Suzannah Hamlin Stanley's Blog, page 29

Current obsession & eye candy: caning

This post may seem a little frivolous given everything that's going on right now--I am aware of that. But, it seems everyone wants a little creative escape sometimes and I have some really beautiful eye candy to share!

I've been seeing this trend (caning on furniture) around a while, in high-end design as well as DIYs and IKEA hacks. But now there are affordable options to get this look in your home, and I'm sharing some favorite inspirations for how to do it!


Caned Furniture...

Pro tips on indoor gardening!

Curious about seed starting or indoor gardening in general?

On this week's episode of the Your Home Story Podcast, we have Tracey from @thefakefarmgirl explaining exactly how to get good germination, what type of light works for seed starting, and what plants are the easiest to grow.

Specifically, we covered:
All types of seed starting supplies including: trays with covers, lights, and growing mat. The key to knowing when to transplant is knowing your growing zone. Rosemary and Lavender are...

Modern Traditional Tudor Revival Living Room: The definitive living room update post!

I realized (when I looked back at my receipts from last year while doing my taxes--yikes!) that our living room has undergone HUGE changes since 2019! Its a big room and it has been difficult to decorate, so I would not say that we are 100% done, but its welcoming and comfortable--and not embarrassing anymore! I also realized I hadnt shared any during? after? whatever-I-am-calling-this photos with you to show you around the room, sources, solutions, etc. So here goes!

Modern Traditional Tudor...

Buying Less with More Intention (20 In 2020)

What does buying less with more intention look like? Could you buy only 20 home items in 2020?

Today on the Your Home Story podcast, Ashley is sharing about her journey with home decor and specifically what shes focused on in 2020: buying under 20 items in 2020.

Links we chatted about:
Ashley and I were guests on The Welcome Home Podcast. Go check it out! Paige inspired Ashley to start the #20in2020 journey. Ashleys first purchase of the year was a set of original art pieces that she hung in her...

A custom beautiful, functional playroom design

With Otto getting older, keeping his toys and play area looking nice is definitely on my mind. We don't have a "playroom" in this house, and I actually have mixed feelings about them... more room to get messy, right?! But it would be nice to have all the super kid-ey stuff in one place.

Well, I got an opportunity to design a dreamy playroom--complete with storage, a great rug, fun kid-friendly design pieces--and it turned out so beautiful, too!

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The quick fix DIY project - when to do it, when to wait!

This is such an interesting topic!! We've all seen, with the rise of Pinterest and DIY home accounts on Instagram and blogs, the "$100 update challenge" or other quick, cheap fix to a dated bathroom or home feature. Sometimes there's no harm in that--covering up 90's laminate countertops or spray painting a cheap brass chandelier. But sometimes these fixes can damage materials that might be valuable to someone else, and those temporary coatings don't always last. When is it worth it to save...

Our unique kitchen essentials!

I have been wanting to share these tips since pre-kitchen reno!! I've been into cooking since high school and over time I've developed a handful of what I consider essential tools and tricks for using a kitchen. Check out this list, these may be new to you!!

10 unique kitchen essentials


A small nontoxic nonstick skillet. Nonstick pans get scratched up so easily! And when they do you're supposed to throw them out. We've gone through so many of the black ones, I recently upgraded to a ...

Kitchen Organization: Pantry/Food Storage

There’s always room for improvement when it comes to kitchen organization...

Today on the Your Home Story podcast, we are talking about ways to store and maintain food/pantry items so that your kitchen is more functional! Whether you have a tiny pantry like Ashley and I both do currently or a walk-in pantry, you are going to leave this episode with useful ideas for upgrades you can make to your space.  Image Source: @themoderneditpdx on Instagram
On the show today, we chatted about:
Episode...

Bold bedroom: dark walls and crown molding

How to pull off a really dark bedroom color??!

Ashley went BOLD with a recent design choice: she painted all the walls of her bedroom true black and added black crown molding. It took some getting used to but now she’s so glad she made the leap!

Tune in to the Your Home Story podcast this week to hear how she decided to do this big change, dealing with a room that’s actually too big, Ashley and Luke’s first experience installing crown molding, and more. Image Source
Resources mentioned:
Home...

Deep dive: how the stair rail replacement project really went!

I shared the a couple weeks back about how we replaced our stair posts. This week I'm talking about how it really went--how hard was this project??

It might sound daunting, but honestly with a few extra steps I think this project is comparable to installing a door knob or curtain rods! This week on the Your Home Story podcast, I'm sharing all about how we replaced our stair posts. If you thought replacing stair balusters would be a hard project, then you definitely need to tune in.

Links...