Emily Henderson's Blog, page 226

How To Make The Smallest Room The Coziest Room In Your Home + Sara’s TV Room Reveal

Quarantine log, Day 5: If “social distancing” has proven anything to me, it’s that I am a true introvert. And now that all of California is officially supposed to stay indoors as much as possible, I have the perfect excuse to stay right here, on this velvet couch, surrounded by vintage oil paintings, binging the new season of Outlander.

Where is “here” you might ask? Oh, nowhere. Just my INCREDIBLY COZY, LIBRARY INSPIRED, DARK & MOODY TV ROOM. It’s only the room I’ve been dreaming of my entire life. Where I can lounge, dappled in the gentle afternoon sun, reading weathered copies of Jane Austin novels until I doze off. Now if only I could find a way to make velvet sofa lounging my full time job (Emily, we can discuss my proposal in detail later).

On a more heartfelt note, Mac and I are feeling VERY lucky that we have a safe place to live during this situation. The fact that it’s also incredibly beautiful is a true gift, and one that we don’t take lightly. Thank you to everyone who came and read yesterday’s post about our living and dining room, and for all the extraordinarily sweet things your wrote in the comments. Today we’ve got one more room reveal to share with you all, plus I’m going give you a few tips on how you to can achieve optimal small space coziness. In case you have some downtime in the next few weeks and want to create your own cozy corner. So let’s get started . . . .

Determine What The Space Is Going To Be Used For

Sofa |Leather Pouf | Rug (Vintage) | Brass Table Lamp | Paint Color

Maybe you have a tiny room you’re already using as a guest bedroom, an office, dedicated cat bedroom, or even a nursery (do you put children into the smallest room of the house? I don’t have one yet, so who knows!). Do you want to make it cozier? Yes? Great, you’re done with this step, skip to the next tip.

But maybe, like me, you’ve just bought a house with a strange small room that you’re sure has a dark, secret past, and you don’t know what to do with it. First, make sure all resident spirits inhabiting the room are amicable, then think of creative ways to use that space. Mac and I realized early on that our home (built in 1921), didn’t really have a dedicated space for a TV in the living room, because apparently TVs didn’t exist in 1921. And while Mac was ready to sacrifice form for function and put a TV over our fireplace, I was ready to burn our TV if it meant ruining the beautiful layout of our living room.

Instead, I suggested we turn the small, awkwardly shaped room at the back of the house into a dedicated TV room. We also decided on some minor, but impactful floor plan alterations that would make the layout of the house work better for us. Originally the master bedroom entrance was through the kitchen, and the room this post is about was a private space with a door. We decided to make it a pass-through space, removing the door between it and the dining room, sealing off the master entrance from the kitchen, and instead putting the door to the master bedroom IN this room. Here’s a visual to help you understand, because words are confusing:

This does mean that we legally eliminated the “third” bedroom from the house, for real estate purposes at least. But the flow of the house works SO much better now. If I could go back in time, the one change I would make would be to put a pocket door between the dining room and the TV room, just so we’d have the option of a door. But things aren’t perfect, and you move on. ANYWAYS, all of that is extremely specific to my house, so let’s get back to those tips.

Don’t Be Afraid To Go Dark (And Monochromatic)

Throw | Plaid Pillow | Silk Painted Pillow | Window Treatment | Sconce | Ceiling Fixture | Back Door Hardware

I think the first thing anyone would notice about this room is that we painted it dark. And I mean, daaaaark. One of the best posts I think we’ve ever written was a design mistake titled “Painting A Small, Dark Room White.” This post has STUCK with me for some reason, and I think it’s what really convinced me that this small room needed to be something other than white.

The second thing someone might notice is that while the walls are dark, so is almost everything else. The trim, the roman shades, the sofa, the built-in bookcase. Not only did we go dark, we went monochrome. I’d seen some version of this in a few historical homes, and felt entirely inspired. It felt both bold, edgy, and modern while also feeling timeless. You’re most likely to see it done in light colored rooms, but going that route in a dark room feels like more of a statement. Well, I was ready to make a statement.

Because I wanted to go for a monochrome lewk, and because paint colors come in so many different shades and tones but furniture and fabric options aren’t as abundant, I decided to source the sofa first and choose the paint second, using the color of the sofa as a guide. I started (and ended) my sofa search at Article, and went with my old standby – the Sven sofa, this time in Pacific Blue velvet. What. A. Dream.

I also ordered a swatch of the sofa fabric so I could easily hold it up against paint samples when searching for the right color. After much swatching, I found the absolute perfect color, which turned out to be Rookwood Shutter Green by Sherwin Williams. What I love about this color is that it has a touch of blue to it, so it really plays well with the sofa, but doesn’t feel like a blue (which I really wanted to avoid). It has so much depth to it, while still being a rich, dark green and doesn’t feel cold in the slightest. Quick technical note, we used Sherwin William’s Super Paint in here and the coverage was pretty fantastic. We went with eggshell on the walls and semi-gloss for all the trim (extra technical note, only because I just learned this as we were painting our house: A flat or eggshell paint is most traditionally used on walls and ceilings, but you should use a semi-gloss on things like trim, baseboards, and shelves so that you can more easily clean them).

What makes a dark, monochrome look work in a small room? The darkness of the paint feels intentional, like a comforting sleep mask rather than a pitch black pit. We’ve got three windows in the room that all get southern light, so when the shades are up parts of the room are bathed in stunning light, while others are thrown into even deeper shadows. It’s dramatic, but still totally cozy. And using the same dark paint on the ceiling as we did on the walls actually made the room feel BIGGER, because the ceiling almost just disappears.

If You Go Dark, Bring In Moments Of Light

I’m not talking about suddenly bringing in a white sherpa rug – unless you’re into big moments of contrast. For this room I really wanted a subtle, cozy vibe. Gentle transitions for the eyes as they move around the space, while still introducing enough pops of “lightness” to keep the dark monochrome aesthetic from going full goth (which, again, isn’t bad if that’s your wheelhouse).

I’d been hoarding this vintage rug from Neon Doves for about a year. Since we’d bought the house really, and didn’t know where it was going to go. I just knew it was “me” and I would find a place for it. It’s like this room was specifically created for this rug because it’s the perfect size, it’s got the perfect hits of blue-green to tie it in with the sofa and wall, and the style is just right for a historic library theme. It’s not a bright or ultra light colored rug, but the neutral tones are lighter than anything else in the room, so it doesn’t end up feeling like a hole in the floor.

Actual lights also bring moments of light to a room (what a concept). Besides the canned lighting we installed in the ceiling, I also choose three other key sources of lighting, and had them all share one common element – brass. Both the ceiling and table lamp are from Schoolhouse Electric, and between the opaque glass shade and their brass bodies, they’re the tiny pops of happy golden color that add some life into the room. The wall sconces are perfect for creating a warm glow in the room, and were essential for keeping the room from feeling like a never-ending hallway at night. When it starts getting dark we just flip those on (light switch cleverly hidden in the bookshelves), and suddenly the back of the house is a warm cozy den, rather than a gapping, black nothing.

Bring In The Warmth

I’ve gone on and on about painting your room dark, but what if that’s just not for you? I’m offended (get on this train with me), but fine. No matter what color you paint your small room, the rest of these tips are gonna help you make it ultra cozy. One of the biggest ways you can bring warmth and coziness in is through textiles. The velvet sofa, the rug, the leather pouf – all of these really evoke those “curl up with a good book” feelings. But the window treatments (from Decorview) are a heavy woven linen, which add another touch of rich textile. Their thickness and the heavy weave of the linen feel like a call back to rugs being hung over the stone walls in castles to help keep rooms warm. These also happen to be double-lined (blackout – aka perfect for daytime movie watching), so they feel extra warm.

Oh look, it’s our mid-post intermission – A video tour of the exact room you’re reading about (…would we call that an intermission?):

LET ME TELL YOU, being on camera is very hard and awkward. Emily always makes it look so easy, but as soon as I’m in front of the camera instead of behind it my mouth makes weird noises, I do odd things with my hands, and I never know whether to look at the camera or at Emily. Oh no, I’m having filming flashbacks. QUICK, let’s get back to the post.

Don’t Overcrowd A Small Space

When it comes to small spaces, they can get crowded fast. To keep them cozy you don’t want them too empty, but like, they’re also small so don’t try and shove a whole ton of stuff in there to try and inject coziness by way of claustrophobia.

Think about what you really need in the room to function, and then get rid of ONE thing (it’s just like fashion). What’s the weakest link in your furniture? Do you really need it? Get it out of there, and feel how much bigger the room suddenly gets. Since this is a TV room, which is basically a miniature living room, we started with all the normal dressing: Sofa, side table, coffee table, rug, lamp, etc. Then thought long and hard about the layout of the space and what had to go. The thing we got rid of was the coffee table. The space between the couch and the TV is already narrow, and adding a coffee table would essentially block our walking path.

So instead we have a side table tucked into the corner, a leather pouf for putting up feet, and since the shoot we’ve moved a tiny floating table into the room which we keep near the other corner of the couch (by the back door) that we can easily move around, and use to hold our dinner plates or snacks when needed. Though, we’ve been very good about eating dinner at the dinner table recently, and have been playing board games instead of watching TV. Am I bragging or not? It’s up for interpretation.

It’s All In The Styling

At the end of the day, a room isn’t fully dressed without accessories. These are the little things that can take the tone of a room from “box with furniture” to “cozy library.” The accessories you bring in can really help you communicate the overall desired effect you want the room to have. For example, if you want a room to feel minimal and modern you could use art with minimal colors and sleek frames. Or if you want a room to feel like you’ve spent a small fortune on lint rollers and you regularly clean up vomit from all the things you love, you could add a cat.

I did not want this room to feel minimal or modern (or vomit-y for that matter). I wanted it to feel old, worn-in, and full of soul. So I finally got to use (almost) the full extent of my vintage oil painting collection. All of these pieces are personal – one of them Mac and I bought together at a flea market, one I bought right out from under Emily’s nose, another I found at a vintage store in Berlin. Mac says I have a problem, but I always tell him to look inwards (at his own DVD collection) before throwing around serious accusations like that.

Under TV Shelf | Polaroid Frames

Instead of letting the TV dominate an entire wall, we added a little floating shelf below it as a way to bring in a few more personal accessories. Like more oil paintings (and a few photos).

Brass Sconces | Rock Vase | Cement Bust Planter | Stone Book End

But now I’d like to interrupt our current post for a sidebar about my favorite part of this room, and possibly the entire house. My custom built-in bookcase. It’s one of the very first ideas I had when we moved into the house, and so it’s wild to see it in reality. It started as a very rough sketch by me. I then relied on Velinda to translated it into an actual design that I could pass along to a contractor (hit me up in my DM on Instagram if you need a good contractor in the LA area, his name is Ron and he’s a really great guy).

A quick note from Velinda that more accurately describes how this went down – “Sara showed me her awkward corner, her rough sketch, and said ‘so you can just . . . design something to stretch from one wall to the other that makes the shape of the  room feel more balanced and purposeful. Something with decent storage that will feel like it belongs with the rest of the house and hides this weird corner.’ Oh, okay Sara. Easy. I’ll just do that.”

It used to be an awkward, deep corner (formerly disguised as a closet). And now it’s a beautiful bookcase up top, and a functional storage cupboard down below (which still utilizes the depth of the aforementioned awkward corner). I whisper “I love you” to it every night as I walk by it on my way to bed.

Back to styling. Because I wanted this room to feel like a library, it’s only right that the bookcase be filled with a vintage mirror, cement bust, and more oil paintings. UGH FINE, we’re basic, we put books on the bookshelves. But we also put a vintage mirror (to bounce around a bit of light in the shelves), a cement bust, and more oil paintings (because it’s a LIFESTYLE). And a few little hits of life from greenery is always going to look good in any design. I particularly love the iron urn up top with the real limb-y plant that I found at my local nursery. It, in particular, makes me very happy.

My final and most important tip when it comes to styling is to keep it personal. If you want a room to feel lived in, cozy, and inviting then it needs to feel like a human actually spends time in it. Don’t be afraid to fill bookshelves with well-worn books, frame all sorts of family photos, and show off your tchotchkes. Get weird.

Ok, that’s it. Those are all the tips I have. I AM EMPTY OF INFORMATION. But I know you want to see some satisfying “before & afters”:

That was my last reveal for a bit. Next up, we’re working on the master bedroom and closet (I have plans, and yes, they include floor to ceiling wallpaper). And with all this time at home, maybe I can get Mac to design the office/guest room . . . .

Big shoutouts to Emily Henderson – the momentum behind these beautiful projects, Velinda Hellen – Our designer, ever-present advice giver, and dear friend (who also happens to be taking on e-design clients right now, for human-contact-free design work. If you tried to contact her through her website yesterday, there was a glitch! It’s fixed now, so please try again :)), my family – who literally rebuilt this house for us, all then vendors we’ve worked with – you helped us turn this house into a home, the EHD team – YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST, and lastly to all of YOU. Thank you for following along thus far, and hopefully continuing to follow along as we keep working on our home. Giving you all internet hugs xx

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Window Treatment



Paint Color



Ceiling Fixture



Throw Blanket



Plaid Pillow



Silk Painted Pillow



Brass Sconce



Stone Book End



Rock Vase



Cement Bust Planter



Polaroid Frame



Shelf



Back Door Hardware



Brass Lamp



Leather Pouf



Sofa



Rug

1. Window Treatment | 2. Rockwood Shutter Green by Sherwin Williams | 3. Ceiling Fixture | 4. Throw Blanket | 5. Plaid Pillow | 6. Silk Painted Pillow | 7. Brass Sconce | 8. Stone Book End | 9. Rock Vase | 10. Cement Bust Planter | 11. Polaroid Frames | 12. Under TV Shelf | 13. Back Door Hardware |14. Brass Table Lamp | 15. Leather Pouf |16. Sofa | 17. Rug (Vintage)

Catch up on all of Sara’s Makeover Takeover: Sara Buys A House Part I: Six Tips For First Time Home Buyers | The Designing Begins: A Floor Plan Design Agony | The Designing Continues: Time To Pick Furniture | The Final Design Plan | A Fireplace Design Agony | Sara’s Moody TV Room Plan | How Much It Really Costs To Work With A Designer: The Final Tally Of Sara’s Project  | Sara’s Living Room & Dining Room Reveal

Design by Velinda Hellen for EHD
Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post How To Make The Smallest Room The Coziest Room In Your Home + Sara’s TV Room Reveal appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Sara’s Living Room & Dining Room Reveal

Today is the first reveal day of my house and I’m excited, nervous, a little nauseous, but VERY happy. That was a lot to start a post with, I know. But I’ve been spending the majority of the week inside this house, staring at it, but not allowed to show any of it on social media. I’m SO relieved to finally be posting about it, and hopefully you’re all ready for at least 5 minutes of pure escapism. So come escape into my house (in a totally . . . non-creepy way).

Here’s the quick recap – Back in November of 2018 my partner (sure, boyfriend), and I bought this 1921 Craftsman bungalow in north Pasadena for $550k. We spent the next 15 months renovating it, with the help of my family. My dad and brother did SO MUCH work on this house, and we could not have afforded to do it without all their free/cheap labor (stay tuned for the post where we reveal how much we’ve actually spent). Here’s what the living room and dining room looked like when we bought the house . . .

And while we renovated . . .

We got pretty far on our own, without any “professional” help (to be fair, my dad is pretty experienced). But when it came time to design this narrow, open floor plan MONSTER I had created, we needed a more experienced designer to get us across the finish line. In stepped Velinda Hellen, who, at the time, was part of our in-house EHD design team. And while I could drone on and on about her genius, I’ll just let her take it from here.

Let the living room and dining room reveal commence . . . .

Velinda here, ready to show off this house that isn’t mine

The 20 Best Vintage Instagram Sellers That Are Delivering To You (All Across The USA)

Hello friends, Caitlin here! 

I am happy to report that we at EHD are now returning to your regularly scheduled programming. If you’re familiar with my posts, you know that sourcing vintage while sitting on my couch is sort of my thing. If you’re not familiar, catch up here and here (or, just trust me when I say that I was practicing social distancing long before it was necessary). But today, I’m writing about my newest favorite at-home shopping destination: Instagram.

Believe it, y’all: Instagram isn’t just for inspiration. There are tons of incredible furniture and decor dealers (literally, tons — for my first draft of this post, I accidentally listed over 100 accounts) slangin’ vintage digitally, ALL across America. So now, I wanted to take my chance to use our platform and shine a light on some of these incredible small businesses. 

Also, this isn’t just for our coastal readers — I’ve pulled vendors from sea to shining sea. If you’ve been searching for a new decor destination in Oklahoma or Kansas, search no more! Each of these business owners has done an incredible job sourcing and merchandising their product. (Also, many have found additional ways to contribute to their community by delivering meals, offering to go on grocery runs, or donating portions of their sales.) Most accept some form of digital payment and are able to coordinate drop-offs (or pickups!) where no face-to-face communication is necessary. 

Hot Tip

To find retailers selling through Instagram near you, just type in “Instagram” in the search field of Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist’s furniture section, etc. It will pull up local listings where a vendor has included their handle. Follow them for new inspiration and arrivals, straight to your feed! 

photo by david tsay | from: Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves

If nothing else, I hope these accounts are educational and that you’ll throw them a follow. You know how some people at the flea market just know how much things are worth? YOU can be one of those people. I became one of those people. How? I laid on my couch every night after work and scrolled through an endless feed of vintage furniture pieces til I knew makers and prices by heart. So hey, think of this as your spring training.

How’s It All Going? A Letter From Me, From Home… And All The Small House Projects I’m Tackling Right Now

How are you guys doing? On Friday we left LA, drove up to the mountain house in the pouring rain to self-quarantine. We stopped at a store on the way in to grab last provisions and it was fully stocked, with no more people than usual. I asked the clerk if they were busier and she said, “not really, people up here are survivalists anyway so they have what they need already”. I guess the other store in the area was busier but I just found that comforting (and a good lesson). My team is working from home, and boy am I so incredibly grateful that this is even an option.

So over the weekend, I did everything I could to block out the general panic and just tried to enjoy my time with my family (another thing I am lucky/grateful for). I organized with the kids, did a ton of scrapbooking and cooking, but now it’s kinda all settling in now. We have to halt all design projects (except any at my house – but up here there is so little to do) and a lot of partnerships that were confirmed are now up in the air. Traffic is down which I get because who cares about the right size rug during times like these. So we are figuring out how to proceed, and asking ourselves what do we want to read about on a lifestyle blog that is uplifting and sparks creativity and joy, while we are all at home feeling like we are (worried, anxious, cabin-fever-y and maybe even lonely).

Brian is homeschooling the kids (today, at least, we will likely take turns or do it together) and the kids are thankfully psyched. We are working out our system and if we come up with anything genius I’ll post about it. Meanwhile, I’m just staring at the laptop, at our numbers, and at our future with a “what should we do” question all over my face. Small businesses will be so hurt, I’m not alone, and sadly it’s not the right time to design and produce a “support your local lifestyle blogger” bumper sticker since people shouldn’t be driving anyway.

But I can’t keep still in between writing sessions so I have some projects I can tackle on my own. First – as you well know I love a scrapbook but I don’t think you understand how bad I am at it. My scrapbook philosophy – wow, that was quite possibly the dorkiest thing I’ve ever written – is this: DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. You see when I first started doing these I would get overwhelmed with my perfectionism, knowing that the scrapbook could be so much better if next to their first Disney ticket was a polaroid of them at Disney and a brochure of whatever Disney event was going on that night. I wanted things in chronological order – ultrasound next to maternity photo next to birth next to the printed out birth plan, etc., but you will NEVER get it done (unless you are a real scrapbooker) if you try to make them perfect. It doesn’t matter. It’s more about keeping what makes us happy and preserving in a place that they can look at when they are older. THAT’S IT.

I also let the kids do it with me and if you think I’m bad at scrapbooking, I can tell you that they are TERRIBLE. But doing it with them and involving them in the process brings me more joy than almost anything in the world. They love to relive things with a lot of “mama remember this!!!!!” shouts. Just do it, make them ugly – it doesn’t matter. It’s time-consuming regardless, so not being careful about it will speed it up drastically.

If you really want to know my favorite scrapbooks I’ll tell you (that should probably be in my tinder profile, right?) I like this one and this one because I like a “sleeve” that can house open cards, packets, or bulky things. Half of the fun of scrapbooking is the act of doing it, the other half is interacting with it later. I think when it’s all perfectly placed on a sticky page and immovable you don’t get to really dive into the tactile experience which I think is great for your memory. Just flipping pages isn’t nearly as fun as pulling things out and looking at them.

I’m also going to dye that quilt I made when I was little. I bought all the supplies a few weeks ago (highly recommended from a professional) and have been waiting for a day with the kids to do it – and BOY DO WE HAVE DAYS WITH THE KIDS. I made it when I was 8 or 9, and I LOVE the energy it has but would love to incorporate it into the design of literally any room. Once it’s a pretty blue I think it will do the trick and actually be appreciated. Stay tuned for the post on that.

I’m also going to either paint or dye this insane lampshade – I think that when styled right this lady can look edgy and cool and weird.

Brian and I are going to be creating content together which is kinda fun. He went back to LA to grab our camera and gear along with more stuff for me to DIY. We may even build a deck for our future hot tub up here in the next few weeks. As much as I’m nervous about everything, which I am, I’m just trying to focus on these kids, that man, and how lucky we are to be with them right now with a ton of trees around us. I’m normally so good at seeing the positive (sometimes only seeing the positive and driving everyone nuts) and creating activities and projects that are really fun for the whole family. But this has been more challenging, which for me is frustrating but I guess understandable.

But I know I can do it. I need to stick to what I know and love – styling, DIY, cardio and soup. You bet I have a sewing machine ordered and it’s on its way. My kids have no idea how much quilting they are about to be forced into…

The post How’s It All Going? A Letter From Me, From Home… And All The Small House Projects I’m Tackling Right Now appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Working From Home For The First Time? Us too. Here Are Some Tips From A Very Familiar Pro:)

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: the feel good flash makeover reveal (a.k.a. my favorite thing i did all year)

Us EHDers are officially working from home, until further notice. Which we are very grateful for. We know that working from home is a luxury, especially right now. But just because we can work from home doesn’t mean we know how to work from home.

I mean hello! Our comfortable beds are RIGHT THERE, the TV is just begging us to turn on our favorite mindless show, and you know the fridge probably has a magical new treat inside if we open it just One. More. Time. But as long as we get to work from home, work we must.

So in a moment of genius (and selfishness to get to talk to one of my favorite people in the world), I remembered that EHD alum Arlyn used to work from home regularly, and loved it. So I immediately shot her a text asking her to graciously give us some WFH tips. This post is for ALL of us. Let the showering of wisdom begin . . . .

photo by zeke ruelas | from: time to get organized folks…



Were there any big challenges going from an office to your home?

Truthfully, I LOVED working from home, but it was a much easier transition for me because two of my coworkers—and best friends—were transitioning to freelance work right around the same, so I had a built-in support system. I do remember a period early on where they were both out of town for several weeks and I found myself feeling a bit depressed and lonely. Right around then was the time I made a rule for myself: Leave the house to work somewhere else, anywhere else, at least 1 day a week (ideally 2). Just being around other humans is incredibly impactful to your mental health! 

Translating that for today’s situation, setting up a time for a phone date or Facetime with a friend or family member will undoubtedly help you feel more connected in a time where we need to keep our physical distance. I know it has helped me.

What did a typical day look like? Did you have a set routine that helped you focus?

YES! Routine is everything when you work from home. There were times I slept in a little, but I tried to get up early enough to “get ready,” meaning freshening up, changing OUT of my pajamas (even if it was just into other comfy clothes, but this process was crucial to me), making my coffee, making some breakfast and settling into my desk. I often ate breakfast at my desk while I was catching up on emails and frankly, that time in the morning, sipping my coffee at my desk was the best part of my day. 

I also spoke to my little brother this past weekend and since he got his degree online, I asked him for some tips. These were his go-tos:

He preferred eating a solid meal before starting his work, filling up an extra-large container of his favorite beverage (so there’s less of a reason to go back and forth to the kitchen, aka distraction), and set scheduled breaks. He was also big on sticking to his scheduled workday. Meaning you can either adhere to an “end time” or a “last task.” Arlyn agrees that this is important. The lines between working from home and being at home can easily get blurred.

photo by tessa neustadt | from: sara’s office reveal



Did you always make your bed?

Ha, no. If I lived in a studio where my desk was near my bed, yes I would have. I lived in a two-bedroom condo at the time, and my desk was set up in an open area of my living room, so my bed was never tempting me! 

I asked her this because I have heard this can really help with being productive. I also had a friend tell me one that you should always put on shoes when working from home, so you won’t be tempted to get back in bed. Now you absolutely do not have to do any of this but if you are struggling, it could help.

Did you change into “work clothes”?

Yup! Again, even if it’s just a comfy T-shirt and leggings, do it. It made me feel better, but also, and maybe this is controversial, but I think it also made Charles (my then fiance, now husband) feel better. He didn’t leave the house with me in my PJs and come home to me in my PJs, braless, disheveled. Ha! If things were flipped, I wouldn’t have liked coming home to him in PJs either. 

Did you set up a specific “office” area in your home that made you feel like you were in work mode? Or did you change locations throughout the day?

I HAD to have a proper workspace. It’s easy to just plop down on the sofa, or bring your laptop into bed, but I work best with a large monitor, in a real desk chair. When I got to “my office” (a part I designated in my living room near a window!), it was work time. If I just lounged in bed with my computer, I know I wouldn’t have been as focused.

Obviously Arlyn had time to prepare for her WHF area. But, the takeaway for the majority of us is to just designate an official workspace, even if it’s just your dining room table. It can help you focus and set boundaries.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: a home office makeover with threshold removable wallpaper by target



Did you do any stretching throughout the day?

I did all kinds of things, though mostly dance. I’d go through periods of time when I’d take “dance breaks.” I’d put on a song I liked (I was in a big Ed Sheeran phase at the time), and just get up and dance furiously for one or two songs, then sit back down. It lifted my mood, made me move . . . I recommend it to everyone!  

I will absolutley be doing this:)

Was there anything on your desk that made your workspace happier?

Yes! I got a pretty desk, a nice gray leather office chair, put up some art on the wall nearby, had a shelving unit I styled (it had my printer down at the bottom), and a blue leather mousepad that said “extraordinary” on it in brass embossing. I still love that thing!  

Again, Arlyn had time to make an official set up, but if you expect you will be working from for a while and want to purchase office furniture, they’re lots of furniture companies that are still able to ship. If you are interested head here for some of our favorites. But if you can’t or don’t really need to, you can also just add something that makes you happy onto your “desk” to brighten your workday, like a candle or photo. Also, never forget the power of a little plant

The Link Up: All The Things That Made Us Smile This Week

design by reath interior design | photo by laure joliet photography

Every week we look forward to the link up because it gives us a chance to honestly recommend what we are loving right now. We love knowing what other people are reading, listening to, wearing, and consuming. So it is fun to create that space here for the people who also enjoy good, honest reviews. This week, in light of what is happening all over the world, we wanted to share what has made us smile this past week in hopes that it will bring joy and a little bit of comfort during this anxious time.

But before we get into all the wonderful videos, we wanted to let you know that our Brighten Up Any Room Design Giveaway deadline has been extended to this Wednesday 3/18. Once we hopefully (and swiftly) see an end to this incredibly hard time, we will be nothing but excited to give someone a fresh start with a beautiful room makeover (with some stunning Velux Skylights). Click the link to enter:)

From Emily: I’ve been watching this video since 2012 whenever I feel sad. It’s the music, the realness, the people who care, the amount of effort, the happiness – it gives me HOPE and makes my heart feel full of warm water every time. 

From Jess: Just as I was looking for a happy video or link to put in this week, this one popped up and I almost immediately started welling up. It shows how important and powerful community is. I even saw it in the grocery store the other day. People were just extra kind and soft as to relieve the familiar look of not knowing what the coming weeks were going to look like. It just goes to show that we can take care of each other even if it’s at a distance.

From Caitlin: This weekend, I finally have an open schedule that I’ll be using to clean with the ferocity of Gayle in one of my all-time favorite videos. (PS. Does this remind you of your mom, or have YOU become this person?)

From Emily: Some people watch cat videos, I guess I watch real people singing songs I love. This video is on repeat (probably once a month) and I suppose to relate to it, but also admire the talent. 

From Mallory: This and this are my two favorite SNL skits. Ever. You’ll enjoy this one if you’ve been to New York for more than 3 days or this one if you’ve participated in at least 1 musical production in your lifetime. Enjoy!

From Ryann: Watching stand up comedy is probably my favorite form of escapism, and recently watched Nate Bergatze’s special and I was in tears laughing. Here’s a snippet to give you a taste of his insanely dry and hysterical humor.

From Sara: I can spend hours on the Instagram account @thedodo. It’s just full of sweet animal stories of rescues and rehabilitations and it makes my heart happy.

From Julie: This isn’t a funny video, but it is hands down the best Pad Thai I’ve ever put into my belly. The best part is you can throw in all those random veggies from your fridge so it’s different every time you make it.

Also, I know this seems narcissistic to recommend my own video, but I watch this when I need to be reminded that I’m not just here for pillow fluffing and begging for a swipe up. I’m sure it affects me more because I love Sylvia and she is part of my family, someone whose life was changed, but I cry every single time I watch it and feel more inspired to be the person that made her happy that day. Here is the video for your easy viewing pleasure…

Now we’d love to hear from you. What have you been doing to stay positive? And what type of content would you like to see from us going forward? Let us know in the comments and stay safe. xx

The post The Link Up: All The Things That Made Us Smile This Week appeared first on Emily Henderson.

How to Talk to Kids About The Coronavirus (Seriously, How Do You?)

Parenting two small kids when one parent is an optimist with a rock-solid immune system and the other is a hypochondriac who audibly sighs at the slightest sign of discomfort can be hard any normal day of the week. Add in an international pandemic with a 3-week school closure and life (and conversations) can get even harder to navigate. I’m a “shield til necessary” type of parent, and he’s a “more information will protect them” type of parent. I want to tell them to wash their hands more and then snuggle just the four of us all weekend because school is out, which means more family time. But ultimately I want to shield them from the real world details (I’m not saying this is right, it’s just my instinct and how I was raised). Brian rigorously reminds them to wash their hands and straps sanitizer to their backpacks so they don’t get the coronavirus. He talks about the news more openly so they know how important it is (he just doesn’t tell them about the deaths or anything too scary). We don’t fight about it because I don’t know if I’m right and neither does he. We are just both doing what comes naturally, which is likely either a balanced picture or really confusing to them. 

So here’s how we’ve approached it: “There is a new flu, the coronavirus, and it’s super easy to catch so we are going to be extra careful.” But the anxiety here in LA was palpable the last few days, and last weekend we went to visit Brian’s parents (who feel more vulnerable right now), so my shield was down a little more than usual because I wanted to talk to them about how they felt.

Then school closed for 3 weeks and the kids are like, “WHY?” We don’t have cable (not in a pretentious way, we just only choose to have Netflix, Hulu, etc.), so they don’t get the news on in the background which I think is a good thing – the news makes it extra scary. Now that we are up at the mountain house we’ve shifted our mood and just talk about all the forts we are going to build, games we are going to play, and soups we are going to make. We are EXTREMELY lucky that both Brian and I can work from anywhere, and that we’re able to leave the city during this time. We are fully aware that for many people the school shut downs leave them in a childcare lurch, and that the sudden “social distancing” can be really tough on small businesses. But as far as the kids go, they just think they got an extra two weeks of spring break with their parents (4 and 6 year-olds are obsessed with their parents, which is why we are capitalizing on this right now hard). All of our moods shifted once we focused on all the fun we were going to have together. Again, we are extremely lucky to have this escape and know that is not most people’s reality.

So how exactly do we frame this for them? I want to keep it positive and keep them safe, but not really talk about it. All I want to be saying is, “lets play hide and go seek!!” Which yes, is largely pretending the situation isn’t happening for their sake. Brian, I think, agrees in general, but it’s harder for him because he LOVES the news and he’s just a naturally more concerned human. So if the kids don’t wash hands he reacts in a bigger way than I do. But kids are super perceptive, and they pick up on our anxieties, even if we aren’t openly talking about them.

So, how are you talking about it with your kids? Have you read any articles you can share? Is there a recommended statement to recite to a 4 and 6 year-old? (Asking for a friend :))

Any advice for this would be great, to help foster a conversation on a weekend where we are likely spending a lot of time with those curious kiddos, while also reading and/or listening to the news ourselves.

Do you shield them from the bad stuff? Or do you talk openly to inform and hopefully protect? Maybe a little of both? And, yes, age can play a big role in determining these things.

Please weigh in (especially if you are a professional!). In the meantime, we hope everyone is doing whatever they can to stay healthy.

The post How to Talk to Kids About The Coronavirus (Seriously, How Do You?) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

What to Cook, Play, Watch, and Listen To At Home While You Might Be “Social Distancing” (Or Just Being A Homebody :))

Well, this weekend might be one that you lean into your inner homebody. I basically always do this on the weekends anyway, so I won’t say “NO” to that encouragement. I’ve vacillated almost daily about how to write about the Coronavirus mostly because there is conflicting information or just a lack thereof and I’m not a scientist. But just like the rest of the world, we are concerned about its spread and taking reasonable precautions to ensure that we don’t worsen the spread to those with compromised immune systems. We need to try our best to protect each other because we are in this together, even if we aren’t necessarily together

How To Choose The Right Rug Size For Your Living Room – 5 Formulas Guaranteed to Work

design by and home of sam gluck |photo by alison bernier | from: house tour: a warm scandi-inspired home + shop the look

One of the biggest mistakes we see (as we’ve pointed out before) is the “too small rug.” However, today I’m going to walk you through how to not only pick the right size but show you how to lay it out. It’s easy to say “don’t buy too small” but around here we like to be a little more thorough than that. So, we have formulas, rules and general “no no’s” that can help (oh and some shoppable picks). Let the (fun) rug inquiry begin…

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | my friend’s kid and pet-friendly family room reveal

I know from personal experience how daunting it can be finding THE rug for your living room. Not many are affordable (we found some, don’t worry) and returning them is a pain. But it’s a main piece in your living room so it needs to look right. So first lets into the nitty-gritty of the rules for each of the EHD approved layout options…

General Rules: 



Typical living room rug sizes are 8’x10′ and 9’x12′.Make sure your rug is at least 6″ wider (8″ is ideal) than your sofa on both sides.Typically run the rug the length of the sofa.Give 30″ to 36″ of a walkway between large furniture pieces (if your living room allows for it) if not then at least 18″-24″. That will help to inform your rug size.







Hot Tip

Measure out your desired rug size with painter's tape to get a sense of how it will feel. We promise it's a lifesaver.

All Legs On Board



photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: in defense of the comfy sectional—a friend’s almost-finished family room

If you have a large enough room and want all of your conversational pieces on your rug (i.e. sofa, accent chairs, coffee table, etc.) then make sure you give yourself around 8″ from the edge of your furniture to the edge of your rug. This way your furniture won’t look like it’s a child getting dangerously close to the edge of the subway platform. Consider the 8″ point your official yellow line. DON’T GO PASSED IT OR ELSE.

photo by david tsay for styled: secrets for arranging rooms, from tabletops to bookshelves

Then give yourself around 10″ to 18″ from rug to wall (and maybe even 24″ if you have the space). If you go too much closer your rug going to overwhelm your space and look like awkward “almost” wall to wall carpet.

design by flack studio | photo by anson smart| via the design files

The main exception to these rules is if your sofa is up against a wall (or our recommended few inches off as not to crowd the wall). Your rug can get a little closer so you don’t waste valuable common area real estate.

Front Legs Only (The EHD Go-To)



photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: how target’s fall threshold collection nails the “updated classic” trend

This layout is probably THE go to around these parts (and likely the world). All of your furniture pieces get “to play” but get to have the space to be individuals. Isn’t that what we want for all of our carefully selected furniture??

photography by erin francois | from: tour a stylist’s mid-century-meets-traditional “farmhouse” full of thrifted treasures

With this one, you want the front legs of the sofa and all chairs to rest on top of it. Here you aren’t playing “furniture lava” where the rug is the only safe zone. Let those back legs hang off and take up space.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: a light, bright, & luxe lighting room makeover

This layout is going to make your room feel spacious even if it’s not. The rule here is to have the rug go under each piece about 1/3 of the piece’s width.

For example: If your chair is 21″, make sure your rug is at about 7 inches under it (give or take).

Back in the day, Emily and Orlando made a video on how to select the perfect sized rug and if you are a visual person (like me) it’ll help you see why these rules are going to help you find your match made in heaven:

The Too Small, But Make It Work



photo by david tsay | from: a spanish living room

“But EHD, I have a 5’x8′ vintage rug that goes PERFECTLY with my room. Can I really not use it?” Fear not made up reader! You can layer that beautiful vintage rug on top of a larger rug. Yep, it’s totally legal and can look awesome if you find the right pairing.

design by jenni kayne | photo by tessa neustadt | via remodelista

The nearly no-fail way to attempt this is by choosing a natural jute-like rug as the large base and then layer a smaller rug (with a different color and material) on top. You can take a cue from Emily and Jenny Kayne from the photos above and place your smaller rug in the middle of the larger piece. But if you want to go even more rogue, you can off-center them as long as the front legs of your seating are on one of them.

The Float (The Rule Breaker)



photo by david tsay | from: rustic modern house tour

This layout is one that can look cool but you have to be careful. First, what does a “float” mean? Well, it means your rug is under your coffee table, but not your seating. I know, SHOCKING.

photo by david tsay for styled: secrets for arranging rooms, from tabletops to bookshelves

Here’s the thing. If you have a truly great rug that only misses your sofa and chairs by a few inches then you won’t find us calling the rug police. We do recommend not letting the gap from your sofa to your rug be larger than 5″. Any more and it will really look too small and probably make you sad.

The Sculptural Or Amorphous Float



photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: mountain house reveal: our light-filled neutral textural living room

Let’s get weird…with rug shapes. There are more options than just the classic rectangle. These types of rugs are great for awkwardly shaped rooms (like if you have a corner fireplace) and are easy to float and layer like Emily did in the mountain house living room.

Hot Tip

Layering a Cowhide or Sherpa Rug is a fun way to make a conversation area bigger.

photo by teri lyn fisher | from: style evolution, where it’s going, and a big return to og ehd

But there are no real rules for this one except make sure to buy proportionate to your sofa and have at least the majority of your seating’s legs on top of a part of the rug.

So there you have it for our living room rug intensive. We, of course, wouldn’t leave you without giving you the proper materials to take with you. So below we have a little visual cheat sheet to help you decipher between all 5 of your options and then we have some shopping to do:)

We know that large rugs can be expensive so we did a deep dive into finding the best of the best on the internet in three different price ranges. Happy shopping!

1. Natural Moroccan Shag 9′ x 12′ Area Rug | 2. Black With White Stripe Rug 8’X10′ | 3. Ivory Paddle 9′ x 12′ Area Rug | 4. Ramona Geometric Flatweave Tufted Accent Rug 8′ x 10′ | 5. Graduated Dot Rug 8′ x 10′ |6. Jovan Indigo Handwoven Dhurrie Rug 8′ x10′| 7. Black And Ivory Woven Chevron Indoor Outdoor Rug 8′ x 10′ | 8. NuLOOM Cotton Hand Loomed Herringbone Cotton Rug 9′ x 12′ | 9. Birmingham Black Woven Cotton Rug 8′ x 10′ | 10.Indra Rug 8′ x 10′ |11. Antioch Rug 8′ x 10′ | 12. Off White Braided 9′ x 12′ Area Rug

1. Gray Bella Rug 9′ x 12′ | 2. Souk Wool Rug 9′ x 12′ | 3. Flokati Wool Shag Rug 8′ x 10′ | 4. Bella Modern Charcoal Hand-Woven Rug 8’x10′ | 5. Adagio Handknotted Rug 8′ x 10′ | 6. Nurae Rug 8′ x 10′ | 7. Aspen Rug, 8×10 | 8. Flatwoven Melina Rug 9′ x 10′ | 9. Pamela Wiley Zigzag Rug 9′ x 12′ | 10. Hira Rug 8′ x 10′ | 11. Julianne Printed Rug, 9′ x 12′ | 12. Casablanca Rug 9′ x 12′

1. Sarah Sherman Samuel Moroccan Flatweave 9′ x 12′ | 2. Stark Studio Rugs Traditional Cotton Dhurries Rug 9′ × 12′ | 3. Washed Out Large Hareez Rug 8’10 x 11’9 | 4. Winn Hand-Knotted Rug 8′ x 10′ | 5. Inka One Of A Kind 8’4 X 9’3 | 6. Huxley Rug 8′ x 10′ | 7. Serapi Design Rug 8′ x 10′ | 8. Solana Navy Woven Cotton Rug 9′ x 12′ | 9. Weighton Hand loom Wool Ivory/Black Rug 6’x9′ | 10. Guilford Navy Woven Cotton Rug 9′ x 12′ | 11. Modern Handmade Wool Designer Rug 8′ x 10′ | 12. Robbin, Hand-Knotted Area Rug 8′ x 10′

Ok, that’s the real end. I hope you are now extremely confident and well equipped to pick out your dream rug and have it look exactly how you want it to. Let us know if you have any more questions in the comments.

Love you, mean it.

The post How To Choose The Right Rug Size For Your Living Room – 5 Formulas Guaranteed to Work appeared first on Emily Henderson.

How To Gently Clean Vintage Brass With Two Household Ingredients

After thrifting in Palm Springs last weekend I was reminded about vintage brass, and how much I’ve hoarded it over the years. But often they’re really vintage, covered in disgusting tarnish, and not as pretty as they could be. We researched and came up with an easy solution to clean, so a few years ago (one of Sara’s first days here, happy 5 years Sara!) we created this post with even a cute little video to go along with it. As you’ll see most of that tarnish and age can be safely (and gently) removed with a little scrubbing and TWO ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. And just like that your brass can be looking almost as good as new. Almost.

What you’ll need: 1/2 of a lemon (unless you’re cleaning something HUGE), a small bowl, a spoon for mixing, and baking soda (we ended up using about 4 tablespoons). And of course, your brass object.

First, make sure your object is real brass. Otherwise, you might actually end up tarnishing the material further, rather than polishing. The easiest way to tell if something is real brass versus brass colored is to take a magnet to its surface and see if it sticks since a magnet won’t stick to real brass. Once you’ve determined you’re working with real, honest brass it’s time to get scrubbing.

Step 1: Juice your lemon half into your mixing bowl, spooning out the seeds if they pop out. We wouldn’t recommend using lemon juice from concentrate (you know, the juice you can buy in the lemon-shaped bottle) only because we’re not sure how any added ingredients or preservatives might interact with the baking soda or brass surface.

Step 2: Start adding in baking soda, a tablespoon at a time, and mixing until a paste forms. You’re going for a “toothpaste” like consistency. We ended up using about 4 tablespoons in all, but it will vary depending on the juiciness of your lemon.

Step 3 & 4: Apply a small spoonful to a soft cloth and begin rubbing your brass object with the cloth and paste. Don’t be afraid to really scrub some of those tough tarnish spots, or use your fingers for tiny detailed areas.

Step 5: Rinse the paste off your brass object with warm water, and immediately dry with a soft towel.

That’s it. Two ingredients are all it takes to safely and gently clean all your favorite brass items. No dangerous chemicals, gloves, or face masks needed. We even made a quick “how to” video to show you just how easy it really is:

And just in case you don’t have any of your own brass items (yet), we’ve rounded up a few vintage brass objects we love from around the internet. They’re each one of a kind so grab ’em while you can. Your shelves, coffee tables, and desks will thank you.

Vintage Brass Watering Can | 2. Vintage Brass Apple Bell | 3. Chinoiserie Gold Trinket Box | 4. Brass Modernist Bowl | 5. Vintage 1960s Modernist Hand Shaped Brass Ashtray | 6. Vintage Brass Dish | 7. Gilt Reticulated Metal Storage Box | 8. Bone Small Bowl in Brass by Tom Dixon | 9. MCM Solid Brass Elephant Figure | 10. Tricube Antique Brass Bookends | 11. Brass Candlesticks (set of 8) | 12. Vintage Carolina Mirror

Since this is an old post, did any of you try it the first time around? Did it work for you? Any recipe adjustments or recommendations? Let us know in the comments xx

The post How To Gently Clean Vintage Brass With Two Household Ingredients appeared first on Emily Henderson.