Emily Henderson's Blog, page 232

We Answer the 5 Most Common Design Questions You Ask Us Again and Again

photo by sara liggoria-tramp | from: a budget and mostly thrifted living room reveal

As part blog, part design company, it’s understandable that our readers would want to tap into that second “part” and ask for our design advice…as much as possible. We get A LOT of questions via email and Instagram, but the thing is, so many of those quandaries and pleas for help start to feel universal. As in, you all seem to have issues in a lot of the same areas. So, putting on our blog hat, we decided it best to boil down what we think are our top five most asked design questions and put the answers we’ve already crafted in one place.

Question 1: How do I lay out a rectangular living room?
photo by sara ligorria-tramp: from: a quick update on the changes I made to my living room

In all fairness, living rooms are usually rectangular in shape anyway, so this isn’t really that specific but given that pretty standard shape, you’d be surprised how many whammies it can pack…weird window or fireplace placement, not enough wall space because of too many room openings/transitions, functionality issues (where to put the sofa in relation to the TV when there’s no real place to actually put said TV)…the list goes on and on. Here’s my very own biggest takeaway from just life: furniture does not always have to go up against a wall. Float that sofa in a room if you can, move it out of a corner, angle some things…do what works best for YOU, not what you think you have to do. To help you along, here are some stories we’ve done in the past that aimed to answer this very popular question:

How to Lay Out a Narrow Living Room
How to Arrange Furniture With Two Focal Walls
Trying Out Reader Suggestions For What to Do With My Living Room (No Shelves? New Layout?)
How to Design a Pass-Through Room
A Long Narrow Floorplan Design Agony

Question 2: What Color Should I Paint This Room?
photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: arlyn’s moody dining room reveal

Picking a paint color has to be one of the most “design paralysis-inducing” things for most people. It feels SO permanent, but guys, it’s totally not. Is prepping and painting a hassle? Yup. Is it reversible if you end up hating it? Also yup. So with that said, go forth and be bold, but if you also just want a tried-and-true white, we also have you covered.

My Favorite Non-Neutral Paint Colors
My Go-To Neutral Paint Colors
15 of Our Absolute Favorite Go-To White & Gray Paint Colors
12 Bold Blue and Green Paint Colors We’ve Tested (& Approved) So You Don’t Have To

And as an added bonus, here are two paint-related posts that will help you when it comes time to actually picking a color in case you need inspiration or just useful info:

Painting Soon? Here’s a Crash Course on Paint Finishes So You Get It Right the First Time
2019 Paint Color Trends

Question 3: What size rug should I use?
photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: our light-filled neutral and textural mountain house living room reveal

If I had to rank the question I get myself from family and friends most, aside from paint colors, it’s absolutely about rug size. I’m talking, no exaggeration, maybe one text a week about this. Here’s what I’d advise most people: when in doubt, go larger than you think. Deciding between a 5×8 and an 8×10? If budget allows, always do the 8×10 for an area rug. As much of your furniture as you can place on the actual floorcovering will always be a cleaner look. Anyhow, I pulled all of our “room rules” posts that each have a section on the rug, as well as a great video (vintage Emlando) and design mistakes from the past.

The Living Room Rules You Should Know
Design Mistake: The “Too Small” Rug
Bedroom Design Rules
Dining Room Rules
Video: How to Choose the Perfect Rug Size

Question 4: What do I do with this blank wall?
photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: jess’ small space living room reveal

Ah yes, the every popular “blank wall” conundrum. What is it about a blank space that makes people’s minds go as empty as the wall they’re trying to fill? Show me a room full of stuff and I can tell you 10 things I’d change. But bareness, now that’s daunting. Good news, though: We have plenty of experience and ideas in the art department, from creating gallery walls, to where to buy large-scale art (for cheap) and even unexpected “non-framed art” options for when you want to get a little edgy.

Affordable Large Scale Art & How to Get It in Your Home
15 Ideas We Got From You Guys for Hanging Art 
The 7 Things You Need to Know Before You Try to Hang That Gallery Wall
Best Online Art Resources
How to Fill an Empty Wall With Unexpected Art Ideas
Design Mistakes: Generic Art
Sentimental Art: Is This the New Gallery Wall?

Question 5: Where do I buy lighting & what kind do I need?
photo by geneieve garruppo | from: 120-year-old barn makeover 

This was a particularly popular question for renters because hard-wired lighting is not feasible for most of us on year-to-year leases. We can’t exactly opt to add more can lighting if a room is too dark, you know? Enter all the floor, table and wall lights we can afford to buy. We have some go-to resources, a handful of “power couples” so you can easily know how to pair things and lots of budget picks. Keep in mind some of the links on the shopping-focused posts might be dead which I know is a bummer BUT I thought it was still useful if it helps you find a new brand to check out…I’m sure you’ll discover all kinds of new goodies.

Where to Buy Affordable Lighting Online: 18 of Our Go-To Resources
The Messy Process: How I Chose ALL The Lights For the Mountain House “At Once”
19 Lighting Combos + The Rules of Lighting
The Ultimate Budget Home: Rugs & Lighting Under $200, Art Under $100 and Decor Under $50
A Roundup of Affordable Pendants Under $100
My Favorite 37 Online Lighting Resources
Power Couples: Floor & Table Lamp Combos That Work

Also, don’t forget to check out our curated lighting section on the Shop page for some of our favorite picks and resources.

I hope that was helpful to have that all in one spot, and I encourage you to keep the questions flowing because we’re here to serve. Xx

The post We Answer the 5 Most Common Design Questions You Ask Us Again and Again appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: Emily’s Fav Affordable Pullover Sweater, Jess’ Vintage Lamp Shop Find and Arlyn’s Best Refrigerator Hack

Design by Studio Shamshiri | Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson

Welcome to the LAST link up of 2019. Don’t worry it will not be the last because you all seem to love them as much as we love sharing what we like. It’s a true win-win. So take a deep breath, know that we all have almost made it to 2020 and enjoy this little Sunday read…

There was A LOT of interest in the red sherpa pullover that Emily was wearing in her Insta stories earlier this week (and for GOOD reason). It’s incredibly cozy and comes in four awesome colors. But the red is obviously Em’s fav.

Mallory and her boyfriend have been scrounging around for furniture for their new apartment on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc. They recently got a solid deal on this table which they LOVE and highly recommend.

If you haven’t heard Julie’s sister Val and her family of 4 are living the life by traveling the world for a WHOLE YEAR. If you want to fully be jealous of them you can follow along their journey on Instagram @littleworldadventure. Val and her husband Trent are taking this time to reassess life and to help they’ve started reading Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans. This book is the equivalent of Marie Kondo-ing your closet but for your life, to create a meaningful and joyful life.

Risky and bold design is probably our favorite kinds and Studio Shamshiri is one of our favorites in that department. Take a look at the truly stunning hotel they designed in New Orleans. Never ever have we wanted to take a “work trip” more.

‘Tis the season to be warm ‘n cozy!! Veronica’s roommate introduced this hot cocoa to her last year. So naturally, she bought some over the weekend, and then was pleasantly surprised to see that Julie brought some into the office this week!!! It is THE BEST. So tasty, and makes you feel ready to snuggle up and watch all the Christmas movies.

Ryann bought this sweater after almost a year of searching for the perfect one. It is pretty perfect and now she wants it in alll the colors.

We called the pleated shade trend last year but we had no idea how big it would get but we are pumped. Jess (very pro pleat) stumbled upon this awesome and reasonably priced french vintage lamp shop on Etsy that has a ton of pleated shade table lamp options. This one is one of her favorites…and is very much trending for 2020 (stay tuned on that).

Sometimes Arlyn finds that refrigerator “organizers” actually steal space from you. It might look good and tidy, but when you’re already tight on space, what good does that do you?? However, she does LOVE these clear bins for her refrigerator. It’s easy to see how much of something she has, she can compartmentalize like foods, and they fit really well in her too-small rental apartment fridge. 

Caitlin is on a HUGE candelabra kick after seeing this one in Jess’ apartment, and she is now newly in love with this lil guy. If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for Caitlin (or if you just wanna bank some ideas for future reference), please get her one of these. This is definitely NOT Caitlin writing a veiled message to her family with explicit present requests. 

Alright, this is where we leave you to enjoy your Sunday. Have a beautiful, cozy day and see you all tomorrow. xx

The post The Link Up: Emily’s Fav Affordable Pullover Sweater, Jess’ Vintage Lamp Shop Find and Arlyn’s Best Refrigerator Hack appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Our Top 10 Most Popular Fashion Posts of 2019

This year, we expanded into posting seven days a week, keeping fashion and lifestyle mainly on Saturdays (which you seemed to like) so it didn’t take up a day of design content. While I’m not a model, I do have fun with these posts. We are honestly always trying to figure out how to do fashion in a way that is indeed meaningful or informative, not just pushing to buy new clothes all the time. We know that fast fashion is an industry that produces a lot of waste, so we really try to approach it like, if you are going swimming and literally don’t have a swimsuit, then here are some that I can tell you are good instead of just buy more swimsuits. Fashion posts end up being a decent amount of revenue because we make a small commission off of anything you purchase through the blog, so I’d love your input on how we can do fashion posts in the best way possible, all budgets, all styles, all shapes/sizes and of course mixing in vintage and thrifted (hello, January). A huge thanks to Ryann, Veronica and Mallory for helping produce these posts and for making me feel more comfortable when I’m on the corner of sunset junction and swinging a bag, laughing at air and feeling very self concous for how serious I appear to be taking myself. I’m not. but I appreciate how serious you do your job,

But, for now, we’re taking a look back on this year’s fashion posts and which ones made it into the Top 10. Here goes.

#10: Six Fall Sweaters I’m Loving + How To Wear Them 

Coming in at #10 is FALL SWEATERS. This is the first year I truly embraced the sweater and boy did I. My friend Suzanne helped style this one which is so fun, and judging from comments, you guys seem to love when Suzanne is involved in these shoots (and I am, too).

#9: A Fashion Review: New Clothing On My And How I Like Them (Or Not) 

This was my first review-style post and I think you guys liked that I gave my opinions on when something wasn’t quite good or I bought but planned on returning for whatever reason. I think that’s the kind of information that isn’t always the easiest to find and might better inform your shopping.

#8: 12 Sustainable Fashion Brands To Try If You Love Clothes But Also The Earth 

I’m SO HAPPY that this post did so well. We highlighted sustainable brands (and boy are more and more popping up every day which is AWESOME) and you guys were into it. YAY. Would love to hear if you have any other sustainable brand suggestions, if you have them.

#7: My “Casual, Comfortable, Cool” Spring Weekend Wardrobe 

I’m pretty sure this only made it in the top 10 because of Boris (the dog, obviously), but there are some great outfits in this one including one where I try wearing a sweatpants/beanie combination in a cool way (and again, Suzanne helped out which was so fun).

#6: I Let My 20-Something-Year-Old Staff Dress Me In The Latest Fashion Trends 

I LOVED this post, and while you guys didn’t really buy any of the pieces, the concept sure was fun and I want to do more like these. If you skipped over this one originally, it’s worth reading just for the laughs alone.

#5: 18 Pairs of Fall Boots: A Review Of The Good, The Great, and The So-So 

YAY FOR REAL REVIEWS. Next year, we might actually go to the stores and review them as I’m trying them on to save one step (if we can shoot in the store), so shout out what you want me to review in the comments and we’ll try to make it work.

#4: 8 Pajama Sets That I Will Be Wearing All Winter

We joked that we should just become a pajama blog because the traffic on this post was so much more than we thought it would be (over 50,000 views). But okay, got it…you guys like pajamas (and reviews).

#3: 51 Affordable Spring Dresses (& One Awesome Jumper I Couldn’t Resist) 

I think people were just so ready to think about summer, that this spring dresses post really hit. Just seeing someone else dressed for warm weather lets everyone know and get excited that it’s coming soon.

#2: The 3 Stylish, Comfortable Pants I Wear All The Time

I was glad that this one hit. My team was skeptical because they are kinda boring pants, but I truly loved wearing them all the time and you guys really responded to that. Sometimes it’s the basic stuff that resonates the most, I guess.

#1: Active And Modest Swimsuits That Make Me Feel Good 

Needless to say, I was VERY nervous about putting 15 photos of myself in a swimsuit on the internet, (and as you know, we don’t Photoshop people at EHD). So thank you for clicking on it, sharing and making me glad I did it.

We are brainstorming a lot about what 2020 lifestyle and fashion posts look like, and I’m not a fashion expert so I generally don’t love to give out tips, but please let me know what you’d love to see, and what you come here for, fashion-wise. We did a few team fashion posts and I’d love to diversify even more and incorporate other people’s style, not just mine. Thoughts?

The post Our Top 10 Most Popular Fashion Posts of 2019 appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Our 10 Most Popular Instagram Posts of 2019 (Plus My Unexpected Feelings)

photo by sara ligorria-tramp

This is a larger conversation. Truly. Chasing “likes” is never a good thing as a creative—OR A PERSON. It’s like chasing “cool,” or worse, chasing “youth.” It’s the opposite of authenticity and wreaks of try-hard. So I haven’t chased likes, cool or youth, but maybe I’ve also not really put it all out there. I’ve focused my time here, on the blog where you guys know me and I feel frankly comfortable and safe. But the Instagram platform is the trickiest despite my perceived success. People ask me all the time what the key to social media success is and besides the most overused words of 2019, “authenticity” and ” unique,” which aren’t wrong, I truly don’t know. Our “likes” are down, and I don’t really know why (though if you follow other “influencers,” you’ll hear the same thing across the board in the same sentence as “algorithm”). I think I lost my voice (because I wasn’t writing enough) and created too much perfect looking content. It isn’t personal enough. I’m listening and lord knows I love “a note.”

The thing is, that  I can do personal. It’s actually all I want to do, but writing a personal post, getting the tone right, making sure I’m neither too flippant, sarcastic nor sentimental/cheesy takes me a long time, at least for me. I think I’ve been phoning it in, hoping that a nice shot of me setting down a plate in a pretty room would garner that thumb-stopping double tap. But it doesn’t anymore. Very few things do.

So next year isn’t about chasing those things. It’s about simply making space and time for more conversations that I want to have. I have to create space to write to you. Full stop.

So you want to see what our top 10 Instagrams from the year are, here you go. They aren’t my original images (thus the introspection) but they are VERY GOOD:

#10: This kitchen by Alyssa Kapito Interiors.

#9: This kitchen via House and Leisure.

#8: The mountain house kitchen (and the inside of the drawers).
photo by sara liggoria-tramp
#7: The Portland project mudroom pantry.
photo by sara liggoria-tramp
#6: YET ANOTHER KITCHEN, this time designed by Jean Stoffer Design.

#5: The media room bar from the Portland project.
photo by sara liggoria-tramp
#4: This killer dining room/arched window.

#3: The accent wall heard around the interwebs, by Molly Britt.

#2: This black-and-white breakfast room gallery wall (so good).

#1: Diane Keaton #TBT.

I recognize that only 4 of the top 10 are my work (besides with a celebrity) and for that, I’m pretty bummed. I know that producing incredible design work takes so much time, but I have to ask myself why some of my other projects that we posted throughout the year didn’t garner more of your love, or “likes.”

I’m re-asessing so much right now and into this new year and I’d honestly LOVE your feedback. I’m moving back to my roots, with far more personal, casual, colorful spaces full of approachable meaning and FUN. 

But listen, I’m not a kitchen.

Our Top 10 Most “Popular” Design Projects of 2019

While often a “maybe I should cut my hair” post that requires almost ZERO time will get a ton of page views, we don’t value it higher, because our design projects are what we stand for. Between the design planning/work, the styling/production/photography work, the writing, the editorial linking, the editing of me and the pitching out to press, we at EHD care about publishing these projects so much. It’s what keeps us excited and inspired. We revealed 47 projects (yes, 47) in 2019, and it’s always interesting to know what really “hit “and then to analyze “WHY?” Let’s dissect.

#10: MOTO Reveal: Emily Bowser’s 32-Square-Foot Bathroom Is Packed With Small Space Hacks

I saw Emily Bowser’s bathroom and said “we have to shoot it.” When people do small space in a smart way that we are all impressed by, there is an obvious need to share. But to be fair, if anyone was going to come up with incredibly smart and chic ideas, it’s Bowser.

#9 New Reveal: A Colorful, Happy Home Makeover For An Incredibly Deserving Family

I’M SO HAPPY. I hoped that this Feel Good Makeover was popular because it was a good story of a family in need of a happy home, one that we’re able to execute quickly and use our resources to create. But I also know that it was full of really good ideas for anyone in a smaller space and a modest budget. Velinda did an incredible job. YAY for more of these this year.

#8: Mountain House Reveal: Our Calm Scandinavian Master Bedroom

My favorite bedroom in the world wasn’t a flop. THANK YOU. I am living in this room all through the holidays and if I could “double-tap” the bed with “likes” all day every day, I would.

#7: Reveal: A Budget and Rental-Friendly Living and Dining Room (With 80% Thrifted Finds)

I LOVE this room. We shopped mostly local and thrifted and my team (Emily Bowser and Julie Rose) really brought their creativity. There were so many great solutions that anybody can do in this reveal.

#6: Reveal: Arlyn’s Bright & Happy Rental Living Room Makeover

Arlyn’s living room struck a chord with a lot of us who needed a burst of personality, sentimentality and color. As our editorial director, I know that it’s a lot of pressure, so I’m so glad that you guys loved it as much as we did.

#5: Velinda’s Tiny Kitchen Makeover Takeover (With Tons of Smart Storage Hacks)

This tiny kitchen worked HARD and therefore I’m not surprised that it performed. If you didn’t see Velinda’s second kitchen (rental) you should; it’s full of a lot of VERY smart hacks and storage/appliance solutions that I wouldn’t have thought of. Another example that sometimes the smallest spaces have the biggest ideas.

#4: Makeover Takeover: Jess’ Long-Awaited (Small Space) Living Room Reveal

Jess’ apartment blew all of us away. She is our senior market editor and has no ego so we didn’t know what to expect. I remember the team being like “uh, should you be on the design/styling side of things”? It’s a tiny studio apartment full of more style than I’ve seen in a long time. (You’ve got to see her kitchen/dining room.)

#5: Mountain House Reveal (Yes, Another One!): The Coziest Upstairs Guest “Bunk” Bedroom

I guess people really responded to wall-to-wall carpeting, and guess what—ME, TOO. As a former carpet snob, I realize that when done well, comfort trumps all (plus check out my memory foam carpet hack to ensure 100% bounce-ability).

#2: It’s Finally Here: The Reveal of the Mountain House Kitchen

The mountain kitchen was the first reveal of what was the most stressful project of my life. So, THANK YOU for making this #2. While I regret not styling it with more life and energy (flowers, food, people), at the time I was overwhelmed and in a more minimal phase. And frankly, I wanted to show off the work, not the stuff. But, thank you.

#1: Mountain House Reveal: Our Light-Filled Neutral & Textural Living Room

The mountain house was five times over budget, which I kinda knew despite my denial amongst the chaos, and well, it gave me shame and embarrassment (and anxiety). So when you guys saw it, commented that you REALLY liked it, and shared it, I started to realize that my choices were good, that despite my failings, this project was an actual SUCCESS.

Thanks for watching and reading the reveals. We obviously learn from what you love the most this year and while there will NOT be another mountain house reveal, small space ideas/hacks and spaces full of personality and sentimentality will be our focus. But certainly, let us know how you feel in the comments…(and thanks for commenting :)).

**Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post Our Top 10 Most “Popular” Design Projects of 2019 appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Merry Christmas …

Merry Christmas from our crazy family to you and yours. We are up at the mountain house, all a little sick with colds, so we are snuggling hard, playing games and making a lot of soup and broth. We survived the final days of work and I have no intention of doing much work the next 10 days or so – but my wonderful team planned a lot for the next week – so check back if you get bored. We do our annual ‘wrap up’ with the most popular posts on every platform (and my reaction to it).

But today, my usual wordy self has to cut it short to go see Santa (yes on Christmas Eve – cutting it VERY close to the big day). Let’s just hope that the kids don’t all of a sudden ask him for any unrehearsed toys…

Merry Christmas. I say that with glassy eyes as I’m seriously so grateful for that man, those two kids and you, a community of people who have made my life and career truly very fulfilling. It’s a pretty darn great Christmas, already. xx

 

The post Merry Christmas … appeared first on Emily Henderson.

All The Risky (and Questionable) Holiday DIYs I’ve Done (and Maybe I Want To Do More Of)

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: elliot’s metallic holiday bedroom

This post is brought to you in collaboration with my former weird self. I’m having a real resurgence over here, it’s been bubbling up for a while but it’s taken me a bit to understand what I miss about my former self. If you are sensing a mid-career crisis, you are right. With the blog turning 10 in two weeks, I’ve been deep in self-reflection, looking at every single year with a personal, design and business lens. Here’s one thing I miss: I used to be SO BRAVE, stylistically. No rules. So many risks. I PLAYED. Looking at all my past Christmases, I see so much creativity despite all the fails.

She’s back. We aren’t going to call her “old Emily” because that implies A. I’m old AND I’M NOT, I’M VERY YOUTHFUL and B. one can become a former version of oneself. You can’t. It’s been 10 years and I’ve changed. So, we’ll call her “Weird Emily.” Hmm…I think I need to work on the branding of that, that’s not quite it. Maybe it’s Emily The Brave? Stay tuned.

So as we close out this holiday season, I thought it would be fun to revisit all the weirdest things I have done for my holiday decor and hear my current thoughts about it.

10 YEARS AGO. Probably my favorite and WEIRDEST holiday DIY was the GLOBE snow-person family. Don’t let that shitty photo fool you, we had to source a lot of likely expensive vintage globes to create those three lovers. We drilled holes in them, put long bars (I don’t remember out of what) through them to keep them together and created a base to hold them still. I don’t recommend butchering vintage globes to do this, but I do love the creativity they came from.

We also took thrift store books, ripped off the covers and spines and turned them into snowflake-shaped accessories. We had readers who wanted to craft. I can’t find that episode of Secrets From A Stylist anywhere, but maybe that’s good. However, it was full of off-the-wall ideas that Orlando and I created. Including a huge vintage map that said JOY TO THE WORLD.

That map inspired many, many people to do something similar and I have to admit, adding simple white letters that read JOY TO THE WORLD was brave and had the sense of humor that only Orlando and I together like to come up with.

Also, we didn’t stop there with our subversive DIYs, we did a “wreath” in the shape of an oversized peace sign, we also put birdhouses all over that tree and made those yarn ball ornaments…those last two ideas I still love. I love taking traditional holiday icons and doing a weird twist on them.

Hot pink had a huge moment nine years ago. Remember when I did a Celebrity Holiday Homes episode for Cheryl Burke (and HGTV)? If you don’t, see the post here. Well, she loved hot pink, or more accurately I loved hot pink at the time, and I really went for it with a GROVE of hot pink and white trees in her living room, which was admittedly nuts but undeniably striking.

More importantly, I found that vintage nutcracker lamp in Palm Springs and spray painted it white (Cherly loved nutcrackers). I wish I had that so badly for me now, not that you need to switch out your normal lighting for holiday-themed ones, but man was it fun (and stood over 4-feet tall).

I also believed in untraditional wreaths at the time (and putting a lot of ornaments in cloches). We made that paper wreath out of tissue paper and while I didn’t have a good photographer at the time, I think this idea would transcend time if we made it now.

I painted a ton of thrift store tchotchkes and candlesticks in our color palette, including a ballet dancer as holiday decor. I also painted those cakestands with marbled paint. They weren’t good, but the idea was solid (and likely NOT food-safe or long-lasting).

We created MORE Christmas themed DIY art, with our Now Dasher, Now Dancer piece (again, Cheryl Burke was a dancer).

You are about to see a theme…

That same year, I decked my house out in more hot pink (clearly inspired). I left NO surface undecorated; balls EVERYWHERE. I continued my “snow” in place of real greenery likely because we shot way before December and didn’t actually have access to real greenery. Also if you have a 200lb cement dalmatian, I clearly recommend putting a wreath collar on it. Could also be a huge bow around the neck (see below).

Brass deer + snow does say “glam holiday” in a way that I apparently wanted to. BY SCREAMING IT.

‘Sup, hand chair?

That was the same year that I made a wreath out of REAL flowers, which cost probably $200 (peonies in December are $$$$) and lasted two days. I do NOT recommend this and did not predict its quick demise. But I did put my vintage Ban.do headpiece on one of my many busts (and note the same DIY marble painted cake stands).

I also hand-painted all the “wrapping paper” and stacked up presents in the shape of a tree. QUICK NOTE: This was before any sort of Instagram backdrop moment “OPPORTUNITY.” I just wanted to show how you can make a big impact with easy DIY’d presents. Imagine that???

Orlando and I kept up our subversive “art project” by painting a Ho Ho Ho, Ho art piece. It still makes me smirk.

More than I reminiscing about weird holiday decor, I love that man (who helped me create said weird holiday decor). I am extremely excited to collaborate with him more in 2020, stay tuned for that but it’s likely more in the form of a podcast, not holiday fashion posts where we wear different forms of bows around our tiny necks.

I’m not saying that these ideas were amazing, nor that I would do them again. But boy do I appreciate the former creativity and lack of effs. I also know that I had SO much more time to DIY, and willingness to put my ideas and creativity out there because my audience was a lot smaller, and therefore rarely a troll in sight.

Anyway, seeing these projects, despite their bad photography and questionable color palettes does inspire me and make me want to, you know, be more creative, write more editorially, and do more “Emily The Brave” in 2020…and not just in holiday.

Perfection is boring. LET’S GET WEIRD.

What do you think? I know that there are a lot of you out there who remember, who have been there since day 1 (THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU), and more than likely weren’t here and don’t remember. What do you all think? Should you want this type of brave DIY and odd innovation from me/us? Or does this just strike you as amateur creativity and bad DIY? I’m honestly open. I guess for me I just appreciate the risk and the lack of traditionalism and conformity.

Also, I know you guys are busy, it’s two days before Christmas, so thank you for taking the time to write any comments or feedback.

Happy holidays. See you tomorrow for my Christmas post.

The post All The Risky (and Questionable) Holiday DIYs I’ve Done (and Maybe I Want To Do More Of) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: Emily’s Next Must-Read Book, A Face Mask Recipe That Changed Ryann’s Skin, & The “Discrete” Bathroom Necessity

Design by Studio Giancarlo Valle | Photo by Steven Kent Johnson | via Architectural Digest

We know that most of you are probably done with all of your shopping and holiday prepping, right? Just kidding, we are still picking up our final gifts and wrapping up a storm too. So in case you need those final suggestions or just some fun reads then we’ve got you. Let’s get right to this week’s link up…

Emily can’t wait to read The Likability Trap, after hearing the author on this podcast episode talk about how many women feel they are presented with two options: being a good leader or being liked.

Let’s call it serendipity (and not that Jess is a sucker for the newest and coolest) but somehow Domino knew she was out of shower gel and this article popped up in her email. Did the google machine tell them?? Anyway, it got her good when they said the Bathing Culture Mind and Body Wash smelled “like taking a walk through a lush forest.” Like how could she resist, right? Plus the bottle is beautiful and the soap itself organic, biodegradable and lasts for 80 showers. 

The other day Julie calculated on average how much she has spent on kombucha in the past year and the result was pretty horrifying. So, she consulted a kombucha brewing expert aka her brother-in-law to get his approval on this Kombucha Brewing Kit. Julie is excited to test it out & will report back on how her first batch goes. Wish her luck.

From Arlyn: “For the “design history nerds” out there, a reader recently emailed me this article from the New York Times (entitled The 25 Rooms That Influence the Way We Design) for my entertainment and I thought I’d pay it forward. I love seeing things like this because with Pinterest and Instagram these days, it’s easy to feel the “same same” of the current design scene and this was a serious palate cleanser.”

Ryann’s skin is not suited for cold, dry weather. So the past few weeks she has been breaking out like no other. In an attempt to save herself time and money, instead of running to Sephora for a new cleanser she researched some home remedies. She found this face mask recipe that is SO SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE it is stupid. It’s simply 1 tbsp of honey and a 1/2 tsp of turmeric (she skipped the lemon part) and it not only cleared up some blemishes but made her skin so so soft. 10/10 would recommend.

From Mallory: “Ever since I started working here at EHD, all my friends and family have been asking for design advice. So for Christmas, I’m planning to give everyone something for the rooms they’ve been asking me about. My sister needs a color palette, so I got her this painting to jump off of. Heads up Society 6 is having a great sale on their framed prints. I hope she doesn’t read this.”

Velinda shares a very small bathroom with her wife, so these incense matches serve a sacred purpose. So much better than Poo Pourri, and they’re also so easy to carry around in a wallet.

Caitlin got these boots back on Black Friday and has been wearing them NON-STOP since. From Caitlin: “I’m not a super boot person because I always feel like they make my legs look weird, but YO, THESE RULE. They are SO COMFORTABLE and I’ve worn them with everything from cropped pants to socks and dresses to socks and skinny jeans and y’all. They changed my life. I’m annoyed I waited so long to bite the bullet on these.”

Veronica recently discovered that her new favorite color is cobalt blue, which is where this baby comes in. Sooo warm n cozy and perfect for the cold weather these days. She usually doesn’t like a cinched waist, but this one is acceptable as it keeps all the warm in.





And there you have it. Now, go enjoy your Sunday and see you tomorrow. xx

The post The Link Up: Emily’s Next Must-Read Book, A Face Mask Recipe That Changed Ryann’s Skin, & The “Discrete” Bathroom Necessity appeared first on Emily Henderson.

NYE Party Outfit Hacks That I Tried (and Maybe Pulled Off?)

Welcome to the last fashion post of the year, folks, and for those of you actually on the internet on this VERY busy Saturday, this is for you. Let me be clear, our New Year’s Eve will be spent up at the mountain house, having our now-annual scavenger hunt in the woods with the kids, and celebrating with some friends at 6pm. So I likely won’t be wearing a strapless jumper or a sequin jacket, but instead of buying more clothes (we are done buying over here, for a while) we came up with some fun hacks that I could try to convince you of. Hopefully, this serves as a “how to amp up” what you maybe already have – either dress it down or dress it up for a more ‘I’m going to party and hit rock bottom so I can really start my resolutions’ vibe.

#1 T-shirt Under Strapless Dress (Or Jumpsuit)

Here’s the case for this outfit: I saw my friend Jen Gotch do this on her stories with a vintage 80’s prom dress and thought it looked rad. I can’t wear strapless dresses (I feel like I explode out of them and show too much flesh) so this is a solution that I LOVE, that actually looks very cool. I borrowed this jumper from my friend (it’s old, sorry – but SO RAD) and with a t-shirt underneath I actually love it. It just feels a little more intentional and fun. So if you have an old strapless bridesmaid dress that the bride promised “was so cute and you could totally wear it again” maybe this is its moment. The key is that the shirt has to be a casual (and fitted) and I think that if it were vintage or had a cool graphic on it that would be even better for that 80’s vibe (but I like the simplicity for this one). I think that it makes strapless look cooler, especially when it’s a sweetheart neckline. But I’m sure not all of you will agree.

I apologize for that ill wrapped present – the kids keep ALMOST opening them …. little drunk raccoons.

Now that I think of it, the shirt under the dress thing reminds me SO much of growing up LDS where we had to cover our shoulders and we would put T’s under all our spring dresses (dresses that definitely weren’t meant to have T-shirts under them). I think the rules have changed now, but I know this look is “in” at the moment.

Here are some options in case you don’t have a strapless dress or jumpsuit and want one.

1. Women’s Sleeveless Sweetheart Jumpsuit | 2. Isn’t It Iconic Strapless Dress | 3. Lioness Old Flame Strapless Mini Dress | 4. Elia Strapless Jumpsuit | 5. Women’s Animal Print Sleeveless Mini Dress | 6. Boss Jumpsuit | 7. Royal Blue Strapless Jumpsuit | 8. Hayden Strapless Velvet Jumpsuit | 9. Chic Red Jumpsuit

#2 Socks With an Open Toe Shoe

I don’t know guys. I’ve wanted to try this for a while, and I think it is fun but is it ridiculous? Or just fun and different for New Year’s Eve? I’ve seen it done where I’ve liked it … maybe I needed to slouch them more – you tell me…

But I do think I would leave the house like that, at least on New Years, because it feels like the right occasion to do so.

The key (I think) is not having them be tube socks and I suppose they also need to be thin with some sparkle or special detail. I’ve been on Man Repeller so many times looking for ‘how to style socks with open-toed shoes’ and it’s hard to find ANY inspiration or rules so I don’t know if I’m pulling this off exactly. It actually inspired me to answer more of those questions for you in the home space, those questions that may seem obvious to me but may not be for most people.

Here are some fun sock options in case all you have are those classic tube socks:)

1. Scallop Sheer Crew Sock | 2. Chenille Velour Cuffed Trouser Socks | 3. Pieces Purple Glitter Sock  | 4. Soft Roll Top Sock | 5. Starry Night Sheer Slouch Socks | 6. Sparkle Party Crew Sock | 7. Ankle Socks In Black & Glitter | 8. Richer Poorer Salem Quarter Sock | 9. Elvira Fishnet Socks 

#3: Dress Up a Vintage T With Awesome Earrings and a Leather Skirt

This look is super not me, but I’m still pretty into it and it was SO easy. I figured that most people have a black leather mini, and for my style, I like them to be styled more casually (I wouldn’t wear a super tight, revealing top with a leather mini because I think the skirt already has that vibe). So I’ve always worn it with a boxy sweater, but for NYE I love the boxy T, as it leans into the  ‘I didn’t really think about it, but don’t I look pretty cool’ vibe that maybe you are going for?

I showed Brian these photos because I stole his vintage Grateful Dead shirt and, I don’t know, I hoped he would think I looked cool or something in it but instead, he was like ‘ha, that’s not vintage, it’s from Target’ which was HILARIOUS. I think I’d rather it be a lighter color, like white with some band graphics on it, to give it a bit more contrast (but that’s just my personal taste).

I borrowed those earrings from Veronica who always wears EPIC earrings. They really do take any simple or casual outfit to the next level. I’ve been slow to get on the earring train mostly because A. I’m going to lose those them, and B. having usually big blonde hair and big boobs, big earrings just feel like a lot, and can go too cheesy and 80’s mom. But I’m going to try more, especially now that my hair is shorter (sadly – didn’t cut, just took out my extensions) and I always wear it up anyway.

Everyone in the office decided that earrings either need to be BIG or make some sort of statement, to really be cool. Or if you have multiple piercings a bunch of tiny earrings are so cute mixed and matched. I have seriously been thinking about getting a few piercings up my ear, a la Emily Schuman, in 2020 and think it would go nicely with my current mid-life crisis. You?

Here are some affordable favorites if you are looking.

1. Contessa Tassel Earrings | 2. Long Earrings | 3. Anne + Julia Duo | 4. The Oblong Hoops | 5. Poppy Puffy Heart Drop Earrings | 6. Geometric Organic Shape Minimalist Earrings | 7. Essential Large Chunky Hoop Earrings | 8. Drop Earrings | 9. Sibilia Spotted Hoop Post Earrings 

#4 Pair Sequins With an Everyday Outfit

You have jeans and a t-shirt I am sure, and MAYBE you’ve joined my snakeskin shootie train (all aboard?) so all you have to do for this one is add sequins or a BIG old pop of red. If I were just going to over to hang with my friends on NYE this is what I would wear and I LOVE it. (Yes, we shot this a while ago for that makeup post, but just realized it is a great talking point here). It’s comfortable, but still festive and party appropriate.

In case you don’t have a sequin top in your closet…

1. Luna Sequin Blouse | 2. Madeline Sequin Top | 3. Sequin Blazer Dress | 4. Sequined Jacket | 5. Sequined Diana Sequined Blazer | 6. Sparkle Blazer

I personally think that sequins are best dressed down, even if it’s a dress. I would wear a sequin gown with sneakers or weird boots instead of strappy heels – it is so glam and attention-getting already that unless you are going to a ball, I think it just looks cooler to make it more casual and give it an edge (aka, don’t style it like #6 – that looks cheesy to me).

#5 Pair a Belt Bag and Animal Print Shoes With a More Formal Dress

You’ve seen this dress because I’ve worn it like 5 times now, but this is a good example of a dress that can go in a few different directions, vibe-wise, based on styling. If I wore it with heels, it would go more ‘wedding’ or ‘opera’, but with the snakeskin western boots it feels younger and cooler (IMHO). I liked adding a color block belt (it’s my red fanny pack from Clare V. that is sadly no longer available).

Anyway, I’m not saying that is the perfect NYE outfit, but again, the animal print takes something that feels more feminine, ruffly and conservative into an edgier direction, which I love.

Here are some great belt bag options if you are in the market.

1. Emma Convertible Belt Bag | 2. Georgia Belt Bag | 3. Faux Leather Belt Bag | 4. STATE Crosby Fanny Pack | 5. Detachable Leather Belt Bag | 6. Detachable Leather Belt Bag

Now, if you are looking for some makeup inspo or recommendations, I’m not one to wear what looks to be A LOT of makeup so I did a post a couple months ago with a makeup artist who taught me how to do three different ‘party’ looks that I really liked.

The one on the left was more rose gold and shimmery, the middle had this awesome cobalt blue eyeliner and far-right had a glossy lid and a bold pop of red lip. All the products we used are linked in that post. I feel like there are a million different ‘highlighters’ and ‘glittery cream eyeshadows’ out there so to get her favorite recommendations and actually see them on my face was very helpful (Thank you Noel!)

By the way, IF you wear a t-shirt under your strapless gown or jumper or IF you try out socks with open-toe will you please tag or DM me? I want to see how others do it. I am so curious if these are an actual thing that only I think are cool, or maybe some of you are into them, too.

Also if you have ANY other hacks for party outfits our last-minute looks let us know – new ways to amp up what you already have seems to be a theme over here in general, so we’d love more ideas. xx

**photography by Veronica Crawford

The post NYE Party Outfit Hacks That I Tried (and Maybe Pulled Off?) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Arlyn’s Warm (& Sort of Last-Minute DIYed) Holiday Reveal

Spoiler alert: This starts sad, but I promise a happy ending…just like your favorite Hallmark movie. Yes, it’s a post about decorating for Christmas, but it’s a bit of a journey (and your prize for sticking around is seven tips for a pretty holiday look without a ton of planning…next to a cash reward, what more could you want, hm?).

Before moving to LA, I had a long-standing Christmas tradition that involved a sleepover at my place with my twin nephews. We’d go buy a fresh tree, head to Target to pick out their yearly ornaments (and okay, I usually caved and bought them several when they couldn’t pick…auntie privilege), and settle in for the night with a big ol’ cheese pizza and tons of candy to decorate and watch holiday movies. When I left Florida, my absolute favorite weekend of the year stayed behind along with my family, and frankly, I didn’t feel festive enough last year to decorate. Sure, I bought a tree and then proceeded to cry my way through placing all the memories from years past on it (like I said, no this whole post won’t be one giant Joni Mitchell “River”-esque depressing monologue). But, it’s been almost two years, and I realized that it was time to start making some new traditions, starting with proper decorations to set the scene for the season.

By “proper,” I mean nothing more than something that actually brought me joy. In my last home, I didn’t care even the tiniest bit about my “Christmas aesthetic.” I’d throw around scraggly bows, dangle strange garlands in places that would inevitably fall off (left unfixed until January). While I appreciate a classic, kitschy look, this didn’t make me happy. Looking back, it was a lot like the holiday aisle at Big Lots come December 26—sparse, random and nowhere I wanted to be. BUT THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT. Guys, I really actually tried, and whoa, I love coming home. I get so jazzed to know I’ll walk through that door after work to all the fairy lights on (thanks, timers) and all I need to do is light my pine-scented candles.

When I first discussed decorating and shooting my place for the blog, I told Emily I would take the more “last-minute DIY” angle for this story, except, ha, I should know myself better than to think I’m a DIY person (have I talked about the unfinished dining chairs sitting in a corner of my master bedroom enough times for you to understand the stakes here?). I’m more of an early minute buying person…if we can all agree that’s the opposite of last-minute DIY, but don’t worry Emily, I pulled out a few stops even for me to salvage this story. Really, though, it’s an excuse to show you guys my living and dining rooms again, this time just festooned for Christmas using nearly everything Target, because those guys have affordable holiday decor on lock.

Aside from what I bought, there were a few things I planned on doing going into this: dried oranges for garland and ornaments, and the addition of real greenery to anything faux for a lusher more natural look, but more on that in just a bit when we get there. Let’s start in the living room:

Creating a “Christmas Couch” With Simple Textile Swaps

“Swapping out textiles seasonally” always felt to me like the equivalent of women’s magazines telling me when I was younger that I’d be going “from day to night” far more often than I ever have (never). Who was really doing this? Sure, my mom would throw a random Christmas pillow on the sofa when I was younger, but a full swap was absolutely something I’d NEVER consider doing. Except well, for the sake of this shoot, I did it, and guess what. I’M OBSESSED WITH IT. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.

I left one of my everyday pillows out because it played well with everything else, but I’m half tempted to never actually switch them back. I’m officially living the cozy life and DON’T MAKE ME GO BACK. But seriously, seeing that Fa la la pillow and those little gold embroidered Christmas trees fill my heart with childlike wonder and joy and I’m now a “winter textiles swap” person (once I figure out a more permanent solution than throwing my year-round pillows and blanket in the guest bedroom).

Neutral Tree + Homemade Goodies

The (Christmas-celebrating) world is divided into two subsects: those who take no issue with faux trees, and those that choose to torture themselves with a real evergreen. I am the latter. Every year, when it comes time to recycle this baby, I curse myself for the massacre of needles. But alas, I can’t be stopped and I will always opt for a real tree. This is a noble fir that I picked up at Lowe’s and it has that gappy vibe everyone is into right now. I like how you can load up a branch front to back and things dangle so nicely, sparkling and dazzling in the twinkle lights.

As for the decor, this is actually the first year in a long time I went with white lights. I’ve always been a colored-lights “just throw crazy stuff up on the tree and call it a day” girl (correction: let your small nephews throw crazy stuff up on the tree and call it a day). Someone once asked me if I changed my tree’s “color motif” every year and I’m pretty sure I rudely laughed in their face before I realized they were serious. No. I am not that person. This is why this year, once I realized that oh wait, people will be seeing my home and I needed to “try,” I opted to go for something a little more neutral so I could build on it over time. I also had a box full of handmade and drawn “ornaments” from my nephews that I needed to be sure made it up on those branches (see the paper and crayon snowman, for example). There’s enough going on in my apartment that something a little more minimal didn’t make me want to crawl out of my skin a week into the “merriment.”

Because I wanted some color, I thought to do what evidently everyone else on the internet also thought to do this year: dried oranges as ornaments. I definitely did not get the mailer that must have gone around to tell everyone this was the “look” of 2019, but regardless, I love it. Some string (in a white and red because…Christmas), a bag of small oranges and a few hours to dry them out in the oven (Erin from Francois et Moi has a great tutorial here) and boom, I supplemented my tree for about…$4. LAST-MINUTE DECORATING LIFE HACK. Put dried oranges on just about everything and you have an instant holiday lewk that feels warm, unpretentious, welcoming and a wee-bit British (i.e. all I ever want to feel).

Some of my favorite ornaments I scooped up this year with my nephews top of mind: the sloth, the fabric Santa, the clip-on glittery birds, and the ceramic turtle doves (I promptly forced my husband Charles to sit and listen to why I got those to represent our undying love). Oh goodness, and I can’t move on before discussing that Cookies For Santa plate and milk jug. No, there are no children in my house, but when I saw it, I knew I needed to hoard it for the day that there are because every year my sister runs around trying to find something to put cookies and milk in and it always ends up being an awkward mini loaf pan or something and this feels like a “pat yourself on the back for planning ahead” moment that I wanted to put on display.

Mix Real + Faux

HOT TIP: Faux garland is so great for using year after year and traditionally, I used to think it looked very fake, but Target has some good stuff. I went with their faux white pine and berries strand here and over the archway and I’m so happy with them. This one is 72″, so, maybe don’t be like me and instead measure before you figure out how much of something you need. I ended up with about 8 inches of bare mantel and had to guinea rig a solution. The left side there, by the candlesticks, is actually a piece of faux greenery also from Target in the same color/finish that I added to the end and BOOM, fixed.

Once I put the eucalyptus wreath on the door, however, I realized it was much “cooler” in tone than the garland and side by side, they looked a little jarring. My solution? Get some actual eucalyptus (I had some leftover from my Thanksgiving tablescape) and shove in pieces of it about every 6 inches or so. This accomplished two things for me: it married the color/style gap between the wreath and the garland, but it also brought some life to the faux-ness. (Again, this stuff is good, so it doesn’t NEED it, it was just a visual preference for me).

Can we talk about the cutest stocking? Growing up in Florida, a land devoid of mantels and fireplaces for obvious reasons, we were not a “stocking” family. Every now and then, my mom might tie some to the stair banister, but they were never full of anything. Well folks, that’s over. I live in LA now, a land with NON-FUNCTIONING fireplaces, but “fireplaces” nonetheless. LA is all about illusions after all, so as long as it looks like a fireplace, that’s all that matters, right? Throw some fairy lights in, no problem (and maybe light some candles—I used these candlesticks from Target—if you’re brave and attentive for that real “fire” feel). This knit guy with the poms is maybe my favorite thing I got this year but HEAVY (hence the nutcracker on top of the stocking holder for that one…I have a little cut-out in the molding that meant less stability, but it’ll probably be fine if you have a normal 90-degree angle on your mantel).

And, in one of my favorite “last-minute” moves to use up random leftovers of things, I took some ribbon I had bought for my gift wrap, tied a little piece into a bow and velcroed it to this art piece. “Dressing up” your artwork can be SO fun for holidays (remember Emily’s googly eyes over that oil portrait?). It’s so unexpected, costs basically nothing and will get everyone’s attention, I promise.

Sprinkle Christmas Cheer Throughout Other Vignettes

This whole post should be titled “Never Underestimate the Holiday Styling Power of the Bottle Brush Tree” because if you look closely enough, there is absolutely one in nearly every shot angle of my home. I threw some on my console table, on a side table, on my coffee table, on my TV stand…and just WAIT until you get to the dining room. Bottle brush tree galore! They are very affordable and if you don’t mind glitter sprouting from nearly everywhere until the end of time, they’re almost all you need to fill in your home with some Christmas spirit outside of the “big” moments (tree, fireplace). Same goes for leftover ornaments, pieces of greenery (such as free scraps from the tree lot), and super budget-friendly figurines, like these reindeer that make me so happy.

That blonde wood bowl is VERY good guys, and I will absolutely be leaving it out year-round, but for now, it screamed “FILL ME WITH JINGLE BELLS” so I had to oblige. These are 2-inch bells and honestly just so dang fun. Put them in a vase or bowl but save a few to sprinkle throughout other vignettes (or on a gift!).

The last “moment” I threw together in this room was the bench by my window. I moved the rust-colored velvet cushion into the guest bedroom (which honestly, I treat like a storage unit, so I know this is not a universal solution) and draped my sheepskin pelt a little asymmetrically. I gotta say, I’m quite proud that this placement was my first go at it. The less fussing you do sometimes, the more effortless things look. I over-ordered pillows for my sofa, but thank goodness, because they worked great on here. The green pillow with the poms is SO cute and you might not see it here, but it has these little wood beads at the base of the pom pom which makes it extra special.

Alright, let’s move this party into the dining room…after you.

Accentuate Your Architecture

Ever since I saw Ginny’s garland-bedecked archway into her dining room, I dreamed of being able to do the same thing. So when I stepped foot into this apartment for the first time, I instantly knew it would fulfill my greenery-over-archway dreams. This is three pieces of faux garland, hung with some small nails I dug out of an IKEA art hanging kit. Because of my 100-year-old plastered and heavily textured walls, Command hooks simply laughed the THREE times I tried them…in three different sizes and configurations (both the laughter and hook type). I finally gave up and went to get the hammer. Can’t wait to patch those holes come January, truly…though worth it to me.

Implement a Big “Holiday Moment” (That’s Actually Really Easy)

Over on the console, I went for a “sort of kind of” holiday village. It was my initial vision to do a jam-packed Christmas village here, so I bought what felt like hundreds of trees and houses, and then I put them all down and the credenza ATE it. It was like starting with a pan full of fresh spinach and ending up with 2 tablespoons of cooked spinach. My dreams were dashed and I came up with plan B: mix in everyday things with some holiday feels and pretend it was your plan all along. I’m actually very happy with it and don’t think I haven’t sat at my dining table some mornings and nights just looking over here with a twinkle in my eye and sugar plums dancing in my head. When you boil it down, it’s really just three new vignettes: the two bottle brush trees + seasonal candle (above),  a footed bowl with some leftover greenery and bottle brush trees (below) and ceramic houses with some fairy lights shoved up into them on top of books which were already there (photo after next). Oh, and some oranges from the grocery store because #theme.

My favorite thing about this whole scene is probably those beautiful wreaths hanging by velvet ribbon over the windows. I LOVE a wreath-over-window (or, as you’ll see, mirror) moment and two windows meant I had two chances to do it in this room. Quickly: I’m very much obsessed with this wreath. It looks so high-end with the dangling brass bells and it matches the garland in the living room, so both spaces speak to each other.

Over on the bar, my vintage gilded mirror called for another ribbon-hung wreath, but I went for the faux cypress leaf version instead to keep things more minimal. The addition of some new brass barware (the Project 62 line looks really good, folks) and a few bottle brush trees and voila, my “holiday bar.”

When In Doubt, Keep It Simple (For Real)

When it came to what to do on my table, this was REALLY a “last-minute DIY” situation because I had no idea (which is typically the case with my table). The day before this shoot, Emily texted me that she had some leftover garland at her house from her shoot, and I could come grab some if I wanted. So grab it I did, not knowing what I planned on doing with it, but I ended up throwing it on the table just to “think” and when I finally came to, I realized it was exactly where it belonged. I pulled out my kitchen sheers because I do not have clippers (apartment living), trimmed it to size and pulled out some small, cheap glass votives I had in my cabinets already to make things moody. AND THEN, I had some extra oranges from my tree ornaments and I just scattered some throughout to connect both rooms visually.

But wait, there’s more. At the last minute (okay, the night before), I wanted to give the room more of a “casual party” vibe and wanted a dessert set up, so I ran out to Ralph’s with the intention of making something with the zero minutes I had left in my life to whip up a baked good and found a pre-made bundt cake instead. A simple glaze (though I’m sure you could find one glazed already), some cranberries I rolled in sugar, and a smattering of fresh sage leaves is all I needed to fool Sara into thinking I had actually made this when she made it over to shoot. SEMI HOMEMADE TRICKERY.

I will most certainly be doing this again in the future, and if you do, as well, everyone will think you’re a domestic goddess. Set out some cute appetizer or dessert plates (these from the Hearth & Home with Magnolia are super cute with festive sayings on them that are subtle but still fun), flatware and napkins, and with very little effort, you just became the hostess with the mostest time to actually blow dry your hair before people show up.

And thus ends my holiday dissertation. It started out bleak, but I promised it would end on a high note, and there’s no higher note than being pulled together enough to maybe put some curls in your hair (at least for me).

I rounded up ALL the goods I got from Target below in a few groupings, and yes, at the end of the season, you might find this stuff is sold out either in-store or online, so for that I’m SO sorry, but ALWAYS check your local stores because they restock or people make returns and you might just find what you’re looking for. Oh, and for a few more exclusive tips, I wanted to share the story Ruemag.com featured of my home as well, so check that out if you’re interested. Thanks for stopping by and the happiest of holidays and the merriest of Christmases to you all.

1. Wooden Ornaments Set of 3 | 2. 28″ LED Battery Operated Wreath | 3. Lit Up House Ceramic Christmas Ornament | 4. 13″ Lit Gold Metal and Capiz Star | 5. 3ct Glass Christmas Ornaments Set Birds | 6. 72″ Faux White Pine Garland with Berry | 7. 8ct Glitter Pine Cone Ornament Set | 8. Green with White & Gold Wreath Gift Wrap Roll | 9. 40ct Shatter Resistant Veranda Ornament Set | 10. Fabric Santa White Ornament | 11. Embroidered Tree Skirt | 12. Ceramic Birds Ornament | 13. Sloth Ornament Ornament | 14. Artificial Cedar Stem w/ Pine Cones | 15. Cream w/ Black Swiss Dot Gift Wrap Roll | 16. Faux Leaf Ball Ornament | 17. Truck with Bottle Brush Tree Ornament | 18. Philips 300ct Incandescent Mini String Lights

1. Large Gold Glitter Christmas Tree | 2. Christmas Nutcracker Figurine Gold | 3. Knit Square Throw Pillow with Corner Poms | 4. Holiday Stocking Sour Cream Knot with Red Poms | 5. Milk & Cookies Stoneware Set | 6. Small Gold Glitter Christmas Tree | 7. Wooden Oval Bowl with Handles | 8. 2″ 16pc Jingle Bells Vase Filler | 9. Cream Faux Fur Oversized Throw Pillow | 10. Embroidered Trees Velvet Throw Pillow | 11. Holiday Stocking Green Stripe | 12. 3pc Taper Candle Holder Set | 13. Texture Faux Fur Throw Blanket | 14. 3pc Mini Deer Figurines | 15. 10″ 12pk Unscented Taper Candle Set | 16. 2pk Basic Stocking Holder | 17. Large Mercury Glass Christmas Tree | 18. Fa la la Velvet Oversize Lumbar | 19. Clear Glass Vase Large | 20. Channeled Faux Fur Throw Pillow | 21. 4pc Green Flocked Bottle Brush Trees | 22. Large Bottle Brush Tree | 23. Philips 50ct Battery Operated LED Dewdrop Lights | 24. Small Ceramic House

1. 24″ Faux White Pine Wreath with Metal Bell | 2. Set of 4 Linen Napkins | 3. 3pc Bottlebrush Trees | 4. Stainless Steel Cocktail Strainer | 5. 4pc Bottle Brush Christmas Tree Set | 6. Stainless Steel Cocktail Stirrer Spoon | 7. Ceramic House Figurines | 8. 5pc Stainless Steel Kayden Silverware Set | 9. 4ct Seasonal Appetizer Plates | 10. Oblong Brass Footed Bowl Gold | 11. 4pk Napkin Set Green | 12. 18″ Faux Cedar Wreath | 13. Dew Drop LED Lights w/ Copper Wire | 14. Bottle Brush Tree with Wood Stand | 15. 2.5oz Stainless Steel Double Jigger

***photography by Sara Ligorria-Tramp, design and styling by Arlyn Hernandez

The post Arlyn’s Warm (& Sort of Last-Minute DIYed) Holiday Reveal appeared first on Emily Henderson.