Emily Henderson's Blog, page 12

How We Made Vintage-Inspired Corbels For The Outdoor Kitchen Gazebo

As I was designing this “kitchen gazebo,” I found almost no inspiration that looked and functioned like I wanted ours to look/feel. They were mostly big boxy McMansion-looking Texas-style structures or hexagonal sweet old timey gazebos, but I found almost no images of rectangular covered structures that looked charming and pretty. So I knew that it would have to be done in the details – i.e., custom rafter tails, or in today’s case, vintage-inspired corbels.

A corbel is a structural and decorative bracket that connects the beams to the posts in the corners, creating a stronger structure and, for me, softening the harshness of the strong lines. It was a perfect opportunity to add some sweet charm and make this structure less boxy.

The Original Corbels On The Covered Walkway

I got the idea for them from our very own covered walkway that had corbels between each post and beam, as you can see above. I loved the sweet scrollwork and wanted to mimic that, but bigger for the gazebo (we also had four small ones leftover from the part of the walkway that didn’t make it that we put on the island – I’ll show you later).

Time To Shop…

So I went down to Aurora Mills, my favorite architectural salvage place, 1/2 hour outside of Portland, and shopped. My hope was to get 8 large corbels that matched, but of course, we had specific dimensions we had to stay within, and obviously, stylistically, I had my dream corbel in mind. I knew it would be a shot in the dark, but I didn’t know where else to start. If nothing else, I’d come back with some inspiration and firmer ideas.

Aurora Mills had a ton of antique corbels, saved from vintage Victorian houses. It was super inspiring, and I got to really dig into their whole inventory to see if I could make anything work.

I collected every single option that would fit size-wise (we needed them to be at least 4-5″ thick, at least 11″ deep, and the height had some flexibility, but the structure was big, so I was hoping for a 12×16-sized corbel. I was obsessed with all these carved out details – we just don’t do this anymore (OR – spoiler – DO WE???? :))

We tried hard to find four that matched and couldn’t. Then we were like, what if we found some that were close enough and when painted, would work together? Could 8 different corbels, all painted white, look charming and eclectic? Or just really amateur?

I also took note of other architectural design elements that I liked – this is the best thing about shopping vintage, you are forced out of a box because you are beholden to what is available.

I LOVED the floral design on this salvaged piece of gingerbread, and tried to make it work a few different places on the property.

I LOVED the one on the left, with that sweet and simple little cut out and there were a few that were similar to it, but they were in pretty bad shape, meaning they would need repair on their own before they were even painted (this kind of work can cost a lot of money in my experience). The simpler brackets on the right were strong (and there were tons of them), so we even thought about combining the two – see below.

I think the (desperate) thought here was to buy vintage/reclaimed, do something creative to make it work by taking the floral cutout and pasting it inside the simpler bracket. This is where you start realizing that you are complicating your life so much just to use something vintage (I’ve done this MANY times, with varying degrees of success/failure). We still brought them all to our house to check them out (Aurora Mills knows me and let me borrow them for a day). I LOVED how it looked, and that’s when I made the smart (albeit more expensive) decision to hire a local maker to make 8 new ones, based on the vintage design.

Purl To The Rescue!

I called my friend/frequent collaborator Purl (follow @total_nonsequitur) and asked him if he could make these custom corbels. He is just one of those talented makers and artists who can figure out anything and loves the challenge (he made my coffee table, my huge paint brush and pencil, my sofa table, and I have so many of his paintings). I showed him a picture of the corbel and gave him the dimensions to make sure it was all doable before he came over. Then he popped by and we went over it – in a perfect world, we would have eight large ones and four small ones, the large ones being on the main posts and the small ones on the overhang.

It was a big ask – that’s 12 custom corbels, two different designs that all had to look good with each other. I wasn’t looking for a new design, though; I really just wanted that simple floral Scandi corbel replicated. So he brought that back and used it as a template to create a new one.

Purl shopped for and used reclaimed wood (both for cost purposes and the make it look a bit less polished/perfect/new). He created the cut-out design with a special tool for both ends, then stacked wood in between to add the thickness that we needed.

I was so excited as he sent me photo after photo. I approved them, he dropped them off (this was while I was in Belize), and my brother started hanging them.

In a perfect world, they would have been done in time to paint, but we had to stick to a schedule, so our painter painted the structure and planned to come back to paint these separately.

I think he used massive screws to scre them in? Not totally sure. All I know is that I came back from Belize, and it looked like this:

I was THRILLED!!!! They looked SO GOOD. Once painted white, they looked sweet and pretty, but not too fussy. They actually scaled down the gazebo in my mind, softening the lines. Next up were the smaller ones to go on those ends – we had waited to start them, unsure that we 100% needed them, but once these 8 were up, I really wanted the final four small ones to make those corners even softer. I just LOVED the vibe it was creating and wanted more.

I gave Purl the creative control to make the smaller ones however he wanted to work with the larger ones – he knows more about the process of making them and what would actually work based on his learnings on the larger ones (without needing to buy new equipment or experiment more).

Here you can see how they all look together (and you can even look closely to see our vintage small corbels holding up the island countertop). I LOVE how they look so much.

Purl did such an incredible job at making them look original and vintage – they are scaled perfectly to the gazebo and definitely soften all the rectangular lines. And then yes, my brother painted the glued the old covered walkway corbels onto the island to make it look like it’s holding up the countertops. It’s a sweet little detail that I love a lot.

And that’s the story of our custom corbels. If you are wondering how much they cost, I think I paid Purl $2,900 for all 12 of them (including materials and labor). It’s not nothing, but felt fair for the amount of time and talent that went into making these custom. By the way, I looked online a lot before and found some pretty great vintage-inspired dupes on Etsy (that were around $400 each, so not that much less), but they weren’t as sweet as ours, no cut-out flower. The only thing I regret is not paying the dough to do custom rafter tails (the part of the roofline that juts out that you can see from this angle). We did them throughout our house, but it’s a substantial cost (about $1k each), so we didn’t do it> But if I could snap my fingers, those ends would also be softened by a carved out curve.

More To Come…

We still need to hang our pendants that didn’t come in til a week after we had to shoot. We have big 20″ copper ladies from Rejuvenation that are rad and going to be hung pretty high, so you see them but still have a sense of airiness and space. For now, the string lights provide enough light, but the pendants will look so pretty. Additionally, we might add heaters to extend our time out here by months on either end of summer, and we might have to add gutters (but really hoping not to have to spend the money). Oh, and we did buy the big custom island cover that RTA makes for each – it’s a big U-shaped cover (in addition to grill covers) that you can put on the entire thing all winter long. xx

*Pretty Photos by Kailtin Green

The post How We Made Vintage-Inspired Corbels For The Outdoor Kitchen Gazebo appeared first on Emily Henderson.

You Asked, We Delivered: 21 Reclining Chairs That Don’t *Look* Like Recliners

The year was 2017: Beyoncé announced her pregnancy with her twins with great fanfare. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged. Millions of people participated in Women’s Marches worldwide, protesting the election of Donald Trump and advocating for women’s rights. Emily Henderson rounded up good-looking recliner chairs.

Well, eight years later, Sir and Rumi Carter are now 7 years old, Meghan and Harry have since divorced themselves from their lives in England, we’re still somehow in exactly the same place (actually, worse) politically speaking in this country, and now I’m rounding up good-looking recliner chairs…again. So much has changed. So little has changed.

This post is actually in response to reader Susan (and Karine), who requested a recliner chair roundup on the heels of my recent recliner sofa roundup. It was only then that I saw it had been close to a decade since beautiful recliners graced this blog.

“Wart” recliners have graced taken up space (so.much.space) in our living rooms for decades, but I promise, there is a better way. We are in 2025: there are options, friends.

Here’s what Emily wrote in her original post, which makes me chuckle:

“In life we have the golden rule, ‘treat others how you would like to be treated.’ In design, we have another rule ‘whatever you do, DO NOT put a comfy albiet disgusting recliner anywhere in the house.’ The recliner, although one of the most comfortable pieces of furniture on the market, has seen some pretty perilous days when it comes to design. Typically, they involve bad fabric, overstuffed curves, and a ,too-large, scale for anyone’s living room. But, my friends, it is 2017 and the recliner has come a long way from the terrible versions of decades past.”

Let us review the type of recliner chairs we may all be used to seeing:

Clockwise from top right: Wayfair | Amazon | Home Depot | Living Spaces

Look, if you have something similar to the above in your home right now, I need you to understand something: This post is not meant to judge you. I bet that’s the most freaking comfortable chair in the world. Rip Van Winkle likely slept for 20 years because of one of these things. My dad had something similar in a tan leather when I was growing up, and yes, I often lounged back in one of those things to watch my “Degrassi: The Next Generation” marathons.

But if what you’re looking for is the functionality of leaning back and putting your legs up (not commanding a pillow rocketship to space), things like this exist now:

Clockwise from top right: France & Son | Rejuvenation | West Elm | West Elm

Chairs with a more refined design like this can fit much better into your living spaces without sticking out like a guest wearing a red gown at a wedding. They actually resemble, well, chairs, which should maybe be the target for most furniture, yeah? To look like…what it’s supposed to be.

Trust me that I understand that reclining chairs are often medically necessary. My father underwent numerous health issues a few years ago, and needed a reclining chair to help with swelling in his legs. That need was one of the things that ignited my desire to give them the first floor of their townhome a makeover. Luckily, Article had a nice-looking option for a great price that worked well for my dad’s needs, was comfortable, and, while yes, it was a bit larger than I originally thought it would be, it visually fit into their new living room aesthetic. See below:

This one was manual, operating by simply leaning back, but there are, of course, power motion recliners on the market right now. Keep in mind that while manual recliners like the one from Article will cost you from around $500 to $1,200 depending on build quality, brand and materials, something you plug in with some more reclining bells and whistles can be upwards of $3,000 in fabric and between $1,800 and $4,000 for leather. Yes, for a single chair; not an entire sofa.

In my reclining sofas article, I laid out a few Good to Knows with regards to purchasing reclining furniture, so I’ll go ahead and repeat that here again:

Reclining Sofa FAQsThey are far more expensive than a traditional non-reclining chair. I covered this just now, but yes, they are pricey. While you may find some for just a few hundred dollars, as I did in the roundup below, keep in mind that the longevity and quality of it likely isn’t top-notch. Keep your eye on the reviews and any warranty information for lower-priced chairs.Most are electric now and need a power source, meaning, you’re going to need to have an outlet available. If you’re used to floating your chairs in the middle of your room, I hope you have a floor outlet.Are you one of those people in #2 who float your chairs? Well, a lot of them aren’t the prettiest from behind so you’ll want to be aware of that.Read the product description closely to find out if it’s manual or power motion because both exist. You definitely don’t want to drop a few thousand on a chair, thinking it’s one thing, and it ends up not being what you expected.Again, read closely to see if just the footrests come up or if it also reclines. Be mindful of what you’re looking for compared to what you’re buying.Check the warranty because they malfunction/break. Anything with a button simply does not last as long as something manual. It’s a tale as old as time. Buy an extended warranty if you can.Make sure you have the clearance for both the fully extended footrest and the fully reclined back, because these babies are BIG and DEEP.They’re mostly sold in just a few neutral colors like white, cream, and gray. A few retailers will give you more custom fabric options, but those are likely much pricier.

Now that that’s been cleared up, let’s do some window shopping. Please keep in mind that this is purely a roundup of aesthetically pleasing furniture pieces, and we have not tested these out personally. That would be a very different story, and while I love doing things like that, it can be incredibly time-consuming and expensive with furniture. We’ve long done roundups like these to help you see, at a glance, what’s out there and what we personally “approve” in terms of style. I do stay mindful of reviews and try not to include anything from stores I know are outright crap (note: I know there are mixed feelings about West Elm because they do not post reviews, which feels kind of shady, yes. Proceed with caution).

First up, fabric options:

Our Favorite Fabric Reclining Chairs

1. Better Homes & Gardens Reading Push Back Recliner, Cream | 2. Bedford Recliner | 3. Carise Recliner | 4. Pembroke Swivel Recliner | 5. Kennedy Cream Power Recliner with USB – Wallaway | 6. Luxe Recliner Chair | 7. Inez Recliner | 8. Ekolsund Recliner, Gunnared Light Brown-Pink | 9. Ellow 28.5″ Reclining Lounge Chair – Lennox Blue | 10. Leisure Power Recliner Accent Chair | 11. Chase Power Recliner | 12. Jodie Wing Recliner

I was pleasantly surprised with the fabric, color, pattern, and silhouette variation on fabric recliner chairs out there right now. For instance, that plaid on #2 and the cute floral block print on #4! I’m very into the wood arm detailing on the Carise recliner (#3), and take note, you can customize that one pretty extensively (plus, it’s on sale right now—the price listed is the standard non-sale price). The shape of #7 is really unexpected with the fully upholstered arm and frames, and I could have bet at least $20 that it was not, indeed, a recliner. As for #1, I don’t normally include Walmart picks (for many reasons), but I did happen to find this one for under $300 and wanted to include it for anyone wanting something in a more entry-level range. Oh, and #9 is the same chair I got my dad from Article, but just in blue.

Our Favorite Leather Recliners

1. 26″ Wide Bauhaus Mid Century Waxed Leather Push Back Recliner | 2. Raye Motion Leather Swivel Recliner | 3. Harris Leather Power Recliner | 4. Rowland Leather High-Back Motion Recliner | 5. Thorp Leather Power Recliner Chair | 6. Auren Recliner | 7. Miller Power Recliner Accent Chair – Sonoma Butterscotch | 8. Domingo Leather Reclining Accent Chair with Wood Frame | 9. Milton Large Power Recliner

What would a recliner roundup be without some leather options? It would be incomplete, that’s what. The hide versions tended to be blockier than the fabric ones, that’s for sure, but I am a fan of a streamlined, contemporary chair (and sofa) these days. Some exceptions: The rounded Raye chair from RH (#2), the more sleek manual push-back Domingo from Crate & Barrel (#8). Room & Board offers their Milton power recliner in three sizes (#9), which is nice depending on your room and even body size needs. For French seam lovers, Arhaus includes the detail in their Rowland leather high-back motion recliner (#4). And for anyone who needs something less bulky, check out #5, Rejuvenation’s Thorp (it comes in beautiful leather colors like dark greens and blues), as well as France & Son’s Auren (#6) and Miller (#7).

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There you have it! 21 great-looking recliner chairs any designer or design-minded person would likely sign off on (if you’re after that sort of thing, but you’re here, so I’m guessing that you are). As always, thanks for being here and taking the time to read.

Until next time, friends…

Opening Image Credits: Design by Ginny Macdonald | Photo by Zeke Ruelas | From: Ginny’s Living Room Reveal

The post You Asked, We Delivered: 21 Reclining Chairs That Don’t *Look* Like Recliners appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Design Coaching Chrissy & Pete: A Mini Demo Update And OFFICIAL Kitchen Layout

Gretch here, signing on to give you a project update! A few weeks ago we kicked off a new design coaching series and introduced you to our starting line-up (Chrissy & Pete). If this doesn’t ring a bell, hop on over to the intro post where we break it all down. But for a quick memory-jogger, Chrissy and Pete are renovating their builder-grade kitchen, all while juggling a tricky layout, tight budget, tighter timeline, and oh yeah, three kids under three!

Since our last post, Chrissy and Pete have officially finalized their layout, purchasing all of their IKEA cabinetry, and have even begun some light demolition to get things rolling. It’s all happening!

Many of you shared some great layout suggestions on the last post, and we think you’ll be pleased to see where C+P landed. A few of you also asked for some floor plans of the space to better understand the layout and the vision. So let us deliver! As a refresher, here’s where we last left off with the kitchen:

Their biggest concern was the lack of storage space and the need to adjust the dysfunctional layout, considering how the new one should connect with the rest of the open floor plan. And that weird, angled ’90s island? Yeah, it just all needed a refresh.

Picture yourself standing where it says “Old Floor Plan”, looking into the kitchen from the dining/living areas (like the shot above). Straight back is a hallway that leads to their garage, with a very small powder bath to the right and a laundry closet to the left. The angled wall opens up to a den, and the hallway next to that loops around the stairs and back over to the living/dining. There’s a small wall across the island with a pantry door to access storage under the stairs.

In the new layout, everything is much more streamlined. The main wall of cabinets to the left straightens out, with the bathroom wall bumping out about a foot to sit in line with the short wall across it (adding more space to the tiny powder bath–WIN). The window is replaced and centered on the new sink, and the island is updated to a better shape with more storage and shifted to be more central in the room. The biggest change happens at the old pantry wall, where Chrissy and Pete have decided to put their fridge and oven/microwave, moving the access door to the hallway.

On our recent drop-in, we were pleased to see that Pete had already made some demolition headway, removing the pantry door and walling it off to prepare for the incoming cabinetry. While there, Emily also had a chance to help…hold their littlest, Birdie (sound familiar??) while we talked about next steps. With 3 under 3, someone has to hold the baby while someone else holds the hammer–and Em will always volunteer

Pete also knocked out a new entrance to the pantry space, and Chrissy found an inexpensive place in town that will customize a reclaimed door to fit the new angled opening in the hallway. For now, this will stay as their pantry space, but they have ideas about turning the laundry closet into a more robust pantry zone once they eventually shift the laundry room upstairs (but one remodel at a time).

This is their new kitchen taking shape in IKEA’s space planning tool. I added the openings to the garage hallway and den in the back, but hopefully you get the gist! Yes, they’ve purchased all the cabinets, and no, there are no uppers going on the main wall.

Changing up our viewing orientation 90 degrees counter-clockwise, here’s the current view of the “main wall” of cabinets. The new cabinets will still cap off where the ceiling height changes as you step into the dining/living areas.

The New Kitchen Layout

And here’s that new floor plan view, this time with labels! There’s room for all the necessary appliances, plenty of counter space, and the flow just feels SO MUCH better.

The Kitchen Island

This is the back side and cooktop side of their new island, where Chrissy has also started playing with hardware. As you can see, tons of storage! She is still planning for an overhang on the short end of the island near the garage entrance for a couple of barstools.

These are the elevations for the new “main kitchen wall” and what was once the “pantry wall” but is now the “fridge and oven wall”. Again, tons of thoughtfully planned storage and some panel-ready appliances on the main wall. Unfortunately, the panel-ready fridge IKEA sells felt way too small for their family, so they opted for a larger, stainless steel French door model instead. This was part of the reason they wanted to give the fridge/oven space its own wall, so the main wall could stay more of a feature.

And here’s that feature wall digitally imagined–Chrissy spent some time mocking up how she envisions this area, complete with floating shelves and some drop-dead gorgeous zellige tile from Ann Sacks. We love it! This isn’t exactly final–the tile may not be within their budget, and the shelves are a bit TBD (two shelves? three? how long? store-bought or custom?). But how awesome is that tile layout?

Here, Emily and Chrissy are looking at some samples. Chrissy fell in love with the Pearl Gray Idris Field tile, and is going to try and find a way to make it work. We don’t blame her. It’s awesome.

At first, we were a little worried it might feel too dark with the already dark blue IKEA cabinets, but seeing the samples in person changed our minds. The tile is lighter than we were expecting, but still so rich in color, and the finish reflects the light really well. If they can squeeze it out of their budget, it’s going to be so awesome!

One thing they did already squeeze out of the budget was this stone. A beautiful quartz slab, “Enigma”.

So, countertops? Check. Cabinets? Double check (they’re all on site, and next up after a much larger round of demo). Pete has big tear-down plans to keep the project rolling. We’re excited to check back soon to see how they’re faring. It can be tricky to find “the right time” to demolish such a functional part of your home, especially with three little ones, but they intend to move FAST! And we believe in them!

Other design thoughts on the horizon involve hardware, fixtures, and lighting. Chrissy is leaning toward the Archie line from Rejuvenation in polished nickel. She’s also picked out a beautiful sink and faucet from Kohler–the ever-so-functional Riverby and beautiful Edalyn. The lighting is proving to be tricky and expensive. These can lights are just not cutting it, but swapping them for flush mounts will quickly add up. Chrissy is shopping around for better options, but is coming to terms with the lighting not being perfect if it means her tile backsplash could be.

And if you’ve been following along since the first post, you’ll know that a dining banquette is still on the table! Pun intended. For now, Chrissy and Pete are really dedicating their attention to the kitchen area first, but still have big banquette plans once phase one is complete. So stay tuned for that and many more fun updates to follow! Personally, I can’t wait to see it all gutted real soon.

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EHD Design Rescue: We Help 4 Readers Stuck On Design Choices Finish Their Room

When you’re feeling stuck with just about anything in life or work, it’s nice to tap someone’s shoulder and say, “Hey, can you take a look at this and let me know what I should do next?” Right? Part of working for myself, at home alone, has me missing that lifeline. I can’t tell you how many times Jess and I would spin our chairs toward each other to ask that very question when we worked in the same office many years ago.

SO, if that’s helpful in a professional or even personal capacity, I thought: People probably need this in their decorating, too. We put out a prompt to the EHD universe on Instagram and in The Link Up to have you guys send in images of any rooms in your house you couldn’t quite complete so we could help you take it all the way. Maybe you needed a new rug and felt analysis paralysis from the options out there. Maybe your curtains have always bugged you, but you were having trouble nailing what should replace them. Consider me “the closer,” because I’m about to get a handful of readers to the decorating finish line. Let’s do this.

Bigger, Bolder, Better

From the reader: “I need a new rug for my space. Bigger? Brighter? Also need a chair (or 2) in front of this window. Would love some help.” – Caitlin

Reader Caitlin was nothing if not concise in her request for help with her living space pictured below. When I first saw it, I thought, “What a cool, mid-century space!” The fireplace, the beautiful window frames, it has great bones. But admittedly, that rug isn’t quite right. It’s not oriented in the correct direction (it needs to spin 90 degrees), and it makes the large space feel unbalanced between one sofa is fully on the rug, and the other just has its legs on it.

I also think this is opportunity to do something a bit more graphic or punchy, leaning into the more modern vibes of the room and furniture. The vintage-inspired print is lovely, but perhaps there’s a better option. The reader seems to think it could be brighter and bigger; I’ll agree with the bigger for sure. I didn’t get dimensions from them, but I can only guess this is roughly an 8×10 rug. There’s a chance it’s a 9×12 but it’s hard to tell. At minimum, this room would completely transform with a 10×14 rug. I’d love to see ALL the furniture fully on the rug, and again, the rug parallel to the fireplace, rather than perpendictural. It would fix some of the asymetrical things going on here.

Reader Caitlin also mentioned two chairs by the window, though I’m not sure which window she means or how much space is really there, so I’m not actually going to recommend any. While I love a facing sofa layout, I could also see the sofas being set up in an L-shape facing the fireplace. It just depends what’s on the other side of this room.

As for the rugs, I pulled options in two categories: more graphic or punchy (below) and something more neutral, which could also be nice to let the beautiful wood really sing.

1. Anni Flatweave Wool Rug by Nina Freudenberger | 2. Milord Hand-Knotted Rug | 3. Melrose Checked Rug | 4. Pasadena PAS-01 Midnight Handmade Area Rug by Loloi Rugs

I have long loved the Anni rug from Lulu & Georgia, and think the color story of it could be a very cool monotone look as the tones are similar to the leather sofas, and even the pink stone around the fireplace. For a less graphic option, I pulled this darker red rug (#3) for a tone-on-tone look. On the flip side of that, a block print-like floral rug in green and burgundy would add a nice additional layer to the simple color palette she already has going on. Another option is a large, cool solid blue rug, which would feel decidedly more ’70s/now than the vintage-inspired rug.

1. Dawn Ombre Wool Rug | 2. Marrin Hand-Knotted Ivory Wool Area Rug | 3. Greenwich GRN-01 Sage Wool/Cotton Handwoven Area Rug by Jeremiah Brent x Loloi

Neutral doesn’t have to mean dull. I can’t help but try to bring in tans and pinks into the rug here, which is funny because when I first saw the room, I thought it needed more contrast; this is not that. Then I found a few images I loved in my Instagram bookmarks that were a soft, monotone palette like this and I gasped, which is why I think the Dawn Ombre rug would be absolutely gorgeous in here. I’d change out the throw pillows to better align with the style and colors in this rug, though. In a very “Brady Tolbert” move (who famously loves rich neutrals), I offered up a cream rug which would, in fact, add contrast and a lightness to the living area. I love the subtle details of some of the darker moments in it, so it’s not just a plain beige rug.

And lastly, this dark green rug feels very neutral to me, so I’m including it in this section. It’s by Jeremiah Brant for Loloi, and the organic grid keeps it interesting without feeling overly patterned. An olive like this would be a beautiful complement to the warm wood tones throughout.

Go Big Or Go Home

From the reader: “I’d love some help with the art in my dining room. I’ve had a couple of different things in this spot, but I can’t seem to settle on the right thing. The rest of the house is fairly light and neutral, with green accents. We live on a farm, so the style tends to be a bit traditional farmhouse, but I’ve considered a more modern piece here for a twist. Any ideas for a big art piece for this space?” — Karie

I agree that this wall needs something more than the triptych that’s here. While I’d love to suggest a large furniture piece here, when you see the pulled-back image below of the dining room’s correlation to the living room that already has a large bookshelf, it would just feel too heavy. So art it is!

First off, I love these chairs. They’re such a fun twist on the classic Windsor chair. When someone says they’re toying with the idea of bringing in tension with the juxtaposition of styles, I’m ALL in. However, looking at the other art in the room and the living room (below), the rugs, and the pillows, going full out contemporary here would simply not feel right.

I like the idea of adding in some more color and visual interest with a large framed canvas. Those are, of course, quite expensive, so I searched through Juniper Print Shop, which sells printed canvases in really large sizes for a wildly low price. Minted is another good source for large canvases that won’t make you have to sell your plasma.

One thought before I walk through my picks: Art is so subjective, obviously, and it does feel a little weird telling someone what they should like. So instead of that, I approached this more in the realm of colors, styles, or ideas the homeowner might want to look for in a specific piece they actually love. I’m past the point in my life where I’m buying art simply to decorate; I’d rather collect and display, and recommend the same to anyone reading.

BUT, I have a job to do, so here is what I think visually makes sense.

1. Hills II Lynne Millar | 2. Lake Walen | 3. Limited Edition Fine Art Print Easton Hill by Carol C. Young | 4. Limited Edition Fine Art Print Play by Shiho Whitehead

When Karie said “farm” and “farmhouse,” I immediately went to more of a landscape. It’s a fairly classic move, I’d say. At bare minimum, I’d go with something no smaller than 30″ x 40″ but ideally larger. I used Hills II (or maybe it was Hills I) in my parent’s living room makeover, and it really is quite beautiful in person. The canvas is printed as opposed to painted (hence the price), but it has built-in oil paint strokes and texture in it that makes it really very authentic. The deep browns and burgundies are a nice balance to all the green in the dining room.

For something softer, I like Lake Walen, which would complement the sage chairs nicely. Now, I really love the shape and color in this Easton Hill canvas by Carol C. Young. This and the more abstract Play by Shiho Whitehead, are both twice the price but also come framed.

To broaden the visuals of the art piece, I’d recommend also adding matching sconces on each side of it; that way you can get away with a smaller piece but still take up room on the wall to feel appropriately scaled.

Third Time’s A Charm?

From the reader: “Drapes! The white IKEA cotton drapes were a quick purchase out of necessity. They’ve been OK, but don’t hang very nicely. I do open and close my curtains each evening and morning. It’s been years, and now I’m contemplating upgrades. Current state: Navy drapes on the front window and white drapes on the dining area window on the other side (not pictured). I thought I’d ‘try out’ the navy before ordering four panels, but now, I’m trying to avoid Amazon purchases. The navy drapes are the same brand/ style as Caitlin’s green drapes in her lively apartment, and while a great price, I think these are too dark for this space. Admittedly, they need to be steamed, hung better, and yeah, probably go higher with the curtain rod. So, it’s like Goldilocks and the porridge: I have one that is too hot/dark and one that is too light. Wanna help me find the ‘just right’ option?” — Jen

Curtains are seriously one of the hardest things to get right in a room, tbh. It’s so easy to just go white, which is a good safety net, but when you try to jazz it up, that’s when the stress of a design decision can start to unravel you.

I agree that the navy feels heavy, particularly next to the dark blue armchair and darker brown leather. If the walls were a different color and the moody tonal look was the intention, I might change my mind, but it’s light and bright in here, so that’s where we should stay with the curtains. Also, I think this window is large enough that it can stand to have two panels on each side for fullness. I do not think the rod needs to be any higher (I personally do not like that RIGHT UP TO THE CEILING look and prefer just a little breathing room), but it does need a bit more drama. Here’s what I picked out: one group of solids, one group of prints.

1. Cotton Blend Drapery Pleated – Cloe | 2. European Linen Room Darkening Curtain | 3. Fresh Khaki French Linen Room Darkening Curtain

While navy wasn’t right for this room, I wouldn’t fully abandon the blue idea, though I’d opt for something softer, like these from TwoPages. Another idea I had to better incorporate the rug was to go with an oatmeal or flax linen. It would create a subtle contrast against the wall, but add warmth. These from Half Price Drapes, as well as Quince, are a great price for the size.

As she mentioned, she opens and closes them daily, putting them on rings would be the easiest way to facilitate that, though adding a pleat (like with something such as this from IKEA) and training the bottoms to hang well would make sure they stayed tidy.

1. Pierce & Ward Floral Lattice Curtain | 2. Pierce & Ward Foliage Stripe Curtain | 3. Cotton Woven Stripe Curtain

On the off chance this homeowner wanted a complete change, I had to include some patterned curtains. My fingers are itching to add either another color or pattern into this living room, which I think could be done well with either the Foliage Stripe curtain or the Floral Lattice curtain from Pierce & Ward’s new line for West Elm. A little safer option is this striped curtain from Anthropologie in a fairly neutral, darker green.

Lights Out On The Matchy Matchy

From the reader: “I have a small craftsman home and our living/entry/dining are all sort of combined. We have these two white overhead lights that just don’t do it for us, but I am not sure what to swap them with. We changed out the dining room light, which is visible, so do they need to match that light? Should they be more flush? Three lights in a line are just throwing me off, so I haven’t done anything with them, but I would love to change out the two white lights!” — Jenna

I can totally see why someone along the lines would have taken a relatively open space that comprises three rooms and put the same light fixture in all of them. But in my opinion, when you do that, it ends up looking like a hallway. The best thing you can do to make spaces within an open room feel like their own is to treat them like their own. Translation in this case? Different light fixtures.

From the looks of the pendant they picked for the dining room, I’d say reader Jenna likes natural materials, so I can’t suggest anything wildly different from that. They can all be different, but they should still feel like a family. I may look nothing like my older sister, but we both still have tan skin and dark brown hair. It would make you do a double-take if her hair was actually red and curly, right? Same thing here.

For the entryway, I agree that a flushmount is the best bet so you don’t end up with three hanging fixtures in the sightlines from room to room. A pendant or modern traditional chandelier will still be best in the living room now that there’s some more room to play visually. Here are three options I put together:

1. Akari 75A + Gull Flush Mount (20″) | 2. Brass Wooden Persimmon Chandelier + Piedra Travertine Ceiling Light | 3. Lombard Chandelier – Brass + Radiance Spire Semi-Flushmount

A craftsman house and a Noguchi pendant are a match made in design heaven. You can certainly find a less expensive reproduction, but I wanted to include the true original as a starting off point. The 55 or 75 would be a good size (the 55A is smaller and maybe better suited for what’s expected in this room, but the 75A is larger and could be a cool, surprising moment). I’d love to see it with this West Elm flushmount; it would be a nice transition between the basket nature of the dining room pendant and the paper-like quality of the Noguchi.

The second pairing feels a bit more vintage-inspired (particularly the chandelier), but I made sure to keep some wood elements to speak to the natural dining room light fixture as well as the craftsman style of the house. The flusmount reads more modern for sure, but the travertine bell keeps it very down to earth.

And lastly, something more that might pair better with the Blu Dot media console they look to have in the living room (which tells me they like a mix of modern and traditional). The darker green of the flushmount adds something interesting to the trio of ceiling lights, and the brass canopy echoes the brass of the chandelier’s arms (it’s under $250 from Article!).

—

That was SO MUCH FUN! If any of the readers who submitted are reading this, please feel free to let me know if any of my suggestions would work for you, and 100% update us if you do in fact implement any of these changes. Keep an eye out for more prompts like this; we always post them to Instagram Stories as well as put them in Sunday’s Link Up for those who aren’t on social with us.

Until next time…

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The Link Up: Em’s $50 Expensive Looking Table Lamp, Gretch’s Ideal Summer Bag, And The Perfect Travel Cooler

Happy Sunday, everyone! The EHD team just got back from a truly wonderful retreat that Emily planned for us in the Oregon wine country. Needless to say, it was a blast:) We planned, we bonded, and obviously, we went thrifting. We are never not aware of how lucky we are to not only work for such a truly great boss but also that we genuinely love each other so much. Don’t worry, you will get a whole blog post about it. But until then, here’s this week’s links!

This week’s house tour is a bar/sushi restaurant in Nashville! Wow, wow, wow, did Commune Design (the gold design standard if you ask us) create an amazing space. It’s inspired by a Japanese jazz kissas, which “traditionally kissas are intimate places where people get together to drink and listen to records, with very personal spaces rooted in a DIY, cobbled together design tradition.” It’s so unique — like the way the curtains and art are hung. It’s incredibly cool. OH! And the lighting is so good. Just go take a look for yourself

From Emily: While I’m not a snob, I am really picky and finding affordable things that look expensive gives me a real rush. We are in shopping/styling mode for our last big river house shoot next week and while we have a decent budget, she’s a big house and it’s going to take a lot of accessorizing so I’m trying to thrift cool stuff and shop at both high and low end (remember its all about context). I found this lamp at World Market that looks really chic and handmade (while giving off great light). For $49.99, I was very impressed and snagged it. 

From Arlyn: It’s rare I buy skincare that I can actually see working. But friends, I found a new-to-me brand a few months ago and I’m here to rave about it. My skin hasn’t felt this balanced, happy, even, and plump in ages, which is a lot to say when you’ve hit your 40s, amiright? I found Three Ships via Credo but ordered direct because of the first-time buyer discount. I’ve never used a retinol and was wary of how intense it would be on my skin, but their Skin Hero product has been phenomenal for me in evening out my skin tone and firming. It’s a bio-retinol, so it’s much gentler but is still effective for me. I’m also loving the Radiance moisturizer in the daytime under makeup, and their Dew Drop hyaluronic acid. Check our Three Ships if you’re looking for effective clean beauty.

From Caitlin: Last weekend, Den and I escaped our 95-degree apartment (the first hot days of summer always hit like a train!) and found ourselves at a nearly sold-out screening of Friendship. I’m not exaggerating when I say this: I think Tim Robinson is the greatest comedic actor of our generation. He plays Craig, an isolated loner with the social skills of a middle schooler (and an inexplicably out-of-his-league wife, Rooney Mara), who befriends his charismatic neighbor (Paul Rudd). I will caveat that you may need a specific sense of humor for this one – this is no I Love You Man – but if you’ve enjoyed I Think You Should Leave, you will adore Friendship.

From Jess: In my attempt to build a fun but long-lasting summer wardrobe, I finally bought my first pair of longer denim shorts. What I love about these is that they lean classic but have a couple of unique details that give them a little something extra. I’m typically not a super adventurous dresser, but I love it when a classic style has a bit of twist. These fit the bill, and so far I’ve loved wearing them. I feel cool, but not like I’m trying too hard. A delicate balance:) I got the “Truest Blue” wash and sized down, but they also come in five other washes/colors. 10/10.

Also From Jess: In case you haven’t gotten a chance, this week’s Armchair Expert episode with actor/comedian Mo Amer, go now! Not only is Mo’s story incredibly important (you should also watch his comedy specials and Netflix’s show, Mo), but there’s a pretty powerful moment during the interview when Dax and Mo realize their paths have crossed in the past. Highly recommend!

If you’re in the market for really happy and colorful wallpaper, Ingrid Fetell Lee of Aesthetics of Joy, did a really wonderful collab with Hygge & West. Check them out here!

From Mallory: If you ever find yourself in Palm Springs, you have to go to my favorite vintage store ever — it’s called Market Market and I always find something incredible. Last week, I snagged the coolest vintage art from Red Dot vintage (which has a booth in Market Market) and their whole setup was so fun I had to stop myself from buying all of it. Check them out on Instagram or in person!

From Gretchen: I’ve been seeing this Nylon Crescent Baggu bag EVERYWHERE–in person, online, in my dreams… It’s a staple. So I bought it. They come in so many good colors and patterns, it was a little hard to pick just one at first. I was stuck between the blue or black/white gingham. I was a BIG Baggu fan when they first came on the scene a few years ago, and I collected their canvas circle back in just about every color–this was so long ago they don’t even carry the style anymore! But I still have, love and use mine all the time. One of my circle bags is a fun black and white plaid pattern, so that pushed me toward grabbing the light blue gingham. And I’m glad I did! I love it. The shape and material of the bag feel perfectly utilitarian and practical, but the pattern is giving “girly” in all the right ways. The only downside? It’s so cute, I’m tempted to snag it in a solid color. Or two. Or the smaller one. Or the bigger one. Just too many good options!

From Marlee: There is no better feeling than finding something that you think you lost! This is my favorite cooler EVER – I’ve had two of them (I did actually lose the first one) and was getting ready to purchase a 3rd for summer when my friend found mine in their garage – yay! It’s not massive, but it is the ideal size for packing snacks, sandwiches, or a few drinks for 2-4 people. It’s perfect for picnics, river days, potlucks, day trips, etc. There are so many coolers on the market, but this one is so incredibly cute and comes in so many colors (the color I have is sold out sadly, but there are many more!). I love that it’s a hard cooler (doesn’t get gross, easy to hose down) but it has a strap so that it’s super easy to carry – since it’s adjustable, you can carry it tote style, crossbody, or just as a handle.

Thanks for stopping by and see y’all tomorrow. xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Our Built-To-Last Outdoor Kitchen Reveal (My Favorite “Room” To Hang Out In All Summer) | Em’s Dress

The post The Link Up: Em’s $50 Expensive Looking Table Lamp, Gretch’s Ideal Summer Bag, And The Perfect Travel Cooler appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Team Retreat Time – EHD Is OOO (Til Tomorrow :))

Our annual retreat is RIGHT NOW (as you may have seen on stories) where we are staying at two of my best friends’ new wine country retreat space in Oregon (it’s incredible, think a teeny tiny boutique Soho House that you can rent with 10 of your friends). We have posts this weekend, then back next week to usual programming Good news for a lot of you – due to the amount of hacking and malware, our IT team has been rebuilding the site to mimic what it currently looks like, but be WAY more efficient and shielded from hackers. While I want to redo the design of the site, right now we have a real urgency of making the site actually work, so starting next week, hopefully the “new” site (which again, you might not even notice) will run faster and stop being so unbelievably glitchy. Then over the next year, we’ll be refreshing it, but it will be just a newer, younger model.

So much brainstorming this week, with a huge thanks to you guys for filling out the survey (we are listening, I promise!). More to come And we’ll recap our wine country retreat soon, too! Truly so grateful for this crew – it’s been so fun, productive, and we all so lucky to be doing this job together and for you x

*Photo by Kaitlin Green

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Let’s Deep Dive Into Our Outdoor Kitchen Appliances (+ What Brian And I Didn’t Agree On At First And I WAS RIGHT!!!!!!)

While you saw the full reveal of the kitchen this Monday, today I want to walk you through the Coyote appliances which help me make my corn on the cob, house all my salad mixings, and of course, help Brian Henderson make his epic smash burgers (and steaks and chickens and rotisserie and kebabs – all the things). I partnered with RTA on this kitchen (a fantastic, long-lasting, and high-quality “ready to assemble” outdoor kitchen design company), and they partner with Coyote appliances, which have a very good, longstanding reputation for high-quality outdoor appliances. We honestly couldn’t love them all more – everything looks so good, is so easy to use, and we can make almost any meal out here that we can inside. It’s nothing short of awesome, and many friends and family have already enjoyed this corner of our yard.

There she is for full context – in between the house and the sports court, the tree and the well house. We gave RTA our wish list of what we wanted out of a kitchen, and it was long. We thought long and hard about what we would really use (not just fun luxury good-to-haves). We nixed the pizza oven (I’ll eat a burger over pizza any day) or any fancier smokers, etc. So everything selected was for frequent function and convenience, not the once-a-year occasion.

The Coyote Look

Everything is stainless steel and so pretty, with a lot of brass details inside. I’ve promised myself that this is the time I’m going to keep my stainless appliances looking pristine (and even ordered big island covers that RTA customizes for your kitchen, should you want it). Coyote has a ton of appliances to choose from (different sizes and functions), and we love what we have.

The Fridge

Ceramic Fruit Holder | Plastic Bins (similar) | Silicon Food Containers (similar)

Listen, I know you know what a fridge can do, but you have no idea how exciting this one is for me. For most people, this might be for drinks (but we have a keg and a cooler for that, see below), so for me this fridge represents ease and convenience, and less me running in and out when we are hosting a million people. It means that I can go to the store, buy the guac, potato salad, all the salad fixings, and transport it directly out into this fridge for the BBQ later, skipping the indoor fridge altogether!! It also means that all condiments and marinades won’t need to be chased after from inside – they live out here! I stocked it with all our favorite things already, and you should see the pride on my face when someone asks for bread and butter pickles only to have me appear them immediately. MAGIC. But also on the technical side – it gets nice and cold and has adjustable shelves – FTW!

Dry Pantry

Wooden Bowls (similar) | Wooden Caddy (similar)

Sounds boring, but this dry pantry contains all our rubs, oils, and spices that Brian typically BBQs with. The drawers are awesome (and I even lined them like a grownup). On the right, I have my flatware carrier with outdoor dedicated flatware (super affordable) and napkins. I’m truly giddy over the amount of storage out here.

Storage Drawers

Plates | Bowls | Glasses | Plaid Napkins | Serving Plates

These drawers are strong and beloved. Previously (when we just had a floating BBQ for parties), I would avoid doing dishes inside (not wanting to leave the party), which meant I would wake up to a baked-on mess. Now that we have everything out here, in these drawers, I can hang out with my friends while cleaning, and obviously they pitch in a ton.

Knife Block | Knife Set | Tea Towel | Black Cutting Board | Plates | Bowls | Glasses | Plaid Napkins | Serving Plates

I stocked it with the basics that we would use – a few knives, prep boards, melamine servingware, dinnerware, and plastic drinkware. I’m not joking around anymore – you need anything and I got you.

On Counter Drink Cooler

This was something that I was hesitant about, unsure if I wanted to break up the pretty stone. But then I knew that I would have to bring out a cooler for wine every party, and that would really ruin my aesthetic. This isn’t refrigerated, but it does keep it cool. You can either keep it plugged in (so the ice melts slower) or unplug it and have it drain into your ground slowly.

We turned it this direction so that you could access it from the pickleball court or while sitting at the bar. The ice stayed for a few days, which was great

The Sink

This was an almost fight between Brian and I. He wanted a sink, sure, but wasn’t convinced it would be worth the added expense of plumbing it. I hemmed and hawed about it as I saw the budget rise and rise and didn’t want to be wasteful, but I became more adamant by the day. I wanted to be able to do dishes out here, AND for the kids to get their own water without tracking dirt inside. I pictured all the nights that we’d just pile the dishes inside after a party, when I knew that I could be doing them all while hanging with friends. I WAS RIGHT. He has told me I was right many times. That’s all say I love this sink (I also use it to fill up my pitchers to water the plants). It comes with a cover to protect it and only allows for cold water, FYI, which was fine with us.

Foldable Handle Pots

It also means I don’t need to go to the hose to fill up my pot for my corn on the cobb as seen above (I know you can grill corn, but Brian often has so much meat on the grill that there is no room for my precious cob so I tend to boil it inside – NOT ANYMORE!!).

The 36″ Grill – So Much Meat In Our Future, Y’all

Listen, I don’t nerd out about grills, but my brother and Brian sure did. This one has two grilling areas, a searing section, a warming area (on top), and an optional rotisserie turner. My bro’s favorite surprise element is that there’s a light that turns on (no more using a headlight at night!). It’s gorgeous and very easy to use.

Here’s a closer look…

…and even closer

But that’s the shot – I hope you like protein! While Brian forgot to get my veggie kabobs, I threw some asparagus on the grill pan along with his flank steak, sausages, and chicken kebabs. This was the first time we used it, and we loved it.

The Griddle – Smashburgers FTW

This griddle is going to get so much more usage than I originally predicted – we can even fry eggs out on it. Brian is in his Smashburger era (I prefer a juicy boy-scout style burger myself), and this griddle is making it so easy.

We were nervous about cleaning it (fearful that we got too lean of meat), but it cleaned up like it was brand new. We’ve been making smash burgers inside, but we have to do them one at a time on a skillet. Out here, we can easily do 6-8 at the same time.

The Burners – Never Cooking Inside Again

A burner was high on my wishlist, and I absolutely love it. I even made eggs out here over the weekend just to be outside. It’s so lovely. We thought about the larger burner for bigger pots (think lobster boils), but as you’ve clearly read at this point, I wanted two normal-sized burners for my precious side dishes. I own all the sides, and they are basic and boring, but I do not want to be trapped inside while Brian is out here grilling. I’m one of the crew now!

RTA also managed to leave a lot of counter prep space – a ton of function, but also easy to make salads and have people help.

I’m so excited to caramelize onions, even sauté vegetables – and you KNOW I’ll make some fall soups out here for my team during the day. It’s truly thrilling how functional and beautiful this kitchen is – I love it so much.

It’s only just begun, and I’m sure this is not the last you are going to hear of this kitchen or my corn on the cob.

Brian and I want to give a big old thanks to RTA (who designed and manufactured the kitchen), Coyote (for all the appliances and storage drawers, and cabinets), and my brother’s company (Afore Construction) for leading the construction of the deck, gazebo, and assembly of the kitchen. Shooting all the videos, taking all the photos has been so much fun, and seeing it in action with so many people here makes me so happy. I’m incredibly grateful. If you missed how it’s assembled, head here, for the full reveal of the kitchen and gazebo, head here, and for the fun YouTube video, head here! Thank you, readers, for all your support. Forever

And don’t forget that if you are ready and wanting to get a custom outdoor kitchen, RTA is offering 10% off! I hope it’s clear we HIGHLY recommend.

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Let’s Deep Dive Into Our Outdoor Kitchen Appliances (+ What Brian And I Didn’t Agree On At First And I WAS RIGHT!!!!!!) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Make Your Art Feel New Again — Non Traditional Frames, Cool DIYs, And A Couple Quick Tricks

As people who love design, I think it’s pretty normal to want to switch things up every now and again. But making changes does not have to require buying new. Em has often said over the years that the easiest way to make your home feel fresh is to take different decor pieces from one room and style them in another. Easy, free, and dare I say, fun. Well, the same concept could be used for art and how it’s framed. I’d bet that a lot of us have amazing pieces that mean a lot to us, but it’s time for a little makeover because either our styles have shifted, or we just have a need to mix it up. Now, new fancy frames can get real expensive, real quick. So today, I pulled together 10 really easy (ok, some might require some extra creativity) and pretty affordable ways to renew the beautiful art you already have. I’m telling you your walls are excited:)

Let’s start with the easiest one that I’ve also used (and loved). Plus, it’s maybe the most affordable…

Cool Clipsdesign by jess bunge | photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: jess’ studio apartment living room reveal

A cute metal clip could not be an easier way to hang a piece of art. Plus, they are so affordable it hurts! As you can see, I am speaking from experience because the photos above are from my old apartment, where two pieces were being hung by little bull clips. I loved the added mix of material (the metal) and the visual break of those pieces not being framed. It just made for a more interesting gallery wall. However, those pieces there are still being held up by those clips in my current apartment, but each in their own stand-alone spot.

photos by sara ligorria-tramp | left: design by arlyn hernandez, from: arlyn’s dining room reveal | right: design by julie rose, from: julie’s bedroom reveal

Alryn and Julie used this method too in their gallery walls, and they look awesome. It’s also a great hack for a “not standard” sized piece of art, where you’d otherwise have to get a custom frame, which really adds up. One important thing to consider is the type of paper you are hanging. I personally think either a slightly heavier weight paper or vintage paper looks best. Of course, I’m happy to be proven wrong, but printer-style type paper will likely not give you the elevated look you may want.

Here are some quick shoppable options, but if you keep your eyes open, so many little shops have things like this. Just remember you want to be able to easily hook the clip onto a nail, so make sure there’s a hole in the top:)

1. Hollow Out Paper Binder Clip (set of 10) | 2. 4 Inch Large Bull Dog Clip | 3. Gold Bull Hinge Paper Clip (set of 10) | 4. Small Bull Clips (set of 50) | 5. Stainless Steel Small Clothes Pin (set of 40) | 6. Colorful Mini Binder Clip (set of 100)

I like any and all of these. Definitely consider the size/weight of your piece so that you know how big and/or how many clips you’ll need to use. There are no rules on the number, just use how many you think will look great (and hold up your piece). How fun would the colorful ones be??

Wooden Clip | Circle Wooden Hangers

I know these are meant for quilts and other types of fabric, but I’m pretty positive these would work for paper art too! I love the shapes and think they would be rad. These are each $30, so not super cheap, but since you’d likely only need two for hanging paper. That’s not too bad for a special type of art “frame”.

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Pinch

But if you love the look of an oversized wooden clip, then these are perfect! A little whimsy for your art, but in the coolest way. The natural wood tones are awesome, but the colorful ones are too good and would be so fun in a house. Don’t worry, there’s a hole to easily adhere to the wall.

3D Mounteddesign by julie rose | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: julie’s huge (and diy packed) bedroom upgrade

I’ve always loved how Julie mounted these three pieces of art over her bed. I mean, who needs a traditional frame anyway!? Here’s how she said she did it:

“I bought $3 woodblocks from Home Depot, painted them black, and nailed a picture hanger on the back. Up they went. This frameless option works because they are lifted off the wall, which still gives that ‘elevated’ feeling that a frame would’ve done.”

Affordable, simple, and requires just the tiniest bit of DIY skill. Of course, this type of mounting only really works if the art itself is on a thicker, almost board-like material. That way, you don’t have to worry about the paper flopping back or forward.

Wood Hangers

1. Wooden Magnetic Poster Frame for Art & Pictures | 2. Large Magnetic Poster Hanger Frame

We can’t forget about these magnetic poster hanging frames! They cause zero damage to your art and are so affordable while also giving you a little something different, style-wise. The ones on the left go from 6″ up to 38″ and come in 3 different wood colors. But if you want a really large one, The option on the right is 48″ baby! This one also comes in a teak wood tone. I love the idea of using this hanger style for a really large piece, especially when large frames are so much more expensive. This style won’t work for every style, but for the right home, it could be awesome.

Hanging Gallery Wallsphotos by kaitlin green | left from: farmhouse entry reveal | right from: my first time hanging a gallery wall with picture rail rods

Here’s where things get slightly more involved…and a little more expensive:) Don’t worry; these are the priciest options on the list! Ok, so you probably remember seeing Emily’s entry reveal and Em’s best friend’s living room reveal, where both had really awesome but different ways to hang a gallery wall. These give off more of a traditional style vibe, but of course are versatile and look so chic. Emily’s is a picture rail with chains that the art connects to, while in Robyn’s living room, those are picture rail rods that hang off the picture moulding at the top of the ceiling. Here’s a whole tutorial. But fear not! If you don’t have picture moulding, they sell brass bars that you can hang the rods off of instead. Trust that your art and home will look different in the best way. But in terms of budget, the picture rail rods were less expensive, coming at around $100 (at least from Emily’s experience:)). Not too bad if you ask me.

DIY Painted Frames

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Painted, patterned picture frames really started to hit the design scene last year, and we still can’t get enough. Mallory actually almost wrote an entire post about them. I mean, look at fun these are! And while the photo on the right is clearly a kids’ room, that doesn’t mean these kinda of frames are just for kids. Look a the photo on the left, so cool yet sophisticated. I most definitely have a soft spot for stripes and checks, but if you are into more of a floral/blockprint look, check these out…

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These require a bit more artistry (or a good stencil), but so worth it if you have the time and space to make something like this:

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I had to add this one too because I love the pattern, the colors, and the cowboy:)

Striped Frames

If you don’t want to put in the effort and gather paint (which also adds up), I love the colors and simple strips of these! Also good inspo;)

Geometric Burgundy Painted Frame | Baby Blue & Burgundy Painted Frame | Baby Blue & Berry Check Painted Frame

If you know me, then you know I LOVE these above. Also, pretty simple in design (well, less so about the one on the right). I’m just so into these colors, and if you can support the artists who make them, please buy! But if you have or can easily access the supplies, these are also great inspo. Just always remember that the art should live in the same color palette as the fame.

Add Fringe Or Trim To A Frame

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When I saw this reel by Virginia Chamlee about stylist Marianne Cotterill, my jaw dropped, and I knew I wanted to talk about it. Marianne added chic fabric trim/fringe to vintage frames, and it’s genius. Instant (beautiful) makeover. Of course, just make sure the trim fits perfectly into the frame, and that it also works beautifully with the frame’s style as well as the art piece itself.

Frame Within A Frame

Tell me this too isn’t incredible and so creative. The light and dark color contrast, the fun pattern with the serious portraits, all perfect. If you wanted to recreate, it seems as though you could get a really affordable thrifted frame with a back and completely painted over it, add a pattern, and then hang your smaller pieces on top. You’ll need paint and brushes, but then just your imagination!

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A post shared by Marianne Cotterill (@marianne_cotterill)

Then another masterpiece by stylist Marianne Cotterill, where for a textile shoot she hung a smaller piece of art off center (chef’s kiss!) over a stunning tapestry. Interesting, smart, and fairly easy to create your own version with the right pieces:)

Add A Mini Objectdesign by erik staalberg | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: erik’s bedroom reveal

And finally, I just wanted to remind you of a classic trick that I learned from Erik/Bowser/Sara, and that’s to add little tiny minatures on top of picture frames. That’s right, you don’t have to change out a single frame. All you need to do is plop a little decor piece on your hanging wall frame, and you’re done. If you look at my old apartment, Julie’s bedroom, and now Erik’s bedroom above, all of us have done that in different ways. It adds personality, is cool, and simply fun. We always just place them off to one side as opposed to the middle of the frame.

That’s it from me! Hope you got a few fun ideas and maybe even the urge to DIY. Have a great rest of your Tuesday and see ya tomorrow.

Love you, mean it.

The post Make Your Art Feel New Again — Non Traditional Frames, Cool DIYs, And A Couple Quick Tricks appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Our Built-To-Last Outdoor Kitchen Reveal (My Favorite “Room” To Hang Out In All Summer)

It’s a real epic show and tell today – our incredible outdoor kitchen, which felt like it went up in a matter of weeks (and kinda did). We’ve already had so many hangouts here, a 100+ neighborhood event, and so many more are scheduled this summer and fall. We feel incredibly grateful for this kitchen/life, and I’m so excited to show you and share it with anyone who wants to come over (literally, we invited our entire local elementary school, LOL). Our kitchen was designed by RTA Outdoor Living (Ready To Assemble), and I couldn’t love it any more than I do – the customer service, design expertise, speed, and assembly ease were all extremely dialed in. A quick recap: we worked 1:1 with a designer, told them our size and our needs/wants, we chose the finishes and they laid it all out, created the drawings for approval/tweaking, then off it shipped. Of course, no major home project is that simple, but this one felt so seamless and fast, with the major things being taken care of by RTA and my brother’s contracting company, Afore Construction. If you want to read all about the process, head HERE (today’s post is all reveal, all day, but that one breaks it down more). While we all know you can’t have “fast, cheap, AND good”, if you are like me and want “fast and good” then RTA might be a company for you to check out (and I do mean really good/high quality).

We entertain a lot, A LOT, hosting many multi-family BBQs, potlucks, and playdates, so we really went for it. We chose a U-shaped covered kitchen that would allow people to sit on both sides, while also allowing many people to cook/prep in the middle. We had to shove the whole kitchen in between the big pretty oak tree and our well house (unmovable), which meant that it’s kinda skinny but long, but it totally works. The layout allows for all the appliances that we wanted (36″ grill, griddle, sink, fridge, burners, and kegerator) as well as dry storage for serving and prepping. And the deck is big enough to allow for easy flow.

The Goal – A Long-Lasting, Fully Contained Kitchen

Once we realized the possibilities and thought really long term (a potential future event space), we didn’t want to regret not having the contained function that we knew we’d use. I wouldn’t say it’s a commercial kitchen, but it sure could be that if needed. We skipped the pizza oven and any tragers or smokers, and opted to make sure that we could cook what we love to cook and store everything we needed to eat and serve out here (no running inside).

As A Reminder, Here’s How The RTA Kitchen Design Process Works

Salt and Pepper Grinders (similar) | Olive Oil (similar) | Cutting Board | Ceramic Fruit Holder | Striped Napkins (similar)

The process is fantastic – you work with a kitchen designer to build out what you want within your particular footprint. They plan it all out, making sure it makes sense for flow, ease, and thinking about what mechanics you want near each other (i.e., gas near gas). You approve the plans, select the finishes (i.e., stone and cabinet panel finish), and they manufacture it. It’s modular in the sense that each cabinet is its own “box,” thus making it semi-custom (which is much cheaper than fully custom). It arrives separated in crates by each cabinet “box,” which makes it easy to figure out what goes where. Then you use a drill and their brackets to secure them all together (far easier than any cabinets ever – it’s just matching up the corners and drilling into the brackets to secure). If you want to see how the whole kitchen came together, go check out our YouTube video on the process or just watch the embedded video below (just wait for a few short ads to play).

The Assembly Took Us ONE DAY

That’s right, one day. We had 4 dudes, my brother and his business partner, an RTA rep, Pete (upon my request, just in case), and another assistant. We started at 8 am and wrapped by 6 pm. Now we had a lot of help, but our kitchen is on the much bigger side, so if you had a normal-sized grill/counter situation, it could definitely be done in a day. It’s just a simple assembly that is really intuitive once you see how it works (not IKEA, folks).

Our outdoor kitchen is not super far away from our kitchen, but definitely farther than you want it to be every time you need napkins or ketchup. This wasn’t Brian’s concern, but that’s because he’s the griller and I’m on everything else. So when we had the option of adding a fridge, dry pantry, and enough storage for outdoor plates, flatware, platters, and a sink (!!!) to do ALL the dishes (that live out here permanently), I leaned all in. And it has worked – we’ve already had many BBQs where nothing from inside comes out or vice versa (meaning we are only cleaning one kitchen and not even prepping inside).

I love how the finishes are so simple and work with the style of our property – the white “plank” panels are actually cast cement and extremely solid (they come in “brick” as well). RTA constructs everything to not rot or rust or deteriorate in any way. OF course, we’ll cover it in winter, but with the rain up here, I don’t need to worry about it – they’ve tested it all in hurricane weather. I LOVE that I don’t need to worry about replacing anything for at least 10 to 15 years (we all know that’s not typical for anything that sits outside for years). But RTA’s product is truly built to last a lifetime, so I actually feel so good that I don’t really have to worry at all.

Apron | Blouse | Pants | Slides

I’m pretty sure that’s me up there saying “I told you so” about how pleased I was with having burners to make the corn on the cob and the baked beans (two essential BBQ foods for me). It was so fun to cook out here with him, kids running around, and my brother’s fam hanging with us. I wasn’t relegated to prepping in the kitchen while everyone else got to hang out here.

Foldable Handle Pots | Round Wood Board (vintage) | White Colander | Salad Servers (similar) | Knife

I’m going to do a full post about all the appliances, but I’m just giddy about the fact that I can go to the store, immediately drop everything in the fridge out here, and later prep, cook, and clean the entire meal without going inside. Brian is psyched about the smash burgers, and I’m just so excited that no one will be tracking dirt into our house during our family frat parties.

Counter Stools | Large Cutting Board

As you can see, the counter stools from Polywood look pretty darn great here (and they’ll last for 20 years at least, which makes me thrilled). We can sit five on each side, and of course, have like 5 people gather in the middle leaning on all the counters. Such a dream – a rowdy, rowdy dream

The location of the kitchen was something we thought about for years, but after hanging out here for a couple of summers, we were clear and firm, and thank goodness we were right. It’s so central to the whole yard that you really feel part of all the interaction. The lovely folks at Dennis’ 7 Dees added those evergreen magnolia trees, flagstone, and all the plantings (shout out to Monrovia for the mature plants) to soften that awkward sports court location (in the middle of the gazebo). It doesn’t really bother me, but that’s probably because it was my idea, and I love the kitchen so much that I don’t even let a negative thought in.

I truly feel like the luckiest mom on the planet right now, and the only thing that makes me happier is having people over and sharing it all, forcing my soups and salads on my friends while listening to music and drinking rosé with a billion kids running around laughing. No life is perfect, and certainly mine isn’t either, despite sharing mostly the good stuff here. But I feel really grateful for this yard, and now this kitchen to share with my friends and family for decades to come.

Look at that brother and sister team Ken practically lives at my house while I’m over shooting at his house – it’s pretty special.

My Quick Advice If You Are Thinking About An Outdoor Kitchen:

A kitchen of this size and caliber is an investment – we hired many subs for the structure, deck, electrical, gas, plumbing, painting, and landscaping. While RTA was crazy easy and fast, it’s still a thing and will cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is why my advice would be to think about your climate and make sure that you are investing in a kitchen that will last a really long time (like RTA). Read the reviews to make sure that you won’t be dealing with a landfill in 7 years. We knew we wanted to cover it for rain (and so we could grill in spring), and we chose hardwood to ensure that the deck didn’t rot in 10 years. While you don’t need to hire a GC and you could manage all the subs yourself, a contractor will help it go more smoothly and guarantee the work will be correct. I know that I’m extremely lucky to have this partner who traded out the kitchen for all my PR and social production from my team. I can promise you that we are extremely happy with the quality and durability of this product and stand firmly behind this RTA kitchen.

Make sure you’ll really use what you are investing in. After a summer with probably 20 parties, we knew that this would be a long-term family investment that would pay off for work and in memories, but you might not need more than a grill and a prep counter – especially if your kitchen is nearby for storage and food. Sometimes we influencers make you think you need all these incredibly luxurious things, but your house, your weather, your level of hosting, and your budget might warrant something simpler (or get that pizza oven if you like wood-fired pizza!). I hope this inspired you for what the options are – we’ve really really loved it.

If you are into this and ready to invest, I LOVE RTA SO MUCH. Plus, they’re offering 10% off of your outdoor kitchen!

Dress | Sandals

A huge thanks to RTA (Daniel and Pete FTW), Ken and Nick (Afore Construction), Dennis’ 7 Dees for all the landscaping, Monrovia for helping us get the most mature plants, Big Trees Today for some of our big trees and I haven’t even talked about the corbels (thank you, Purl) and future pendants yet (that didn’t arrive in time). We aren’t done talking about this kitchen yet – and you bet there will be a lot of BBQ reels out here this summer – Barb and Elisha included. xx

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Our Built-To-Last Outdoor Kitchen Reveal (My Favorite “Room” To Hang Out In All Summer) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: The Gift Emily Bought Brian For Father’s Day, Mal’s $50 Compliment-Magnet Denim Set, And Maybe The Most Special Collaboration We’ve Seen

First things first…HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all who celebrate!!! Being a parent or a parental figure is so much of the time, a thankless job. But we hope that today you are filled with so much love and deep appreciation. And if this day is hard for you for whatever reason, we are here for you too, and sending you lots of love. Now, let’s get into these links so you all can continue to enjoy your Sunday>3

This week’s house tour is a historical San Francisco Victorian that is bursting with color and pattern, honoring the homeowners’ Indian and Italian cultures! Designed by Noz Nozawa, this home is joyful and beautiful, and a total feast for the eyes.

From Emily: I am accidentally way ahead this year with Father’s Day gifts for Brian, mostly because we have this outdoor kitchen that we needed to buy tools/supplies for. So here’s what I bought for both Brian and me (that would make a fantastic Father’s Day gift). The Franklin BBQ Cookbook Collection – These are meant to be the best BBQ recipe books out there, which I heard from multiple people (dubbed the BBQ bible). When Brian found it (via snooping), he was like “Oh, I was going to buy this book,” which was very exciting. Additionally, I had this apron customized for him via Etsy for Father’s Day because he keeps ruining his clothes with rogue oil splashes.

From Marlee: I am not a huge jewelry person, but I recently received a gift card to Gorjana and spent it on this super simple necklace that I’ve been loving. It’s super thin and dainty, and the little pops of color are fun without standing out too much. It’s also one of the most affordable pieces of jewelry on their site (I wanted to max out my gift card without spending too much of my own $). Mine is the normal size, but it also comes in a shorter version

From Gretchen: I stopped into Ulta the other day because I’ve just about run out of my shampoo. Usually, I use the Monday shampoo and conditioner, but because I’m really trying to lean into my “wavy hair routine,” I picked up a few new products from Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk line. I’m most excited about this Bond Building shampoo because my hair definitely needs some repair. I haven’t used it yet, so I’ll have to report back, but that’s not even my link for you this week! While there, I also re-upped on my favorite hair ties of all time, because unfortunately, they have a habit of disappearing on me. These are my tried and true favorites because they’re not too thick like an actual scrunchie, but the material is soft and gentle on your hair, and at least for me, doesn’t leave a gnarly indent when you take them out. They’re easy to wear on your wrist because they’re much thinner, like a regular hair tie, but they bunch up nicely in your hair to give you more of that exaggerated pony vibe. And the colors are just too cute!

From Mallory: It’s rare to find a cute (and comfy) outfit you’ll wear over and over again for $50…BUT I FOUND IT. Marketing worked on me because I saw this unbelievably cute set on Instagram and immediately snagged it when I found out the top was $24 and the bottoms were $26. The simple railroad stripe made my heart flutter, and the little gold buttons make it look so expensive. I wore it a few different times this past week and received so many compliments, and every time, people were shocked to learn it was from Walmart (as was I, lol). The pants come cuffed, but I just cut the stitching to make them longer. Also note the top runs true to size, but the bottoms run a bit big!

From Arlyn: New design Substack to follow alert!! I’ve run in similar career circles with Leonora Epstein, who started her Substack, Schmatta, last year after being let go from her long-time job as Editor in Chief of Hunker. It’s one of the few Substacks I’m subscribed to that I actually open and read because it’s short, quippy, smart, and I always discover something new. If you like whit dryer than a rice cake, you’re going to love Schmatta. Leonora recently got bad news about her job yet again, this time due in part to the imposed tariffs, so let’s support this hard-working woman, shall we?!? You can sign up for free or become a paid subscriber for $7 a month.

Also From Alryn: One of the wonderful online art galleries I mentioned in my recent piece about my desire to buy “real” art is having a sale! Until this coming Tuesday, May 13, 20×200 is offering 30% off their Vintage + Space Editions with code ICONIC (you won’t see the sale price on the product pages until they’re added to cart with the code, FYI). I just picked up this one by Florine Stettheimer as a Mother’s Day gift to myself, and I love that I’m able to read the artist statement and an explanation from 20×200 of why they love the piece and why it’s important. If you’re looking for very well-priced art prints that just so happen to be limited edition, make sure to check out the sale!

From Jess: I’m sure you’ve heard Arlyn rave about her stunning East Fork Pottery plates and bowls a couple of times here in The Link Up and I can also attest to how beautiful and high quality they are, as I have gotten to use them when I go over to her house, usually for dinner:) But unbeknownst to most people, the founder, Alex, recently revealed he is the grandson of Henri Matisse. YES, THAT MATISSE. Unstandably, Alex wanted to make a name for himself without using his family’s famous name, and that he did. The work East Fork produces is heirloom quality, and from everything we’ve ever known and read about them, they really seem to care about the work as much as the people they employ. But back to family legacy, they recently launched The Matisse Collection — a celebration and collaboration of his grandfather’s art and his pottery. While there have, of course, been other collaborations with Matisse’s art, none like this. This one is special. Almost like you are getting a piece of art history. You bet I’m saving up for these plates We were fans before we knew, and this fun new piece of information only adds a cool new layer.

From Caitlin: I am bullish on some of the advancements in AI – I’m stunned by the medical applications; I’m floored by some of the research capabilities; I’m even a paying customer of ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor! – But I am REALLY wary of advancements in chatbots. Case in point: some conversations are driving people to the brink of delusion, as reported in this gripping Rolling Stone piece.  AI can be really dangerous when it’s this sycophantic and enabling – if you’re a parent, I’d urge you to get familiar with these tools so you can explain them to your kids. They’re far more susceptible to taking these tools at face value, which can (and has) come at a grave cost. It’s becoming increasingly clear that we need to build our in-person communities – a monetized chatbot is a far cry from a real friend, no matter what Zuck says.

Thank you for stopping by, as always, have a beautiful Mother’s Day to all of the moms, and see you tomorrow for the outdoor kitchen reveal!!! xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Farmhouse Primary Bedroom

The post The Link Up: The Gift Emily Bought Brian For Father’s Day, Mal’s $50 Compliment-Magnet Denim Set, And Maybe The Most Special Collaboration We’ve Seen appeared first on Emily Henderson.