Emily Henderson's Blog, page 137

5 Very SMART Tips & Tools That Helped Velinda Go Freelance, Start A Company And Grow Her Team – A Serious MUST-READ

As an alumn of the EHD team who ventured out into the freelance world at the end of 2019 and started growing my team (from me to 6) beginning the following year, my old friends reached out asking if I’d want to do a post on ‘how to be a freelancer’. And while I was crazy flattered by their confidence, I’m still chuckling at the thought that I ‘know’ anything yet. Does anyone self-employed or running a startup ever feel they do? Does imposter syndrome go away? Do the freelancer-fears and nighttime panics eventually subside? Just starting year three, I can tell you it has all gotten a lot better. And since I have 1000% found tools along the way to implement that being the case, I’m happy to share. I don’t ‘know’, but here are:

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: inside the design process – how much it really costs to work with a designer

Now, since this process is consistently one of discovery, I’ll owe it to you to report back if any of these early methods eventually land us on our bums. After all, I’m 2 years and 1 month old now. I’ve just started walking and may need a diaper change now and then. Or maybe I’m in preschool starting to count? Can I speak yet? Never mind, I know nothing about children… except that they need durable textiles, rounded edges, and lot of creativity, color, and whimsy in their design worlds (*Inserted Free Ad: Hire VHD for kids’ playroom and bedroom virtual designs!).

lead designers: grace de asis & julie rose for vhd | styled by emily edith bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: the 3 best ways to save $$$ on your kitchen reno (+ our ehd alumns’ first reveal as a new boutique team)

You’re a freelancer, you’re busy. I know! So, Let’s get started… Wait… But where to do so? We’ve never done this before. Agggghhh… HELP!

Exactly. While most of these tips are in no particular order, this first one, in my book, should be numero uno:

1. Get Help

There are layers to the types of help you’ll need as you start and grow. Not all can be done in the beginning. But some can.

Layer A:

One thing I am SO glad I did early (and I mean before filling out S Corp paperwork or setting up a site)… was talk to people who already had experience doing what I was hoping to do myself. The kicker here is to realize that time is valuable. If you’re lucky enough to have a friend/mentor in the field (as I did in Emily Henderson), I’m sure a lunch or call would be welcome. But if not, don’t expect strangers to dedicate their time for free; offer to pay for a consultation with someone you respect (or find someone who already offers such a thing in your field). $100-300 for an hour of your average professional’s time is a fair price to expect/offer from what I’ve experienced. Don’t get ripped off.

Now, if you’re going to break this rule I just made up about paying for consultation time, be really concise with your ask when you reach out to a stranger. Think: ‘what could someone answer in 15 seconds that would send me in a direction (ie. I was wondering: Did you like the school you went to/would you recommend your program? What software do you use most?). Perhaps you’ll discover someone is really generous and this opens a further conversation, but starting with overwhelming questions (ie. Can I pick your brain? Can you tell me how you started your company?) isn’t respecting the value of time and may not get a response. Be concise and specific instead.

Speaking of specific, I have a really easy suggestion for interior design firm startups out there: Carly Waters. She offers hour-long consultations. Doing two of these may be the wisest thing I did in the beginning. While I learned SO much about design from Emily, the company she runs is entirely different from the one I was starting, so I needed additional help. Carly Waters couldn’t have been more generous, intelligent, or resourceful. Several of the tips/tools I’m passing along are ones she shared with me. Thank you, Carly!

who me? needing help?Layer B:

Find your ‘external team’. Maybe you can’t afford to hire yet, but do you really want to spend all of your time learning how to be a bookkeeper & lawyer… Or take on potentially great financial risk by making mistakes out of pure ignorance? Before I did my interior design program, I got a bachelors in business. Pretending I recall more than the 4% I actually do about economics, let me give you this piece of knowledge (that actually stuck). It’s more cost-effective to specialize than to have a team of ‘jack of all trades’. Hire specialists. You focus on what you’re good at and hire the best you can afford to handle things such as:

Legal Paperwork – I used Rocket Lawyer because that’s what my money could buy.Bookkeeping – Found through a friend’s recommendation. Love her.Taxes – Another friend recommendation. I’d marry him if either of us were straight.Logo & Web Design – I haven’t afforded this yet and have lost much time and many tears stumbling through myself.Photographer – I was lucky to have great project photos thanks to years of working with EHD alumn Sara Tramp. But even if you make a site yourself, you MUST have professional pictures in pretty much any field. It. matters.Specialist Support for Something You’re Just Not Good At Yourself – For me, this is social media. I am so grateful for the ideas, reminders, and scheduling/programming my freelance team, Good Things Done Right provides. They do in minutes what would take me days. It’s not my skill set. It’s definitely theirs.

Finding recommended/qualified people to fill these roles is a game-changer. This is your ‘outside team’. You could even consider hiring a virtual assistant early on to help as well (after all, it’s just you right now and you may be busy crying in the shower). Just know you’ll have to train a virtual assistant and have specific tasks for them to handle, so get organized.

Layer C:

Find your inside team. I have limited tips here as I had pure luck in this arena (getting to work hire my friends from EHD), but my talented team has made every project and step toward growth/improvement possible. I need them. Those I’ve hired outside of my EHD collaborators, I found a few different ways:

“We’re Hiring” – social media announcementWord of mouth recommendations from other designersHiring Sites: Business of Home & Zip Recruiter (We aren’t hiring at the moment, but anyone know of others?)

Other than lucking out, my tip for ‘team building’ would be to understand the team is getting a ‘newbie’ experience and are taking some additional risk coming aboard an unestablished company. As they’re being patient with you, be so in return.

And here is the bit you ‘real pros’ may just want to skip to avoid skin crawls. I’m totally making up my own team policies, being as generous/flexible as I can possibly afford to be. Having trustworthy employees makes this possible, at least so far. As a recent employee and reader of articles on Covid-caused changes to the way we work, I know this is an employee’s market. My team is top-notch and could go anywhere they want. Shhhhh…. My secret mission is to manipulate them into wanting to stay with me until the day they die. How:

julie rose | me! | grace de asisPaying competitively (I’d rather have 1 person paid well doing a great job on my team than 3 people paid poorly, growing bitter and bumbling tasks)Offer every PTO/Holiday pay I can afford (and forgive, within reason, additional days taken off)Consider ‘full time with benefits’ as 30 hour weeks (with the option to work up to 40)Cover health insurance Work from homeFlexible work hoursEncouraging travel (I signed my team up for Scott’s Cheap Flights)… after all, we can mostly work from anywhere!

(Pros should probably skip this paragraph too) How to know when to hire? I’ve decided when to hire the first couple of years based on some loose-at-best projections of client flows and an employee cost calculator spreadsheet that I paid $10 for online. My patient team was far too slammed at the end of year one and there have been a couple of times since I’ve been nervous someone on my team of 6 may be empty-handed, but this past year proved our size is sustainable for now and I have much more insight moving forward if we need to grow again. A few things that helped:

Hiring freelancers or part-time employees first then building to full-time as projects build.Paying hourly vs salary, having employees log time (which is common in our field for billing clients) – this enabled the flexibility described above while making sure I didn’t take a loss if employees weren’t working. It also helps make sure I can predict which of their hours are client-billed and what tasks belong to the VHD bill, without VHD picking up any difference… allowing me to afford more benefits to the team!2. Make Your Website Your Assistant (And Automate!)

the vhd website

Want an almost free team member? Get your website working hard for you. I’m not talking about what you probably already know: make sure your site looks professional, reflects your voice, shows off your brand, etc. I mean, pretend your website works at a desk, picks up a phone, answers questions, and takes down numbers.

Not every field will find this easy to do, but putting the ‘A’s to the most common ‘Q’s we receive on our site, along with adding information on what to expect through our process where our pricing stands has saved us hundreds of admin-level hours. This means we are designing instead of answering the calls and emails of non-clients.

Beyond that, if we find ourselves repeating emails or information to multiple clients, we create an email template, collecting them in a shared spreadsheet and each programming them into Gmail via Google’s email template feature to adapt as needed.

Want to go a step further in saving admin time? If you have services or goods to sell, there are software resources that will allow you to automate your entire lead capture/client intake/package purchase, questionnaire process, and more! We use Dubsado and this automation is what gave me the idea for our E-Design process. By honing our process step by step, automating what we could within the communication process and cutting out most admin time it takes to onboard clients, our process became more ‘affordable’ and our team ‘reachable’ from anywhere. It took some time to learn the software, but it has proven worth knowing myself so I can adapt as we learn and continue to carve the details of our client communication.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: sara’s house: a long narrow floorplan design agony + the design process part i3. Keep Your Overhead Low

Ob-Vi-Ous-Ly. “No Sh#!, Velinda”. I’m not trying to repeat Business 101 here, so I thought I’d just do a brief rundown of some of where I balanced ‘Save vs Splurge’ in my own start-up process. This is a balance we love to ride in our designs too!

My Start-Up ‘Saves’

Website – It’s not award-winning and I’d love to upgrade when I can afford a pro, but I opted to go SquareSpace/Wix – style and handle this element myself. It took time upfront, but I can easily make changes.

Rent/Mortgage – It’s worth noting my overhead was exceptionally low upon starting up since I began January 2020 (laugh-cries welcome) and was promptly working from home like the rest of the world. Not that I had office plans as it was just me at the time, but Covid restrictions certainly forced a lot of us to find creative ways of working as a team… a plus for majorly reducing overhead. Do we need that office?

Software & Supplies – My first year, I bought my most expensive software during Black Friday at 50% off. I also bought the 3D scanner we use for scanning sites second-hand from another designer. She was upgrading, so I got a deal on the ‘old version’ that works just fine and has been great for learning whether or not I need it (I do!).

I still haven’t forked up for a new, fancy computer since going freelance. The Mac laptop that got me through my design program is serving just fine and instead of getting a pricey Apple home setup (my initial instinct) for the large screen I knew I needed (it’s harder to see designs details on a laptop), I instead bought a well-reviewed $350 27” Dell screen (another Black Friday deal) and a $30 cable to make this PC equipment compatible with my MacBook Pro.

My Start-Up ‘Splurges’

design by julie rose for vhd | styled by emily bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: julie’s first lead design with vhd – a Primary bath reveal + tips on how to easily blend classic & contemporary styles

Photos – If you can’t tell, I’m a huge proponent of making sure you professionally photograph your work. I was lucky enough to already have beautiful images of projects I worked on with EHD (and Emily was gracious enough to let me use them, something I know from my design program isn’t always the case with a firm). But as we rolled out reveals in the first year, I splurged on high quality. This included renting props and hiring the stylist necessary to make productions run smoothly and image compositions curated. Give the photos all you got… this is what will last after all your hard work, become your social content and have clients deciding whether or not to trust you.

Help – We covered this, but quality help is worth investing in.

from: ehd design team advice: what to know before Starting design school

Time & Tools –

The first year and a half was more ‘all-consuming’ than desired by any standard, but without a lot of money to invest and knowing I wanted it to be ‘good’, time was what I had to sacrifice in the famous trifecta (ie: You can’t have good, fast and cheap… pick two). I couldn’t go fast (more on that soon).

When it came to taking the time to learn, plan and get organized, I splurged. While I abide by hiring specialists over trying to know & handle everything yourself, there will be apps, software, and tools worth researching/learning to make life far easier as you move forward. And if I could say I did any single thing ‘right’ (besides finding the right inner & outer team), it’d easily be getting organized.

from: ehd design team advice: what to know before Starting design school

The thought was to make the ‘newness’ of being, well, brand new an opportunity. There were no messes to have to ‘clean up’ or unfiled closets to have to sort yet… if I was careful now about the ‘rules’ of where everything lived and how the ‘steps’ worked when it was just me, I hoped it would become something I could more easily explain and hand over as the team grew. That has worked! Now a team of 6, we all know where to find project questionnaires/inspiration, measurements, and emailed concerns provided by clients and visual boards throughout our process without having to ask. We can look at a spreadsheet and know what step of the process a project is in and how much time remaining is estimated (this has helped with project flow too). I’m proud of the efficiency of our team’s process/organization and while it has adapted as we’ve learned, the seeds were planted from the start, taking a lot of initial time, but sparing so much of the same down the road… along with many headaches.

4. Think As Your Client While Thinking About Your Client

Yes, figure out your target market, think about how to find clients and such… but in the beginning, you don’t have a single client to ask ‘did you like this… did this work?’ So… you roleplay. While you’re worrying about getting clients, pretend to be said client… “What would I want?”

For me, especially when working virtually, the answer was:

A clear understanding of what to expect and how the process worksVisual examples of past projects to earn my faithQuick communicationAn opportunity to make sure my aesthetic, ideas, and needs were fully understoodIndividualism within my design (nothing ‘copy & pasted’)Fair pricing

via velinda hellen design

I set up our process based on these ideas then started testing. Let’s be very clear, I was all the while worried about whether or not I would have clients. But early on, I was also turning clients away! Counter-intuitive, I realize, but I wasn’t sure if the process worked yet. I needed to go slow. I needed to test. I will always have a fondness and gratitude for my very earliest clients who taught me.

Now that I had a few clients going through the experience that I hoped was working, I could simply ask, “did this work?” If it makes any sense at all in your field… DO IT! From day one, I had a ‘follow up questionnaire’, which was short with a blend of easy ‘yes/no’ questions and ‘free response’ space. My god, has it been helpful for improving. Clients give us genius ideas! What’s more, I ask on that questionnaire whether or not I can use their feedback on social media/as a public testimonial. Most say ‘yes’. This means I don’t have to go back to clients later begging for marketing material. Win-win-win.

I can’t exactly say where you’ll find clients in your specific industry, but one mindset shift that has been helpful to make on our team is ‘forward thinking’ clients. At first, if we were ‘full’ of projects, we were taking a waitlist and opened/closed projects monthly…. But that meant closing projects monthly too. Which meant shutting the door on clients. Not great.

Now, we’ve been working on more of a rolling system, with time frames that we adapt on our site. This way, we can book projects up to three months in advance. It seems to be a better flow on our end and also means shutting down fewer clients along the way. Finding the right project load was like hitting puberty’s awkward stage at every level of our team’s growth. But we’ve now grown our first mustache and learned how to kiss without getting our braces stuck. I hope we’ve grown into our foreheads for good! (Turns out, I’m far more familiar with puberty than infants/toddlers).

photos by sara ligorria-tramp | styled by emily edith bowser | from: velinda’s first freelance client reveal: molding the ‘builder-grade budget’ + where they saved & splurged5. Free the Freelancer In You

Imposter syndrome and overwhelm can be powerful, but there’s so much combative power to be found in getting to carve things out for yourself; find your own measure of success, set your own time, and hold your own boundaries….

Even early on, I tried to balance the very public information of ‘I’m a startup’ with the guarantee, ‘you’ll be safe with me’. This was not a promise of not making a mistake, but I knew that while I couldn’t trust myself to know everything upfront, I could trust myself to handle any arising issue with integrity and aim to always make things right. That goes a long way.

I would rather take a loss than defend a mistake done on our part and I’ve found being really upfront about intentions versus taking the stance of said defensiveness is immensely helpful.

Example: (Your version of something like this…) “My aim for this call is to work together to find a fair solution and I owe you an apology for contributing to this frustration…”.

It’s okay to admit you’re wrong or have missed something, even if the client isn’t 100% ‘right’.

You will make mistakes (Going slow and researching will help prevent these… but early on they can be expensive to correct). I find handling these misses with character will go a long way in a world of big-business capitalism and narcissistic greed.

Still, you can say ‘no’. Even when you’re ‘fresh’, it’s okay to steer your clients back to your process and it’s fine to set up boundaries within what to expect. Overcommitting or getting bullied won’t do anyone any favors and sometimes, a client may just not be the right fit. Your client is trusting you, so trust yourself. And when you don’t know, ‘yes’ doesn’t have to be the answer.

Example: (Something like…) “Let me consider that and get back to you in XXX days/hours” is a great way of buying time while you navigate getting familiar with… well, navigating.

But onto the HUGE perks of freelance. You get to make this up. Yes, there are standard business hours to consider. Yes, we are trained to ‘earn’ for validation. Yes, you will have to forego fun/need to have self-discipline to succeed… but what is succeeding, really? YOU get to decide… not your boss/company.

via velinda hellen design

A freelancer’s freedom to set their own schedule is widely spoken about, but I’ve found even more ‘adventure’ in deciding what the aim, in general, is as an individual and team. Of course, doing cool sh$! with projects and making sure our clients are consistently happy is key, but… then what? Is it building flexibility around travel, showing up for events, and resting when you’re sick? (for us, yes). Is it making a fine living by working shorter weeks vs maximizing annual profit? (for us, yes). Is it more time with family, scheduled days to find new inspiration or learning one new software/skill a year? Yes, yes, yes. The global community may not report you to Forbes for such ‘successes’, but you have won according to you… and you decide when and what to celebrate. So don’t forget to celebrate the ‘small things’. I’m convinced that’s what matters most anyway. And surround yourself with people who will celebrate as well.

Shall we quickly wrap this up? You’re busy and your time is valuable. I’ll leave you by sending my best wishes for success and kudos for being so bold! It’s scary, but pretty soon you’ll be looking back on your days as a (2-month-old?) who’s dropping cereal and ungracefully climbing your playpen walls and say, ‘that was worth it!’

Opening Photo Credits: Lead Designers: Grace De Asis & Julie Rose for VHD | Styled by Emily Edith Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: The 3 Best Ways To SAVE $$$ On Your Kitchen Reno (+ Our EHD Alumns’ First Reveal As a New Boutique Team)

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Published on January 31, 2022 01:00

The Link Up: Em’s Favorite Sweatshirt Now Comes In More Colors, The Only Sports Bra Mallory Wears, And A Way To Make Your To-Do List Fun

Hey y’all and welcome back to the link up. We’ve got 11 banging links this week that will end (or start) your week off on a real good note. Seriously, is Sunday the end or start of the week? Even calendars are confused. Anyway, enough with that, let’s jump on in:

This week’s home tour is a cooool one. It’s actually an apartment for a brother and sister in their 20s! Designer, Marianne Evennou really outdid herself. It’s stunning, cozy but also really wonderfully laid out so each sibling has their own space. Plus the interior windows! But maybe the most impressive part is that A. two siblings are living together and B. one is in med school and the other is a musician.

From Emily: I was on a Zoom call with my team earlier this week when Caitlin asked about my sweatshirt & wanted the details. It’s is my dearly loved and highly worn Alex Mill half zip sweatshirt that’s cute enough to wear out and about but cozy enough to lounge in 24/7. I have the green version, but they just came out with 2 new colors that are both very cute too. I’m not kidding when I say I opt for this guy nearly every day because of its comfort and cool cut. Grab it if you’re in need of a ‘zoom worthy’ sweatshirt

We need to make sure everyone knows that EHD friend and co-designer of the River House (more on that this next week!) has an INCREDIBLE new wallpaper collection with Chasing Paper. Seriously, it’s awesome and definitely check it out.

From Jess: I’m pretty sure we’ve gotten this podcast recommended on here in the comments before but Maintenance Phase with Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes has been BLOWING MY MIND. It’s all about “debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical advice”. But also really unpacks the depths of our societal and personal issues with fatphobia. I’ve been on some form of a weight loss diet for what has felt like my whole life (luckily not now but the internal food police is still talking). Like my pediatrician told my mom to put me on nonfat milk as a baby because you know, back then ANY fat in food was bad. So while I am aware of what they are talking about, it’s hitting differently hearing it presented in the way that they do. I think this is a must-listen for everyone.

A grand bathroom tour that we could not NOT feature because it was shot by our very loved Sara Ligorria-Tramp. They took the space from builder-grade to we-are-all-jealous-grade where the attention to detail is off the charts (THAT VANITY). Check it out if you wanna feel butterflies.

From Caitlin: OH MY GOSH. Here’s something I never expected to say: I’m SO JAZZED about the return of the network sitcom. Abbott Elementary? I’m crying AND feeling all toasty inside. American Auto? So, so, so good. Grand Crew? AN ABSOLUTE SLAM DUNK. It’s been so long since we’ve seen such a deep field of really fun, original comedy programming on cable and I love that there are so many great entrants on the scene. Love, love, love.

From Ryann: I finally found a task/to-do list tracker that works for my ADHD brain. It’s called Habitica and I’ve been using it every day for the past two weeks–mainly because it’s based off a rewards system that my child-like brain really needs. Basically, when you check things off your lists (there are three categories: “habits” “dailies” and “to do”) you gain experience and points which in turn will give you eggs and hatching potions to hatch the eggs into animals! IT’S FUN. It’s very reminiscent of Neo Pets (if you know you know). So yes, this is an app that might also be great for kids and now that I am thinking about it, was probably made for kids. HA.

From Mallory: I recently went to Palm Springs and went to dinner one night at a fun restaurant (called Mr. Lyon’s if you’re in the area). Chase and I were talking to the bartender about how we’re recently getting into amaro and he recommended that we try a paper plane. I had never had one before but we just followed this recipe and made it at home and it was very delicious & fun

Also From Mallory: I’m very specific about sports bras because I hate when they’re too long (it’s not a sports SHIRT, it’s a BRA imho), so I wanted to share the sports bra I’ve been wearing pretty much every day lately. It’s this bra from Alo (the only thing I own from Alo so far) but I love it so very much & need to wash it constantly because I always want to wear it. If you’re in the market, there ya go!

That’s all for this week, thanks for joining us today! See you in the morning

Opening Image Credit: Design by Marianne Evennou | Photo by Grégory Timsit Photographie | via Remodelista

The post The Link Up: Em’s Favorite Sweatshirt Now Comes In More Colors, The Only Sports Bra Mallory Wears, And A Way To Make Your To-Do List Fun appeared first on Emily Henderson.

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Published on January 30, 2022 01:00

The Sweaters We Are Excited To Wear This Season (+ Some Fun Styling Ideas)

Happy Saturday sweet friends. Today, sweaters are on the docket and as someone who basically lives in sweats right now, I am more than ready to get inspired by the 2022 sweater trends. My hope is that these trends will have me (and you?) swapping out sweatsuits for more pulled-together looks. It definitely feels like we are n season 3 episode 100 of Covid right now, so lately I’ve been ready to make more plans and get out of the house a lot more (safely of course). Do you have any fun plans coming up? If so, here are some warm sweater outfit ideas that are cozy and cool. Let’s get to it.

High & Thick Turtle Necks

image via @tembae

The 2022 version of the turtle neck does not come to play. Mock necks were reigning for a while, but I am pretty excited to see the OG turtleneck flourish as of late. It’s obviously cozy and great for actually cold climates too (I say this as it’s 71 degrees in LA. Feel free to roll your eyes at me :)).

left image via zara | right image via zara

I personally love a turtleneck in a bright color like above. It feels retro but if you pair it with a sleek pant and minimal accessories, you can easily make it look modern and fresh. And also, why not pair a thick grey turtle neck with a bright sequin high leg skirt?? I am up for anything when it comes to these sweaters.

Here are some of our favorites on the market:

Fun Patterns And Colors

left image via @therealmrskelley | right image via @drewhouse

I feel like this trend might be a direct response to Euphoria being all over the internet right now. There are pattern and color combos that I haven’t seen since my shopping at Limited Too days, and that is exciting if not a little disorienting. To be honest, I think with all that’s going on in the world, we all just want to have more fun with our clothing options.

image via @camillecharriere

If going bold with bright colors feels like a little much I hear you. Realistically, I don’t wear a lot of colors but I do like some pattern here and there. The black and white pattern sweater is definitely much more my speed, but still adds a little something special to an otherwise plain (but so chic) outfit.

Some top picks:

Ruffled Sweaters

image via anthropologie

When you work at EHD, it’s almost inherent that you grow an affinity towards ruffled and sculptural articles of clothing. Emily Henderson does ruffles better than anyone and proves that ruffles and “girly” are not mutually exclusive. Take the above photo for example. The ruffle sweater paired with leather shorts and tall cowboy boots is the perfect combination of edgy and sweet.

image via @rosaeparisofficial

I love that a ruffle here and there makes a simple sweater and blue jean combo look very pulled together. It’s just that added extra detail that can level up a plain (but classic) outfit.

Here are some picks we love:

Collared Knits

left image via @claire_most | right image via @claire_most

For a very refined, scholarly look go for the collared sweater. It’s very chic. It’s very “French off-duty model”. It’s probably my favorite of all the trends. I am certainly a sucker for preppy staples that will work with anything in your closet.

image via @jenniferatilemile

As much as the collared sweater is preppy, it can be paired with pretty much any pant or shoe style making it a very versatile and timeless trend. I love Jennifer Atilémile’s version paired with trousers and a chunky shoe (and cute doggo to top it off).

And our picks:

Quarter-Zips

image via @graymatsen

Finally, we have the resurgence of quarter-zip sweaters that I’ve been seeing everywhere lately. I love that the quarter-zip leans a little bit athletic so it’s super cute paired with jeans and sneakers. I have a few quarter-zip sweatshirts that I love and even though they are more on-trend right now, I think this style is classic and stands the test of time.

from: my favorite 2021 fashion styling hacks/trends

If you read this blog or follow Emily on Instagram you’ve probably seen her sporting the quarter-zip look (she loves this one by Alex Mill). It’s really the perfect outfit for running errands, for working from home, or for just being a mom. It’s slightly more exciting than a normal pullover sweatshirt but is still effortless and cool.

We love these:

So there you have it. Which sweaters are you loving right now? Let’s chat below. xx

Opener Image Credit: Photo by Veronica Crawford | From: The 3 Stylish, Comfortable Pants I Wear ALL the Time (That Don’t Feel Like I’m Wearing Pants)

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Published on January 29, 2022 01:00

Meet One Of Our Readers, Rusty, And A Feel Good Safe House Room Makeover On The Other Side Of The Planet

Hello! I’m Rusty. I live in Perth, Western Australia. I’m a very early retiree and have a background as a Secondary English, English Literature and Art Teacher; Educational research; PR and Recruitment; Occupational Safety and Health, Youth Programs in the construction industry; and ran an Education and Training Consultancy as well as doing Freelance Writing (although with all the typos I regularly make in the comments, you’d wonder, right?! Ha! I blame my numb fingers on a touch-screen tablet late at night when I settle in to snack on the blogosphere).

Phew! That’s a lot, but I enjoyed every single career change because it involved making a difference in the world and my community, particularly youth.

I’ve been following Emily for a lonnng time, finding her via Jungalow’s Justina Blakeney; Charlie was on the way (and look at him now!). I was immediately drawn to Emily’s fun approach to design, her quirkiness and love of vintage, the way she takes design risks rather than sticking to one ‘forever style’; she moves and changes as life changes and I’ve basically checked in daily ever since. I subscribe to Emily’s “Done is better than perfect” approach. I love that she doesn’t shy away from the difficult topics either and also walks her talk. Emily is, indeed, a good human.

Some of you may know that I escaped long-term domestic abuse, including coercive control, in a flippin’ pandemic, last year. Man! It was hard. Since I was somehow lucky enough to remain in my cozy home (I still dunno how that even happened!), I committed to pay it forward and help others.

I’m mentoring Sienna, a 20-year-old young woman, who has lived with abuse her whole life. She finally escaped by literally jumping out of a window through the flyscreen and calling the police who came with body cameras! She left with her clothes and has never returned. By working with the (wonderful) youth services, after a couple of months of couch-surfing and living out of her car, she was given a room in a Safe House – a large, supported accommodation, secluded in the outer suburbs of Perth, with 24/7 carers on-site for safety and advice.

She moved into a large-ish room, with hospital-grade linoleum floors, broken closet doors and zero outside light, because the area outside her room is a storeroom. She was so grateful to have a roof over her head, but the furnishings were limited and basic – let’s call the furniture ‘bodgy’, (an Aussie word). There was only a blind on the lightless window and it was, well… Ugh!

Emily posted about Pen + Napkin doing a-maz-ing work in LA (they do fabulous, much-needed home makeovers for families transitioning out of homelessness) and blogged about a project she worked with them on. I commented, “Whaaaaaat?!? I’m doing a makeover for my mentee…”. Emily commented back “Hit me up, you’re paying it forward. I wanna help!”, or words to that effect!

I was a little in shock that this legit, famous person called Emily Henderson (that we all love to bits!) was going to help little, nobody-me do up a room in a Safe House, for young person she’s never heard of, literally on the other side of the planet! It took me a minute to believe it was happening. Then I got big-time imposter syndrome, but kept barrelling along, driven to help my mentee. TIP: Trust your gut – you can do it.

Due to my personal situation, I had no car, so getting to the Safe House was difficult – it’s 22 miles from where I live. As a result, I only physically went to her room just three times through the whole project! #Just.three.times! It was my first attempt at remote designing too. I shared with Emily, what I hoped to get for Sienna – a bed, mattress, a chest of drawers, a rug, maybe some lamps, a pouf, and the like. I decided against getting a desk, because in all likelihood, when she moves into a share house, her room won’t be big enough to fit it in. We used a desk at the Safe House. Her goal is to study to become a Primary School Teacher and continue to pay it forward. Yaaay!

I got Sienna to send me photos of her room and take basic measurements. Sienna came to my house numerous times and I worked out her ‘style’ and colors she really liked (warm tones and nature), found comforting and inspiring (being an ex-Art Teacher helped with this process). Turns out her style was modern, clean Bohemian. We also made the artwork for her room – it needed to be personal and actually mean something to Sienna. We made a huge wall hanging to cover the big empty wall, using a ginormous Eucalyptus branch I found one day while walking my scruffy-dawg and lugged it home, and included some photos of her with her friends to remind her that she is loved. She also took a photo of the city skyline, had it printed cheaply and we whacked it into an IKEA frame – the river foreshore is her favourite “safe place” to sit and contemplate her future.

Hot Tip

Make the artwork yourself so it’s cost-effective and meaningful.

I got to work fast and looked for furnishings online, making ridiculously meticulous lists, including prices and alternatives for each store we needed to go to and ensured we stuck to budget every step of the way. I needed to keep the number of stores to a minimum due to the transport issue. Sienna was also working three part-time jobs, so I had to fit in around that. Gah!

Hot Tip

Find back-up alternative products in case you can’t get what you planned.

I did hand-drawn sketches of the room and furniture placement (just call me technically challenged) and collected ideas like I was obsessed, because I was. My hope was that she could own some furniture for when she moves out, since they can only stay at the safe house for 12 months.

We did in-person shopping, because I wanted to teach Sienna how to shop, choose colors that complement and contrast, deal with measurements, how to buy full-looking curtains that cover the entire window, benefits of mixing textures, and especially, the difference the little details can make to the overall feel of a room. We could do in-person shopping because Western Australia really has not had any Covid (for real – how lucky are we?!), due to our border with the rest of the country and the world, being shut hard for two years.

VISIT ONE

The first time I went to the Safe House, I spent about 20 minutes getting a feel for her room. Then, we went shopping in-person! Meticulous lists in hand, handbag cross-body to free up my hands, tape measure and a pillowcase from the quilt cover already purchased that would guide the color scheme of the room; we grabbed a cart each and hit Kmart (really great in Aussie), Target (nothing remotely like the fabulous US Target – sooo jealous, you guys!) and IKEA, over only two separate shopping trips. We also went to a haberdashery store for some craft supplies to make the artwork. We added some vintage at the end (hello giant Leopard that waves to Caitlin’s giant bathroom Giraffe). Whoo-hoo!

Through sharing about the project with everyone I came into contact with and saying what a good human Emily Henderson is, I made a connection at IKEA via Sienna’s Case Worker. She couldn’t help with discounts, but met with us there and short-circuited the process of finding what I’d selected online (IKEA is such a rabbit warren!).

We live in Perth, Western Australia, the world’s most isolated capital city. Uh-oh! Stock shortages galore! I roped my friends and family in to help with gathering the items as they arrived, remember – no car. My brother lives between the city and a rural property about 4 hours away and he came to the city to assemble furniture, put up curtain rods, and be the wonderfully supportive big brother that he is. I gathered the furniture as it came into stock, piece by frustrating piece, thanks to the generosity of others.

Hot Tip

If you are considering doing a project like this, know that you need a support team. Share about it, inspire others and they’ll come running to help, with bells on!

VISIT TWO

Early one morning, my brother came to my house and we loaded up all of the furniture onto his ute (you guys call them trucks). We drove to the Safe House and got to work! The first thing to happen were the curtain brackets and rods. We only had permission from the facility, to drill into the wooden window frame since the walls are brick. Consequently, the curtains aren’t hung as high as I’d like them, hence the puddle of curtain on the floor is more of a tsunami. My brother and Sienna started putting the bed together while I hung the curtains. The second they were up, Sienna had a mini-meltdown of happy tears – turns out these were the first ‘proper’ curtains she’d ever had! Hugs were needed and fast!

Once the chest of drawers and bed were assembled and I’d put the ‘coffee table’ together, things really started to look better! Now, this ‘coffee table’ is mighty sturdy and cost a total of $19 on clearance! I re-worked my plan on the spot in the store for this unplanned mega-bargain and we used it as a ‘drop-zone bench’ at the end of her bed. Pivot, people, pivot, to take advantage of an unforeseen bargain!

Bench (similar) | Statue (similar)

I didn’t have any wire hooks to fit the picture rail and we were dead on budget, so I got old wire coat hangers from a friend and my brother made hooks out of them which we attached to fishing line to invisibly hang the mirror, photo and wall hanging (Yes, he’s amazingly creative and handy). I covered the wire hooks with masking tape to make them ‘disappear’ against the wall, hehehe.

Hot Tip

Pivot, take advantage of unforeseen bargains & be prepared to make what you can’t buy/afford.

Once the furniture was assembled and in place, we unpacked the mattress. Have you ever seen one of those rolled-up mattresses unfold? Crazy-cakes people! You slice the plastic bag and “Whooosh!” that thing does a mighty gasp as it inhales and grows right before your eyes, you have to jump outa the way! I wish I’d videoed it. Hilarious! Sienna couldn’t sleep on it for 48 hours for the springs to settle in, so she slept on her old mattress on the floor for two days. (The mattress from IKEA took too long to arrive, so I went with one from another big box store).

VISIT THREE

I went back for the final time, to style, put all the flourishes in place and take the after photos to send to Emily. This was a pretty quick process compared to the rest and sooo much fun! Within about three hours, we’d finished, had another couple of happiness-induced, mini-meltdowns and sat on the bed for decompression and an ‘after’ chat.

Really, it’s the little things that make it a home. Mood lighting; the money box bird; containers to corral make-up and perfume (these are actually from the kitchen aisle); candles; soft furnishings.

I cannot tell you how satisfying, heart-warming and rewarding seeing the finished room was. In the week following the safe house room makeover, Sienna started saying “I’m home” when she called me, instead of “I’m at the house.” Yes, I’ve written a novel here, but I cannot find the words to explain the feeling. It made me happy to my bone marrow, to the very core of my being, for her to call it “home”. Mission accomplished, team EHD!

Faux Plant

I often comment that Emily is “A good human”. I mean it. Seriously, this remarkable super-woman is making a tangible difference on the other side of the planet we call Earth, our communal home. Gratitude and kudos flow!

The next project is likely to be a Women’s Shelter – making the common areas friendly and welcoming, instead of the standard bland, institutional look they so often have. Here we go again – at least this time I now have a car to cart stuff around. Yippee!

With love, Rusty. xx

Sienna’s Words:

“I never realised how important being in a comfy, safe and beautiful room was until I experienced it for the first time. The room I had helped me get out of an unsafe situation, yet I felt like I didn’t really belong – it felt very temporary. Now, knowing that I can keep this furniture and it really speaks ‘me’, I can definitely sleep better – it’s now something I love coming home to. It feels like me. I want to thank Emily immensely for her generosity, and for reaching out and really making a huge difference to my life when I was forced into a situation that had almost left me homeless.”

*Design and photos by Heidi Schmidt AKA “Rusty”

The post Meet One Of Our Readers, Rusty, And A Feel Good Safe House Room Makeover On The Other Side Of The Planet appeared first on Emily Henderson.

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Published on January 28, 2022 11:50

Budget “Online Window Shopping”: 30 Vintage Finds Under $50

WHAT A WEEK. We revealed Jess’ incredible patio makeover, shared a few tips and tricks for keeping your home toasty and comfortable, reviewed 7 huge electrical planning mistakes, and broke down some of 2022s biggest decor trends. IT’S BEEN A LOT OF LEARNING.

So today, I wanted to give your noggin a break and ease you into the weekend with my all-time favorite internet pastime: vintage window shopping. I’m spilling the beans on 30 of my favorite small, wallet-friendly sellers on Chairish (yes, they exist!) and highlighting some incredible vintage steals under $50.

On the hunt for the perfect finishing piece? Maybe I linked it up below! Looking to support a small business? These folks are all great options! Just trying to figure out the best sellers to follow on Chairish so you never miss a slammin’ deal? You’ve hit the curated retailer list jackpot here, my friend. Let’s begin with a little something something from my hometown, yeah???

Item: 1960s Blown Glass Double Bud Vase
Price: $15
Shipping From: Excubist Designs in Wilmington, DE

WOW. 60 years old but she looks as good as new, right? This bud vase is so versatile – the shape is shockingly on-trend (hello, avant basic) but those sweet scalloped edges make it a perfect fit for those whose style falls a bit more in the “classic cottage in the countryside” category. Like, Ms. Honey from Matilda would have this in her house. SO CUTE. (Added bonus for my Gen Z-ers: it’s a fraction of the price of a Lex Pott candle.)

Item: Copper Pedestal Dish
Price: $50
Shipping From: Judy’s Junktion in Cartersville, GA

I grabbed a similar copper vessel when the team raided Em’s garage last year and it makes me smile every. dang. day. This piece would be a total showstopper on a dining table or mantel, don’t you think? (Also, Judy sells anything but junk. Her curation and prices are incredible – I’m eyeing this 1980s Lenox ceramic pear box, too.)

Item: Mid-Century Ceramic Horse Head Ashtray
Price: $50
Shipping From: The Vintage Advisor in Keasbey, NJ

If you also love Jonathan Adler but have a regular person budget, this ashtray may be just the right finishing touch that your coffee/console table needs. Alternatively, use it as a catchall in your entryway (no more lost keys!) or as a jewelry dish in the bathroom – either way, you’ll have a luxe-looking piece for way less. (PS. I know this breaks the $50 rule, but look at these $108 brass unicorn bookends that The Vintage Advisor has up for sale right now. Do I…need them???)

Item: 1930s Depression Glass Vessel
Price: $25
Shipping From: Xavier S. in Vancouver, WA

I’m really revealing all my favorite sources: this Chairish shop contains the MOTHERLODE of cheap depression glass (and colored glass of all kinds, too). Do as you will!!! Anyway, I love how timeless this vessel’s shape is – it’s vintage and still playful! – and that saturated blue is SO freakin’ fresh, even 90 years later.

Item: Brass Lobster Bottle Opener
Price: $45
Shipping From: Mayflower in New York, NY

Late last year, I bought this vintage Italian corkscrew and let me tell you that IT CREATED A MOSTER. I’ve since fallen in love with collecting quirky barware (a surprise to absolutely no one) and this brass lobster bottle opener is now square in my sights. It’s not just me who loves this stuff, though – if you’re ever stuck on what kind of gift to grab for a design-minded person, I’ve found that vintage bar tools like this one ALWAYS hit the mark. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Item: Decanters & Apothecary Bottles
Price: $42
Shipping From: Laineybean Home Decor in Sloughhouse, CA

Five vintage bottles in this condition for this price is a HIGHWAY. FREAKIN’. ROBBERY. I love Lainey’s idea to use these in the bathroom – can you imagine each jar filled with different bath salts or bubble bath? They also look even better in the listing, if you can believe it (the crop kind of distorts the coloring – they’re all totally clear, it’s just a tan background!).

Item: Cast Iron Rocking Horse Doorstop
Price: $38
Shipping From: Extraordinary Treasures in Phoenix, AZ

Excuse me. HOW FREAKING CUTE IS THIS? That posture! That expression! That tail! We don’t give doorstops enough credit, I think. The floor is such a fun place to play with decor in a new way, you know? In this case, maybe you’re interested in dipping a toe (or two!) in the styling-with-whimsy pool – just pop this in front of a door of your choice and see how it feels. I bet this little guy will make you smile!!!

Item: 1950s Pink Alabaster Trinket Jar
Price: $20
Shipping From: Shop Dinosaur T oes in Rustburg, VA

Confession: I maaaaay end up buying this before this post goes live. HOW COULD I NOT? (“Probably by developing better impulse control,” – you, right now.) But hear me out: It’s $20! It’s a squat little ginger jar! It’s bubblegum pink! It’s carved from solid stone! You know how much this would cost if it was being sold new? This little container is special, sweet, one-of-a-kind, and worth every single penny. LOVE.

Item: Small Bamboo Easel
Price: $32
Shipping From: Object Biographies in New Orleans, LA

First, I’d like to formally go on record and state that the tortoiseshell finish is about to have a BIG MOMENT. Second, can you imagine how chic this little mini-easel would look if it were displaying a little cocktail menu in a home bar setup? (“Chic” in the Palm Beach, Hollywood Regency, a little over-the-top way. Speaking of regency – how good is this pineapple-shaped marble and brass cheese tray from the same shop?)

Item: 1940s ‘No Admittance’ Sign
Price: $45
Shipping From: Genesse River in Volant, PA

If you’re in need of a cool vintage sign, Genesse River is basically a one-stop-shop. I love how silly and irreverent this one is – it’d make a fun, graphic statement in nearly any room of your house.

Item: Silver-Plated Duck Bank
Price: $50
Shipping From: Hometown Furnishing Finds in Cookeville, TN

I’m normally a firm believer that food delivery gift cards are the best thing to gift in a baby shower – like, who has the bandwidth to worry about dinner when they’re busy worrying about how to keep a new person alive??? – but this little duck bank has me changing my tune. It’s such an elevated take on a classic motif and it’d look right at home in any A-Lister’s nursery, don’t you think?

Item: Belgian Milk Glass Apothecary Jar
Price: $25
Shipping From: Dearly Decluttered in Boise, ID

A few weeks ago, Mal walked us through a few great ways to make your vitamins look, well…not ugly. Today, I’m coming in hot with a vintage solution: this cheery milk glass apothecary jar. She’s airtight AND she’ll protect your vitamins from exposure to sunlight. The proportions are so fun, too!!! This is one of those “quiet” pieces that we talk about a lot on the blog – it’s interesting to look at without calling a ton of attention to itself.

Item: 1960s Iron and Brass Candle Holders
Price: $36
Shipping From: DSM Lamp Works in Windsor Heights, IA

ANOTHER QUIET WINNER. You can’t tell in this shot, but those X bases are lifted a little and it makes such a cool, modern shape. The patina is great, too. Go minimalist with your dinnerware, pop a pair of taper candles in these bad boys, and your tablescape is basically finished for ya! What else can a girl ask for???

Item: Burn Board Wall Art
Price: $45
Shipping From: Rara Avis Design in Bozeman, MT

You ever see something that makes you wish you had another house so you could experiment with a few different styles? That’s how I feel about this piece. I’d love to see it styled out in a space that really leans into some classic Americana – you know, Pemberton blankets, buffalo check rugs, warm tones, lots of brick and wood. IT’D BE SO COZY!

Item: Murano-Style Purse-Shaped Glass Vase
Price: $49
Shipping From: Studio Concu in Zachary, IL

My current flavor of the week: Murano chandeliers. Buuuuut seeing as I don’t really have the budget to drop $5,000 on Italian lighting for my apartment with 8′ ceilings, these little tiny vases are scratching the itch in the interim. How fun would this piece be on a vanity? (PS. Studio Concu is one of my all-time favorite MEGA-affordable Chairish sellers.)

Item: Spanish Silver-Plated Twisted Stem Goblets
Price: $50
Shipping From: Summer Porch Vintage Living in Sacramento, CA

Zoom in!!! Not only are those stems twisted – they’re engraved with bunches of grapes! The goblets also come with glass inserts (GENIUS!!!) that’ll make cleanup a total breeze. Can you imagine serving dessert in these? But if they’re a little too “castle chic” for you (fitting, based on yesterday’s post), I’m here to give up another one of my favorite retailers: Summer Porch’s table- and barware inventory is UNPRECEDENTED. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a budget-friendly piece there that you love, too.

Item: 1970s Mottahedeh Trinket Dish
Price: $45
Shipping From: Maey in Winnetka, IL

Remember the old “there’s an app for that” Apple campaign? Well, here’s a 2022 take: THERE’S A MOTTAHEDEH DISH FOR THAT. I’ve given this one as an engagement present and this one as a going-away gift and let me tell you…folks who are into grand millennial decor LOVE THIS STUFF. If you’re interested, there are a ton of different phrases and colorways out there that are perfect for every occasion.

Item: Burl Wood Bookends
Price: $42
Shipping From: The Distillery in Austin, TX

My initial reaction to these went as follows: “uhh, are those maracas? Are they attached to slabs of wood? What is going on?” True to form, though, after staring at these bookends for longer and longer, they’ve endeared themselves to me. The shapes are fascinating and I think they could bring a lot of organic warmth to a more sterile, minimal space. (Remember when Bowser styled Jay-Z’s office? Like, these bookends feel like they could have held their own in that shoot.)

Item: Handcut Danish Decanter
Price: $35
Shipping From: Sarah E. in Tuscon, AZ

SO SIMPLE. So pretty. Decanters can get so expensive – this is a sturdy, keep-forever pick at a price that won’t break the bank. I would decant my mouthwash into this piece in a heartbeat.

Item: Brass Flamingo Statue
Price: $46
Shipping From: RELIC in Grand Haven, MI

If you also spend 30 minutes at flea market poking around the tent of whichever vendor has covered an entire table with brass figurines, I’m sure you also know that statues like this can get expensive. A foot tall piece for under $50? INCREDIBLE. Add it to your bar cart! Put it on your entryway console table so you’re always greeted by a shining, friendly face! The possibilities are endless!

Item: Porcelain Faux Bamboo Toast Rack
Price: $35
Shipping From: TheCreativeWe in Van Nuys, CA

I LOVE A TOAST RACK. I mean, sure, you could use this for napkins or mail and bills. But can you imagine using it for actual toast?! I DREAM of being the type of person who, uh, invites people over for breakfast (I guess? Since I live alone?) and then has their life together enough to carry out 4 pieces of perfectly-toasted bread WITH A PRODUCT designed specifically for carrying out 4 pieces of perfectly-toasted bread. One day I’ll get there. Maybe.

Item: Geometric Granite Paperweight
Price: $40
Shipping From: Earth and Images in Scottsdale, AZ

I don’t really love calling decor “masculine,” but that’s exactly how I feel about this bold cut of granite. It’d look SO GOOD on a bookshelf, or on top of stack of coffee table books, or in some other vignette that I don’t have the brainpower or creativity to imagine. If I were a little further along in my living room process, I’d buy for final styling without hesitation.

Item: Mid-Century Mushroom Salt & Pepper Shakers
Price: $28
Shipping From: Past Prezence in Laconia, NH

If you aren’t ready to dive head-first into the whole mushroom trend, these salt & pepper shakers would be a great jumping off point. They’re happy and playful (and since they’re in need of a little bit of polish and elbow grease, they’re also deeply discounted). Why go for an ordinary salt shaker when you can have one that’ll be fun to use every day?

Item: Nymolle Art Faience Danish Demitasse Cup
Price: $29
Shipping From: Allie’s Antiques in Bella Vista, AR

The illustration on this cup is just SO GREAT – it’s that perfect mix of youthful and mature that I really love. I wish it came in a wallpaper!!! I’d love to see this holding toothbrushes in a bathroom or holding pens in an office. (Also, Allie has pages and pages of well-priced pieces for all kinds of styles. Highly recommend favoriting her shop.)

Item: 1970s Italian Millefiori Dish
Price: $35
Shipping From: Corner House Collections in Metairie, LA

So, um, I also may buy this one before the post goes up – I’ve been feeling really inspired by this color palette lately. It started with these Kutani Geese, which I missed out on because I didn’t want to spend $250 on goose figurines (hooray for impulse control, sometimes!), and ever since then, I just can’t stop thinking about this melon/peach/turquoise/cobalt/chartreuse combo. Too weird, or do you also see the appeal???

Item: 1990s Bubble Glass Bowl
Price: $38
Shipping From: Kitty Curated in Riverside, IL

If you put this bowl in a sparse, high-end, super-modern store on La Cienega in LA and told me it was $600, I would absolutely believe you. While I don’t think this could work in my house (I’m a little too 1930s-meets-1970s over here), I could absolutely see this bowl looking uber-luxe in a more cool-toned, industrial space.

Item: Mid-Century Magazine Rack
Price: $47
Shipping From: WOOZ Style in Hastings, NE

If this rings a bell for you, it maaaay be because Sara included the fairly-similar Target version in her living room reveal (it’s just to the left of the sofa). These Umanoff-style magazine racks are totally classic for a good reason, though – this shape and construction feels just as fresh today as it did 70 years ago. Well done, vintage!!!

Item: 1980s Brass Dolphins with Ball
Price: $20
Shipping From: Dichamp Designs in Clermont, FL

WHERE IS A BEACH HOUSE WHEN I NEED ONE? This statue may need a little polish, but it’s such a good deal. What a fun way to spice up a boring bookshelf!!! (A few more winners from this shop: this $65 hobnail compote, this $50 brass crane, this $50 brass frog.)

Item: Mid-Century Marble Eggs
Price: $23
Shipping From: Serenity Antiques in Garrison, TX

I am the world’s biggest proponent of marble eggs and these are a STEAL (seriously, comparable ones sell for like, $30-40 each on Etsy; don’t even get me started on how much they cost at crystal shops!!!). I display mine on top of a little stand in my window frame (scroll way down to get to the window shot) and I love that it spices up a spot that’s normally pretty boring. Big fan of the egg as decor!!!

Item: 1960s Anna Hutte Crystal Candy Bowl
Price: $30
Shipping From: Antique & Chic in Lincoln, CA

Last but not least, I’ll always be a sucker for a vintage cut-crystal candy bowl. These are always SO beautiful and I cannot believe that they are affordable, too. This one, in particular, makes me wish that I lived in like, a gilded age mansion with a big library and a huge leather-topped desk with a fancy candy budget. It’s fun how just looking at stuff can spark your imagination, you know??

And, well, I guess that’s it for the first-ever edition of Budget Window Shopping. I had a blast pulling this together but WHAT SAY YOU??? Hit me with some feedback, please – maybe we can publish a round 2 next month. LET’S CHAT. xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Michael Keck | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: 7 Tips For Creating A Unique Home You REALLY Love

The post Budget “Online Window Shopping”: 30 Vintage Finds Under $50 appeared first on Emily Henderson.

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Published on January 28, 2022 01:00

Budget Window Shopping: 30 Vintage Finds Under $50