Emily Henderson's Blog, page 248

Mountain House Reveal: The Upstairs Guest Bath That Used to Be a Closet (and a Peek Into the Bedroom)

MOUNTAIN HOUSE REVEAL #5. We’re in the home stretch now, having revealed the living room and entry, the downstairs guest bed and bath, the upstairs loft, kids/hall bath and now…

Welcome to the upstairs guest bathroom (with a peek into the bedroom that isn’t quite finished yet). This bathroom is the smallest, but boy do I love it, with only two things that I would have done differently (keep reading). Let’s get into it:

First, to place you in this house, here’s a floorplan of where we are:

Originally, this bathroom didn’t exist at all. It was a massive closet, which we felt would be better used as a bathroom. How lovely is it that each guest has their own bathroom? VERY.

The Goal of the Room:

Well, it was to create an en-suite bathroom with some luxuries for our guests. Since it’s on the smaller size, I wanted to keep it bright, simple and quiet. You won’t see it in today’s reveal, but for anyone wondering, yes we replaced the closet as I wouldn’t leave a room without one. Because this was always intended to be used for guests, there was no need for such a large walk-in closet, so instead, we built out a smaller more traditional “reach-in” closet on the wall next to the entry door of the room (more on that to come in future posts).

If you want all the process and the story behind each decision, read this process post. I REALLY love how it turned out and it’s far more “me” than the sexy black bathroom downstairs (which I also love). Here’s how we went about this redesign.

We Chose the Materials First:

The stone slab tile floor from Bedrosians felt so “mountain” without it being slate (which we used in the master). It’s so warm and yet modern, with an amazing colorway and texture. The countertop is Sky White slab marble from Bedrosians that we had leathered because it was polished (but honed would have been great in here, too).

HOT TIP: If you want more of a “modern rustic” feel, opt for matte surfaces. In general, that’s what we did in this house (including the window frames from Marvin, all flooring/cabinetry and all stone). While I’m NOT opposed to shiny surfaces (I love how they bounce the light around), it just reads as more “glam” and sometimes that’s not what you’re going for stylistically.

We complemented the floor stone with this incredibly special handmade tile from Pratt and Larson that we installed in the “double stacked and staggered” pattern (thank you Julie!). It’s a super simple 1×8 matte white, but how we applied it makes me so happy. I’m really proud of this tile because it accomplished exactly what we wanted in this house: simple but special. It has so much movement, reflects the light beautifully but is so quiet. We went for it and did it on the entire vanity wall and shower surround. We even rotated it on the bottom half of the shower to be horizontal, under the wall to wall ledge (which we opted for over a traditional shower niche). I think these kinds of details make this room feel so custom. Will everyone notice these details? NOPE, but as a design team, we are really proud.

The faucet suite might be my favorite in the house (and my favorite modern faucet in general). It’s the Purist line from Kohler in their flat black finish (but you can get it in several other different finishes). I love a cross handle and always will. And I know that the wall-mount faucet/under-mount sink combination was something I hadn’t seen that much around so I was nervous that it wouldn’t work, but GUESS WHAT? It’s GREAT. It’s so minimal and feels so modern and fresh.

For the vanity, we chose the Tresham 36-inch because I liked that it gave this room more of a clean country vibe, contrasting the modernity of the rest of the pieces. It warms it up a bit and had a Scandi vibe to me.

You might notice that there are no handles in the shower. Before you jump to the conclusion that we made a terrible mistake (ha), let me talk about why. We used the smart line from Kohler that uses a remote prompt to turn them on called a DTV panel. We put one in easy reach in the shower and another outside the shower, which lets you turn the shower on and get to temperature BEFORE you step into it. It’s very impressive to our guests and works great. You can set the exact temp that you like and of course adjust if you need while in the shower. If you’re interested in all the features of the DTV, we outlined them in this process post.

The DTV panel requires that you put the electrical components in the bathroom so we used this as an excuse to build a custom cabinet that houses them on the bottom (like 8″ deep and 12″ wide, so not very big).

We commissioned Ross Alan to make it (they did all the custom woodwork throughout the home) and Julie executed the design. It’s BEAUTIFUL. We house all our extra backup soaps/paper towels for the whole house here.

I love the glass panel breaking up the heaviness of the wood, and the simplicity of the hardware. Great job team!!! Ross Allan obviously did a wonderful job constructing it. The wood seriously warms up this room.

No bathroom is complete without a toilet, so here is the other side of the room. We chose Kohler’s simple Corbelle toilet because I think it has a timeless design, with flat sides for easier cleaning. We also used this in the hall bath upstairs and the powder bathroom downstairs. Honestly, “cool” and “toilet” typically are not words that go in the same sentence, but for real, this is a pretty great piece. It’s one of Kohler’s newest toilets and has something called ContinuousClean technology (this fights germs, stains and other yucky stuff) and CleanCoat technology which together actually and visually keeps the toilet cleaner longer. Every time you flush, ContinuousClean dispenses a small, consistent dosage of your toilet bowl cleaner tablet of choice that’s housed in the tank away from kids and pets. Because it’s special and optimized, each tablet can last more than a year (instead of dropping one into your tank and running through them within weeks).

What Would I Change?

Now, I’m not sharing all the things I’d change in every room to seem dissatisfied. I LOVE this house and how things turned out, but there are little things here and there I think would be smart for me to share with you in case you go into your own projects and it could be helpful. Here, we didn’t realize that the mirror hanger (by Moebe) and the light fixture (from Allied Maker) would hit each other, visually.

I love both of them so much, but the stem of the light is RIGHT in front. Also, I thought that we ordered the pendant in black, but nope, we went with gold and I wish it were black (FYI, this model is discontinued, but this is a similar one, plus we got it in a custom width and drop which they’re able to do). I might take it down and get it powder-coated, but it definitely doesn’t bother me enough to prioritize it into my life right now. Nor will I likely change out the mirror because I love it, and the hardware is white so literally no one would notice this except us. We put off sourcing the mirror until like two weeks before the shoot because it seemed to be an easy thing to find so we didn’t put it in the SketchUp rendering. Had we done that, we would have caught this.

But LITERALLY no one notices except me.

Lastly, the shower enclosure debate.

I LOVE this for the following reasons:

It goes floor to ceiling. We don’t even have a dam or bridge at the bottom.
It’s so simple and modern and reduces the number of lines that your eye sees (both on top and bottom).
It’s fully encased in black steel which mimics the window, faucets and just looks so modern and edgy (plus by putting steel on the edge, you don’t see the green of the tempered glass which I don’t like).

Now, I haven’t personally taken a shower in here, but will predict the following issues: it’s likely cold because it’s not fully encased in glass. We knew this, we were amply warned by our contractor and chose to do it anyway because it’s a guest bathroom that wouldn’t be used THAT often and we wanted the look. And no, we didn’t heat the floor in here to save money. But you should know that not having a full enclosure might be cold. We did so much research to find a floor to ceiling glass track solution, but couldn’t. We could have done a door, and honestly, we know that this is something you can add later so we figured we’d do the half wall for now and if our guests complain in the winter, we could customize and add a door.

Additionally, if you are reckless with your hand shower, yes it can get the bathroom floor outside the shower wet. I LOVE how it looks without the bridge, but yes, it can be slightly messier. The flooring slopes down to the linear drain in the middle so if you are a sophisticated showerer, you’ll be fine, but without a full enclosure or a bridge, you have a couple of risks.

But enough about that stuff…I LOVE this bathroom. It’s so quiet and modern, but it really does feel customized and so intentionally designed.

On to the bedroom…

For the House Beautiful shoot, we ordered this bed from Thos. Moser (my favorite bed ever) in a king, but it wasn’t going to arrive in time so we borrowed the queen.

The problem is that to center the queen bed to the room properly, it would hit the windows super awkwardly so we only shot 1/2 the bed, cheating it over. That’s all to say that the full reveal is coming soon as we just got the king bed and it looks soo good. In fact, as of right now we have both beds in there and it’s going to be the most gorgeous bunk room ever. That sconce by One Forty Three is awesome, that bed is a dream and all the bedding and chair is from Target’s new fall line that’s being released August 25. The window treatments are Hunter Douglas (and on remote, it’s wonderful) through Decorview and that vase is by Sheldon Ceramics.

Stay tuned for the full reveal.

And finally, I’ll end this with some satisfying before and afters.

Bathroom Resources

Finishes:

Pure White by Sherwin-Williams | Vanity Countertop Sky White by Bedrosians Tile & Stone | Flooring in Allure Marble by Bedrosians Tile & Stone | Wall Tile & Surround in Custom 1×8 in PUWM by Pratt & Larson | Grout Color 

Lighting:

Brass Pendant by Allied Maker (similar)

Furniture & Decor:

Reclaimed Beechwood Cabinet by Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber | Mirror by Moebe | Gray Oil Diffuser by Target | White Vase by West Elm | Towels by Parachute | Ring Cone by Muji | Soap Dish from Urban Outfitters | Wire Baskets from Target | Canisters by CB2 | Unisex Perfume by Target | Body Wash by Native | Pumice Stone | Loofah Pad | Art and Apothecary Jars (vintage)

Fixtures by Kohler:

Vanity | Faucet | Sink | Shower Head | Toilet | P-Trap | Handshower | Ceramic Valve | Thermostatic Valve | DTV Prompt Digital Shower Interface

Hardware:

Toilet Paper Holder by Kohler | Towel Ring by Kohler | Towel Bar by Kohler | Robe Hook by Kohler | Vanity and Cabinet Knobs by Schoolhouse | Cabinet Pull by Schoolhouse | Pocket Door Hardware by Rejuvenation | Switches and Outlets in Antique Bronze by Forbes and Lomax | Glass Shower Wall (custom)

Window:

Matte Black Fiberglass Ultimate Casement Narrow Window Frame by Marvin

Bedroom Resources

Finishes:

Pure White by Sherwin-Williams | Treemont Stria Carpet in Linen by Stark Carpet

Lighting:

Potence Style Otis Light by One Forty Three

Furniture & Decor:

Bed by Thos. Moser | Side Table by CB2 | Ceramic Bowl by Ben Medansky | Vase by Sheldon Ceramics | Sherpa Chair by Target (coming soon) | Beads (vintage)

Bed Linens:

Duvet Cover by Target | Shams by Target | Sheets by Target | Velvet Quilt by Target (coming soon) | White Lumbar Pillow by Target (coming soon) | Pink Lumbar Pillow by Target (coming soon)

Windows & Doors:

White Oak Ultimate Casement Narrow Window Frame by Marvin | Window Treatments by Hunter Douglas through Decorview

Thanks again to my incredible design team—Julie, Velinda and Grace de Asis. These spaces were styled by me with Emily Bowser and Erik Staalberg. Our contractor was Jeff Malcolm and our architect (that we used at the beginning of the project) was John Lyles.

***Photography by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post Mountain House Reveal: The Upstairs Guest Bath That Used to Be a Closet (and a Peek Into the Bedroom) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Mountain House Reveal: The Upstairs Guest Bath That Use to Be a Closet (and a Peek Into the Bedroom)

MOUNTAIN HOUSE REVEAL #5. We’re in the home stretch now, having revealed the living room and entry, the downstairs guest bed and bath, the upstairs loft, kids/hall bath and now…

Welcome to the upstairs guest bathroom (with a peek into the bedroom that isn’t quite finished yet). This bathroom is the smallest, but boy do I love it, with only two things that I would have done differently (keep reading). Let’s get into it:

First, to place you in this house, here’s a floorplan of where we are:

Originally, this bathroom didn’t exist at all. It was a massive closet, which we felt would be better used as a bathroom. How lovely is it that each guest has their own bathroom? VERY.

The Goal of the Room:

Well, it was to create an en-suite bathroom with some luxuries for our guests. Since it’s on the smaller size, I wanted to keep it bright, simple and quiet. You won’t see it in today’s reveal, but for anyone wondering, yes we replaced the closet as I wouldn’t leave a room without one. Because this was always intended to be used for guests, there was no need for such a large walk-in closet, so instead, we built out a smaller more traditional “reach-in” closet on the wall next to the entry door of the room (more on that to come in future posts).

If you want all the process and the story behind each decision, read this process post. I REALLY love how it turned out and it’s far more “me” than the sexy black bathroom downstairs (which I also love). Here’s how we went about this redesign.

We Chose the Materials First:

The stone slab tile floor from Bedrosians felt so “mountain” without it being slate (which we used in the master). It’s so warm and yet modern, with an amazing colorway and texture. The countertop is Sky White slab marble from Bedrosians that we had leathered because it was polished (but honed would have been great in here, too).

HOT TIP: If you want more of a “modern rustic” feel, opt for matte surfaces. In general, that’s what we did in this house (including the window frames from Marvin, all flooring/cabinetry and all stone). While I’m NOT opposed to shiny surfaces (I love how they bounce the light around), it just reads as more “glam” and sometimes that’s not what you’re going for stylistically.

We complemented the floor stone with this incredibly special handmade tile from Pratt and Larson that we installed in the “double stacked and staggered” pattern (thank you Julie!). It’s a super simple 1×8 matte white, but how we applied it makes me so happy. I’m really proud of this tile because it accomplished exactly what we wanted in this house: simple but special. It has so much movement, reflects the light beautifully but is so quiet. We went for it and did it on the entire vanity wall and shower surround. We even rotated it on the bottom half of the shower to be horizontal, under the wall to wall ledge (which we opted for over a traditional shower niche). I think these kinds of details make this room feel so custom. Will everyone notice these details? NOPE, but as a design team, we are really proud.

The faucet suite might be my favorite in the house (and my favorite modern faucet in general). It’s the Purist line from Kohler in their flat black finish (but you can get it in several other different finishes). I love a cross handle and always will. And I know that the wall-mount faucet/under-mount sink combination was something I hadn’t seen that much around so I was nervous that it wouldn’t work, but GUESS WHAT? It’s GREAT. It’s so minimal and feels so modern and fresh.

For the vanity, we chose the Tresham 36-inch because I liked that it gave this room more of a clean country vibe, contrasting the modernity of the rest of the pieces. It warms it up a bit and had a Scandi vibe to me.

You might notice that there are no handles in the shower. Before you jump to the conclusion that we made a terrible mistake (ha), let me talk about why. We used the smart line from Kohler that uses a remote prompt to turn them on called a DTV panel. We put one in easy reach in the shower and another outside the shower, which lets you turn the shower on and get to temperature BEFORE you step into it. It’s very impressive to our guests and works great. You can set the exact temp that you like and of course adjust if you need while in the shower. If you’re interested in all the features of the DTV, we outlined them in this process post.

The DTV panel requires that you put the electrical components in the bathroom so we used this as an excuse to build a custom cabinet that houses them on the bottom (like 8″ deep and 12″ wide, so not very big).

We commissioned Ross Alan to make it (they did all the custom woodwork throughout the home) and Julie executed the design. It’s BEAUTIFUL. We house all our extra backup soaps/paper towels for the whole house here.

I love the glass panel breaking up the heaviness of the wood, and the simplicity of the hardware. Great job team!!! Ross Allan obviously did a wonderful job constructing it. The wood seriously warms up this room.

No bathroom is complete without a toilet, so here is the other side of the room. We chose Kohler’s simple Corbelle toilet because I think it has a timeless design, with flat sides for easier cleaning. We also used this in the hall bath upstairs and the powder bathroom downstairs. Honestly, “cool” and “toilet” typically are not words that go in the same sentence, but for real, this is a pretty great piece. It’s one of Kohler’s newest toilets and has something called ContinuousClean technology (this fights germs, stains and other yucky stuff) and CleanCoat technology which together actually and visually keeps the toilet cleaner longer. Every time you flush, ContinuousClean dispenses a small, consistent dosage of your toilet bowl cleaner tablet of choice that’s housed in the tank away from kids and pets. Because it’s special and optimized, each tablet can last more than a year (instead of dropping one into your tank and running through them within weeks).

What Would I Change?

Now, I’m not sharing all the things I’d change in every room to seem dissatisfied. I LOVE this house and how things turned out, but there are little things here and there I think would be smart for me to share with you in case you go into your own projects and it could be helpful. Here, we didn’t realize that the mirror hanger (by Moebe) and the light fixture (from Allied Maker) would hit each other, visually.

I love both of them so much, but the stem of the light is RIGHT in front. Also, I thought that we ordered the pendant in black, but nope, we went with gold and I wish it were black (FYI, this model is discontinued, but this is a similar one, plus we got it in a custom width and drop which they’re able to do). I might take it down and get it powder-coated, but it definitely doesn’t bother me enough to prioritize it into my life right now. Nor will I likely change out the mirror because I love it, and the hardware is white so literally no one would notice this except us. We put off sourcing the mirror until like two weeks before the shoot because it seemed to be an easy thing to find so we didn’t put it in the SketchUp rendering. Had we done that, we would have caught this.

But LITERALLY no one notices except me.

Lastly, the shower enclosure debate.

I LOVE this for the following reasons:

It goes floor to ceiling. We don’t even have a dam or bridge at the bottom.
It’s so simple and modern and reduces the number of lines that your eye sees (both on top and bottom).
It’s fully encased in black steel which mimics the window, faucets and just looks so modern and edgy (plus by putting steel on the edge, you don’t see the green of the tempered glass which I don’t like).

Now, I haven’t personally taken a shower in here, but will predict the following issues: it’s likely cold because it’s not fully encased in glass. We knew this, we were amply warned by our contractor and chose to do it anyway because it’s a guest bathroom that wouldn’t be used THAT often and we wanted the look. And no, we didn’t heat the floor in here to save money. But you should know that not having a full enclosure might be cold. We did so much research to find a floor to ceiling glass track solution, but couldn’t. We could have done a door, and honestly, we know that this is something you can add later so we figured we’d do the half wall for now and if our guests complain in the winter, we could customize and add a door.

Additionally, if you are reckless with your hand shower, yes it can get the bathroom floor outside the shower wet. I LOVE how it looks without the bridge, but yes, it can be slightly messier. The flooring slopes down to the linear drain in the middle so if you are a sophisticated showerer, you’ll be fine, but without a full enclosure or a bridge, you have a couple of risks.

But enough about that stuff…I LOVE this bathroom. It’s so quiet and modern, but it really does feel customized and so intentionally designed.

On to the bedroom…

For the House Beautiful shoot, we ordered this bed from Thos. Moser (my favorite bed ever) in a king, but it wasn’t going to arrive in time so we borrowed the queen.

The problem is that to center the queen bed to the room properly, it would hit the windows super awkwardly so we only shot 1/2 the bed, cheating it over. That’s all to say that the full reveal is coming soon as we just got the king bed and it looks soo good. In fact, as of right now we have both beds in there and it’s going to be the most gorgeous bunk room ever. That sconce by One Forty Three is awesome, that bed is a dream and all the bedding and chair is from Target’s new fall line that’s being released August 25. The window treatments are Hunter Douglas (and on remote, it’s wonderful) through Decorview and that vase is by Sheldon Ceramics.

Stay tuned for the full reveal.

And finally, I’ll end this with some satisfying before and afters.

Bathroom Resources

Finishes:

Pure White by Sherwin-Williams | Vanity Countertop Sky White by Bedrosians Tile & Stone | Flooring in Allure Marble by Bedrosians Tile & Stone | Wall Tile & Surround in Custom 1×8 in PUWM by Pratt & Larson | Grout Color 

Lighting:

Brass Pendant by Allied Maker (similar)

Furniture & Decor:

Reclaimed Beechwood Cabinet by Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber | Mirror by Moebe | Gray Oil Diffuser by Target | White Vase by West Elm | Towels by Parachute | Ring Cone by Muji | Soap Dish from Urban Outfitters | Wire Baskets from Target | Canisters by CB2 | Unisex Perfume by Target | Body Wash by Native | Pumice Stone | Loofah Pad | Art and Apothecary Jars (vintage)

Fixtures by Kohler:

Vanity | Faucet | Sink | Shower Head | Toilet | P-Trap | Handshower | Ceramic Valve | Thermostatic Valve | DTV Prompt Digital Shower Interface

Hardware:

Toilet Paper Holder by Kohler | Towel Ring by Kohler | Towel Bar by Kohler | Robe Hook by Kohler | Vanity and Cabinet Knobs by Schoolhouse | Cabinet Pull by Schoolhouse | Pocket Door Hardware by Rejuvenation | Switches and Outlets in Antique Bronze by Forbes and Lomax | Glass Shower Wall (custom)

Window:

Matte Black Fiberglass Ultimate Casement Narrow Window Frame by Marvin

Bedroom Resources

Finishes:

Pure White by Sherwin-Williams | Treemont Stria Carpet in Linen by Stark Carpet

Lighting:

Potence Style Otis Light by One Forty Three

Furniture & Decor:

Bed by Thos. Moser | Side Table by CB2 | Ceramic Bowl by Ben Medansky | Vase by Sheldon Ceramics | Sherpa Chair by Target (coming soon) | Beads (vintage)

Bed Linens:

Duvet Cover by Target | Shams by Target | Sheets by Target | Velvet Quilt by Target (coming soon) | White Lumbar Pillow by Target (coming soon) | Pink Lumbar Pillow by Target (coming soon)

Windows & Doors:

White Oak Ultimate Casement Narrow Window Frame by Marvin | Window Treatments by Hunter Douglas through Decorview

Thanks again to my incredible design team—Julie, Velinda and Grace de Asis. These spaces were styled by me with Emily Bowser and Erik Staalberg. Our contractor was Jeff Malcolm and our architect (that we used at the beginning of the project) was John Lyles.

***Photography by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post Mountain House Reveal: The Upstairs Guest Bath That Use to Be a Closet (and a Peek Into the Bedroom) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Mountain House Reveal: The Riskiest Bathroom I Designed—With a “How I’m Feeling Now” Update

We are back with another reveal, this time the hall bath (here is the in-depth process post from last year if you need a recap). We have at times called this the kids’ bath, but the kids only take baths in our huge micro bubble bathtub or our steam shower simply because they are more fun. So this bathroom basically just houses their toothbrushes and middle-of-the-night bathroom runs. Let’s show you around and at the end, I’ll tell you how it’s holding up.

But first, what it looked like before:

The bathroom “before” was dated and not our style (updated in the early 2000s) and generally needed to be started over and reworked. Originally, the bathtub shower combo was situated in the room length-wise, which limited the vanity space (and frankly, created wasted space). The vanity itself had decent storage, but a simple shift in the orientation of the tub and toilet area (and knocking down that partial wall) ended up opening up a ton more space.

The Goal:

This bathroom was supposed to be for the kids since their bedroom is across the hall. I wanted it to be slightly more playful, although I’m not sure that was achieved, but certainly bright and light. We wanted a full bath because we had room for it and a double vanity for storage. It mostly was another space for me to take a design risk as it wasn’t my bathroom. It’s modern mountain, in a bright Scandi vibe, leaning a bit more contemporary than classic.

Let’s start with the materials:

We found this emerald quartzite at the Bedrosians stone yard and fell in love with it polished. It was certainly a risk and one that Brian was doubtful of but since it wasn’t our bathroom (i.e. he wouldn’t have to look at it every day), he said go for it. Because polished green stone with brass-finished is more Liberace, less modern mountain, I knew we wanted it in a leathered finished, but we hit a snag. We transferred it all the way up to the mountains to find out that the stone fabricator no longer had the leathering machine, so we had to transport it all the way back to near the stone yard, and then yes, back up here. But it HAD to be leathered in order for us to love it like we do.

It was worth it and turned out to be INCREDIBLY stunning. It has a lot of gray undertones and is really subtle. We put it on the front and top of the tub, and it’s really our big moment.

The tile is the gray zellige from Clé. We had the brick leftover from our LA house that I’d been hoarding for 2 years and didn’t want to waste it so we used it here. But I didn’t want to combine it with another material so we chose the same tile in a 2×2 for the floor. It’s shiny so I was worried about it being slippery, but the grout lines are close enough that I think it’s fine. But to be honest, we’ve only used this tub like twice so I don’t actually know. Also, I wanted to call out something you don’t see but is just as nice as the beauty of those tiles: the NuHeat radiant heating under the floors. It’s equivalent to pulling a warm fluffy towel out of the dryer and wrapping it around your cold, wet body…except for your feet.

We laid out the brick in this alternating triple stack pattern on the vanity wall, which I think makes it feel really custom and unique. It’s SO BEAUTIFUL.

We worked with Kohler on all the faucets and fixtures and chose the Composed line in their vibrant polished brass (this is part of their Finish to Order program, which lets me personalize the fittings I want in the finish I want, which is then made to order. Be sure to head to your local Kohler Signature Store or Kohler Experience Center to find out more about the program). It’s by FAR the most contemporary and modern line, but we loved the straightness of the faucet, and again, this was a room that I was willing to take more of a risk in. The cross handles keep it classic, and it’s just so sleek and chic. Plus, that specific brass shade looks SO GOOD against the pale sage green.

The vanity (also Kohler and customizable) is huge and has so much storage that we even fit the waste bin in there. It’s classic, timeless and all in all great.

The countertop was kept simple (a honed white Thassos), with very little veining to compete with the quartzite of the tub surround.

Because the bathroom was starting to go more glam (more on that later) so we needed to bring in black and wood STAT. We chose those pretty straight modern wood handles and knobs, which helped and then, of course, the sconces that are ridiculous and really take this bathroom in a different direction, in a good way.

Let’s get into how I am feeling about it now…

…and how has the leathered stone held up.

Okay, so I love every single thing in this bathroom and will not change a thing. HOWEVER, this bathroom feels a bit like a different house because it went more glam, which was not my intention. I needed to choose the brass Composed line early on because there was a decent lead time, so that was locked down when I found the green stone. Then we decided to use the leftover zellige which isn’t glam, but it is shiny. the combination of those three things does just give it a different vibe than the other bathrooms.

If I could go back in time, I would have kept that insane stone, but used black faucet fixtures and not put a tile behind the vanity because I think the stone is the star and we didn’t need more texture. I want to be very clear here—everyone LOVES this bathroom, I LOVE this bathroom, despite having some design criticisms for myself. This blog is not just revealing, but teaching and I think a good lesson is to remember to use restraint, and to keep the overall theme in all of your choices. I could have just done a 4-inch Thassos backsplash and drywall and saved some money. One of the reasons I didn’t was because working with Kohler, I wanted to ENSURE that all of the work that I was doing highlighted their products beautifully and that every angle of the bathroom has interest and texture to really showcase their product.

As you can see in the shot above, the tile really enhanced and warmed up the space, so in itself that tile is AMAZING, it’s just A LOT of texture when mixed with the green stone slab. We could even have put the slab on the floor (cut into tiles) and kept it even simpler.

Again, I love this bathroom and certainly, nothing is changing, I just could have pulled it back a bit (and saved some money on tile labor).

Now onto the stone. A lot of you are curious about how the leathered quartzite or honed Thassos has held up. It’s very hard to say because of the minimal use. But I will say this: someone put a piece of cheese on the deck of the tub, as you do, and it has left a grease stain that’s a bit darker. Now, I haven’t tried to clean it beyond a spray bottle and rag, but that made me really glad that we didn’t use it in the kitchen. Again, in , our kitchen is a light marble that is leathered and it is aging beautifully and I have no regrets. Quartzite is meant to be extremely hard (we did a whole stone guide here if you want to learn more), so I’m not sure but it’s darker so maybe it’s going to show grease where a lighter stone doesn’t.

Lastly, the Thassos…this could have easily been an opportunity to use a composite, like the Cambria we used in the kitchen. So far it’s holding up fine but if the kids’ gross bubble gum pink toothpaste gets left on the counter, I have to do a bit of scrubbing. I think if you are going to do something so clean and white and it fits your style, then a white matte composite would be a bit smarter.

As a side note, the stone in the upstairs guest bath, master bath and the downstairs bath all are either honed or leathered and get far more use and are doing GREAT. I think it’s because they have more veining, and thus are busier so even if toothpaste did etch it a bit, you can’t see it.

So there you go, our slightly more glam hall bath that I still really love, that makes me so happy when I walk through the doors despite being able to be critical about my decisions.

I’d love to know if you guys secretly agree that I could have used more restraint. Or maybe wouldn’t have even noticed it until I pointed it out? Or do you think I’m NUTS because it’s SUCH a pretty bathroom???

Bathroom Resources

Finishes:

Pure White by Sherwin-Williams | Wall Tile by Clé Tile | Floor Tile by Clé Tile | Shower Surround in Honed Emerald Quartzite by Bedrosians Tile & Stone | Vanity Countertop in Honed Thassos by Bedrosians Tile & Stone | Heated Flooring by Nuheat

Lighting:

Sconces in Blackened Brass/Black Walnut/Opal by Allied Maker

Decor:

Rounded Rectangle Mirrors by Rejuvenation | Marble Tank Tray from CB2 | White Vase (similar) | Marble Soap Tray (similar) | Towels from Target | Shower Curtain from Target | Art (vintage) | Rug (vintage)

Fixtures by Kohler:

Vanity | Sink Faucet | Ceramic High-Flow Valve System | Sink | Adjustable P-trap | Toilet | Showerhead | Bath Spout | Bath | Hand Shower | Valve | Thermostatic Valve | Bath Drain

Hardware:

Switches and Outlets in Antique Bronze by Forbes and Lomax | Wood Drawer Pull from Etsy | Wood Cabinet Knob from Etsy | Shower Curtain Rod from Build.com | Toilet Paper Holder by Kohler | Robe Hook by Kohler | Towel Bar by Kohler | Towel Arm by Kohler | Door Hardware by Rejuvenation

Windows & Doors:

Matte Black Fiberglass Ultimate Casement Narrow Window Frame by Marvin | Reclaimed Beechwood Door by Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber

Before we go, I wanted to give a great big thank you to my incredible team who made this house a possibility: Julie Rose, Velinda Hellen and Grace de Asis. Photos are by our own Sara Ligorria-Tramp, styled by me with help from Emily Bowser, Erik Staalberg and Veronica Crawford. Our contractor was Jeff Malcolm and our architect (that we used at the beginning of the project) was John Lyles.

 

The post Mountain House Reveal: The Riskiest Bathroom I Designed—With a “How I’m Feeling Now” Update appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Mountain House Reveal: How I Transformed an Awkward Space Into My Dream Work Loft

MOUNTAIN HOUSE REVEAL WEEK, DAY 3! (Quick catchup: So far, we’ve revealed the living room and entry, as well as the downstairs guest bed and bath suite.) If you want to know where I’ve been many weeks of this summer, it’s here, in the loft writing these posts and attempting to write my next book, due VERY SOON (check out the living room, and guest bed and bath reveal if you missed it). Despite being distracted by five groups of friends visiting over the summer, I’ve gotten a decent amount of writing done because this space is honestly inspiring. I wake up at 6 am (on a good day, the night before determines the exact hour) and write/work until 11 am which isn’t a full workday, nay, but for someone who is trying to enjoy the fruits of my labor (I’m turning 40, it’s about time) I feel like 5 hours while on “vacation” is pretty darn good. Welcome to the loft reveal. You get it. It’s my writing space and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

For anyone who’s been along on this journey the last year and a half, you’ll likely remember this “before”…orange wood ceilings and all:

The light was always so great up here, this lady just needed a makeover.

Our Goal for this Space:

I wanted to create a peaceful, calm room for me to write the blog and book, while being able to take breaks and stare at some trees, all while engulfed in beautiful wood. It’s a space that is free of clutter, with beautiful light and oh so cozy.

It’s quiet in every way, that is until those two children wake up, realize I’m working and then I have to make the following choice: let them manipulate me into putting on Wild Kratts (but mom, just until you are done working or daddy wakes) or they ask that I play princess/kitty/ninja with them (which I can’t say no to). By the way, isn’t life hilarious/ironic/cruel that there seems to be a few hours a day where you seem to be best at everything? For me, from 6 am to 11 am is when I’m the best mom, the best writer, the best leader, the best housekeeper, the best athlete…it’s the only time I like to work out and it’s definitely when I’m most creative. My brain often shuts down at 4 pm (only to wake back up at 9 pm) but at 6 am, I’m on point. So when they wake up at 6 am, it’s a real reckoning of choices. Workouts go out the window. Writing is disrupted. Parenting is hard.

But hey, I have a gorgeous writing space for hopefully one hour a day.

How We Accomplished It:

1. A neutral color palette. You walk up the stairs, turn the corner and ahhh. It’s so lovely and quiet. Most of this is due to the light and trees, so we didn’t want to distract from that and add a ton of color or pattern. It’s why we called this the yoga loft for months. I did approximately 12 minutes of yoga here one day, and thus birthed the name, but there is something that feels so peaceful about this space so it needed a neutral color palette to let the trees sing.

2. The desk is huge. I have a condition that I’ve historically referred to as “clutter body.” It stems from growing up driving in a car with six kids and so much stuff in every corner of the car, and you think you are fine. you think that all the stuff at your feet won’t bother you. But the longer you drive, the more your feet move and you kick things, and they shift, and you just want to stretch out SO BLOODY BAD but you can’t because you have so much stuff surrounding you, engulfing you. I called this clutter foot. Not sure if other people have this syndrome or if I invented the name. But it has grown into a much large problem—CLUTTER BODY. My team knows it well. While I create chaos, I also am allergic to it. It’s a form of claustrophobia. That’s all to say I need a big desk so I can spread out, and this one (from Article) is perfect. It’s actually a dining table, but if you are like me and like a big desk, IT’S GREAT. I LOVE it.

3. Seating. While technically I won’t be joined by many people up here, I like looking at that black vintage chair (previously seen in the living room but we realized it was PERFECT for this corner so we moved it up). In the other corner, we have my Target wingback (released last fall and it’s SO so good) and just creates a cozy vibe.

4. A cozy rug. This area would be far too echo-y without a rug, and this rug is one of my favorites that I’ve used many times (here in Portland, and also Jess picked it for her living room). We shipped it down after the Portland project because I loved the way it looked in the living room there. I didn’t know what we would use it for, but alas it’s found a home.

5. Storage. I need somewhere to house all of my parenting and self-improvement books. That cabinet from Skagerak does it. Plus, it’s so pretty and has gorgeous hardware.

The Challenges:

The wood. This space was pretty easy to decorate, the biggest problem was the tone of the wood. The original wood was so dark orange and after a year of trying to come up with a solution (remember when we walnut blasted it and then it created a super deep texture and became pink AND orange?). Brian Henderson was the one who figured it out. We recladded the tongue and groove (the horizontal wood pieces in between the rafters) and just sanded down the texture of the rafters (or beams). We used the same reclaimed beech wood as the flooring and cabinets throughout the house, from Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber. I think this ended up costing about $7k in labor—or at least that is how we were quoted, but since we paid “time and material,” it might have taken more time and thus cost more. If it were on a normal ceiling, it wouldn’t have cost nearly as much, but because it’s so high, it required scaffolding which means you have to hire a company to bring it in, and then doing any work over your head just takes so much more time than say, recladding walls. But I’m SO glad we did it.

I love how the floor and ceiling meet now; it’s just so seamless. And the light in this space is south facing, and just incredibly dreamy all day every day. It never gets blasted.

The windows up here are obviously the star, and if you are just tuning in, they were replaced by Marvin, in their white oak. Obviously, they are stunning.

HOT TIP: Know the direction of your windows before you buy a house. There are so many houses on the lake that we drive by in our pontoon that get blasted by the sun all day every day so they have to keep blackout shades down all day. It’s not something you really think about when you are shopping for houses at 10 am, but especially in these houses with massive windows, it can be a real bummer to have to close off the house during the most beautiful times of the day.

I have been following the artist Joelle Somero for a while on Instagram and love her work, and after we featured her, she offered to make a piece for the house, which I LOVE. It’s pretty perfect up here on this quietly stunning Skagerak cabinet.

I snagged the mobile from the Atlanta project, and boy do I love it. The desk chair is vintage, from Midcentury LA and the lamp I’ve had for a while. If you are wondering where we plug it in, we snake it down the leg and we snipped the rug and fed it through to the outlet that we had placed below. You can’t tell at all.

I write mainly on a laptop so no need for a monitor up here, so while we did take it out for a few shots, you can see it above.

One of my favorite things about the house is the railing. It’s not something that most people notice, but I just think it’s so beautiful. My team, this time led by Velinda Hellen, helped execute the design and we had to find our own fabricators for it which was a challenge. It was installed directly into the wood flooring, and due to code (and safety which we were big on), it is as minimal as possible while still being safe. We put supports every few feet, and topped it off with maple (which was the same tone as the beech flooring).

Lastly, that Allied Maker sconce is so simple, modern and yet warm. Again, warm minimalism, modern mountain. That’s what we did here.

Where We Saved:

Most of the pieces up here are high end; I’m not going to pretend it’s a budget room, but the Target wingback chair and the IKEA side table are elevated by the rest of the pieces, and affordable. In this house, we tried to find a place for a lot of leftover furniture and rugs from other projects, so the rug, and vintage mobile and vintage lamp made their way into another space (this one).

How We Live In It/Has Anything Changed?

It’s pretty much exactly as you see it here. I might swap the lamps because the white mushroom lamp (from West Elm) I think is a better contrast with the mobile than the black vintage one, plus it gives off better ambient light. Otherwise, it’s EXACTLY the same. I love this space very very much.

Now, time for some side-by-side before and afters:

If you are into anything that we used to design it, here are all the resources:

Finishes: 

White Oak Contemporary Windows by Marvin | Beechwood Flooring and Tongue and Groove Ceiling Cladding by Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber | Antique Bronze Light Switches by Forbes & Lomax | Wall Mounts by Alpine Metal Design (no longer available) | Beechwood Hand Rails by 3D Stairs & Wood Works | Balusters by 3D Stairs & Wood Works | Beechwood Stair Treads by Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber 

Furniture:

Jut Cabinet by Thomas Jenkins from Skagerak | Seno Dining Table (Desk) by Article | Guido Faleschini Desk Chair from Midcentury LA | Wingback Chair by Target | Side Table by IKEA

Art & Decor:

Citra Rug by Dash and Albert | Mobile from Antique Factory in Atlanta | Emily Abstract by Joelle Somero | Vase by Rejuvenation (no longer available) | Black Footed Tray from Lawson Fenning (no longer available) | Tall White Vase (on desk) from Lawson Fenning (no longer available) | Printed Throw Pillow by Target (coming soon) | Faux Fur Throw by Target (coming soon)

Lighting:

Bella Table Lamp by West Elm | Concentric 10″ Sconces by Allied Maker | Black Task Light (vintage)

Of course, I wanted to give a great big thank you to my incredible team who made this house a possibility: Julie Rose, Velinda Hellen and Grace de Asis. Photos are by our own Sara Ligorria-Tramp, styled by me with help from Emily Bowser, Erik Staalberg and Veronica Crawford. Our contractor was Jeff Malcolm and our architect (that we used at the beginning of the project) was John Lyles.

 

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Mountain House Reveal: Our Soft Yet Secretly Sultry Downstairs Guest Bed + Bath

Welcome to the downstairs guest suite—one of two that my friends fight over, understandably. In not-so-shocking news, I like a calm bedroom and at this point, have really specialized in how to do this. So here’s what to expect from this post/reveal: I’m going to break down the goal of the room, how we executed that goal design-wise, the challenges we had to overcome (with solutions), where we saved money, and how we have lived in it since (aka has anything changed due to real life?). If you missed yesterday’s post with the living room reveal, make sure to head over there at some point because I break down my general thoughts on this home’s style as a whole, but if you’re up to speed, let’s keep going.

As a reminder, here was the before:

It was a decent room, with no closet and attached to a full bath. It wasn’t super bright as it’s an interior bedroom. It had a half-exposed ceiling and half not, which was awkward and made my stomach feel uncomfortable.

So let’s get into how we changed that…

My Goal With This Room:

I really wanted our guests to feel cozy, calm and comfortable. Pampered, even. I wanted them to feel like they had their own retreat (thus the adjoining bathroom) and feel like they were on a mountain vacation away from any stress and chaos. Perhaps I was projecting a bit. Nobody ever wants to leave this house, and I think one of the main reasons is that the bedrooms are incredibly comfortable and livable.

How did we do this? Well, we pretended that this was our room. If WE were staying here, what would we want? Here is what we came up with:

1. A color palette that is neutral and calm. We also added in “nature-inspired” with hits of darker green to ground the room and give it some color and interest, without a lot of busy-ness.

2. A king upholstered bed. We like big beds and having that velvet-soft yet modern and low bed feels so inviting. The color is earthy, not too bright but gives the room a focal point.

3. Great natural light. ALL neutrals in a room without great light can feel dead. You need that light bouncing around. So we wanted lots of windows and doors (these, like the rest of the home, are by Marvin) to bring that in.

3. Blackout shades. We loved these in so we used them again. You easily pull them up and down and they take up way less space when up than Roman shades, and felt more modern for this house.

4. Really cozy bedding for obvious reasons. We layered four king pillows, with two long lumbars and layered a duvet with two quilts. As I’m writing that I realize that it sounds like A LOT, but it’s pretty darn cozy and beautiful (but no, you don’t need all of those if you are sleeping in their daily and especially if you don’t like taking them off at night).

5. Art that is simple and quiet but textured. We mixed an MQuan sculptural piece with two simple yet more graphic Jane Dentons, some smaller pieces by Addie Juell and then, of course, a mirror. It’s a variety of mediums, sizes, and frames all in our color palette and all in the same quiet but special vibe.

6. A super cozy rug. We believe strongly in comfortable rugs in a bedroom and I loved that this one from Annie Selke felt kinda mountain-y. I’ve used it before and LOVE it because it has movement without a bold pattern, and is a tone that hides dirt while still feeling light, therefore, making the space feel bigger.

7. Nightstands with storage. While this isn’t necessary in a guest room, I generally opt for at least one drawer for nightstands.

8. Good and convenient ambient lighting. This seems obvious but I appreciate when a lamp has a nice fabric shade and is easy to turn on and off.

9. A pretty sculptural chair. Even if it’s just for throwing stuff on.

The Challenges:

1. The ceiling had to be addressed. Would we bust up the half that was dropped? We explored and what was above it didn’t match, meaning that we would have to actually demo out the ceiling (and thus floor of the above bedroom) and install the wood ceiling to match. My contractor didn’t really know how much it would cost but thought around $5k. Making the decision to just have it be sheetrock made so much sense even if we were losing some character.

2. Early on we decided to put french doors in here to give these guests access to outside and potentially a hut tub room someday. This meant that the bed would need to go on the wall where it is, making the sides of the bed non-symmetrical. This isn’t a huge challenge but meant that yes, a lamp would go in front of the window, which is not a big deal. So to balance out the window, we put a vintage articulating sconce on the other side. Problem solved.

3. No closet. This seemed unacceptable to us because the room was certainly BIG enough, so we put in a closet by bumping out the wall, thus creating a little entry into the room. The original intent was to have the closet go floor to ceiling, but we didn’t catch it before it was framed out. Then we said, ugh, this is where we’ll save some money and just put in simple white, readymade closet doors. But then we decided to do all the doors in the Ross Alan beech which matched the floors and I knew that ultimately I would be bummed that we missed a design opportunity, especially since it’s really the only “feature” of one wall. So we could have demoed out the framing to do the original floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall intent, but we didn’t because of time and cost.

Where We Saved Money:

1. The nightstands. You are going to kill me but those nightstands I got on Overstock for $60 each two years ago. They came assembled, even, and are suspiciously high quality (but sadly no longer available). I bought four of them and sent the link to all of my friends. None of them felt they “needed” them at the time but all have regretted it. Currently, we are storing the other two, but I can’t let go of them because they are so good for that crazy price.

2. The sherpa Target chair (which comes out August 25th). Yes, this is part of our partnership, sure, but it’s SO GREAT for the price.

3. Bedding. I don’t mind spending more on our master bedding, especially sheets and duvet cover, but as far as pillows and quilts? There are so many affordable options like these out there.

How We Live In It—What Has Changed?

It’s pretty darn great. The only thing that we’ve changed is that we moved that tree down to LA because I knew that I couldn’t keep it alive up here and ultimately didn’t want the guilt, but I really wanted that sculptural natural element to break up the space. Instead, I’m going to put a tall dresser there (I already have it, it’s this one) for storage. It just makes more sense.

Otherwise, as I said, no one wants to leave. Maybe by next winter, we’ll have our hot tub room/deck outside those doors…

Onto the bathroom!

The Before:

It was a decent size, but we were able to make it even bigger by stealing from the adjacent full bathroom and turning that one into the powder room. It was a 2000s remodel of mostly IKEA which we salvaged and donated.

The Goal Of This Room:

I wanted to create a bolder, darker, moodier and edgier bathroom while still fitting in the modern mountain/Scandi vibe. This is a guest bath thus a great place to create an experience and excitement. Due to its vibe, we might call this internally “the sexy bathroom.” It’s undeniably very exciting.

Here’s how we did it:

1. The black reclaimed wood walls. These are stained, not painted. We got the wood from Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber, with whom we partnered on the entire house, and it was far more rustic and worn than our flooring. So when it’s stained you still see a TON of the grain. It’s awesome. If this were a bathroom that was going to get a ton of use, we would likely not have done it. But since this is a guest bathroom, we just created a ledge on top of the tub to protect it from water damage.

2. We chose lantern style lighting that is still modern and linear. This one from The Urban Electric Co. works with the rest of the house, but still with a cabin-y vibe.

3. The stone on the floor was cut into tiles. Rather than using stone tiles, we picked out a slab from Bedrosians and had it custom cut into 12″x12″ tiles so that the veins match and the small grout lines give more of a slab effect. I’m not totally convinced this was worth the extra cost, but I sure do love it. We used the same Calacatta Oro slab for the vanity countertop and it’s gorgeous.

5. Handmade tile.  The Pratt & Larson tiles in the shower surround are handmade but so simple not stealing attention from the black wood walls or the polished brass fixtures. We had our tiler install them as close together as possible, not the typical 1/8″, but instead stacked really tight with bright white grout so it looks seamless and more of a beautiful quiet texture.

6. We contrasted the walls with wood mirrors and polished brass fixtures to warm up the space. The brass faucets are so modern using the wall mount/undermount sink formula (remember this post where we debated if this could be a thing?). You can see that it created a really clean and still minimal aesthetic. A vessel sink would have added another level, but we really wanted it to be as minimal and simple as possible letting the texture of the walls and stone be the focus.

7. We kept with our simple and linear theme, not just through the lighting. but also with all the plumbing fixtures and the simple hardware from Schoolhouse.

8. We used a large vanity that has a ton of storage, but chose one with feet so you could see underneath it, thus making the bathroom look and feel bigger. This means that it’s a bit harder to clean underneath, but we love the look and it’s a guest bath that doesn’t get as much use.

9. We chose an undermount tub that is ergonomic and big. It has nice sloping back for a spa-like experience. We put a Thassos slab on top that went over the wood so the wood wouldn’t get touched with water (ideally). I wouldn’t have done this in a bath that got a ton of use because water can damage the wood, but felt that it was ok with a less-used space (there are maybe 1-2 baths a month). The wood is all sealed to withstand moisture, don’t worry.

The Challenges:

This bathroom had a pretty small and low window, which is never great so we put in a bigger pretty window that is higher up for privacy and to allow more natural light into the space. Outside the window is greenery thus giving privacy, but we could always put a window treatment if we decide that our guests want more privacy.

Savings Tip:

After much debate, we decided to not do glass enclosures, opting for a shower curtain. We felt that this was a great place to save and also the curtain softens up the harshness of the space, making it feel more inviting, less cold.

All in all, it’s a suite that is fought over and honestly this bathroom is a showstopper. It’s so dramatic and such an experience to be in. The whole suite is just so inviting and comfortable, with all a guest needs. That’s if our guests need total comfort and luxury.

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

IT’S MOUNTAIN HOUSE REVEAL WEEK!!!!!!!! In case you’ve missed the countdown to it on social media (we are treating it like “shark week,” for obvious reasons(??)), we are revealing the entire house (almost), area by area, day by day this week. The house is featured in House Beautiful and on newsstands tomorrow! Please go buy it where there is an exclusive story I wrote for it as well as photos of the master bed and bath, which we can’t reveal for a couple of weeks here (magazines get what’s called “exclusivity” to give readers something unique to see in print instead of seeing everything online). But back to the reveals…

Today, we are featuring the living room and entry. She is a BIG post, but full of beautiful images and lots of words by me.

But let’s back up a bit. This week marks the two year anniversary that we closed on this house, which gives you some perspective on how long it takes to plan (5 months), design, renovate (1 year), decorate, style, shoot (4 months) and publish (2 months) a house. And I have so much help. We went 2-3 times over budget (I still can’t bring myself to calculate) and it took twice as long as we predicted, but “renovation amnesia” is a real thing, and can be forgotten because our family (and friends) are IN LOVE with this home. It has this very special positive, calming energy and feels so easy to live here.

Here are the facts if you’re just joining us: it’s a 3,200 square foot house, an hour and a half outside of LA in Lake Arrowhead. It was built in the 1960s with additions and some renovations done in the ’90s and 2000s. We documented the entire process here, and yes even let you choose many of the design elements or room plans via this I Design, You Decide contest. I have learned more this year about design than all years combined. We changed E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. in this house, to really create a dream house full of comfort, light and calmness for my family. And I have to make sure that you understand that I didn’t or couldn’t have done this by myself. I had an incredible design team who helped me make every decision; thank you Julie Rose, Velinda Hellen and Grace De Asis (and our contractor Jeff Malcolm).

Let’s take a peek at what it looked like before to remind you where we came from and why.

The living room was always great. The light was amazing and it felt really open and calm. The house has a GREAT layout so we didn’t end up doing too much structural.

We opened up this room to the kitchen, but otherwise, it was just changing all the finishes, though when you are talking fireplace, ceiling, smooth coating walls, flooring, railings, stairs, doors and windows, the finishes were a lot. We even took off all the window and door moldings and of course replaced all the lighting.

As a reminder, the style that we were going for was warm minimalism, modern mountain, in a rustic yet refined Scandinavian chalet vibe…but family-friendly obviously. We wanted LESS stuff, less contrast, and a LOT of comfort and calm.

Here she is, the living room where we spend so many happy hours as a family.

Let me walk you through the process and more importantly the intentions that we had while designing the house. This house is so cohesive, happy and yet full of comfort without sacrificing too much style. Here is why:

We minimized the number of finishes throughout.

This feels really cohesive, calm and is really easy for your eye to understand. There isn’t a lot of high contrast or patterns or colors, with mostly that beautiful beech wood (all from Ross Alan Reclaimed Lumber in LA), white/light gray and hits of black. I can’t stress this enough: our #1 goal was for it to feel calm here, therefore we chose less contrasting finishes and colors which means less busy-ness. A good example of this is choosing stools (this are from Article) that actually blended into the wood island, which is something that I wouldn’t do in every house but is perfect here. Also, the window frames (we sourced from Marvin) match the wood on the floors/ceiling, again hoping that your eye rests instead of bounces. The sofa and rug are the same tones which keep it really seamless and so calm (although there are some days I wish I had done the sofa in a green or blue). But by bringing in hits of black everywhere it grounds it and adds some excitement.

We maximized the light, focusing on the nature outside.

Natural light is your #1 design element. We made the windows the focus (all white oak contemporary from Marvin) and chose finishes that bounce the light around, and yet are quiet enough that the green trees outside become part of the design. We also added skylights from Velux wherever possible. The light in this room is amazing all day every day, even when it’s cloudy.

We splurged on doors and windows.

Years ago, I asked an architect what he would spend his money on in a house renovation, and he said “doors and windows” and now I understand why. In , we made sure that those elements were original or mimicked the original and it makes a difference, it does…so we did the same with this one. You can’t tell that much in this room because there is only one door, but all the doors are the beautiful reclaimed wood, made by Ross Alan. They are solid and feel so high quality.

As mentioned, we worked with Marvin on all the windows, choosing their white oak contemporary frames and boy are they stunning. The huge A-frame windows were in bad shape and redoing them wasn’t an easy feat (stay tuned for a full post about the how and why we chose our new windows) but the new ones are nothing short of stunning. We chose to have the new door to the garage (which wasn’t there before) as a simple white flat panel, so it “went away” but now I regret not having that be in the wood as well (see below).

We focused on the architecture.

Again, the wood, windows, and open space and light are really the feature of this house, so why clutter it up with a ton of stuff to distract from it?

We went SIMPLE.

We chose the most minimal version of everything. For example, the fireplace—by schmearing over it with plaster (German schmear—see this post for the hows/whys), you still get the stone look, but way less busy and with less contrast. And the stair railing—it’s still black iron, but we designed it to be so simple and sleek with no decorative detailing except the wood on top which matches our wood on the floor. Every single choice went through the lens of “could this be simpler?” We didn’t even use moldings around doors and just a tiny quarter round on the floor to even it out. This mostly works in a midcentury or contemporary house.

We mixed high, low, vintage, new, big-box or one-of-a-kind throughout the house.

This ensured that our house looked personal, collected, unique and had a lot of soul. I LOVE that vintage side table with the three legs and while it’s kinda oversized and we thought there was no way it would work in the space, it really does. There is a ton of Target’s new fall collection mixed throughout the house (not available just yet, I got some early releases for the shoot, but everything will be on sale August 25) like textiles, bedding, lighting and accessories, and a few splurgy vintage pieces (mostly chairs because I love a statement chair) that I got either at local stores (Pop Up Home, Midcentury LA) or online via Chairish and 1stdibs. The leather strapping rocking chair was my 40th birthday present.

We prioritized comfort and livability.

Every piece of furniture is kid-friendly, with any lighter upholstered pieces (like the sofa) being in Crypton fabric, and the light rug is a performance rug (meant to be easy to clean) from Ben Soleimani. Nothing is precious and there are not a lot of accessories (even pillows!) for them to move around which I then have to put back. Sometimes, I look at that coffee table (ours from LA we got from Lulu and Georgia years ago) and think why didn’t I put some books on the bottom shelf?? I do think it would have looked better, but we don’t NEED books there and likely the kids would just take them off and throw them around the house. The wood log holder (again from Target’s new fall collection coming soon) with porcelain logs is decorative as the fireplace is gas so I suppose I contradicted myself there (but it’s sooo good).

We stayed neutral.

All the major pieces are neutral because I wanted calmness and flexibility. I really loved how we had a neutral sofa and rug in here prior to the renovation so we stuck with that, but there are days when I wish I had done the sofa in a darker green or blue. I literally go back and forth on it daily, some days LOVING that everything is tonal and calm. The good thing is that with this color palette I can easily add more color and pattern and change it with the seasons (which I will).

The sofa is pretty darn incredible and even looks great from the back—it’s a vintage piece that I found on Chairish, bought through Gallery L7 in LA and had reupholstered in family-friendly Crypton (in their Calico Maxwell fabric in Pewter). The curve in the corner really makes it special.

Sitting in that corner, above, is so dreamy and cozy. We felt that it was a sofa that didn’t want a lot of pillows, because the back is so ergonomic, tapering back. I could have styled it with more pillows and maybe it would have looked better, but I was trying to keep it as livable and true to the minimal aesthetic as possible. But of course, NOW I want more pillows.

The Link Up: The Pants 4 Of Us Bought This Week, The Hotel Julie Can’t Wait To See IRL & Caitlin’s Go-To Horoscope App

image via Architectural Digest | design by Elizabeth Roberts and Peter Marino

Happy Sunday, folks and welcome back to one of our favorite series: The Link Up. Before we begin, we must talk about today’s featured home tour, which is the home of fashion designer Ulla Johnson. If you are a fan of our Saturday fashion posts, you probably know that Ulla Johnson is one of Emily’s absolute favorite fashion brands, and it is no surprise that her home is as stunning, and shall we say, “Uptown Prairie,” as her clothing designs are. We highly encourage you to stop what you are doing, check it out, then come RIGHT back.

…Okay, are you back? Great. Now, without further ado, let’s get to those team EHD links and recommendations:

First up, some more design goodness: The Freehand Hotel in LA opened just a few months ago and Julie is dying to go take a look not only because Jess and she stayed at the one in NYC this past Easter but also because House Inhabit made THE cutest promo video and you all need to take a look.

Emily Bowser just got these bamboo makeup remover pads. She prefers using makeup rounds for toner application and for wiping off mascara but wanted to cut down on waste. These are new, but so far so good. They wash out well and come with a little baggy so they don’t get lost in your washer/dryer BUT if you want to cut back on the micro-plastic problem, we highly recommend Guppyfriend!

If you are looking for something to really brighten your day, (who isn’t?) Target is doing something very cool that we would love to see more companies do. From Arlyn: “My oldest brother had cerebral palsy and was confined to a wheelchair his entire life, so seeing Fast Company’s article about how Target is launching adaptive Halloween costumes for kids with mobility challenges honestly makes me want to cry of happiness and gratitude. Bravo Target for bringing joy to ALL kids.”

Caitlin has been using Co-Star for the past year and knows it’s sort of like, a cultural phenomenon right now, but she wants this to serve as the final push for everyone who hasn’t downloaded it yet. Stop what you’re doing, figure out your birth time, download the app, and join the legion of people sharing screenshots of those incredibly specific one-liner horoscopes every day. Even if you’re not totally sold on astrology, it’ll give you a lot to think about! 

Sara really enjoyed this article and thinks it could be the solution for the seemingly never-ending millennial-hustle-and-burn-out epidemic.

Here’s something that has completely transformed Carolina’s skin: Summer Friday’s Jet Lag Mask. She’s been using it for over a year. It’s super hydrating, great for all skin types and multi-use (she likes to add an extra layer under her eyes as an eye cream). She loves IT.

Velinda gave her wife a monthly candle subscription to Vellabox as a Christmas gift two years ago. The gift was supposed to have an end date, but their scents are so consistently good and the random, monthly treat so enjoyable, Santa just couldn’t say “no”!

While Jess is not currently in a relationship, she does consider herself a traditional monogamist—however, she found this article  SUPER interesting. It definitely got her thinking about how she may examine and handle her future relationship…Could she possibly stray from the ‘norm’ and have a more open mind????

Mallory is an avid coffee drinker and also loves a good body scrub. These two things seem so random and far from each other that they would likely never go together…right? Wrong. She’s been using this Coffee Body Scrub from Frank Body twice a week for the last month and it’s every coffee-lover’s dream (plus it’s only $9.95 and lasts forever).

Chandler loves these pants from Target and so does everyone else on the EHD team (no really, three more people ordered them this week). The white stitching and wide leg make them really versatile with boots, sneakers or sandals for a year-round pant that is also super comfortable.

And you know what will go GREAT with those pants? This crop tee Veronica bought from Urban Outfitters a few weeks ago. She says it’s super comfy, simple, but cute and pairs very well with high waist shorts/jeans. It comes in nine different colors (she has it in green), but she will probably buy more colors very soon because she loves it so much.

Finally, after last weekend’s back-to-back mass shootings, Ryann’s (and we are sure many others’) heart broke once again for the families who lost loved ones to insensible acts of violence. She seriously wonders when both sides of the debate will work together and start making real changes to protect people. She thinks this article hits the nail on the head and found this and this article very informative regarding gun laws and mental illness. For information on how you can help the Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas victims, head here.

Okay, that is all we have for you today. See you tomorrow for the first day of MOUNTAIN HOUSE REVEAL WEEK. xx

The post The Link Up: The Pants 4 Of Us Bought This Week, The Hotel Julie Can’t Wait To See IRL & Caitlin’s Go-To Horoscope App appeared first on Emily Henderson.

How Sara Saved Her Skin & (Finally) Cured Her Adult Acne

We’re usually pretty into design over here at EHD, but one of our favorite non-design topics in the office? Skincare. Skin—we all have it, we all need it, and most of us have a very complicated relationship with our own flesh wrapping (ew). If there’s one thing I love talking about, it’s skiiiiiin. Almost as much as the rest of the EHD team loves talking about color trends. Skin is the largest organ of our body! IT’S AN ORGAN ON THE OUTSIDE, GUYS! How is that not fascinating? So since today is Saturday, we’re taking a quick departure from the design world to talk skincare (but if skin is not something you’re interested in, stay tuned because come Monday we’re going to have some pretty beautiful design content here on the blog).

Since the age of 13, I’ve been at war with my skin…

Here is a list of the things I did not have from ages 13 – 21:

popularity
good taste
clear skin

But I had great friends to endure it all with, and to be honest high school is awkward for pretty much everyone, right? I figured college would be a new, fresh start. College would be where I blossomed from awkward teenagehood to full-blown adult. I was wrong. College had just as much acne in store for me as high school. But whatever, I didn’t let it hold me back. I knew clear skin was just around the corner, because adults don’t have acne. Acne is a puberty thing. And it was!

I graduated, turned 21, and my skin calmed down. And I thought “THIS. This is where it starts…my new life as a clear-skinned adult…” Which made sense, college isn’t adulthood. POST COLLEGE IS REAL ADULTHOOD. That’s why my skin hadn’t been cooperating. But the wait was over, and I spent the next four years blissfully thinking my skin would be clear forever. Thinking I had finally acquired “adult skin.”

And then I turned 25 and my acne came back, bigger and badder than ever. WORSE THAN WHEN I HAD BEEN 13. I didn’t think it was possible, but the evidence was right there on my face.

Wow, that last picture is way too close and gross for anyone to see. So happy I’ve put it in large format on the very public internet.

Now, listen, I know I’m not the first person in the world to find themselves battling acne. But at least when you’re a teenager most of your friends are right there, going through it with you. On the other hand, when you’re an adult? When you’re in meetings with your coworkers, and you’re just sitting there feeling like a 7th grader going through puberty. You feel like you’re the only adult in the world with acne (this is not true). And beyond the face forward appearances, there’s the fact that this acne HURT. And honestly, that was the worst part. If you have acne, it can make you self conscious because society is so hell-bent on having clear skin. But acne happens to most of us, and I know from experience that we always think our acne stands out way more than it really does. I rarely notice acne on anyone. But painful cystic acne is no joke, and when you’re face feels like a minefield ready to explode, you’re willing to try a lot.

And over the past two years, I have. Which is what I’m about to share with all of you. In fact, it blew my mind a few weeks ago when Em told me she had just recently started a skin routine for the first time in her life. I’ve had one since I was 14! (Who else had the classic Clinique department store visit with their mom when they were around that age?) But Em said acne just wasn’t one of her issues growing up. *Teen angst eye roll*

But let’s get a few things clear (skin not included): I’m not a dermatologist, I’m not a doctor, I’m not even an esthetician. I’m just an enthusiast who’s spent serious time dedicated to researching skincare in the quest for pain-free, well cared for skin (which just happens to involve a lot of selfie taking, and weekly skin updates between my best friend Nafeesa and myself). There is a lot of information out there, and a lot of it contradictory. What works really well for one person’s skin might wreak havoc on another’s. So what I’ve read/experienced might be different from what you’ve read/experienced. I’ve put together my skin regime based on recommendations from skincare experts that I trust, experimenting, and giving the products I’m trying the patience and time to work.

There’s a joke in the skincare forums that companies will make an all-in-one shampoo/conditioner/body wash/mouthwash/hair gel for men, while they’ll create a lotion specifically for a woman’s left elbow. And it’s all because of a vicious cycle where “the media” tells women that clear skin is a key to confidence, so we’ll pay anything for a product that will give us that result. Men just don’t seem to care as much. That’s not to say that there aren’t men who experience acne and who do care. But in my experience, men as a whole don’t worry so much about the other aspects of skincare that women obsess over: sun spots, wrinkles, smoothness, dewiness, etc. And that’s probably because society hasn’t told them that their worth is dependent on how young and beautiful they look. WOW IT’S SO FRUSTRATING, RIGHT?! At the same time, I do want to take care of this tiny swath of organ wrapped around my skull. I don’t want to feed into unhealthy cycles perpetuated by corporations and advertising, but I also want to look in the mirror and feel happy and comfortable with what I see. And is it so bad that I want to look like a young 67 when I’m actually 70? IS IT?!

It turns out I have a lot of complicated emotions about this topic.

Which is all to say: You don’t need to spend a lot of money on your skincare if you don’t want to. I really do think the beauty and skincare industries have oversold women on how many products they NEED in their routines. I just happen to be really interested in skincare (almost as a hobby of sorts), which is why I spend my disposable income on it. Just like someone else might on clothing or expanding their collection of *archaic* DVDs (I’m looking straight at my boyfriend when I type this; we watch everything on Netflix these days and do you really need the collectors’ edition AND the Criterion edition?).

In fact, let’s start with a few things I did in my general life that really helped my skin without even spending a dime:

Change your pillowcases regularly: Turns out that pillowcase you’re rubbing your face on all night gets COVERED with dirt, grime, sweat, oils, and dead skin pretty fast. An acne-causing bacteria buffet. This sounds like a no brainer, but when someone suggested this to me a few years ago it actually hadn’t occurred to me. So simple, SO EFFECTIVE. I try and switch my pillowcase at least once a week, if not every 4-5 days. It sounds excessive, but I’ve found it makes a huge difference.
Drink more water. Wow, water is so good for us. Have you heard the joke “I used to think alcohol was the adult drink, then I thought it was coffee, and now I realize water is the most adult drink”? Well, it’s true. I could down eight mimosas no problem, but trying to get myself to drink 8 glasses of water a day is a feat of willpower so impressive I rarely accomplish it. But I do notice my best skin when I’ve been in office consistently for a period of time because that’s when I drink the most water on a daily basis.
Try avoiding dairy. I’ve cut out a lot of dairy from my diet, and it’s done wonders for my hormonal acne. I’ve read this is because dairy products contain proteins that are supposed to stimulate growth hormones in baby calves. When we digest those proteins, they release an insulin-like hormone that disrupts our own hormone production. This can cause our skin to produce more oil, which traps more dead skin and sebum in our pores, which acne-causing bacteria feed on. Acne is the result.
Make sure you’re not using too many products. Maybe you’re a skincare devotee, like me. And maybe you’ve been trying all the products, all out once, and your skin is freaking the f*&k out (also like me). I was at a point where I was doing some sort of crazy 25 step skin routine overnight with four different kinds of acid, multiple toners, etc. And wondering why my skin was still breaking out. I was using all the good, expensive things! The first time I went to my favorite esthetician for a facial she casually asked me what I was using and it then took me about 10 minutes to summarize it all. She took a beat to process what I’d told her and then said something along the lines of “you might want to cut that back, your skin can’t possibly be benefitting from all of those different combinations, and you’re likely doing more harm than good (therefore wasting your money).” So now I’ve simplified and my skin is happier for it.

I’ve tried a lot of different things in the past—Proactive, diaper cream, toothpaste, straight rubbing alcohol…ouch. But now I’m in a pretty happy place with my skin, and am using some products I really feel are helping me keep my skin clear, hydrated, and happy.

There is one big change I’ve made for my skin that required a doctors visit. I’m currently taking a low dose of a medication called spironolactone. This article from Into The Gloss has a lot of great information about using spironolactone to treat acne. It’s an androgen blocker that has been wildly beneficial in reducing my hormonal cystic acne. I’ve been taking it daily for about a year and half now (it took about 3 months to kick in), and it’s made a huge difference. If you’re a female and are suffering from hormonal acne, it’s totally worth a trip to the doctor to see if spironolactone could be an option for you.

But as far as everyday skincare goes, I really do believe that everyone could benefit from at least least washing their faces, applying moisturizer, and slathering on SPF. If you’re like “ugh skincare, no thank you” then I think a three step process (only two steps at night!) is all you need. ESPECIALLY THE SPF. It’s 2019, let’s move past our egos and just accept the fact that we’re not tougher than the sun. Not only will SPF help keep your skin looking younger longer as it avoids sun damage, it’s also just a good thing to do in order to help minimize your exposure to melanoma causing UV rays. I’ve read multiple times that SPF is the single most important skincare step. I even have Mac wearing daily SPF on his gorgeous face.

But let’s say you’re into skincare, you want to kick things up a notch. Or five. Well then, step into my office (bathroom). Evenings are when I do the heavy lifting of my skincare routine. That way I can allow products to soak into my skin overnight, without the hindrance of make-up.

Cleanse: Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm (I’ve used and love this) | The Balance pH Balancing Gel Cleanser (great for sensitive skin) | Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm (I’m currently using this) | BPO 5 Percent Cleanser (also currently using this) | Tone: Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic (this has a cult following) | Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme (currently using these) | Serum: ExLinea Peptide Smoothing Serum (currently using this) | Total Strength Serum (and this) | Treat: Salicylic Acid 2% Solution (great budget option) | Curology Custom Skin Kit (what I’m currently trying out) | Moisturize: Coco Rose Coconut Oil Lip Conditioner | Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration (currently in use)

Sara’s Nightime Skincare Routine
Step 1: Cleanse

Right when I get home, the first thing I do is wash my face using a “double cleanse” method, which means I basically wash my face twice. Think of it like a dishwasher. The first rinse gets rid of all the big chunks and makes sure food doesn’t dry impossibly onto your dish, and the second wash makes sure your dish is truly clean. For the record, I don’t have a dish washer and do all my dishes by hand. As for my face, first I use an oil cleanser (right now I’m using Versed’s Cleansing Balm) to break down all the makeup and SPF that’s been on my face all day. Then I use a second cleanser to make sure I haven’t left any make-up or SPF on my face (currently I’m using PCA’s BPO cleanser – the benzoyl peroxide helps remove sebum and dead skin cells from my face, which acne causing bacteria would otherwise feast on). I like this combination because it leaves my face feeling clean and fresh, but not stripped or “tight” (your face’s natural oils are GOOD, you don’t want to completely remove them).

Step 2: Tone

Next, I tone with Nip & Fab’s Night Pads. These are pre-wet pads, which have a 5% glycolic acid solution. Glycolic acid is an alpha hydraulic acid, and acts as a chemical exfoliant. That means it helps exfoliate your skin (gets rid of dead skin cells) without the use of physical abrasives, like tiny grains or beads. I prefer to use a chemical exfoliant because physical exfoliants tend to be too rough on my skin, causing microscopic tears that just allow more surface area for bacteria to settle in.

Step 3: “Correct” (Serums)

I then mix together one pump of PCA’s ExLinea Serum and one pump of PCA’s Total Strength Serum in the palm of my hand and apply all over my face in a thin layer. PCA is a skincare line that Emily started using a while back because it was recommended by an esthetician, and I actually noticed a difference in her skin appearance.

The ExLinea is my attempt to be preventative about wrinkles, with ingredients like acetyl hexapeptide-8 (argireline) which “minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles” and sodium hyaluronate, which “has the ability to hold 1,000 times its weight in water and plays an important role in skin hydration.” The Total Strength Serum has ingredients like almitoyl tripeptide-38, which “stimulates collagen, and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.” I let this soak in for at least 10 minutes before moving onto my next step.

Both of these serums are pricey, and definitely a luxury item for me. But these bottles last me a long time, and I really enjoy using them, but there are good products out there with similar ingredients for much more affordable prices. Serums are one of those steps that are interesting and exciting to me, and I feel like they have made a difference in my overall skin health, but they aren’t MANDATORY. If you’re interested in skincare, they are fun accessory products to experiment with.

Step 4: Treat (Medication)

Once I feel like my serums have settled in for the night I’ll apply a thin layer of topical acne-fighting ingredients. Right now I’m on month 4 of trying out Curology’s custom topical acne medication. I used to see this all the time on my Instagram feed, and finally caved to the hype (my skincare curiosity got the best of me). But surprisingly I’ve been pretty happy with it. It’s one of those “take a quiz and we’ll create a custom blend for you” companies that I think will be a period marker for this era. And yet… I’ve found success with the product. My medication contains a low dose blend of clindamyacin (“antibiotic and anti-inflammatory with powerful effects against acne-causing bacteria”), zinc pyrithione (“fights acne via its antibacterial and antifungal effects), and niacinamide (“a form of vitamin B3 that acts as an antioxidant, reducing inflammation, hyperpigmentation and fine lines”—I think this has been helping fade my acne scars!). Again, there are other topical options out there that can help, but this is the product I’m using right now and feel pretty happy with for the time being. I let this soak in, and usually go make dinner/watch TV/hang out.

Step 5: Moisturize

About 20 minutes before bed, I’ll apply my moisturizer. I use First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream because it’s super basic, gentle, unscented, uncomplicated, and works great. It also comes in a huge tub that will last me at least another 2 years. My eye area and eyelids are sensitive to just about everything (I don’t apply any of the above products anywhere near them), but they don’t mind this moisturizer. I also apply some lip balm with a heavy hand (whatever I have on hand) to keep my mouth breathing lips hydrated overnight.

And that’s it! I do all of these steps with enough time before bed that the serums and medication actually have a chance to be absorbed by my skin, rather than soak right into my pillowcase. And then I wake up.

Cleanse: Versed Wash It Out Gel Cleanser (great budget option) | BPO 5 Percent Cleanser (currently sitting on my counter) | Tone: Pixi by Petra Vitamin-C Tonic (budget-friendly) | PCA Skin Nutrient pHaze 5 Toner (smells so good) | Serum: The Ordinary “Buffet” (good budget option) | Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone (another budget option) | C-Quench Antioxidant Serum (what I’m using right now) | Total Strength Serum (currently using) | Moisturize: Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (budget option) | Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration (currently wearing) | Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum (on my face right now) | Protect: Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil (helps with my redness) | CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ (the only make-up I wear) | Throughout The Day: Pixi by Petra Glow Mist (in my bag all the time)

Sara’s Morning Skincare Routine
Step 1: Cleanse

Not everyone washes their face in the morning. Some people just rinse with some cool water, and I think that’s totally fine. Personally, I like to wash my face (just once this time), to get rid of any residual nighttime products as well as any sweat from the night. I just use one of the same face cleansers from my nighttime routine, based on my mood. Science.

Step 2: Tone

Next up, I tone with PCA’s Nutrient Toner. It’s my favorite smelling thing in my line up, but it also has some great benefits. The pumpkin wine base (produced by fermenting whole pumpkins) “offers the nutritional benefits, including vitamin A and vitamin C” as well as lactic acid, another AHA, which helps with skin moisturizing. It also just makes my skin feel happy, bright, and glowy for whatever that’s worth (which to me is a lot).

Step 3: “Correct” (Serums)

For daytime, I’ll mix one pump of my Total Strength serum with one pump of PCA’s C-Quench Antioxidant serum – one of Em’s recommendations. Topical vitamin C has been recommended as a great skincare step to include by several skincare aficionados, including Velinda’s facialist. Here’s a little snippet from an Allure article all about topical vitamin C: “As far as your skin is concerned, vitamin C is ‘a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals,’ explains board-certified dermatologist Patricia Wexler. ‘Because of its antioxidant properties, vitamin C aids in your skin’s natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells.'”

Step 5: Moisturize

Before I apply any sort of make-up (which I really don’t wear much of), I gotta make my face as moisturized as possible so it stays flexible and doesn’t flake (I have dry skin). I start with two pumps of PCA’s Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum. Hyaluronic acid is a buzz ingredient in the beauty industry, but for good reason. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant—”a substance used to reduce the loss of moisture.” Its molecules are able to retain 1,000 times their weight in water content, and the added ceramides in this serum “supports the renewal of the skin’s natural protective layer and forms an effective barrier against moisture loss.”

But then you need to apply a moisturizer…from what I understand, hyaluronic acid itself is not a moisturizer. It will just help your moisturizer work better, and aid your skin in retaining the moisture you’re applying. So next I apply a thin layer of my First Aid Beauty moisturizer. Then, as an added moisturizer, I’ll mix in two drops of Herbivore’s CBD + Adaptogens Glow Oil to my It Cosmetics CC cream (which has SPF). CBD is another trendy ingredient in beauty products, but I’ve found this oil to really help combat the redness in my skin. It also helps loosen up my CC cream so it doesn’t go on so thick as I like a more sheer coverage, and keeps the cream from getting cake-y. If I’m not headed to work (like on the weekends), I generally avoid makeup to give my skin a breather, and just apply the CBD oil and some Supergoop! Unseen SPF.

That’s it. That’s the whole thing, morning and night. My skin has come a long way since I turned 25 and cystic hormonal acne took up residence on my jawline. After about 6 months of this skincare routine, here’s how we’re looking (I knew all my selfies would come in handy one day):

I still get the occasional pimple, but they’re often surface level and not the deep rooted, painful cystic acne I used to get. My redness still stops me from wearing certain shades of pink-toned lipsticks (lest the area surrounding my lips just look like a continuation of my lipstick), but between being moisturized/non-irritated skin and my light coverage CC cream I no longer look like I’ve just run a marathon all the time. Plus, the scars left over from my cystic acne are beginning to fade away. And most importantly my face skin doesn’t HURT anymore.

I stopped plucking my eyebrows years ago, I let my mustache fuzz be, and I don’t mind the occasional zit. I’m even growing kind of attached to the very light crow’s feet that I see developing. But I also have fun caring for my skin, and going on this journey with it. Seeing what makes it glow or learning what dries it out. I’m just doing my best to care for it, because it’s the only face skin I have.

Thank you for reading my novel. I surprised myself with how much I had to say, seeing as how I have no official credentials with which to preach. But maybe your skin is similar to mine, and you’ve been able to glean a new tip to try. Or maybe you are an expert and have some valuable knowledge to share in the comments! Maybe you’re just as interested in other peoples personal habits – same. Whatever the reason you found yourself reading all the way through, I thank you for sticking with me. I have a lot of feelings about skin. And I’m excited to read what your feelings (and skin types, and solutions) are below.

xx

1. Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm | 2. Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme | 3. Pixi by Petra Glow Mist | 4. Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone | 5.  Pixi by Petra Vitamin-C Tonic | 6. BPO 5 Percent Cleanser | 7. C-Quench Antioxidant Serum | 8. Salicylic Acid 2% Solution | 9. Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm | 10. Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic | 11. The Balance pH Balancing Gel Cleanser | 12. Total Strength Serum 13. The Ordinary “Buffet” | 14. Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration | 15. Coco Rose Coconut Oil Lip Conditioner | 16. PCA Skin Nutrient pHaze 5 Toner | 17. CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ | 18. Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil | 19. ExLinea Peptide Smoothing Serum | 20. Versed Wash It Out Gel Cleanser | 21. Curology Custom Skin Kit | 22. Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum | 23. Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

The post How Sara Saved Her Skin & (Finally) Cured Her Adult Acne appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Tadelakt is the (Super Durable) Bathroom Trend You Didn’t Know You Loved

image and design via blakes london

Imagine a world where you never again have to spend your Saturday mornings scrubbing the grime and mildew off of your bathroom shower tile and grout. Go ahead, dream with me. Well, guess what? THIS WORLD EXISTS and no, I don’t mean just using large, heavy, very expensive stone slabs. You’ve likely been seeing more and more of this plastered bathroom look on your feeds lately, and today, I’m putting an official name to it: tadelakt.

I used to just call this “concrete/plaster” like some kind of design heathen but Grace (our previous social media manager who also went to design school) came correct with the real facts for me and now I’ve been awakened enough to pass along my knowledge to you guys! I’m going to show you a bunch of beautiful examples of its use in bathrooms, but first, let’s talk through what exactly it is and why it’s so much more than just a pretty face wall.

image via behance | design by natalie dubrovska
What exactly is tadelakt?

The word “tadelakt” itself is derived from Arabic and means “to rub” or “knead” which makes sense when you find out how it’s installed, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. While it might feel “modern” and “trendy” right now, it’s actually a technique that’s been used for centuries in Morocco and though it looks just like traditional Venetian plaster or limewash, it’s different in that it’s actually waterproof, water-repellent and mold/mildew-resistant, making it ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. Well, I’m sold. And look ma, no grout seams!

How is it installed (and what makes it so durable)?

Alright, so the install process evidently is quite laborious. According to this article from Brownstoner, where mineral plasters like Venetian is a two- or three-coat process, tadelakt requires six to seven coats with the addition of burnishing and—what makes it truly magic—an application of an oil-based soap. Evidently, that soap that’s rubbed onto the surface reacts with the lime in the plaster to form something called calcium stearate which is insoluble (i.e. impenetrable).

image and design via barefoot styling
What does this magic stuff cost and what is the maintenance like?

Maintenance on this bad boy is easy peasy: just wipe with water, meaning no chemical cleaners necessary (or allowed…they’ll actually ruin the surface, so STEP AWAY FROM THE BLEACH). Recoating with the soap solution regularly will ensure your gorgeous tadelakt stays intact and in great condition, but really, that’s it. Now, in terms of cost, yes, it will run you considerably more than a standard install of subway tile from Lowes, for instance. I reached out to a few local installers to get a quote but they all said the same thing “it depends on the room, the square footage, etc. etc. etc.” Helpful.

I guess if you have an ACTUAL space, it would be easier for them to quote, but my vagueness was met with no real answers. However, digging around the ‘net did bring a little clarity. While different than Venetian plaster as I already mentioned, this article from Architectural Digest mentions pricing on Venetian plaster is roughly between $8 and $15 per square foot. Considering tadelakt is a longer process, my guess is it’d come in at likely twice that depending on your space. Bloggers Bodie and Fou had this done in their home in London and said it came out to £125 per square meter (if my math is correct, that’s about $15 a square foot). Considering most mid-range tiles come in at about that WITHOUT installation, it’s actually not quite as pricey as I first imagined, TBH.

Are there any downsides?

Here’s the thing, though. Because tadelakt is seamless and watertight, if any part of the surface is damaged, the entire thing needs to be replaced. You cannot patch it or repair a part of it because it would tamper with the waterproofing, sadly.

Because I’m quickly reaching my limit of times I’m allowed to say a single word in any given post, let’s move along to pretty photos of tadelakt in action.

image via architectural digest | design by isabel lopez-quesada

Like I mentioned earlier, tadelakt is best saved for areas where it will be continuously hit with water, like a shower surround or sink area. Yes, you can use it on all the walls of your bathroom or kitchen, but to save on installation costs, it might be best to go with a traditional plaster (which is naturally mold- and mildew-resistant just not watertight) on other surfaces. Here, in this bathroom by Isabel Lopez-Quesada via Architectural Digest, it would appear, though I can’t be certain, that tadelakt was used in the shower spiral and most of the flooring.

image via belmond eagle island lodge

One of the biggest selling points to me is the whole no-grout thing. I mean, what on earth would I occupy my weekends with if not scrubbing mildew out of white grouted corners that are cracked because I live in a 100-year-old apartment? I just can’t imagine such freedom of choice.

image via bolig magasinet | design by trish deseine

A really traditional use of tadelakt is coating anything that will hold water, like a bathtub! I like how the floor color flows up into the tub, while the walls were left light and bright white. I do have to wonder about where the shower curtain is here? The owner of this home, Trish Deseine, lives in France, so likely it’s just a wet room, but also…privacy? Regardless of those logistics, this is beautifully minimal.

image via remodelista | design by bentley hagen hall

If you’ve gotten this far and thought “that’s nice, but I’ll stick with tile because I hunger for color,” there’s still tadelakt hope for you. Pigment can be added to the plaster mix to get beautiful dramatic tones like this deep teal in a bathroom by Bentley Hagen Hall (via Remodelista). Top to bottom here is definitely a bold choice but personally, I love it paired with the warm wood and brass fittings. It feels Old World-meets-modern-day, which in general is a vibe I’m very into.

image via remodelista | design by elizabeth roberts

I’m not entirely sure whether this wall is tadelakt or traditional plasterwork to be honest, but I wanted to show it as an example of the technique used in a smaller, simpler bathroom that leans more modern. In my research, a lot of experts mentioned they wouldn’t bother with the labor-intensive tadelakt process in areas that won’t get particularly wet, so unless this is one big wet room where that wall carries into the showering area,

image via remodelista | design by leigh herzig

Here’s another example, also from Remodelista (but this time designed by Leigh Herzig) of a smaller more “normal” bathroom with tadelakt (by normal, I mean it’s not a palatial hotel/spa vibe room that’s purely aspirational). This is actually in a spec home, where the owner revamped the interior to really customize to her tastes, and no two bathrooms are alike. It appears that plaster was used in the shower surround (the bathtub apron is limestone) and on the custom vanity, while the rest of the walls were left without…likely a cost-saving tactic.

image and design via studio mcw

While I personally love the look of full top-to-bottom tadelakt, you can also opt for tiled or marble floor (here, the marble is also echoed in the shower knobs) for something a bit more traditional. I also want you to take note of the plaster’s use on the bench…I mean, have you ever sat down with your naked bum on a cold, wet tile or stone slab bench? It is NOT pleasant. No one talks about this, but I’m going to talk about it. It’s not good and quite the unnatural feeling. I could almost guarantee this is a far better experience. Just sayin’.

image via yellowtrace | design by studio ko

If you want to get all kinds of fancy (I’m only saying that because this LOOKS fancy, it might not even be any more expensive than purchasing a basin sink), you can go the plastered vanity top AND sink situation. Because this stuff repels moisture and is cleanable with just a simple wipe of water, I’m safe to assume I’d never have to scrub out all my foundation splatters and rogue crusted toothpaste junk from my vanity, right?

And that’s all I have for you today. To sum it up, tadelakt is a pretty awesome, really quietly beautiful alternative to tile that turns out, doesn’t cost as much as you might think. It’s watertight, water-repellent and mold- and -mildew-resistant. So basically, it’s bathroom (and kitchen) magic. True story. I’m curious to hear if anyone here has done this in their bathroom (either by a hired hand or themselves as a DIY) and how it’s worked out for you. Any trials and tribulations the internet is holding close to the chest on this one or is the centuries-old technique centuries-old for the very fact that it’s a solid choice? Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say/add!

The post Tadelakt is the (Super Durable) Bathroom Trend You Didn’t Know You Loved appeared first on Emily Henderson.

A Definitive List of the Only Baking Tools You Need (From Our Resident Baker Who Knows)

There’s always room in my stomach for dessert. Food goes into your stomach, but dessert? Dessert goes into your heart.

The EHD team doesn’t, in my opinion, have a healthy history of ordering dessert when we go out as a group. These morally upstanding people, who I’m incredibly lucky to call my teammates, have willpowers of steel. But every now and then I decide enough is enough and demand that the waiter bring over the dessert menu before anyone else can say “I think we’re good, thanks!” WE ARE MOST CERTAINLY NOT GOOD. There might be bread pudding with salted caramel sauce to try. Or rose water and fruit pavlovas with tangy raspberry puree. And what about the house-made gelatos featuring fresh summer fruit?!

But there is something I love even more than eating warm ginger cakes soaked in coffee and molasses syrup. Baking them. Baking is complete therapy for me. There are few things better than putting on one of my favorite quiet Spotify playlists (This Is Chad Lawson, Lute Music For Alchemists, or Coffee Table Jazz being my usual go-tos), opening up a cookbook, and emerging from my hot kitchen a little while later, red-cheeked and flour-covered, holding a plate of something new to force-feed my friends and coworkers. During the winter, I LOVE to wake up early and bake before work with a hot cup of tea while it’s still dark. And in the summer, I’ll spend weekend mornings deciding what fruit-inspired dessert I’m going to try, head to the farmers market, and then spending the rest of the afternoon making lunch and baking. I’m sure it all feeds into my Great British Baking Show tent fantasies paired with a heavy dose or Jane Austen-inspired romanticism.

I hungrily devour my Bon Appétit magazine every month, visit Food52’s site almost daily, and try my hardest to avoid Pinterest and instead resort to my small but loved collection of cookbooks (until I’ve tried every recipe at least). You don’t need to be a pastry chef to bake well, you just need a desire to try, some simple ingredients, and a few essential tools.

About two weeks ago, Arlyn published a post on her everyday kitchen cooking tools and there was a request from readers to go further on the subject but with a focus on baking-specific products, so here I am today, the “resident” baker on staff, walking you through what I personally love and couldn’t turn on my oven without.

1. Parchment Paper: Every good baker needs a roll of parchment paper in their drawer. Bake cookies on it so they don’t stick to your tray, use it to sandwich and roll out some pie dough, wrap up loaves of bread in it with some pretty twine to give at gifts. It’s an essential.

2. Pyrex 8 cup Measuring Cup with Lid: All you really need is one, big, glass measuring cup (Arlyn said this in her post, too). Not only does it measure liquids (duh), but it’s the perfect size for melting drizzly sauces or butter in, whipping cream in, or even making small batches of batter in (with an easy to pour spout). I received an extra-large measuring cup once as a gift YEARS ago, and it’s still one of my favorite kitchen tools. It also serves as a great plant waterer. 

3. Microplane: Citrus rinds, nutmeg, cinnamon, cheese, fingers—what can’t this little tool grate? You don’t need a four-sided grater, lemon zester, AND a nutmeg shaver. Just one microplane to rule them all.

4. Stainless Steel Pastry Scraper, Dough Blender & Biscuit Cutter Set: All three of these tools are essentials in a bakers drawer. A pastry scraper not only helps you scrape sticky doughs off counters, but it also helps you cut thick doughs into sections, and move unwilling cookies onto trays. Dough blenders keep your extra short doughs (extra buttery, think shortbreads) cold and crumbly when your fingers would otherwise turn them into melty mush. And a solid set of varied size circular cookie cutters will get you far in the cookie, pie decorating, and pasta making world.

5. Fine Mesh Sieve: Who needs a flour sifter or a sugar duster when you probably already have a sieve sitting in your cabinet? I use this to get lumps out of my sugar and flours, to juice citrus without having to pick out seeds (no need for a juicer), to dust cakes and cookies with powdered sugar, and to wash berries for fruit desserts (plus draining canned goods and pasta).

6. Set of 3 Glass Covered Mixing Bowls: You really only need three mixing bowls in your life. Often times when it comes to baking, you’ll need one for the dry ingredients, one for the wet, and one for making your frosting or dressing. And with lids, you can use these bowls to store leftovers or make frostings/glazes/drizzles in advance. Glass bowls can also be microwaved, or used as a double boiler (unlike plastic bowls).

7. Whisk: Some of you might be adverse to a hand mixer, and I get that. And sometimes what you gotta mix just isn’t worth the effort of pulling it out and plugging it in. I feel that in my bones. What you are going to need is an easy to clean, unmangled, never gonna break down whisk. And some beefy forearms to wield it with (just like our grandmothers before us).

8. 3pc Non-Stick Aluminized Steel Cookie Sheet Set: You gotta get your cookies in the oven somehow. Or maybe you’re making some granola bars. In that case, you’re going to want cookie trays with a little bit of depth and a lip (like these). Making pavlova? You’re a risk-taker, and I like it. No matter what, this set of baking trays is going to get you where you need to go (and won’t warp on you).

9. Measuring Spoon and Cup Set: This is America, where we measure things with varying degrees of accuracy and “just kinda wing it” whenever possible. That’s essentially how I feel about using measuring spoons and cups: it’s not going to be perfect, but it’s going to get you pretty close. This set compacts nicely together and they all have the measurements etched into them, that way 12 years from now you’re not struggling to differentiate your 1/2 teaspoon from your 1/3 tablespoon because the paint has worn off the handles.

10. Set of 3 Non-Stick Round Cake Pans: If you’re going to be making cakes, you’re going to need cake tins. Get a good, simple set and they’ll last you a lifetime. There’s really no reason to get a donut pan, a mini bundt pan, or a Christmas tree mini cake pan unless you’re practicing to enter the GBBS. 

11. Silicone Baking Mat: I love me some parchment paper, but a silicone baking mat is the modern baker’s choice of tray liner. Nothing sticks to silicone baking mat. NOTHING. (I know that at least one of you is going to tell me in the comments that, actually, yes you’ve managed to get something stuck on one of these bad boys. I’ll need all the messy details.)

12. Adjustable Rolling Pin with Removable Rings: The handles of a traditional rolling pin always got in my way. Once I went handle-less, I never went back. And this rolling pin has removable rings that can help you gauge the thickness of your doughs. No more measuring what 1/4 of an inch looks like (or guessing, if you’re me). I’ve also used a bottle of wine as a rolling pin and it worked fine, so decide how much you’ll actually be rolling out dough and how much you’d rather invest in wine.

13. Silicone Spatula: Do I even need to explain why you need this? You obviously need something with a good flexible edge to scoop out every drop of extra chocolate cake batter from your bowl and promptly transport it into your mouth hole. That is this tool’s one and only purpose.

14. 2-Piece Measuring Conversion Magnet Set: Realizing that I need to figure out how many teaspoons are in a cup, and trying to look it up on my phone with dough covered fingers is one of my all-time favorite activities, but in case you don’t feel the same, these magnets are for you. Especially helpful if you’re trying to either double or half a recipe.

11. 9″ x 13″ Nonstick Baking Pan with Cover: This is what you’re gonna make sheet cakes, crumbles, brownies, and cobblers in. And the lid makes for extra easy transport to wherever it’s headed (if it can make it out of the kitchen without being devoured).

1. Bundt Pan: Okay, you like to bake. You’ve moved beyond round and rectangle cakes. Maybe the holidays are coming up. You, my friend, are ready to upgrade to a bundt pan. A lot of the same cakes, but in a new special shape that’s sure to impress with lots of nooks and crannies for glazes to settle into.

2. Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus 9 Speed Hand Mixer: Listen, those 10 digits of yours will get you pretty far when it comes to baking. But at a certain point, hand whipping cream for 30 minutes just isn’t worth it. A hand mixer, that’s all self-contained, can get you perfectly mixed cake batters, easily creamed sugar and butter, and nice stiff peaks in 1/4 of the time a hand whisk would take. 

3. Non-Stick Cooling Rack: It’s totally fine most of the time to let your baked goods cool right on the tray. MOST OF THE TIME. If you want to better control the finish of your baked goods (those cookies keep cooking on that hot tray until the tray itself cools down), then get a cooling rack to carefully transfer your finished goods to after they come out of the oven. Also, doubles as a good glazing rack and makes great oven bacon.

4. KitchenAid Professional 5qt Mixer: Now if you’re really feeling moved by the baking spirit there’s nothing more exciting than a KitchenAid stand mixer. I cried when I opened mine on Christmas day five years ago. REAL. TEARS. It’s fast, it can make double batches without breaking a sweat, it can knead bread for days, and it leaves your hands free to slowly add your dry ingredients, or get a head start on spilling the vanilla all over the counter. Big thanks to my cousin, who was working at Williams Sonoma at the time, and got my parents that sweet discount.

5. Kitchen and Food Scale: Okay, here’s the solution to my measuring cup/spoon issue from above. While we Americans are still struggling to properly measure out exactly two cups of flour, our more civilized world neighbors are just weighing their ingredients. And now so am I. You get your kitchen scale, you pop your bowl on there, and hit “tare” (which means the scale subtracts the weight of the bowl leaving you with a 0 weight). Then you can add as many ingredients as you need, hitting tare after each one. 150 grams flours, *tare*, 90 grams sugar, *tare*, 200ml milk. You can measure it all without dirtying a single measuring cup or spoon. And it’s going to be wildly more accurate, which generally matters when it comes to baking.

6. Ceramic Oval Baking Dish: Yes, you can make cobblers, crisps, crumbles, and slumps in a cake tray. But they really want to be made in a baking dish for more even baking and better heat retention. Plus, presentation-wise, these are ready to go oven to table without any sort of fuss.

7. Icing Knife Set: Can you use an everyday knife to ice your cupcakes? Sure, no ones going to stop you. But that slightly serrated knife gets a little trickier when you’re trying to frost a cake. It’s too narrow, and the tapered, serrated edges can leave an uneven and unwanted pattern. Icing knives give you more surface area to work with, thin, flexible control, and even flat sides to use for smoothing. Plus they work great for peeling cookies off counters and trays, too.

8.  Food52 Baking Cookbook: I have a lot of well-loved cookbooks, but if you’re interested in getting into some baking-specific activities then this is a great book to start with. Food52 recipes have never failed me, they are very clear on the instructions, include both cup and weight measurements, and there’s a beautiful photo for EVERY recipe. I really appreciate this last detail, because sometimes you just need to know if you’re cookie is supposed to look that flat, or if you’ve done something horribly wrong.

9. Silicone Pastry Basting Brush: Slowly basting your clementine almond cake with the citrus syrup you made is going to be much harder with your fingers than it would be with a basting brush. Syrups, sauces and drizzles get a helping hand for the myriad of little fingers this brush provides you with. Also great for basting meats and veggies. I prefer a silicone brush to a bristled brush because it’s far easier to clean (and you won’t ever find yourself pulling bristles out of your month mid-bite).

10. 5″ x 9″ Non-Stick Loaf Pan: Small batch batters like banana bread or pound cakes fair far better in loaf pans (and often the recipe only leaves you with enough batter to fill one of these narrow pans).

11. Cherry and Olive Pitter: Have you every tried to pit an entire bags of cherries by knife and hand? It’s tedious and leaves your counter and hands looking like a murder scene. If you’re working with cherries enough during cherry season (like me—cherry pie, cherry crumble, cherry tarts), then it’s worth investing in this handy little tool. For your sanity.

12. Non-Stick Muffin Tin: MAYBE YOU NEED A MUFFIN TIN. Who knows. Some people love making muffins and cupcakes, some people don’t. This only really depends on how much you like making muffins and cupcakes. Personally, I just don’t make that many, and my muffin tin sits unloved. But maybe twice a year I pull this out to throw together some breakfast muffins or divide up my favorite cake batter and make mini versions (cakes the size of cups, perhaps). If you’re gonna make muffins or cupcakes, you’re gonna need one of these. But I personally stick to my loaves, rounds and tins.

And here are a few honorable mentions (things that are NOT necessary, or even nice to have, but just really fun):

Ninja Professional Blender – I bought this on sale at Target two years ago, and I use it every single day. It has small cup attachments to make smoothies, a blender, and a food processor attachment. One system for three different uses. And it’s holding up great.
Removable Bottom Tart Pan – One reader commented below that they love theirs, which reminded me that I also love mine!
Ceramic Pie Dish – One beautiful pie dish is going to get you far, if you’re interested in pie making. I have an heirloom piece handed down from my great grandmother that I use, and it hasn’t failed me yet.
9″ Spring Form Cake Pan – Using a spring form cake pan can take a little practice (you gotta make sure it’s lined properly, and that you’ve sealed the bottom in correctly), but once you know how to use it it’s hands down my favorite way to bake heartier cakes (softer, mushier cakes tend to do better in traditional cake pans).
Crimped Biscuit Cutter – I listed a set of circular cookie cutters above because they’re more versatile, but I usually use a set of crimped edged cutters myself. It’s an easy way to give your cookies and biscuits an immediate fancy finish.

Now some of you may have come over from Instastories, curious about those cookies I was making (and the ones photographed here). This is a wildly easy Italian Cornmeal Cookie recipe by Emiko Davies, from the Food52 Baking book I have on the list up there. I made these on a Tuesday afternoon in Velinda’s kitchen while we were shooting her house (stay tuned for that). My attention was divided and they still turned out great. Here’s how you’re gonna make them:

What You Need

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (30g) fine cornmeal (if you can’t find “fine” go with regular and just blitz it in a blender or processor)
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
2/3 cups (150g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon

What You Do

In your largest bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal and sugar. Then add the butter pieces. Use your quick fingers or a pastry cutter to work the ingredients together until the mixture is the consistency of almost dry sand (grainy, but holds together).
Add the egg yolks and zest, and keep mixing with your fingers until blended. Then bring the dough together into a smooth ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (this allows the butter to harden up a bit, so it doesn’t get too sticky when you roll it out).
Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Use your circular cookie cutter to cut out cookies. You can place them fairly close together on your tray because these cookies don’t spread very much when baking. If you find your cookies are getting too warm and sticking, feel free to pop it back in the fridge or freezer for a few more minutes. Note: I actually like to flour a sheet of parchment paper, put down my dough, throw a little flower on top, and sandwich it between another sheet of parchment paper. I then roll out the dough between the two sheets. After I have a flat parchment paper and dough sandwich, I pop that baby in the fridge and let it firm up before cutting out my cookies. This makes for some super easy cookie to tray movement.
Once your cookies are all laid out on a baking tray (either on some parchment or a silicone baking mat), put the whole tray into your freezer for 30 minutes. Again, this allows the butter to really firm up before it bakes. Otherwise, your cookies are just going to melt in the oven, spread, and turn into crips rather than cookies. During this time, you can preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges are just looking golden and the cookies have puffed up a bit. Let cool right on the tray!

Happy baking. xx

***photography by Sara Ligorria-Tramp for EHD

The post A Definitive List of the Only Baking Tools You Need (From Our Resident Baker Who Knows) appeared first on Emily Henderson.