Emily Henderson's Blog, page 192

Teaching Our Kids To Cook Is The Best Parenting Hack Thus Far

Growing up my siblings and I were required to do cooking 4-H which meant preparing a meal in front of judges. It sounds terrifying (and it was) but obviously was empowering and taught a lot of skills (I made a mean clam chowder and sweet and sour meatballs which I’m pretty sure required actual MSG as an active ingredient). We had to follow the recipe precisely, using knives to level off the measuring spoons, and were required to set the table perfectly without hesitation. I think we all know that kids these days need more life skills (including our generation – changing tires, mending clothes, etc) especially those of us in cities. Well, I’m trying so hard during this time, where we are shut in with these almost humans for 24 hours a day, to have them learn how to cook (and clean and do all the things that we as parents have to do to run a house). Guys, its hard now, but its actually a GREAT parenting hack. Here are the real benefits of then learning how to cook (that I see, but I’m not a parenting expert).

Less work for me (at some point, RIGHT??). Why should I cook their meals when they can?? Of course, it increases my workload right now, but I hope it will eventually pay off and they’ll do it by themselves. They get to choose from a couple different recipes or if they are inspired of course they can do something else. (As a reminder our kids are 5 and almost 7).They don’t battle doing the dishes as much when THEY make the mess. Here’s the psychology – they know that they have to clean up their messes, so by making this mess themselves they feel more ownership over it. It’s screwed up, but if we make their meals I’ve heard them say ‘But, I didn’t make that mess’, which is SO ANNOYING, to say the least, so this way they can get their head around cleaning up a bit more. It’s good for their confidence and they feel so empowered. Some days have been fun, others its a total struggle (with one of my kids, my other kid LOVES IT) but ultimately they have both been SO PROUD of themselves afterwards and Birdie even says ‘it tastes so much better when I make it’ and I’m like yeah because you put two tablespoons of mayonnaise on each piece of bread. They practice reading. Charlie is ‘the head chef’ and he walks us through the recipe as he is a new reader. This definitely slows it down (which is why I normally try to start an hour before lunch time) but it’s just so awesome to see him lead us through the recipe by reading. They explore basic fractions, science/physics, and safety (not to mention better motor skills). We aren’t great “teachers”, but through this process I can see they are learning all sorts of good things that is also WAY more fun for me to teach.It’s ‘home schooling’ in a way that is actually fun for me (and hopefully them). Remember, that since we opted out of distance learning in favor for home school we actually are in charge of teaching them ‘stuff’ and not all of it is fun for us. This is.



But there is a hole in the market

There is a hole in the market and if I weren’t in a ‘stop pitching ideas that will just make you over-scheduled’ mode I would 100% pitch a kids cookbook. Not because i’m a great cook, but for kids stuff I haven’t found a book that hasn’t made me super frustrated. I’ve now ordered 10 kids cookbooks and while there are a handful of recipes that we have used in each, for the most part they are flawed. Now, to be clear, I think that our kids are very young so these books are I think for the 8 – 12 year old demographic, but for our kids ages (4 and 6) there isn’t a book.

Here are the problems that I’ve found with the kids cookbooks out there:

Most of the cookbooks are visually too hard to read for my kids age with an ingredient list on the side, steps on the other page and then the font is FAR too small for them (and me) and way too many graphics that distract them rather than help them. There are too many recipes that kids just won’t eat, taking up space in the book. Listen, I know that eventually they’ll eat curry veggie wraps, but with so many of these books there are only like 4 recipes that they actually want to put in their mouth for lunch.

Here’s what I would like (and what I might start doing): hack these recipes and rewrite them for kids. What does that mean? It’s a step by step that includes the portion amount within the steps so they don’t have to reference the ingredient list instead only focusing on one sentence, and one step at a time. In the perfect cookbook there would be an appealing to children photo (skip the green garnishes okay?) and then a paragraph for parents with some tips or common errors, etc. But one whole page would be step by step in large font, including the ingredient amounts within the copy. There could be a couple picture steps IF NEEDED – maybe for older kids who aren’t being helped by parents, but for us I just want a one page for them to read, follow and own, without trying to also follow picture steps.

I get that eventually they’ll need to learn how to follow a real recipe (with an ingredient list, etc) but right now we need to boil it down to the basic instructions that THEY can follow, to make simple food THEY get excited to eat. Now I know what you are thinking…

Do they cook themselves vegetables??

HAHAHAHAAH. We’ve de-prioritized veggies on the meals that they cook because there is just no way that a 5 and 7 year old are going to voluntarily make themselves a veggie wrap. Right now I just want them excited about cooking and feeling independant and autonomous (especially these days where they are around us 24/7 – how are these kids going to figure out that they are their own person?). Of course I want them to have vegetables but they eat tons of fruit, carrots and avocado and we do smoothies on occasion (not enough). But no, they don’t eat enough vegetables – they can barely handle if an herb touches their plate – but we are picking our battles and letting that one slide if they make and clean up their own lunch. We need this to be fun until it becomes a daily habit/less of a battle, then we’ll start mixing in the veggies….

Our Favorite Kids-Friendly Tools

A quick caveat – at 5 and almost 7 our kids are old enough to use most grown up cooking stuff, but I do know that having ‘their own’ might get them excited. It’s up to you. I personally don’t want more garbage in my drawers so they have some dedicated kids stuff, but its not like they need their own cutting board – they’ll use it for a week then it becomes landfill.

Metal glove for cutting – This glove is actually GREAT if you want them to cut with an actually sharp knife or use a mandolin.

Kids Kitchen Tool Set: This one is so cute but pretty expensive. Generally they can use a normal peeler but these are designed to help prevent cuts so if you are concerned they might be a great bet (plus they are very cute)

Cutting board: Every time I go to chop anything all I want to use is THIS cutting board so of course the kids use it too. And so does Brian. It’s extremely lightweight but durable. The cut marks don’t look super scratchy, and the black really works in our kitchen so it’s not like it stands out 

Ninja Blender: If they need to blend something we like this one because it’s super easy for them to use.

Kids Kitchen Step Stool: This is the stool that we had until the kids were about 4 and were confidant on a normal stepladder. This one was great, didn’t slip but still slid easily to move it around the kitchen (from cutting board to doing dishes) but it does take up a lot of real estate – she big (they are all big and clunky).

Unicorn Apron: Oh I know that you want them to wear a cute canvas and leather stripe apron from Hedley and Bennet, but this is where the exception to wanting to ‘act grownup’ fails. Birdie insists on putting on her unicorn apron (2 for $11) every single day.

Two favorite cookbooks for our kids’ ages (so far):

Good Housekeeping Kids Cook! | Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make (and Eat!)

Again, I wish these cookbooks were a little more user friendly, but there are a few recipes in these books that the kids really LOVE making themselves (Popcorn Chicken, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Peanut Butter and Jelly Pockets, Green Eggs and Ham’which, etc).

Now I just found this kids recipe subscription box that says is great for emerging readers. Has anyone tried this? I’m VERY interested.

If you want to dive it and get them excited, maybe this kids cooking tool kit would be cool? I’m super hesitant to buy it though because I’m fearful that it will just end up clutter up my drawers or worse – end up in the landfill. Plus, I’ve found that part of this “empowering” is kids feeling like a grownup and using grownup tools. Birdie insists on tying her apron herself and she wants no help with the peeler. So, I think my advice is skip the kids version and just teach them how to use your tools. BUT if you are looking to entice them or if you want to give someone a gift (or if you are nervous about your tools), I do think that a cooking set will get them initially excited (it just might wane, almost immediately).

They really just want to make themselves pb and J, almost every single day and its not like we don’t (we probably have 2 a week at least) but the point is we are TRYING to transfer this responsibility (and autonomy/control/power) to them. Realistically this whole ‘reading a recipe thing’ happens 3 meals a week and it does take more time, we are priviliged to have that time. Remember that we are also home schooling so they can take a LONG lunch break. Brian thinks i’m nuts because what would take us 15 minutes is now an hour chore (plus eating and cleaning), and again THERE ARE BATTLES, but while we have this time they will learn skills with the hope that in 4 years they’ll be cooking family dinner for all of us. I think of Tieghan of HalfBaked Harvest and how incredible she was/is as such a young self-taught chef and now makes meals for her huge family all day every day and i’m like YES, THAT IS THE GOAL.

If you are considering trying this with little ones you should know a few things.

Lower your expectations in every way. They will make a disaster in the kitchen. They will not do the best job chopping. Just be cool. Let them choose the recipes (which is why i like having the physical cookbooks with pictures). They take turns (with requisite fighting and complaining). I need to be better about planning in advance (to get ingredients ) and just choosing two in which they can choose between. Tackle 2-4 a week MAX (including breakfast/lunch/dinner). Even if its just pancakes on the weekends, make then read the recipe and be the ‘lead chef’ and you’ll feel like you accomplished something. Do NOT leave them unsupervised, especially with pots of boiling water, but know that they will likely burn themselves a bit or accidentally peel off some skin when peeling carrots – so I guess you have to be okay with that.

So if you guys know of any recipe blogs for KIDS where I can print out easy to read/follow recipes for early readers let me know, or cookbooks for that matter that I may have not found. In the meantime, head to my Instagram stories if you want to see how its going IRL.

Instagram Made Me Like These Trendy Furniture Items…But Are They Actually Cool?

There are some furniture items and decor pieces that I can only describe to you in one (hyphenated) word: scroll-stopping. You know what I mean, it’s when you’re on Instagram and you see some oddly shaped piece of furniture in a room and all you can do is stop your scroll, zoom in a little, and stare at it for far too long. Maybe you’re staring because you’ve never seen anything like it before, or maybe you’re staring because this is the 1,000th time you’ve seen it and it’s taunting you because you can’t find it online since it’s sold out everywhere (or too expensive).

For me it was the latter. It all started with that H&M circle vase that’s been out of stock for god knows how long but everyone seems to have. Here’s the photo (from @thishouse5000) that confirmed I needed to get one:

View this post on Instagram

When Karen asks for the manager, and the manager backs you up

Ajai’s Back (With Some Big News!) + How To Make An Apartment Bedroom (Quickly) Feel Like Home

Hey you all, Ajai here, and I’m back with some pretty big news! After seven long months of living with my parents, we’ve moved out! To make a very long story short, because of such uncertain times (me being pregnant during a pandemic and now flu season) our OB/GYN wants Jack (our sweet baby boy) to only be around mommy and daddy during his vaccination period, so my husband and I had to bite the bullet and sign an apartment lease. We were able to save a fair amount while living with my parents, and selling our previous home also helped. However, we’ll use this time in our apartment to adjust to parenthood and take our time to look for the perfect home for us. But this doesn’t mean we won’t make this apartment feel like home in the meantime. 

Along with driving back to my parent’s home during the weekends to complete the projects we started there, we’ve lined up some apartment-friendly design and decor updates for our new space as well. Again, our goal was to make our apartment feel like a home. But the big question is, how exactly do you do that? Especially with the apartment being a new-build (just built at the end of 2018). This will be Jack’s first home, so it’s important for us to make it as relaxing and cozy as possible. Moreover, it’s important for us to make it feel like a place with character, and one that reminds him of comfort and love. We needed to tackle our main bedroom first, so we established a few guidelines to achieve this homey-feeling. Below are seven principles we established to help with adding character and coziness through decor. 

BUY KEY BEDROOM PIECES AND UNPACK ASAP

My husband and I did our best not to fall into the trap of living amongst boxes. We tackled those moving boxes ASAP, because we know the dangers of “leaving them and getting around to unpacking another time.” Living amongst boxes can be a constant reminder that we are not at home. Thus, instead of grabbing our things from boxes on a daily basis, we purchased a dresser and hangers immediately to get our clothes organized in closets, and put away neatly in our dresser. We also made it a priority to build our bed instead of sleeping on the floor. Nothing like a blowup mattress or sleeping bag to remind you that you’re not at home. 

CHOOSE COMFY (AND BEAUTIFUL) BEDDING 

I cannot urge enough how important it is to have good sheets and bedding. Our main bedroom is our sanctuary and good sleep can really aid in our recovery from a long and chaotic day. Something you should know about me; there’s the Ajai who had a good night’s sleep, and the Ajai who had a not-so-good night’s sleep (you’d enjoy the first one much more). So to make sure I’m my smiley, enjoyable, and upbeat self, I do my best to source comfy sheets. The sheets we have on our bed now are like sleeping in between fluffy clouds. We got our bed bundle from The Citizenry. I was on the hunt for the perfect neutral linen sheets and had been eyeing their stonewashed sand stripe set for quite some time. These sheets are so soft, extremely light, and beyond cozy. They actually make it hard to get out of bed and get things going, but I’m sure our newborn will act as our built in alarm to remedy that. 

SHOWCASE YOUR SENTIMENTALS 

I’m big on minimalism, but bare walls and empty nooks in an apartment can be so daunting. That said, I go the hygge route to remedy the feeling of emptiness. I need our place to always feel like home and cozy, so I put out sentimental things to trigger nostalgia and memories of family and fun times. I printed and framed a picture from our wedding day, and added it to a little vignette on our dresser. This picture reminds me of our journey and just how far we’ve come as husband and wife (we met eight years ago, got married in 2016, and now we are going to be a mommy and daddy – I can’t believe it). I also added a glass photo album filled with our wedding photos to the vignette too. The throw-blanket on our bed came from our home in Atlanta (I remember us cozying up into it as it snowed last winter). 

TREAT YOURSELF WITH WINDOW TREATMENTS 

The windows are the eyes of your space. Some prefer a bare eyelid and don’t mind going out into the world without mascara and eyeliner. My husband doesn’t care much for my no-drapes approach, but I am this way sometimes. I want all of the windows open with light bursting through. However, there are plenty of days where I’m feeling fancy and love to line my eyes and put on mascara. That said, it’s very important to choose good window rods and panels in these cases. Here’s a trick I learned; the window rods and drapes really set the tone of a room, so if you splurge a bit here, you can get thrifty with other pieces of furniture. To make a real statement with the windows, I added brass curtain rods and curtain rings with clips. Because the apartment came with blinds, I added white linen panels for an open and airy feel. 

GET RID OF HARSH LIGHTING AND ADD LAMPS AND SCONCES

For me, lighting is the jewelry of a space (can you see the trend here?? I typically think of dressing a room like I’d dress myself. I picked up this approach to designing interiors from Emily H.). That said, I received gorgeous sconces from a collaboration with Mitzi and Hudson Valley Lighting Group (the ones featured in the mood board from my last blog post) that I adore. They were originally to be used in my mom and dad’s home (we even hired an electrician to wire them), but I really wanted to show them in my current design. (Don’t worry mom, I’ll be unmounting and returning the lights to you soon, as promised). Adding sconces and lamps allow for you to dress your room thus, adding character, and providing warmer and less harsh lighting. 

TRY ARTIFICIAL CANDLES

It’s important that we abide by our rental agreement and play it safe when it comes to candles. I know how cozy and at home candles can truly make a room feel, and I’m very into warm lighting, but with apartments this can get a bit tricky. To avoid burning down the building, we just purchased rental insurance (HA I’m kidding, though we do have renter’s insurance). In actuality, we added artificial candles to warm up the space (figuratively speaking).

LET YOUR FURNITURE ALSO FUNCTION AS ART

Being able to actually utilize art in my home is a big one for me. I do my best to find beautiful pieces that actually serve a purpose. For instance the nightstands I just had to have in this space. These bedside tables took real patience, and boy was I okay with waiting for them. I visited my local store almost every weekend and called everyday to see if they’d finally made it on the shipping truck. The shape on them is smooth and minimal, yet make such a bold statement. To me they whisper, “I’m beautiful, use me.” I keep our current reads stored in these beauties, and place my tea on them while we cuddle up and watch our nightly shows (with coasters of course). They also give me a place to store and hide not-so-good-looking remote controls, phone chargers, and earphones. 

I should also mention how obsessed I am with vintage rugs. They are hands down one of my favorite decor items. They are essentially like having unique art on the floor. Area rugs are the focal piece of a room and I believe they should call to us, just like wall art. You can even layer them to make a room feel cozy. I used a jute rug for the first layer and the top rug I chose for our bedroom is a vintage wool rug, sent all the way to me from Turkey (Via a truly amazing girl on Etsy). This rug is one of a kind and it makes my feet quite happy, every step of the way. I love choosing pillows covers to act as functional art as well, and the pillows I chose are also vintage textiles (compliments of Marigold Interiors). 

Of course when the baby comes, we have a spot in our bedroom where I’ll have his bassinet (so I can be nearby to check on him during the first months) but did I mention another great thing about this apartment is that we have an extra room?? That extra room will serve as his nursery so the three of us don’t have to be squished into one room AND it means we have extra storage for baby clothes and a changing station. What a dream!

In the meantime, we are driving to my parents home next weekend to finish up the living and dining rooms and I’ll be sharing my mom’s living room gone girl-cave next time around! See you then!

Design and Photos by Ajai Guyot of True Home

The post Ajai’s Back (With Some Big News!) + How To Make An Apartment Bedroom (Quickly) Feel Like Home appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Ajai’s Back (With Some Big News!) + How To Make An Apartment Bedroom (quickly) Feel Like Home

Hey you all, Ajai here, and I’m back with some pretty big news! After seven long months of living with my parents, we’ve moved out! To make a very long story short, because of such uncertain times (me being pregnant during a pandemic and now flu season) our OB/GYN wants Jack (our sweet baby boy) to only be around mommy and daddy during his vaccination period, so my husband and I had to bite the bullet and sign an apartment lease. We were able to save a fair amount while living with my parents, and selling our previous home also helped. However, we’ll use this time in our apartment to adjust to parenthood and take our time to look for the perfect home for us. But this doesn’t mean we won’t make this apartment feel like home in the meantime. 

Along with driving back to my parent’s home during the weekends to complete the projects we started there, we’ve lined up some apartment-friendly design and decor updates for our new space as well. Again, our goal was to make our apartment feel like a home. But the big question is, how exactly do you do that? Especially with the apartment being a new-build (just built at the end of 2018). This will be Jack’s first home, so it’s important for us to make it as relaxing and cozy as possible. Moreover, it’s important for us to make it feel like a place with character, and one that reminds him of comfort and love. We needed to tackle our main bedroom first, so we established a few guidelines to achieve this homey-feeling. Below are seven principles we established to help with adding character and coziness through decor. 

BUY KEY BEDROOM PIECES AND UNPACK ASAP

My husband and I did our best not to fall into the trap of living amongst boxes. We tackled those moving boxes ASAP, because we know the dangers of “leaving them and getting around to unpacking another time.” Living amongst boxes can be a constant reminder that we are not at home. Thus, instead of grabbing our things from boxes on a daily basis, we purchased a dresser and hangers immediately to get our clothes organized in closets, and put away neatly in our dresser. We also made it a priority to build our bed instead of sleeping on the floor. Nothing like a blowup mattress or sleeping bag to remind you that you’re not at home. 

CHOOSE COMFY (AND BEAUTIFUL) BEDDING 

I cannot urge enough how important it is to have good sheets and bedding. Our main bedroom is our sanctuary and good sleep can really aid in our recovery from a long and chaotic day. Something you should know about me; there’s the Ajai who had a good night’s sleep, and the Ajai who had a not-so-good night’s sleep (you’d enjoy the first one much more). So to make sure I’m my smiley, enjoyable, and upbeat self, I do my best to source comfy sheets. The sheets we have on our bed now are like sleeping in between fluffy clouds. We got our bed bundle from The Citizenry. I was on the hunt for the perfect neutral linen sheets and had been eyeing their stonewashed sand stripe set for quite some time. These sheets are so soft, extremely light, and beyond cozy. They actually make it hard to get out of bed and get things going, but I’m sure our newborn will act as our built in alarm to remedy that. 

SHOWCASE YOUR SENTIMENTALS 

I’m big on minimalism, but bare walls and empty nooks in an apartment can be so daunting. That said, I go the hygge route to remedy the feeling of emptiness. I need our place to always feel like home and cozy, so I put out sentimental things to trigger nostalgia and memories of family and fun times. I printed and framed a picture from our wedding day, and added it to a little vignette on our dresser. This picture reminds me of our journey and just how far we’ve come as husband and wife (we met eight years ago, got married in 2016, and now we are going to be a mommy and daddy – I can’t believe it). I also added a glass photo album filled with our wedding photos to the vignette too. The throw-blanket on our bed came from our home in Atlanta (I remember us cozying up into it as it snowed last winter). 

TREAT YOURSELF WITH WINDOW TREATMENTS 

The windows are the eyes of your space. Some prefer a bare eyelid and don’t mind going out into the world without mascara and eyeliner. My husband doesn’t care much for my no-drapes approach, but I am this way sometimes. I want all of the windows open with light bursting through. However, there are plenty of days where I’m feeling fancy and love to line my eyes and put on mascara. That said, it’s very important to choose good window rods and panels in these cases. Here’s a trick I learned; the window rods and drapes really set the tone of a room, so if you splurge a bit here, you can get thrifty with other pieces of furniture. To make a real statement with the windows, I added brass curtain rods and curtain rings with clips. Because the apartment came with blinds, I added white linen panels for an open and airy feel. 

GET RID OF HARSH LIGHTING AND ADD LAMPS AND SCONCES

For me, lighting is the jewelry of a space (can you see the trend here?? I typically think of dressing a room like I’d dress myself. I picked up this approach to designing interiors from Emily H.). That said, I received gorgeous sconces from a collaboration with Mitzi and Hudson Valley Lighting Group (the ones featured in the mood board from my last blog post) that I adore. They were originally to be used in my mom and dad’s home (we even hired an electrician to wire them), but I really wanted to show them in my current design. (Don’t worry mom, I’ll be unmounting and returning the lights to you soon, as promised). Adding sconces and lamps allow for you to dress your room thus, adding character, and providing warmer and less harsh lighting. 

TRY ARTIFICIAL CANDLES

It’s important that we abide by our rental agreement and play it safe when it comes to candles. I know how cozy and at home candles can truly make a room feel, and I’m very into warm lighting, but with apartments this can get a bit tricky. To avoid burning down the building, we just purchased rental insurance (HA I’m kidding, though we do have renter’s insurance). In actuality, we added artificial candles to warm up the space (figuratively speaking).

LET YOUR FURNITURE ALSO FUNCTION AS ART

Being able to actually utilize art in my home is a big one for me. I do my best to find beautiful pieces that actually serve a purpose. For instance the nightstands I just had to have in this space. These bedside tables took real patience, and boy was I okay with waiting for them. I visited my local store almost every weekend and called everyday to see if they’d finally made it on the shipping truck. The shape on them is smooth and minimal, yet make such a bold statement. To me they whisper, “I’m beautiful, use me.” I keep our current reads stored in these beauties, and place my tea on them while we cuddle up and watch our nightly shows (with coasters of course). They also give me a place to store and hide not-so-good-looking remote controls, phone chargers, and earphones. 

I should also mention how obsessed I am with vintage rugs. They are hands down one of my favorite decor items. They are essentially like having unique art on the floor. Area rugs are the focal piece of a room and I believe they should call to us, just like wall art. You can even layer them to make a room feel cozy. I used a jute rug for the first layer and the top rug I chose for our bedroom is a vintage wool rug, sent all the way to me from Turkey (Via a truly amazing girl on Etsy). This rug is one of a kind and it makes my feet quite happy, every step of the way. I love choosing pillows covers to act as functional art as well, and the pillows I chose are also vintage textiles (compliments of Marigold Interiors). 

Of course when the baby comes, we have a spot in our bedroom where I’ll have his bassinet (so I can be nearby to check on him during the first months) but did I mention another great thing about this apartment is that we have an extra room?? That extra room will serve as his nursery so the three of us don’t have to be squished into one room AND it means we have extra storage for baby clothes and a changing station. What a dream!

In the meantime, we are driving to my parents home next weekend to finish up the living and dining rooms and I’ll be sharing my mom’s living room gone girl-cave next time around! See you then!

Design and Photos by Ajai Guyot of True Home

The post Ajai’s Back (With Some Big News!) + How To Make An Apartment Bedroom (quickly) Feel Like Home appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Ajai’s Back (With Some Big News!) + How To Make An Apartment Master Bedroom Feel Like Home

Hey you all, Ajai here, and I’m back with some pretty big news! After seven long months of living with my parents, we’ve moved out! To make a very long story short, because of such uncertain times (me being pregnant during a pandemic and now flu season) our OB/GYN wants Jack (our sweet baby boy) to only be around mommy and daddy during his vaccination period, so my husband and I had to bite the bullet and sign an apartment lease. We were able to save a fair amount while living with my parents, and selling our previous home also helped. However, we’ll use this time in our apartment to adjust to parenthood and take our time to look for the perfect home for us. But this doesn’t mean we won’t make this apartment feel like home in the meantime. 

Along with driving back to my parent’s home during the weekends to complete the projects we started there, we’ve lined up some apartment-friendly design and decor updates for our new space as well. Again, our goal was to make our apartment feel like a home. But the big question is, how exactly do you do that? Especially with the apartment being a new-build (just built at the end of 2018). This will be Jack’s first home, so it’s important for us to make it as relaxing and cozy as possible. Moreover, it’s important for us to make it feel like a place with character, and one that reminds him of comfort and love. We needed to tackle our main bedroom first, so we established a few guidelines to achieve this homey-feeling. Below are seven principles we established to help with adding character and coziness through decor. 

BUY KEY BEDROOM PIECES AND UNPACK ASAP

My husband and I did our best not to fall into the trap of living amongst boxes. We tackled those moving boxes ASAP, because we know the dangers of “leaving them and getting around to unpacking another time.” Living amongst boxes can be a constant reminder that we are not at home. Thus, instead of grabbing our things from boxes on a daily basis, we purchased a dresser and hangers immediately to get our clothes organized in closets, and put away neatly in our dresser. We also made it a priority to build our bed instead of sleeping on the floor. Nothing like a blowup mattress or sleeping bag to remind you that you’re not at home. 

CHOOSE COMFY (AND BEAUTIFUL) BEDDING 

I cannot urge enough how important it is to have good sheets and bedding. Our main bedroom is our sanctuary and good sleep can really aid in our recovery from a long and chaotic day. Something you should know about me; there’s the Ajai who had a good night’s sleep, and the Ajai who had a not-so-good night’s sleep (you’d enjoy the first one much more). So to make sure I’m my smiley, enjoyable, and upbeat self, I do my best to source comfy sheets. The sheets we have on our bed now are like sleeping in between fluffy clouds. We got our bed bundle from The Citizenry. I was on the hunt for the perfect neutral linen sheets and had been eyeing their stonewashed sand stripe set for quite some time. These sheets are so soft, extremely light, and beyond cozy. They actually make it hard to get out of bed and get things going, but I’m sure our newborn will act as our built in alarm to remedy that. 

SHOWCASE YOUR SENTIMENTALS 

I’m big on minimalism, but bare walls and empty nooks in an apartment can be so daunting. That said, I go the hygge route to remedy the feeling of emptiness. I need our place to always feel like home and cozy, so I put out sentimental things to trigger nostalgia and memories of family and fun times. I printed and framed a picture from our wedding day, and added it to a little vignette on our dresser. This picture reminds me of our journey and just how far we’ve come as husband and wife (we met eight years ago, got married in 2016, and now we are going to be a mommy and daddy – I can’t believe it). I also added a glass photo album filled with our wedding photos to the vignette too. The throw-blanket on our bed came from our home in Atlanta (I remember us cozying up into it as it snowed last winter). 

TREAT YOURSELF WITH WINDOW TREATMENTS 

The windows are the eyes of your space. Some prefer a bare eyelid and don’t mind going out into the world without mascara and eyeliner. My husband doesn’t care much for my no-drapes approach, but I am this way sometimes. I want all of the windows open with light bursting through. However, there are plenty of days where I’m feeling fancy and love to line my eyes and put on mascara. That said, it’s very important to choose good window rods and panels in these cases. Here’s a trick I learned; the window rods and drapes really set the tone of a room, so if you splurge a bit here, you can get thrifty with other pieces of furniture. To make a real statement with the windows, I added brass curtain rods and curtain rings with clips. Because the apartment came with blinds, I added white linen panels for an open and airy feel. 

GET RID OF HARSH LIGHTING AND ADD LAMPS AND SCONCES

For me, lighting is the jewelry of a space (can you see the trend here?? I typically think of dressing a room like I’d dress myself. I picked up this approach to designing interiors from Emily H.). That said, I received gorgeous sconces from a collaboration with Mitzi and Hudson Valley Lighting Group (the ones featured in the mood board from my last blog post) that I adore. They were originally to be used in my mom and dad’s home (we even hired an electrician to wire them), but I really wanted to show them in my current design. (Don’t worry mom, I’ll be unmounting and returning the lights to you soon, as promised). Adding sconces and lamps allow for you to dress your room thus, adding character, and providing warmer and less harsh lighting. 

TRY ARTIFICIAL CANDLES

It’s important that we abide by our rental agreement and play it safe when it comes to candles. I know how cozy and at home candles can truly make a room feel, and I’m very into warm lighting, but with apartments this can get a bit tricky. To avoid burning down the building, we just purchased rental insurance (HA I’m kidding, though we do have renter’s insurance). In actuality, we added artificial candles to warm up the space (figuratively speaking).

LET YOUR FURNITURE ALSO FUNCTION AS ART

Being able to actually utilize art in my home is a big one for me. I do my best to find beautiful pieces that actually serve a purpose. For instance the nightstands I just had to have in this space. These bedside tables took real patience, and boy was I okay with waiting for them. I visited my local store almost every weekend and called everyday to see if they’d finally made it on the shipping truck. The shape on them is smooth and minimal, yet make such a bold statement. To me they whisper, “I’m beautiful, use me.” I keep our current reads stored in these beauties, and place my tea on them while we cuddle up and watch our nightly shows (with coasters of course). They also give me a place to store and hide not-so-good-looking remote controls, phone chargers, and earphones. 

I should also mention how obsessed I am with vintage rugs. They are hands down one of my favorite decor items. They are essentially like having unique art on the floor. Area rugs are the focal piece of a room and I believe they should call to us, just like wall art. You can even layer them to make a room feel cozy. I used a jute rug for the first layer and the top rug I chose for our bedroom is a vintage wool rug, sent all the way to me from Turkey (Via a truly amazing girl on Etsy). This rug is one of a kind and it makes my feet quite happy, every step of the way. I love choosing pillows covers to act as functional art as well, and the pillows I chose are also vintage textiles (compliments of Marigold Interiors). 

Of course when the baby comes, we have a spot in our bedroom where I’ll have his bassinet (so I can be nearby to check on him during the first months) but did I mention another great thing about this apartment is that we have an extra room?? That extra room will serve as his nursery so the three of us don’t have to be squished into one room AND it means we have extra storage for baby clothes and a changing station. What a dream!

In the meantime, we are driving to my parents home next weekend to finish up the living and dining rooms and I’ll be sharing my mom’s living room gone girl-cave next time around! See you then!

Design and Photos by Ajai Guyot of True Home

The post Ajai’s Back (With Some Big News!) + How To Make An Apartment Master Bedroom Feel Like Home appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Caitlin’s Roller Coaster House Hunting Saga Continues…

HI, I’M BACK WITH A LIFE UPDATE. Please settle in and grab some coffee because you’re in for another long read! You may remember me from this massive missive, but let me catch you up quickly: in August, I stumbled upon a .68 acre piece of land in the hills of Los Angeles that happened to contain a “teardown” house.

The hill house in question was being offered at $299,000 and let me tell you: that is a GOSH. DARN. STEAL. (I’m about to provide some context below). She had been sitting vacant and unfinished for over a decade so she needed some work – a contractor quoted me $300,000 to $400,000 for a builder-grade renovation – but comparable homes in the neighborhood with *no* views were selling for an average of 1.1 to 1.7 million dollars, so I did a whole lot of mental gymnastics (and math, as detailed here) to convince myself that this was 100% worth pursuing.

And pursue it, I did!!! It’s been two months. She was a diamond in the rough, and I was going to fix her! HERE’S THE UPDATE.

remember me?



The Honest Numbers

Before I really get into anything else, I just want to have a quick and open chat about the financial situation that brought us to this day. WHAT IS THE INTERNET FOR, if not revealing incredible personal information about yourself and your bank accounts??? If you only care about the house details, you can scroll down to the next section. If you read the last post and you were like, “hey, how the heck are you affording this?,” then this overview is for you!

I’m 29 (as of today!), I’m debt-free (as of August!), I’m single (please send me your cute sons, I’m so tired of Tinder), and I’m looking for a house in East Los Angeles while trying to stick within the $400k to $500k range. (Trying is truly the operative word here. We’re going on a full ride today, folks, and of course it involves going over budget). In a dream scenario, I’m hoping to find a place that’s fairly run down (aim high, everyone!!!) but livable enough that I can manage a $100-200k renovation over a year or two (or three, or four, or forever).

But I know the real question from the last post was “how do you have enough in savings to pull this off?” so I need to digress for a moment and introduce you to my very smart, very fun, VERY FINE mother. You may recognize her from her contributions in the last post – mainly, offering to lend me a bananas amount of money when I couldn’t find a land loan (I later discovered the lovely people at U.S. Bank, who were willing to lend me a bananas amount of money instead! Crisis averted!) – but I wanted to put a face to the name, so here she is. THIS IS BRENDA.

left: we celebrate mother’s day 2013 with an obscenely priced piece of paper | right: as you can tell we are both VERY BEAUTIFUL all the time

I discussed this a bit in the comments of the last post, but I wanted to put it front and center: I owe literally all of this to my mom’s careful, brilliant planning, to her tireless and incredible work ethic, to just straight up dumb luck, and to some unfortunate losses. I am a lifelong beneficiary of the framework that this genius woman laid for me.

When I was born, my mom started a brokerage account for me to use. FOLKS, DO THIS FOR YOUR KIDS! HURRY! 29 years of compounding interest on holiday gifts, inheritances (a sad personal note that I normally don’t talk about: I got to bury my whole family with the exception of my mom before I turned 17, which was not awesome!), and personal contributions have swelled into around $80,000. There is truly no way on God’s green earth that I would have anywhere NEAR $80,000 if left to my own devices and I still transfer $100 every Thursday into this account. THANK YOU MOM, FOR YOUR INFINITE WISDOM. (Unfortunately, we do have one blind spot when it comes to finance: novelty photos. I cannot tell you how much money we have dropped on these types of photos of us over the years, but I can tell you that we have HUNDREDS. Also, last year we got a little wine tipsy on a cruise ship last year before buying EVERY. SINGLE. PICTURE. they had of us. We are a fun time!!)

ANYWAY – I honestly do not look at this brokerage account and only set up an online login in July, when I started house-hunting seriously. I still have a regular savings and checking account so I love that this brokerage exists separately, particularly because I won’t have that big “holy crap, I just spent *everything*” moment when I put wire my downpayment.

And finally, I just got dumb lucky in the stock market and cashed out a couple thousand dollars of stock to free up extra funds for closing costs. When I boil it down, every $1,000 I put into my portfolio turned into $11,000. I can’t be like, “ah, yes, buying a house is SIMPLE! Just invest in stocks with high returns!!!” but Robinhood – used responsibly, with stocks held for the longterm – really worked for me.

And while sure, I take home a salary and do my best…I really still owe it all to my mom. I wouldn’t be here without her setting me up with solid financial infrastructure or without knowing that I could always go home if I failed miserably. When I wanted to quit an incredible job at Apple to start a startup, she was on board. When I needed a year to recuperate between 4 years at the startup and joining EHD (that sh*t was HARD, y’all!!!), she was always there to give me a pep talk. I’ve been very, very privileged enough to be in a position where I could take fun and weird risks with my work because I knew I could always run back to Delaware, which I realize is SO SO SO SPECIAL. We are pretty stoic in person but I hope she knows that I am absolutely obsessed with her and I gush about her to anyone who will listen. MOM, YOU ARE FUN AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I’m so grateful for you.

Is this an essay about my mom???? No? Should it be??? OKAY ANYWAY THAT’S HOW I’M PAYING FOR THINGS, NOW HERE’S THE HOUSE UPDATE…

The Context

Back to business! My favorite comment about the hill house wasn’t even posted on the blog – it was on an anonymous message board. It was biting (albeit accurate, if I’m being honest!), but it ended with a two sentence quip that made me laugh: “The house is clearly a nightmare, and is being left alone for logical reasons. The lady is delusional.”

I had to laugh because this person was so right. The hill house IS clearly a nightmare – it has foundation issues, the neighbors who aren’t thrilled about having her fixed up, there’s not even a road leading to the property, and that is still only the beginning of a laundry list of permitting issues – and because of these things, yes, any logical person would leave it alone! But when it comes to delusional, I’d like to present an alternative…

here’s a cutie!

I think the listing says it best: “MAJOR FIXER, YET DREAM VIEWS ON A DOUBLE LOT NEAR THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN…Yes, the exterior is rough and the interior even rougher and is likely a complete raze to the ground, but priced to sell for an amazing development opportunity that likely only comes around once in a lifetime!”

And admittedly, this house has A LOT OF CHARM. But you know what this house doesn’t have? A ROOF. Or a salvageable interior. This teardown went on the market for $499,000 in August and sold to a cash buyer last week for $567,500. THAT’S ALMOST SIXTY. NINE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS. MORE THAN ASKING PRICE. In cash!!! How could I not be enthusiastic about a house that’s twice the size, half the price, and in workable condition…albeit requiring A LOT more bureaucratic legwork? It didn’t seem delusional to me (at the time…) to save hundreds of thousands of dollars when faced with comps like this. SO ONWARDS, I TRUCKED.

The Math Hits



i’m about to get punched in the head by reality

On the day my last post went live, I finally got an email from the Bureau of Engineering. It had been weeks and I had needed their feedback: could I just build a driveway, or would I need to extend the road in front of the property? The answer wasn’t great: they wouldn’t know until I had taken full possession, but they warned that I should budget for 30 feet of frontage.

In Los Angeles, if you need a city road built, you can submit a request to the city and if approved by the neighbors, you can submit a waiver that will cover the costs. But this home was different: I had been warned by city planners that neighbors had historically blocked waivers and that yes, if I wanted to live here, I should be prepared to pay for a road (and to potentially pay for updates to the entirety of the road leading up to the property). And like…ok! That felt doable. I’ve lived in houses with long driveways. It’s the same, right?

IT IS NOT THE SAME. Rough estimates I got from the city were all over the place, but they were all in the six figures – $100k to $400k. This felt like a VERY BIG leap to take without the buy-in of the neighborhood council, which still hadn’t responded to any of my frantic emails.

annnnd there it is

While I was noodling on that problem – am I charming enough to talk potential neighbors into helping me get a waiver worth nearly half a million dollars? – I stumbled on some more FUN NEWS. Ah, yes – lumber prices have soared over the past several months. Maybe this isn’t a huge deal for some renovators, but it’s an enormous hurdle for me. This place is 2,200 square feet and because it’s been exposed for a decade, the whole house basically needs to be reframed or reinforced.

I know that my original $300k to $400k estimate was on the low end, but this lumber shift alone bumped it up to a $450k to $600k renovation estimate (and that’s BEFORE any major issues). I ended up digging up a statistic that made my stomach drop: a sheet of plywood that cost $8 in February now costs $20. This was so specific and digestible and I could feel my whole heart sinking.

While this was happening, my realtor Francine was still in communication with the seller’s agent. They were actively handling some of the major permitting issues (like a tree report for Urban Forestry, a Hillside form for the Bureau of Engineering, and a new Environmental Assessment form). These were huge, expensive hurdles that stood in the way of even starting a renovation and I had anticipated buying with all these issues still in tact, so despite the never-ending barrage of new issues, the seller was providing enough value that I seriously started to think about putting in a lowball offer and extending the contingency period.

And then, on August 28th – my mom’s birthday! A day that should have been great! – I got a Redfin email that it was under contract. Welp.

The Interim House Hunt + A Surprise Dealbreaker

I considered putting in a backup offer, but I also figured that it would work out if it was meant to be. The additional bright side: Brenda (a lady we now all know and love!) could enjoy her time and retirement savings without worrying about me running back to Delaware with my tail between my legs after making an enormous mistake. I’m a generally a fan of the “you get to pick your a few of your problems” way of thinking, but I’m still not crazy about the idea of bringing anyone down with me. Maybe it was a good thing???

Three days later while I was still feeling glum about missing out and in the midst of licking my wounds, I got an email that this tiny house in Highland Park – right near Bowser’s! – had just hit the market $438,000. It was a one bedroom and only 616 square feet but OH MY GOSH, it was CUTE. And more importantly, it was within budget. It was a real gift from the universe to a girl who was feeling a little lost!

This place was on a great street and it had parking, a semi-shared garage, a really big backyard outdoor space with a lot of privacy, and the sweetest front entrance. I spent the night playing with the 3D walkthrough (it’s actually still up, if you want to get the full experience) and mentally sketching out potential renovation plans.

the porch! the windows!

Despite being itty bitty, the description mentioned a basement and I discovered on the 3D walkthrough that the bumped out area to the right of the front door actually contained a pretty large closet. (I mean, still tiny, but large for the space). I figured that if I closed on this place, I’d take some space from the living room and from this closet to put in some stairs, I’d finish the basement, and I’d double the living space. EASY PEASY, RIGHT?

But of course…NOT easy peasy. When I got to the showing, the listing agent hit me with a whammy: the basement is sloped, so my stair dreams and my hopes for a livable basement were off the table. This gal was 616 square feet and she was going to stay that way.

That was okay, though, because the place was SO. FREAKING. CHARMING. The light was beautiful and for the most part the fixes seemed primarily cosmetic. It needed a totally new bathroom – despite a pretty weird layout, the room was actually 5′ x 8′, which is a pretty standard bathroom size – and an updated kitchen, but I still saw a ton of potential here. I could loft the ceiling and expose the beams! I could open up the wall between the kitchen and living area! I could build a deck with french doors off the one bedroom and make a sweet indoor/outdoor space!

so tender!

Then, listing agent slipped in a few more disclosures: he didn’t have a key to the basement which was padlocked shut, but we could peek in the windows to take a look at the washer and dryer. The garage straddled the property line and was split only by a tiny wall in between, and maintenance of the joint building had historically been shared by the two homeowners. The family had recently done an inspection and had discovered some foundation issues. (And seeing as I was considering a home that may or may not be in danger of sliding down a literal mountain, this foundation revelation did not deter me at all.)

And then, a final doozy: the last homeowner had recently passed away of natural causes inside the house.

I DO NOT KNOW WHY THIS BOTHERED ME. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHY.

Here, I had found the cutest property that checked a lot of boxes. It was within budget, it was a manageable first-time renovation size, it was close to everything in Highland Park, AND it was an ideal size for one! But learning about the passing just made me feel weird, for reasons I still can’t really wrap my head around.

the bathroom needed some demo but GET A LOAD OF THAT HUGE BACKYARD!

I even put it out to my friends in a poll on Instagram, asking if they’d consider buying a very tiny, very cheap (again, comparatively for LA!!!) home in a great area if the last owner had recently passed inside…and the answer was YES, by a landslide. I had a grand total of 8 (eight!!!) pals who shared my reservations, and learned that I know 103 people who are braver than me.

It still bothers me that I can’t pinpoint the root of why this gets to me – enough that I had to text my mom again today in an attempt to unpack it. I’m not particularly religious or spiritual (though I appreciate all the folks who offered up their bibles and sage!) and to make it even more hypocritical, my own father passed away at home, per his wishes!!! (If you’ve gotten this far and you’d like to give me a birthday gift, might I suggest a small donation to the American Cancer Society?).

I know that there must be something really special about a place if someone chooses to spend their last days there – and apparently, this neighbor was much loved!!! The agent told me about how nearby folks had set up a little memorial on the porch – but at the end of the day, I think what got to me was the size. At 600 square feet, I’d always feel like someone had just died *right there.* After sleeping on it, I decided to pass. (And for what’s it worth, this place ended up selling for $482,000 — $44k over asking).

It’s True: You Can Fall in Love Again

And then, my realtor Francine sent me this place. I actually opened the listing while FaceTiming with Jess (as a side note, I think Jess and I have a codependent FaceTime relationship. We are working together via FaceTime ALL DAY. EVERY DAY. All the time. If you send me anything, I can guarantee that I am FaceTiming Jess while I’m looking at it) and she will testify in a court of law that I cut her off mid-sentence and my initial reaction verbal reaction was “Oh. Sh*t.”

here we go…

Francine had sent me a 2 bed, 2 bath home in El Sereno. It was VERY, VERY VINTAGE and a 1,466 square foot home on a huge corner lot (again, LA huge – 7,605 square feet). I loved it immediately. The only problem: it was listed at $549,555, which was about $50k more than I was hoping to spend…but OH MY GOSH. Big heart eyes. I emailed my loan officer Andy the link with a subject reading: “can i afford this?” and once he said yes, all bets were off.

SIGN. ME. UP.

This place was built in the 1950s, but last updated in the 1970s. I was *obsessed.* I knew I was toast from the second I saw the ceiling beams, huge fireplace (it’s massive in person), the swagged pendant, the sunken living room, the Palm Springs-style double doors, and the vintage wallpaper. I made an appointment with Francine to see it the next day and of course, I fell even more in love once we actually walked in.

like yes, i would like to live in this goldenrod-colored ’70s/western film set, thanks for asking

This place was WEIRD, and I didn’t want to change a thing. There was an enormous dining room with a movable wall installed for some reason. There was a breakfast nook/bar area with faux beams that coordinated with the swinging saloon doors and extended into the galley kitchen. It was a full-on time capsule with so much personality and life – the opposite of a lot of the monochromatic flips on the market – and I was so sold.

I’m actually pretty sure that Francine thought I hated the house, because I think I swore every. single. time. we walked into a new room. CURSE THIS OVER BUDGET HOUSE AND HOW MUCH I LOVE IT. It needed a lot of work – there were a lot of dangerous looking cracks and it was hard to discern whether they were structural problems or just old, cracked plaster (a contractor I consulted said it could have gone either way), and the leaning retaining wall in the backyard didn’t inspire a ton of confidence.

i offered more than half a million dollars for THESE BATHROOMS!

By the time we hit the pink bathroom on the left, I knew I was going to make an offer. After going home, analyzing the retaining wall on Google Earth (it must be fine if it’s been leaning at a 45 degree angle since 2006, right???), sending my contractor a million photos of cracks in the wall (“It sounds like you already know what you’re going to do” – my contractor responding to my very leading texts), and getting a pretty restless sleep, I texted Francine that I was ready to make an offer on this place.

My mom’s response was my favorite: “One room looks like it has mold. Other than that, it’s a fixer.” ENTHUSIASM! (For what it’s worth, after learning about my enthusiasm, Brenda admitted that she also did like the bathroom and that she supported my decision to put in an offer, too.)

And I almost have to laugh now, sharing these photos with y’all who don’t live in Los Angeles. I submitted an offer at asking – $549,555 with 10% down and a conventional mortgage to get my greasy little paws on the bathroom on the right. I briefly considered a 5% down offer, but I really wanted to be as competitive as possible while maintaining some cushion for initial repairs. As someone who grew up in a pretty normal and fairly-priced town (Wilmington, DE – anyone else?!) where $550k would buy you a nice, fully-finished house without cracks or mold (but also without so much wallpaper and green carpet – I knew i had to move to LA for a reason!), putting in an offer for this much was pretty surreal.

and so much green carpet! who could resist?

Which leads us to some more honest money talk: I’m a single lady making a normal salary. The mortgage on this $550k house with current interest rates would run me a little over $3,000 a month, which is more than I bring home in one paycheck. I know all the Dave Ramsey fans out there are like “AHHH, don’t do it!!! That’s too much!!!”

But as context, I present the following: I currently pay $1,900 in rent on my one bedroom apartment and up until the pandemic, I was spending between $1,000 and $2,000 a month on competitive synchronized skating. I am fully aware that the latter number is ludicrous. (Buuuuut my team is ranked third in America! It’s fun! I can’t seem to retire!)

After six years of juggling rent with these exorbitant bills – my first EHD post was actually about how I flip furniture to fund skating! – my monthly spending is pretty much on lock (and I’ve managed to pay down all my credit card debt despite this weird cash flow situation!), so I felt pretty comfortable about committing to a monthly mortgage payment that was this large. ANYWAY. When I think about this house as a place to live and as a hobby that would replace skating, $3,000 seems like a steal to me. And for what it’s worth, my current apartment is about 1,100 square feet and has absolutely no insulation, so I’m also well-adjusted to paying VERY HIGH utility bills.

Putting in an offer felt scary, but it also felt right. After submitting about a million signatures on Docusign, I spent the afternoon pinning inspiration photos in an attempt to manifest an offer acceptance. I knew the market was going to be competitive and I was trying not to get my hopes up, but UGH, waiting is SO HARD. Solidarity to all my pals who are also going through this right now!

The Brief Pause



so much yard for los angeles, though. what a treat!

It took a little over 24 hours to hear back, which made me feel hopeful. Bad offers get rejected fast, right? They must be at least considering it if it’s taking this long, right? IT’S GOTTA BE MINE, RIGHT?

In case my decision to post numerous sweeping and identifying shots of the home didn’t make it clear, the universe had other plans. My dreams were crushed (melodramatic, but that’s how it feels!), my Pinterest board was rendered useless, the home ended up selling quickly for $600k, and I have never wished I had a boyfriend more. A joint income woulda made it possible! DOES ANYONE WANNA DATE ME SO WE CAN BUY A HOUSE TOGETHER?

But on the bright side, I learned something about my tastes! After looking at so many houses (THANK YOU FRANCINE FOR GOING TO SO MANY HOUSES WITH ME), I realized that both of my two big house loves have leaned more contemporary/modern/70s. I’ve also learned that I care a lot about maintaining the character and ~vibe~ of a house. There are a lot of places on the market out here with a ton of traditional details – built-ins near the fireplace, arts & crafts woodwork, china cabinets dividing the kitchen and dining room – and I’ve realized that since those features aren’t super *me*, it’s okay for me to pass on them without taking time to go to a viewing.

House hunting is so hard – things go from 0 to 100 in a matter of hours, there’s a real scarcity mindset, and the voice in my head is reciting a constant monologue on a loop that sounds a little something like, “what if I don’t go and that was THE ONE?!” I’m sure that anyone in this market can commiserate that losing out on something you love stinks, but the clarity that comes from finally finding a place that fits your taste is pretty freeing. I no longer feel the need to frantically email my realtor EVERY home that comes on the market in my price range – the right one is worth waiting for. (I don’t mean to sound like I’m writing copy for a dating website or like I’m fresh outta the self-help book aisle, but that’s truly where I’m at now.)

The Future???



i promise, we’re wrapping it up

Speaking of the one…that brings us full circle to this little beauty. The hill house. After the offer on my ’70s reno dream was rejected at the beginning of September, I was pretty sure that the universe was teeing me up to make an offer on this place. (For someone who likes math and relies on data as much as I do, I sure spend a lot of time relying on the universe to give me signs. There’s something funny in there.) I spent a solid month catching my breath – after sprinting straight from working with bureaucrats and banks to putting in offers on other houses, I needed a second to relax – so I decided to sit and wait for this baby to fall out of escrow.

And she didn’t. On Friday, I got the email that the sale had closed for $340k – $41k over asking. It was an abrupt end to an unfinished story.

It’s kind of bittersweet to take everyone on a full ride and then to close it with a “and then I lived happily ever after in NONE OF THE HOUSES I WROTE A HUNDRED PAGES ABOUT,” but that’s what really happened. Buying a house is hard and not glamorous and I’m still trying. Maybe one day it’ll work out! In any case, I’m grateful for the experience – sure, I now know enough about permitting and black walnut trees and hillside engineering to win a very niche, very boring game of Jeopardy – but as a pretty independent, self-sufficient only child who grew up with an “I can do it myself!!!” attitude, I feel really lucky to look back on the past two months and to realize that WOW, a whole bunch of folks came together to support me as I tried to solve an seemingly unsolvable problem. 2020 has been a crap year, but this will always be one of my favorite stories.

In the meantime, as I resume the house hunt out here, I just wanna thank all of you for indulging me and for coming along on this weird journey with me. The outpouring of support from the last post was overwhelming in the best way and I wish I could have made it work, both for myself and for the blog! I’d be happy to keep y’all updated on the next offer, if you want. TIL NEXT TIME, OKAY?

PS. Did I miss out on that 616 square foot house in Highland Park, though??? All this chatter about the hill house and the ’70s dream…but is that cottage the real one that got away? I still can’t figure out why I couldn’t put in an offer, but boy, I definitely felt some regret while uploading those pictures. WHAT SAY YOU??

The post Caitlin’s Roller Coaster House Hunting Saga Continues… appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Velinda’s First Freelance Client Reveal: Molding The ‘Builder-Grade Budget’ + Where They Saved & Splurged

Hi, old friends! Velinda here for the first time as an EHD alumn/contributor! It’s been a MINUTE since we checked in…. Last January, actually. What’s new? Nothing? Been a great year so far? What a relief. Glad to hear it. I mean, how much could’ve changed in 9 months, right? 

Why don’t we all ignore reality for the next 10 minutes and pretend beautiful colors are all that matter (well, actually, that IS WHAT MATTERS…. #BLM #vote)! Alas, today, I’m talking blue/greens and other such things. Not as important. But, I’ll be taking you back to my very first freelance client! And thanks to COVID, we have to go an entire year back. To truly begin the story, even further… (stay with me, this is a budget tale!).

Meet Mer and Olly and tiny, lil’ baby Duncan. When I started this project, they were turning a garage into a studio Airbnb and had become exhausted by decisions, so a mutual friend put us in touch. After a few floor plan drawings and a couple of nights serving as design-therapist, “but how would frosted glass make you feel?”, they pulled off their baby-reno and promised to call me when they were ready to redo their main house. Sure. But guess what?? They did.

(Side note: tiny, baby Duncan became an opinionated, talkative small-human during the process. I’m not around a ton of kids, but he seems super cool so far. Though, he also seems truly unhelpful when it comes to calculating ‘nominal’ numbers and fails at even basic organization. So, time will tell.)

For this project (which, thanks to COVID, was put on hold for a few months the WEEKEND before demo was to start last March), budget wasn’t in surplus. Being new to both their first home and lives as parents, they had a very ‘builder-grade’ budget in mind. But my philosophy as a designer is, ‘if you’re working with a designer, it should in some way feel special because y’know… you worked with a designer’. So that became the game: builder-grade budget vs becoming something special.

To add a hurdle, my clients decided it was fun to request a blend of EVERY style. But that’s a different story (one coming to you next week). To give you a basic idea of their desired blend: Boho, mediterranean meets scandi minimalism, english pub, traditional farmhouse, post-modern colorful. Oh, cool. Only that? 

But, there were several things they knew they wanted. First, they were coming from this:

AND THIS…

But what they desired, was this:

Blue kitchen cabinetsOpen, entertaining spaceLots of countertop space for cookingVaulted ceilings (if budget allows?)Farmhouse, heirloom tableA ‘Crash-able’ living room…. SOFA, SOFA, SOFAStorage and lots of places to hide toys and unsightly necessities Child & dog-proofingFeel: Warm, welcoming, light, but stylish/hip/modern (without being too minimal, precious, like a gallery you can’t touch.) Art Gallery: Love the art in ManuelaLoves Matisse, Picasso, Lichtenstein. Henry Moore, photography, prints, vintage posters and would love to display our limited family portraits

The Budget: This is not mine to disclose, so let’s talk some average ‘builder-grade’ budgets. Believe it or not, here in LA an average kitchen, alone, can easily cost $40-60K. Did my clients stay within their budget? Almost… Did they carefully decide where to increase that budget along the way? They did. So let’s break that down. But first, the reveal MUST start with the before, which looked like this:

And is now this:

Here are the basics: We turned a dark, oddly-divided series of rooms (galley kitchen, dining, and living) into a shared, bright, and spacious entertaining space that is 95% kid-friendly. (I’ll confess to the 5% potential kid-failure shortly). The final design checked every ‘want’ box and ultimately blended their many styles (more on HOW to mix styles next week). 

So, where did we splurge, where did we save, how did we blend high/low and where did we find ‘builder-grade’ that would feel special? Here we go:

THE SPLURGES



Plumbing Fixtures

As you may have read before, I learned the hard way that plumbing fixtures MATTER (see here). Since we didn’t want to end up replacing a cheap knock-off version of a classic-looking faucet setup and didn’t want to watch water spots ruin and corrode an inexpensive finish rapidly, we went for the real deal: Kohler Artifacts Faucet w/ side spray (in polished nickel) with a matching Kohler Soap/Lotion Dispenser. It screams high-quality. We paired it with another loved-for-quality-brand; a Signature Hardware sink. You’re going to pay to have these installed, so why not only do it once? Paying to replace a cheap version, even once, will often make up for the price difference between low and high quality. My advice is do it right the first time. I will tell you, my client LOVES this faucet, and I love the combo of classic styles and clean, polished finishes.

The ‘STAPLES’… A Pantry Door & ‘Heirloom’ Table

Okay, this splurge rested entirely on my shoulders and I held my breath until the very end… When my client gave final, exuberant approval. Given the limited budget, it was a hard sell to spend a couple of THOUSAND dollars on a pantry with a massive, reclaimed door. But, this was our anchor! This piece was a key player in making the whole design feel ‘special, designed, and purposeful’. (Try to imagine how much more ‘builder-grade the kitchen would feel with a standard pantry cabinet). Real reclaimed wood = instant ‘heart’ in a space and this wood wasn’t too ‘rustic’ for the desire for overall scandi/modern twists. The idea came from my client’s love for an heirloom, reclaimed table (a 100+ year-old , salvaged reclaimed oak with an Eco-friendly, plant based clear matte finish). So to match, I designed a modern-looking, oversized door (also built by We Make) to be the ‘heaviest’ piece in the house. And we love it. WHEW! 

Window Treatments (Which Elevated ‘Cheap’ Windows/Doors & Hid A View)

I get jealous of my clients on this one. I’ve never splurged on high-quality window treatments in my own home, but when my clients ALMOST didn’t want to add a window because they hated the view of their neighbor’s house so much, it was time to get creative. Enter the perfect solution for letting light in, while blocking undesirable views: the ‘top-down, bottom-up” custom Roman shades by Decorview. Besides the amazing function of this style, which can actually position the shades anywhere on the window (which for us meant letting in light while blocking ugly views), we ultimately chose these for their blend of subtle, classic style, with modern/textural interest. The other luxury that made these worth the splurge for us is we wouldn’t have to worry about a thing beyond selecting style and fabric because Decorview offers in-home (or virtual) measuring & consultation services and installation. Considering I didn’t have a team at the time, this attention to detail and quality-look was an INVALUABLE addition to the design overall.

The Sectional

This one was hard-earned. We went through SO many sofas because my client wanted a MASSIVE, crash-able and ‘inviting’ solution for their living room, but their room wasn’t massive. A ‘cloud-like lounge’ that could fit a ton of people seemed to be one of Olly’s greatest concerns, overall. When he expressed this, I immediately thought of the Sixpenny Neva because when we were styling a shoot for Sixpenny last year, we all drooled over the comfort-level and I knew it would fit with the ‘farmhouse’-traditional vibe they were going for.

Thing was, to go with a sofa that massive, we needed an open end in our sectional design (an arm would have crowded the built-in) and I had no idea that Sixpenny offered this design. Well, they do!

After many hours of discussing potentials, a few (pre-COVID) trips by my clients to sit on said-potentials, and an ultimate leaning toward giving into something ‘custom’ (but ultimately more expensive?), I reached out to SixPenny on a whim, to see if they offered an armless sectional. I was thrilled when they said they offer new custom options since we used them last. We got a CUSTOM configuration Neva sectional. My clients never sat on it. They went off my promise that it was incredibly ‘cloud-like’ and they are STILL thrilled. It’s a relaxed-looking piece in durable, classic fabric. This was the only major piece of furniture in the entire room. It had to be right. It was. (And because I know you’ll ask, the selections we made were: ‘custom configuration with armless end’, in Feather Down Fill, Medium Weight Linen Poppy Seed).

THE SAVES



Ikea Base/Custom Doors

Though we were on a budget, we still wanted an overall ‘custom’ feel. Ikea is an obvious save when it comes to kitchens. But given the footprint, our cabinetry would consume in the space, so going with something as mass-produced/utilized didn’t quite check our desired ‘custom’ box. Enter SemiHandmade for Ikea doors.

Given the great range of style-preferences of my client, I wanted the cabinets to provide a classic base to the overall ‘eclectic’ design, but wanted to keep the color fresh. My client wanted blue cabinets, but finding just the right shade of blue was key. SemiHandmade’s paintable/DIY shaker checked all the boxes. We were able to use a more traditional cabinet style, elevate our affordable big-box purchase while creating a custom feel through a paint color that was unique and personal to my clients. I see a lot of the same ‘navy’ tones when it comes to blue cabinets, so finding something unique was a huge perk. 

For Storage:

Building around Ikea boxes, we were able to create a custom built-in. Simplicity was the goal here. For this project, the difference in the SemiHandmade slab door and the ones that would have come with are Ikea purchase was subtle, but important. We love the higher-quality of SHM’s door, but even more than that we didn’t want the shinier, bright white of an Ikea door and needed to paint the unit to match our room’s white instead. SemiHandmade for Ikea doors made this easy with their ‘ready to be painted’ option.

Ikea was a big saving over custom, but SemiHandmade made the ‘customization’ possible too.

Cabinet Hardware

This one is taboo. We really wanted to go expensive here, but the budget simply didn’t permit real brass. We HAD to go affordable and wanted something with a ‘UK’ vibe. The reason I would say commit to something higher-priced if possible upfront is, it can be hard to match exact sizing to replace pulls down the line. But, if it’s not in the budget, look for something that feels a bit unique, vs the same pull you see in every ‘builder-grade’ kitchen. This Richelieu model became our solution. It had an ‘old-world’ feel and didn’t have that ‘cheap-shiny’ faux-gold finish. To further ‘customize’ our hardware-world, we played with the placement, breaking the typical ‘rules’ that most people follow (all drawers matching and all cabinets matching is a ‘rule’ made to be broken… but not for the faint of heart. Designer help recommended). 

Appliances

We saved in a couple of ways here. First, my clients had a Kitchen Aid refrigerator already and they were still fans, so why scrap it? Re-using appliances can be key to low-budgets! Already trusting Kitchen Aid, we stuck to that brand for sourcing. We found a our dishwasher , range and even garbage disposal to match… Tip: You don’t HAVE to match appliances, but my client liked the uniform look and tried-and-true brand trust.

Appliance savings tip #2: the original design included a cooktop and oven combo, but when budget proved to be tightening, a slide in range cut out hundreds!

Also, if you opt for a slide in range for your island/peninsula: you need a fully reversible downdraft for this type of installation. Our’s was this downdraft solution (Faber) with this motor, due to only a 15″ deep cabinet for storage. This may seem boring, but it was one of the most important solutions of our design and will hopefully save at least one designer out there some sleep! OH… and while we are talking hard-earned knowledge, I once used a ‘freestanding wine cooler’ in my own kitchen design (pre design school)…. DON’T do that! I now have to replace the unit, which never actually got cold enough bc a ‘built-in’ look requires an under-counter design. Our solution (and likely my own, future replacement due to how slim it is: This Edgestar)

Art

The desire for ‘Art Gallery’ could have been instantly expensive, especially if we had insisted on a uniform look. But my clients had cool pieces, they just didn’t know how to display them. Bowser and I proved helpful here, helping them create a pallet based on a balance of scale, colors, tones, and styles vs ‘like with like’. Given the overall scale, it was instantly ‘bold’ and really served to bring in the ‘post-modern color pops’. We supplied only a couple of pieces from much-loved artists: MaryAnn Puls & Elissa Barber plus a print from Filling Spaces to what they already had… but most of what they had came unframed. Our secret source: Ikea. We also pulled in Ikea frames for some of Duncan’s art (young Picasso, indeed) and their wedding portrait, to mix in a bit of ‘personal’. This dramatic feature was entirely affordable, barely a thought within the budget.

Lighting

I have a hard time encouraging a ‘splurge’ when it comes to lighting, but you have to select carefully (and, when a splurge is worth it, it’s worth it… I get it). But, you can find incredible makers on Etsy, really solid ‘mass-produced’ options, and inexpensive vintage. Here, we did all three. And that became the key to still feeling ‘special’… Blending!

For a clean, scandi-vibe, we pulled in (3) Kichler Danika Pendant (a stellar, ‘mass-produced’ option), but you’ll catch a couple peeks at vintage within the same eye line (French 1940’s Minimalist White Enameled Metal Dish Ceiling Lamps from Amsterdam Modern, our go-to for mid-century options actually sourced from the Netherlands!). The ambient light in the room came from overhead, recessed lights (Build.com – 4″), but the ‘accents’ were a combo of pieces: (Etsy-maker!) Rara Forma’s ‘scandi/modern-vibed’ Coast Duo Chandelier (in Brushed Brass and Satin White), which really helped blend the worlds… and a pretty/simple ‘big box’ solution (Park Harbor Barwell Sconce). The combination wasn’t a splurge, and the blend of worlds felt purposeful and not ‘builder-grade’.

Flooring

This is an important one and an EASY place for ‘cheap’ to look ‘cheap’. We wanted a real wood, but knew we were looking for engineered planks for easy/more affordable installation. We sampled several options (always sample before committing) and finally found the perfect tone and quality at the low end of average price points ($7.50/sq ft). Miseno Santa Cruz Flooring. This will be a go-to for sure because of the pretty, light white-oak tones and high-quality feel. Not too light, but not too yellow or orange, this was an affordable winner.

Custom Designs

Adding custom will almost always up the bill, but having no custom can result in a generic look. Given our budget limitations, we had to find a balance (and a great builder). In the original design concept, the open shelves under the uppers flanking the refrigerator were to match the rustic charm of the pantry door and dining table… But then we learned that idea would cost us several hundred dollars PER shelf and it seemed like a place to find a work-around. Still wanting warmth and textural interest, I thought it could be a fun place to incorporate the re-emerging love of cane (still classic) and keep the build super simple, avoiding anything reclaimed. The cane cost us $25 and was applied directly to the wall… a VERY affordable, custom touch.

The builds… NOT DIY… but, carefully delegated. We had a very affordable contractor that my client had used for her garage conversion, though she knew when it came to finish details, we might need to outsource. Enter Maura Anderson with Unique Construct. She handled the shelves for the white oak media center, the entry bench, the custom shelving for the island, and our open, cane shelving. Basically, if we knew the wood tones and cuts had to be JUST so, we leaned on her to carefully work with our contractor at very fair prices…. why was she fairly priced? Because she is a startup. It was her experience with Ikea hacks that drew us in (which is exactly what she’s doing for a future project)!

THE ‘WE CHEATED’

A few tips on making ‘otherwise expensive’ less so and general places we cut out pennies. 

Vintage Rugs

My client had a ‘rug budget’ of a couple thousand dollars for living room, dining room, and kitchen. Believe it or not, that’s pretty low. Nice rugs (especially really large ones) AREN’T cheap. You’ll notice there isn’t a dining room rug, in the end, because we opted to splurge most of the budget on our ‘star’ rug (at a designer discount)… One that is actually over a hundred years old and is pure SOUL for the living room. (Source: Jean Palmer Home) We love her stuff ended up finding a super affordable (and still truly vintage) runner for the kitchen that fit the same world. We then rounded out our rug roundup with a super cheap jute (blends with almost anything). So, by reducing our rug count and mixing ‘cheaper’ rugs with the superstar rug, we stayed in budget.

Tile/Backsplash (Using Extra Slab vs. Adding Tile)

I don’t mind a (good) ‘big-box-store’ tile for simpler designs at all, but the warmth a handmade tile brings to a design is undeniable. Alas, it ain’t the cheapest. But, if you can’t afford to totally embrace hand-crafted, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t afford it at all. My client’s eclectic style world’s instantly led me to selecting the Mini Star and Cross in Ivory and Calcite from Fireclay. More on why next week. But we were in love right away. By keeping the quantity of tile we needed low by carefully selecting to only use this special tile minimally in a high-focal area, we were able to anchor the kitchen with a truly special element at an affordable price.

Where we saved even more… We used what we knew would be leftover countertop slab as the remaining backsplash. The slab is Caesarstone’s Fresh Concrete. It’s a quartz that has this really organic feel and isn’t too white/stark. Again, this will become a go-to.

Ceiling

You’ll notice the living room opened up drastically, thanks not only to the added light of the window, but also to the vaulted ceiling. When my client asked me if they could vault the ceilings within their budget, I said, ‘not a chance’. They had HVAC running all over their kitchen and dining room, which would have been a BEAST (of a bill) to move. BUT that didn’t mean we couldn’t vault SOME ceiling. And what a major feature that limited-vault became. And since we avoided areas with HVAC, the job fell under 5K… mostly due to the fact it was already a big job, had it been a ‘stand-alone’ job, we are told it would have been more… But, So. Worth. It.

So there you have it, our strategy for stretching a ‘builder-grade’ budget to its max to create a custom world that is truly my client! The cliff notes:

Pick your ‘staples’ for each room (splurge there).Stay ‘small scale’ if possible for more expensive itemsConsider included services (shipping, installation, design help)Don’t underestimate longevity (Ceasarstone)Keep AppliancesLimit furniture pieces to go for better qualityMix high & low (duh), big box and vintageLimit & simplify ‘custom’ buildsIn Reno: Keep as many window/door sizes as possible & avoid shifting plumbingDon’t work with a designer (kidding… we can actually save you in the long run!) 

Quick aside, until styling (thanks, Emily Bowser) and shooting (thanks, Sara Ligorria-Tramp) I did this project without a team. And to other designers, I recommend doing this 0%. Since this project, my EHD-Alumn teammates, Julie & Grace, have joined me in the new venture! We’ve also formed an E-Design team to work with people who are on a more-limited budget/scope or aren’t near Los Angeles (thanks, Courtney and Hina – E-Designers). So, if you’re interested in Full Service OR E-Design, please check out our site. And if you’re looking into starting your own design business (as I naively opted to do THIS year), there’s no better place to start than a consultation with Carly Waters. 

Next week, there’s more ‘reveal’ coming and we get the chance to venture into HOW we blended the multiple styles and creatively ‘checked off’ some of my client’s specific wants (storage!). So please join us again then. What more-important thing could you possibly have to do in 2020? #vote.

Design by Velinda Hellen Design | Assistant Styling by Emily Bowser | Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post Velinda’s First Freelance Client Reveal: Molding The ‘Builder-Grade Budget’ + Where They Saved & Splurged appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day + 22 Beautiful Native Owned Shops For Art, Decor, Fashion, & Beauty

Happy Monday everyone. We hope you had a lovely, relaxing weekend and if you are enjoying another rejuvenating day off today, we are so happy you took the time to stop by. Today, EHD is OOO and recognizing this holiday celebrating Indigenous People in our country and all over the world.

When Indigenous Peoples’ Day started to become established in the U.S. it was a long overdue act of recognition to the native people who have been historically and unjustly disenfranchised in this country. It seems such a feeble act to simply acknowledge this day but since we are a design blog, we wanted to bring attention to the native-owned shops and artists that may not be on your radar yet– especially since Native American culture has so much influence on interior design. That said, I am thrilled to introduce you all to some incredible Native artists, makers, and brands that you can shop, support, and follow right now.

Art & Photography:



Itsooaakii | Aly Mcknight | Tyana Arviso



Sheridan MacKnight

Sheridan MacKnight is an artist of Hunkpapa Lakota, White Earth Chippewa and Scottish descent. She paints as well as makes jewelry that honors her roots and powerful Indigenous identity. From the artist: “My work honors my Native American roots, and to the strong and spiritual devotions of my people. I am Lakota from the Hunkpapa clan and Chippewa from the White Earth Band. My images reflect the heart and emotion of my relations, be it historically or in the present time in the narration of the composition.”

Follow on Instagram: @sheridoll

Our Picks: “Roaring ’20’s” Print | “Sisters” Drum

Aly Mcknight

Aly Mcknight’s body of work consists of watercolor prints and mixed media that celebrates her heritage and life as an Indigenous woman and mother. From the artist: “My artwork and creative endeavors are dedicated to Indigenous representation and youth and womxn empowerment.” I absolutely love her modern take on native culture and how she reflects the female spirit.

Follow on Instagram: @alymcknight

Our picks: AIN’T MY FIRST POWWOW Print | MOTHER EARTH Print

Itsooaakii

Evelyn Mikayla Martin’s (itsooaakii) body of work “primarily consists of self portraits (acrylic on canvas) working to hold space for herself & all of her intersecting identities, along with BIPOC womxn whose identities & lived experiences mirror her own.” Her work is bold and extremely empowering (I especially love this one and need it for my bedroom).

Follow on Instagram: @itsooaakii

Our picks: “Show Up For Yourself” Print | “Call Yourself” Print

Thundervoice Eagle

Lehi ThunderVoice Eagle is an artist of Navajo/Totonoc descent. He was raised part-time in the Arizona wilderness, living off the land and part-time in the city and as such his work is about “Reclaiming, reharmonizing, and renewing a way of life in an authentic way.”

Follow on Instagram: @thundervoice_eagle

Our picks: Kiss From Above | Buffalo Tree Rings

HOME DECOR:



Indian Pueblo Store | Indigo Arrows | Northwest Native Expressions



Bettys Baskets Shop

Betty’s baskets shop is where you NEED to go for just about the dang cutest handwoven baskets you’ll ever see. Owner and Native artist, Betty Derke, is a member of the Chippewa tribe from the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. From the artist: “Weaving became a way to not only connect with my heritage, but to answer a calling I have had since childhood. I could close my eyes and imagine a circle of women working closely together. Most of the time I’ve felt that Sprit was doing the designing as my hands sculpted, so to speak. It has been a very spiritual experience for me. My baskets are functional as well as ornamental; as my grandson used to say, “Gramma, you could put your treasures in there!” SO. CUTE.

Our Picks: Sand Dune Coil Basket | New Mexico Coil Basket

Indian Pueblo Store

The Indian Pueblo Store was founded in 1976 to gather and showcase work from Pueblo and Southwestern Native artists. They work with internationally renowned Native American artists as well as emerging talents from the Southwest, and sell everything from rings, to rugs, to Pendleton blankets.

Follow on Instagram: @indianpueblostore

Our picks: Traditional Micaceous Bowl by Clarence Cruz | Pendleton Chief Joseph Adult Robe Blanket

Heart Berry

Heart Berry Owner, Sarah Agaton Howes is an Anishinaabe-Ojibwe Artist from Fond du Lac Reservation in Northern Minnesota. She says that Heart Berry “began in the kitchen on the Rez. What began as a custom beadwork and regalia business “House of Howes”, grew from a one woman squad in 2007 to our current team.” They collaborate with other Native artists and are now committed to teaching and building a community of makers.

Follow on Instagram: @heartberry.co

Our Picks: Woodlands Floral Throw Blanket | Birch Mug

Heart Berry | Northwest Native Expressions | Indigo Arrows



Northwest Native Expressions

Northwest Native Expressions is a Native art gallery (located in Sequim, WA) featuring Native American artists from around Washington State. They sell baskets, books, clothing, textiles, jewelry, and more.

Our picks: Dream Catcher | Ecuadane ~ Antisana Earth Blanket

Made By Nativos

Made by Nativos makes hammocks, blankets, bags that are meant to encapsulate centuries of ancient native traditions. The shop was created by owner Laura Bustamante to support and preserve Ancient Native traditions, as part of humanity’s cultural heritage.

Our picks: Dark Blue Double Hammock | Alpaca Blanket Reymi Wine Genuine Handmade Queen blanket 

Indigo Arrows

Indigo Arrows sells pillows, linens, and textiles with patterns that are inspired by historical native pottery. From the owner: “For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples in Manitoba, including my Anishinaabe ancestors, created beautiful patterns to adorn their pottery collections and host of bone tools. Most of the surviving pieces are held by museums now, but I think the world needs more than exhibition- we need these patterns in our homes provoking thought; we need them bridging gaps; and, we need them inspiring our loved ones. The Indigo Arrows line picks up where my ancestors left off.”

Follow on Instagram: @indigo_arrows

Our picks: Bezhig 20×20 Pillow | Bezhig Long Lumbar Pillow

Fashion & Jewelry:



She Native | B.Yellowtail | Shiyoo Designs



B.Yellowtail

B.Yellowtail is founded on the notion that clothing can be a vehicle for storytelling through wearable art. Founder Bethany Yellowtail, originally from the Crow (Apsaalooke) & Northern Cheyenne (Tsetsehestahese & So’taeo’o) Nations in southeastern Montana, is fueled by her social justice vision for her community which is fused with her work and artistic vision. “In a world where indigenous images are often stolen and misappropriated, Bethany serves as an unapologetic arbiter of authenticity; a genuine voice who seeks to empower her people through design and representation.”

Follow on Instagram: @byellowtail

Our picks: VOTING IS SACRED T-shirt | Protect Her – Women’s Organic Cotton Tee

The NVTS

The NVTS was started by “two Native American guys trying to fill a hole in the market that is missing the voice of the people.” Their mission is to inspire the youth to embrace culture and history and they did so by creating this native-owned clothing company. Now, their team is comprised of natives from several different tribes and they specialize in making modern clothing with native prints that hold a deeper meaning.

Follow on Instagram: @nvtsclothing

Our picks: Heather Gold Tee | Powwow Highway Tee

She Native

SheNative’s mission is to instill inner strength and unwavering confidence in all women, inspired by teachings that come from Indigenous Nationhood, stemming from the idea that Nationhood means knowing who you are and where you come from. As an Indigenous woman, founder Devon Fiddler has overcome discrimination and feelings of self-doubt and has created an uplifting fashion and lifestyle brand that celebrates her heritage and encourages resilience in all women.

Follow on Instagram: @shenativegoods

Our picks: Resilient Ladies Bamboo Sweatpants | Cropped Crewneck Fleece

She And Turquoise | Ginew | B.Yellowtail



Ginew

Ginew (Gih-noo) is the only Native American-owned denim line in the world. It is based out of Portland, Oregon, and founded by husband-and-wife duo Erik Brodt and Amanda Bruegl who live and create their brand by the motto “Minobimaadiziiwin” – “Yohahi-yo sathahita?n” which, simply put, means “Live Well”. Their clothing is androgynous in style, extremely versatile, very COOL, and designed to last.

Follow on Instagram: @ginew_usa

Our picks: Strawberry Down Vest | West Fork Red Jean

She And Turquoise

Shondina Lee, founder of She and Turquoise, is a creative director, photographer, fashion influencer, and jewelry maker. She launched She and Turquoise to sell her earrings that are both classically fashionable and uniquely inspired by her Indigenous heritage.

Follow on Instagram: @shondinalee

Our picks: Naja Necklace | Big Pendant Necklaces

Kristen Dorsey Designs | She Native | Shiyoo Designs



Native Clay Co

Sa-ha-na Jackson originally started Native Clay Co. as a fun new hobby but quickly transformed into an avenue for self-discovery. Her earrings are handmade on the rez and her designs are created to honor her people and history.

Follow on Instagram: @nativeclayco

Our picks: Feminine in Terracotta and Turquoise Long | Beaute in Olive

Kristen Dorsey Designs

Kristen Dorsey, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, makes her jewelry under the foundation that “Jewelry captures our cultural identity and our spirituality.” Her designs are elegant and uniquely inspired by her life experiences and heritage.

Follow on Instagram: @kristendorseydesigns

Our picks: Heart of the Shield Studs in Sterling Silver | Four Direction Loksi Earrings in Sterling Silver

Shiyoo Designs

Founder Jeri Yazzie is an Indigenous artisan that makes jewelry that feels chic, happy, and authentic. Her creations are all handmade and are made with a whimsical and carefree style in mind.

Follow on Instagram: @shiyoodesigns

Our picks: Vintage Coin Earrings | Abalone Shell Earrings

Authentic Native Made

Is there anything cuter than baby mocassins?? My guess is no. The founder of Authentic Native Made is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie band of Chippewa Indians, in northern Michigan and a self-taught artist. Her shop features her handmade baby mocassins and infant shoes in a variety of styles and colors. If you have any baby showers coming up, say hello to the perfect gift!

Follow on Instagram: @sharolynmaleport

Our picks: Native American Beaded Infant Moccasins | Fringe baby Mocassins

Beauty:



Cheekbone Beauty | Sister Sky | Mother Earth Essentials



Cheekbone Beauty

Cheekbone Beauty is an Indigenous-owned and founded, digitally-native, Canadian cosmetics company established in 2016. It began because founder Jennifer Harper wanted to create a beauty brand that the Indigenous youth could see themselves in after being separated from her Indigenous roots for most of her childhood and adult life. Cheekbone beauty is also cruelty -free and just this year they launched a less-waste line of lipsticks called SUSTAIN, and they have zero-waste goals for 2023.

Follow on Instagram: @cheekbonebeauty

Our picks: Face Palette | Fire & Autumn Lip Set

Mother Earth Essentials

Mother Earth Essentials is a Canadian based Indigenous brand that creates luxurious bath & beauty products from natural ingredients and traditional recipes. The founder, Carrie Armstrong, comes from a long line of Cree Medicine women and is passionate about sharing her culture through the brand’s beauty essentials.

Follow on Instagram: @motherearthessentials

Our picks: Sweetgrass Hand & Body Lotion | Sweetgrass Aromatherapy Mist

Sister Sky

Sister Sky is a natural beauty brand that was started by two sisters inspired by their Native American grandmothers who harvested a variety of plants like sweet grass, cedar and sage to make teas, ointments and creams. 

Follow on Instagram: @sistersky__

Our picks: Kevin’s Care Body Lotion | Sweetgrass Body Care Gift Set

Additional Learning Resources:

This article has great information on how to support Indigenous organizers fighting Covid-19 in Native American Communities.

Matika Wilbur (a visual storyteller from the Swinomish and Tulalip peoples of coastal Washington) discusses her personal journey to finding her way back to her culture and Representation vs. Power with Grace Bonney in this video.

Matika also has a wonderful podcast with Adrienne Keene called All My Relations, where they talk about the issues Native American people are facing in today’s world.

If you haven’t heard of James Jones (@notoriouscree), he’s an Indigenous influencer who celebrates his culture through dance and funny/powerful videos. I promise you will be blown away and learn. He is really huge on TikTok but you can also find him on Instagram.

Alright, that is all we have for you for today. Please share any additional shops, artists, or resources in the comments. Have a great Monday and week sweet friends. xx

The post Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day + 22 Beautiful Native Owned Shops For Art, Decor, Fashion, & Beauty appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: Emily’s Posture-Correcting Sports Bra, Ryann’s Dry Skin Cure, and A Color Matching Tool That Has Changed The Game

Hey everyone and welcome back to the link up! I’m gonna keep this intro short and sweet: we’ve got some real exciting stuff for you today & we’re even more excited to share it. Now, let’s dive right on in.

First up to bat is a lovely house tour from Domino, and it’s the home of interior designer, Raili Clasen. We’re particularly in love with the kitchen (and the indoor-outdoorness of it all).Go check it out cause it’s GOOD.

From Emily: I was heavily marketed by this posture correcting sports bra company and in the middle of the night pressed “buy” with an almost “FINE I’LL TRY IT” attitude. It came the next week and guess what – I LOVE IT. I ordered both small and medium to see which fit and they both do. The small is obviously tighter but still comfortable and the medium is more of an all-day wearing bra. They are extremely flattering and the first sports bra I feel comfortable wearing without a shirt due to its full coverage. I don’t think its amazing for crazy high impact running, but I do a lot of HIIT workouts and yoga. It’s so comfortable, doesn’t cut in anywhere and while I never had issues with posture, the reviews say that it helps with back pain due to posture at – you guessed it – sitting at a computer. Those wide straps and the bottom band are snug, but not too tight  – I’m not going back.

If you don’t know the name John Derian then today is your lucky day! Probably know mainly for his decoupage oddities, but his style and East Village store are a maximalist dream. Here is his NYC apartment and here is his Provincetown home to get you into total swoon mode. This is all to say that Target and John have collaborated on one if THE coolest (and affordable) Halloween decor collections out there. This skeleton pillow is so awesome it could honestly be out all year in the right home, this metal outdoor lantern is very special and this faux table tree is the moody drama your sophisticated spooky decor NEEDS. Also, this doormat is hilarious and chic. Can you tell we love this collection??

From Mallory: Cat’s outta the bag, I’m in the process of doing my MOTO for my studio apartment and YES I’m gonna wallpaper my bathroom. I’ve been thinking about things I never thought I’d have to think about like…should I paint my ceiling and trim if I wallpaper and if so, HOW DO I FIND A COLOR TO MATCH THE WALLPAPER? So many questions, such little time. Luckily the ColorReaderEZ stepped into my life and saved the day. Here’s what it is and how it works: you download an app on your phone, then you take the ColorReaderEZ and scan ANY flat surface and it will tell you a paint color that matches!! We’ve been having so much fun playing around with this, and we found out it can even give you a complimentary color palette if you’re still figuring that out (ie: me). I’m so excited for the wallpaper to come in so I can match the color, but in the meantime, I’ve been going around my apartment scanning EVERYTHING and coming up with tons of color palettes. Oh, I’m also gonna use this to figure out the wall color & trim on the walls so I can know what color I’d need to paint it back when I move out (ya, it’s a rental). Oh and this lil gadget is only 60 bucks, so be sure to check this thing out.

From Arlyn: GET READY TO CHANGE YOUR PIMPLE-FACED LIFE. I definitely thought by the time I hit my mid-30s, my skin would be clear and worthy of a Noxema commercial, but sadly I was wrong. Thank goodness I discovered pimple patches. I’ve tried a few that are so-so…too thin and weak for the big hormonal puppies I get every month, but COSRX makes the best ones, hands one. They’re magical little circles you put on a zit, and it just soaks up all the gross gunk until it flattens out. Truly miraculous and way cheaper than any other “acne solution” you’ll find. 

From Jess: We often also shop from our own posts, especially the ones where the team gives up their best secrets (like yesterday’s post). So when we posted this comfortable bra and underwear post earlier this year I IMMEDIATELY wanted to shop the comfy unmentionables that the other gals were wearing. And shop I did. Emily’s rec for this “bralette” has been such a game changer! Like her, bralettes are hard for me and my more robust chest. I immediately bought two and now six months later bought a third (maybe even a fourth soon!). I wouldn’t say it’s the sexiest bra I own but it’s 100% the most comfortable.

Another VERY exciting furniture line is now available! What line could we be talking about?? The one and only Mikel Welch’s new collection with Yosemite Home Decor. This chair is the chunky sculptural dream we all want in our homes and the woven seagrass handles on this beautiful cabinet are SO pretty. Go check it all out!

From Ryann: My skin absolutely hates this time of year. It is dry as can be and in some spots my face will peel like crazy (mostly around my lips which is VERY cute and flattering). My only solace are facemasks and right now I am obsessed with these sheet masks. They are so moisturizing and smell fantastic.

From Caitlin: If you live in LA and have ever listened to the radio, you may be familiar with my pal Tobi, who was an Alt 98.7 on-air personality for years. She beat breast cancer once after a year-long battle from 2016-2017, but the hits keep coming in 2020. I learned last Saturday that Tobi’s breast cancer had returned in full force and that she’s starting treatment for stage IV triple positive metastatic breast cancer. Tobi is such a light – there is no one else as kind as her working in the music industry!!! (Or honestly, anywhere. I think she’s the most welcoming person I know, period! And I work HERE! Tobi is THAT NICE!) – so if you’ve ever heard her sweet voice on the radio or if you have anything to spare for someone gearing up to fight, there’s a GoFundMe here to help her beat this thing again.

Lastly, Apt2B partnered with the Los Angeles LGBT Center for LGBTQ History month by gifting them this custom sofa and bringing awareness to their incredible organization. Seriously, go take a look because it will instantly put anyone in a good mood. Oh and the talented Sara Ligorria-Tramp took the photos!

That’s all we got for you this week guy. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend and we’ll see you all real soon

The Jeans We Own, Love, And Will Buy Forever From 7 Ladies With 7 Different Bodies

In my experience, jeans shopping was never/still isn’t a “stress-free” endeavor. It wasn’t necessarily always a self-conscious issue about my size. Sometimes it was say, that the shape of my hip bones were too rounded for the jeans to also look good around the waist, or that my inability to reach my 5’6″ height potential (which was promised but my pediatrician) created an annoying puddle of denim at my feet. It was always SOMETHING. But to be fair, can anyone really try on any ole pair of jeans and they just fit like some Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sorcery? Side note: Was anyone else devasted when they decided to WRITE and DRAW on that magical garment????????? Like, ladies, LADIES! I will happily take them off of your hands if you are done with them. No need to deface them with your beautiful memories.

Now to answer my own question, I don’t think there’s anyone on this earth that has never had at least one jean shopping issue. Why do I think that? Well, we’ve had A LOT of requests asking what our favorite jeans were. Of course, we were happy to oblige to hopefully make the process a little easier for you. Well some of us did this more willing than others (I “forced” Albie to break a long jeans free streak:)) but we all took “real life” photos for you to get a “real” idea of how our go-tos might look on you. So yes, today we have both Albie and Ajai joining in:) Thanks, ladies!

Emily

Jeans | Snakeskin Boots (similar) | Suede Boots (no longer available) | Tops

Height: 5’5″

Average Pant Size: 4

Why I Love Them: I really love how they look and I feel VERY hip as soon as I slip them on! Speaking of being able to “slip them on,” SIZE UP. My normal size made me feel like food couldn’t enter my mouth without serious consequences. But once I sized up, they were awesome. I’ve had them for three years (?) and I get compliments every time I wear them, not because they are super flattering but because they are “cool”. They are the jeans that 28 year-olds wear.

SORRY, NO PICTURE!

Why I Love Them: I love the Dre cut of these jeans (I’ve had two pairs for over two years that I still wear often)). They fit low and slouchy in the crotch, but then more fitted in legs – not full drop crotch, but just a really good cut. 

Mallory

Jeans | Top | Shoes

Height: 5’7″

Average Pant Size: 26-27

Why I Love Them: These are my blue jean babies. A classic Levi 501, guys. It never goes out of style (literally). These have been in my life for about 2 years now and I wear them ALL THE TIME. They take a second to break in but once they do boy oh boy it’s magic. Plus I love this wash. OH and by the way I cut the bottoms of these because I thought it would fit better with a boot (I highly recommend doing this)

Jeans | Top (similar) | Shoes

Why I Love Them: These black jeans have been with me for even longer than the blue jeans. Probably 4 years now? We really do go way back. Madewell does black jeans SO WELL YOU GUYS. These go with everything and I love the way they fit (they’re stretchy AND high-waisted…what more could a gal want??) If you’re interested here’s the link.

Caitlin

Jeans | Top | Shoes

Height: 5’8″

Average Pant Size: 30

Why I Love Them: These were a best-seller in September, so I think it’s safe to say that we all agree that it’s time for the return of the flare!!! As you can see, I’ve got some hips, so I was very excited to add a more balanced bottom to my closet. Plus, the rise is so high (above my belly button!) which makes me feel super supported AND I also feel like they don’t give me the stereotypical “mom jean flat butt” thing. Tops look so cute tucked in, they’re the perfect length with my mules, and they’ll be so good with boots headed into fall. HOW ARE THEY ONLY $63 DOLLARS?

Jeans | Top | Shoes

Why I Love Them: EHD is responsible for getting me into the demi-boot cut pant! (I am now a loyalist for demi-boot jeans AND corduroys.) Again, I find that this style that flares out a bit at the ankle is way more flattering on my hips and legs than a standard skinny jean. It’s still pretty warm out here so I’m still pairing these with slides, but the model on the site wears them with boots and they look super cute — I’m excited for it to cool down! These are also SO COMFY (high praise from someone who only wears leggings), they have an awesome high-ish rise, and they’re a dream for slipping into on the weekend when you feel like wearing sweats but want to look like you have it at least a little

Albie

Jeans (similar) | Top

Height: 5’5″

Average Pant Size: 12 

Why I Love Them: I’ve had these jeans for about 5 years & through every season, body change, move…they’ve been here. For me, it’s the high-waist button fly that makes em my fav. So unfortunately these exact ones aren’t available. The closest I could find in terms of cut but without the button fly were these Super Skinny High Jeans.

Ryann

Jeans | Top (similar) | Sweater (similar)

Height: 5’8

Average pant size: 29-30

Why I love them: These are it. These are THE pants for my body type and I don’t know how or why but I just know they are so so flattering. I love the wash, the length, and the cut. I wear a size 30 because they are non-stretch jeans and they feel best after a few days of wear after a wash. They are the most expensive jeans I own (but I did get them second hand for half off) but they really are worth it because I wear them almost every day and they go with everything.

Ajai

Jeans | Top | Shoes (no longer available)

Height: 5’7″

Average Pant Size: I’m 33 weeks pregnant. I normally wear a size 4 in pants (when I’m not pregnant) and my maternity pant size (in these jeans) is also 4. 

Why I Love Them: These jeans are my favorite because they still provide a “skinny” jean fit while compensating for my baby bump. Which allows for me to still feel fashionable throughout my pregnancy. I also love how the crossover Panel provides back support for my belly (even as it grows in size). I’ve been wearing these jeans for about three months and they still fit well. The rear of the jeans have a low back design, which helps to keep me cool while I’m in motion. They are hands down my favorite maternity jeans, and only $30! 

Jess

Jeans | Top | Shoes (Here they are in Black and 60% off!)

Height: 5’3 3/4″

Average Pant Size: 30

Why I Love Them: Madewell has been my go-to jean for at least five years now and these have top billing in my closet. While I am VERY tempted to buy Caitlin’s cute new flares, skinny jeans and I have been in a solid 12-year relationship and of those 12, this pair is probably my favorite ever. First off, for me personally, a 10-inch rise is the max for my body (otherwise I’m pretty uncomfortable). They are also the perfect amount of “skinny”. You know, tight but not jegging wannabes. I like some breathing room around my calves:) And lastly, I love that classic Madewell tummy support and the light stretch in this pair. Oh and it’s SO nice that at almost 5’4″ I don’t have to get theses hemmed (and they aren’t even the petite size). Although I want to try that sizing next to just see what the difference is;) But in conclusion, these are the most comfortable and confidence-inducing jeans I own.

P.S. Ignore the strange tiny art placement! There was a hook there from my Christmas “wreath” and I just hung that little beauty temporarily there:) Also, I finally got my hair done for the first time since March. For those that haven’t but have a safe way to do it, DO IT. It was almost annoying how much it helped my overall personal moral… well after it stopped feeling like a wig since it had been so long:)

So did you find a pair that might work for you?? Maybe lessen the chances of the mail-in return saga? Well, we hope so. Putting on the right pair of jeans really does something good for your mood (even when sweatpants are begging you to put them on). Happy Saturday and see you all tomorrow.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credit: Photo by Veronica Crawford | From: My Favorite Current Clogs – A Review ( + Are Clogs My New Mule?)

The post The Jeans We Own, Love, And Will Buy Forever From 7 Ladies With 7 Different Bodies appeared first on Emily Henderson.