Emily Henderson's Blog, page 56

On Limewashing The Living Room Fireplace – And The 16 Colors We Sampled (What Will We Choose?)

I like our living room, but it’s not there yet and that’s okay – I’m trying to enjoy the process of tweaking and I still LOVE being in it. I still know what I would do if I could snap my fingers (take the paneling up to the ceiling and repaint a warmer white) but that’s a really expensive and disruptive change and no one else seems to agree with me, so fine, whatever it’s staying like that for now. So one thing I’ve been fantasizing about is painting the fireplace a more grounding color – just something to contrast, pull your eye over there, be more of a focal point and make you smile, etc. I saw on Sarah Sherman Samuel’s IG stories a while ago a blue brick fireplace with the most beautiful color variation and texture and she told me it was lime-washed so I quickly ordered some samples and Gretchen and I whipped up some painted visuals.

photo by kaitlin green | from: farmhouse living room reveal

She’s a pretty fireplace, but could it be a bit better? I don’t know! When I look at it here I like how simple and calm it is! Let’s see…

Regardless, it seems like a good opportunity to play around, and show you some pretty lime wash colors even if we decide not to do it…

So I ordered a ton from Portola Paints (non-spon) and we took it all to Kaitlin’s new studio (which we love) and got to work.

We used watercolor paper (thick, matte) and labeled each one on the back before we started painting.

Portola told us to do a back-and-forth, cross-hatch brush stroke. It was obviously super easy and fast (the samples were $10 so I don’t suggest buying this many but for content purposes, we thought would be fun).

I chose mostly blues, greens, neutrals, and a few warmer clay/rose tones…

I was really hoping that the right one would just pop immediately. We loved almost all of the colors for different reasons…

The colors really came to life during the second coat…

They are all so pretty!!! So the next day we hung them up on the fireplace.

Now, what you have to remember is that the stairs are blue (Smoky Blue by Sherwin-Williams) and while I could repaint them, which honestly wouldn’t be hard, I don’t really want to. And then remember that the kitchen tile is right to the right (a really light denim-y blue). So sure, I have my favorite colors, but are they right for the room???

Brian happened to be home and wanted to weigh in (quite the treat). We both were VERY into the dark green but it’s basically just a slightly darker version of the sofa color. Is it too matchy?? Maybe!!!

I love the blue too, obviously, but we have so much blue in here that is it overkill?

I narrowed it down to this pretty soft mauve, medium blue, and darker green. I wish the green were darker TBH.

So Gretchen mocked them all up to show me, including some mantel options. I don’t want the mantle to pop with a lot of contrast, but I have thought about doing a Scandi-inspired painted stencil, cladding it with the same brick and painting it the same color, or even finding a dope tonal high gloss square tile, almost like a tile border. But it’s really fun to see what Gretchen did. Here you go:

Dark Green

Nope. Y’all, I don’t think I love a strong mantel that breaks up the brick. I want it to be more tonal – either match it or play with texture (like a high gloss accent tile).

Nope. Fun to see, but I do not enjoy that strong white…

It’s a lot of green, but it’s a pretty green?? It’s about 3 shades darker than the sofas. I like a cohesive color palette (for my home, I love random and unexpected colors in others – it’s a mental thing). But I don’t know. It’s not a “hell yes”.

A Denim-y Blue

Sure. I love this except that the blue stairs to the left and the blue tile to the right (in the kitchen) = a lot of blue.

I don’t mind the black mantel here as much, but still not motivated to do it.

A Light Mauvey Neutral

Well, this looks sad. I don’t think it is in person, but this looks flat and boring.

It’s better with a tonal mantel, but it’s certainly not coming to life. Of course, we’d add art, something that really pops, but y’all, I thought I would love this way more.

A Darker Indigo

I thought for sure I’d love this dark indigo, but it’s just huge and heavy. Now, this could be because there is no movement or color variation (which is a rendering thing). But more importantly, I think it’s just too big to be this dark. What I have to remind myself constantly is that what you see on a small swatch card isn’t a good tell because it’s so much MORE on a larger area. Like exponentially so.

A Darker Mauve

I nixed this early on – the pink with the green maybe felt like too many mid-tone pastel colors (great for Easter!) but as I was writing this post I reconsidered it and asked Gretchen to Photoshop it real quick.

This is not a “hell yes,” but it’s not a no!! I’m interested in exploring this color more. Again, with these renders you don’t get the pretty soft mauvey texture of the lime wash paint. It does have an earthy element that might reference the original brick (that was painted over decades ago). And if you are wondering if I wish it were just pretty aged terracotta brick, the answer is YEP. Is that an option? SURE. I mean, it would have to be faux’d and would need to be the thin pieces, but bricking over this is wayyyy more work and dough than just painting (which Gretchen and I were going to do ourselves).

Y’all. I’m not stressed AT ALL, but there is no clear obvious YES. There would be if I hadn’t made so many other choices first (like the green sofas, the blue stair paint, the blue tile). I have been acting like a psychopath walking past it from different directions, during different times of the day staring at them all, and waiting for confirmation. So as of now, I’m open to all ideas and we MIGHT just try one (the gallons are $80 and it’s a day of fun) and live with a color and see how we feel. xx

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post On Limewashing The Living Room Fireplace – And The 16 Colors We Sampled (What Will We Choose?) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Spiders, Weeds, Kiddie Pools & Beyond: Arlyn’s Patio Is Ready For a Major Upgrade

I can clearly recall the days of sitting on a concrete step that overlooked my quadplex’s garages with my husband Charles during the pandemic, talking about how much we wished we had our own little outdoor space. We both agreed it didn’t need to be big, just something large enough to be able to have a bistro table, two chairs, and a little privacy. Fast forward to last winter when we were touring potential new places to live. I got so excited when we walked into where we currently live and saw that there was a patio. Yay! I could envision spring afternoons out there, the breeze blowing through the canopy of trees on our street, Evelyn splashing around at a water table.

And while yes, we did use it briefly after moving in (we even bought a blow-up pool for our toddler and she loved it), it quickly got forgotten after the spiders took over. And I’m really not kidding. Trees are wonderful for so many reasons, but what no one tells you about them is that THEY ARE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING UNITS FOR SPIDERS OF ALL KINDS. I don’t mind an eight-legged creature hanging out, minding its own business in a corner, but these things were everywhere. Every nook, every cranny, all the plants, behind the screen, encircling our house. Nope. I was done.

Even my daughter stopped asking to go out there because she knew the answer was no (sadly). We didn’t want to kill the spiders since, as we all know, they are immensely beneficial to our ecosystem and help with the mosquitos and flies we were bombarded with last summer, so we tried other tactics to at least make our patio less hospitable including peppermint spray and a few other things the internet swore to us would work (they didn’t).

Long story less long, the spiders retreated on their own, likely because of the cold season (is that a thing??), and will probably be back come summer, but I’m SO tired of looking at this overgrown mess of a patio and am determined to reclaim the space *and* my family’s vision of how we would use it.

This patio sits at the front of our townhouse, through the sliding glass doors in our living room, so it’s just a sad sight anytime our curtains are pulled open. Neither my husband nor I have ever needed to know anything about gardening, so we’re both a bit blind to how to tame what’s out there. In typical form, I want to go the route of hiring someone to come out and make the greenery look great, while my “we can learn and do anything we want!” husband wants to watch YouTube videos and start getting his hands dirty. I told him he was going to get bitten by a spider but he didn’t appreciate my negativity.

Whoops, I was supposed to be making this story less long. Anyway, let me just get to why I’m writing this post today: This whole outdoor room needs to look better, and I may be ready to finally tackle it. Let’s take a look and then I can break down some of my design thoughts.

The (Very Sad & Kind Of Embarrassing) Before

Oh boy. This is the view of the patio standing from my living room with the sliding door open. I’m massively embarrassed to say that the down-and-dirty pool has been there since last spring. All the plants and the trellis were here when we moved in, and nothing has been groomed in the last year. Woof!

This is exactly what I see from my sofa, yes, including the old hose we don’t even use because I bought a better more flexible hose shortly after we moved in and we couldn’t be bothered to get rid of the previous one. ::eye roll at myself:: The tease of that vine climbing the stone wall gives me hopes that we could encourage the ivy somehow to take further hold and eventually fully cover the wall. Wouldn’t that be SO charming? Everything else here needs a serious trim, and some things could probably just be taken out and planted somewhere else. There are some terra cotta pots pushed into the overgrowth (also there before we moved in), which gave me an idea of maybe going more the potted garden route than whatever you would call this.

This is to the right of the steps up into the living room where the house is. This whole space has three different floors. Concrete slab, concrete pavers, and one is a section of weird brick. Like…what happened here?? If this were a place I owned, I’d definitely rip all this out and do something else, but we’re renting so a bandaid solution is more in line with what is appropriate. I’d love to add a pretty potting bench both to give me a space to re-pot things (I currently do it in the garage and make a big mess), but also it would aesthetically be pleasing to me. On the wall of the door, I’d love to have a dwarf Meyer lemon tree as citrus plants do really well in this climate and they are all over the neighborhood. Plus, lemon trees need good sunlight and this is the only spot in the whole patio that gets it.

And you can’t see it here, but high above the hose is a broken outdoor sconce, which means there is no light out here, leaving it useless after sunset. To be honest, we probably wouldn’t do much out here at night anyway, because my daughter’s bedroom window faces out to the patio and she’s a light sleeper so it would be more for daytime use though the idea of some kind of lighting would be nice as an option.

A (Rough Estimate) Floor Plan

I realize the photos don’t do a great job of making visual sense of the space, so I went out one day during my daughter’s nap and did the world’s laziest measure. Mostly, I just didn’t want to get too close to any of the plants because…spiders. I don’t think these numbers are too far off, but let’s not call it an exact model, mkay? It’s a “close enough” floor plan.

The bottom is the wall that houses the sliding glass doors and leads inside. There is a set of concrete steps down. All the green area above is the planter area. While it’s not a sprawling oasis, it’s definitely large enough to accommodate a small bistro set, the potting bench I mentioned wanting, another tree, some pretty pots and some kind of fun outdoor activity for my daughter like a water table or even her pool (if we can muster the energy to deflate it and put it away when we’re done…can’t make any promises).

Let’s Get to the Design Part, Shall We?

Okay, now it’s time to talk about aesthetics. I’ve shown you the skeleton in my figurative closet, and now it’s time to clean it up and redesign the closet. Buh-bye skeleton. TBH, I’m completely at a loss as to what I want the room to look now, but I can tell you how I want it to feel: charming, happy, calm with a little bit of Parisian balcony-meets-English-garden vibes. I don’t want anything too designed or overly polished. Oh, and I also do not want to spend a lot of money on this. You know…in case the spiders come back in full force and we have to abandon it for another year.

One of the first things I ask anyone who requests my help with designing a space is: “How do you envision using the space and how do you want it to feel?” Since I already have the second part of that question answered, I’ll chew on the first part. Charles and I would love a little spot to sit, have a marg or coffee/tea, and watch Evelyn blow bubbles or make a whole mess with water and sidewalk chalk. That’s kind of it. Simple, surely. The tricky part is this is visible from my living room as I mentioned, so it has to vibe with what’s going on in there (or will eventually go on in there since I’m mentally working on that room, too). It needs to be neutral enough to play nice, but punchy enough to make sense with my design aesthetic.

Since I didn’t really know where to start and I didn’t have a backlog of inspiration photos as I normally do to pull from, I went back to study some of the outdoor rooms some of my EHD crew has put together over the years. And they all have one thing in common: they’re pretty neutral. In fact, after I found a hidden Pinterest folder of mine with pretty outdoor spaces, I realized I mostly Pinned patios and balconies and backyards where the furniture fell back stylistically (meaning, it didn’t steal attention) and the nature surrounding them was the star. There is plenty of greenery where I live, and I certainly want that to be prominent.

designed and styled by emily henderson with velinda hellen and erik staalberg | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: 5 outdoor ideas & hacks that’ll instantly add style (& save you money)

I loved this outdoor space since the first second I saw the photos roll in years ago when I still worked full-time at EHD. There’s something very Nancy Meyer’s 1998 Parent Trap about it for some reason. All it’s missing is Lindsay Lohan as Hallie and Lindsay Lohan as Annie up to some antics, and Chessy offering someone a bowl of chili with cornbread (by the way, I ALWAYS thought it was Jessie, and only realized deep into my 30s that it was Chessy…who’s with me??).

design by emily henderson | photo by tessa neustadt | from: the finished patio (with the tile!) + shop the look

Ahhh…America’s patio. UGH, this outdoor room in Emily’s old Los Feliz house was absolutely magical. It was even better in person. Sure, the encaustic tiles played a huge role but in general, I just love how eclectic, charming, and not overly groomed it feels. All the furniture is neutral, there are some pretty string lights, and the roses and trees are the stars.

design by jess bunge | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: jess’ long and skinny balcony reveal!! + the diy ikea floor tile hack that was well worth the blood, sweat, and 2-6 tears

Jess’ beautiful little Parisian-inspired balcony is just perfect and I’d be happy with something similar. I love the mix of pots, the vintage bistro set, and the checkerboard deck tiles.

design by caitlin higgins | styling by emily edith bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: caitlin’s hard-to-design balcony gets a palm beach regency refresh (+ her #1 balcony must-have rec)

Caitlin’s balcony manages to feel eclectic and quirky (just like her!) without adding too much of any color or pattern. The cabana stripe curtain is bold and I would love to find an opportunity to bring that into my space, too.

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This is no one’s space I know, but speaking of cabana stripes!!!!!!!! I’m dead at this. I love the mint contrast piping, the pink and red bench cushion, the wild plantings, the overhead trellis. Obsessed. It’s hard to know whether seeing something in this style adjacent to my living room would make sense, but thinking of adding a small cushion to the chairs or bench I decide on. Hmm…

A Trio of Ideas: Neutral Vs. Playful Vs. Modern(ish)

While I could quickly decide on some neutral pieces and pull the space together, my mind couldn’t help but toy around with some other options. Three, to be exact. My heart is split between quiet and natural, something a little more playful and colorful, or something kind of modern and cool. I love all three of them, though I am leaning in a direction. Let’s take a look at what I found:

Potting Bench | Decking Tiles | String Lights | Table Lamp | Table | Bench | Rug

I really do think this setup is something that reads kind of boring on paper but would be very pretty and calm and serene in real life. Especially if I can get those vines to cooperate and grow along the wall. String lights strung along the stone (or hung overhead), warm teak decking tiles to unify the ground, and maybe even an outdoor rug (though I’m not totally convinced). And can’t forget the lemon tree and potting bench on the other side. I could even mix in a cabana stripe lumbar pillow for when we’re out there using the bench (but then I’d have to figure out where to store it and I kind of don’t want to).

Potting Bench | Deck Tiles – Beige | Deck Tiles – Dark Gray | Umbrella | Table Lamp | Water Table | Table | String Lights | Chair

This moodboard has “Arlyn” written all over it, don’t you think? I love it. It’s a little funky, a little vintage, a little cool, and modern. And just look at that gorgeous water table! We have one already in the garage that our dear friends found for us for free, but I couldn’t help but pull this adorable version into a moodboard. Let’s talk about what I love here: the yellow metal chair, the pedestal bistro table that begs to have thick hot chocolate with bowls of whipped cream enjoyed on it, and the vintage potting bench that I envision having dripping pothos all over. The red stripe patio umbrella is subtle in comparison to a cabana stripe, but the fringe keeps it flirty. Also, I think this is a beach umbrella, so…I might have to go back to the drawing table.

Here is a question for anyone who lives in spider territory and also has a patio umbrella: Will this inevitably just become a penthouse apartment for black widows?

IKEA sells cream and dark gray deck tiles that I could easily pair together to create a checkerboard floor (without the headache Jess gave herself of having to paint hers), and I love this. I wouldn’t want to cover any part of it with a rug, I don’t think.

Potting Bench | Rug | String Lights | Terracotta Pots | Table Lamp | Table | | Chair | Deck Tiles

This one took a while to come together for me. I fell in love with those Sarah Sherman Samuel for Lulu & Georgia outdoor chairs, and I knew I wanted to try something with more red mixed in, but I couldn’t get it quite right. I’m not convinced this is quite right either, but I do love it and think it would make a lot of sense as an extension of my living room. I went with a solid floor here to not compete with the chair fabric or the lovely rug and I think it’s pretty sleek looking. I also have the idea of sourcing a bunch of vintage terra-cotta pots and sprinkling those around rather than having everything in the planter space.

I realize that I would be fairly happy if any of these moodboards came to life. Any of these would be leaps and bounds of improvement over what’s happening out there now (which is nothing but weeds). So it’s just about choosing a direction and then bringing it to fruition.

For anyone out there reading who knows me aesthetically, and can remember my home—though you would be correct if you said you haven’t seen much of my new one—which do you think is the best style direction to go in? I’d love to hear from you, and also, if you have any beautiful small, charming patio inspiration you are hoarding, could you drop them into the comments for me to see? Maybe I’ll start from scratch, maybe I’ll keep playing with one or two of these, maybe I’ll just go vintage shopping and see what I find. Designing a room without totally knowing what you want is like trying to decide on takeout and not craving anything. I can let it simmer a little longer, but I also don’t want to miss the shopping window of outdoor retail season, you know?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

See you next time!

Your friend in indecision, Arlyn

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: 5 Outdoor Ideas & Hacks That’ll Instantly Add Style

The post Spiders, Weeds, Kiddie Pools & Beyond: Arlyn’s Patio Is Ready For a Major Upgrade appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Our Guest Bathroom Reveal – A Jewel Box That Makes Me So Darn Happy

I have a sneaking suspicion this might be your favorite bathroom in the house (and there will be no hard feelings:) While I love our primary bath so much (and prefer it for our daily use), this hidden bathroom Is admittedly very special and the colors, patterns, and layers made for such pretty photos (thank you, Kaitlin). It’s a little jewel box of green and pink, full of vintage, and shiny polished nickel. It looks totally original (but fresh and new) and is just sweet as can be. I got to play out a fantasy here (as you should in a guest bath) and every time I walk in I’m like “OH THIS IS WONDERFUL”. All of the polished nickel plumbing fixtures and lighting were selected from Rejuvenation and that shiny pretty metallic popped off the matte tiles and wallpaper so perfectly.

Green and Pink Floral Wallpaper

Wallpaper | Ceiling & Trim Paint Color | Tile | Sink (unavailable) | Faucet | Mirror (vintage) | Toothbrush Holder (vintage) | Sconce

If you read the recap you know that this room was unfinished for months – with white walls and certainly didn’t feel pulled together. It took forever to choose the wallpaper mostly because there are so many that I love, but one day I just said “This. This is it“. The second we put up this Kelly Ventura wallpaper the room just SUNG. Then once we painted the window frame and ceiling a light green/gray (the bright white was just too white and looked unfinished), we accessorized and the room came together so quickly. I’m so so happy.

Waffle Towels | Pink Towels | Towel Bar | Wall Mirror | Bath Mat

The pink and green combination is incredible. “Pink” doesn’t seem like the right word – it’s more of a deep rose. It’s just such a beautiful color (and it’s in the wallpaper). And guess what? Now that it’s wallpapered I love the subtleness of the no-grout look (a design move that I was once confident about, then felt was a mistake and now I’m happy again). You can absolutely see the tile color variation without the bathroom being too busy.

Shower Set | Shower Head

The polished nickel Rejuvenation plumbing fixtures (with a more antique vibe) just kill me. I love them so much and am so glad that we leaned into silver here – that shiny metal is so pretty against the matte of the pink and near the green wallpaper (much preferred over brushed nickel or polished chrome).

Tile | Drain Cover

Look at that color variation in the tile. Just so pretty. It’s a custom color from Pratt + Larson (you can see all the custom colors we chose here) and I want to know the exact pigment in it so I can buy all the things in this perfect shade of pink. We opted for a 2×6 brick on the walls (Portland finish, so the edges are sharp, rough and look a little less uniform which your tile installer hates, but we love), a small hex on the floor, a 4×4 square for on top, and then pencil trim and sloped baseboard tile. A huge shout out to Stephyn from ARCIFORM for figuring this all out and placing the order. It’s far more work than it looks so thank you Stephyn!

The Vintage Articulating Mirror + Toothbrush Holder

Sink (unavailable) | Faucet | Mirror (vintage) | Sink Caddy (vintage)

I found all the vintage accessories at different architectural salvage stores in Portland. So while you, ahem, “can’t really see yourself in the mirror” says my MIL, I love the character they bring to this room (and there is a mirror on the opposite wall, don’t worry). We obviously couldn’t have a traditional vanity mirror due to the window, but since this is just for guests (and maybe Elliot when she’s older) it’s just fine.

Double Sconce

The Fairview double sconce from Rejuvenation in polished nickel is just so pretty – all those details really shine (literally) in the super shiny silver finish. I can’t stop smiling. The details in the fixture feel historic, classic and so appropriate for this house.

Wall Mirror

Since my antique mirror isn’t as functional as my mother-in-law would like, I ordered this pretty (and simple) polished nickel mirror for the wall above the towel rod that is big, pretty, and does the job perfectly (and makes the room feel bigger, breaks up the wallpaper and reflects light around).

Switch Plates

The whole room, with these pops of silver, feels so layered without being busy at all (silver is a quieter metallic than brass).

Towel Rack (vintage) | Striped Tolietry Bag | Waffle Towels | Toliet Paper Holder | Toilet

A huge shout out to Kaitlin Green, our wonderful photographer for shooting this tiny bathroom so beautifully – she did some magic getting this angle through the shower. I LOVE this shot (the nightstands aren’t there because we had to Photoshop out the shower door that she actually shot through that was totally obstructing the angle so we removed the nightstand before to make the editing easier). This angle makes me so happy – I love how the two rooms work so well together (the guest room isn’t done, but also great for now)

The vintage train rack shelf thing was from the house originally, in the kid’s bathroom. I was so happy that we kept it and that it found a permanent place in the home (not to mention being great storage for towels and guest cosmetic bags.

Art (vintage) | Planter | Toliet | Toilet Lever

It’s a lot in a little bathroom, which I think is a move I want to employ more – just going for it in small spaces in the name of creating an experience and provoking an emotion. A huge thank you to the ARCIFORM team, Anne, Stephyn, and Jamie for basically building this bathroom that didn’t exist. So much expertise goes into the renovation of an old house and I’m so grateful for everyone’s help. A huge thanks to Rejuvenation for partnering on this bathroom – the plumbing, lighting, and all polished nickel accessories (except the vintage) brought a classic elegance to the room.

Bathroom Resources:
Wallpaper: Kelly Ventura
Window: Original
Ceiling and Trim Paint Color: Comfort Gray by Sherwin-Williams
Tile (custom color): Pratt + Larson
Tile Installer: Level Plane
Shower Set: Rejuvenation
Shower Head: Rejuvenation
Shower Door: Custom
Vanity: Rejuvenation (no longer available)
Faucet: Rejuvenation
Plumbing: Rejuvenation
Toilet: Kohler
Toilet Lever: Rejuvenation
Double Sconce: Rejuvenation
Toilet Paper Holder: Rejuvenation
Towel Bar: Rejuvenation
Towel Rack: Vintage (original to the house!)
Wall Mirror: Rejuvenation
Switch Plates: Rejuvenation

*Design by Emily Henderson and ARCIFORM
**Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Our Guest Bathroom Reveal – A Jewel Box That Makes Me So Darn Happy appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Farmhouse Guest Bathroom Recap (+ The Biggest Challenges)

Wouldn’t you know it, but turns out the guest bath, the one that I’ve never really even used, is quite possibly my favorite now that it’s done. So today we are recapping where we are in the house because I’m sure a lot of you might not even remember and then I’ll hit you with the reveal (we JUST shot it). It turned out very different than the original vision but I love it so much.

As a reminder, this is the guest bath off the guest room upstairs. That floorplan is a bit weird because it’s showing you the downstairs footprint underneath the second floor so ignore all the kitchen, deck, TV room stuff – that is on the floor below. The point is, this bathroom didn’t exist and we weren’t going to do it, originally. But then some of you readers basically broke it down and said “Trust me, they’ll want separate bathrooms when they are teenagers” and while I know intellectually that kids don’t NEED their own bathrooms (and our kids are already so privileged that part of me wanted to deny them this luxury), we knew that it would be a good idea for the long term use of the home. It was a “do it now” and “when in Rome” situation and I’m very glad we did (so thank you).

To add this bathroom we had to steal from the guest bedroom and the closet, keeping the plumbing near the other bathroom. There was an awkward window in the bathroom that Anne (ARCIFORM) and I thought would actually be very cool and quirky to leave.

But as you can see the sink and toilet would be 1/2 in a window – rather awkward, but maybe awesome?

We knew that the only sink that could work was a pedestal or one with legs – essentially something that didn’t block the window completely like a more furniture-style vanity would. We would need something sculptural that could float for the most part. We partnered with Rejuvenation on all the plumbing and lighting in this home and I was so happy that they had a pedestal sink with an integrated tiny backsplash that could work. GREAT. So ARCIFORM drew it all up and we were almost done with it.

But then we realized that the back of the house would be so much prettier if we had a fourth matching vintage window to help it look balanced and symmetrical (especially with the wrap-around back porch feeling that we added underneath).

So we stole that guest bedroom window and installed it on this side of the house (after the window was fully restored thanks to Jamie and his team of magical carpenters). So that left the bathroom with no window. We could have done a new window, obviously, but our vintage windows were just so pretty and we had two left from the downstairs that needed a home. These were the two from the original entry.

These really only operate if they are together, but we figured that using one and making it inoperable would be totally fine in here.

But there wasn’t a clear solution for where it should go. It couldn’t go directly above the toilet because the roofline from the vaulted kitchen below was right there.

The size of it didn’t really lend itself to being directly above the pedestal sink either – it would be off-center but in a less intentional way (or so I feared). And technically we could now put a normal vanity with storage there since the window was going to be smaller, but this pedestal sink had already arrived and I didn’t want to change the design. So we went with the “good enough” option and decided to center the window between the vanity and the toilet and that a pretty window is better than no window (and at this point, it was too late to put in a skylight).

left: the original plan | right: the plan we went with!

I suppose we could have shifted it a bit to the right or left, but honestly, this was a last-minute change and we didn’t want to have to reframe too much or move the wiring for the sconce so I think we just put it centered under the sconce in hopes that the three major pieces (sink, toilet, window) would feel balanced. I’m SO GLAD WE DID.

So this was how this bathroom was for like 9 months. Pretty boring, but totally usable/functional.

As a reminder we had chosen a grout color that matched the tile – a choice that was so easy and fast because I was extremely confident about it. What I didn’t realize was that this shower didn’t get enough natural light to do this move and that by doing so we lost some of the definition of the tile. I was only kinda bummed – at this point, I knew that it would be fine, so I just put it on the bottom of the list of things to think about and moved along. I also really still loved the color so it wasn’t this huge regret, just a “need to make it slightly better”.

We ended up trying a grout paint pen in a corner and boy did it look like garbage so I immediately wiped it off. Our grout spacing is 1/16th and too small of a line to use any sort of grout paint without it bleeding everywhere and looking so messy.

We added the glass glass door a few months ago so the kids could actually use it (and they do when they both shower). I made it taller than usual (which cost more) because the standard height felt too short. I added a U channel around it in polished nicked (it might be chrome, not sure) to give it a slightly more vintage and yet finished look which I love. We added a little knob instead of a huge handle which is just a style preference (we did this at my brother’s house, too so can def be used in a more contemporary way). The glass panel on the right is stationary and the door on the left swings both in and out, with the faucet handle being easy to turn on/off without getting wet. We made the door smaller which I was nervous wouldn’t look intentional, but like many things in the design process, your eye doesn’t really notice or even clock it once the room is finished.

We went polished nickel in here because the pink was so warm, so I thought that the cooler tones of the silver finish would be a pretty contrast (and it is SO PRETTY). So as I was adding accessories I stuck in that world (I really like mixing metals, but once I knew that we were adding wallpaper I played it safer and kept it all polished nickel).

But What Wallpaper Did We Choose????

I thought we were going to go with this wallpaper for the longest time, but as the house kept evolving and I was adding more and more and more in the rooms (and loving this) I decided to step it up a bit. So you’ll have to come back and see the reveal tomorrow. Y’all I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

*Pretty Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post The Farmhouse Guest Bathroom Recap (+ The Biggest Challenges) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: A Weekender Bag That Prevents Heavily Wrinkled Clothes, Gretchen’s Affordable Raincoat, And A DELICIOUS Dinner Recipe

Happy Sunday everyone! Well, this past week was a great one because Em and the LA gals got to spend some much-needed quality time together. We, of course, wised Gretchen was there but don’t worry she got a post-lunch/post-fun beverages FaceTime call:) This next week, we have a much-awaited reveal coming but before that let’s see these links.

This week’s house tour blew our socks off! The owner is none other than the actor Josh Brolin who describes his style as “nutty kaleidoscope” and “Old World European busyness”. As an art collector (OMG the art!), he and his wife clearly had a vision for this home but they knew that hiring the incredible Pierce & Ward team would make it come to life. The art, the warmth, the details (peek the red sink with tiled feet!), everything is special. Please go look at it ASAP.

From Emily: Brian bought his own luggage (which astounded me, by the way – the guy has used the same Target carry-on for decades). But he needed a carry-on that would hold his suit for a quick trip without wrinkling it terribly. So he bought this one and while I’m sure there are fancier ones on the market, this $45 bag did the job so well (and looked nice). If you know anyone (including me) who does fast 2-3 day trips for work and doesn’t want to steam everything all the time, this is a great new take on the more traditional “suit bag”.

From Caitlin: Can I please take a second to shout out my incredible nail artist, Nia? If you’re in LA, you’ve got to book an appointment with her! (She has parking!) And if you’re not in LA, you’ve gotta follow her on Instagram – the photos she posts of her work are so inspiring. Just need to show you the manicure I got last week, which was inspired by some Mexican folk art and Otomi textiles – it was such detail-oriented work and she just did such an incredible job! I’ve been seeing her for the past two years – longer than my actual relationship! – and it’s just SO FUN to develop real friendships with talented professionals like her. LOOK AT HER IG!

Also from Caitlin: This Monday, the LA girlies on the EHD team had the chance to meet up for some lunch and some much-needed hang time! (I’m not going to say that the lunch started at 1 and ended after 10, but that MIGHT be true.) Anyway – when Mal saw me, the first thing she did was compliment my hair (sweetie!) and ask if I had just gotten it done. AND IT’S BEEN MONTHS SINCE MY LAST TRIM, GUYS! My secret? This $40 thermal brush breathes life into my hair and just makes it look like I’ve had a round-brush blowout. I’m not good at hair tools and this one is good enough that I can’t stop talking about it!

Gaspard Outdoor Sofa | Miami House Rings | Selby Outdoor Coffee Table

Outdoor furniture lines are coming in hot and Soho Home just launched theirs! It’s very much inside furniture for outside. And look, this is a luxury brand with luxury brand price tags so we know that it’s not going to be for the majority of us. But we love looking at pretty things…and these things are very pretty. Go check it out!

From Mallory: If you want a recipe that sounds and tastes restaurant-quality but is actually INSANELY EASY to make – this is for you. I found this miso butter salmon recipe on TikTok and made it twice now and it absolutely crushes. Don’t let it scare you. It’s fast and easy to make and tastes so delicious –– I paired mine with some stir-fried vegetables (which I sautéed then topped with sauce #1 from this video) and coconut rice on the side and the whole dinner was one of the best meals I’ve ever made. Highly recommend trying it out!!

From Arlyn: The first time I actually heard about ThredUp was through a partnership Emily had with them years before I even worked for her. I always meant to check it out but honestly, never really did. Thrifting clothes you can’t try on or return when you have a curvy figure and a large chest is super tricky, but recently, it’s my first stop for anything I need to buy my kid. For instance, I needed a raincoat for her since it’s the wet season, but I knew I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on one given it doesn’t rain here beyond winter so she’d likely be grown out of it the next rainy season. Did a quick search and found one for $6! And then…I meandered into the adult premium denim section and found some fabulous Banana Republic jeans in my size for about $15. They have Farm Rio (Caitlin loves their dresses!), Joe’s Jeans, plus sizes, maternity…check it out!

Long-Sleeve Button-Up Shirtdress | Panama Hat | Classic-Fit Beach Shirt

In case you had your eye on anything from J. Crew, they are having a 40% off almost everything and an extra 40% off sale that goes through tomorrow!

From Jess: Last weekend my childhood best friend and I had a “fun day” which included getting massages. It was a dream! My wonderful massage therapist recommended I get a spike massage ball to roll under my feet while I’m at my desk to help with general tension as well as my back and shoulder pain. It’s easy, pretty mindless, and for under $10 you can’t beat it. Could be a nice thing for anyone who also sits at a desk for long hours like me.

From Gretchen: I’ve been popping over to Target a lot lately and just keep finding the best stuff! I brought a bunch of clothes home to try out and while I had a few misses I also had some major hits! One of which was this rain coat. It is SUCH a good fit, very lightweight, and moves well. I really love the shape of it and how long it hits on my body. Plus it’s only $45 which feels pretty dang reasonable for a jacket like this. Probably going to be living in it until summer weather officially hits!

ATTENTION! We have another Fix it Friday that Arlyn will be tackling next week: Curtains! Here’s the info:

Having trouble deciding on what kind of curtains to pick for your windows? Roman shades (inside mount…outside mount…), solar shades, draperies…we get it, it’s tricky! But we’re here to help. If you’ve been struggling with your window covering choices, send us 2-3 tidy photos (iPhone pics are fine!) of the room you need help figuring out plus a few sentences describing your struggle. Your space may just get selected for an upcoming Fix It Friday post.

Send the above to arlyn@emilyhendersondesign.com by Wednesday, March 13 to be considered.

Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow! xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Tessa Neustadt | From: The Finished Patio (With The Tile!)

The post The Link Up: A Weekender Bag That Prevents Heavily Wrinkled Clothes, Gretchen’s Affordable Raincoat, And A DELICIOUS Dinner Recipe appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Really Good Denim (+ The Non-Skinny Jeans That I Like Including My New Favorite Barrel-Shape)

I am of the demographic that feels frustrated when what is “in” looks decidedly bad on many of us (IMHO). So many of my friends are with me, thinking “Wait, what pants are we actually supposed to wear now that skinny jeans are ‘less cool'” (Although rumor has it that skinny capris are coming back ladies!!! Thanks to Meghan of Harry and Meghan!). While I can see with my internet reading eyes that baggy dad jeans are in, y’all I’m not convinced they should be. Let me be very clear: YOU DO YOU (obviously). And I see Athena Calderone pull off the baggy jeans trend SO WELL, but that’s not how I feel when I am in MOST of them. So I had intentions to wait this one out and not engage, wear my favorite athleisure, and not leave the house until 2025. But lo and behold, I’ve had all these fashion partnerships just for social which kinda forced me to try on some new jeans and I’m happy to report that some of these are both “in” and look good. MAMAS STILL GOT IT (???)

Top | Jeans | Purse (similar) | Boots

These jeans are REAL CUTE. The cut and the width of the bell are so fun and the frayed bottom keeps it in 2024. They are still fitted in the crotch and upper thigh which gives your frame a modicum of shape if that’s your thing. The waist is pretty stretchy, FYI

Sweater | Jeans | Boots

My much younger team (who dresses more hip and cool than I do) loved these jeans on me and I agreed that they looked pretty darn good for not being “skinny”. They are medium-rise (not crazy high) and the waist is the perfect amount of constriction and comfort. They hold their shape really well and the wash is a great color. I like to wear them with a little heel versus chunky cross-trainers (which I know is in, but again not my thing). BTW that sweater is SO CUTE and a really cute cut – it’s cropped, comes in at the waist in a really great way, has a dropped sleeve, and is nice and lightweight.

Jacket | T-Shirt | Jeans | Boots

Here’s another shot of these Madewells that just launched. They have a bunch of new denim and wanted me to try these. FYI I never post anything I don’t like on me, even if it’s super cute, and yes even if I’m being paid to promote a brand. If I don’t feel good in it, I go back to the store and find something I do feel good in.

My Favorite New Cut

Denim Vest | T-Shirt | Jeans | Boots

I was a massive fan of the Cali denim from Madewell (and still am). And these are their new cut that has a very similar cut and stretch, but with a little kick-out crop at the bottom (thus being able to claim that it’s not a skinny jean). Y’all this new cut is SO GOOD – I feel so great in them and they are slimming through the leg (which skinny jeans did so well) but they are cropped and kick out into a bell at the bottom thus giving it a more modern shape. I got this pair for the partnership then bought the lighter denim because I think I’ll be wearing these A LOT. Again, they have a really good constriction/comfort waist which flattens without being so uncomfortable (like Levis that have no stretch and you can’t really sit down in them).

The Cutest Denim Shirt Dress

Denim Dress | Clogs (similar)

Y’all. I love my loose chambray dresses, but this one (which is thicker but not crazy thick or too hot) is so cute. It’s definitely a “throw on and look professional/cool instantly while still being comfortable”. The cut really mimics a men’s shirt (the sides come up and the sleeves are dropped).

Denim Dress | Purse | Clogs (similar)

I wore these clogs with this dress for the Madewell partnership, but I think I’d likely wear it with sneakers or something a little more delicate (like my kitten-heeled boots). And you guys better screenshot this immediately – this may be the first non-spray-tanned legs I’ve shown here (although TBH I still had a little bit on from 4 days prior). My daily cold plunging is really screwing with my weekly spray/self-tanning addiction (feel free to write that on my gravestone). It’s a huge life challenge that I’m currently trying to overcome!

Shirt | Purse | Jeans | Sandals

These jeans are new, cool, from The Great, and have the perfect bleach frayed bottoms and button fly. Splurgy but I love them. The top is perfect for spring – almost sweatshirt weight, but a little lighter.

Blouse | Purse | Jeans | Boots

These are the famous Colette pants in denim from Anthropologie that come in a million washes and colors (and multiple people in my life have told me they are their favorite jeans ever). I get the hype now and I can tell you the #1 reason why they are so popular – front square pockets are really really flattering. Also, that blouse is so cute.

Sweater | Jeans | Boots

I mean, this is a clear winner here, and my crotch agrees (so much room – you can even sit in these pants!!). Last year for our rugs launch I splurged on the original version of these (which should get credit, from Nili Lotan, the famous Shon pants are incredible and I have them in blue cotton and khaki, too). But I don’t think I even put them on the blog because they are so expensive. So, we’ve been eagerly awaiting a more affordable version these are good and y’all, not all are good. BTW Kaitlin LOVES these Everlane jeans that keep selling out, but the point is – these Anthropologie pants are SO GOOOOOOOOD. Somehow the bow-legged shape is still flattering because it still has a shape (not just baggy) and plays with proportions.

And there we go My favorite new cropped/kick out, my new more affordable barrel-shaped jeans, and super comfy and cool (and maybe not as flattering) frayed bottom jeans.

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Really Good Denim (+ The Non-Skinny Jeans That I Like Including My New Favorite Barrel-Shape) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The 3 New 2024 Decor Trends That The EHD Team Are Betting On

I know it can seem a little mysterious how people, designers, and publications “call trends”. HOW DO THEY KNOW?? Well, first off these “calls” are mostly just educated guesses and the education part is because we are filling our eyeballs with design content every day. So naturally we can see things start to pop up and patterns start. It’s pretty fun and always interesting because sometimes I’m really excited and onboard and other times I’m less on-board and more, um, intrigued. So today, I’m going to talk about three trends that I’ve recently clocked that the team and I think are on their way to full trend status. Now this doesn’t mean any of you have to jump on the bandwagon! This post is just meant to let you in on the ground floor of what we think are going to be bigger trends this year! Let’s begin.

Trend #1: Statement Shower Curtains

A fun and very approachable trend! Within the same week, I saw these two posts pop up on my Instagram. I was swooning and they quickly made me rethink my shower curtain for my bathroom design.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DABITO (@dabito)

I love how Dabito decided to use two patterned curtain panels up to the ceiling of this bathroom instead of one to the side. The height of the ceilings definitely adds some beautiful drama but the fringe at the top also really brings your eye up. But more than anything the double panel look really frames the tub area perfectly and just elevates the whole space.

design by orlando soria | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: dreams do come true! the londo lodge is now a vacation rental (see all of the fun new updates + tips on renovating with a small budget…)

Orlando did the same thing at the Londo Lodge and it also makes the whole bathroom look so much cooler! What a fun trend that nearly any of us with this kind of shower/tub setup can do. As long as you have a shower liner, you can use nearly any curtain panel. Go for it:)

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A post shared by Colours of Arley (@coloursofarley)

Now this one isn’t the double panel look but it is an INSANELY cool shower curtain. The stripes, the ruffles, it’s such an easy pattern statement to make. This will likely be where I am headed since I don’t have the setup for the other look.

So all this to say, we think you can expect people to start playing more with their shower curtains because why not? It’s a low-risk, high-reward statement that can easily be changed if you want to change up style. 10.10

Trend #2: 3-D Wall Art Installations

Now this was another one that all of a sudden I saw like three posts in different styles pop up on my feed. Historically, when I thought of 3-D wall art I would think of my dad putting up iron swallows on his brick wall in his old NYC apartment. You know like the swallows were just flying by on their way back to good ole San Juan Capistrano:) Did I love them? No. But he did so that’s all that mattered. But then Heidi Caillier did this…

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A post shared by Heidi Caillier (@heidicaillierdesign)

Ok Heidi, you have my attention. This is pretty darn whimsical and I am here for it. I think the sheer number of flowers really helps make this as astounding as it is. Plus, while I’ll never not love a gallery wall or a beautifully framed piece of art, mixing it up with a beautiful installation like this is pretty great.

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A post shared by Dwell (@dwellmagazine)

For this one, I think you’ll need to scroll to the second photo. See all those butterflies! A totally different style of home but the same sort of idea all within a week or so of each other. It felt wild to see them come up so close together which is why I had to mention it. It’s the chicest version of 3D art out there. Then as I was writing this post, I realized I’m planning on doing a version of this in my bedroom so I guess it really is in the design zeitgiest! Only time will tell.

Trend #3: Light Blue??

This one Caitlin yelled “YES!” when I proposed it as a trend which made me even more confident.

left: photo by sara ligorria-tramp, from: portland project laundry room reveal | right: photo by kaitlin green, from: farmhouse mudroom reveal

As you likely know, Emily is no stranger to light blue…well all blues. She’s used it a bunch but maybe most notably in the Portland Project Laundry Room and her farmhouse mudroom. She loves that pale blue soooo much! But the light blue that we think is going to hit is a bit more saturated. Let me show you.

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A post shared by Tyler Mitchell (@tylersphotos)

This home tour has been one of my favorites so far this year. It’s romantic and old yet fresh. That bright light blue they used throughout has a lot to do with that fact, don’t you think?? This would have never been a color I would have been drawn to in fear of it looking too “young” (?) but the way they contrasted it with their antique furnishing makes my eyes very happy.

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A post shared by Architectural Digest (@archdigest)

But you don’t need to contrast the way that the previous couple did. This kitchen is calm, happy, and a touch outside of neutral. The blue cabinets are a little unexpected but so perfect. It’s a nice change from sage green (although I still love green as a cabinet color choice:))

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A post shared by Carmen Smith | Aquilo Interiors (@aquilointeriors)

If you stroll over a few photos you’ll see a slightly more dusty light blue on the ceiling. I am obsessed and have actally been thinking of doing this in my bathroom! Carmen Smith of Aquilo Interiors recently designed producer, director, and showrunner, Prentice Penny, and his wife’s home. It’s a beautiful explosion of color and pattern but that blue ceiling might be my favorite.

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A post shared by Architectural Digest (@archdigest)

Last but not least is Bryce Howard’s newly finished New York home. Light blue is a main feature! It clearly adds the cozy sweetness Bryce was after. She wanted a ” Wes Anderson directs a Jane Austen film” style and I can’t image a better way to describe this home:)

I also love that when used well, light blue is always going to look awesome. It might be more in style than it has been but it’s also never going anywhere. 10/10!

So what do you think?? Have you been noticing these trends popping up too? I have a few more that I have my eye on so if you like this post I can do another one when I feel more confident.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Farmhouse Mudroom Reveal

The post The 3 New 2024 Decor Trends That The EHD Team Are Betting On appeared first on Emily Henderson.

4 Things I Wish I’d Considered Before Wallpapering My Whole Home

Hello, it’s me – the lunatic who spent thousands of dollars wallpapering her rental apartment. (The full cost breakdown from 2021 is here, in case you’re interested.) Do I regret it? No! But I also wallpapered each space without a corresponding design plan, which did also create a few unintentional challenges – for a hobby designer like me, at least – so today, I’d like to walk you through what I did right, what I did wrong, and a few tips that I’ll be keeping in mind for any future wallpaper projects. I lived it, I learned it, and now I hope I can help you make the perfect wallpaper choice for your home!

Tip 1: They Say To Start Small – They’re Right!design by caitlin higgins | styled by emily bowser | photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: caitlin’s bathroom reveal

Spoiler: Clichés? They’re cliché for a reason. So the classic wallpaper advice we’ve all grown up with – try it in a powder room! Test it in a closet! Throw it in a space you’re using relatively infrequently! – is TOTALLY CORRECT. If this is your first foray into wallpaper, testing it out in a smaller space is a GREAT call. Will you get sick of seeing the same thing every day? Can you commit to looking at a pattern for years? Find out before you slather your walls in paste and paper!

I wallpapered my bathroom first, and it was a great way to gauge my tolerance – I learned that I can handle an “out-there” pattern, I love a graphic print, and I was also awed by its transformational powers! (Who knew that gluing some stuff to the wall would totally change how I felt about my home?) But if I hadn’t liked it, I still would have been totally fine – I’m not spending 8 hours every day in here. It was a functional space before, and it would have been a functional space after. No harm, no foul! (PS. For what it’s worth, it’s been 3 years and we have no peeling, bubbling, or humidity issues in this bathroom! I open the window and my door when I shower and it’s been totally fine. But I also worked with an incredible installer who took some extra steps, like sanding the walls, so keep that in mind if you’re also eyeing a bathroom!)

What To Think About: If you can shut the door to not have to look at your paper 24/7, go wild! But if you’re working with a more open-concept space, read on.

Tip 2: Keep Your Home Saturation Consistentdesigns by caitlin higgins | styled by emily bowser | photos by sara ligorria-tramp | left from: caitlin’s bathroom reveal | from: caitlin’s long, dark hallway makeover

This is the one thing that I think I’ve done right (as seen above) and wrong (we’ll get there in a minute!). But first, as a refresher: I live in a long, railroad-style one-bedroom apartment with all of my important spaces located off of one VERY long, and VERY dark hallway.

When I decided to go crazy with the wallpaper, I chose the patterns that I would most enjoy in each room…and to that end, I knocked it out of the park! I still love every selection. Buuuuut I also forgot that I live in a home, not in a discrete series of photos on the internet, and I was left reeling as I tried to figure out how to create a more cohesive sense of flow.

So I just went for it: I slathered the hallway – ceilings and all! – in this rich, green-gray paint from Sherwin-Williams. It wasn’t a perfect color match for any of the papers I’d selected – not that they even shared any similar colors, ha – but it had enough visual weight and depth to balance out each of the strong, bold patterns.

design by caitlin higgins | styled by emily bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: caitlin’s living room reveal

And that’s what I think I got wrong in my living room. I played it too safe! I thought that going a bit more neutral in this room would let those patterns shine, but instead, it feels a little off-balance to me. When I look back into the dining room and kitchen, I’m so excited and energized by the pattern – it feels like me! But I held back a bit in the living room and I think it falls a little flat. If you’re gonna go for it, you REALLY gotta go for it, you know?

There’s hope, though! My boyfriend, Dennis, is moving in later this spring, so we’ve been working on some updates – desk space for both of us, a sectional that we can sprawl on, all that jazz – and I’m so excited to take another stab at making the living room feel like it speaks to the dining room AND kitchen. I’ve realized that those walls draw a lot of attention, so it’s okay to bring in some more colorful or denser pieces! Before, I’d assume they’d be competing with those patterns – but now, I know that a punchier living room will help my entire home feel more harmonious.

What To Think About: What sort of visual weight does your home have? If your furniture is on the leggy, airy side, you might want to consider a wallpaper that’s a bit quieter. If you’re drawn to large, statement-making pieces, you can probably pull off a busier, bolder print! It’s like that old What Not to Wear adage – it doesn’t have to match, but it has to go. You want your wallpaper to blend in with your home, not to be the only thing people notice when they walk into a room.

Tip 3: Remember The Repeat Sizeleft: photo by tessa neustadt, from: birdie’s nursery reveal | right: design by julie rose for ehd, styled by emily bowser, photo by sara ligorria-tramp, from: a dark attic becomes the most joyful bedroom for three kids

This one should seem obvious, but it’s often forgotten: if you have a big space, consider opting for a wallpaper with a bigger repeat! The two (very sweet) rooms above are pretty large, so Emily and our team opted for mural-style wallpapers which keeps your eye bouncing around.

left: photo by kaitlin green, from: a beautiful bedroom makeover reveal for my friend | right: design by caitlin higgins | styled by emily bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: caitlin’s balcony reveal

But like most design “rules,” there are exceptions. On the left, this botanical wallpaper is desaturated and quiet – the small repeat still feels calming and refined. Now, imagine if the wallpaper on the right was scaled down to a similar size. It’d be WAY too busy and chaotic, right? You’d probably be begging for it to end! When it comes to design, scale really IS everything.

What To Think About: Hang your wallpaper sample up on the furthest wall and give it a good look. Can you still see all the detail or color that drew you to this paper in the first place? When you look at the wallpaper’s product rendering online, do any jarring patterns or lines emerge in the negative space? It’s hard to go too big, but you can DEFINITELY go too small.

Tip 4: Keep It Simple To Allow For Future Changesphoto by kaitlin green | from: the case for the quiet neutral wallpapers

I’ll be real: I’m jealous of Em’s ticking stripe wallpaper! Because she picked this timeless, almost-neutral print, she’ll easily be able to swap art around, try out new color schemes, and play with her design. I didn’t even consider a simpler pattern in my home, but it’s meant that choosing art, furniture, and accessories is WAY more difficult than I’d anticipated. (“Duh,” said everyone.)

photo by kaitlin green | from: the case for the quiet neutral wallpapers

I love that Em’s ticking stripe still adds depth and interest and pattern, but it’s also an AWESOME backdrop for whatever she wants her home to look like! In my home, the wallpaper will continue to dictate the design for the remainder of my tenancy. But in Em’s home, she’s the boss.

I’ll be real: when I move into a new spot, I’ll absolutely be wallpapering again – but I’ll be leaving the loud prints for rooms with closed doors and the timeless patterns for the main areas. That said, I’ll only be in my thirties in LA once, and I’m SO GLAD that I really went for it this time around. I’ll always remember this little funhouse apartment SO fondly, and that’s because it’s color-drenched and cheery.

What To Think About: What kind of designer are you? Are you constantly swapping art and accessories, or are you more of an “it’s finished, and I’m not touching it again for a long time” type? If you love to shake it up, consider a more neutral backdrop. If you’re a one-and-done type, consider going for something a little bolder! In my case, I think I’ll be eyeing something more quiet and tonal – I still want color and pattern, but I think it’d be easier to change things up frequently when I have a little less color and pattern.

Tip 5: You Can’t Go Wrong With A Classicleft: photo by kaitlin green, from: farmhouse entry reveal | middle: photo by sara ligorria-tramp, from: portland project media room reveal | right: photo by sara ligorria-tramp, from: sara’s kid/guest bathroom reveal

What do these three spaces have in common? They’re all using an iconic pattern! The added bonus? If you’re ever in a design rut, you can search for TONS of great inspiration on Pinterest. Take a peek at your own boards – have you pinned the same wallpaper several times? Are designers using it in different spaces and in different ways? If so, you may have just found your next new wallcovering!

What To Think About: What kind of classic are you? Are you a Martinique, a la Blanche Devereaux? Are you a Raphael, like Emily and Sarah above? There are tons of classic prints out there that fit each architectural and design style – and you know they’re good because we’ve been raving about them for decades!

Well…I hope that helps a bit! (And if you’re on the hunt for any more wallpaper inspiration, I pin a ton of awesome spaces – from all styles and eras! – on this catch-all Pinterest board.) Please drop any questions or tips in the comments – I’d love to hear what you think, too. LET’S CHAT? xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Caitlin Higgins (me!) | Styled by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: The Reveal We’ve All Been Waiting For! Caitlin’s Mostly Thrifted, Postmodern Regency Deco Living Room

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12 “Modern” Chairs That Look Good With Antique Dining Tables

I’m helping two of my best friends decorate their new homes and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to use my time/talents/connections to relieve their stress and help them love their homes more. I guess thirty years of extremely close friendship warrants some perks:) And because we are all busy moms with demanding jobs, this is a guaranteed way to be able to see them frequently. So today I’ll show you R’s dining room highlighting the only piece of furniture that I think we are keeping (all the rest were starter pieces that she is ready to part with after a decade – please note the sun damage stripe on the back of that sofa – isn’t that nuts!!!!??!). Her dining table is a family heirloom and we really love it but the chairs she had were really lightweight and felt cheap/old (while admittedly they didn’t look bad). I ended up pitching this whole project to Rejuvenation and the plan for it looks so perfect for them I can’t even tell you. Here you’ll see some that we played with.

To be honest many of these are above our budget and some just aren’t going to be right for the rest of the design, but I figured I’d show you all the ones I pinned and talk through why.

Monte Ivory Performance Fabric Dining Chair

Monte Ivory Performance Fabric Dining Chair

Ugh, I love this chair. It felt a bit delicate to them and the shape at the top might be too trendy but the undertones of the wood worked well with the table. But hot tip – performance fabric doesn’t mean that they can’t get dirty, just means that when they do they are easier to clean (so to be clear – you still have to really keep white furniture clean). This was a no-go for their family (two boys and a dog).

Zoey Caned Armless Dining Chair

Zoey Caned Armless Dining Chair

This is a solid choice – I love the simplicity of the lines of the legs against the turned table legs. And the mix of materials is really nice.

Molina Dining Chair

Molina Dining Chair (Set of 2)

This chair is def on the hyper-traditional side (feels very 1940s) but those lines are so pretty and classic.

Dalton Leather and Cane Dining Chair

Dalton Leather and Cane Dining Chair

Again, above our budget this time (when you times it by 6 it’s like GEESH), but I think that leather and the caning is so lovely. I think that it might actually be too busy and a simpler chair would let the lines of the table stand out.

Easton Dining Chair

Easton Dining Chair

I’ve GOT to use this chair somewhere – incredible. Out of our budget here but my goodness it’s awesome.

Ambrogio Dining Chair

Ambrogio Dining Chair

I mean, the joinery on this one… so simple and pretty. We might actually use this in a different project stay tuned.

Biscoe Wood Dining Chair

Biscoe Wood Dining Chair

We shopped for more budget options and Studio McGee/Target is killing it. I want to see one of these in person to better understand the scale (again, three big boys in this family).

Lana Curved Back Dining Chair

Lana Curved Back Dining Chair

Another great and affordable Target option. The lines are simple but elegant. Comes in black too which I might prefer.

Enzo Solid Oak Wood Dining Chair

Enzo Solid Oak Wood Dining Chair

My SIL just bought these for their house that is super high-end, and these (very affordable) look so good in there. They look far more expensive than they are and are super comfy and classic. Pottery Barn also has a version that is much more expensive but looks very similar.

Sandia Leather Dining Chair

Sandia Leather Dining Chair

I LOVE these chairs. They seem like a modern version of a cozy pub or library chair.

Ida Dining Chair

Ida Dining Chair

Now these might be too simple for you, but remember that the rest of the room isn’t designed yet and we are likely putting a wallpaper, and adding darker paint. So the room will have a lot more going on and thus the dining chairs (at least the side chairs) could be simpler.

Byers Arm Chair

Byers Arm Chair

This is a solid contender because not only is it beautiful but we sat on them and they were a really good size, super ergonomic, and substantial. Plus the curve is pretty and will stick out a little bit – enough to see it, but not so much that it obstructs walking.

More to come on this project. I’ve been soooo busy (lots of trips) and very busy in life, so hopefully you’ll see more of this very very very very soon. xx

The post 12 “Modern” Chairs That Look Good With Antique Dining Tables appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Bedroom Challenge Update: The Search For Jess’ Vintage Nightstands (Her Craigslist Tips & The Ones She Got!!)

It’s always something right?? That one piece of furniture or decor you search and search for, wondering if what you want is somehow the only thing on this planet not available for purchase…or in your not small but not unlimited price range. In my last apartment, it was a smallish black metal coffee table that was tall enough to nest above my beloved dark blue velvet pouf. I kept exclaiming, “I NEVER WANT TO LOOK AT A COFFEE TABLE EVER AGAIN!!” Then, as my head was actually about to explode and was ready to admit defeat, I found her. This is the closest thing to childbirth (or dating someone who doesn’t live in LA) I’ve experienced. Ha. I’ll say, “Never again!” and then I move apartments and sure enough I’m searching for a new coffee table again or in this case…a vintage nightstand that needs to meet A LOT of requirements both stylistically and functionally. I’ll get into those later.

design by jess bunge | styled by emily bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: the feel-good modern romantic bedroom makeover jess did for her dear friend (all thanks to the company store)

I might have been a little naive in my vintage nightstand search. While I was designing my friend’s/upstairs neighbor’s bedroom of two years ago, I think I found those vintage nightstands within the first week! But two things were different. #1: The style of nightstands we were going for, “antique”, are far easier to come by on places like Craigslist and in my anecdotal experience, are also very reasonably priced. #2: They didn’t have to match. If we had found a set that would’ve been great, but we loved that $50 round one instantly so we decided to just find another one that could work with it. Success! The wood tones and small scallop details made them feel like they lived in the same world. Check and check.

Now, my search wasn’t so quick and easy. Why? Well, your dear friend Jess only falls for things that are either too expensive, exist primarily abroad, are impossible to find, or are usually a mix of all three. It’s very cool…SYKE!

Enter these midcentury modern Italian bedside tables. So while they were only $400 for the pair (I know that’s still a lot of money), they lived in Italy meaning it would cost at least $800 to ship. Yes, they were going to cost a minimum of $1,200. Now, you bet I thought about it for a second but then quickly reminded myself that it would be wildly irresponsible. Then luckily (but devastatingly) they sold a couple of weeks after I saw them. I might have to move to Italy soon because their MCM furniture and lighting make my eyes weep and my heart sing.

Ok, so after seeing these here were my nightstand wishlist requirements:

Vintage (duh)A lighter burlwood toneHas storageTall-ish legsPatina’d brass hardware (but could swap those in if needed)A max of 18″ deep and no more than 28″ wide (but those are pushing it)

Here are a few other dreamy ones that I couldn’t afford but loved:

Mid-Century Italian Maple Nightstands

My god these were beautiful. I was obsessed with the legs, the wood was perfect, the size was awesome and it had a drawer. But they, of course, lived in Italy. Goodbye, darlings!

Italian Mid-Century Modern Walnut Nightstands | 1950s Mid Century Design Nightstands

Now these don’t pass the woodtone test (and only one was burlwood or looked like it) but I thought they were really special! I preferred the ones on the left but they were over $2k and lived in Romania. The shipping though is only $300! What a deal:)

My Craigslist Tips

To a lot of you, this next section about Craigslist might be old news. But in case it isn’t, I hope this is helpful!

In my opinion, these tips are most effective if you are searching for something(s) specific, daily. Which I’d recommend if you are under a deadline or just want that item ASAP:) Here is what I did:

Customize your location radius! That’s right, you don’t have to only choose the preset locations. So instead of picking “Los Angeles” for your area and then needing to change it to “Orange County” to see what’s for sale there, you click on the location name and zoom in or out depending on how far you are willing to travel. As you can see I chose a BIG radius since my dad lives in northern California and was willing to help his daughter out. I don’t deserve him.Then on the sidebar select – “has image” + “posted today” + “hide duplicates”. Choose the “newest” order option so that you don’t miss the new items as you refresh throughout the day:)Check both of the “antiques” and “furniture” categories. Your settings will be saved as you switch back and forth so you don’t have to worry about needing to reselect anything. DON’T CLOSE THE WINDOW! Just minimize it so all of your settings are saved and all you have to do is hit refresh whenever you want to see what’s new.

I also used Facebook Marketplace but that interface is NOT my favorite (they do have pretty great stuff though), but Caitlin also wrote an INCREDIBLE post about all of her tips for all reselling sites so make sure to read that too. Shall we see what I was looking at and considering??

Your eyes don’t deceive you. These nightstands didn’t cross off ANY of my previously stated requirements aside from the fact that it’s vintage and has storage. But look, when searching for vintage I like to keep a really open mind which you will continue to see. I would hate not to find something amazing and unique because I was only searching “Burlwood nightstands”. With that in mind, I was obsessed with the line pattern on the top and the two-toned stain look. Oh and can you stand that price?! However, they were HUGE – 28″x28″ which I knew was going to be too much for my space. Plus, it was a big drive which would have added almost another $100 in gas to the price tag (which wasn’t a big deal but added to the con list). I’m pretty sure someone bought them and sold them for double in San Diego (Craigslist told me:)) but I guess you gotta make up for that gas money. I just hope whoever got them, loves them because they are so awesome.

These were a FBMP find that I really loved (the wood grain and cool knobs!!) but as you can see the price tag was hefty. I could have potentially haggled down a little but even $200 was more than I wanted to spend. They are very special and MCM…but not Italian so the search continued:)

Before I saw the price tag I was intrigued! A round shape could’ve been fun and y’all know I love a circle pattern. Also, how cute are those keys?! But the size was too big and I didn’t love them enough to more than double my budget. I see that they found a home though.

Do I Go New??

At this point, it had been at least a couple of weeks (My nightstand search was well underway before our challenge announcement post, FYI), so I started to look at new nightstands. Sure, I wanted that “vintage soul” accent but I also have a deep love and appreciation for new design! Here were some of my favorites:

Brady Nightstand | Gavin 2-Drawer Oak Wood Nightstands | Andora 2-Drawer Wood Nightstand

The Brady Nightstand was by far my #1. Katy Skelton can do no wrong in my book (Emily was, of course, the one to introduce her to me since she’s been a fan forever). So while this vision of a nightstand was on my list, that darker wood tone was too similar to my wood floors and for it to not have its moment would be a disservice. Plus, this piece is rightfully not inexpensive and asking for two didn’t feel right. The other two are also dark-toned but I loved their shapes and MCM vibe. Just not right for this bedroom.

Otelia Nightstand | Stivale 2-Drawer Oak Nightstand | Sutton 2-Drawer White Oak Wood Nightstand

So lighter I went. That Sarah Sherman Samuel nightstand on the far left is so stunning! Stunning and quite large so sadly also not a fit. Then the middle one was another that heavily piqued my interest. It’s modern MCM in the best way, has great storage, and I adore the darker base. Was definitely a contender. The last one on the right had me with the shape but felt a little too casual (??) and was on the bigger side.

DID I FIND THEM???

As I was contemplating going “new,” I was still feverishly checking Craigslist and FBMP daily (and throughout the day). Y’all, don’t let anyone tell you searching for a special vintage piece isn’t work/time-consuming. Look, it’s obviously not a bad way to spend your time but it’s so easy to get discouraged after days and weeks of looking at nearly the same pieces you don’t want. But then one day you see something good!

OK! Here we go. I HEAVILY considered these. So much so that I send the seller an offer. They were originally $650 and I asked for a lower price. I thought, “Hey! who knows?!” Understandably, he wanted to wait since they had only been on FBMP for about a day I think? About six days later he dropped the price to $595 but I still wanted to hold out. Why do you ask? Well, the darker-toned wood being that prominent had me a little worried. I also wasn’t in love with those handles and wanted to change them (don’t be mad at me!!). I wanted to wait for at least $550 but that never happened and they sold. Panic set in a little because there were so few options I really loved. Did I let “the ones” go?!?! I reminded myself that if they were meant for me I would’ve gotten them. This is a mantra I say to myself often (but is not always easy to accept:)).

The search continued…

I definitely liked these a lot because of the wood and brass accents but they were too boxy. I wanted some roundness.

These had a bit more “shape personality” and the price was right! However, they were too dark, needed work, and just didn’t feel right.

For a split second, I considered these. I had some ideas to customize them a bit and for $50 I was willing. But when I showed them to Julie she rightfully told me to keep looking. Y’all I was getting so tired and just wanted to get something! Not a great place to be in when you can’t return what you buy.

These were the only other ones I truly considered because they were beautiful and at a great price. I also loved the brass-capped feet! But I kept holding off and boy am I glad I did. Drumroll, please…

THE WINNERS

TADA!!! These beauties were it. I hesitated a little since they are visually on the heavier side (aka no legs) but the burl was the perfect tone, they have fun details, patina’d brass accents, SO much storage (more than I actually know what to do with), and were a 12-minute drive from my apartment. I, of course, consulted my vintage gal Caitlin to confirm they were a good buy. Also, the man who sold them to me could not have been nicer and kindly knocked off $50 to help with my budget. Look who’s keeping that credit card in her wallet and not shipping Italian furniture across the world:) Also, HUGE shoutout to Julie (for anyone newish around here she’s an EHD alum designer that is also my very close friend) who not only drove me (my car was full of clothes I need to sell/donate) but also helped me bring them up to my bedroom. She is one of my design confidants and most, if not all, of my personal designs go through her. THANK YOU, JULIE!!!!

So with this big purchase crossed off my todo list, here is an updated mood board:

See, perfect! Ready for a sneak peek????

I am so happy. I know the lamp is small but I did a little styling after I took this photo and I think they are going to work great:. So now, after 10+ years of not having nightstands (that’s a true statement and a long story), I have these dreamy vintage ones. Your move Higgins;)

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | Creative Direction by Emily Henderson | Design and Styling by Emily Bowser | From: New Reveal: This Organic, Punchy Bedroom Might Be Our New Favorite Makeover

The post Bedroom Challenge Update: The Search For Jess’ Vintage Nightstands (Her Craigslist Tips & The Ones She Got!!) appeared first on Emily Henderson.