Emily Henderson's Blog, page 108

We Asked What Your “Out Of The Box” Family Holiday Traditions Were And BOY Did You Deliver

On our weekly Zoom the other day, Emily asked about our family holiday traditions and if we should write about them. Em had some fun ones but for the rest of us, we didn’t really feel that any of our traditions were all that creative (even if they are special to us). That’s when we thought we’d pose the question on Instagram and report back. As always we got some great responses and I know at least for me, I will be implementing some now and some others if and when I have kids in the future. Actually, writing this post had an unexpectedly big impact on me. Since the pandemic (and maybe a little before too), I’ve felt kinda neutral about the holiday season. There’s always a really fun White Elephant party I look forward to and I pick out Christmas trees with one of my best friends but aside from that, I don’t really have any other traditions until I get with my family a day or two before Christmas. I’m realizing as I’m typing this that I need to make more of an effort to create actual holiday season traditions I love to maybe get back some authentic holiday excitement. It’s all about spending time with the people you love right? Decorations can only get you so far. I didn’t mean for this to take a kind of depressing turn but if anyone else has been having a hard time feeling that holiday magic, I think this could be a solid way to help. So let’s get into these really great ideas that maybe you to can add to your December:)

The Holiday Season photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: our scandinavian (and easy, mess-free) holiday living room revealFood

Soup Night (with 2-4 soups) – I don’t have to tell you that this is very EHD-approved and would be so fun! What’s better than a potluck soup night?! And if you like this idea for just your immediate family, I think it would be so cute to break up into teams and have a taste contest. Oh and maybe everyone could have a special bowl they look forward to using every year. Just an idea:)

Fondue Night – I was kinda surprised by how many people said fondue but also not because it’s so fun. I’ll never forget the first time I was introduced to it because it blew my mind! Dipping things in cheese and then later into chocolate?! I love how easy and interactive it is. It’s pretty impossible not to have a good time around a fondue pot.

Port and Pie Night – So the reader that sent in this AMAZING tradition does it after Thanksgiving. However, I think this could easily be done as a stand-alone event where everyone brings a pie and a bottle of port wine to someone’s house. This could also be a fun, no-stress thing to do after Christmas where everyone can talk about how their holidays went:)

Pizza and Champagne Party – I am looking at my calendar as we speak to figure out when my friends and I can do this and make it a tradition! Not super little kid-friendly but for the older kids, this is such a fun idea that feels both special and easy. 10/10

Activities photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: how to have great holiday cocktail party In a tiny apartment (all the hacks you need to know)

Craft Night to Make Place-Setting Gifts – What a fun and sweet thing to craft! I would love to sit down at a holiday dinner with meaningful handmade gifts just for me. And that’s even before all of the delicious food. How can you not have a great meal after such a special start??

Wrapping Paper Tube Fight – While Emily is writing another post about wrapping paper and how she’s trying to move away from it, sometimes using it is inevitable. So might as well make use of the tubes and have a fun family tube fight! You could even decorate them before if you also want to get crafty:)

Read-A-Thon for a Few Days with Casseroles – I envy this family! What a sweet tradition. This may not work for every family but if you have a book-loving crew, this is a perfect way to get cozy next to the fireplace.

Book Advent Calendar and Read with Family – Speaking of books, creating a book-themed advent calendar is another great way to incorporate that fun countdown with quality family time instead of a little sugar rush.

Advent(ure) Calendar – I also think this is such a cool idea for an advent calendar that also promotes family time but does take way more planning. But if you have the bandwidth, you could do things like ice skating, cooking decorating, sledding, etc.

Projector Movie in the Driveway: Elf and Diehard – This one is for people who live in warmer climates but annual outdoor movie nights are just fun and I would for sure look forward to this (especially if there’s hot chocolate involved).

Bowling – Bowling was a BIG tradition that lots of people submitted and something my family never did (but I would have loved to). Some do it after Thanksgiving, some on Christmas Eve, some on the day after Christmas, etc. Basically, it sounds like a really fun and easy activity that’s great for any size family.

3-Day Ping Pong Tournament – Keeping with the competitive sporting events, I thought this was fun and not your average holiday tradition. It’s also great since it can be an indoor activity and it’s cold outside in most places. If you don’t have a ping pong set up then you could do something like pickleball or chess or UNO or any game your family likes to play together. I wonder what the winner gets??

“Memory of the Year” Ornaments with FIMO Clay – I know Emily loves with her kids and this idea, in particular, is really special since it helps everyone get really creative and get to go over all of the happy things that happened over the year. The only problem is just choosing one:)

Surprise Adventure Night – This one is right up my alley since my friends and I did a version of this for all of our 16th birthdays. Ok, so this reader says that they put the kids to bed then after they’re asleep for a bit they bang on pots and pans to wake them up to go on a late-night adventure. It’s great because you can pick any night and then maybe have either a scavenger hunt, go to a late-night movie, eat dessert at a 24-hour diner, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Sleeping “Under the Tree” or “Christmas Adam” – Ok, so I’ve never heard of “Christmas Adam” before this but apparently it’s the night before Christmas Eve and you do fun holiday activities. But overwhelmingly the activity was sleeping under (or near) the Christmas tree. Some readers even bring their mattresses out into their living rooms. I love how easy and magical this is. If and when I have kids we will absolutely be doing this.

Decorate a Tree in the Woods with Birdseed Ornaments – This tradition is actually one reader’s Thanksgiving tradition but I think it’s also perfect for any time during the holiday season. So they take a family hike and then decorate one of the trees with birdseed ornaments. My heart melted and I thought., “Oh, Emily is going to love this one.” I was correct:) Now I’m not sure if they make the ornaments but that would be a fun additional activity for this cute tradition!

LCR Game After Dinner – This was also a Thanksgiving tradition (it’s one of mine as well) but it’s SO FUN, especially if you have a big group. It’s an easy dice game where everyone brings three of the same decided-upon tender (we do three $1 bills) and then by the end one person wins the whole pot. What I also love about LCR is that no one is out until the very last roll so everyone is engaged the whole time. 1000/10

Christmas Evephoto by sara ligorria-tramp | from: holiday entertaining just got a whole lot easierFood

A Themed Local Bar Night – This one is more for those without children but an annual themed night at a bar can be extremely fun (as long as you manage your consumption so you are still able to enjoy Christmas Day:)) One reader goes to their local small-town bar for their open mic night Christmas pageant and happily enjoys tacos and margaritas. I would love an invite, thank you.

Breakfast for Dinner – I will never say no to breakfast for dinner because it’s the best! Whenever my mom would surprise us with breakfast for dinner it literally felt like Christmas so this is a “YES!” in my book.

Chicago Deep Dish – Since Les Bunge is from Chicago my love for deep dish pizza is lifelong. If you don’t live in Chicago and like this idea may I suggest getting Lou Malnati’s shipped to you? You’ll thank me later. Oh, maybe I’ll order some for my pizza and champagne party…

Bread Bowls and Soups – Take me back to my San Francisco days! Eating something out of bread is always superior and what an extra special way to enjoy soup. Plus, I thought they were the coolest things on the planet when I was little.

Movie Night and Appetizer Party – I love this idea because you get to have a little of a ton of different things! Also, endless dips?? Yes, please. I mean just go to Trader Joe’s (mainly the frozen section) and you are in for a very delicious night. Here are some of the best ones according to you all.

Reuben Sandwiches – Just another truly incredible idea that’s a little out of the box.

Make a Meal From a Different Country and Learn About Their Traditions – Such a fun and cool way to expose you and your kids (if you have them) to a new culture! The more we learn about each other the more we can experience what makes us special and more importantly what connects us:)

Activities

Fake Snow in Kid’s Rooms and Hide Presents – Creating wonder and whimsy is such a special thing to do for kids. My mom was big on this growing up. So much like fairy dust when the tooth fairy comes, this parent puts some fake snow in her kid’s rooms while they’re sleeping and hides presents. I would have even just loved the snow! I really love this and here are two biodegradable faux snow options (this one and this one).

Costume Party – Another way to get whimsical and is a big step up from an ugly sweater party (which is also great, FYI)! Getting dressed up is so fun and should be encouraged all year round. A fun party sounds like the perfect way to get ready for Christmas day.

Christmas Dayphoto by sara ligorria-tramp | from: emily’s “messy” but full of memories christmas family roomFood

Soups and Desserts – Sign me up! This also feels very low-pressure and easy to prep a day or two before which is so so nice.

Eggs Benedict – Eggs Benedict is my favorite brunch item so this sounds great. Fun Fact: I usually swap the Canadian bacon for avocado. Man is it good and maybe not actually that “fun”. Ha. Also, my old favorite brunch spot swapped the bread for a fried potato nest. INSANE and recommended!

Chili and Fritos – Just yes.

Activities

Obstacle Course (With Traps!) to Presents – This is COOL! Definitely would take a ton of work but if you are a parent that’s up for it I can only imagine how fun this would be as a kid.

Build a Big Lego Set Together – I don’t know if you’ve heard but kids love Legos (and honestly so do adults:)) So I love that this is a family gift that everyone builds together on Christmas day. Such a fun (and wonderfully time-consuming) activity.

Scavenger Hunt for The One Big Family Gift – I’m sure Emily loves this too since she is a big scavenger hunt fan:) This one is also a good amount of more work but if you love doing them, what a cool activity to do as a family. This is something I would still love now!

Early Morning Dip in the Irish Sea with a Hot Hip Flask After – This one is specific (any cold body of water will do) but this is a cool thing to do for yourself to start your day off really well. Emily is a HUGE fan of cold plunging too and says it’s a great endorphin booster. Sometimes we need that during the holidays.

Experience Exchange – There’s very little that any of us need so the idea of an experience exchange instead of a gift exchange is truly so awesome. I think starting this when kids are young and it not being for just adults is great too. Teaching them to focus less on stuff.

A Personal Christmas Letter to Kids – I saved my favorite for last. This reader’s husband writes a personal letter to each of their kids every year for Christmas. I could cry just thinking about how special it is and will be to have those forever. What a gift to give to your kids that literally costs nothing yet means everything.

How great are these ideas?! We would love to hear yours in the comments. Let’s all have a fun and love-filled season, ok??? 🙂

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: The Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal And All My Thoughts And Feelings About It

The post We Asked What Your “Out Of The Box” Family Holiday Traditions Were And BOY Did You Deliver appeared first on Emily Henderson.

A Quick Farmhouse Dining Nook Update

While I desperately want to take my time decorating this house (and I am, in some ways) there are a few furniture pieces that are going to be custom (aka long lead times) that I really need to get going on (our green living room sofa being another). Today is about the dining nook up in the corner. She is a tight little corner that we already use a lot, but the plan was always to have a built-in banquette that would be inviting but simple, almost like that restaurant booth at a bar in the corner. I would say that right now we eat dinner here 3-4 times a week (sharing the schedule with the kitchen island on late nights after sports when we are more rushed, special sunroom meals on Sundays and some Mondays, and movie meals most Friday/Saturday nights if we don’t eat out or go to a friend’s house). It’s also a great place to do future homework and the kids draw here a lot.

Here’s the corner that we are talking about. And in case you are wondering if I’ve come up with a solution for the walls/trim feeling unfinished, I have not and I’m still unhappy with it but am not going to make a move until I feel it’s the right one – read this post to get caught up on that. But as you can see, the height of the paneling will dictate the height of the back of the booth – which is 32″ (the scale of the room is big – high ceilings, big windows which make the paneling look small but its 12″ paneling).

For fun here’s a look at what this space looked like when we purchased it…

It’s still to me wild how much has changed and how much better it feels for our family.

With the layout of the living/kitchen, it was hard to squeeze in a dining table mostly because the fireplace dictated the center of the living room, aka the conversation area. So at times during the design process, we had a little dining table floating between the kitchen and living but it didn’t feel right. We then realized that if we built in this corner, we’d have the space to seat 4 – 6 (little ones) here. So that is why the door is slammed against the side of the kitchen.

The pocket door goes to the family room (and yes it’s tight) but when you are sitting here it feels good!

When we first moved in we used our IKEA tulip table here with four chairs and it was fine and helped us really get a sense of the space. It also confirmed that we liked sitting here, that it’s a good location from the kitchen and does feel cozy.

The IKEA table here is 40.5″ in diameter, so we are thinking a 30″x60″ oval table – making the pass-through space easier to navigate and easier to get in and out of.

Here’s more context – with the kitchen a total mess, but you get the idea (we shot this for the living room update shoot, but purposefully hid the kitchen while wanting to show you the relationship with the living room.

That hanging sconce is vintage from The Rejuvenation Vintage Collection and it’s incredible (see this post for more info). It was hung too high and to the left so it’s now been moved down.

You can see the relationship between the living room and the dining nook there – it’s definitely close enough.

So where are we now?

This was a few months ago, but we have made a teeny tiny bit of progress. I found a super cute farm table at a thrift store that was a much better scale for the interim (and we use the tulip table for sewing upstairs now).

Here it is. It gave us a better idea of what size would work. It’s 30″x48″ and we are hoping to add another foot onto the table, as an oval. I really need to get on designing it. I know that we will use Sunbrella on the cushion but unsure if we want a back cushion or just pretty wood with pillows or hanging slim cushions – again we don’t have a ton of space.

More to come obviously…but wanted to give you a quick farmhouse update while I had you. xx

*Pretty Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post A Quick Farmhouse Dining Nook Update appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Years After A Forced Budget Kitchen Reno (Due To Black Mold And Out Of Control Renovation Costs)…Emily Bowser Is Designing The Kitchen She Actually Wanted

Well, well, well…Here I am, after much teasing, I am finally on my way to a kitchen reveal. I think this space was the hardest for me to finish because it’s been completely liveable for a long time. After living in apartments for years with cabinets that had been painted so many times that only half of them closed, tile countertops, no garbage disposal, no dishwasher, and subpar appliances – this kitchen felt so much nicer so I just wasn’t inspired to make it any better.

That, and when we made the decision to renovate the kitchen, it was under much financial duress so the finishes weren’t anything to write home about and I knew I couldn’t justify changing them. Before we get too far into that though, let’s talk about where we started:

PHASE 1: THE BEFORE

File this under: “one of a million examples of LA real estate not even trying to sell clearly overpriced homes”. This is what the kitchen looked like when I walked through the house, completely despondent, and ready to give up house hunting for good. For more about my psyche when we were searching for a home in 2016 you can read about it here.

It is a small, galley kitchen, with a strange walk-through…closet? I don’t know how to explain it. The door you see in the back there used to be the back door to a small covered patio that is now a laundry room. Truthfully it wasn’t much worse than any other kitchen I had rented. My last apartment had Pepto Bismol pink tile countertops and the one before that had banana yellow. Both were over 100 years old and there’s just no way to make them ever look clean. Shoutout to basically every renter in LA. FYI: I hear these are coming back?? I mean, they can be cute in photos but clearly whoever decided on that trend never lived with them. The GROUT! Blech. At least these were new-ish counters and kinda looked clean. When we made the decision to buy the place I was like, “I’ll just paint the cabinets myself and live with it until we save up money.” We needed to get the back house not just to a livable condition, but as nice as we could afford so we could rent it out for a premium to help pay for our mortgage. The plan for the front house was to do what we had always done: make the most of what we were given, as we did with our rentals, and slowly do the renovations over time. 

Of course, things did NOT go to plan, and slowly renovating didn’t happen. I really really wish I could have lived with the kitchen that was there and had the time and money to renovate it right the first time. I am a big advocate of living in a space for a year and seeing how you utilize or *want* to utilize the space before you make any big changes. Unfortunately, they found mold in the kitchen. I forget why they were looking for it at all, maybe a leak in the sink? Of course, I am happy that I didn’t live with black mold, but having to make quick and as-cheap-possible decisions did bite me in the butt a little bit. This is going to be a story about how I made my “meh” kitchen into a fully functional and pretty kitchen without renovating again. Hopefully, this is helpful for people who live in “good enough” kitchens that really don’t need to be ripped out but aren’t very inspiring.

angle of kitchen the day we got the keys, wall to be removed seen in back
PHASE 2: THE INITIAL, FORCED MAKEOVER

Let’s talk about the kitchen’s first makeover. When purchasing this house I wanted to go with finishes that were timeless and not too particular style-wise because the long game for this property is that both units are rentals. I recognize now that it is a very VERY long game because having the financial ability to keep this property and buy another one would mean something life-changing happened with our careers. However, a girl who has yet to feel the cold slap of adulthood can dream! I wanted the style to be simple, something most people could see themselves living in and making their own, despite my own pull towards the more dramatic. It was the spring of 2016 (didn’t end up signing papers until Oct – long story) so of course, we ended up with black hex floors and subway tile. This was back when you thought of those things as timeless and they hadn’t *completely* overrun all of social media. Subway and hex tile are also very affordable, as were simple white cabinets and the 3 slabs of quartz I found for $300 each. I needed a slab and a half for each kitchen – this is where it became apparent that this was going to be a lot more affordable if I choose the same finishes for both kitchens. My plan was to use IKEA cabinets because I had heard good things. My contractor insisted he could do higher quality for less and honestly, I’m pretty happy with them. They aren’t fancy but they are made with good plywood and didn’t have that extreme off-gassing that cheap cabinets have.

I was in complete financial trauma by the time we were told the kitchen had mold and we needed to renovate both kitchens. I honestly don’t remember much from the process other than trying to pick the best I could for as cheap as possible. There was not a lot of joy in it. I do remember noticing the lack of joy at the time and feeling a bit sorry for myself. I love design and I love making a home but I didn’t love anything about this part of the process because it didn’t feel like I really had options. This was not the romantic idea I had of my first home in my head. The kitchen era of the reno was a dark era for sure. 

That said, even though I was completely stressed about how we were going to pay for all this (which at this point was $100,000 OVER what I was bid and would go higher), there were a few things I put my foot down about that I am very pleased with to this day: I wanted the wall between the kitchen and this strange closet/walk-through to be taken down and I wanted a dishwasher.

My contractor was really against me putting in a dishwasher because of how much cabinet space it eats up, and he wasn’t wrong – he just underestimated what I was willing to sacrifice and what I could make happen in such a tiny space in order to have a dishwasher. I. Love. My. Dishwasher. I use it every single day with absolute abandon and literally, NO ONE can make me feel bad about it. After hand washing SINCE LEAVING MY PARENT’S HOUSE, I know FOR A FACT that handwashing uses more water and 100% is the worst. My heart goes out to people without one (I see you 99% of LA renters) and I will not gaslight you as my friends who had dishwashers and washing machines and AC did to me. Your life will get at least 80% better simply with modern conveniences. You can be “flirting with financial disaster” (quote by my friend Lauren to me about this time period) and walk into your new house with a dishwasher, washer/dryer, AC and be like, “I’M RICH!”.

window in walk-through area, wall to be removed on the right
weird size fridge nook on left, tub on the other side of wall straight ahead 

Taking down the weird wall was a must. That closet/walk-through space was practically unusable and made the space feel tinier than it already was. The general layout of the kitchen is the only way to do it, so all appliances stayed where they were. My house is very economical and there’s not one bit of unused real estate, meaning there’s no wall you can break through to make more space. Behind the stove on the left is the hall closet (one of two closets in the whole house), and the bump out after the fridge is our bathroom. We had to keep this odd, narrowing galley, the only thing we didn’t need was the doorway into the closet thingy. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why it was there to begin with. As you can see in the first photo, the previous owner had a piece of furniture in there to give themselves more storage and it’s not on the other side of the space because there’s a window in the middle of that wall.

floor of the walk-throughafter demo day, if you look closely you can see that we removed a tiny corner of the wall on the left as well

I actually really wanted to use the wood underneath the tile floor but turns out it was literally the subfloor, like between the cracks you could see down under the house. Unfortunately for insulation reasons, we needed to put something on top. If I could turn back time I would have ripped up all the floors and put matching new wood throughout the entire space because I love wood floors in the kitchen. There are original wood floors in the living/dining and one of the bedrooms and to save money I wanted to refinish them and only tile the space that didn’t have original floors but now, of course, the original floors are falling apart and I have to replace them. Le sigh. 

here I am looking how I felt in Dec 2016, opening and closing the new window in that weird closet space after we removed the wall

I digress, back to the point: the renovation was easy in the sense that it was “put new cabinets exactly where there had already been cabinets, minus the uppers on the sink side because I want open shelving there”. Spoiler alert: I still don’t have open shelving there. 

Because the space where the walk-through closet thing was more narrow, we couldn’t continue with normal cabinets and also…I couldn’t afford them. I told myself I would find the perfect vintage piece to put there, perfect being 36” high to match the counters, only 15” deep as to not block the doorway to the laundry room, and 38” long to make the most of the space. Spoiler alert: I did not find the perfect piece. Let’s take a look at how the kitchen has looked for most of the past 6 years:

For funsies do you want to see the matching back unit kitchen?

same but differentsame but different

Fine, right? It’s fiiiine. A million times better than the before but, you know, whatever. Things I loved: being able to feel like my kitchen was clean, new appliances, a garbage disposal, and the natural light in here is really, really good. The plan was to put open shelving up but because the tile was put up without thinking about *how* the shelving would be installed – it’s proved to be tricky. Now after living without it for years I’m afraid that it will feel like it’s too visually busy. I get the draw of no uppers, it makes the space feel bigger than it is. That said: Mama could really use a little more storage. Also, I have a lot of pretty things, it kind of comes with the stylist territory and it would be nice to have some of them out.

PHASE 3: SOLVING STORAGE PROBLEMS (OR ATTEMPTING TO)

The piece of furniture I found at the flea market was too deep, too short, and too narrow. Doesn’t look too bad here and actually, the inside of it was super helpful for organizing so much so that we kept it until 2020. I really wanted the top to be flush with the countertop so the kitchen would feel more continuous so I did the basic IKEA Ivar cabinet hack. We painted the cabinet with leftover paint from our dining nook (and cut a piece of reclaimed wood from Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber to be the exact length of the space). Two of the Ivar cabinets were perfect for leaving just a teeny bit of space on either side for our folded-up step ladder on one side and a few extra cutting boards on the other. We attached them directly to studs in the wall so they are technically floating, no feeties, and are completely flush with the rest of the counters, which is what I really wanted. 

andrew screwing the reclaimed wood directly into the top of the ivar cabinet
fin!

The Ivar storage is basically our pantry. Pretty much all of our food storage is here and about half of it is cookbooks at the moment:) Stay tuned for the final reveal and I’ll show the organization because those shelves are not deep (11.75”) and we make it work. Because I know you will ask: cabinet pulls on the Ivar are Lostine. The beautiful vintage rug is Jean Palmer Home – you’ve seen it in my office reveal because I hadn’t found the perfect vintage rug for my cats to puke on in there yet, but I have now:) Pulls and handles for my original kitchen cabinets are an Etsy find, not sure if they have the exact ones anymore, mine were brass not brushed brass.

We did the cabinet in 2020 and apparently, I could not stop myself from continuing to add boards to every wall. Here’s a very unstyled, lived-in moment from last year:

Notice how a wine rack in the corner and Lomi composter on the washing machine were added to the mix. V pandemic of me. The kitchen was absolutely FINE however, it always bothered me ~a lot~ that the cabinets above the stove didn’t go all the way to the ceiling and didn’t incorporate the area above the fridge. Not only were the upper cabinets unsightly, but the lack of them was also a huge waste of space. I still didn’t feel like I was optimizing my space in the area before the laundry room, particularly the wall on the left – that area is tricky because you have to leave space to walk through. Additionally, we had put in a very fancy convection oven/vent/microwave from KitchenAid but we didn’t use it for anything other than reheating leftovers. It was not great at being a vent for the oven and stuck out way too much for how small this space is. The idea was to mount it to keep it off the counters thus more counter space but how bad it was at being a vent was driving me mad. Half of the time we cooked our smoke detector would go off. Another thing that always bothered me visually was the way the kitchen sink sat in the cabinet. I bought that sink because it was cheap and I didn’t think about how it would work with the cabinets – clearly.

Listen, I know these aren’t real problems – that’s why I couldn’t bring myself to do anything about it. I’ve had bigger fish to fry over the past 6 years. There was also just a lot of creative problem-solving that would help, some of which I did, like the Ivar Cabinet hack.

Oh, one nice thing about my fridge nook is that there’s a perfect hiding place for brooms, Chom Chom roller (best thing for pet hair removal!), etc.

Side note: I bought all the appliances for both units in 2016 on Black Friday. Highly recommend buying appliances only on a big sale. I’ve lived with these KitchenAid (pre-Cafe era) appliances for 6 years and my honest opinion is: they’re good. No real complaints. I had some issues with the dishwasher but after having it serviced a few times I think they’ve figured it out. Currently, the ice maker has stopped working in the freezer and I need to have someone come and look at it but I’m busy so I’ll use an ice tray and I’ll deal with it later:) I assume after 6 years things like this will start to happen. Haven’t had any issues with the stove or oven and the microwave was fine besides the fact that I didn’t feel like it did a good enough job as a vent. 

What was I talking about? Oh, how my issues with the kitchen were dumb and not a big enough deal to make me do anything about it until these three things happened:

1. I Marco Polo’d so often during the pandemic with my phone resting in the window facing the stove that the cabinets not hitting the ceiling and wasted space over the fridge became a daily fixation. Example below:

screengrabs of marco polos in 2020. check out the pandemic hair, the pandemic garb, and the GD SPACE ABOVE THE CABINETS.

2. I found the PERFECT shelving unit to fit the long blank wall on the left.

I can’t over-emphasize how perfect this shelving unit is for that space. I had such specific dimensions that it had to fit. The depth is 10.25”, I could *maybe* go to 11” the length is 78” which is just right in order to walk through without feeling crushed. I love that there is some closed storage, a little surface area, and then open shelving for pretty storage. It’s also nice that it’s mounted to the wall, it feels lighter in the space. Let’s take a sneak peek, shall we?

I personally love the banana styling in this iPhone pic. Both the bananas hanging from the wine rack AND the rotten bananas on the cabinet waiting to be made into banana bread. Oh, also the single butternut squash in a bowl. Obviously, this pic was taken to send to Andrew to show how proud I was for figuring out how to hang this by myself. It hasn’t fallen down yet!

As you can see in this picture, the quartz countertop continues a bit into the space that starts to narrow, which makes the walkway feel cramped. This is why I needed the Rejuvenation cabinet to not be too wide. I’m thinking I could continue my ridiculous cutting board collection next to the cabinet since that won’t take up much space. I hung the cabinet so that the top of the cabinet is the same height as the countertops which makes that space feel like another surface to work on. In our case it’s turned into our drink station (coffee, matcha, alcohol, all three at once, etc.) if you look closely you can see another Rejuvenation beaut, their Brookside Rail System that holds all of our drink accouterment –  but don’t look too closely! This is a sneak peek!

FINAL PHASE: THE “MUCH BETTER” KITCHEN PLAN

The final straw that made me finally finish this kitchen is:

3. My friend Rebecca started a company making cabinet fronts (and boxes) and got really sick of me complaining on Marco Polo about the space above my cabinets (I think it bothered her too). I met Rebecca when we were working on Orlando Soria’s HGTV show “Build Me Up” (RIP) pre-pandemic. She’s an amazing designer, design producer, and friend. Designer friends don’t let friends have weird spaces above their cabinets! 

Her company Design by Numbers (website coming, check out her insta) will make new cabinet doors to fit any boxes and it’s basically magic. You scan your space with an app on your phone, tell her the style and color you want and then they send you this and your jaw hits the floor:

WUT?? THERE’S A CAT ON THE WASHING MACHINE! All of our jobs (and cats, I guess) are being stolen by computers. I mean what is even the point of shooting a reveal post, I’ve basically given it away. As you can see, the microwave is gone with a built-in real grown-up person vent in its place, cabinets that go to the ceiling that also include the refrigerator, and why yes, we have changed the color and style of my cabinets. The color I chose is “Puddy” (one of Rebecca’s paint options) and it’s a greenish taupe? I’m bad at describing colors. We lovingly refer to the style as a “baby shaker” because it has a tiny version of a shaker border. It’s classic but feels a little more modern and fresh. After I was like, “HELL YEAH,” I double-checked their measurements by hand (take that computers!) and they made and shipped them to me. It was that easy (for me anyway). 

As the company is launching they are offering 3 styles of cabinets: shaker, baby shaker, and slab. They can do just doors or cabinet boxes and doors. If you are interested in getting more info, you can email hello@designbynumbers.com. 

We were able to keep all my original lower cabinet boxes and the inside of the drawers, we just replaced the fronts. Design by Numbers provides the info to purchase the matching paint or ship the paint depending on state regulations. I purchased and had the cabinets professionally painted because as I have mentioned before I *will* DIY if necessary but something like this, no thank you. As far as the uppers, I had to recycle those. Since they were in good shape my contractor was able to take them out to reuse them elsewhere. I also donated the microwave. There was a bit of tile patching behind the microwave that needed to be done but nothing too hard and because I had cheap subway tile, it cost practically nothing. Design by Numbers made the new boxes for the uppers and they fit like a glove – the measurements were perfect. 

I don’t want to give too much away because you will get to see it all at the final reveal which is coming soon! I’m waiting on a few stray things to come in to put everything together including a new dining room table! This reveal/refresh will include the dining nook, kitchen, and the laundry room and will be live next month! In the meantime here’s a screen grab from my Marco Polo with Rebecca and Orlando mid-cabinet installation 🙂 Stay tuned.

cute.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Another MOTO Reveal: Emily Bowser’s Happy Dining Nook (With Custom Cat-Friendly Banquette, Because Duh)

The post Years After A Forced Budget Kitchen Reno (Due To Black Mold And Out Of Control Renovation Costs)…Emily Bowser Is Designing The Kitchen She Actually Wanted appeared first on Emily Henderson.

On Preventing (Or Preparing Or Coping) With “Overwhelm” During The Holidays (And A Letter To The Universe On Behalf Of Women)

Tis the season of overwhelm, but it’s different this year. As one of my best friends put it last week, “My strategy is to prioritize the balls I don’t want to drop, and hope for the best with the rest.” She has a very demanding corporate career and two kids. She’ll hold on to the kids (not compromising there), prioritize the work projects that can’t get neglected, then phone it in, delegate, or push off everything else. The overwhelm can be real. As a Q4 content creator, I thought I was in one of only a few industries with this unreasonably busy season. And then I started talking to EVERY SINGLE WOMAN I KNOW. This year I have a strategy that I hope to god works. 

On top of the holidays, which rely heavily on the labor of moms, unfortunately every industry is at its most busy in Q4. It’s gnarly. The biggest challenge with 2022 is that the world, all industries, and society at large are treating us like we are still in 2019. We aren’t. And we can’t go back. 

What we’ve learned about priorities can’t be unlearned. So much came into focus during those two years that we can’t unsee. It’s this expectation and pressure to hustle, to do all the things, keep every ball in the air, scramble, feel scattered, and yet be ok with being exhausted as if it’s just “normal”. I feel like my friend is right – Either some balls are going to drop or we are.

Before 2020 I was maniacally just doing it all because that’s the expectation. And while I would take a full week or 10 days off between Christmas and New Year’s, most of that time I felt I was recuperating (to be fair my kids were also much younger, and so much more exhausting). Christmas of 2020 was the first full season that was so slow and as we all know, such a different experience (with different highs and lows). This year I was already on the chaos train in early November, and it was driving recklessly. So I put on the breaks, hopped off, and came up with a plan to slow down. 

So here’s my strategy to cope or better yet AVOID the overwhelm – advice I’m giving myself and thought I would share (and I think it’s working!!)

daytime work hangs are preferred around here | photo by veronica crawford | from: affordable party outfit ideas + the ehd holiday partyRebrand Some “Holiday events” As New Years Events (And Push Off Til January)

Example: A few years ago we were behind on our holiday gifts for our clients (we would send our clients fancy boxes of 6 chocolates). We missed the shipping deadline and after throwing my hands in the air and beating myself up we sent them as “New Years’ gifts instead”. They were all ELATED and actually had time to enjoy them, reach out, and connect with us in January. These might have even gotten overlooked during the holiday season. We did this three years in a row and it proved to be a far better gift marketing strategy (I think they noticed us more, tbh). Since Covid, we stopped doing client gifts altogether because managing addresses was impossible (who is remote? Who is in office? Who quit? Moved companies? Did the office close down?) THAT IS OK! Too. The same principle goes for New Years’ family photos/cards and even New Years’ neighborhood potlucks or cookie drop-offs. Shove it to January.

Plan your service efforts in January. We want to be the family that does meaningful service projects to help others during the holidays, but the truth is that I never get my shit together, and then I beat myself up. But listen, so many organizations and churches are helping the underserved in December (one of the reasons I wish I belonged to one), and maybe a January or February project would be more impactful when there’s typically less help. This could also easily turn into a really great resolution where you help more throughout the year and not just for the holidays.

Reschedule every optional personal appointment for January. This could be a lunch, a non-urgent doctor’s appointment, a girl’s night, or your pet grooming. Unless it’s holiday-specific or urgent, reschedule anything from December to January. Of course, we can’t let people down and we are scared of hurting people. You’ll say to yourself, “it’s just an hour of my time” but nothing is “just an hour”. You have the time to get ready, the commute, finding parking – everything is a thing. I went through my calendar and rescheduled so many appointments and I feel SO MUCH BETTER. I got like 15 hours back in December plus the brain space that would have been sucked into those appointments. 

Turn any work event into a long lunch or 3 pm happy hour, not a nighttime event. My team loves doing this – meet up early on Friday and have fun DURING work hours. They’ll thank you, I promise. Those that want to roll it over into dinner will:) 

pretty but not necessary! | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: holiday entertaining just got a whole lot easierLower Your Expectations

You can’t be disappointed if you have low expectations. This means for your house, your food, less personal gifts, and your hosting abilities. I’ll go first! Done is better than perfect. 

Our tree this year is cute but definitely not “there” as far as design content for the internet. So my options are: 1. Stress about making it better but like REALLY FAST (was supposed to shoot tomorrow), spend a ton of time, and money, rearrange all the ornaments, DIY a garland, etc. Or 2. Shoot it unsatisfied and tree shame myself or have people disappointed in it not being up to par (both are guaranteed to happen), or 3. Not shoot it at all since there are no sponsors involved and just leave it as is. I’m definitely not doing 1, but not sure if I want to do 2 or 3. The pressure to be perfect is back/real – and I feel responsible for other people feeling that way, too. Did we OG design content creators create this holiday monster of everything looking so chic and perfect on the internet so that even we are disappointed if it looks just OK even though our kids couldn’t be happier???? I’m SORRY!! Which brings me to:

Don’t Feel Like You Need To Post On Social Media Unless It Brings You Happiness

Release all your self-imposed social media posting obligations and take yourself out of the comparison culture hunger games. Example: I saw Brian trying to write a post for me on Facebook for my birthday while we were having such a fun family day and I was like, “oh, no, you don’t have to do that, I promise, just come hang out” and he looked at me, with hope in his eyes like, “really???” We were both so relieved that we made a pact to not have to tell the world in a poignant yet funny way how we feel about each other, our kids, our holidays, or every single occasion. Only post if you want to:) I’m taking my own advice on Christmas Day and maybe I’ll photo dump at the end of the day or end of the week but no, I will not be on social media when I don’t feel like it, which is often these days:) 

these snacks are almost 100% from trader joes | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: we asked and you delivered – here are the best trader joe’s appetizers, dips, and food hacksEmploy The Genius Of The Potluck (Say Yes To Offered Help And Even Ask)

I know that this might be a regional difference, but y’all I have found that when we lived in LA we felt this pressure to provide it all, cook or cater the whole meal, “Just bring yourself.” So if we have a get-together this year (which will be small -I’ve learned my lesson re large party panic attacks), I am going to try answering the “What can we bring?” with “A cheese plate or chips and guac would be great!” (with hopefully some notice). If your friends know you they’ll understand that you are busy and not think twice which also gives them permission to do it themselves. If you are busy and have no time to make something, we wrote a whole post about Trader Joe’s appetizers here – they are GREAT and your real friends won’t care where it’s from. 

Stock Up, Buying Once The Stuff You’ll Use A Lot

Stock your pantry full of 10 good but generic (universally appreciated) hostess gifts that don’t take up a lot of space. I’d suggest something consumable (local wine or candle) so as to not make someone else store/donate something that might not be their style. DONE. 

Stock up on biodegradable and compostable cups and plates. I truly don’t like promoting anything single-use, but if you are having folks over give yourself permission during the holidays to have an easier cleanup. Obviously, stay away from plastic or styrofoam if you can, but if that’s not in your budget just do your best! There are a lot of options out there now and we can’t be perfect all of the time or we are all going to actually explode and splatter our guts all over our faux wreaths. And then they’ll never biodegrade:)

this is not our normal | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: emily’s “messy” but full of memories christmas family roomSet Boundaries And Be Firm (To Protect Mental Health)

I try to only schedule two or three social or holiday “events” a week (even that is a lot). This year we are doing the Hood River Santa Train, Elf The Musical, Zoo Lights, and two crafting/cocktail parties with different kid friend groups before we leave on the 16th for two weeks (where we’ll see Santa at Skypark!). Book in recovery time for just yourself or your family, time to clean the house, do laundry, and meal prep – Just say you are booked. This is a personal limit, I know, but for me limiting my social schedule has helped my depletion greatly. Yes, I see my friends/family less than I used to this time of year, but they are so busy, too! Maybe this is an age thing, maybe post-covid life shift, living in the suburbs (which I love), or maybe I’ve always needed these boundaries for myself but was socializing so much that I would sacrifice my own health to have a good time (pretty sure it’s all of those things).

Let yourself be the person you are, not the one you want to be. I want to be the family that sings carols door to door, but I don’t really think that’s for us. I want to be the family that bakes cinnamon rolls like our family did, but it’s just so messy and I’m terrible at baking. I’m good at decorating, messy crafting, filling the house with spirit, and making big batches of soup/grilled cheese. All the rest is someone else’s expectation of me which I’ll fail at and then feel bad about myself. Lean into what you enjoy because that is what you are going to be good at, which will make you feel better, not worse about yourself (general life lesson). 

Any other good holiday hacks to help prevent (or cope with) overwhelm? Brian’s therapist gave him the best tool that we use all the time now – “Expand your timeline” – which has helped us not only slow down but also take the pressure off doing everything “this year”.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Jayme Burrows | From: Christmas Through The Years

The post On Preventing (Or Preparing Or Coping) With “Overwhelm” During The Holidays (And A Letter To The Universe On Behalf Of Women) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: Em’s Favorite List Of “Clutter-Free” Gift Ideas, Caitlin’s All-Time Favorite Travel Backpack, And A Candle Scent We Love

For those in the US who celebrated, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by people you love (or at least like:)). And now that it’s been a few days since, we also hope that your kitchens have recovered. Also, we really want to know in the comments how decorated your home is for Christmas if you celebrate. Is it a full-on winter wonderland or are you still needing a minute before thinking about a tree?? Both are valid!! Also if you are interested in our Black Friday Sale post (that will be updated for Cyber Monday) check it out here! Ok, link time…

This week’s house tour (via Cup of Jo) is a happy visual break from the browns and rusts that consume this time of the year. However, not only is it a joyous celebration of color and pattern, it’s full of awesome finds from a local “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook. You have to see what renter, Marcelline Balfour, created for her and her two daughters:) Enjoy!

via @becomingminimalists

From Em: This time of year we recommend lots of “things”. I honestly have a hard time with it because I know at least for me I’m trying to buy and have less stuff. However, we know how helpful our guides are to you all so we try to do it as responsibly as possible (i.e. recommending things we actually own, have seen in person, are from shops we trust, etc.) But I love the idea of gifting an experience, service, or something consumable. Hence when I saw this graphic on @becomingminimalists‘ Instagram I immediately reshared on my stories. There are clearly so many great ideas that I wanted to share here too! So if buying stuff isn’t what you want to do this year I hope this helps. I know my team loves Groupon. It’s a great place to start if you’re feeling stumped to find something local and will also give you a great deal:)

me while traveling THIS PAST TUESDAY

From Caitlin: I know I’ve recommended it before, but it’s gift-giving season and I cannot sing the praises of my Aer travel backpack enough!!! I bought it in 2018, have road-tested it on hundreds of flights, and it still looks and feels brand new. (I mean – look at it! So clean! How?!) It fits a ton, I’ve backpacked (in winter!) through Europe with it as my only bag, and it’d just be a GREAT present for the frequent flyer (or road-tripper) in your life. I’m currently on a fun little overseas trip hitting up a few cities and lemme tell you – this is a true Mary Poppins bag that makes traveling so much easier 🙂 (I also welcome recommendations for Passau, Linz, Vienna, Graz, Bratislava, or Budapest if you have them!!!)

From Ryann: My husband would like to tell you all about his slacks that go with everything. In his words “they can be dressed up or down–although I always wear them dressed up with GH Bass Weejuns. The inseam is shorter so they will show a little bit of the ankle and the taper is unmatched. They are a slim fit and the waistband is elastic and has a string tie so you don’t need to wear a belt with them.” And there you have it! I will say these from a woman’s perspective, these pants do look incredible and they look more expensive than they are.

From Albie: Okay, while I’m on this gardening kick…I would be remiss if I didn’t tell yall about my new favorite garden-related Etsy shop from @See.Val. Create. I started following Val on IG earlier this year and had the pleasure of actually meeting her at The Meridian Experience. I was super geeked when she launched her shop a few weeks ago — one, because I’m always on board with someone chasing their big ideas; and two, because it meant I could support her while also getting some goodies for my garden. I’ve already gotten some veggie stakes & herb stakes from her, and plan to order some fruits + some custom ones. She also created a few other items & I’m looking forward to seeing this part of her business grow and flourish. 

From Jess: I can’t remember how I came across her (typical), but I found an artist on Instagram, Adèle Beaumais, that makes plates I’m completely in love with. I would LOVE to have some hanging in my kitchen. What a dream.

Also From Jess: Likely because it was how I was raised, and the fact that I don’t have kids, but I am very adamant about not decorating until after Thanksgiving. Buuuut I was at Target last week and bought two boxes of this wooden bead garland for when I do decorate maybe this weekend. I’ve seen it in the light wood tone before but since I’m leaning into deeper browns in my home, I love that it also comes in a walnut color. Very excited to hang it up:)

Also Also From Jess: Naturally I also picked up a Target candle. I loved this one because it’s super woodsy but not “holiday” if that makes sense. Plus it’s pretty! It’s the same style as the one Em used on a shoot a month or so ago.

From Mallory: I gotta give it up for my favorite workout class that I recently go into…Rumble boxing!! They have a billion locations and it is SO much fun. It’s definitely the “soul cycle” of boxing (lots of lights, the teacher wears a headset microphone, bumpin music). If you like to SWEAT, this will get you there. I leave feeling crazy good every time and it’s how I’m planning to stay feeling healthy through the crazy holiday season.

That’s it for us today. Have a wonderful week. See you tomorrow! xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Corbett Tuck | Styled by Velinda Hellen, Erik Kenneth Staalberg, Emily Edith Bowser, and Julie Rose | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post The Link Up: Em’s Favorite List Of “Clutter-Free” Gift Ideas, Caitlin’s All-Time Favorite Travel Backpack, And A Candle Scent We Love appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Small Businesses We Love With REALLY GOOD Stuff

Happy Saturday folks. We hope your bellies and hearts are still full from Thanksgiving (if you celebrate), and perhaps today we can fill you up even more with this special roundup of small design shops we adore. These are the shops we go to for inspiration, a boost in creativity, and for those exceptional decor pieces that bring in so much character. Many of them are Portland or LA-based and if you live in either area we highly recommend visiting them in person. But if not, we wanted to put their online shops on your radar so you can browse virtually and maybe even find a few really good gifts. Let’s begin.

1. Moon Friend Studio: Jumbo White Speckle Mug | 2. Nightwood Studio: Ambrosia Maple Serving Board | 3. Minimum Design: Ecotool Wooden Planter

Mantel PDX: Mantel has really beautiful ceramics by Portland artists, stunning jewelry, and all-around great finds like these pastel vases. That serving board is functional art as far as I am concerned. The circle handle makes it really special. This is also where Emily got a ton of decor for .

1. Gigi Candlestick | 2. French Floral King Bedcover | 3. Medium Marguerite Pendant Light

Alder & Co PDX: This lovely shop originated in Portland but is now housed in an 1876 farmhouse in Hudson Valley, New York which is quite apropos considering the selective antique and vintage-inspired inventory they offer. They are experts in curating truly timeless decor, fashion, and accessories, like that handmolded ceramic candlestick. But the bedcover is what’s on the top of my list.

1. Harvest Moon Trinket Dish | 2. Mini Kettle Basket | 3. Matte White Ear Vessel

Midland: Midland is an LA-based gem where you can find handmade and small-batch ceramics, plus a wide variety of home goods and clothing. That woven basket is very good, and wouldn’t that trinket dish make a really great gift? They are having a big sale so go check it out!

1. Eclipse Rug | 2. Palace Pillow | 3. Bertie Blanket

Block Shop Textiles: Block Shop Textiles is a textile, art, and design studio and chances are you’ve seen their designs before. They excel in making playful abstract art designs for wallpaper, rugs, pillows, blankets, and prints (oh my!). Today they are having a sale of 30-50% off table linens, prints, pillows, robes, rugs and more with minor imperfections!

photo by kaitlin green | from: the farmhouse kitchen reveal

1. Iron Wall Candle Holder | 2. Handmade Patchwork Quilt | 3. Brass Salt Mill

June Home Supply: I don’t think I’ve seen a sexier salt mill. June Home Supply has a breathtaking inventory of elevated home decor pieces including this pitcher featured in Emily’s Farmhouse kitchen.

1. Pair Of Danish Pine Nightstands | 2. Moro Dabron, Augustine Candle | 3. Large Bobbin Mirror In Green

Nickey Kehoe: The whole EHD team went in person to the new and improved Nickey Kehoe shop here in LA and let’s just say, just being inside is so inspiring. They carry a huge inventory in-store that is seriously worth checking out. We saw that mirror in person and it really is something special and is a splurge for sure but so lovely.

1. Tangent 3 Light | 2. Beni Ourain Morrocan Rug | 3. Grand Mogul Candle

Lawson-Fenning: Not only does Lawson-Fenning make truly stunning furniture (remember the Moreno sofa from Emily’s LA living room??) but they also do collabs with independent artists and makers, and carry timeless pieces like this Allied Maker 3-arm pendant light.

1. Farmhouse Cushion | 2. Brick Lidded Jar | 3. Stack Candle

Lost & Found: Lost & Found is an LA staple that sells everything from handmade pottery to colorful textiles (did you see this pillow from Emily’s gift guide??) to stylish fashion for women, men, and children. This is probably one of our favorite places to find special vessels and small objects to style a shelf with.

1. Canopy Self Watering Planter | 2. Botero Bird Vase | 3. Sisteron Throw

Goodee: Goodee is a Black-owned design shop that emphasizes sustainability and fair trade practices. They stand by the statement that “A GOODEE stamp of approval means that every item we offer is transparently sourced, ethically made, and designed to last.” So every purchase from them actually feels good. Emily has this tray in oak and loves it.

1. Simple Wood Arch Cutting Board | 2. Liba Watering Can | 3. Woven Bench

Hawkins New York: Hawkins partners with producers, family-owned manufacturers, and collectives all over the world that make stylish homewares. You might have spotted these lovely salt and pepper grinders in Emily’s farmhouse kitchen. They are also offering 20% off site-wide with code ILOVEHNY until 11/28.

1. Black Still Life Pitcher No. 1 | 2. Leather Rectangular Tray | 3. Fauna Oil + Vinegar Cruet | Virginia Sin

+COOP: During our last team outing in LA, we stumbled into COOP+ which is located right by Nickey Kehoe (and there we had a chance encounter with EHD alum Tessa Neustadt–further proving that this store is where all the stylish people in LA go :)). We all fell in love with the store immediately. Those oil and vinegar cruets by Virginia Sin are would look pretty in any kitchen.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: living room update–again

1. Diani Natural Storage Basket | 2. Round Accent Table | 3. Luxury Lamp

54Kibo: 54Kibo carries a curated selection of home decor and furniture from designers whose work is inspired by traditional African design. Remember that accent table from Emily’s LA living room update? It’s such a dynamic, sculptural piece that makes a huge impact. I also have had that storage basket on my wishlist for two years so it might just be the time to snag it since they are having a sale.

1. Sand Bowl | 2. Milk And Cobalt Grid Blanket | 3. Lidded Marble Bowl

March SF: This one is for all of you Bay Area folks out there! March is an AWESOME design shop located in San Francisco near the Presidio that has a vast selection of beautiful decor. Have you ever seen something more “EHD” than that blue grid blanket??? The sand bowl and lidded marble bowl are also obvious winners.

1. Metal Planter | 2. Rustic Jug | 3. Reclaimed Wood Pyramid Decor

Effortless Composition: Effortless Composition is a Black-owned shop that carries a stunning inventory of home decor by truly gifted artisans and makers. The founder, Brittiny, created this shop with the belief that creating a home you love should be effortless, so they do the footwork so finding quality decor to fill your home is a breeze. How cool is that wood pyramid object??

1. Farmhouse Serving Bowl | 2. Silverlake Dinner Set | 3. Colbalt and White Vase

Sheldon Ceramics: Founded by ceramicist Peter Sheldon, this studio located in downtown LA creates gorgeous pottery and ceramics. We love that serving bowl something fierce and can you imagine enjoying a meal using that stunning dinner set? Oh and remember all of those beautiful vases on this dining room table?? Yep, all Sheldon Ceramics.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | design by priscilla frost | from: my friend’s carpeted basement bathroom gets a budget makeover

1. Nester Throw | 2. Stone Bookends | 3. Granite Colander

Bloomist: We love Bloomist for their inventory of beautiful objects that make styling a room so easy and fun. This granite colander is so lovely and is one of those pieces that is functional, and would look really pretty styled out on a kitchen counter. And good news! With code: BLOOM25 the whole side is 25% off until 11/29.

1. Water Hyacinth + Rattan Floor Vase | 2. Rainbow Loop Lumbar Pillow | 3. Abaca Rope Pendant Lamp

EcoVibe: Ecovibe is a Black-owned design shop that has an incredible selection of home decor and furniture (they have the cutest Holiday decor and Christmas ornaments, too). Emily has this tassel pillow in two colors.

1. Azumaya Tea Pot | 2. Bottle Natural | 3. Japan Porcelain Objects (Set of 2)

Tortoise General Store: Tortoise General Store (located in Venice, CA) carries curated vintage and new Japanese housewares. Head here if you want to browse through an insane collection of vintage and antique objects that look like they belong in a museum.

1. Omo Bath Set | 2. Abren Napkins | 3. Bertu Mini Pillows

Bolé Road Textiles: New York-based designer Hana Getachew started Bolé Road Textiles out of a desire to merge her love of Ethiopian handwoven fabrics with her career in interior design, and it’s no wonder why this shop has blown up. The designs are minimal yet refined with a hint of playfulness and the quality is superb. We love these sweet minimal napkins that could make a great gift for someone who loves hosting dinner parties.

1. Antique French Canisters | 2. Olivia Floral Pillow | 3. Ceramic Decorative Bell

Casa di LaValle: Curated by Interior Stylist and Founder, Cassandra LaValle, this shop is the place to go for warm, vintage-farmhouse-inspired accents (just in case those antique french canisters didn’t already give that away).

photo by kailtin green | from: the farmhouse kitchen reveal

1. Butter Dish | 2. Antique Bronze Platter | 3. Ceramic Water Dispenser

Notary Ceramics: Here is another Portland staple and if you love well-made ceramics, this is the place for you. What was once a one-woman operation is now a successful women-run business that creates really beautiful handcrafted pieces. Do you see that butter dish?? It’s so so pretty and perfectly understated.

1. Lilith Rockett Orb Container | 2. Haws Plant Mister | 3. Tilt Salt Dish

Canoe: The CANOE concept is to offer simple, beautiful, and functional objects that can be used and enjoyed every day and they emphasize selling products that are made to last. I seriously don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love that orb container (including myself! wink wink!).

1. Low Table | 2. Golden Pig | 3. Marbled Mug

Woonwinkle: Here’s another Portland design and gift shop that Emily loves for their passion for color. Their inventory is stocked full of colorful postmodern furniture and exciting vessels and vases. Also, who wouldn’t want a golden pig statue??

1. Winter + Summer Cotton Coverlet | 2. Sidnie Lamp | 3. Maple Peg Rail

Schoolhouse: While Schoolhouse is bigger than ever, we felt we needed to give this Portland-based company a shout-out because we love their products and love working with them even more. You have no doubt seen this iconic coverlet several times on the blog as Emily has had and loved it for years. The Sidnie Lamp is another staple we love and have styled in many rooms. They are giving 20% off sitewide in case you wanted to get anything:)

Some of these shops may have updated sales so be sure to check them all out! Also if you have any small design shops in your area please shout them out in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your weekend. xx

*Opener Image by Ryann Trombetti

The post The Small Businesses We Love With REALLY GOOD Stuff appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Black Friday Has Arrived And These Are All The Sales You Need To Know About – Hand Delivered:)

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. I was offline with my family which continues to be the best way to spend time 🙂 A huge thanks to Jess for pulling together this post. If you are wondering where our sale queen, Miss Caitlin Higgins is, she is enjoying a MUCH-DESERVED holiday vacation with the one and only Brenda…her mom. Let me tell you that these posts are no joke in terms of the time they take to put together and she never says a peep about it. So in honor of her, I promise to work just as hard, bringing you the crème de la crème of this year’s Black Friday sales (with updates as they roll in). And as a reminder, these posts are not to promote reckless spending for the sake of scoring a discount. They are here to provide welcomed savings for the things and potentially gifts that you were planning to purchase anyway. That’s our plan at least:) So shop intentionally and have fun! Who doesn’t love getting a discount?!

And if you need some gift ideas here is a link to our gift guide page which has a ton of thoughtfully curated ideas!

Home & Decorphoto by sara ligorria-tramp | from: one of emily’s best friends gets the makeover she really deserves54kibo

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 20% off site-wide
Our Picks: Em’s side table | This mirror that can be found in this awesome reveal | A beautiful pendant

AllModern

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 40% off site-wide + extra 25% with code GET25
Our Picks: This dresser | A special yet simple table lamp | Modern, cozy rug

Annie Selke

Dates: Through Wednesday, 11/30
Deal: 25% off site-wide with code BIGDEALEMILY
Our Picks: This fresh take on the checkered rug trend | Beautifully-textured neutral wool rug | Affordable cordless woven roller shades

Anthropologie

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28 (if it’s like every other year:))
Deal: 25% off site-wide and extra 50% off sale items
Our Picks: The famous mirror | This super pretty bistro table | The prettiest cabinet

Apt2B

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25
Deal: Up to 30% off site-wide
Our Picks: This great sleeper sectional | A modern pretty sofa with secret FOOTRESTS | This chic coffee table

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: a happy home makeover for an incredibly deserving familyArtfully Walls

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28 (maybe shorter so will update!)
Deal: Up to 30% off site-wide with code JOYFUL
Our Picks: This awesome multi-media piece | A happy modern still life | Just a really cool painting

Article

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 40% off select items
Our Picks: One of Em’s favorite sectionals | This pretty wood bed | The sheepskin we’ve used 1000 times

Barnaby Lane

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 50% off site-wide with code THANKS50
Our Picks: The classic organic dining chair | A good bench | This pretty stool

Bespoke Binny

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: Up to 60% off select items
Our Picks: This colorful pillow | These great oven gloves | A pretty lampshade

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: sara’s living & dining room revealBloomist

Dates: Through Tuesday, 11/29
Deal: 25% off site-wide with code BLOOM25
Our Picks: The candlestick holders Emily put on her Christmas wishlist | The glassware she also included | The perfect pitcher

Boll & Branch

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25
Deal: 25% off site-wide on orders of $200+ with code CYBER25 + free woven throw on orders $400+
Our Picks: Pretty chambray sheets | Caitlin’s favorite bath sheets | A great bed blanket

Boutique Rugs

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 15% off site-wide with code BF15
Our Picks: A Scandi shag rug | This warm neutral rug | A fringe jute rug

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off site-wide
Our Picks: they’re not on LTK right now – maybe save this one for last?

Build.com

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 85% off (subject to change)
Our Picks: This farmhouse sink | A double vanity | A classic, pretty pendant

Burke Decor

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 25% off site-wide with code EVERGREEN and 30% off with purchases over $2,500 with code SPRUCE
Our Picks: This wood and leather bed | A fun blue velvet pillow | A great chandelier

CB2

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 60% off site-wide
Our Picks: Our favorite open/closed bookshelf | Such a good lamp | A very cool sculpture

The Citizenry

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 30% off select items
Our Picks: Extra-long linen lumbar pillow (3 sizes offered, up to 54″!) | Quiet-meets-modern wool rug | This Alpaca blanket in an EHD-approved color palette

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: sara’s closet reveal = the bold design moment she’s been cravingThe Container Store

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28 (maybe shorter so will update!)
Deal: 20% off select items
Our Picks: Emily’s favorite pantry org item | Best reusable snack bag | A great laundry bin

Crate & Barrel

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 60% off select items
Our Picks: A gorgeous dresser | This special chair | My desk!! (seen here:))

Expedition Subsahara

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: 10% off site-wide + a free gift + free shipping on US orders
Our Picks: These beautiful colorful baskets | This blue woven vase | The prettiest shopping basket

photo by tessa neustadt | from: custom framing for our home office with framebridgeFrontgate

Dates: Through Sunday, 11/27
Deal: Up to 60% off site-wide with code BF22FS + free shipping
Our Picks: Classic sofa | Modern luxe canopy bed | Antique-inspired dresser

HD Buttercup

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 80% off + Extra 30% site-wide with code BF30
Our Picks: Special leather chair | Cool floor lamp | This modern coffee table

Home Depot

Dates: Through Wednesday, 11/30
Deal: Varied!
Our Picks: This power tool set | This fancy vacuum | The Google Nest!

Food52

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off site-wide with code CHEERS20
Our Picks: Super-giftable blown glass fish straws | A Staub Cast Iron Cocotte that’s nearly $400 off (!!!) | This double-walled French press in 6 chic colors

Foundation Goods

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off site-wide with code GRATITUDE
Our Picks: These awesome and TALL taper candles | This pedestal bowl | The perfect classic modern brass lamp

Framebridge

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 15% off gallery walls with code GW15
Our Picks: The 3-Piece Triptych Wall (as seen in Bowser’s living room) | The 5-Piece Organic Wall | The 9-Piece Mini Grid Wall

from: how birdie and i decorated for thanksgiving dinnerIndigo Arrows

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: 15% off 3 or more table linens with code MYBUNDLE
Our Picks: This runner | These cloth napkins | And these cloth napkins

Industry West

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25
Deal: 20% off site-wide with code BLACKFRIDAY20
Our Picks: The bestselling counter stool that everyone loves | A very pretty console | The organic shaker bench

The Inside

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off orders under $1,000 with code BF20; 25% off orders between $1,000 and $1,999 with code BF25; 30% off orders over $2,000 with code BF30
Our Picks: This soft, romantic looking bed | The modern room divider | The cute ottoman

Jayson Home

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25
Deal: 20% off all furniture, plus free shipping
Our Picks: Competitively-priced wicker ghost console tables | Show-stopping malachite end table | Customizable and classic English roll-arm sofa

Johanna Howard Home

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 25% off site-wide
Our Picks: This graphic throw blanket | The patterned pillow (with cute tassels) | The soft throw blanket

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: living room updateJonathan Adler

Dates: Through Saturday, 11/26
Deal: 25% off site-wide with code FRIDAY25 + 15% off art prints with code ART15
Our Picks: This awesome brass lamp | This cool footed bowl | An unconventional floor pillow

Joss & Main

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 40% off site-wide + extra 25% with code SAVE25
Our Picks: This modern organic bed | A classic floor-length arched gold mirror | This cozy accent chair

photo by bethany nauert | from: all your living room styling questions answeredLulu and Georgia

Dates: Through Sunday, 11/27
Deal: 25% off site-wide
Our Picks: An EHD-alum designed classic sofa | On-trend checkered bolster pillow | Caitlin’s new statement bed (spoiler: she loves it)

Lumens

Dates: Through Sunday, 11/27
Deal: Up to 75%
Our Picks: This iconic pendant | A very cool and modern sconce | An accent chair that looks great in any house

Marie Burgos Design

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: 30% off site-wide with code BLACKFRIDAY
Our Picks: This special floor lamp | A very cool accent sofa | This dining chair with a great detail

McGee & Co.

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 40% off
Our Picks: This wood arch floor mirror | This sweet floor lamp | A chunky tassel throw pillow we all love

Minna

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 25% off store-wide + 5% donation to the National Network of Abortion Funds
Our Picks: A throw pillow I want for my living room | This beautiful throw blanket | I love this piece of art

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: jess’ long awaited (small space) living room revealMinted

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25
Deal: 20% off all orders over $150 + 15% off everything + free shipping (TODAY only) with code: BF2022
Our Picks: This piece of secretly trendy art | A classic photo | A bold painting

Mitzi

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: 25% off site-wide with code MITZIFRIDAY
Our Picks: The chandelier I used in my friend’s room | A wavy (and COOL) sconce | A very special floor lamp

One Kings Lane

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: Up to 50% off + extra 10% off orders over $700 with code CYBER10
Our Picks: This floor lamp | This unexpected patterned natural fiber rug | An awesome vintage tureen

Overstock

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25
Deal: Up to 70% off selected items + free shipping
Our Picks: This fringe velvet ottoman | A wicker hanging chair | This lucite coffee table

Parachute

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off site-wide (including furniture!)
Our Picks: Percale duvet cover set with over 3,000 5-star reviews | A classic Turkish cotton robe | A simple and organic oak coffee table

Pottery Barn

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 70% off selected items
Our Picks: A super cozy throw | These beautiful curtains | An on-trend antique mirror

Rebel Walls

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off site-wide
Our Picks: This stunning wallpaper that I used for my friend’s bedroom makeover | This customizable mural Em put in her LA house | The famous tree wallpaper from Birdie’s first nursery

photo by kaitlin green | from: the farmhouse kitchen revealRejuvenation

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: Up to 50% off + Free shipping with code FREESHIP
Our Picks: The pendants in Em’s new kitchen | Em’s picture lights | An EHD all-time favorite table lamp

Sabai

Dates: Through Wednesday, 11/30
Deal: Up to $250 off orders over $3,000
Our Picks: The Sofa | This 6-seat sectional | The coffee table

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: in defense of the comfy sectionalSchoolhouse

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off site-wide
Our Picks: Our all-time favorite coverlet | The perfect round pillow | A very pretty floor lamp that’s an EHD classic

Serena & Lily

Dates: Through Wednesday, 11/30
Deal: 25% off site-wide with code GRATITUDE
Our Picks: This marble and pencil rattan version of a timeless pedestal table | A warm and charming scalloped jute rug | An in-stock grandmillennial Parsons coffee table

Sixpenny

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28
Deal: 20% off site-wide Code STARRYNIGHT
Our Picks: One of the most comfortable sofas we’ve ever sat on | A unique but natural coffee table | This cool console table

Target

Dates: Through Saturday, 11/26
Deal: Varied!
Our Picks: Em’s favorite accent chair | A great console table | A high-end-looking cabinet

Terrain

Dates: Through Monday, 11/28 (if it’s like every other year:))
Deal: 30% off site-wide with code GOODCHEER30
Our Picks: Such a cute planter | The perfect leather tray | A gardening apron that would make a great gift

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: bowser’s bedroom ‘after’ is unrecognizable from the ‘before’Tuft & Needle

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: Up to 55% off Legacy Mattresses + up to 25% off sleep accessories
Our Picks: T&N Original Mattress (firmer) | Mint Mattress (medium) | Hybrid Mattress (medium plush)

Urban Outfitters

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: 30% off site-wide
Our Picks: The floor lamp Em put on her wishlist | A great XL lumbar pillow | The cutest highball glasses

Wayfair

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: Up to 80% off selected items + free shipping
Our Picks: A heavily discounted cute pendant | A pretty upholstered bed | This great tall basket

West Elm

Dates: Through Friday, 11/25 (maybe longer so will update!)
Deal: Up to 70% off
Our Picks: A pretty and comfortable sofa we sat on for this sofa review post | This EHD favorite nightstand | Such a pretty swivel chair

Hope you got some great deals and check back for updates!

Opening Image Credits: Design by Sarah Zachary | Styling by Emily Bowser | Photos 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 Black Friday Has Arrived And These Are All The Sales You Need To Know About – Hand Delivered:) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

My Gift Wishlist (SOME Of The Good Stuff On The Internet – ROUND 1)

This list always looms out because there is a LOT of good stuff out there and it gets harder and harder to keep this focused. I feel this odd pressure to make it epic, but the older I get the less I love, need, and want. So this year I released the pressure and after the kids went down, I would throw on Love is Blind and pin from all of my favorite sites. My strategy was if my reaction to it was “ooh I want that” then I’d pin it (I liked a lot more, but tried to not go overboard). So it’s pretty specific to me and could be much much bigger (and I might do a follow-up post). Last year’s lists are still REALLY good and more comprehensive so go check those out here and here – and then at the end, I link up all of my favorite brands that I tend to shop from (they don’t change these days).

*A holiday gift guide statement – we can’t be all things to all people at all times, so we are curating our gift guides differently this year. Everyone shops/consumes differently based on their location, budget, needs, and wants. We truly want to give ideas, with an editor’s eye and be a service to all in an attempt to help you find stuff you will actually use/love long term – regardless of budget. This shopping post (and a couple of others this coming week) are for those shopping the big sale weekend at larger retailers, but we have many others with small businesses, gift kit ideas, thoughtful gifts, and of course my favorite things (still working on it). If you don’t like shopping at big box stores, skip this post and come back again – there will hopefully be one for you 🙂

1. Striped Long Sleeve Tee | 2. The Ranch Cardigan | 3. Over My Head Ribbed Balaclava | 4. Je T’Aime Vintage Tee | 5. Merino Beanie | 6. Cherry Coke Tee

FYI my new favorite t-shirt is the one from Nordstrom (from my mall post) but I usually buy 1 of these (#4) a year. Just make sure it’s the “vintage” fit.

1. Intentionally Blank Mika Platform Heels | 2. Grande Fanny | 3. CAVERLEY Pollie Boots | 4. The Transport Saddlebag

I don’t dress up very often these days but man these shoes are CUTE. Now, I do love a fun bag that can easily make my very casual outfits much cooler. The Grande Fanny from Clare V is so fun and practical. I love mine and Jess just got one and is also a huge fan. They come in other color options too. I also love my Madewell bag and think those thick straps make them more comfortable and more fun to wear.

1. Polar Sherpa Color Block Jacket | 2. Clean Elevation Legging | 3. Pippa Packable Pullover Puffer | 4. LENZING™ TENCEL™ Modal Pajama Joggers

HOT TIP: #2 – those elevation leggings are game-changing for me. On the site, it said they have a “suede” feel which sounds constricting so I wouldn’t have ordered it. While doing the mall shoot, I tried them on because I could feel the fabric in person. The description I’d use is “melted butter”. The fabric is INCREDIBLY soft and buttery and yet not constricting, totally breathable, hides what’s underneath, and yet isn’t super thick either. It does NOT cut in (has a nice thick waistband). I wear a medium (so size up). And yes, it has a pocket at the waistline. I ordered two so that I could live in them this winter without having to wait for the wash – and they look nice enough that I even wear them out with tall boots ALL the time.

And those pajamas are my favorite (look for the Tencel modal fabric, specifically – so soft, breathable, and thin).

1. Kallia Clogs | 2. UGG Sunburst Tall Boots | 3. Emu Platinum Outback Scruff Slippers

Brian laughed at this over my shoulder, but it’s indeed what I want to wear this winter (indoors, mostly). I’m a house shoe person:)

1. Charlotte’s 4 Magic Steps to Hydrated & Glowing Skin Set | 2. Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Bath Oil | 3. Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid Serum Ampoule

I sent all of these links to Brian for Christmas – Jo Malone is my bath oil which smells incredible (and lasted for over a year with me bathing 3-4 times a week). #3 has been game-changing for my face – I’m SO DRY and if I put it on in the morning my face is happy, if I don’t it’s not. And I’m very excited to try this Charlotte set (I use her face illumination primer every day when I want to look naturally glowy). I also love this Merit lip oil (it feels so good and the colors are so soft and pretty).

1. Natural Cotton Slub Tassel Pillow | 2. Stripe Bolster | 3. Tasseled Cushion Cover

I have #1 in two colors, and when it comes to styling out my family room sofa want to splurge on #2 – I saw it in person and it’s SO SOFT.

photos by kaitlin green | from: the essentials we needed at the farmhouse – all from target (+ an exciting announcement!)

1. Waffle Bath Towel | 2. Classic Duvet Cover | 3. Organic Bath Towel

Brian doesn’t like waffle towels but those are so much prettier than terrycloth IMHO (#3, which we have – get bath towels, not bath sheets – almost too big and take up so much space in the dryer!). If you know anyone who recently moved or is on a bedding budget, Brooklinen is still my favorite percale out there (not sponsored – it’s just that good). Go for the duvet and fitted sheet (skip the flat, IMHO).

1. Ceramic Match Striker | 2. Reflection Fashion Glass Candle | 3. Medium Wood Matchbox

#2 is the candle I’ve been burning for years in my bath and it smells very good and is long-lasting (and looks so high-end).

1. Wood Asterisk Candle Holders (Set of 2) | 2. Swedish Oil Lamp | 3. Stoneware Candlestick | 4. Stack 03 Candle | 5. Modern Moroccan Candlestick | 6. Wood Asterisk Candle Holders (Set of 2)

I want that Swedish oil lamp badly and #5 would look great in our kitchen.

1. Blue Glass Carafe + Mug | 2. Bedside Carafe | 3. Orskov Carafe with Tumbler

This is a holdover from my stylist days – a bedside carafe is such a pretty thing to have in a guest room.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: 14 rules for how we style the perfect bedroom (+ 3 new reveals)

1. Ziggy Vase | 2. Farmhouse Pitcher Eggshell | 3. Colorful Iron Bud Vase | 4. Off-White Novah Pitcher | 5. White Walnut Tulip Vase | 6. Stoneware Pitcher

#6 is GREAT for the price. I’d take all of these for my inventory 🙂

1. Natural Tadelakt Centerpiece Bowl | 2. Oval Wooden Tray | 3. La Struttura Terracotta Sculptures | 4. Lilith Rockett Orb Container | 5. Extra Large Ceramic Bowl | 6. Norr Tray

These are all so pretty and special. I have #6 in the oak color and have used it so much.

1. Courbe Green Ceramic Table Lamp with Rattan Shade | 2. Britta Metal Floor Lamp | 3. Seta Wicker Table Lamp | 4. Bibelot Wavy Black Metal Mini Table Lamp with Rattan Shade

Yes to all of these for me…I’ve had these on my nightstands for years, FYI.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: my favorite pretty and practical kitchen accessories from our farmhouse (that would make excellent gifts for anyone who loves cooking + design)

1. Farmhouse Spice Jar | 2. Tuscany Cruet | 3. Hammer Grinder | 4. Rings Oil Bottle | 5. Farmhouse Pottery Silo Garlic Keeper | 6. Oak Wine Stopper

I want #5 and #6 now (I’m pretty sure garlic can be in a bowl with my onions, but how cute is that?)

1. Briar Dinner Plate | 2. Food52 x Dansk Købenstyle Butter Warmer | 3. Verve Artisan Citrus Juicer | 4. | 5. Washed Natural Linen and Leather Apron | 6.

Always shopping for pretty kitchen accessories (did you see the post last week?). Sent #2 to Brian to get this week and hoping it works with our induction top! I want #3 because it’s so pretty (but admittedly too expensive so is a better bet).

1. Brass Ladle | 2. Mini Cheese Set | 3. Stainless Steel Flatware

As a soup lover, I would love a pretty brass ladle like #1🙂

1. Tap Stackable Tumblers (Set of 4) | 2. Gregorian Wine Glasses | 3. Rainbow Set Cocktail Glasses

I bought really big wine glasses that even I hate drinking out of so #2 is a nice compromise – a stem but not too high or fancy.

Ok, so here is where I frequently shop (and we are promoting more small businesses that we love and sell online on Saturday so be sure to come back for that).

FashionSezaneThe Great (classic and splurgy)Claire V.Rachel ComeyAnthropologieUrban OutfittersMadewellFree PeopleGapEverlaneAlex MillUlla Johnson (splurgy and special)UniqloShopbopSundrySteven AlanA.P.C.FrameFahertyH&MNordstromTargetHomeGoodeeBloomistCB2EcovibeHorneCrate & BarrelWest ElmRejuvenationTargetLulu and GeorgiaLost & FoundEtsyJayson HomeSchoolhouse

And if you have missed them and hoping to shop this weekend – Here’s Brian’s Mall shopping post (with good dude pics), Our kid’s wish list, Last year’s epic kid gift guide, my favorite things from last year here and here (most still current and way more than here), our favorite Etsy shops and so much more to come (small business, gift kids, and consumable gifts + more).

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Our Scandinavian (And Easy, Mess-Free) Holiday Living Room Reveal + How I Finally Figured Out My Biggest Styling Problem… And Solved It

The post My Gift Wishlist (SOME Of The Good Stuff On The Internet – ROUND 1) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Brian’s Cool Dad Gift Guide (It’s Another In-Person Mall Review!)

There’s a strange sort of sound that escapes a man’s mouth when he hears the phrase, “Let’s go shopping.” It’s somewhere between a grumble and a wince, a gwince, and it usually indicates his reticence to hold spaghetti-strapped paper bags while sitting on an uncomfortable chair waiting for his partner to look at something they’ll never buy. I know that’s a massive generalization, that there are plenty of men who don’t gwince when asked to go shopping. I acknowledge that those men are better than I. Because usually, I’m a gwincer. Which is a total bummer for a spouse whose job is literally shopping for things. Emily spends hours perusing the aisles of antique malls, vintage stores, and flea markets, and she specifically looks at vacation destinations to make sure there’s an antique shop in town even though she almost never purchases anything, she just likes to look! Just for inspiration! It’s truly baffling to me, and after all these years, you’d think I’d be better at tagging along, but as we say to our children when they encounter a rude kind of person, I’m still learning how to behave.

So Emily has resorted to bribing me. Like I’m a toddler. When she proposed this particular journey to the mall, to gather ideas for a gift guide, she said in a tone usually reserved for training a puppy, “We can go to lunch, maybe get you a beer.”

It totally worked. After some delicious soup dumplings and a frosty IPA, I was the happiest kid in the mall! I mean, look at me!

We didn’t buy a ton, mostly just looked, and you know what? It was fun. I told Emily I’d remember not to gwince the next time she says let’s go shopping, that I would do my best not to act like a spoiled little man-child. But I’m still learning.

American EagleSuper Soft Plaid Flannel Shirt

I was pretty surprised by this one, I never thought of myself as an American Eagle kind of guy. The store, I mean. I’m totally an American eagle guy in like wildlife terms. Those things are majestic as hell! But I was shocked to find this blue and white plaid flannel that is totally my vibe, fits well, is super soft, and very affordable. I’ll be checking them out for future finds. And watching them scoop fish out of lakes.

J. CrewMidweight Light Flannel

In my younger days, I’d scoff at how “preppy” J. Crew was, but now I feel right at home in it. They definitely got the “cool dad” game on lock. Their plaids are classic and kind of fit all types of dudes. Like this subtle flannel. I’m big into flannels again and I think Eddie Vedder would approve.

Rugged Merino Wood Cardigan

Ok, you’re gonna see me do this a lot with my arms. I know I just said I was a child, but this isn’t me pretending I’m a big airplane. It’s something I didn’t even know was a habit until Emily pointed it out. Apparently, I do this after putting on every garment, I test the sleeve length. See, I have long arms and some things fit on the torso but hike up too far above the wrist, which is an automatic pass. So I do my little airplane to make sure it’s not a waste of time buttoning. This super cozy cardigan was not a waste of time. It may be on top of my Xmas wishlist.

Heritage Cotton Rollneck Sweater

We asked what their signature item was for men, and they pointed us to this roll-neck sweater. It made me feel like a cool French film student.

Sherpa-Lined Corduroy Shirt-Jacket

I really like this lined shirt/jacket thing. I know shirt/jacket things are super hot right now and there’s a word for them but I don’t want to look it up. Just know that this corduroy shirt/jacket thing is nice. Oh, and I’m doing the airplane again.

Eco Nordic Shirt JacketNordstrom – ClothingSkogsö Water Resistant Jacket

Here I am explaining my long arms to Emily in this super dope winter jacket by a brand that is fun to say – FJÄLLRÄVEN.

Water Resistant Quilted Jacket with Corduroy Trim

I’m always on the hunt for a warm, water-resistant jacket. This one has style and was super comfy. I could wrangle some horses in this.

Marled Organic Cotton & Cashmere Cardigan

I’m a big fan of cardigans, especially in the morning. I tend to wear a lot of t-shirts, and when I wake up I’ll throw on some sweats and a tee, then wrap up in a warm cardigan. This one is very soft and would go well with my morning cup of coffee/scramble to pack lunches and get kids out the door.

Legend Plaid Flannel Button-Up Shirt

More flannels. Both (here and here) are the softest things I’ve ever felt, and both passed the airplane test.

The Movement Flannel Shirt

But wait, you’re probably saying, “Enough tops, what about a couple of pictures of you trying on pants and looking like you just rolled out of bed hungover?” Don’t worry, I got you.

Legend Sweatpants

I would lounge in these sweats all day, they were sooooooo cozy.

Everett Airluxe Slim Straight Commuter Pants

And these are Nordstrom’s signature men’s pants, they come in tons of colors and apparently made me want to look at my own butt.

Nordstrom – ShoesNuptse® 550 Fill Power Down Mule and Wicked Good Venetian Moccasin

Slippers are the one thing I never seem to have but always want. Especially on these cold winter mornings, my feetsies need some warm love. I put both of these on my wish list. The North Face ones are very warm, and good for snowy climates and the L.L. Bean’s are great for around the house.

Madewell For Men

Speaking of feetsies, if there was one pair of shoes I could live in for the rest of my life, it would be these Red Wing Iron Ranger Boots (not pictured, sorry). I get so many compliments on them from other dudes, it’s crazy. They’re sturdy, comfy, and make me feel more badass than I actually am. What more could you want??

Dick’s Sporting GoodsVRST Men’s Essential Pocket Tee

Like I said, I wear a lot of t-shirts. These pocket tees are my favorite in the whole wide world, I own about ten of them and wear them pretty much every day. They’re super soft and stretchy without clinging to my beer belly. They come in a bunch of colors and last a long time. Love these things.

Stanley 40 oz. Adventure Quencher Tumbler

Not clothing but important nonetheless, these Stanley mugs are pretty rad, and just like the box from the old McDLT, they keep the hot side hot and the cold side cold.

Look at that happy toddler. He got a few Xmas presents and had fun shopping! No more gwincing for him, he’s an enthusiastic shopper and will be from here on out. He swears.

Oh, and the flannel I came in is a favorite of mine. It’s from Target, super cozy and affordable.

Ok, bye!

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

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All About Our Appliances – What We Chose, How We Integrated Them, And How Much We Love Them

Today’s post is all about the appliances we chose for our kitchen. I’ll give you a tour inside each so you can get a sense of their capacity and how functional they are so you can gauge whether or not they are right for you. Or if you aren’t in the market for appliances you’ll get to snoop inside my fridge:) I approached Build with Ferguson for this partnership because I loved working with them in the past, I knew that they carried most of the appliances for the whole house that we wanted, and y’all, their showrooms are absolutely spectacular. They are a one-stop shop for everything you need (and they have way more than just appliances – faucets, lighting, flooring – anything to renovate, remodel, and even a lot of decorative elements). For me, I like my appliances like I like my men – intuitive, easy, nice looking, and high quality enough so they don’t break down. Unlike my men, I like them integrated or panel-ready if possible, or if we are going to see it – then ideally it’s a beautiful feature. We actually prefer less bells and whistles than maybe some other families as our needs are relatively simple. Plus it’s a farmhouse, not an episode of The Bear and so we skipped some of the more techy options there intentionally (which I get into later). I wanted the range to be the star (and it is) and the rest to be hidden but this is all just a personal preference and only you know what is best for your family. We are EXTREMELY happy with all of them thus far, so let’s get into it.

The 48″ Aga Elise Induction Range

Now we shot a whole story for you about how cooking with induction and convection works, along with some learnings so stay tuned on that. More and more research is coming out FAST and hard about gas ranges, with different states enacting more regulations (including Oregon now), so if you are shopping for a range or are going to remodel soon, then induction is great to think about. The long and the short of it is that we love this range very much and are extremely happy with our choice. THANK GOODNESS. I was nervous, not going to lie, and yes, there was a short learning curve on temperature and speed – as was assumed, just like switching to an electric car. But we are so happy with it. Not only is extremely stunning (which is very important to me) but cooking on it has been GREAT and way less of a challenge to learn than I predicted. The quick concerns we had were about capacity and cookware, and neither has proven to be a problem at all. Sure, we had to buy some induction non-stick pans, but all of my former soup pots work on this. Additionally, we had to buy smaller cookie sheets and often use two instead of one for large batches, but we knew that going into it and it’s not annoying at all.

There are three ovens – a convection, a multi-functional (that has a traditional oven as well as convection, defrost, and more), and a broiler drawer. It’s all easy and GREAT. The only thing to call out is that you can’t put a massive turkey in the oven – To test this we fit a 13lb turkey on a 9×13 roasting pan but we haven’t been able to find a larger roasting pan that fits due to the handles that stick out (I’m still on the hunt, btw). So even though you have 16″ of horizontal width, the handles make them too big. More on this later, but essentially for us, this is totally fine as we don’t host Thanksgiving and if we ever decide to (with a ton of people to warrant a massive turkey) we’ll likely buy a countertop electric turkey roaster. You can fit everything else:) We love that this has multiple ovens and we use two at a time very frequently (double ovens FTW). It’s just so gorgeous, the top is so easy to clean and after a day of trying out every single feature (and even testing the speed of water boiling) we are so excited that they all work really easily. We bought the brass knobs separately, FYI. After doing so much research I’m happy to report that this 48″ induction range is the most beautiful on the American market right now and it works wonderfully. I will say that it can use a better “guide to cooking” rather than just a user’s manual, which is what my next post will hopefully help serve as…

Faber Inca Pro Plus 42 Inch Wide Insert Range Hood

This was a last-minute purchase because we kinda forgot about the hood. Induction will do that to you:) Technically you still need one by code, but there are no gas fumes which is nice. I burn things a lot (not more on induction – I just historically burn things and need to use a hood to stop the fire alarm). This one is good – we opted against anything splurgy honestly because you can’t see it and it’s not something we felt was super important to us, therefore a place to save. FYI you can go slightly smaller than your range when it comes to your hood (our range is 48″, the hood is 42″ insert and the build-out of the hood looks the same as the range).

30″ Refrigerator and 24″ Freezer Bluestar Panel-Ready Columns

This is our first foray into the columns versus the fridge on top and freezer on the bottom and we are very happy. Stylistically the side-by-side is simple and pretty, with less lines (almost looks like a piece of furniture). We wanted more capacity than we had before because we, like everyone, leaned into staying home more (even post covid) and we cook every meal with a ton of fresh produce. Both have ample capacity for our family of four. The fridge has almost 17 square feet of capacity, btw if that’s helpful to you.

We talked through it a lot and decided that for us, any bigger of a fridge would mean that things just get lost and then mold/go bad unless we are very, very on top of it – which we aren’t. We live very close to many grocery stores and really thought about how often we’d shop (one big shop on Sunday mornings – and a second shop for randoms mid-week). So we don’t need to hoard for two weeks and if we did it would just go bad (because of the size of our family). The natural reaction after covid is to go bigger and hoard more, but I’m telling you that for us we ended up buying more food at once, then it go bad or we couldn’t find it, so we’d buy more, waste what we had and then feel so bad about it. So the 30″ column is perfect for us. Whereas a larger capacity freezer means you can freezer hoard – and freezer goods obviously have a much longer shelf-life. Our 24″ freezer column has so much capacity which is such a good thing (cut to many a night where I make a big soup that no kid in the world would eat and the kids get some sort of chicken strips, pizza, fish sticks). We love a big freezer 🙂

In the fridge, you can adjust the shelves to fit your needs – we made the top one lower to make room for bottles of white wine. We obviously styled it out (you know, the “orange drawer”) trying to show you scale with products in a neat way that gave you a sense of its space. But they are all around 8″ deep which allows for one thick layer of produce or dairy – a block of cheese for scale.

The freezer has so much space – we can’t seem to fill it, or maybe we go through it so quickly with our fish stick/carrot stick menu…

I actually wish I had put in a 2-gallon jug of milk so you get a better sense of scale – it’s a LOT of space.

That berry basket of tomatoes is actually really large:) All in all, we are very happy with them and of course, you know they come panel ready like ours (which look like cabinets), but also BlueStar has over 1000+ different colors as well as stainless steel. I’m currently convincing my brother to buy BlueStar and he’s into it. We got these straight from BlueStar in exchange for services because the columns were new to the market, but Build also carries a ton of BlueStar appliances that you can check out here. I’m truly such a fan now.

Our 24″ Marvel Fridge Drawers

The emergence of the drawer fridges is one that I fully support – gone are the days of the garage fridges. Is this a necessity? Nope. Does it get used all day every day – YES. And “amount of usage” is what I am placing value on these days to help me make decisions. Technically you don’t NEED hardly anything to live, and there is a level of convenience that for better or worse we love in this country and this convenience can enhance our day-to-day experience in our home. So we really tried to be as responsible as possible (not perfect, y’all we are not perfect) and gauge how much we will actually USE something before committing to it.

On that note, we use these drawer fridges a lot. These are for drinks, mixers, and kids’ fruit/snacks. We forewent the wine fridge because they usually don’t get as cold as we like them (because white wine isn’t supposed to be ice cold, we know, we know but I’d like a word with the wine fridge industry) so we have some white wine in here, too (lying down). But between beer, sparkling waters, and even some weeknight non-alcoholic “cocktails” these drawers are full.

These are solid additions if you are remodeling and you entertain a lot (or like us, work from home).

Our 15″ Pebble Ice Machine

The VIP of drink appliances IMHO. It’s a very old joke amongst my team (and family) that I love very, very, very cold water. Another appliance that gets so much use and makes every drink feel more fun. We have this exact model at the mountain house and love it so much, so we repeated it in this kitchen, too.

Our 24″ Integrated Viking Dishwasher

To the left of the sink (a much-heated debate on location), we have our integrated panel-ready dishwasher that cleans like a dream.

As you can see we have a pull-out flatware drawer which we haven’t had before and really love it. They all stack so nicely and neatly (see below). We usually don’t have that much flatware so the left side is for cooking utensils.

As you can see it has a row for wine glasses (which we don’t really use because I’m the only one that has wine, so just one glass) and but I wanted to show you the function. Without the wine glass leaning you have an additional row for glasses.

All in all, we have ZERO negative things to say about this dishwasher. We use the “normal wash” every day which does the trick and the kids can easily load and unload. It has a lot of other features, but we usually hand wash our pots and pans so we don’t need it.

Every. Single. One. of these appliances is GREAT and while it’s not like I’ve tested every dishwasher on the market, we are genuinely happy with all of them. The ones that you can see shine (the range) the ones that just need to function do so perfectly for our needs.

A huge thanks to Build with Ferguson for partnering on this kitchen. We have loved working with them over the years and pitched them this partnership specifically with these appliances in mind. We did a trade for PR, photography, and social media services but I’ve done this a long time and know what brands and products I want to put my name behind. These are them. xx

Thanks for supporting the partnerships that allow us to document our projects so thoroughly. I hope you gleaned some valuable information. Head to stories to see more!

Kitchen Resources:
Cabinetry: Unique Kitchens & Baths
Countertops: Bedrosians Tile & Stone
White Oak Windows and Doors: Sierra Pacific Windows
Skylights: Velux
Tile: Pratt + Larson
Appliances (sans Fridge and Freezer): Build with Ferguson
Fridge and Freezer: BlueStar
Flooring: Zena Forest Products(Oregon grown and milled)
Lighting, Switches, Outlets, and Sink: Rejuvenation
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams, “Extra White”
Faucets: deVOL Kitchens
Vintage Island: Aurora Mills
Counter Stools: Fernweh Woodworking
Rug: District Loom
Brass Gallery Rods: Pepe and Carols

*Design by Emily Henderson and ARCIFORM
*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post All About Our Appliances – What We Chose, How We Integrated Them, And How Much We Love Them appeared first on Emily Henderson.