Emily Henderson's Blog, page 110

How To Find Great Vintage Lamps (7 Hot Tips and 9 EHD-Approved Online Shops)

A few weeks ago, a comment from Elizabeth, a reader, caught my eye: “I know that the lamp is vintage but can you please post places I can find lamps like this or fun vintage lamps? Thanks.” She was referring to the sweet vintage lamp in Em’s laundry room, but it got my wheels turning because Y’ALL. YOUR GIRL LOVES VINTAGE LAMPS. I adore the personality and quirk they add to a space, and have found them to be a really effective and affordable way to majorly change the look and feel of a room on a budget. I’d hereby like to present my current 5 favorite vintage lamps – 2 that you’ve seen before in reveals, and 3 new (to the EHD world, at least) pieces…

left: design by caitlin higgins, styled by emily bowser, photo by sara ligorria-tramp, from: caitlin’s first moto reveal – a vintage bathroom gets a modern update | right: bad photo by me! (don’t judge too hard – this is a work in progress room!!! also, bottom right is a broccoli-themed poodle lamp – you know, the kinda lamp that normal people have)

To that end, today I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite sourcing tips in addition to nine Etsy shops that I love (and can vouch for, too). My taste in lamps may be a bit different than yours (understandable), but I hope that this little collection of tips and of a few shops to check out can light the way for you (see what I did there?!). Let’s start with the tips, yeah?

photo by kaitlin green | from: the essentials we needed from the farmhouse – all from target (+ an exciting announcement!)Learn What You Like

Ah, yes – it’s your resident broken record here, reporting for duty! Spend an hour or two cruising the listings on Chairish or 1stDibs and favorite any lamps that strike your fancy. Take notice of the language used to describe them – are you drawn to a certain designer? An era? A shape? A finish? (Weird lamps shaped like animals, maybe?) Use that information to inform the rest of your hunt. Google Lens is a great tool for Chrome users, too – try right-clicking an image, hitting “Search Image with Google Lens,” and adjusting the crop area to exclusively highlight the lamp in question. Google Lens will provide as much information as possible – similar lamps for sale, image matches (so you can see the piece in other homes), and more. It’s a great way to hone in on your taste!

left: photo by laure joliet, from: bri emery’s new living room | right: photo by david tsay, from: styled: secrets for arranging rooms, from tabletops to bookshelves
Look Past The Photo

There’s no beating around the bush: most listing photos for vintage lamps are off-putting at best. And while it’s easy for me to look past the lampshade – I know that’s an easy swap! – I find that most folks get caught up on the aesthetics of the actual lamp socket (you know, the giant overbearing metal piece that is front-and-center on most vintage listings). Mentally chop that piece off and just analyze the base – could you see that lamp living in any of your Pinned images or bookmarked inspiration shots? If so, you may have found a winner.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: living room update – againSearch By Style Or Era

The bad news: there are about 150,000 vintage lamp listings on Etsy. Conversely, the good news: there are 150,000 lamps for you to fall in love with on Etsy!!! To narrow things down, try searching by decade (I personally stick with the 1950s-1970s – so “1970s vintage lamp” is a great place to start) or by general style (“Postmodern” or “Space Age” were my former go-to styles, but I’ve recently become a “Palm Beach Regency” kind of gal).

design by melanie burstin | photo by tessa neustadt | from: mel’s moto revealSearch By Shape Or Motif

Get creative here! Sure, you can search for classic shapes, like ginger jars, but feel free to get really weird and prescriptive with it, too. I found my beloved 1950s poodle-shaped lamp by searching “vintage poodle lamp” (I know – groundbreaking stuff here, guys), but there are a ton of really unique options out there. If you can imagine a weird lamp, it probably exists – go get it, pal!!!

design by velinda hellen | photo by veronica crawford | from: velinda renovated & furnished her “fixer upper” for under $55k…here’s howSearch By Finish Or Material

Wicker? Brass? Stone? Ceramic? Plastic? You probably already know what your space needs – maybe you’re on the hunt for some wood to warm up your room, or a hit of metallic shine to make your home feel a bit more polished and glam, or some luxe onyx to add an earthy-meets-elegant finishing touch…I mean, you get it. Feel out what materials would add to your home and use that information to search. EASY PEASY, YEAH?

design by caitlin higgins | styled by emily bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: caitlin’s long, dark hallway makeoverLook In-Person

I KNOW. I know this is a blog and that I’m supposed to share good resources with you – I definitely will!!! – but y’all, vintage lamps are just exponentially more affordable and far more easily source-able if you’re looking in the flesh. Drag yourself to your local Goodwill or flea market (or, like, joyously hop out of bed and get ready to enjoy a fun day – either way) and YOU’LL BE REWARDED. You know how much that lil’ triangle lamp on my dresser above costs on the internet? Like, $350, usually. You know what it cost at the Rose Bowl? TEN BUCKS. Lamps are plentiful in-person and competition is often REALLY low (read: non-existent), so your dollar stretches farthest when you actually show up to hunt (there’s a life lesson there, maybe?).

design by velinda hellen | photo by veronica crawford | from: from “prison cell” to classic & collected: velinda’s budget diy bedroom and bathroom makeoverWiring Can Be Replaced

Pretty easily, too! While you can grab a DIY wiring kit for under $40, you can also have lamps professionally re-wired for a similar price. (I’ve found it to be about $60-80 after tax here in LA, which is a great price to pay for the peace of mind that I haven’t accidentally incorrectly wired a lamp in a way that will, you know, burn a building down.)

Now that we’ve reviewed all the fun stuff re: acquisition, let’s talk about some of my personal favorite lamp dealers on the internet. I know there are tons out there, but here are nine shops that I’ve personally patronized (in some capacity, at least – I don’t have like, 300 lamps in my house) and that I can happily vouch for. Hopefully, this can be a fun jumping-off point for you on your lighting journey…

1. Vintage 1970s Dark Blue Pencil Pop Art Table Lamp | 2. Vintage 1940s Arts & Crafts Tiered Wooden Handmade Folk Art Wood Shop Lamp | 3. Vintage 1970s Plastic White Cylinder & Chrome Adjustable Desk Lamp

Lackluster Co: I’ve written about (read: screamed about, basically) Lackluster before in different roundups because IT IS THE BEST. If I was being punished and could only buy from one online vintage store for the rest of my life, Lackluster would win (literally do not know the circumstances that would warrant such an oddly-specific punishment, but the sentiment remains). I’ve purchased lighting here – the spiral floor lamp in the photo up top was a Lackluster find! – but the curated collection of affordable smalls makes this a must-follow for any vintage lover.

1. Murano Mushroom Lamp | 2. Blue Murano Swirl Lamp | 3. 70s Telescopic Desk Lamp

Vinteye: Wanna bring home a Murano mushroom lamp without the price tag? (Alternatively phrased: want to impress the Gen Z person in your life?) Vinteye ships from Greece and sources authentic Murano lamps at about half the price that you’d see from a vintage seller here in the US. While prices in LA have been running around $550, Vinteye stocks a similar inventory at half the price – HIGHLY recommended if you’re on the hunt for that perfect tiny finishing piece.

1. Antique French Wall-Mounted Sconces | 2. 1950s Antique Rose Glass French Ceiling Light | 3. 1950s Antique French Ceiling Light

Objets Uniques: OH MY GOSH, their antique French milk glass pendants literally MAKE ME WANT TO WEEP. They’re so sweet and special and the value is unbelievable – all lighting can be re-wired for US use, you can customize the cord and socket mechanisms, and wait – it gets better – YOU CAN DO ALL OF THIS FOR ABOUT $100 PER LIGHT. If you’re on the hunt for a great kitchen or island pendant, look no further!

1. Midcentury Table Lamp | 2. Vintage Cone Lamps | 3. NB100 Desk Lamp

Cosmic Design: If you’re looking for an unmatched selection…baby, you found it!! Cosmic Design is based in the Netherlands, and the depth and breadth of their inventory is incredible. They carry hundreds of table, desk, pendant, wall, and floor lamps (the whole gang’s here!) with a specific focus on art deco and mid-century lighting. While you’re there, be sure to check out the selection of glass vases and boxes – they’re SO pretty.

1. Tripod Teak Table Lamp | 2. Minimalistic Frandsen Desk Lamp | 3. Danish 1960 Table Lamp

Lubie: Lovers of Danish Modern (clean-lined, punchy, and a liiiiittle space-y – in the UFO-y way), rejoice! Martinne sources authentic Danish pieces (seeing as she, uh, lives in Denmark) and I looooove looking at her review photos – it’s so fun seeing how folks have brought her finds to life in their own spaces. (My favorite is the pendant being used as a table lamp. Such a fresh and creative idea!!!)

1. Vintage Walking Lamp | 2. Large LITA Wall Lamp | 3. Mid-Century 1940s French Vintage Lamp

Intemporel: This is another one of my favorite “little bit of everything” stores, y’all!!! There are pages and pages to peruse and Intemporel’s Etsy really scratches the “I wanna thrift” itch when going out is impossible. Pop in here for a huge variety – they stock everything from 1970s rattan to 1950s crystal to 1980s novelty lamps. HUGE FAN.

1. Vintage MCM Brass Tripod Small Table Lamp | 2. Vintage French Cottage Ivory & Blue Fruit Table Lamp | 3. Large Vintage Natural Alabaster Stone Table Lamp

The Eclectic Shire: If your cool, worldly, eccentric, brass-loving, (potentially imaginary?) grandmother had an Etsy store…this would be that Etsy store. I know most of my lamp store recommendations lean a little funky and modern – that’s just my lighting style right now – but The Eclectic Shire has a great selection for those looking for pieces that are a bit more traditional. You can imagine these pieces in a little cozy countryside cottage, you know?

1. Vintage Faux Wood Lamp | 2. Orange Orb Lamp | 3. Vintage Cast Metal Lamp

The Best Things: A constantly changing inventory (new items are uploaded weekly), negotiable pricing, AND free shipping over $75? IT’S THE FREAKIN’ ETSY JACKPOT, Y’ALL. Kelly sources everything from earrings to trivets to lighting and if the current selection isn’t a fit for you, just wait – she’s sure to have a great deal in your wheelhouse soon!!

1. French Mini Lamps | 2. French Lanterns | 3. Vintage Italian Oil Lamp

Bordeaux Brocante: The French do vintage and antique stores WELL. This is another pick for those whose decor tastes lean a bit towards the traditional or ornate. Here, you’ll find elegant crystal sconces, Italian chandeliers, and gilded French lamps – it’s everything you need to take your home to the next level (you’ll be feelin’ like royalty in no time!!!).

This is where I leave you for today. I know that photos of lamps, all shadeless and naked and sad, can often be a little depressing – but I swear that ANY of these would be stunning if given the room to shine in your home. For now…what say you??? Let’s chat about it 🙂 xx

P.S. From Jess: “Today is Caitlin’s BIRTHDAY!!!”

Opening Image Credits: Photo by David Tsay | From: Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, From Tabletops to Bookshel ves

The post How To Find Great Vintage Lamps (7 Hot Tips and 9 EHD-Approved Online Shops) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Here’s How EHD Stylist, Hina, Designed Her Beautiful And Budget-Friendly Diwali Celebration

Hello EHD Readers! My name is Hina and although most of you have never heard of me before, I have worked alongside the EHD team since 2019 when they were shooting for Em’s second book (mostly as a PA). I continue to work with EHD alum (briefly with Velinda & Grace for VHD, various EHD productions, ongoing as an assistant to Bowser & Erik as well as alongside Veronica where she shoots and I style for other brands).  So I am pretty EHD adjacent even though this is my first time officially contributing to the blog! 🙂

I’m excited to share how I host one of the most special times of the year for me which some of you may already know. Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is a prominent celebration observed by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains around the world. Last year on Diwali, I was actually with Emily, Bowser & Sara on set at the Mountain House and was able to share the celebration with them. It was small, but intentional as I brought up some Indian snacks & sweets along with some twinkle lights to make the day special. I usually host an annual Diwali celebration and missed it the last 2 years for obvious pandemic reasons, so I was extra excited to kick it off again this year. I would love to bring you along to share how I weave in Diwali decor throughout my various hosting zones.

So first off, what is Diwali and how is it celebrated? Diwali is celebrated in either October or November each year depending on the lunar calendar. As mentioned above, Diwali is the festival of lights and it celebrates the conquering of good over evil or light over dark. It is celebrated in a variety of ways but one of the most prominent ways is by lighting diyas (clay lamps). This symbolizes illuminating an inner light and protection from darkness. Many houses are adorned by lighting diyas around the home. There are also beautiful displays of rangoli (elaborate patterns made of colored powder, flowers or dyed rice), fireworks/ sparklers, lots of yummy food, and tidying/cleaning the home to invite in Lakshmi- the Goddess of prosperity and good fortune. This all amounts to celebrating the new year (at least for Gujaratis – Gujarat is the region of India my ancestors are from). The new year involves visiting family and friends and exchanging all the wonderful Diwali homemade snacks by each household. Celebrating Diwali helps me feel connected to my family & friends who I’ve lived away from for the past 6 years (I hail from Toronto and my husband is from Sydney, neither of us commonwealth citizens have family in LA let alone America in general).

pic of myself, my little sis, and my mom in the mid-90s

Even though I am not religious, I associate Diwali with cultural belonging and resonate with the concept of remembering there is light even in dark times. The past several years have been heavy with devastating blows around the globe- climate change, social unrest/injustice, and the pandemic being forefront of so many of our lives. It feels even more necessary to honor and hold on to any symbolic or spiritual ritual tied to hope and being reminded of the beauty of the light that still exists especially in darker times. Getting to share this occasion with friends in LA who may or may not know much about the celebration is very special for me.

Now that everyone has a basic concept of what Diwali is and how it is celebrated, I’ll dive into how I planned a Diwali celebration centered around Indian food & Diwali decor that’s easy to execute. I kept things simple, accessible, and beautiful (after all, I am a stylist at the end of the day!).

My first step was creating zones and using a different Diwali decor for each zone: The 3 zones are savoury snacks with florals, sweets a.k.a. mithai with diyas/ candles and a drinks area with rangoli.

Zone #1: The Savoury Table

Diwali food is usually vegetarian, and I’m biased but Indians do vegetarian dishes WELL! My savoury table has a mix of hot food snacks and dry snacks (I’ve seen dry Indian snacks like Bombay mix at Trader Joe’s and depending on what city you live in, you can find similar Indian snacks at local grocery stores). I purchased most of the food from an Indian store and added in a crudités platter and a charcuterie board of dry Indian snacks mixed with some berries and chocolate balls to add pops of freshness and colour. LA admittedly has an amazing flower market that I was able to purchase most of these blooms from, BUT I’d say 35% of these flowers are from Trader Joe’s. Local grocery stores come in clutch when hosting and are a much more accessible way to bring in fresh florals to your home! 

Traditionally, floral garlands are used in Diwali decor, but if you’re short on time like I was, arranging some mini bouquets and sprinkling flower petals around the food added so much colour and beauty, even if it’s not in the traditional sense. Fun fact, marigolds which are often used in floral garlands (and are in season this time of year) are edible, so go ahead and sprinkle them onto the food as a garnish for a little extra pop as well.

Wall Mural | Small Framed Art | Stoneware Pie Dish

Having varying dish shapes and sizes gives more visual interest and dimension to the table especially because most of the food was in a yellow tone. In addition, keeping the dishware colour palette in line with the overall colour theme kept everything feeling cohesive. 

Zone #2: The Sweets Table

Tea Light Holders | Glass Tulip Glasses | Marble Tray

The next zone I focused on was the sweets table. Indian sweets are very rich and indulgent so a little goes a long way! Different types of sweets or mithai are also a great way to incorporate more colour into your food coupled with dynamic flavours of mango, cardamom, rose and different nuts. I made a simple mango mousse out of mango puree, heavy cream, and agar agar powder, but also love incorporating easy-to-acquire sweets like chocolate on my sweets table (Ferrero Rocher is always a hit and the gold wrapping reflects the glow of your diyas or candles so well!). 

This zone is where I included most of my tealight candles. I have a few traditional clay diyas, which require ghee and cotton to light, but truthfully I’m not as skilled as my parents at preparing them. So instead I used them to display some mithai by lining them with mini cupcake liners and placing them in the diyas. This felt like a fun way to incorporate a more traditional element and give it a multi-use purpose all while keeping the lighting process more simple for me! I love how this zone really sparkles and gives the feeling of warmth the holiday season is all about.

White Sun Plate | Gold Plate | Pink Tall Votive

Zone #3: The Drink Table

Side Table | Mirror | Console Table | Wood Tray | Mint Green Thermos | Sconces (vintage but from here)

My final zone was for drinks where I incorporated a floral floating rangoli on a nearby table. I made masala chai ahead of time using Diaspora Co’s chai spice blend (which is truly phenomenal if anyone is interested in an authentic chai flavour by an ethically sourced, queer, WOC-owned brand!) and put it in a thermos to make it easy for self-serving along with some sugar cubes. I love having tropical juices on hand as mixers or for non-alcoholic drink options in mango, passion fruit, or lychee, but in this case, I stuck with some good old Trader Joe’s sparkling lemonade. I decided to do a floating flower rangoli (because I already had the florals on hand) and it contained the flowers for simple cleanup once it’s time to compost. If you’ve ever made rangoli from colored rice, powder or flowers on the floor, you know the process of cleaning up after is not fun and you can be sure to find remnants of it for months on end afterward lol. 

Rangoli can be as simple or intricate as you’d like. You can also easily print a design/stencil from the internet if you’re wanting a bit of guidance on a pattern you’re happy with. I decided to extend my pattern beyond the bowl of floating flowers since I had more space on the table. I placed each Dahlia in a mini pinch bowl with water to keep them fresh and sprinkled flower petals around the whole design to fill any additional negative space. I’m really happy with how it turned out and found the process to be quite meditative. After all, going inwards and reflecting on how we want to live with intention and illuminating that which we keep in the dark is what this time of year is all about! At the end of the night, I gave all my guests leftover flowers to take home as a party favour and will continue to enjoy all the different areas of fresh flowers in my home for the coming days.

I hope this post serves as inspiration to go ahead and celebrate Diwali in a way you love even though you may not have access to the most traditional ways of celebrating, or you just want to forge your own path on how to celebrate such a rich festival. I also hope it enlightened anyone who wasn’t familiar with Diwali and has given you an appreciation of a festival so many hold dear to their hearts. Thanks for coming along for the journey readers. Wishing you all a Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak (Happy New Year!). xo

*Styled by Hina Mistry
**Photos by Veronica Crawford

The post Here’s How EHD Stylist, Hina, Designed Her Beautiful And Budget-Friendly Diwali Celebration appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Exterior Update: Our Herringbone Brick Patio Is *Almost* Installed

Good news, friends. We have some solid hardscape before the rain begins and it turned out STUNNING. There is a lot left to do of course (a full tour coming at you very soon) but this side of the house is coming along and I feel so so grateful that we can walk in and out of the house without tracking in as much mud or dirt. And it’s just so gorgeous – I’m extremely relieved, impressed, grateful – all the things. So here we go …

The Yardzen Plan

Here’s a reminder that we worked with Yardzen to do the design of this area, so I had hope that this was going to look beautiful – these renderings were proof.

A few things to note that have to do with the brick. 1. We chose to go all the way to the house instead of leaving a planting zone. I think/hope this was the right decision. I know that a bed of plants would have softened the wall obviously and hid the foundation (that looks great in the renderings but less great in the photos), but we’ve been told by countless Oregonians to give ourselves some hardscape areas without dirt (aka mud). Now as of right now this area isn’t covered so can we really hang out there in the rain? Nah. But I hope that having less dirt there means just a cleaner winter for us. So right now the brick up to the foundation looks a little ‘meh’. Nothing some pretty pots can’t fix 🙂

Also, the brick pattern has changed. The plan was to do this Spanish running bond – a pattern where all the brick comes into the center. We requested this because we thought it would be more interesting and less expected than a herringbone, but I wasn’t convinced it was going to have the payoff that we wanted. So we switched to a classic herringbone and I’m so happy we did.

We have also changed the pea gravel to flagstone – mostly to keep down the mess – and we extended the brick to go to the edge of the house. I’m sure you all have different experiences with this but the reason that we went with pea gravel originally was that the material is a lot cheaper, but I guess the prep work to do it right can be comparable. Mostly, we decided to switch it because we wanted it to be more rustic and natural throughout the entire property, which meant that we wouldn’t have these steel edge liners everywhere or rocks to keep the gravel in. It was honestly a month-long debate and came down to our personal preference of wanting the more organic shape of the stone. More on that later (it won’t be mortar set together, instead more like stepping stones embedded in the grass).

It’s going to look like that someday!!!! We didn’t do brick everywhere for cost reasons (which I’ll break down below). It’s also more formal which we didn’t want everywhere.

Some Brick Facts: This install is very laborious. If you are attempting to do this there are obviously multiple steps to do it right – grading, prepping with gravel, compacting the gravel, they had to build a dry well that met up with the downspout for proper drainage, irrigate and stub up underneath the brick for future pots, measure extremely accurately for the pattern to look perfect, etc. Our team did about a week of prep before they even touched the brick. Then a full 6 days of install with 3 guys (it’s the cutting, y’all). They did an EXCELLENT job (I will of course credit/link them as we get closer to the end of the project). We needed about 1k square feet of brick which cost around $9k. I’m not totally sure how much the install costs (it’s wrapped up in other costs and was only an initial budget number) but I think around 10k. Not nothing, folks. But those are the facts – and remember our patio is pretty large. We bought the brick from Mutual Materials, based in PNW. We used the Ashland tumbled full brick, 2×8 laid on its side (because the tops and bottoms don’t have the aged look). I personally think it’s the perfect aged brick, but I’m sure there are others out there that are pretty, too. There are a few ways to set this – mortar (where you could use a thin brick – not necessarily cheaper from what we are told), or sand set – which is laid in sand. We did sand set, but I guess because there are three holes in our brick our installers had to do some extra prep to ensure they stay in place. I think they still are going to grout and seal, though. Sorry, I don’t feel totally qualified walking you through the step-by-step but I do know some basic facts. The Process

I’m always so humbled when I get to see the process from experts outside of my field. When you hear that it’s 10-15k to install of course the first reaction is like, WHAT? But then when you see how much work and expertise goes into it you are fully schooled.

At first, they laid the brick with the arrows facing the sides but I really wanted the arrows to go in line with the path – aka forward and backward. It was a 4-hour change that I felt bad about, but it was really important to me. This is a case of the ‘Not talking enough about the details before execution’ and I think a lot of people might not have changed it, but I’m SO glad that we did.

Where We Are Now

So as you can see we did a curved pathway from the driveway and we have new cement stairs (that I might paint TBH because they underwhelm me – railing coming soon), and it’s a pretty large space to fill. We now realize we could fit a floating island kitchen for the summer, and tuck it away in the winter. We could of course cover it with a structure but we don’t want to stare out of the kitchen window into a structure. We are curious if we could do an awning with a crank, but as you can see we chose to put the windows so close to the roofline that I’m not sure there is anywhere to attach it! This area gets eastern light (morning) and is shaded by 4 pm in the summer so it’s great for summer grilling. We still don’t totally know how we are going to use the property so I’m glad we didn’t stub in a gas line for a permanent BBQ. Instead, we figure we can move it around until it makes sense. I also was advised to reduce our natural gas usage as much as possible (we have two gas fireplaces so we aren’t perfect). This way we are planning on using propane (still a fossil fuel) until the technology of the electric BBQs becomes good enough. We also didn’t want to put a grill near the white house (it would stain with soot) and didn’t want to commit to floating it, so as of now – we have full flexibility but are still unsure where it will land. For the winter we still grill a lot for lunches so we’ll put it on the back covered porch. Goodness, that was a lot of exposition about where the heck we are going to grill our winter chicken … Still TBD but we have options.

We’ll have a big pot on the far left with a substantial tree, window boxes, and possibly even some rectangular planter boxes on the ground. I know that without anything in there all I see is the ugly foundation, but it’s very much in my wheelhouse to decorate this space to look pretty. Stay tuned.

Wait What About The Covered Walkway?

We ended up cutting off the covered path where it made the most sense with the roofline. I think had we thought of this earlier we would have rebuilt it to line up with the kitchen door (it was very off-center before and looked super odd when you were outside as well as when you looked out the kitchen window). Now it looks a bit random, tbh, but I think that a tree in that gap will solve that problem. If not then we might rebuild that return walkway to the kitchen door. WHO KNOWS. We also had to bring the brick pathway inside the posts because none of them lined up and you’d be able to tell really easily with the soldier-course border, so we reduced the footprint of the path altogether. We have to repair some of the bases of the posts that are not properly set in concrete (just dirt) and are rotting. And then we can plant a lot of ground cover and ferns to mask the posts. Would it have been cheaper/easier to tear the whole thing down and rebuild it to the exact specs that we wanted? Of course. But we didn’t want to and I don’t regret it. Of course, now that we see the old roof, covered in moss (which we previously thought was charming) next to our brand new roof on our house we wish we had re-roofed it, too. But listen, we haven’t even started to clean it up and of course will give it a power wash, a fresh coat of paint, and a few awesome hanging Rejuvenation pendants. It’s just so sweet and one of the reasons we fell in love with the property.

Oh, that herringbone with the soldier course border is so so lovely. Look at all those triangle cuts that had to be EXACT. These guys did an EXCELLENT job!!!

It’s honestly so exciting and the crew has now finished and moved on, prepping the rest of that side of the house for planting and laying the flagstone (we chose variegated bluestone). We are waiting on some sewer issues that finally got cleared by the city, but haven’t heard back from our sub in a while to see when it can be fixed which is very frustrating. Once we clear that the rest of the yard can be finalized and put on the schedule (we can’t trench for electrical, plumbing, or irrigation until the sewer is repaired underneath). We’re hoping to plant in a month. OH AND THIS IS VERY EXCITING – our well that we thought was empty and broken is not. Not only does it still have a ton of water, but it is being repaired now with a new pump to work again, and our irrigation contractor is tying our entire property into the well (thus reducing our summer dependence on the city water, which reduces my guilt and of course saves us money). We had the well contractor come out to assess it before the city could decommission it, and he was like, “oh it’s full and we can make it work again”. So we are moving and grooving on the exterior and as soon as I get my head on straight (after a long weekend celebrating Brian’s birthday) I’m going to write the exterior design plan post for you. Coming at you sooooon.

xx E

The post Exterior Update: Our Herringbone Brick Patio Is *Almost* Installed appeared first on Emily Henderson.

All The Design News We’re Excited About Right Now

HI THERE. Happy Monday! We’re out of office today in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but I didn’t wanna leave you hanging without your daily morning coffee read…so today, I’m popping on really quickly to fill you in on the design news we’ve been talking about behind the scenes at EHD. But before we dig into the ~hot gossip~ (it’s not hot gossip; it is just regular news, I’m sorry for lying!!!), I wanted to highlight this incredible roundup of 27 Native-owned brands that Ryann created – if you’re looking to support some incredible small businesses today, that post is an INCREDIBLE resource. We’ll see you back here tomorrow morning for our regularly scheduled programming, but in the interim…CAN WE TALK ABOUT THESE 8 LITTLE DESIGN STORIES?

Nate + Jeremiah’s Collection For PetSmartvia petsmart

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. Watch this announcement video. (I’ll wait.) Ready? I know that at first, it almost seems like an SNL sketch – “we are so excited to be partnering with PetSmart for the very first ever designer-designed collection for pet environments,” says Nate – but after listening a bit more…I am SO on board, you guys.

Nate and Jeremiah launched their collection with pieces for reptiles, fish, and small pets (like, there are sofas for gerbils in here, y’all) and while that may sound a little silly, it’s actually REALLY sweet – they’re building beautiful environments so that folks feel more comfortable bringing these kinds of pets into more commonly used spaces vs. tucking their big, boxy, clunky enclosures in lesser-visited rooms. And honestly…why shouldn’t your pet have a home as beautiful as yours? We splurge on beautiful things for our cats and dogs all the time (well, uh, at least I do – looking at you, $200 litter box – worth every penny, for the record) so why not give our little-r pets the same love and attention, too? Let’s peek at a few of the pieces Nate and Jeremiah created…

Wood Tower Small Pet Chew | Wooden Tower Hide – Reptile & Aquarium Décor | Sculpture Aquarium Décor

CHIC, CHIC, CHIC. These are all organic modern pieces done right, don’t you think? I know they’re for pets, but they also seem like they could do double duty as decor – like, the wood tower on the left is a great price ($5.99) and it kinda seems like it’d be a great little piece on a bookshelf or in a vignette, right?

Reptile Feeding Bowl with Sphere | Faux Leather Small Pet Couch | Wood & Stone Aquarium Décor

Aforementioned gerbil sofa is here and reporting for duty. (And if that isn’t enough to make you smile…it comes in sherpa, too! THIS IS SO CUTE THAT I LITERALLY CAN NOT FUNCTION.) I highly recommend clicking through and peeking at some of the reviews for the faux leather version, though – there are photos of bunnies, mice, hamsters, and guinea pigs all enjoying their new digs. It’s so sweet to see that these pets are so loved, you know?

Wooden Archway Aquarium Décor | Grass Wave Small Pet Hide | Stone Tower Aquarium Décor

On the same note – there are SO MANY good photos of bunnies, chinchillas, and hamsters enjoying the little grass wave hideaway. (These pictures will make your entire weekend, I swear.) The few pieces we’ve shown here are our team’s favorites, but barely scratch the surface – there are SO many thoughtfully-designed and well-priced furniture pieces (we didn’t even peek at any of the stands!) and decor items for all kinds of pets in this collection. Highly recommend perusing everything Nate and Jeremiah designed right here – it’s REALLY fun to explore. 🙂

Jeremiah Brent’s New Brick And Mortar, Atriodesign by jeremiah brent | photo by brittany ambridge | via domino

Speaking of Jeremiah – we’re all in LOVE with Atrio, his newly opened retail store here in LA (you can shop online or visit in person – it’s on Washington in Culver City, for our fellow locals! It’s basically across the street from the Museum of Jurassic Technology – and like…wouldn’t that be a fun little day? Checking out furniture and then going to the weirdest place in the city? RECOMMEND).

design by jeremiah brent | photos by brittany ambridge | via domino

The idea was to create a modern version of the department store – you know, a place where you could grab sheets and jam and fresh flowers and skincare and vintage furniture all in one place (yeah, I know, it sounds HEAVENLY). The design is stunning, too – those dark wood floors are drop dead gorgeous in person and the whole place smells phenomenal (for whatever that’s worth, hah. Just a statement for the record, you know?). Here are a few pieces that caught our eye…

Outdoor Lounge Settee | The Country I Come From Framed Print | Vessel #3

That Royere-style settee is STUNNING, and the twisted legs are so fresh and dynamic (check the side profile – so good). The latter two pieces may give you a little sticker shock (might be projecting here, but I can bet a lot of you will feel the same) but they’re so beautiful and inspiring – I just love looking at them 🙂

Flint I | Tripod Catchall | Atrio Custom Lounge Chair

Everything in the store is just so lush and considered and thoughtful – it’s a really well-curated experience from top to bottom. (And if I ever come into a random $250…well, that lil tripod catchall will be coming home with me. COUNT ON IT.)

Remoldista’s New Book, Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home: A Sourcebook F or Stylish, Eco-Conscious Living

Margot and Fan are two Remodelista editors who set out to create a guidebook for those looking to make planet-friendly choices at home (read: if you’re looking to be more conscientious and climate-aware in your daily life but have been overwhelmed by where to start…buddy, START HERE!).

There are room-by-room tips in here, and the contents run the gamut from easy swaps (like adopting a laundry routine, or highlighting where to source great lightbulbs and planet-friendly furnishings) to more involved, long-term fixes (like reducing plastic consumption long-term, or upgrading your windows to make your home more efficient).

And the photos are gorgeous, too. The book takes you inside a variety of beautiful, eco-friendly homes. There’s one built from hemp (!!!), a multigenerational family compound (as someone who grew up down the street from my grandparents – I loved this!), and an apartment that was designed around the slow food movement. After spending the last 3 years here reading your comments about the planet, I REALLY think that a ton of y’all are going to LOVE this book. Highly recommend!

Leanne Ford’s New Quarterly Print Magazine, Feel Freevia feel free

As a kid who dressed up like Frank Lloyd Wright to give a presentation about Fallingwater in the fourth grade (probably should have clocked something about the direction of my future career at that point, huh?), the debut issue of Feel Free is RIGHT up my alley. There’s a little bit of everything – a profile on Fallingwater (see, that was a relevant anecdote)! A story about a screenprinting nun! A how-to collage section! Recipes for fail-proof decorating! Quizzes! A playlist! It’s exciting and fresh and anything but formulaic – Feel Free is a super lovely, funky, and welcome departure from traditional shelter magazines (that we all still love, for the record).

via feel free

Here’s what Leanne had to say: “These pages are all about people creating fully and freely, in any creative genre. Reminding all of us that we can do the same. I wouldn’t call this a magazine really… this, my friends, is a WORKbook! This is a skinny dog-ear-it, mark-it-up, tear-it-out kind of book. Circle it, underline it. Cross it out, for all I care. Just get that creative energy flowing!” LOVE IT. On board. (PS. You can scoop it online or find it on newsstands through 12/26!).

Arent & Pyke’s New Book: Arent & Pyke: Interiors Beyond The Primary Palettevia arent & pyke: interiors beyond the primary palette

The good news: the imagery in this book is extraordinary. The bad news: it’s available for preorder, but it’s only shipping from Australia (right here, in an exclusive edition directly from Arent & Pyke) or from the UK Amazon site (right here).

via arent & pyke: interiors beyond the primary palette

You’ve seen a ton of Arent & Pyke’s work on the blog over the years, even if you don’t recognize them by name. Their designs are both quiet and bold (a dream combination around these parts!), and they play with color and materials in a fresh and special way. (Like, who knew a mac-and-cheese-powder-colored wall could be so luxe?)

via arent & pyke: interiors beyond the primary palette

If you’re interested in texture and material, there isn’t a better resource out there. I mean, look at the contrasting stone on the bottom right – it’s a dynamic, unexpected, and tasteful mix, you know? If you’re in the market for a gift for the design lover in your life, this is an INCREDIBLE choice.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s Mosaic Tile Collection with Ann Sacksvia ann sacks

Oh my gosh – just STUNNING. I’ve long been a fan of Martyn Lawrence Bullard (I am physically incapable of writing a post that doesn’t include pictures of the Prospect Hotel here in LA – it’s my favorite!) and this tile collection is no exception.

via ann sacks

These are 3 of our favorite motifs (there are 5 patterns total), and the mosaic tiles start at $597 per square foot. It’s a splurge, but how beautiful would this look in a vintage-inspired shower or lining the bottom of a pool? (The latter is Bullard’s suggestion – can you imagine water glistening over this? IT’D BE STUNNING.)

Emma Chamberlain’s Architectural Digest Home Tourdesign by proem studio | styled by lisa rowe | photo by christopher sturman | via architectural digest

OOOOH. I have a hot take incoming, y’all!!! Let’s talk about it. First: the actual bones of this house are phenomenal. The colors, the fixtures, the finishes – they’re exciting and modern, but they still feel period appropriate. This is a great example of a renovation that balanced the original character of home (those ceilings!) with fresh perspective (the sink! The cabinets! THAT BATHROOM!).

design by proem studio | styled by lisa rowe | photos by christopher sturman | via architectural digest

BUT. Here’s where it lost me a little bit – there are some knockoff furniture pieces from living designers (i.e. the authentic versions are still being made and are readily accessible, albeit expensive). The Soriana sofa and chair on the right are pretty egregious, as is the Cameleonda replica (not pictured here) in the living room. To be fair, those pieces do cost upwards of $20,000 in vintage condition, but…

design by proem studio | styled by lisa rowe | photos by christopher sturman | via architectural digest

It just feels tough to justify the knockoffs presence in the home when there are pieces like this $31,000 chandelier in the dining room, you know? I totally get that budgets aren’t infinite and that something needs to give – and I think it’s SO COOL to see permanent fixtures created by so many small and independent artisans – but a few of the furniture pieces are rubbing me the wrong way. What say you? (For what it’s worth, I DMed that bathroom to Bungo the morning the tour went live and Mal went on to share it in Slack later that day – we really do love this home!).

Athena Calderone For Crate&Barrelstyled by colin king | photos by adrian gaut | via architectural digest

On that note – let’s talk a little bit more about this collection, yeah? Athena was inspired by some of the vintage pieces in her own home – the Ceremonie dining chair ($499), for example, echoes the frames of Augusto Savini’s famous dining chairs (usually retailing around $3,000 per chair). They’re obviously not identical, but you can see the common thread that runs between them.

styled by colin king | photos by adrian gaut | via architectural digest

I actually kind of love it, though – I think it’s great that these styles are now available to folks at a more accessible price point (cause like, your girl couldn’t really swing a $35,000 1940s Jacques Adnet sideboard – that’s the piece that inspired the credenza on the right). I like that she’s breathed new life into some classic designs and styles that we in the masses wouldn’t have normally been introduced to, you know? That said, I know there’s been some discourse – what do YOU think? I would looooove to chat about it, please!!!

Revival Oak Wood Platform Queen Bed with Upholstered Headboard | Courbe Green Ceramic Table Lamp | Rodin Black Iron Floor Candelabra

Now that we’ve revisited the ~news~, I just wanted to highlight a few of the pieces that we’ve all internally been swooning over. I’m eyeing that candelabra for my own living room and I think it’s a great price:statement ratio – it feels like it packs more than $150 worth of design punch, you know? And if you also loved Athena’s iconic AD kitchen reveal (I think she singlehandedly launched the “lamps in kitchens” trend), it’s kind of exciting to have the opportunity to grab something similar for your own home.

La Struttura White Terracotta Sculpture | Unica 48″ Round Mango Wood and Travertine Dining Table | Sassolino Burl Wood Side Table

And we’re closing today out with a few more favorites – they’re all so sculptural and dynamic. It’s kind of exciting to see some new/old styles coming back into favor (TBH, I had never realized how much I loved 40s-inspired pieces, and I appreciate the design education I’ve gotten through learning about Athena’s inspirations!). That’s where I’ll leave you for today, though – WANNA CHAT?? xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Proem Studio | Styled by Lisa Rowe | Photo by Christopher Sturman | via Architectural Digest

The post All The Design News We’re Excited About Right Now appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: The Comforter Set Emily Bought For The Farmhouse Guest Room, Mallory’s $40 Jeffrey Campbell Boots Dupe, & An Affordable Rattan Floor Lamp

Happy Sunday ya’ll. This week was one for the books mainly because we published the VERY FIRST FARMHOUSE REVEAL!! It’s been an exciting week, to say the least, but now it’s time for our weekly link roundup. Let’s get straight into it starting with a brand new AD home tour we all love.

design joanna plant | photo by helen cathcart | via architectural digest

This gorgeous London Victorian home was built in 1877 so as you can imagine it is oozing with history and charm. The wooden partition alone is breathtaking and is original to the home (as are most of the architectural elements since this is a Grade II home so it’s protected from major changes being made). If you love a vintage-filled English home, do yourself a favor and check out the whole tour.

From Emily: Last week we shot and styled Anne from ARCIFORM‘S house and bought this pink comforter set for one of the rooms. After seeing it in person, I decided to also use it for our quick guest room update (coming at you soon) and it’s just so darn cozy. It’s not super cheap (nor should it be) but way more affordable than a lot of its competitors. We also used this faux leather lumbar pillow for that shoot which you might remember from the mountain house primary bedroom. It’s so good. Sara also has it and affectionately refers to it as “the worm” :).

From Mallory: I’ve had my eye on these Jeffery Campbell boots in white for over a year but $220 always felt a little steep so I’m very excited to share that I came across the perfect dupe for $40 at Target last week. I LOVE them so much (I sized a half size down btw) and have worn them a ton. They look way more expensive than they are. 10/10.

From Caitlin: The theme of today’s Link Up is dupes, apparently  I recently fell in love with this rattan and brass floor lamp, but the $1,238 price tag was a little (HAHA, okay – A LOT) out of my budget. I kept searching and found this similar style on sale for $499 (down from $949!), but that was still too expensive for me. Enter: THE TJ MAXX WEBSITE. I don’t know why I’ve never crept around their site before – maybe I thought it was just an in-store retailer? But holy crap, I found this scalloped rattan floor lamp for $149.99!!! It’s admittedly much sweeter than my original inspiration lamp (this one is very coastal/preppy/grand millennial, while my $1,200 version felt a little sturdier and statement-y and “masculine,” if that makes sense), but it’s 10x less and it provides the same hint of texture that I’d been looking for. Highly recommend taking a peek around their website, though – there are a lot of great deals on furniture and decor (and they just added in holiday pillows which are SO fun to look at, even if you have never purchased/will never purchase holiday pillows – speaking from experience here). Well done, TJ Maxx buyers – your website is just as fun as your store. 

image via kathleen ashmore

From Ryann: I am always looking for really simple dinner ideas because my husband and I like to eat at 5 pm so we can eat together (he works 7-4 pm and then comes home and usually has therapy clients from 6-8 pm). So by the time I am finishing lunch, I am already thinking about what we can have for dinner. In theory, salads are “easy” but I have a small kitchen so if a ton of chopping is involved, I’ll just end up making a huge mess and will get very frustrated. I also don’t like when a recipe calls for random ingredients that I won’t be able to finish later on. But last week when I saw this recipe, I was like “OH, I can do this!!” It’s just shredded iceberg lettuce, a can of chickpeas, salami, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and a DELICIOUS vinaigrette. I made it last Thursday and my husband and I both loved it so much. It’s definitely light so it could be a side salad for a main dish but we just had it with a side of bread and butter. So if you are looking for an easy and yummy chopped salad, I highly recommend it.

That’s all for now. Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow! xx

Opener Image Credit: Design Joanna Plant | Photo by Helen Cathcart | Via Architectural Digest

The post The Link Up: The Comforter Set Emily Bought For The Farmhouse Guest Room, Mallory’s $40 Jeffrey Campbell Boots Dupe, & An Affordable Rattan Floor Lamp appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Shacket Is The Fall Fashion MVP – Here Are Some Of Our Favorites

It’s not a shirt, it’s not a jacket, but a secret third thing formally referred to as The Shacket. They are more lightweight than a jacket but sturdier than a button-down shirt. Often with a collar and a bit of a utility style, shackets are perfect for layering and therefore perfect for fall weather (at least that’s what a LA gal like me can only assume since I am writing this in 80-degree weather. Seriously, where is fall??). If you’ve been paying attention to the last few fashion posts you probably can guess that the EHD team is no stranger to this fall staple. So first, we thought we would share the ones we already have and how we like to style them.

Emily

Denim Ames Oversized Shirt-Jacket in Corrigan Wash: If you are in the market, this shacket is GOOD. Not too stiff/heavy, not too floppy/wrinkly – with a good amount of structure and layerability. I’m wearing a small here. Please note both styles of pockets.

Britt Work Jacket: This striped one is lighter weight – more like a thick shirt, which is good over a thin shirt or a tank top but doesn’t layer as well over a thicker shirt or a sweatshirt. 

Denim Shirred-Back Crop Shirt: This is more so a denim shirt, but because of the crop and boxy shape, it can double as a shacket if worn open. I paired it with this with a ‘Let’s Go Outside’ shirt, denim shorts, and sneakers for a casual running errands look.

Mallory

Women’s Utility Chore Jacket: My shacket is $35 and so comfy. I sized down to an XS and I have very long arms so I’d recommend going on the smaller size unless you wanna really lean into the oversized fit (which is also cool). The color is one of my favorite colors to wear and is generally hard to find, and I’ve been getting lots of compliments on it which always feels good 🙂

Ryann

Workwear Shacket: Every time I wear this I get a ton of compliments and most people are surprised when I tell them it’s not a million dollars. I love the workwear vibe and oversized fit and usually lean into the bagginess with loose-fitting pants or jeans. I am wearing a size large so if you want a more snug fit, I would suggest sizing down.

Now assuming we have done our jobs and have convinced you of the shacket’s versatility, here are some more picks if you are interested:

1. Plus Flannel Kentwood Oversized Shirt-Jacket in Windowpane | 2. Women’s Utility Chore Jacket | 3. Donegal Flannel Kentwood Oversized Shirt-Jacket | 4. Britt Work Jacket in Recycled Denim | 5. Women’s Utility Chore Jacket | 6. Oversized Cotton-Twill Gender-Neutral Overshirt for Adults | 7. Corduroy Kentwood Oversized Shirt-Jacket in Plaid | 8. Oversized Shacket | 9. The Oversized Shirt Jacket | 10. Oversized Khaki Shirt Jacket with Washwell | 11. Britt Work Jacket in Denim | 12. The Everyone Spring Shirt Jacket

That’s all for now. What are some other fall staples you want to see from us? Let us know down below. Happy Saturday! xx

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Tour My Stylist Friend Scott Horne’s Home That We Shot For My Book + Why We Love It So Much

My friend Scott Horne has the most refined taste of anyone I know. I would describe him as picky, but not snobby (this is true of most good stylists I know). I’ve fantasized about having a super curated online store and hiring him to be the Creative Director/buyer for it, but when I drunkenly pitched it to him 5 years ago he quickly said “oh, hell no”, which I thought was a hilarious reaction to a job offer (and took no offense). Turns out that giving up your freelance freedom to work 100% for your possibly-at-the-time-un-hinged good friend/influencer might be a recipe for a friend divorce. So wisely we didn’t venture into that together. Instead, I shot his new house for my book, almost 4 years ago now (NUTS!) and while it’s all over the book, with captions on what he did that we love, etc, I wanted to put them all in one place as more of a house tour. I think he does such a great job of making his home so effortless and still comfortable and I wanted to show it off, and brag about my friend.

This house was the first space we shot for my second book, and I was actually there to style it (many of the other homes Velinda and Erik did all without me), so there is a weird nostalgia for this space. Feels like a whole different time – living in LA, running a much larger team, feeling hopeful about a book that would go on to take 3 1/2 years to finish … CRAZY TIMES. His space, like his last one, is just so inspiring because his stuff is so cool and it’s just full of creativity. His home is located on the hills in Silverlake (near Echo Park for all you Angelenos) and has incredible lights and views. You walk in and then down to the sunken living room (why don’t we do that more?) and he designed it to be really cozy and bright.

A New Way to Hang An Art Wall We All Loved

I wanted to call this out his gallery wall, hung in a way I have never done before. He used one median line and then hung up and down from there. So pretty. It’s both organic and structured.

The whole place is a vibe. The blue/gray tones, wood, vintage everything (obviously I’m very into it).

Such a good example of mixing materials and textures, but with a limited color palette.

Scott is so good at finding awesome stuff, but more importantly, splurging on the right pieces that last him for years and years – both functionally and stylistically. That dining set (not sure if it’s an actual set) from MidCentury LA is just so stunning. He had to get them refinished and add new leather on the seats, but so worth it.

It’s not a dining set you’d see in a magazine right now – it has strong Midcentury vibes, but done in rosewood (not teak) and the scale of it and the shape of the backs are just so pretty. Also, these are so comfortable to sit in. The point is, he finds something he LOVES regardless of how ‘current’ it looks and puts it in his beautiful world.

Gah. That credenza!!!! It’s EXACTLY what I want in our sunroom (looking for at least 80″ piece to go under the blimp art I’ve had forever). That wood grain is just nuts (it’s vintage, I think also from MidCentury LA).

The Bedroom – Airy and Yet Cozy

Every stylist loves linen and Scott and I like to fight about linen bedding – I’m firmly against it (on the skin side anyway, fine if it’s on a comforter on the top side). I find it itchy and prefer a percale or even a jersey in the winter. And he is very pro-linen sheets/duvets (he styles most of Parachute bedding catalogs which is why they always look so beautiful).

His vintage rug over the headboard hack is always inspiring to me – and one of the reasons we went for a simpler bed for the Farmhouse primary bedroom– so that we could transform the bed with different vintage fabrics (hearts in February, easter fabric in April, etc – JKJKJKJK).

The Bathroom – Neutral And Textured

I think we’ve published this bathroom before but it’s just so beautiful and classic. Please note that he hung the roman shade all the way to the ceiling to make the window look as big as possible.

You would think that the white-on-white color palette would be too boring, but with all the variation in the marble mosaic tile, there is a lot of warmth.

So rarely have we ever taken a shot of a toilet (it’s a thing that magazines or blogs never show toilets) but we shot this when we planned on a huge plumbing chapter in the book and I wanted to show all the different styles and types of toilets. It really is such a pretty toilet, though!

Thanks, Scott for letting us feature your beautiful home. I miss you 🙂

And if you want to pick up the book with more homes like this, feel free to snag it here. xx

*Design by Scott Horne
**Styled by Emily Henderson, Velinda Hellen, & Erik Kenneth Staalberg
***Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

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Moving Through Some Regret – The First Look At The Farmhouse Living Room Plus What I’m LOVING So Far :)

After doing this content creation thing for 14 years I consider myself a professional at documenting my design process in a very public way, yet like a seasoned athlete, the harder you play the more prone to injury you can be. Or so I’m telling myself. Here’s my armchair theory – due to the sheer volume of games you play, and how hard you go at it on the court, you are proportionately more vulnerable to getting hurt despite your experience and “expertise”. I feel like with this house, I (we) had a lot of incredible plays that we really nailed–big ‘running it back for a touchdown’ moments that I love so much. But I messed up on this living room and it feels like watching myself miss a basic free throw to lose the game, over and over and over on the big screen. And after weeks of being very angry at myself for it not turning out like I had thought it would, I’m moving through the regret and creating a solution with a heavy dose of perspective. What I have to remind myself all the time is that A. This isn’t a real problem and B. I’m not a perfect design expert, obviously. The real value I can add to the world is documenting my design process, and often making mistakes so you A. don’t feel alone when you do and B. can avoid the same mistake or learn through my problem-solving. This is why I chose to be a design blogger and NOT an interior designer with clients (where you can rarely admit nor document your mistakes). So here I am, ready to talk through the regrets. And I’ve convinced finally myself that this is not game 7 of the tied world series. This renovation, this room, isn’t my last game. I made a couple of dumb plays, I blew an easy shot and I lost us this game. So after weeks of punishing myself, I’m lacing up and headed out on the court to win game 2.

The Before – 2 years ago

To recap: as you can see the living room when we bought it was super spacious but very dark. One of our main goals (that we admittedly obsessed over, almost pathologically) was to brighten it in every single way.

The room had three west-facing windows, which were blocked with bushes, and the north window didn’t bring in too much light. So we redesigned the house to ensure that this main space was bursting with natural light.

Additionally, as you can see the ceilings were stained very dark (almost burgundy) and the walls were also painted dark. Both easy fixes.

Where We Are Now – One Month In (Not Officially Decorated)

This is how we are living in it right now, one month in. There are so many good things about it and I’m extremely grateful that we live here. The space itself is obviously so much brighter (we really checked that box), the wood floors are stunning, windows and doors are so pretty, and the quality of the paneling and all the millwork from ARCIFORM is perfection. The sconces are classic (and provide excellent dimmable lighting), the original fireplace got a real upgrade, and overall it’s such a lovely flow from entry to the kitchen (where the camera is). So wait, what is so wrong with it? Well, It feels cold and unfinished to me, based on design choices that I MADE near the end. I think because we were chasing the feeling that we had at the mountain house – the sense of calm provided by nature, natural light, and a very warm minimalist vibe, I just under-did it and it’s too stark. And I’m not talking about the furniture – we don’t have our sofa, piano or artwork yet which will obviously add a layer. I’m talking about the paint color and paneling.

I Miss The Warmth Of The Wood

I miss the natural wood of the window casings and wall paneling before we painted them white (as seen above). We did a custom run of both pieces – the 12″ beaded paneling and the window casing (and both are really pretty when you get up close – Thank you ARCIFORM!). They were fabricated in paint grade poplar and were very, very expensive to both fabricate and install (as custom always is). If I could go back in time I would splurge even more on doing them in white oak and leave it natural or just wash in paint (like Anne did in her bay house which I can’t wait to show you), but wouldn’t paint over it completely. I feel like it’s a huge missed opportunity to have spent so much money on the custom run and the install only to not have them be a statement (solutions are coming, it’s not dire). Imagine if the paneling below the windows and the window and door casings were all in the same white oak as the windows?? So warm and cozy. And had I not seen the room with the poplar wood installed (pre-painted) I would maybe not know it was a possibility, but it’s like I can’t unsee it. I miss the wood right now. I might be obsessing about it and the solution might be easy and even better than wood. We’ll see.

I Wish I Had Mixed Up The White Paint Colors

I don’t regret painting the ceiling white, but I wish that I had chosen a warmer tone of white for the walls of this room (it’s Sherwin–Williams Extra White). I really love it in some of the rooms (mudroom, hallway, kitchen) but in here, combined with the paneling also in the same color, it looks like we haven’t chosen our color yet. Had I properly obsessed about choosing whites differently in each room based on what else is happening in there we might have realized that this room needed a warmer white that still read as white or hell, what I’m realizing even now is that this room needs a neutral tone or even a color. Brian and I were pretty close to a real fight about this – him saying that ‘white is white! they are all the same’ and I knew better, but I was exhausted, felt super alone and defeated, and just chose the same white for most of the rooms that we wanted ‘white’. I feel gutted, so dumb and I’m still mad at myself. It made me really doubt all of my decisions moving forward. And If you are like ‘it’s not a big deal! just paint over it!’, yes we can but unfortunately painting over semi-gloss wood paneling is a real thing. It really has to be sprayed, which means that everything has to be masked off for days, covered, sanded, primed, and painted again. We basically need to leave the house. All doable, but it’s a thing guys and WE JUST SPEND TENS OF THOUSANDS PAINTING THE HOUSE. I.e. redoing so soon makes me feel sick and embarrassed.

So What is The Solve? How Are You Going To Make it Better?

Ok, PROBLEM SOLVING MODE OFFICIALLY ENACTED. This room needs texture, depth, and color to make it feel warmer and more finished. I played it FAR too safe with the white-on-white thing and it’s time to fix it. Here are my ideas:

Wallpaper the drywall, above the paneling, a light tone. I found a fabric wallcovering by Ashely Stark that is so gorgeous that I have been desperate to put it somewhere in the house. It’s an open weave linen that has tones of taupe and grays. Is it farmhouse-y? Nope. but neither is the living room right now so I’m less concerned about sticking to some OG vibes that are long gone, and instead just making it a really, really inviting room. You can see the fabric wallpaper here (and head to stories where I’ll show you the sample that just arrived). Paint the drywall a light color. This would be the easiest, most immediate solution of course – even I can paint drywall (again, not the paneling or door/window casings – YET). I think by doing this the white casings would look like they should – that they are framing the windows whereas right now it looks super unfinished (you can barely see the casings). If I’m being totally honest I didn’t want window casings at all – I like the deep jam, no casing look but lost that battle a year ago because that is a more contemporary look. But now that we have them we should highlight them, help them architecturally enhance the space, and add depth and detail. Having the drywall be a tone will at least highlight the white of the casings, which will frame the windows better. Paint all the window casings and paneling. Ok. So when we first walked into the house after being gone for a month, seeing it primed over all the pretty wood Brian and I both were like ‘Woah, Shoot. that is a lot of white’. The painters had finished almost all the other rooms but hadn’t painted the actual white yet in here, just the primer. So we quickly grabbed the Upward paint color that we had leftover from the doors upstairs and painted it on the paneling. We both felt like the room needed it and we really loved the color. Did we feel 100% confident? NO. We felt honestly like 40% confident, but we had no time. So dumb. We should have stalled the work, but we had pushed so incredibly and annoyingly hard to move in the following week that we didn’t want to be those people who were like, ‘Uh, guys? we changed our minds and want to play with paint colors for a couple of days’. We let our impatience and egos stop us from taking the time to make the right decision. So we said, ‘we like this color a lot – it’s a happy light blue, and we have the paint – let’s just do it all this color’. We didn’t want to go darker because we wanted it light, we didn’t want to go bluer because the kitchen tile is really the most stunning focal point that we didn’t want to compete with. Besides, the floors were covered so we couldn’t see the wood, and all the windows were covered so we couldn’t get a sense of the light or see the white oak. The tile in the sunroom and kitchen were covered so we couldn’t get a sense of color. It’s pin the tail on the paint color, blindfolded and our hands landed here:

We walked in, the next day and it was a hard “NO” for both of us. Brian mumbled something about being the easter egg house…what is a super sweet color upstairs was far too periwinkle down here. They had only done one coat and we stopped them immediately. No one wanted to be me less than me at that moment.

It was NOT going to work. So what did we do instead? As you can see we told them just to do the same white. How could it not look good? We love how the mountain house is white walls and wood windows and doors. But I was wrong and this room needed some contrast between the paneling, casing, and drywall and since the paneling and casing are integrated together (i.e. the interior window sill is the top of the paneling) we can’t only paint the window casings but not the paneling – they have to be painted together.

I mean, it looks pretty in this shot I know and after a few weeks of living in here, I do really like being in this room, despite me wanting to add more texture and depth to the walls.

But another option that we are seriously considering is painting the fireplace and/or cladding the mantel in wood (the floor brick still needs to be painted and we need to finalize the chimney to make sure we can use it).

It’s pretty as is! But it’s an option to help ground the room and add some drama and contrast. Brian is not in favor of this.

In this photo, it looks so pretty! I feel like I’m a little bit losing it and I want you all to know that I understand this isn’t a real problem. It all feels so dumb. So to lessen my frustration with myself I’ve started living in denial that I was the one that chose the white walls/white paneling situation. Instead, I am basically pretending that we just bought this beautiful newly renovated house and I’m just the new owner that gets the add my touch/layer to it, because the designer who renovated it chose a safe look. It’s an odd disassociation/denial exercise that has given me a bit of distance from the fact that this was JUST DONE, by me. Emily Bowser said this is such an enneagram ‘7’ way to respond to something – to reframe it in a way that is more fun and less painful, and I don’t disagree.

Just picture the walls above the paneling with a slight neutral tone – something that lets the casing and paneling pop more, frames the windows nicely, and lets the ceiling and fireplaces stand out, too.

Wallpaper The Entry? Yes!

Then in the entry, we want wallpaper and I honestly like 10 of the options, so I’m waiting to decide on the living room solution before I do the entry. The entry is so pretty as-is that I’m not worried about it looking beautiful. The living room is my problem child right now.

Now before you get worked up at my odd layout, we played with it a few ways but we feel pretty great about the loveseat + sofa + swivel chair combination (as of now). Of course, we wouldn’t typically have the sectional chaise cut off the love seat, but this is the sofa that we’ve had forever (from Article, it’s awesome) and have been waiting to design or choose the new sofa until we knew our layout which would dictate the scale, length, style, and color. It’s a domino effect (and I still have to design that dining nook, too). When staring at this shot I want to just paint the paneling and casing a neutral tone and leave the walls white, but that is a harder/riskier first step. I think some photoshopping is in order 🙂

I do love so many things in this room, though and I know the potential for greatness is there! And again if I hadn’t just finished a huge renovation and just made these choices I would be like ‘calm down and just paint it!’. And obviously, I’m so privileged to even call this my room that I don’t want to come off in any way complain-y.

What you can’t see is our kitchen which I am SO HAPPY with. THANK GOODNESS. And with the shared space with the living room, it means that I really have to consider the blue in the tile with whatever paint or fabric wallcovering we choose.

Now that I’ve for the most part forgiven myself for hastily making this room too safe I am excited to dive into the next layer to add more warmth. I’ve got this 🙂

Living room sources:

Rug: Amber Lewis For Loloi
Sofa: Burrard by Article
Leather sofa: Rejuvenation
Swivel chairs: Rejuvenation
Tulip wood side table: Target
Double tiered wood side table: City Home
Wood flooring: Oregon White Oak by Zena Flooring
Windows and Doors: White oak, Aspen Casement by Sierra Pacific Windows
Stairwell Color: Smoky Blue by Sherwin-Williams
Wall Color – Extra White by Sherwin-Williams
Sconces: Rejuvenation

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Moving Through Some Regret – The First Look At The Farmhouse Living Room Plus What I’m LOVING So Far :) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Design Agony Is Back! But This Time It’s All About Picking Out The Right Decor For Your Room

We know better than anyone that when you’ve been pulling your hair trying to design a space on your own, there comes a point where you just wish someone else would come in and present you with options that are within your budget. Especially when it comes to decor. What sofa will look good? What should I do with this big empty wall? Are there ACTUALLY NICE LOOKING recliners? It can be maddening and honestly, I’m having a few moments of those myself right now. But isn’t it somehow so much easier to help other people?? Far less of an emotional attachment…aka design freedom! So since I love scouring the internet, and looking at beautiful things, and avoiding my own issues, I thought I would do a little personal shopping for y’all. We did a call out asking strictly for decor agonies only (Sorry for those of you who sent in layout questions. Next time!). I, unfortunately, couldn’t do all of them but hopefully, these can be helpful to a lot of you:) So let’s jump right on in!

The Agony: A Multifunctional Office Credenza

From Beth: “Hi, Emily. I share a home office with my husband (and our dogs and cats), and while it’s functional enough, it’s kind of blah design-wise. I just got a beautiful side table from Anthropologie that is inspiring me. The pain point is finding a new credenza. I’d like something with drawers (ideally a file drawer), a shelf, and some closed cabinet space, with room on top for my cats to nap. It would go under the two windows and replace the piece that’s there now. If it’s big enough to hide the recycle bin and the paper shredder, all the better. The house has a modern eclectic vibe, and something with fluting or simple trim would be pretty. I’m open to wood or metal. Size-wise, roughly 60 inches wide, 25 inches high, and 18 inches deep would work. I’d like to spend less than $1,000.”

Hourglass Indoor/Outdoor Side Table

Above is the cute side table she bought and is inspired by! Beth has had a lot of things to consider so I get why this wasn’t a super easy search. I gave her 4 options that are all miraculously under budget! And since there’s some room in the budget, I also think an office chair-friendly rug would look great and elevate the space even more:) However, for now, let’s talk about these credenzas.

The Budget: $1000

1. Marc Espresso Wood And Natural Rattan Media Stand: Unfortunately, none of the credenzas I found had an actual filing cabinet, were pretty, and were within Beth’s budget. However, I LOVE the rattan on this one and there’s open and closed storage. Sadly no drawer but you can forgo one or two of the shelves (it has three sections) and just use file boxes. It’s also 3″ over the measurements she gave but if that’s not a dealbreaker I think it’s a great option.
2. Altavista 62.9” Wide 3 Drawer Sideboard: First off, you can beat that price, it also comes in white, has a ton of storage, and could maybe fit a paper shredder along with a file box. For the cons, zero open storage, would need to use file boxes, and it’s also 3″ over the asked for length.
3. Vladlena 58” Wide Sideboard: This one is drawerless, comes in a darker color, but does have open and closed storage. From my calculations, a standard-sized file box will fit in the cabinets. Also, this one is 2″ under the asked for length!
4. Wembley Medium TV Stand: This one is another winner for me! It is 8″ under the asked for length but is the deepest of the bunch at 16.77″. I also really love the base:)

The Agony: Overhead Lighting Pairing

From Ashley: “We live in a traditional 1959 ranch in the Midwest and are slowly but surely updating the house from its not-so-awesome 70s and 90s poor patch-ups. I’m finishing up our main living/dining space and am at a total impasse on light fixtures to suit the needs of a room that does both. The current only ceiling light is the old brass chandelier over the dining area and there is nary another light fixture in sight so we’ll be a pretty blank canvas. We have 8ft ceilings so I’m thinking we’ll have to go with a semi-flush mount in the living area and could get a little more dangly above the gorgeous 8 ft live edge dining table made by my father. OH EM GEE ASHLEY GET TO THE POINT. I’m looking for light fixtures that complement each other but aren’t part of a “set”, something in brass/black or both that isn’t super mod, more traditional/vintage even a little quirky. No California casual here in Missouri. We’re building a giant wall of built-ins too so there’s the possibility of some library lighting too.”

First off, Ashely, please send pics when the built-ins are done! As for lighting, definitely keep an eye out for cool and quirky lights at flea markets and vintage shops (which you might already be doing). That’s the easiest way to find something really unique and likely on the more affordable side! But I think I came up with three great combos that can at the very least give you some inspiration:)

The Budget: $1000-$1500

1. Mitzi Elsie Wide Aged Brass Pendant + Henry Flushmount: This combo is the most unique in my opinion! I love the shape of the long pendant but FYI it’s not super wide so I would test something similar out to see if playing with the scale works. Now, the semi-flush mount is so pretty and pretty big. With a floor and some table lamps (one could even be in the new shelving unit, I think this could provide enough light!
2. Maxim Lovell Wide Black 10-Light LED Pendant + Ray: I will always love this style of chandelier and this is a great price! I then thought if you wanted your flush mount to blend slightly in with the ceiling, this brass one is really beautiful. I know it’s pricier but I 100% stand by Schoolhouse’s quality. 10/10.
3. Thurston Wide Warm Brass 13-Light Pendant + Cadence Semi Flush Mount: Naturally, I love this one too. Both are going to provide a ton of light and the contrast in shapes will give you some serious visual interest.

P.S. Feel free to mix and match the combos! I think they are easily interchangeable:)

The Agony: Mix And Match Dining Chairs

From Crystal: “I need help picking two more dining chairs for our kitchen. We’ve been working on our house forever (and we have a little one) so please excuse the mess. I’ve always liked the idea of different dining chairs at the end of the table but I can’t figure out what would look good with the existing dining chairs and the counter stools I have. Our budget for this is around $1k for both chairs. Please help!”

Jess, here! I also love mixing dining chairs! It’s such an “easy” and quick way to add extra personality and texture. Also, I was kidding about the “easy” part…especially when you also have dining chairs and counter stool to consider. But I got the Emily and EHD team stamp of approval on these puppies so let’s get to it!

The Budget: $1000

1. Misses Chair: This chair brings in the leather of your stools and the wood and light tones of your dining chairs. Plus the shape is simple yet beautiful so it doesn’t compete with what you have:)
2. Amber Lewis for Anthropologie Caillen Dining Chair: The same idea as the first option but this shape is pretty darn special and very vintage-inspired. It’s over budget but I couldn’t help but to add it. It also has arms which is also nice:)
3. Addison Navy Dining Arm Chair with Flange: Personally, I love the idea of an upholstered chair in a bold but neutral color. It adds a ton of depth. Also, since it’s only two of them you don’t have to worry about kids because they can just sit in the rattan chairs. FYI, if you don’t have blue anywhere else in the room it might stick out a little too much.
4. Candace Vintage Acorn And Seagrass Dining Armchair: Textured, beautiful medium tone, and has arms. The trifecta!
5. Arno Black Wood Side Chair: So pretty and surprisingly affordable! I also love that the black calls to your stool’s legs.
6. Marla Dining Chair: I know that super light fabric is dicey with kids but it’s one of my favorite chairs and the leather calls to the stools…but also a little over budget.
7. Ida Dining Arm Chair (Set of 2): The same idea as number #5 but has a much more rounded shape that works with the chairs and stools.
8. Cylia Dining Chair (Set of 2): A classic for a reason and comfortable.
9. Landon Print Slipcover Dining Chair: Ok ,so if you like the idea of a slipcover chair but the blue was too dark, this is it. It’s light AND patterned (an added fun layer). More visual interest if you ask me:)

The Agony: Kids Shared Room Beds

From Emma: “I have two kids and I’m trying to figure out how to transition them into “big kid beds” and keep them sharing the same room. Their room is small (10 x 13 or so) and dark. I originally thought bunk beds, but they don’t seem to want them. Or one does and the other does not. So my question is: Can I fit two twin beds in here, and if so, how? The only thing I really want to keep in this room is the dresser (I think it is from West Elm). This daybed seems like a good idea but I’m not sure if it would be weird to have two in the same room. I got excited and bought them two of these twin duvet covers with pillowcases.

Question: Can I fit two twin beds in here? Budget: Flexible – maybe $3k on beds total? 

Bonus question: Should I swap the light fixture (currently a boob) to something cooler?”

Trundle Daybed | Duvet

Ok, so there was an update after this initial email:

Also From Emma: “Update: I measured and I can’t fit two twins in here in a reasonable way. Bunk beds it is! 
Now how to find something cool that gets the kids excited…”

Naturally, I switched gears and went on a fun bunk bed (all under budget!)…and a cute flush mount hunt:)

The Budget: $3000

1. Merax Twin Over Twin House Bunk Bed with Storage Stairway: What a dream! I had a bunk bed growing up that I loved but this would have been SO COOL. I also love that there are stairs and it’s not a ladder. Seems a little safer but I also had a ladder and am still here. Plus the stairs are also extra storage. Kids and parents alike can have their dreams come true!
2. Sarah Sherman Samuel Arches Bunk Bed: This bed is just super cool. And why?? Well, Sarah Sherman Samuel designed it. I also think that most kids fight over the top bunk so having the bottom bunk feel like a cool cave due to the arch can hopefully make everyone happy.
3. Mid-Century Twin Bunk Bed: I added this one because it looked like the bunk version of the daybeds Emma picked out that I also loved. It’s a total classic look that design-wise will last them a long time.
4. Milo Two-Tone Bunk Bed: More modern but still super cute and would look great with the duvets.
5. Nestfair Twin over Full House Bunk Bed with Built-in Ladder: So fun, way under budget, and whoever gets the bottom bunk gets a bigger bed! This is also great for sleepovers:)
6. Keystone Twin Gray Stairway Bunk Bed with Storage/Trundle Unit: You’ve got stairs, you’ve got storage, AND you’ve got a trundle bed. The gang’s all here!

Now onto flush mounts that will look great with the style and color palette Emma’s going for.

1. Avery 1 Light Small Flush Mount: It’s a pretty shade of pink but has a great classic shape. SO sweet.
2. Lily White Scalloped Fabric Pendant Lamp: The scalloped shape would look so cute with the duvets but is neutral so it doesn’t distract too much. Also, that price!
3. Paige 3 Light Flush Mount: I used the 9-light chandelier version in my friend’s bedroom makeover and it’s so beautiful in person. Unlike my friend, I tend to not go for floral detailing so I was surprised how much I truly loved it!
4. Natural Jute Woven Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Light: You know we love adding texture to a room and this affordable flush mount is organic and geometric. This one will easily transition with them as they get older.
5. Moxie 3 Light Flush Mount: A vintage-inspired BEAUT! I deeply love this one but I’m a sucker for this shade shape. It’s timeless.
6. Rattan Pendant: It’s so fun, brings in texture, and is under $100. A great option!

The Agony: Living Room Rug

From Jane: “The main thing that I would love help with the most is finding a rug! I’m in search of a 6 x 9 rug. I want something warm and neutral, and with just some minimal design element(s) to it. For reference/example, I love Emily’s new rug in their LR!  Also, like the rug in Emily’s BR…(was that maybe in their old living room at some point?)…neutral, and very subtle, but still a little something/definition to it. Ideally, the rug would be a little darker…like Emily‘s LR example… But if it was the right option in other ways, I could go for something lighter. I don’t have to think of the rug for sure looking good with this current couch… If it did though, that would be great/a bonus for the time being, and then I could really just replace the couch at my convenience in the future. I’ve literally been looking (off & on) for a rug for years (like 5). I have found some from time to time that I’ve liked, but then they’re either way out of my budget (ex: the 6 x 9 size of Emily‘s new LR rug is $2600), or an affordable option doesn’t come in the size that I need (instead only in 5×7 &/or 8×10). (This is a first-world problem, I know, and again I realize that I’m blessed to even have a home!) Once I choose a rug and figure out what way to go with the couch situation, then I plan on getting the chair reupholstered to go with the rest of the room. I would love it if I could find something that I really really like for $500! But if it’s awesome and I need to spend $700 or $800, I can. $1000 would be the ultimate maximum amount… And I would need to be so in love with it and feel certain that I am keeping it forever (bc really, yikes, that’s really more than I should spend).”

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

It was super helpful to have Em’s rug as a reference point! I really hope one of these rugs works out so you can start your journey in finishing your room. Rugs sadly tend to just be pricey for a decent pile height that also isn’t jute (one of Jane’s requests). With all that said let’s get to it!

The Budget: $1000

1. Crosshatch Ivory Micro Hooked Wool Rug: Neutral and has a soft pattern.
2. Plush Pile Striations Ivory: A little lighter, a bit more plush, and closer to the budget.
3. Viscose And Wool Modern Brown/Cream: This one is a warmer tone, has a subtle pattern, but is on the pricier side.
4. Lumini Easy Care Rug: This one is allll about texture! It’s also a great price point and comes in other colors if this light one is too intimidating! This one isn’t super thick so a rug pad would be a great way to plush things up:)
5. Niels Latte Woven Wool/Viscose Rug: Love that big texture!! And the color looks a little more forgiving which is never a bad thing.
6. CRUSH: $399?? Yes, please! This one also feels really similar to Em’s. We can also attest to Article’s quality:)

The Agony: A Goodlooking Recliner

From Marcie: “We are in the very early stage of designing a house. We had to make some sacrifices in size so my husband is giving up his only wish item, a pool table, but now he wants a recliner instead. Ugh! That means this recliner would need to be in our only living room space. He doesn’t like modern. I tried to convince him on a leather chair & ottoman, but he really wants a recliner. Are there any pretty ones out there?
I hope you can help.”

The Budget: $1000

Since Marcie and her husband are designing their house, I didn’t get a photo. But I think I came up with a few options that are a mix of traditional and modern. Fingers crossed because finding stylish affordable recliners sadly isn’t as easy as it should be.

1. Maxille Wide Faux Leather Manual Standard Recliner: Love the color and the wooden base frame base. Plus it still looks comfortable!
2. Freese Wide Genuine Leather Manual Recliner: This one is on the more traditional side but the lines are a little cleaner than say a roll arm. Also, the price is very right:)
3. Paxton Upholstered Recliner: Not sure how visible the metal base is but if a softer look is what you want this one could be a great option.

Rowland Leather High-Back Motion Recliner

In my search, I came across this one and fell in love. Sadly it’s about $2k over budget but it looks super soft and comfortable and doesn’t even look like a recliner. Just wanted to make sure the world knew this existed.

The Agony: A Dining Room Table

From Lauren: “We moved into our house in Atlanta back in January and we have been looking for a dining table ever since. We want something round but everything feels either too modern or too much like it belongs in a castle or a beach cottage. We considered a glass top table with a tree trunk base, but the one we found was SO heavy and also didn’t leave room for our legs. Here’s a picture of the space featuring a table used by the previous owners. I actually really love it but I haven’t been able to find anything similar. Help!”

The Budget: Up to $5000

1. Carmen Dining Table: This one is a similar shape but is all wooden which may or not be what you’re looking for.
2. Magnolia Home Belford Dining Table: Not sure about the overall style of your home but from the photo, this could be really pretty with room for your legs:) The base shape is super unique.
3. Cobain Dining Table: The love the angles of this guy! Organic but definitely modern.
4. Parq Oval Dining Table: This one feels the closest to the one in the photo in terms of the thickness of the top and the metal on the base.
5. Kanji Dining Table: Super pretty and light!
6. Rattan & Mahogany Dining Table: This may not work with your style at all but I wanted to through a wild card in here:) Could be great though if it works with what you have.

The Agony: Seating For A Narrow Walk-Through Living Room

From Kirsten: “A few photos are attached of my 10-year-old design dilemma. Our house is a 1957 ranch with a basement.  Kitchen/dining/seating area all in one long room. (Our living room is separate.)

Our wish…a cool and comfortable seating area where we can drink wine in front of the fire, and have guests sit and chat while I am cooking. The fireplace is huge & awesome. We’ve tried two chairs here, and it’s “meh.”  Thinking about tossing the chairs, old ottoman & super-old buffet & starting over.Rug is 100% temporary because our new puppy keeps having accidents. We have a blank slate & I can’t get a good design. I’m stuck!”

Jess here! This is a tough one. I even asked Em and the gang their opinion and they sympathized with Kirsten! We all agreed that a small, low-profile sofa with legs is the way to go. Here’s what we think could work.

P.S. She didn’t get back to me about a budget so I did my best to be reasonable!

The Budget: ??

1. Burrard Loveseat: Emily owns the sectional version and loves it. It’s comfortable and neutral so it doesn’t feel too overpowering visually. A great option.
2. Hargrove Sofa: We’re getting a lighter but this one is a but more traditional which would also look great.
3. Allisen Sofa: The lightest in color but has more of a modern feel. Plus the black metal legs would look great with your dining chairs.

1. Stripes: The broken stripe is a new classic that we LOVE and looks fresh without being too modern. This one is a light color so that’s something to consider with the pup and guests.
2. Buffalo Plaid Blue & Ivory Rug: It’s washable! And is a classic, classic pattern that I think will look will great with your other pieces.
3. Marrakesh Beige Ivory Rug: Another washable option! It is lighter but again, is washable and the pattern feels more modern.
4. Harlequin Trellis Natural Navy Re-Jute Rug: A mix of classic with a hint of modern, is great for high traffic and pups (as long as they don’t have light fur), and look at that price!
5. Tufted Rug: Also a great price and would add a bit of an organic feel to the room.
6. Ledges Digital Floral Print Distressed Persian Rug: You can’t beat this price and feels similar to what you have (and probably like).

The Agony: Empty Wall

From Natalie: “This wall has never had anything on it! What should I do here? I could use lighting at night but really need to just. Do. Something.”

It’s Jess again! This is the age-old design question and there are so many options that it can feel overwhelming. But for her $500 budget, I think I came up with some good options.

The Budget: $500

1. Picture Light + Layered Paper Diptych: I really love how simple this is and that art is soooo pretty! I think for this space and with what you already own, choosing art that isn’t heavily detailed is key. There is already a lot of great pattern in the rug and chairs so choosing art to contrast them is important for the eye to be happy. Then if you want lights these affordable picture lights are a great option! My only concern with a diptyque is that it might feel too same-same with the two chairs under them…
2. Picture Light + Blue Abstract Triptych Framed Canvas Wall Art: …so here’s a triptyque! The price is right for the art and here is another picture light option, but they would push you a little beyond your budget.
3. Arched Wall Mirror + Woven Poster + Abstract Seascape Framed Canvas + Sconce Reflector Lamp + Wall Shelf: I love a picture ledge so that you can easily change your art without worrying about making too many holes. A mirror is great for making a space bigger and brighter, the large canvas color palette would look great in your room, and the smaller piece has a smaller scale pattern while staying with the color palette. Balance! Then for some added light, this is a great plug-in sconce that Sara also has in her home🙂

The Agony: Entry Storage

From Grace: “Can you and the EHD team help select some stylish coat and shoe storage for the tiny little corner of our kitchen where we enter our home every day? The small room up the step is our laundry room and every inch of that is needed for laundry, cleaning supplies, recycling bins, etc. You can see we have a few coats that we hang on hooks on the back of the door in the laundry room, but we need more space for hanging coats! We have a three-year-old and a nine-month-old, so that’s four of us who need a place to stash coats and shoes near the door. We use the blue cupboard on the left somewhat regularly so we can’t have anything that would interfere with opening those doors. 
I love this rail with hooks, and am wondering whether it would be too much to have one at adult level and another at a kid level (and also shoes below that!?) This one is also cool, but maybe bigger and busier so would need to take down the clock. Last, this one is not quite as pretty as the first but it’s way more practical with so many more hooks! Maybe you’ve got something even better? Also, got any prettier ideas for shoe storage?”

Jess again:) First off, I can’t get over how sweet this room is! Look at that built-in, that door. All so wonderful.

Look that the outside door color is green! However, no matter the cuteness of a home, it doesn’t guarantee a usable entry. That’s where hopefully I can help.

The Budget: $300

Ok, to start us off I wanted to show you all what she linked up in her email.

1. Lusso Hook Rack: She loves this one but is worried that it might be too much visually to have two – one for adults and a lower one for kids. I think it would look great. I did look at the reviews and they did make me hesitate. But she can always try them out if she really loves them, right?
2. Iron Double Hook Rack: I think this one would be great and looks the most durable which is not to be discounted:)
3. Rattan Coat Hanger Rack: She loves the look of this one but worries it’s too busy and I think if you want two of them I agree that they might be. But they are so cute!

These next three are my picks:

1. Amber Lewis for Anthropologie Hook Rack: I love love this one and my heart made me add it. It is big and busy so I only recommend it if you decide to only use one. Plus it takes up the whole budget…
2. Weston Indoor/Outdoor Hook Rack: This one is for indoor/outdoor so it’s made to be durable and I love the modern traditional style.
3. French Large Coat Rack: For a vintage-looking home like this one I had to recommend a vintage coat rack and I love these. If you’re ok with them not matching there are some deals to be had!

Now a basket may not work for your family but I love my shoe bin and I know that Emily is SUPER pro shoe basket. Here are some big ones:

1. Rattan Trunk: This one is big and has a lid! But if a lid is annoying then it can easily be removed.
2. Safi Low Rectangular Basket: A lighter-toned but pretty and tall basket. Love the braided detail.
3. Rattan Rectangle Basket: Still a great size and at a great price.

Y’all! We made it to the end!! Let me say again that I am so sorry I couldn’t give suggestions to everyone that submitted. We are always so grateful for you and maybe we can do another one of these soon. Hopefully, this was helpful for more than just the people I answered today. It was a really fun challenge! Have great rest of your day.

Love you, mean it.

The post Design Agony Is Back! But This Time It’s All About Picking Out The Right Decor For Your Room appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Our Front Door Reveal – On Choosing The Right Color + What It Did To My Psyche AND Our Curb Appeal

First Farmhouse reveal, y’all. And I really, really needed it. Seeing one corner, one small “moment”, totally finished is wildly satisfying even if it’s just a literal door (and surrounding area). All hail the power of a great paint color (thank First Farmhouse reveal, y’all. And I really, really needed it. Seeing one corner, one small “moment,” totally finished is wildly satisfying even if it’s just a literal door (and surrounding area). All hail the power of a great paint color (thank you, Sherwin-Williams). So today I’ll walk you through the front door color decision-making process and you’ll see what we landed on (I was scared and feared some regret, but now I’m SO HAPPY).

To recap – we wanted to keep the original door because it was beautiful. We thought first about stripping and staining it, but it was in such bad shape (cracks, holes, missing moldings, new lock placements, etc.) that the restoration of it would have been very extensive (read: expensive). And we were at the “maybe-let’s-stop-spending-money-dear-god” phase of the project, so we said we’d patch and paint: DONE. But choosing a front door color is HARD! What vibe do you want? What do you want people to think and feel when they drive/walk up? More importantly, how do YOU want to feel when you drive up after a long day and see the first glimpse of your home??? It’s the first impression rose (spoiler) and really sets the tone for what you might find inside.

Here are the facts:

1. We were painting the house Pure White SW 7005 which we LOVE, with a light gray trim color, Online SW 7072, that works really well with the steel blue exterior door color (aluminum clad, not painted). So we felt that we probably had enough blue/gray (I don’t totally agree with this, but sure, fine).

2. Brian was super pro-red door and I mean, I LOVE red (our LA house had a red door and the kids were also team “red”). I wondered if we should do something bolder so I snagged a lot of samples from Sherwin-Williams – both in their little free paint chips and their peel & stick samples (which you can order here). I was even open to bright yellow or an almost black green. As you know, I like to weigh a lot of options and honestly am open to many different types of vibes. The options I was thinking of were black (classic!), yellow (so happy!), dark green (happy but more “Oregon), or even blush beige (their 2023 Color of the Year is so beautiful, Redend Point SW 9081).
3. However, throughout this design process I’m constantly being reminded that Brian likes more traditional and leans even “sweet.” I think it’s mostly because of the farmhouse that he grew up in (classic red barn, white house with black shutters) that every time I try to push him into a more current or trendy look he resists. He wants “classic,” and he really thinks that a red door is what this house and property wanted.

Great! I can go there. He quickly got me on “team red,” but that’s not where the debate ended obviously. WHICH RED DO WE CHOOSE, BRIAN HENDERSON??

We went round and round on this. He wanted a bright red, and I agreed but offered this advice – too bright might be annoying to look at and a darker red will read as “bright” even though it’s darker than some other reds. Anne and Sarah were both there agreeing with him, but I kept pushing back to get a darker red (that is still a red). So we ordered a ton of different great red samples from Sherwin-Williams.

Time To Stare At Red Paint Samples For 3 Days:

We ordered the sticker samples of a lot of reds and stuck them to the door. So easy and useful.

I did a LOT of staring and debating, but I wasn’t terribly stressed out because if we got it wrong it would likely just be a quick coat on top to darken.

We ended up choosing Poinsettia SW 6594 by Sherwin-Williams, but Tanager SW 6601 was a close second and checked the box. Done. Chosen. We agree. Great!

My Reaction At First Look

Then a couple of weeks later the painters painted it and it looked like this:

My first reaction was “horror movie, cool it’s a horror house,” but Brian reminded me that A. That was just one coat and B. Obviously they over-sprayed intentionally which contributed to the terrifying look, and C. The rest of the house isn’t done! Just wait! So I did, but I was already planning the repaint in my mind… It was a great red, but was it too much for me????

Next up they finished the body and casing colors – again Pure White SW 7005 and Online SW 7072 both by Sherwin-Williams.

We rounded the corner of the driveway that day and both gasped. We were so delighted with the body and casing colors (so bright, classic, and happy!), but we both immediately said that we didn’t like the red with the gray casing color. I couldn’t totally figure out why, but it’s like the red made the Online color (which is a gray) look even grayer and just kinda flat. Maybe it’s because they are both two mid-tones and the Online would have been fine with a really dark color. Either way, we both had the same “meh” reaction. But the casing was the same throughout the entire house! On every window and door! You can’t just have a different door casing color for your front door, can you??? So I asked ARCIFORM and they said “of course you can, we do it all the time,” and the next day my painters painted the casing around the door the same color as the walls, Pure White. I was afraid that it would look like we forgot to paint the casing but y’all, as you can see for yourself, it looks AMAZING (see below). I freaked out for no reason and while I would say “lesson learned” the truth is that freaking out and self-doubt are often just part of the creative process. I guess what I did learn is sometimes just let it play out and don’t let your initial doubt and fear takeover. YET.

The Final Painted Red Door And How We Feel

We ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. It’s bright and happy, classic and timeless, and injects so much joy into our front porch (and lives). After I styled it out, I looked back at it and almost cried. Not everything has turned out as good as I had hoped, but this area turned out so much better than I thought.

I’m incredibly happy every single time I see this door. That’s what red does – it’s a jolt of joy! And the right red, in this case, Poinsettia SW 6594, is REALLY really good. We shot it first with that wreath which can’t help but lean a little holiday (I’m ready, are you ready?) so we took it off for the rest of the shots, but how sweet is that door? The rest of the house is an absolute dust-barren construction zone, but this front porch is my little glimmer of hope. We actually hung the hanging porch swing right next to it the following week and I can’t wait to show you how it all looks together.

We chose a semi-gloss finish for durability and boy, it just POPS. I read somewhere after we painted, that a red front door means you’ve paid off the house, which is a really hilarious joke, but to me, it means “Welcome! Come on in and be ready for some fun family time.”

Pots (Local Nursery) | Glad You’re Here Coir Doormat | Plaid Doormat | Sconce | Wall Paint | Door Paint

I went to the local nursery and snagged these pretty pots and plants (one Crate Mrytle that I’m going to have to move to more sun and one Camelia tree that will stay here – I love those winter blooms). The welcome mats are both Target (HOT TIP – if you have a big front door just layer a classic mat over an indoor/outdoor rug), and the copper sconce is of course Rejuvenation.

Door Lock | Doorbell

We Are So VERY VERY Happy!!!

Maybe a red door won’t work on every color of home, but on this classic white house it feels incredibly natural, like it was always meant to be red. When I told Brian he was right, he gave me the satisfied but sweet “I told you so” look, and instead of me reminding him that I pushed us to the darker red – the ones he wanted would have seemed almost florescent red they were so bright) I just said “Yep! You were right – we are indeed ‘red door people.'”

*Photos by Kaitlin Green
**Sponsored by Sherwin-Williams

The post Our Front Door Reveal – On Choosing The Right Color + What It Did To My Psyche AND Our Curb Appeal appeared first on Emily Henderson.