chests and coffee tables are worth checking out, too.

Shopbop

The Sale: Up to 50% off select items through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: Over 7,000 pieces are on sale! Head right here and sort by size to prevent Say Yes to the Dress syndrome (you know, like, when you fall in love with something only to realize that you can’t have it – there are TONS of cute pieces, but available sizes are ALL over the place).

Sixpenny

The Sale: 20% off orders over $1,000 through Tuesday, 5/31 with code NATURALWONDER20. Best Deals: You can’t go wrong with the Amelia, the Neva, or the Gabriel.

Target

The Sale: Up to 40% off patio furniture and decor, up to 30% off furniture, and up to 30% off clothing for the family through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: Check out the kitchen items – you can get an extra 10% off with code MEMORIAL10. You should also peek at the rugs and the entryway furniture/organization section – there’s a lot of deeply discounted stuff in both!

Tuft & Needle

The Sale: Up to $500 off mattresses and up to 15% off bedding through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: The newly-redesigned Mint mattress, of course! (Internally, our team is split about 3:1 for the Mint vs. the Hybrid, just FYI. Both are great options!)

Urban Outfitters

The Sale: Up to 50% off site-wide, plus an extra 40% off sale items through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: The home section is a veritable treasure trove of great graduation/birthday/going away gifts for Gen Z’ers. I’m also loving this cartoony dining chair (for indoors OR outdoors, honestly), Sara’ living room side table, and these awesome checkerboard taper candles.

Wayfair

The Sale: Up to 70% off select rugs, outdoor furniture, seating, and more through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: A sweet and simple cocktail ottoman, his glam sofa that’s nearly $2,000 off (!!!), and this jute-braided ottoman that’s perfect for adding a hit of texture to your home.

West Elm

The Sale: Up to 70% off select outdoor, bedding, furniture, and more through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: A sweet and on-trend fluted end table, this organic and streamlined sectional, and this sleek and warm entryway console.

World Market

The Sale: 15% off in-store pickup orders through Monday, 5/30. Best Deals: The outdoor selection here is AWESOME. Also, check out this cabinet with a geometric brass-inlay and this upholstered swivel chair with great proportions.

As always, if you’re a small business owner, feel free to leave sale details in the comments below! Have a great day – see you back here tomorrow with your regularly scheduled design content. xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Sarah Zachary | Styling by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: A Historic Mid-Century Modern Home That Was Completely Brought Back To Life (Hope You’re Ready For Some COOL Original Details)

The post The 2022 Memorial Day Sales We Wanted And Got (So Yes, The Best Ones On The Internet) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/worth-it-memorial-day-sales-2022

[rashadsmello]

The Link Up: The One Newsletter Emily Pays For, Jess and Caitlin’s Summer “Special Event” Fashion Picks, And A Podcast That Will Brighten Your Day

Collectively, we all know what kind of week it’s been. It was another completely devasting one here in the US. We hope that you held your babies and your loved ones close and even in a small way, helped in the fight for sensible gun control laws. Again, Everytown is an organization we strongly stand behind if you are searching for resources. We also know how important breaks from the sadness are. We know we’ve needed them. So here we are with some links to maybe make your day a little brighter.

With this week’s home tour we are going to stay on the subject of weddings (did you read about Sara’s BEAUTIFUL wedding post yesterday?!). This week, Jess was in charge of the link up and while she was searching for a great house tour, she stumbled upon this wonderful Palm Springs boutique hotel that was originally built in the early 1900s. You should go read the article on Yellowtrace to find out how much history its got. Anyway, as Jess was scrolling through she realized that this is where her cousin is getting married this year! Needless to say, she’s PUMPED and even more excited about this wedding. Casa Cody’s incredible restoration is really something to see.

From Emily: There are few, if not just one, newsletters that I pay for and look forward to each week. Haley Nahman’s Maybe Baby is it. She has her finger on the cultural pulse in a way that I wish I did and often writes about the exact issue I’m thinking about, stringing together my thoughts but in a more clever and yet digestible way.  Having removed myself from an urban life, I find that her recommendations on articles and media keep me feeling fed and balanced and dare I say “in the know”. I had coffee with her in New York a couple of weeks ago (hey, social media can be a great connector sometimes) and can report that she is as fresh, smart, and normal in person as she is in her newsletter. I’ve been following her writing since the early-ish ManRepeller days. So if you are looking for what I think is a balanced perspective on the world, written in an inviting yet subversive tone, subscribe to her newsletter (and if you like it consider supporting by paying the $5). Also as I write this I’d like to NOT recommend press on long nails that you use super glue to attach. Brian had to help me button my pants (poor choice to go with a button fly at the book signing) and it’s taken me 10 minutes to write this paragraph due to extensive finger mistakes. They can’t fall off fast enough!

From Jess: I know I’m a little late to the game but if you haven’t watched Jerrod Carmichael’s new special on HBOMax, Rothaniel, please watch it immediately. I knew he had a special out after seeing him host SNL, but it wasn’t until I listened to him on Armchair Expert that I finally sat down to watch. I can’t remember the last time I was so moved. It’s my favorite thing I’ve seen in a while. It’s so vulnerable, so intimate, so funny, so heartbreaking yet really hopeful.

Also From Jess: For the sake of staying on theme, we’ve talked about wedding ceremonies (Ryann’s future and Sara’s recent) and guest dress options but I need shoe help! I’m 99% sure this is the dress (in red) I’m buying for a wedding in Massachusetts I’m going to in July but want to find the perfect shoe. Simple and effortlessly cool is the look I want:) I LOVE these but they are sold out in the color I want currently (they have them in stock in blue if you need blue heels). These are in line with what the dress model is wearing so maybe? These are cute and like nothing I’ve worn before but I’m worried the heel is too skinny for the grass. OR I could go bold and were these silver beauties. Note I want an ankle strap for easier walking and dancing:) What do y’all think? Also open to suggestions.

From Jess: One of my favorite jewelry brands did a beautiful collaboration with Claude Home! There are 3 beautiful organic vessels that are perfect for your everyday pieces (or pieces you like to display:))

From Ryann: This week I’ve been trying to consume a healthy dose of uplifting/light media and entertainment for obvious reasons. My main go-to when I am feeling down/hopeless/depressed is the podcast Seek Treatment with comedians Pat Regan and Catherine Cohen. Listening to them is like hanging out with your hilarious friends gab about what’s going on in their lives. It really cheers me up anytime I need it and this week I’ve definitely needed it about 100 x over.

From Mallory: So while Em is clearly NOT a fan (they definitely require patience and getting used to), Ryann once told me that she used press on nails and loved them (Ryann, Caitlin, and Jess are all team long nails, here’s proof). So when I came across these on sale I knew I had to give them a shot and I was SO pleasantly surprised! I wore them to date night the other night and they were so easy to put on and looked pretty legit. Not sure how long they will last since you literally just stick them on (I’ve been wearing them for one whole day and so far so good, also I cut mine down a bit so they’re not super long) but I think they’re awesome if you have an event or special occasion and don’t want to spend the time or money getting your nails done…I have a few more events coming up that I’m planning on getting them for!! 10/10!

Remember when we featured Hopie Stockman’s home tour (co-founder of EHD favorite, Block Shop) from Cup of Jo? You may also remember some pretty beautiful wallpaper on some of her walls, right? Well, that one and more are now available to buy! Their designs are so special so even if your home is already covered in wallpaper you should at least go look.

From Caitlin: This week I’ll be attending a baby shower in the midst of a 90-degree heatwave (#blessed) so I was on the hunt for a lightweight, breezy, pretty family-friendly dress and I FOUND ANOTHER ONE! I wasn’t expecting much from the photo, but this midi dress IS SO GOOD IN PERSON. It hit all my criteria: short sleeves that hide my bigger tattoos, super comfortable, under $120, bra-friendly, doesn’t show too much boob (again, the photos were misleading -the cut is nowhere near that low on my F cups!), pockets, cinched waist, and it’s just fun to wear in general. RESOUNDING RECOMMENDATION.

Also from Caitlin: I’ve recommended it on the blog before, but earlier this year I plowed through a book called Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America. I hate to recommend it again under such different circumstances, but if this author can end his 30-year career as a firearms executive (like, he was the “Shooting Industry Person of The Year” at one point) after realizing things had gone too far…well, maybe there’s still hope that Americans can come to terms with supporting more common-sense legislation, you know?

Have a good rest of your weekend.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Electric Bowery | Photo by Lance Gerber | via Yellowtrace

The post The Link Up: The One Newsletter Emily Pays For, Jess and Caitlin’s Summer “Special Event” Fashion Picks, And A Podcast That Will Brighten Your Day appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/baby-shower-dress-ideas

[rashadsmello]

Sara Got Married! A DIY Wedding In The Desert That Was Filled With Nothing But Love

Today I’m here with a post of a very personal nature. I’m not really one to share a lot about my personal life. Sure, I’ll give you the intimate details on my cabinets or type for hours about every agonizing design decision I’ve ever made. But sharing details about the parts of my life that are non-design related? Harder (for me). And yet, so many wonderful people worked so hard to make this one beautiful day a reality. So, here it is. A blog post about my wedding.

Macauley and I met in 2008, as freshmen at Otis College of Art & Design, within two days of starting school. Second semester we ended up in the same elective class. Fast forward nine years, two cats, one chargrilled apartment, and a house renovation later, and we were on a road trip up the Oregon coast. It was August 2020, and we were looking for a safe way to do something after quarantining the past few months. We figured a road trip and some camping sounded safe enough. And after driving 14 hours the day before, and a sunset hike up a mountain, at the top of Cape Perpetua, Macauley proposed.

pre-engagement selfie | video chatting with my mom post-engagement | macauley got my engagement ring at an antique store in new orleans

It was private and wonderful, and only made better by the fact that we spent so much time at the top of the look out (the only place with service) calling our friends and family, that we both killed our phone batteries and had to walk back down the service road in absolute forest darkness.

Planning a wedding at the best of times sounds stressful. But planning a wedding during a pandemic was exhausting. And what no one tells you is that after the excitement of getting engaged, planning a wedding is homework. Very expensive homework. And as we assessed costs and safety issues, it began to feel overwhelming and near impossible. And then Macauley’s mom, who lives out in Yucca Valley (a little town right next to Joshua Tree National Park), offered her backyard as a venue. It would need some landscaping, and we’d have to bring everything in ourselves, but it was beautiful, and it was free.

our first “site” visit

So began the planning in earnest of our backyard wedding, which would take place Saturday, October 2nd, 2021.

For our invitations we turned to our good friend Brooke Granowski, who owns and runs her own printing and book binding studio in Los Angeles called Sorella Studios. We went with gold foil letterpress on a terracotta paper, to really set the desert tone for our wedding. She even designed us our own wedding logo, which we used everywhere.

Insert here exactly what you’d imagine a year of planning a largely DIY backyard wedding during a pandemic would look like, and you’ve probably got a pretty accurate idea. So, instead let’s jump to…

The day before our wedding some family and very, very good friends (including our entire wedding party) drove out to the desert and spent the whole day setting up all the decor in the backyard. We strung up hundreds of string lights (battery-powered, solar-powered, and plugin – most of which my mom had bought on sale the weekend after Christmas from Target and Home Depot), framed photos, filled lumenarias, and set up furniture. It was a long day, but our family and friends were amazing and their energy never dipped.

The vibe was immaculate all day.

only real kisses during the rehearsal

Because our dance floor and all our rental furniture were delivered the day before, we had decided to just have our rehearsal dinner there in the backyard. So after some very laidback walk-thrus, we ordered pizza from a local place, invited anyone who had gotten into town early to come hang out, and started testing out the dance floor. It was one of the most fun parts of the whole weekend, and EHDs very own Veronica was there to capture it.

Did we then go back to our Airbnb at a reasonable hour, and get a full night of sleep before the big day? No. Instead we did what any reasonable wedding party would do and went to Sonic’s for shakes, then stayed up until 1am.

my morning view

We rented an Airbnb out in Flamingo Heights for us and some of our friends to stay at through the weekend. It was a large spread-out compound, with a main house where Macauley and I stayed, two airstream trailers, and a yurt (fully insulated with power!) for our guests. Waking up on my wedding day to a beautiful, brisk desert morning was sensational. I got up early and sat outside to write my vows, with 360 views of the desert landscape around me. It was a much-needed moment of calm before a very loud, crazy, and fun storm.

We invited everyone in the wedding party to come get ready together at the compound, and once the crew arrived it was non-stop from then on.

Getting ready with Macauley, all of our friends, was one of the best parts of the day. It was just filled with so much joy and chaos – people shouting, laughing, passing around a bottle of Remy 1738, singing… It’s rare to have so many of your favorite people all in one place together, all there to support you. I was hit with a constantly overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love all morning.

Toward the end of the morning my mom came to help me get ready, and that was such a special time. I was so appreciative of every moment with her.

Right before our “first look” I got nervous. Everything was suddenly becoming very real, and it hit me that almost 10 years together, and a year and half of planning and work, were about to culminate in an event that would (hopefully) only happen once in our lives. And it was going to be over in a matter of hours. I suddenly felt like every moment was slipping by too quickly, and some anxiety started to creep in.

waiting for macauley | on his way

All of that changed the minute Macauley stood in front of me and we both opened our eyes. Literally every anxiety that had been racing through my head melted away, and I was immediately back in the moment. We had sent everyone except the photographer and my mom ahead of us to the wedding site, and having this quiet time to take photos alone together was the grounding moment I needed. Instead of feeling nervous or awkward I felt beautiful and had so much fun.

Our photographer, Anais Possami, was incredible. I had been worried about finding a photographer that would fit with us, but from the second she showed up – quietly getting started without much direction – I felt completely at ease around her. She was relaxed, and most of the time we didn’t even notice where she was. But she captured each and every moment perfectly. We also had an awesome videographer, Robert Schultze, who captured every minute of our days, and edited together a 20 minute documentary of our wedding.

Because of the pandemic, I wasn’t able to try on wedding dresses in-store. So I ordered a bunch and tried them on in my parent’s living room. And trying on dresses that are too long, too wrinkled, and too heavy, in a living room doesn’t really give you the environment conducive to “envisioning” yourself on your wedding day.

But, I fell in love with my dress the instant I put it on. It fit perfectly, and it truly felt like a cliche “aha” moment. The best part? It was the most affordable dress I ordered, coming in at only $150 from Lulus.com.

I wanted to go for a 70s look, somewhere between bohemian and Vegas. And the bell sleeves of the dress mixed with the high leg slit checked both boxes. I had the dress tailored a bit because I’m very short, but also had the seamstress add a bustle and satin buttons down the entire back. My grandma always said she imagined me wearing a dress with buttons down the back, because she thought it was the most elegant a dress could get. My shoes were “new with tags” Loeffler Randall from Poshmark, and my veil was $20 on Amazon.

My hair and make-up was done by Colette Becar from Emily Lynn & Co – and she was a magician. To say I was terrified of getting my hair and makeup done would be an understatement. To me, foundation feels heavy, lipstick always seems to make my whole mouth area look wrong, and eyeshadow makes my eyes small. But I trusted Colette, and I’ve never felt as beautiful as I did on that day. I told her natural, but better, and she delivered. And I had my beautiful lashes done by Tiina Troberg of Lash Bar By Dermacilia. I can’t recommend either of these ladies enough.

Where I saved on my wedding dress, Macauley splurged on his suit, opting for a custom velvet suit jacket and cropped slacks made by Chookhare & Sons. Which made sense, because he’s already worn his suit to another wedding, whereas I can’t really ware my wedding dress to…someone else’s wedding. And instead of wearing a traditional pressed shirt, Macauley and all of his groomsmen wore patterned silk shirts for a more casual and personal look.

After the “first look” we headed to the venue (Macauley’s mom’s house)…

The day before we had lined the pathway into the backyard from the street with lumenarias (brown paper bags filled with sand holding a candle – we opted for battery-operated tea lights), so guests would be able to see the path once it got dark. And at the entrance, we set up a table with childhood photos of both Macauley and I, as well as photos of loved ones who were no longer with us.

We had really wanted our wedding to feel warm and inviting, and avoid anything that could make it feel like it was happening at a hotel or resort. So we rented vintage furniture from Found Rentals. The final outcome was exactly what we wanted, and every piece of furniture added a little bit of soul.

We lined the aisle on the way up to the alter with vintage rugs we brought from home. And at the end stood a gold archway I bought used from a friend of a friend, who had used it for their wedding. But what really made this whole area special were the flowers, which were a wedding gift from Emily Henderson herself – someone who truly understands the power of good floral.

Not only were the flowers a gift, but all of the early morning flower market shopping, hauling out to the desert, and arranging of them were also done by some incredible EHD alumns – Emily Bowser, Erik Staalberg, and Velinda Hellen. So you could say my wedding florals were an EHD collaboration. Hot Tip: Make friends with stylists and then have them do your wedding flowers because they will look heartbreakingly beautiful. I handed over full trust to Bowser (and her team – of my very good friends, haha), and it was a huge relief to know that no matter what happened come wedding day, the flowers at least would be beautiful.

My mom made me and my dad have our own first look, which felt hilarious, but I’m so happy she did because the photos from it are some of my favorite from the day. We were pretty casual about people seeing us before the ceremony, and really just enjoyed the little bit of time we had before walking down the aisle. We had week of coordination by Jenny, from Orange Blossom Special Events, and both she and her assistant were so lovely and helped the day run very smoothly.

getting pep talks before walking down the aisle

We were played down the aisle by cellist Hitoshi Suzuki. Hiring him was one of the best decisions we made for that day. Not only did he already have a beautiful selection of both classical and contemporary songs to choose from, but we had two specific songs we really wanted to have played while we walked down the aisle – AND HE LEARNED THEM.

He played a selection of music during the pre-ceremony for our guests and played our procession in and out of the ceremony. The song we walked into was called Casadha an tSugain. He also learned “Mystery of Love” by Sufjan Stevens. 12 out of 10, would hire again.

Instead of creating, printing, and handing out wedding programs, we just updated our wedding website to include a digital version of our wedding program. It also included a seating chart, a menu, and a link to view the live stream of our wedding. There were so many people we weren’t able to invite due to the safety concerns, as well as the size of the venue. But live-streaming the wedding at least allowed more people to be with us on our day.

Our ceremony was my absolute favorite part of the whole day.

We asked our good friend, Tones, to officiate, and he was amazing. He really blew everyone away with his thoughtful words. Our ceremony was short, personal, and beautiful.

I went first with our vows because I didn’t think I’d be able to get through them if I went second. I think in total our ceremony lasted about 15 minutes, and they were the best 15 minutes of my life.

Right after the ceremony, our photographer snuck us away for a few minutes alone and a few more photos.

Next, we grabbed our wedding party for a few quick photos, while our guests headed to enjoy a cocktail hour.

The bar was open, there were quesadillas, albondigas, and taquitos being passed around, and our photo booth was ready for use.

It was finally time for the party to start.

The reception was set up to happen just to the left of the ceremony site. We circled the tables around the dance floor, and relocated the same chairs that everyone had sat in for the ceremony (with the help of a few friends and family).

Each table was decorated with a gauze runner in a cream or rust tone, votive candles that my mom had been collecting all year, a framed QR code which guests could use to access the wedding program and dinner menu, handwritten name cards, and flowers.

6 months before the wedding I got the crazy idea in my head that I wanted vintage glassware. But it was turning out to be pretty expensive to rent. So, I decided to just…collect it myself. I scoured Etsy, thrift stores, the Rose Bowl flea, I even shipped some back from an antique store in New Orleans (where I had my bachelorette party). I ended up collecting some 180 coupes and water glasses in a rainbow of colors and styles, which we also used at my bridal shower!

My dad kicked the reception off with a speech that blew everyone (including me, his own daughter who has known him my entire life) away with his thoughtful, kind, and endearingly-awkward-in-a-classic-way-that-only-a-dad-can-be words.

Dinner was up next, and we had decided to serve our one of favorites – tacos. Both having grown up in Southern California, the taco stand or truck is a mainstay of life here. Quick lunch on the way out? Tacos. Coming home from a party or bar at 2 am? Tacos. Hungover the next morning? More tacos. No one makes tacos like Los Angeles.

Taqueria Vista Hermosa has been owned and operated by Raul in Los Angeles for years, and his family has been making al pastor for generations. You can taste that history in every bit of his food. Also, Raul is the best. We went for a tasting at his stall in Mercado La Paloma over by USC (which you can visit too!), and he personally came out to greet us, go over our vision, and customize a menu of tray-passed appetizers, tacos, drinks, and desserts.

All the tortillas were made fresh on site, all the guacamoles and salsa were house-made, and his team brought house-made mixes for specialty margaritas (like tamarind). He also provided freshly made horchata and jamaica. His staff was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the setup was beautiful.

We let the guests go through the taco line table by table, and got to spend some time saying hello to everyone. And then, while everyone finished eating, our friends Nafeesa, Nicole, and Pablo dragged all of our dirty laundry out in front of our guests with their speeches.

My brother Shade, and his two best friends (who have become our two good friends), did a live set of songs they had picked and made everyone cry.

Which was followed by a surprise duet of “I Follow You Into The Dark” by Shade and his girlfriend Natalie, which really sent us over the edge.

And then Macauley and I had our first dance to “Kissing You” from Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet”. I thought it was going to be super awkward dancing alone in front of a crowd of people, but as soon as the song started playing it was truly like we were the only people there. ROMANCE.

I had a dance with my dad, Macauley had a dance with his mom…

And then the dance floor officially opened for everyone (but mostly for Erik).

Hilariously, Erik is now a kind of legend to my entire family in Guatemala, because he danced so much with my great aunt who was visiting. She calls him “the beautiful man in blue”.

for the reception i changed into this all sequined dress i pulled from emily’s garage!

DJ Chuck Supreme, a local of Pasadena, kept the dance floor full all night and played something for everyone.

My favorite part of the reception was the vintage, black and white, real film strip photo booth, which we rented from Photomatica. We got so many good photos of our guests from it, and it made for fun party favors for the guests. The booth attendants were phenomenal, and the photo strips were unlimited.

We ended the night with a cake cutting of a cake that almost didn’t make it to the wedding.

Why? Because we all forgot to pick it up. About 20 minutes before the ceremony started someone was like “…where’s the cake?” It was 2:55, the bakery closed at 3. But between a phone call to the bakery and a hero guest who ran off to pick it up, we still had a cake for cutting.

By midnight it was time to wind things down. At the venue at least. Most of our friends headed back to our airbnb to keep the partying going. I promptly fell asleep on the sunporch couch.

Was I exhausted by the end of this night? Yes. But also overflowing with joy, gratitude, and SO MUCH FREAKING LOVE. Somehow, amidst a pandemic, our friends, family, and some amazing vendors came together to give us a wedding that was totally US. And now, almost 8 months into being married, I wouldn’t do a single thing differently.

The post Sara Got Married! A DIY Wedding In The Desert That Was Filled With Nothing But Love appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/diy-desert-wedding

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There Are 3 Design Trends In Kirsten Blazek’s Guesthouse That We Love And Think You Should See

Whenever a project by Kirsten Blazek (principal designer and founder of A1000XBetter) comes across our desks, I know I am about to see a design that will stay etched in my brain for a while. In fact, pick any past project by AXB and you will see a design that is intentional, practical, and yet dripping with charm and personality. It’s her unique style and bold design choices that always keep you guessing and wanting more. Today’s guesthouse tour is no exception and once again I had the distinct pleasure of picking her brain about each detail. Get ready for some expert design wisdom and a heavy dose of her eclectic soulful style.

The guesthouse, formerly the garage, underwent a gut renovation that transformed the space into an inviting hangout area for the whole family and guests to enjoy. Just looking at the exterior, you can already see Kirsten’s signature style coming through. The bold paint color makes a statement right off the bat and is complemented with copper-colored sconces and those incredible doors that I just had to learn more about.

Where are the exterior doors from? Are they stained glass? Are they custom? 

The exterior doors were something that I felt strongly needed to be a special moment so I commissioned David Schneid  a local LA-based stain glass artist) to come up with the design. I wanted to incorporate the moon into the design and we selected colors that were cohesive with the overall color schemes for both the guesthouse and the main house.

We’ve been noticing more commissioned stained glass pieces popping up on our radar (take Bri of Designlovefest‘s new stained glass window in her upstate New York home for example). It’s not for every style home but when it works, it’s a fantastic way to add a personal unique feature to your home.

If you have seen any of Kirsten’s projects, you know that she works with wallpaper frequently and masterfully. So anytime I see a design of hers I expect a wallpaper moment that instantly elevates the space. The wallpaper here does not disappoint but as many of us know, choosing and installing wallpaper is not for the faint of heart so I had to ask:

How do you go about choosing wallpaper? Do you choose the wallpaper first and then select furniture and decor? Or vice versa? 

Wallpaper is my all-time favorite design element to add layering and interest to a room – the right wallpaper can really elevate any space. Often, I will start the design process around a specific wallpaper I have in mind. I love black and white wallpaper, as it tends to act as a neutral palette against any colors in a space. I think it is important to think about what you want to achieve with the wallpaper you choose. Is the wallpaper going to make a statement and serve as the most significant design choice in the room, or is simply a pretty backdrop to the rest of the furnishings? If the wallpaper is the statement piece in a room, don’t be afraid to go bold. If it’s acting as a complementary backdrop to the space, find a paper that is interesting but doesn’t overwhelm the furnishings. Always keep your color story in mind when picking out wallpaper.

In this space specifically, the wallpaper works well because it’s both neutral and playful. The white and gray colors don’t overwhelm the space, but the cactus and plant pattern speaks to the eclectic Southwestern rustic vibe that Kirsten is going for. The youthful pattern complements the design and the colors keep it from overpowering the rest of the space.

Tub Sofa | Rug

Kirsten’s signature Southwestern-inspired style is creatively showcased through art, wallpaper, and pattern and is met with modern shapes that create an organic feel. See how every element here brings something new but plays within a strict color palette? The art is bold and bright, the wallpaper is neutral yet playful, the decor is patterned and colorful, the furniture is round and textured, and all these are tied together through the color palette. It’s a prime example of how she mixes textures and patterns in a way that comes across as unexpected but effortless.

Merrick Swivel Chair

What’s your advice on mixing patterns and textures? 

I would say to trust your instinct and don’t always follow the rules when it comes to mixing patterns and textures. That being said, there are some loose guidelines to follow. For example, the colors should complement each other and the rest of the space. Too much of one pattern or texture is never good. Try mixing a more geometrical pattern with something with a softer feel. Don’t forget about neutrals – they can really help ground the entire collection.

Ceiling Lumber

Though this space has so many decor pieces to look at and admire, your eye is drawn to the ceiling almost immediately. Some may think it’s a simple wood ceiling and leave it at that, but something about the rich color and texture makes it special. I am so drawn to the rustic, natural look of it so I had to ask Kirsten more about it:

Can you tell us about the amazing wood ceiling?

I wanted the guesthouse to feel just as finished as a main home and I thought of the ways I could truly make it feel rich and layered. I decided to clad the pitched ceiling in this lovely oak cladding from Resawn Timber. It really helped elevate the guesthouse and added a cozy, rustic element to the space.

Dancing Pendant | Sconces

Let’s pause for a second just to admire some of the decor here. That pendant, for one, stopped me in my tracks. It’s one of the more modern, stand out pieces here that juxtaposes all of the earth tones and vintage elements. Then there is the vintage coffee table that grounds the space with its organic texture and neutral tone, paired with the chunky side chairs that add even more texture. (P.S. The coffee table is a prime example of a trend that Caitlin is writing about as we speak..so stay tuned on that :)). The mini bulb sconces bring in a playfulness that contrasts the very grand pendant light. It’s all about mixing and matching different styles in a way that is intentional, a trick that Kirsten is clearly an expert at.

Is there a bed or bedroom in this guesthouse or is it strictly a hang space?

I’m a mother to teenagers, so I specifically furnished the space with my kids in mind. I wanted them to have a space to hang out with their friends, and as needed, be the perfect spot for entertaining guests.  Fortunately, there’s room for a bed, and the space can easily be converted to accommodate guests.

Unexpected places to hang art is one of our favorite topics around here, so when I saw the low hanging art under the sconce, I was immediately intrigued. Sometimes art is hung low for practical reasons (needing a stud for example) but it’s also a great way to create visual interest.

We love all the art placement! Was the low hanging art purely an aesthetic choice? 

Yes and no. I typically love hanging art lower than one would expect and I had a large print by one of my favorite artists, Mark Maggiori, and this was the only wall big enough for this piece. I had sconces installed from Virginia Sin and I chose to display the art below the sconces.

Speaking of unexpected art placement, if you look closely in the kitchen you’ll see another art placement that Emily loves and recently wrote about here. It’s hanging art over tile! It sounds scary I know, but you can use command strips or even a drill bit and it’s pretty low risk but high reward. It looks cool and is a budget-friendly way to refresh a space.

Was there a reason you chose different tones of wood for the ceiling and flooring? 

I prefer not to match woods. I truly feel that too much of one thing is never good, so I chose a very neutral, almost white wide-plank oak for the floor and a richer and more rustic knotted wood cladding for the ceiling. 

Indeed, too much of one type of wood could feel overbearing and the different tones actually forces your eye up, making the room feel taller and bigger.

Skylight

We can spot a Velux skylight from a mile away, and were so happy to see one here. You’ve heard it here again and again but truly, nothing compares to a skylight when it comes to adding natural light. We always say if you are renovating and have the ability to add a skylight, then honey, you should absolutely add that skylight.

Another design choice that is certainly worth mentioning is the backsplash tile. I love that she used tile to break up the wallpaper and add yet another texture and color. It’s a similar tone as the ceiling so it’s pleasing to the eye, and if you look closely you’ll see that the tile isn’t flat but has a rounded, bubbled shape. This creates even more movement and adds a layer of softness. This is a tile trend that’s been happening overseas and is finally making its mark in the US.

We love that you wallpapered your hood! Were there any additional precautions you had to take installing since it was over the stove?

We didn’t take any extra precautions but we did install a powerful ventilation system. I knew that the guest house kitchen was not going to be used on a daily basis,  so we decided to install the wallpaper on the hood. 

As Kirsten said, this kitchen isn’t intended to be used daily, so the wallpaper isn’t a huge risk factor here. If you are thinking about wallpapering a hood in your kitchen that you do use every day, we advise checking the safety and durability of the wallpaper first.

Tile

We’ve been seeing that awesome style of tile more and more. Do you think it’s about to be a trend?

Regarding the bathroom tile, I do think that it is an earthy organic look that we will start seeing more of. However, this works better in homes located in the West and Southwest of America, as opposed to the East coast, where it may feel out of place.

I love the bathroom paint color! What color is it? How did you go about selecting a color that mixes so well with the amazing tile?

I chose this Cotto Terracotta tile from Zia Tile for the shower walls and bathroom floor – I love the warm, natural element and the color is serene and calming. There’s no natural light in the bathroom, so I chose to embrace the darkness of the space and I selected a dark green paint color. This shade of paint complements the orange tile so beautifully and brings out an earthy, relaxed vibe to the bathroom.

Mirror | Paint Color

The bathroom mirror is awesome as well. Where is that from?

The bathroom mirror is from Lostine Home – we needed a small mirror because of the size of the wall-mounted apron sink and I loved how the color of the leather-wrapped frame looked with the tile.

Lastly, I have to note how much she did with this small bathroom. There isn’t a ton of wall space so she hung the towel bar vertically (genius) and since there isn’t a lot of counter space she chose to hang the soap dispenser on the wall as well. It gives off a very cool restaurant vibe that is actually very attainable. I am obsessed with these two tricks and want to copy them immediately in my tiny bathroom.

So, now that you’ve virtually toured the space, I’m curious what is your favorite part?? I can name 100 things I love so I want to know what tickles your design brain most. Sound off in the comments below and don’t forget to follow Kirsten for more eclectic and inspiring designs.

*Design by Kirsten Blazek **Photos by Alex Zarour of Virtually Here Studios 

The post There Are 3 Design Trends In Kirsten Blazek’s Guesthouse That We Love And Think You Should See appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/three-new-2022-design-trends

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The FINAL Kitchen Patio Design With Yardzen

** I wrote this post days ago, postponed til today, publishing it with discomfort and sadness during what is another ugly day after ugly day in America. While I don’t want to move on I also know there might be times in your day where you want to think about something else. So if that time is now here you go.

As the inside of the farm is coming along, the outside is NOT. It’s like spending $1k to detail the inside of your car and leaving the exterior covered in bird poop and layers of dirt. Part of me wants to close my eyes, climb into the car and never look out the windsheild, because cleaning that poop off and designing/landscaping this yard is going to be daunting and expensive. Luckily I have these renderings to look at and I can feel hope for the future, that one day we may not have to apologize or do that annoying dance of ‘we are still working on the …,” or ��please excuse the…’, etc. to people when they come over. A few weeks ago we showed you the first round of renderings from Yardzen for our kitchen patio and covered walkway area (essentially the entire south side of the house) which we loved. Since they sent it to us we realized that the covered walkway needed some major changes and we had some additional notes. So today I’ll walk you through those changes as well as show you a real-time side by the side of what it looks like now and what it will look like in 2 years (planting this fall but realistically not fully grown in for a couple of years). We need a major car wash here with the help of Yardzen.

THE COVERED WALKWAY

This was the biggest challenge because we love the covered walkway so much, and yet the locaiton of the new kitchen door made it really off center to the walkway. The whole thing was just a mess to figure out until one day I was standing back and maybe Jamie mentioned it first, not sure, but we realized that we could lose one “leg” of it and it would simplify the roofline so much, make the kitchen patio bigger and solve all of our overhang issues.

So as you can see we will just cut it off here so that it dead-ends into the patio – only one long roofline and they’ll rebuild the roof to be pretty and intentional.

The rendering above does not reflect how ARCIFORM would build it – they would pitch the roof back down so as you are looking at it you see the roof angled up (not just looking cut off). Here is the view facing North towards the house. We will have Clematis, Ferns, and Jasmine layered around the walkway creating a fun sensory experience of organic texture and the oh so sweet smell of Jasmine…I can’t wait!

The walkway is so dreamy and just needs some love. We are big fans of ferns over here and with some light pink climbers I think it’s going to be stunning.

As you can see we had them switch the trees from white to pink – not bright pink but more coppery tones.

THE NEW RAILING + LANDING

The new little landing had room for a little bench, but it didn’t have room for the same chunky railing, so here we are doing a metal railing which I think ties in nicely with the diamond pattern original windows and the black wrought iron accents. The one thing that we are waiting to figure out is an overhang over the door. Now the kids have a couple of other entries that we are hoping to force them to use on a daily basis, but trust that for groceries, etc, this will be the main one. So in a perfect world, there would be a cover over the door more than what there is here. Had we figured out this whole situation earlier we would have integrated it into the roofline, but since we didn’t it will need some support (i.e. posts) which will disrupt it all. So we are waiting to see what we need – we’ll live there in the winter to figure out how annoying this is with the rain. I have a feeling it won’t be that big of a deal. We have the front porch and the mudroom which are all covered for guests or people waiting for someone to open. On dry days they can take their shoes off outside (or leave their super muddy ones) and on rainy days we’ll just force them to go through the mudroom or front porch (I hope).

How sweet is that? We will likely not put pillows on it like the rendering, haha, but my Wellies. As you can see its not covered which means that any shoes will get rained on in the winter, but having a little landing for the shoes for the dryer months I think is useful.

In these renders you can tell that the table is too small (my choice) so I’ll figure out what we want to do here. Also I had Yardzen scale back the amount of plants as we still have residual shame from not keeping our indoor plants alive years ago, but I have to remind myself that literally everything grows in Oregon, except when it’s summer when it’s all of a sudden 100 degrees. I’M SO CONFUSED ABOUT THIS WEATHER.

BRICK PATTERN REIMAGINED

So we changed the brick pattern again, and yet this is still NOT decided because after we were almost 100% on the Spanish bond pattern the brick company (Glen Gery) said that the pattern would create so much waste. Now that I’m writing that I’m wondering if we could still tweak that pattern to make it work. Cali from Studio Campo (which is doing more of the whole homestead plan) came up with this running bond in the shape of a larger herringbone – working out from the middle. We were going to partner with GlenGery (this brick is called ‘old city brick’ and it’s awesome) because we loved the product and reached out to see if this would be mutually beneficial. They were excited to be part of the project. So I want to use the product how they recommended it best installed, but then just this week they let us know that shipping is 7k and going up quickly. So now we are re-thinking this again. Sure we save on product but between shipping and the installation of this brick, the patio is going to be so expensive and we are starting to pump the breaks a bit.

NEW BORDER TREATMENT

We opted for the brick border because as my brother puts it, ‘Don’t put dirt by your house or it will look muddy all year and you’ll be power washing it 5 times a year”. I think we are afraid of it being just dirty and gross out there, so we are keeping this area cleaner and adding more pots. But most of the house will have plants against the house so I’m not sure how to avoid what ken is talking about. Do you put pebbles between the plants and the exterior of the house? Do tell?!

PLANTINGS

So good. We have all these beautiful plants along the south wall, providing some privacy and softening the scale of the house. And then the patio is more clean (for now) and we can dress it up with more pots if we want to. Yardzen nailed it.

THE FINAL PLANS

One of the things that has come up a lot is how to edge the pea gravel. Yardzen, Studio Campo and I all wanted brick lining. Great. Why pea gravel? Well, we love the casual vibe of gravel and it’s more affordable than masonry work like flagstone and brickwork, and DG might turn to mud up here in the winter. But mostly it’s the vibe. The crunch. The casualness. But what we didn’t predict is that to do it properly its still really expensive. Rock right now is more expensive than it used to be, plus labor of course. Our build team wants us to edge it with steel which we know works and is the cheapest option but it’s not the vibe of this farm – that kind of edging makes it look so manicured and too straight almost. So we had chosen brick (which is what Yardzen also loved) but I guess to do that you have to dig down and do some sort of plastic divider and then line it – aka again, not cheap. But honestly we don’t want a super straight manicured path, we wanted a pebble walkway to the back, with a crunchy sound and just rocks on both sides. So we are figuring out what the solution is.

The Autocad plans

Ok. now these are the plans that Yardzen will give to our build team which help them A. quote and B. execute. There might be some ‘in the field game day’ changes of course, but this is such an incredible service to be able to hand over.

It is going to be GLORIOUS!

When it looks like THIS…

Of course, the styling might change at any moment – I think the table we chose is too small, for instance, and we’d likely want at least to sit 8 people so I might go back to a rectangle. But what I know is that the renderings from Yardzen are SO incredibly helpful to see what works and what needs to be re-thought. More than anything we are wondering if we are overthinking the rest of the yard – we actually liked the rural/rustic nature of the property when we bought it, but have since kinda destroyed the area around the house. We have all these incredible people working on it, which we feel so grateful for (Studio Campo, Yardzen, and the landscape crew which I’ll link up soon) but we are so fearful that we are making expensive permanent decisions that we are going to regret and that if we just lived in a less manicured state for a couple of years we’d have a better idea of our true needs. But we can’t live in a mud pit so do we invest some knowing that things might change? It’s such a domino effect.

Remember last week when I said it feels like a firehose of cash going nonstop and no one can find the ‘off’ nozzle? Don’t feel sorry for me, not asking for pity obviously because it’s a true privilege to be able to beautify your home in any way, but I know that many of you have been in this position and can relate. The interior is one thing – it is directly related to my work and my partnerships – I want and need this house to be beautifully executed inside for our famly’s enjoyment first and foremost, but also because it supports the business. We just so wish that we could live on the property and know how we are going to use the exterior before we invest so much in the landscaping. At this point, the construction to rebuild the inside of the house has fully torn up the yard so we have to do something short-term to not live in a mud pit. We might phase it out more than we had originally planned to help replenish the budget and to mostly make sure that we are making the right decisions – based on actually living there, not trying to predict our future needs and wants. It’s starting to feel reckless and once you get that feeling, you need to stop and re-assess.

So here is what we are starting with: Demo of the roof/covered pathway that is close to the kitchen, demo of the concrete and flagstone (to be repurposed), install of the kitchen patio floor and plantings along the south wall and covered pathway. Brian and I are meeting for hours a day on site to troubleshoot the rest of the property – all things driveway (boring and $$$$), sports court revamp (exciting but $$$), new lawn (necessary but $$), privacy fencing and vehicular gates (necessary but $$$$) and planting (good to have, but can be $$$$). We hope to have some answers and clarity soon I promise.

More to come for the back porch which is what Yardzen is tackling next as soon as Brian and I make some decisions. But a quick endorsement – I have LOVED working with Yardzen thus far and found their ideas awesome, their aesthetic extremely aligned with mine and most importantly their expertise impressive.

*Sidenote: I was super happy to hear that they were named one of Inc magazines best workplace list, which makes me so happy. One of my contacts, Kevin, was gone on paternity leave at the beginning of the process for 3 months which just made me super super happy.

The post The FINAL Kitchen Patio Design With Yardzen appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/the-final-kitchen-patio-design-with-yardzen

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What Do We Do?

We spend years of our young kid’s lives desperately avoiding their preventable deaths. We sign up for questionable swim lessons where our babies are thrown in a pool in hopes that should they stumble in, they won’t drown. We can’t prevent all genetic diseases, for instance, but once something becomes frequent society tries to do something about it (crosswalks, helmets, tempered glass, etc.). But the so-called “randomness” of mass shootings has become so common that despite its unpredictability it feels preventable. Yesterday, parents like us, dropped off their kids at elementary school hoping for a normal day, maybe even a good one. And hours later their never-ending nightmare began. Grocery stores. Concerts. Flea Markets. Nightclubs. Churches. High Schools. Elementary schools. What do we do? At this point, in the “gun debate” we know that nothing will change. Nothing. We don’t know all of the specifics about this particular shooting yet but we can generalize enough because we are all too familiar with this story. And we live in a politicized country that can’t seem to change it, controlled by the gun lobby. Do we accept it? Of course not. But we, the citizens for common-sense gun laws, can’t seem to change it and more and more people, kids are dying.

I won’t say anything new here, except this basic idea – dangerous things should be hard to get. For example, when I was in my twenties in New York I dabbled in recreational illegal drugs (which I would not do if I were that age now with the fentanyl scare – but that’s a totally different story/fear/epidemic). But it wasn’t always that easy to get, and if it had been I would have done it a lot more. Thank goodness for me it was illegal so it never affected my life too negatively because drugs can be very dangerous (as we know more than ever). We not only have laws but parental controls, even “age gates” controlling who has access to things that are dubbed “dangerous” for our kids to prevent bad things. I recently listened to a podcast about the link between access and use – it shows that when something was common in a neighborhood it directly affected how often kids did it – illegal drugs, prescription pills, underage drinking, guns, etc. It’s not that kids who lived in neighborhoods without those things couldn’t get their hands on it, of course they could, but it was just a lot harder. So much more effort had to go into tracking it down so the overall use was greatly diminished. It’s common sense that’s backed up by two generations of geographic data through this study. It negates the whole “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” bullshit that most of us don’t believe anyway. In this country, we love to blame individuals, as we should to an extent – we all have agency and should be accountable. But when something is “around,” common, normalized, and easy to get your hands on it, you are more likely to buy it, have it, and use it. Of course, this 18-year-old was mentally ill or evil if you believe in that, obviously. But guns make it easy to kill a lot of people – they aren’t recreational drugs, they are much more dangerous.

I know I’m preaching mostly to the choir here, but our values are so upside down when you can’t get the birth control pill over the counter, forcing pregnancies for those without easy access and yet in many states, including Texas, you can go into a store and simply buy a weapon that kills other people, a gun! Without a background check or permit! You don’t even need a prescription! Riddle me this, America? What are we doing??? We all know this but the hypocrisies are sometimes too shocking to not write down again and re-read. You can’t buy birth control over the counter, but you can buy a gun.

It’s all too much. I listened to another podcast that suggested a good coping tool for dealing with the tragedy of others is to learn about it, recognize it, help where you can, and then say to yourself “Ok. That’s bad. But that’s not my weather” so you can actually function. It’s selfish, for sure, but ruminating and catastrophizing about faraway problems you can’t solve isn’t healthy – not just for you, but your kids (a growing contributor to the anxiety problem). But the grocery store in Buffalo is our weather. The elementary school in Texas feels like my weather – every parent’s weather. These aren’t natural disasters 7,000 miles away or even problems in other countries that we can’t prevent. This is America’s weather. And its a really, really bad. If we accept another Sandy Hook – another mass elementary school shooting – without changing our gun laws, what happens next? To what end? And do we want to live here, risking the “randomness” of a mass shooting every day?

This. Is. Preventable.

Four years ago I learned a lot about why many of you own guns in this post and empathy was built. But like most of you today I feel really hopeless, helpless and so unsafe. The gun lobby rules our politics in this arena and Republicans are too scared of their funders and constituents to push back. I’ll desperately settle for harder access to guns for a diminished probability of a shooting happening near my family. I will sign the petitions and donate to Every Town, of course. But then what? Voting? Marching? What?

Why don’t we file a class action suit – American parents versus NRA? Lord knows they care about money so it would hit them where it hurts and there are a million lawyers who would battle it. If the politicians are going to be too cowardly to do anything a massive suit might curb their efforts. If you trace how most mass shooters have gotten their guns, there are enough that show how easy it is to get if you are mentally ill, underage, with a record, and not to mention can purchase the totally unnecessary semi-automatic cartridges that should 100% not be legal to in the first place. The majority of Americans want common-sense laws!

Those of you in Canada and Australia I know are again horrified and baffled that we remain in this situation. Maybe the Hendersons will join you sooner than later. Until then this is my version of yelling and screaming into the ether and praying that the families of these kids and all mass shooting victims might someday see stricter gun control. I’m just so sorry that we are collectively unable to prevent these mass shootings of children because we continue to normalize the ownership and use of guns by individuals in this country. Things that are dangerous, legal or not, should be hard to get. These deaths are, in fact, “preventable”.

Here is the link to the Moms Demand Action site and you can join a local Moms Chapter by texting the word ACT to 644-33

(P.S I focused on access to guns because to me it’s a common-sense doable gate and hard to argue with. Of course its also about mental health, toxic masculinity, racism, politics, and more.)

Opening Image Credit: via Time

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from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/what-do-we-do