Emily Henderson's Blog, page 92

April 8, 2023

Leggings Review: In Search Of The Perfect Leggings That Won’t Slip Down

I fear that I may be asking too much of the humble legging. I want them to be comfortable enough that I can wear them all day, and I desperately want them to not slip down while I am exercising. You know when you are in downward dog and notice your leggings have gone from high-wasited to low rise? It’s a maddening phenomenon so I decided to do research to see if the perfect leggings I have in my head actually exist. Over the past few months I have tried countless leggings, kissed many frogs, and have now procured a solid collection of leggings I love and wear often. So since I have several pairs that are regularly in rotation, I figured I would review them in case anyone out there is looking for solid everyday leggings that won’t slip down. Full transparency: I am a size 12/14 which I think informs how I reviewed them (AKA I am curvy so I want leggings that are high-waisted and hug my curves). Shall we begin?

Vuori Clean Elevation Legging

Price: $98
Size Range: XXS-XXL
Size worn/True to Size? L/Yes
Comfort score: 9.5
Will they slip down during a workout? Yes.
Verdict: When I first put these on my body I never wanted to take them off. I was really rooting for these but due to the fabric being so lightweight and stretchy, they will easily slip down. I wore them on a walk recently and literally had to pull them up every few steps which really bummed me out. I still wear them often though, because the fabric is so buttery and comfortable. They are really cozy lifestyle leggings but I think I am going to try their Evolve legging next to see if they hold their integrity longer.

Alo 7/8 High Waist Airbrush Leggings

Price: $98
Size Range: XXS-L
Size worn/True to size? L/Yes
Comfort score: 8
Will they slip down during a workout? It depends.
Verdict: These are GREAT. They are extremely high-waisted and they have a nice, thick material that feels good and keeps you feeling tucked in and supported. Immediately after a wash, they are perfect and will stay up. After a day of wearing them though, they will lose their integrity and if I wear them multiple times, I do find myself pulling them up a lot. That said, I find myself wanting to wear these for workouts more than most of my other leggings because of the thick, supportive fabric and high waist. I have to knock points for them not being very size-inclusive, though.

Alo Ribbed High Waist 7/8 Blissful Leggings

Price: $98
Size Range: XXS-L
Comfort score: 8.5
Size worn/True to size? L/Yes
Will they slip down during a workout? No (but there’s a catch).
Verdict: I LOVE these. They are more of a lounging legging because they are made from ribbed cotton material but the elastic waistband makes it so they don’t slip down at all. However, since the fabric is not a performance material, these are not really made to work out in and I think if you sweat in them, sweat marks might show. These are amazing for walks and light yoga and I find myself wishing I had more pairs all the time! (But again, really bummed Alo doesn’t offer more inclusive sizing – I wear a size L and thankfully they have a lot of stretch).

Lululemon Fast and Free High-Rise Tight 25″

Price: $128
Size Range: 0-20
Size worn/True to size? 12/14 / Sort of
Comfort score: 6
Will they slip down during a workout? It depends.
Verdict: When I was expressing my legging woes to the team, Mal suggested I try these. They are her favorite and I can see why they are so popular. However, I am really really not a fan of thin “tech” fabric because I find it uncomfortable and less supportive. Also, I don’t think these are high-waisted enough for curvy body types like myself (I tried sizes 12-16 and none fit me correctly). I spent about an hour in the dressing room trying on different sizes and squatting/walking around to see if they would slip down and for me, they would. I didn’t end up buying them because they truthfully did not feel good on me. I talked to other people who have these though and they don’t feel like they slip down at all (it’s possible I am in between sizes OR these are not the best for curves).

Lululemon Align™ High-Rise Pant 28″

Price: $98
Size Range: 0-20
Comfort score: 6
Size worn/True to size? 12/14 / Sort of
Will they slip down during a workout? It depends.
Verdict: I feel very similar about these as the ‘Fast and Free’ leggings above. I think they could be more high-waisted and they did slip down on me (and gave me an unfortunate camel toe). I personally prefer a thicker more supportive fabric but again, I think the slipping down conundrum is due to having curves. Full disclosure: I bought these online and ended up returning them.

Nike Women’s Gentle-Support High-Waisted 7/8 Leggings

Price: $100
Size Range: XXS-XXL
Size worn/True to size? L/Yes
Comfort score: 7.5
Will they slip down during a workout? Yes.
Verdict: I have had these for years and love how high-waisted they are. The fabric is a thin performance material that is soft and comfortable, but because of the thin material, the top will often roll down during a workout. I love how comfortable they are though and will wear them on walks with no issues.

TnaBUTTER™ Atmosphere Super Hi-Rise Legging

Price: $68
Size Range: XXS-XXL
Comfort score: 8.5
Size worn/True to size? L/Yes
Will they slip down during a workout? It depends.
Verdict: I really love these. They are great quality for the price and so comfortable that you sometimes forget you are wearing pants at all. The fabric is thin but so soft and the thick waistband makes you feel very supported. They are also extremely high-waisted which I love. When I got them I was impressed with how well they stayed up, but after a while they started to slip down more and more (a common thing that happens with most leggings). Overall these are great for light workouts but I love them for everyday wear.

TnaLIFE™ Cheeky Hi-Rise Legging

Price: $68
Size Range: XXS-XXL
Comfort score: 8.5
Size worn/True to size? L/Yes
Will they slip down during a workout? It depends.
Verdict: Similar to the pair above, these are great when you first put them on after a wash. They are extremely high-waisted which I love so there is room for them to slip down a bit without it being annoying.

Gymshark Flex High Waisted Leggings

Price: $50
Size Range: XS-XXL
Comfort score: 6
Size worn/True to size? L/Yes
Will they slip down during a vigorous workout? No.
Verdict: As the name suggests, these are built for the gym. These are going to stay put for an entire workout, full stop. They have a thick waistband that compresses your waist and makes you feel super supported. They are not my favorite because I don’t love the look of them (I have them in grey but would prefer them in black) but as far as not slipping down, these are a clear winner.

That’s all from me! I hope this helped anyone who needed it and PLEASE drop your legging recommendations down below. Thanks for stopping by and happy Saturday! xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: My Winter Workout Gear – What I’m Wearing And Loving Both Indoors And Out When It’s Chilly (And Even Free zing)

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Published on April 08, 2023 01:00

April 7, 2023

My Journey To FINALLY Choose A Wall Color For Our Living Room (And How I Feel Now That It’s Painted)

As you know this room is my problem child – so much potential and I can really love the great qualities about it, but I’ve been stumped with how to handle it. It’s coming along now (as you can see at the end) but it took a lot of indecision to get to the point where I felt 65% sure that I wanted to paint the drywall – a percentage I wish were higher, but I just went ahead and did it. But before that, I had Misty photoshop some options for the walls to see if that could help my decision process and it did. I didn’t like any of the ideas that I had, so there’s that! Here we go:

This is where the room was when we sent it to Misty (now realizing she should have done it off the first photo when the walls were bare – sorry Misty!). You can see the room coming along, but the walls felt unfinished and the wood jams and sashes bothered me but I had NO CLEAR SOLUTION.

The three biggest challenges:

The Paneling and Trimwork. The paneling was painted a very cool white in semi-gloss and repainting it requires a 3-day paint job where the room has to be emptied and sprayed because the paneling can’t be rolled (well it can, but it will look better if its sprayed evenly). I kinda backed myself into this corner on accident, with way less flexibility. This is doable but expensive and extremely disruptive. And then change it to what? Even if I could snap my fingers I didn’t know what the right color would be. The Drywall is so broken up. As you can see there are so many doorways, windows, etc., so painting the drywall something darker would make the room so choppy and busy. So we needed lighter… Fine, but choosing the right light tone I find to be much harder than dark because it’s harder to get a sense of the tone from a sample. And boy did I try out a billion samples. The paint color shouldn’t compete with and should enhance the kitchen tile.

So we tried some options:

Neutral Wallpaper

I love the Sandberg Rafael white wallpaper so much – just a few tones of white (one that matches our cooler white). But when Misty photoshopped it in here (granted renderings are hard) it was certainly not a hell yes. But then I thought that maybe it’s the wood of the windows that pops too much for me and throws everything off balance (this is still a current running theory).

Neutral Wallpaper With White Painted Windows

Now painting these white oak windows is NOT IDEAL and would take me being 95% sure it’s the right decision. But seeing it photoshopped the same as the trim color is something I do really like. Brian and other people don’t agree so I’m not doing it anytime soon, but to me, it makes the room way less busy so that you can focus on the real moments – the ceiling, the fireplace, and the big wood doors (that we wouldn’t paint). But y’all, once painted you can NOT go back. In this one Misty also made the mantel wood – which I like but don’t love (not sure why).

Light Blue Wallpaper And Trim

Linen Wallpaper

This was meant to be a fabric wallpaper/texture and have the trim match it completely. We tried to make this work really hard – using the Ashley Stark fabric wallcoverings. Again, just a texture (it looks like a pattern up there). Ultimately we worried that the tones of the fabric which you can see here (stone and pebble) might have been a little gray for this room.

Neutral Walls

This was a neutral I thought I liked (to add warmth) but uh, no.

Bold(er) Pink

We have a lot of blue and green (and more green coming) so I thought maybe a pink on the walls would be nice to see. Nope!

Pale Pink

Still nope! Perfect for Easter!

Pale Pink And Trim

But here it is with the windows painted out the same pink (which I still prefer than the wood when you look at the overall room).

What We Painted – Where We Are This Week

Paint Color

So when we were gone for Spring Break we had the drywall painted Mantra SW 9631 by Sherwin –Williams. It was a last-minute decision but I felt 85% good about the sample and since the drywall was just a few hundred dollars, took one day, and didn’t require spraying (so we didn’t have to unload the room) I said, “let’s just do it”. I came back and was so pleasantly surprised. It’s a happy extremely pale light tone of blue, with some green in it. We were worried about going too gray as to look sad in Portland but it’s such a pretty color. Am I 100% sure that it works? Nope! But I’m moving forward with the other elements that are happening. We have bought this sofa, and am planning on cafe curtains on the deep sills, big curtains on the big doors (maybe), and still considering upgrading the mantel to something warmer (or even still painting the brick). So I would say I’m 70% happy with this color and have no idea how it could be better. I still kinda want to paint the wood of the windows, but last week I played with a piece of sheer white fabric as a cafe curtain and think that might help a lot. I’m going to try everything I can before we paint those windows, FYI. I think my biggest challenge is that the room looks more formal than I want it to be because of all my choices. The paneling in semi-gloss is kinda formal. The lights are very traditional and could be considered formal. And all the trimwork – molding and paneling give off this higher-end vibe, which is not a bad thing but it also reads more formal. But I’m embracing it and really feel hopeful that through furniture and decor, I can make it feel happy, beautiful, and more casual. But all in all, we love this pale color and I can’t wait to show you other angles of it (just need to shoot the dining nook before I can show you :))

More to come soon, but what do you think?

Resources:

Wood flooring: Oregon White Oak by Zena Flooring
Windows and Doors: White oak, Aspen Casement by Sierra Pacific Windows
Stairwell Color: Smoky Blue by Sherwin-Williams
Wall Color: Extra White by Sherwin-Williams

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

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Published on April 07, 2023 01:00

The Journey I Went On To FINALLY Pick A Wall Color For Our Living Room (And How I Feel Now That It’s Done)

The three biggest challenges:

So we tried some options:

Neutral Wallpaper

Neutral Wallpaper With White Painted Windows

Light Blue Wallpaper And Trim

Linen Wallpaper

Neutral Walls

This was a neutral I thought I liked (to add warmth) but uh, no.

Bold(er) Pink

We have a lot of blue and green (and more green coming) so I thought maybe a pink on the walls would be nice to see. Nope!

Pale Pink

Still nope! Perfect for Easter!

Pale Pink And Trim

But here it is with the windows painted out the same pink (which I still prefer than the wood when you look at the overall room).

What We Painted – Where We Are This Week

Paint Color

More to come soon, but what do you think?

Resources:

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

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Published on April 07, 2023 01:00

April 6, 2023

How To Layout A Bedroom For Optimal Rest: 5 EHD-Tested Layouts + Help Jess Choose Hers

As I’m wrapping up my living room design (it’s happening people!), my sights are heavily set on my bedroom. And as someone who has only designed one bedroom fully in her adult life, I am pretty pumped but also really want to get it right. Can you see me shrinking by the pressure I’m adding onto my shoulders?? Just kidding…sort of. So to kick things off, I need to solidify my layout. Doing that will help me come up with my desired furniture list and general size needs making everything easy to source..right? Now first I’m going to walk you through my bedroom and my personal layout options (or at least the one’s I like the most). Then after that, we are going to dive into our five “no-fail” layouts to help you figure out a bedroom layout if you are currently struggling. This way we can all help each other:) Sound fun? Cool.

So here is my bedroom before I moved in…

Above to the left is my “headboard wall” and just one of two walls my bed could be on. Then to our right is the other love of my life (my turret being #1) – my French window wall. These French doors lead out to my skinny balcony and bring in the prettiest, softest light.

When my cousin was staying with me she called it a princess room and to be honest I kinda feel like a princess when I’m in there (and that’s without it being designed!). Oh and don’t worry those blinds are long gone. I have temporary white curtains that are perfectly light filtering. I also have my little vintage chair from my last living room reveal in the corner. Remember that chair when I talk about the layout options:)

Now, this is the wall opposite my “headboard wall”. Since it has those two doors (one to my bathroom and the other to my closet) there’s not much you can do furniture-wise but a tall slim dresser in between the doors which I am highly considering.

I figured I’d give you a little furniture context and yes, I have been sleeping like this for 2.5 years. This is also a full-sized bed so I CAN’T wait to upgrade to a queen. Many have tried to tell me I’ll regret not getting a king but first I think it would take up too much space and not leave enough room for my nightstands (especially since on the window side I need to take the door’s ability to open into the room into account). Then on a sentimental note, my parents never had more than a queen because they never wanted to be that far from each other. I know that doesn’t work for every couple for a ton of different reasons but since it’s still just me and I like that idea, I’m sticking with a queen.

Here is the room without any furniture so you can see what the scope is. It’s almost a square with lots of doors and window doors.

To be honest, this is what I’m leaning towards. I haven’t had a dresser in years (at least seven) so I’m not desperate for one but having a slim tall one in between the closet and bathroom doors does sound handy (and could be very pretty:)). So aside from my little chair on the right, it’s simple, not crowded, and in my mind, peaceful. However…

…I do like the idea of a bench or two little ottomans at the end of my bed. The little chair is really just for decor at this point and isn’t something you want to sit on for any length of time. So having something at the end of the bed not only gives me a place to sit on that’s not my bed but also is another opportunity to have a pretty design moment. Beauty is “function” to me for my overall peace of mind. As silly as that sounds I’m not kidding.

The only other option I’d really consider is to get a low and long dresser for the wall opposite the window wall. While I’m sure it wouldn’t look bad, the small tall dresser looks like it’s more visually balanced with the other pieces that I also want. I originally made an option with both dressers but I really don’t need two dressers and it would simply be too much furniture for just me. Maybe if someday I’m sharing this apartment that may need to change but until then it’s one.

So what do y’all think? Do you agree with what I’m feeling? Bench or no bench? Let me know!

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)

Now that we’ve talked about me, let’s talk about you, shall we? Do you have a bedroom layout you are possibly overthinking?? Look, some rooms are HARD, with wild layout quirks so I don’t want to discount that. However, other times all it takes is someone showing you five great options with examples (of course) to help you make a decision so you can actually enjoy your room. The key to all of these is the “sq ft: furniture ratio”. You don’t want your room to feel empty but you also don’t want so much furniture that your mind can’t relax. If you are nervous about this, just start small and slowly add if need be. With that said here’s the first and grandest option (aka for a big bedroom):

This one was modeled after the Griffith Park bedroom. A layout like this one definitely requires more space but can easily be modified if you like the idea but can’t fit all nine pieces. For instance, you could take away one chair or the bench or both. You still get the vibe, the room is still balanced, and you keep all that great dresser storage. We really love the idea of mixing up dresser heights (one tall with one short and long), especially if they live on different walls. It will give your room more visual interest!

photo by tessa neustadt | from: the griffith park master bedroom reveal

photos by tessa neustadt | from: the griffith park master bedroom reveal

See the resemblance and how pretty it is all together??

Now onto the next and on the opposite end – one of the simplest (but equally as pretty):

As you will soon see, this is the layout Emily went for in their small primary bedroom in LA. It’s elegant, symmetrical (which we love when it comes to bedrooms), and perfect for a small space. Five pieces for a beautiful bedroom you can happily enjoy. Let’s see it in action below…

photo by veronica crawford | from: our bedroom update (also how i feel about having a tv in the bedroom)

Since there aren’t many pieces of furniture, you can play more with pattern and texture! Just remember to vary the pattern scales.

photo by veronica crawford | from: our bedroom update (also how i feel about having a tv in the bedroom)

Emily also added a little accent chair next to their dresser for an added special moment. So if you have a small chair you love see if it works next to your dresser.

Option Two (Without The Bench)

design by emily bowser | photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: moto reveal: emily bowser’s bedroom “after” is unrecognizable from the “before”

But what if your room doesn’t have room for an end-of-the-bed bench? No worries! Either get it out of there or if you’re like Bowser, you can stick it a l o n g a wall!

Next up is great for anyone but extra great for couples. Two dressers so no one is touching the other person’s stuff and it’s symmetrical?? What a dream! The size of the dressers can even vary from each other if that’s something you’d like. Check out how Em did it in their Glendale primary bedroom:

photo by tessa neustadt | from: our master bedroom – finally

Ok, we’ll start with this shot because it’s perfect. I’ve always loved this room. Oh, and can you tell we reallllly love end-of-bed benches?? Use whenever possible:)

photo by tessa neustadt | from: our master bedroom – finally

Now we’re talking. Em used two different dressers in size and style but since the materials were similar (white and brass) they totally worked together! Technically she didn’t have a choice but to get two different sizes because of windows and wall space but that just goes to show how you can modify for your unique space:)

Maybe you have a dresser and a bench but something’s still missing! You might just need a reading chair (space permitted). While there are a couple of options when it comes to accent chair placement, don’t be afraid to put it next to your nightstand (especially if you have a long, narrow room).

photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: a romantic glam bedroom makeover with opalhouse by target

See how cute it is in this bedroom we designed a while back? Bonus points if it’s next to a window.

Last but not least we have the dresser/chair on the same wall combo. It’s simple and easy. Again you don’t need a bench if you don’t have the space. However, if you do and you have kids coming in and out of your room, or you and your partner like to talk facing each other, then a chair across from your bed is going to be really nice! Or maybe you have a window on that side and you want your chair next to it like Julie did below.

design by julie rose | photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: makeover takeover: julie’s huge (and diy packed) bedroom upgrade

She skipped the bench since there wasn’t enough space but it all looks great! Also if you can get your hands on a real vintage Siesta Lounge Chair it’s one of the most comfortable chairs I’ve sat in.

So that’s it! Remember that you should always adjust for your space’s needs but these are great starting places. Have fun:) Oh and let me know if you have any thoughts on my layout but be nice, k?

Love you, mean it, and here’s a big graphic with all the options I just talked about:)

Opening Image Credit: Design by Malcolm Simmons | Photo by Keyanna Bowen | From: Malcolm’s Bedroom Reveal Is Here… How He Found Healing Through Design + The Incredible DIYs That Transformed The Space

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Published on April 06, 2023 01:00

April 5, 2023

Where Do You Really Need Canned Or Recessed Lighting? What Lights We Used, Didn’t Use, Or Wish We Had This Winter

Ah, the recessed light debate – the source of many impassioned internal arguments that I’ve had in EVERY SINGLE ROOM I’ve ever designed. Designers don’t like generic builder grade anything, so there is a level of snobbery about these basic fixtures, inherent in talking about them. But often without them, especially in certain rooms during certain times of the year there is frustration when you simply can’t see anything. So after our first dark PNW winter where there is no natural light between 4 pm and 8 am, where we eat breakfast before the sun comes up and start dinner after sundown, I feel like I have some perspective to share. So here is where I actually used my recessed lights (and where I regret putting them because I didn’t use them at all this year).

But first…the purpose of recessed light:

Not every type of lighting has the same purpose – it’s not always just to “brighten” or to “see better”. No. The purpose of a recessed light, the reason you would put them in your room is one of these things (or both):

To make a room bright enough to execute a specific task – i.e. cooking, cleaning, crafting, putting on makeup, and getting dressed. To keep the lighting fixtures minimal – likely in a more contemporary home where you want your eye to go to other more architecturally interesting things, not a ceiling fixture (this time).

And before I get too far into it, you should know that when I talk about recessed lighting I’m referring to the more sleek/modern 3″ or 4” round with the squared-off casing in white or black (if wood or dark ceiling). It’s what we have throughout our first floor and I think they are lovely to look at in every way.

So let’s go room by room with my current opinions based solely on my 43 years of my own personal experience. Everyone is different – but here is my perspective.

The Kitchen

Yay or Nay? Personal preference! (But, I’m currently a yes)

photo by kaitlin green | from: farmhouse kitchen reveal

This is unpopular with designers but y’all I use my recess lights in our kitchen a lot – both for cooking and cleaning. I lean more practical this way, probably because I cook a lot. Or maybe I’m just used to it, but in the last 4 kitchens I’ve either had track or recessed lighting in addition to pretty fixtures. I used track lights both times when we had exposed wood ceilings where the track could be installed and hidden along a vintage beam, and recessed lights for a more typical drywall ceiling.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: mountain house kitchen reveal

Last winter at the farm, I still used the sconces and pendants for morning light in the kitchen because it was too early for that level of overhead. But if I’m following a recipe in a cookbook for dinner, I really want to be able to see well. I find that while the sconces and pendants provide a lot of lovely light, it’s not task lighting and it’s not direct (they are more ambient) and just not enough. I’d also like to point out the obvious that kitchens have to be cleaned nightly after dinner, whereas bathrooms can be cleaned during the day on the weekend, thus you need better lighting to clean at night. So, I’m a yes to recessed lighting in the kitchen just to light up your cooking spaces.

The Mudroom

Yay or Nay? Depends! (We didn’t this time).

photo by kaitlin green | from: our mudroom reveal: a dog + storage-focused space that is possibly my favorite room in our house

Now, this is considered a very utilitarian room which usually people recommend a lot of overhead task lighting (and I do, too). We have high ceilings in here so we put in these four pendants which provide more than enough and I’ve never wished for more lighting in here. So we skipped them, but if you don’t have a lot of overhead light options (like pendants or multiple semi-flush lights) then go for the recessed. I don’t love the look of 4-6 semi-flush lights (a trend we’ve been seeing a lot lately) but I do like spotlights and love multiple pendants as we did.

The Living Room

Yay or Nay? SKIP, unless it’s also the kids’ playroom

photo by kaitlin green | from: moving through some regret – the first look at the farmhouse living room plus what i’m loving so far 🙂

This is our fourth living room documented here on the blog and never have we had recessed lights in any of them nor wished we had. So I feel confident in saying that generally, I don’t think you need them if you can put in ample overhead fixtures and sconces (and table/floor lamps). Since we have an exposed ceiling in the farm living room we couldn’t really put in recessed lighting in here, so it wasn’t really a debate. The purpose of this room is usually to hang/converse and this is always better with recessed lights off, and ambient lights on. However, if your main living room is also where you gather around your coffee table to play games and do crafts then you’ll probably want them. We used them all the time in the mountain house family room – the lamp light wouldn’t do in the winter (and that room didn’t have a ton of afternoon natural light).

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: mountain house reveal: how we designed our super kid-friendly family roomBedrooms

Yay or nay? Depends! (we mixed it up and my opinions are based on a few factors)

First off, this really depends on the era of the house. For vintage houses try to avoid recessed lighting and do ample overhead semi-flush, flush, and/or sconces.

It’s my current opinion that you need either a multi-bulb semi-flush or chandelier if you have the height OR recessed lights but not both. If you have a more contemporary house, I think throw them in – they won’t look weird as it’s more period appropriate.

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: mountain house reveal (yes, another one!): the coziest upstairs guest “bunk” bedroom

We had them in the mountain house (1970s) bedrooms (not the master) and as long as they are dimmable they go unnoticed when not in use. We purposely wanted to keep the room clean and minimal and liked the look of no light fixtures.

photo by kaitlin green

Our farmhouse bedroom ceiling was very asymmetrical so we didn’t put in an overhead light (I might still swag a big Japanese lantern for decorative reasons because we have the height). Any other type of light fixture would have to come from a really awkward place in the middle of a beam in order to be centered which I don’t love, so we just nixed it and put in recessed lights instead. That’s all to say that I have a current theory: If you get dressed in your bedroom you need decent overhead light – either a multi-bulb fixture or recessed lights. But if you don’t need to get dressed/look in the mirror in your bedroom or if you have a separate dressing closet then you don’t need a ton of bright lighting in the bedroom. We rarely turn on our overhead lights in the bedroom so I could have nixed them (but I don’t regret having them too much).

from: master bedroom update + another ask the audience

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: reveal: our boy/girl, 2-twin bed shared kids room…with a heavy dose of mama drama

In our LA house bedroom and our kids’ rooms (a vintage 100-year-old style home) we did not put them in and I’m happy we didn’t – HOWEVER, for all three of the farmhouse bedrooms we needed more overhead light during the winter. I actually am currently switching out our kids’ semi-flush lights because the single 40-watt bulb is just not enough (and we could upgrade the wattage, but the fixtures are clear glass so seeing that white LED bulb doesn’t sound awesome). We are instead putting in multi-light semi-flushes that look cool. But I am glad we didn’t put in recessed as the vintage windows and doors just look better without the contemporary recessed lights in there.

Where I didn’t put them in but wish I had….

photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: mountain house reveal: our calm scandinavian master bedroom

We didn’t put any overhead light in the mountain house p r i m a r y bedroom because I didn’t want to disrupt the gorgeous wood ceilings. We attempted to address overhead lighting by putting LED strip lights on TOP of the collar ties (the horizontal beams) which unfortunately flicker in a very annoying way (because some LED + dimmers often don’t work well yet). Now, not having any overhead light was fine in the bedroom most of the time except when I wanted to try on outfits in the winter at night (which was rare as that wasn’t our lifestyle to go out). We actually have black track lighting originally intended for the closet sitting in the garage, but never installed (a very me thing to do/not do). Now what I should have done is put 4-6 small black recessed lights in the bedroom (I really like the look of black recessed lights).

Bathrooms

Yay or nay? Personal preference (skip if you can but heavily depends on sconces)

photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: mountain house reveal: our soft yet secretly sultry downstairs guest bed + bath

photo by kaitlin green | from: the farmhouse kid’s bathroom – bringing you up to speed on the (at the time) painful process

We didn’t put them in the kid’s bathroom and haven’t missed them for a second. We did put them in our bathroom and have only turned them on a couple of times. But we have them in all the mountain house bathrooms and used them a lot! The difference is that at the mountain house, all of our sconces were more decorative and gave off fairly low or directional (downward) lighting and we skipped all ceiling fixtures on purpose, to not bring your eye there. The era of the house was more post-modern and that worked so well stylistically. Whereas at the farmhouse, a more vintage style home, we chose sconces with really great light (clear or opal glass) with similar ceiling fixtures and so no, we did NOT need any of the recessed lights we put in (except in the shower).

I wish I hadn’t put the recessed lights in the vanity area of our bathroom – it disrupts the pretty tile in a bad way. Had I known that the sconces would provide such nice even makeup-applying bright light, I would never have put in these overhead fixtures. My bad.

Water Closet/Powder Room

Yay or nay? Personal preference

You definitely don’t NEED recessed lighting in your powder room or water closet, so this is a personal preference. We didn’t put one in our powder room (just a little cute semi-flush and a sconce) and it’s GREAT. We did, however, put one in our water closet in our bathroom and I rarely use it, opting for the dimmable sconce over the toilet instead. So no, I don’t think you need it but doesn’t hurt and isn’t offensive (but if you have a vintage-style home maybe skip).

Shower

Yay or nay? YES

left: photo by tessa neustadt, from: our classic modern master bathroom reveal
| right: photo by sara ligorria-tramp, from: portland reveal: creating the dreamiest of master bathrooms

photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: the final mountain house reveal (for now): all the details of my master bathroom

Listen, even if you don’t turn the recessed light on in the shower you want one for cleaning otherwise it’s really hard to see in the corners.

Walk-In Closet

Yay or nay? ALWAYS

photo by kaitlin green | from: primary closet reveal! our functional and beautiful scandinavian farmhouse dream closet

Sure, you can go heavy on the sconces in here or put in a semi/flush, but really you just need good recessed overhead lighting (and I prefer this over the single fixture). I put away clothes so often at night, so it’s not just for getting ready.

Pantry

Yay or nay? ALWAYS

photos by kaitlin green | from: our farmhouse pantry reveal – moody, practical and extremely well-used

You need to be able to tell the difference between split peas and green lentils, quinoa, and brown rice. We put a really cute light fixture in our pantry, but for sure knew that we’d more often use the black recessed lights. I’m sure a multi-bulb or really bright semi-flush or flush could work, but I just think that recessed works better in here.

So like everything there are some things that are advisable and tend to be called a “rule” but so much of it is a personal preference, so I’d love to invite any/all of you to leave any anecdotal experience in the comments.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Mountain House Reveal: Our Calm Scandinavian Master Bedroom

The post Where Do You Really Need Canned Or Recessed Lighting? What Lights We Used, Didn’t Use, Or Wish We Had This Winter appeared first on Emily Henderson.

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Published on April 05, 2023 01:00

April 4, 2023

Emily Bowser’s Kitchen REVEAL! Plus The 8 Ways She Really Maximized Her Galley Kitchen Storage

Hello hello! Better late than never? Where has the time gone?? I CANNOT believe we are already wrapping up March. HOW? I was really really hoping 2023 was going to bring a breath of fresh air and some rest for the Bowser household but it has proven to be a challenging and busy year so far. It’s not all bad, we have done some traveling and work has been more consistent than it has been in the past year and a half. However, I bring sad and shocking news for anyone who follows all my cat sagas: A couple days after we got back from Sundance at the end of January, we found out our 7-year-old cat Puck had a large cancerous tumor in his intestine. He got on steroids and gave us another 4 weeks before we made the tough choice to help him transition to the next life. Our house feels more empty than we could have imagined and we all miss him very, very much. He was a challenging and adventurous cat who loved to play fetch, bring me dead (and sometimes alive) mice, fight neighborhood raccoons, had a crush on any woman who came to the house, and in the end, despite his tendency to be more of an independent spirit, made it clear how much he loved and trusted us in the last few weeks of his life. It is wild how much these little creatures affect our lives and I’m hoping our cat luck will take a turn for the positive because I’m not sure how much more heartache I can take. In good news, Puck spending his last days cuddling with us really taught Gremmy a thing or two. I think Gremmy and Daffy were aware something was wrong and they stayed close. During this time Gremmy would come up on the bed and lay close by, which is not something he would do before. This past week Gremmy has been getting on my lap and if you’re one of the few Gremmy super fans you know this is huge.

Now you may understand why I‘m a little slow in getting these reveals out. The good news is we have shot so much now I just have to write!

I wanted to start with the kitchen because honestly it was supposed to be finished in September! As always, I’m living proof that these things take time. So much time and money and time is money etc etc. You can read the intro to this post here. Cliff notes: It is the last room in the house to be “finished” because it’s been fine after the initial reno that made it safe (there was mold) and liveable. When initially renovating we were WAY out of money so I didn’t get to do what I wanted, I just kept it simple white subway tiles, white shaker cabinets, and black hex floors which felt like they would remain timeless because historically those are pretty timeless finishes but, you know, now it feels very 2015. I wanted to make it feel more “me” while gaining some storage but without doing any major reno, for waste and money reasons.
Enter my friend Rebecca (a designer, design producer, and entrepreneur) and her company Design By Numbers. We knew each other from working on HGTV’s Build Me Up (RIP) with host Orlando Soria (you may know him 🙂 ). We would all Marco Polo during the pandemic and be annoyed by the fact that my upper cabinets didn’t go to the ceiling (it was often my background and I would force them to look at them while I talked/screamed about the state of our country). It took a while to actually get to it, but I finally 3D scanned the space (more on this is in the process post) and she had a new cabinet box made to replace the one that didn’t go to the ceiling. Now I have more storage space, a working vent, and much prettier cabinets. I had the lower boxes painted and just replaced the doors and drawer fronts. Shall we get to the reveal??

And now with more interest and depth…

To say that photographing this galley kitchen was a challenge is an understatement. Poor Sara. This is the most pulled-back we could get without it getting too fish-eye-ish

As you can see through, the uppers on the left now reach the ceiling AND incorporate the fridge making it feel more integrated. The cabinet style is called “baby shaker” and the color is “Putty”. It’s a greenish, greyish taupe and adds the perfect amount of warmth without being overwhelming in this small space. The simple and modern pulls and knobs are by Rejuvenation. I wanted hits of black to make the floor feel more incorporated into the design, I didn’t want it to feel like I designed this kitchen over 7 years. It was all totally thought through and on purpose 🙂 I had the recessed light over the sink changed so that I could have this beautiful ceramic light by Rejuvenation. It’s both practical in that it gives off much nicer light than the recessed light (had a dimmer put on that switch as well) and obviously makes a much bigger statement than having nothing at all there.

One more time…

And now…

Over the Door Towel Bar | Ceramic Light | Pulls | Knobs

Soap Dispenser and Sponge Holder | Faucet

I love the way the doors are designed, they trick you into thinking they are frameless. These are good photos to talk about ADHD and design:). It’s funny, some would think that it would be easier to have less visual noise when you have ADHD. I think to some these photos may seem busy, but it all just makes sense to me. I use my kitchen a lot. We both work from home and one or both of us cook almost every meal every day in this tiny space. If things are visible in an organized way it helps me know not only where things are at all times and keep hoarding to a minimum, but it also feels like one less step when I go to cook. It’s hard to explain to people who don’t have the same hang-ups while trying to do basic tasks but maybe my fellow ADHD-ers will understand. I’m actually not a naturally organized or tidy person but I learned early that fewer choices and easy accessibility make my life easier. Liking my kitchen this way makes me think Julia Child may have had ADHD too :). It’s also important that everything that is out is also used often enough that it doesn’t get that weird oily dust from existing in a kitchen. Everything out I use almost daily, with the slight exception of the cutting boards although those are easier stored this way because with my job I often have to grab 5-10 of them as props often.

Pot Rack Bar | Hooks | Pots and Pans

Rejuvenation’s Emery Pot Rack Bar and hooks hold all my everyday pots and pans and a few other commonly used tools. My shelving brackets on the other side of my sink are from IronAbode. They have so many amazing shelf bracket options and are very affordable. They offer the actual wood shelves as well but because of the cost of shipping it just made sense for me to drive over to our friends Ross Alan Reclaimed in the valley and have a few shelves made there. I also got the wood for the top of my DIY lower cabinet from them, which you can read about in the process post if you haven’t already. The counter under that open shelving is where I end up doing 99% of food prep because the space to the right of the sink (above) is generally where clean dishes are “drying” aka probably sitting there until I use them again :).

Why yes that’s an oil painting that is for some reason painted on a very old and used cookie pan. You can’t really know that without seeing it up close but I wanted the internet to know because it makes me so happy that it’s on theme. Fun fact, I found it at a flea market in Seattle. On the same trip, I found the string of vintage buoys that hang above my bed.

I switched out my faucet for an unlacquered brass one from an Italian-based company Francone Bespoke Taps. I bought it to research for a job. Unlacquered brass in America isn’t cheap and at the time I purchased this one it was only $363, which was more affordable than it is now, but I would still say it is a quality faucet and I’ve enjoyed it. I’m sure they realized they weren’t charging enough/could charge more because it is very nice.

I want to mention my paper towel/ towel holder. I love it because it keeps me from just reaching for a paper towel without thinking. Because of pet messes and cleaning out my iron skillets, I like to have them on hand but not too on hand, you know? Another product I want to shout out is my soap dispenser and sponge holder. I want to be a solid soap person but I’m sorry, I’m a Dawn girl until I die. It just works so much better and I use it in so many homemade cleaners so I’m going to buy the huge Costco tubs of them a couple of times a year and decant them into this dispenser.

In keeping with the “put everything on the wall” theme, this magnetic knife rack holds my favorite slicing and dicing knives by Shun. I own more knives than that but they must have been dirty? If you look carefully, above the knife rack and attached to the bottom shelf there is a wooden work light. I’m calling this out for anyone like me that prefers to have their house seem like modern electricity doesn’t exist. Both Andrew and I are very sensitive to harsh light and have dimmers on essentially every light in the house but when making dinner, candlelight-level lightning isn’t really safe when using a sharp knife. After Andrew cut off half his thumb while chopping veggies last year I researched and found this simple (and cuter than it needs to be) magnetic light that recharges with a USB cord. I don’t use the rotatable piece, it comes with a flat magnet sticker as well that I screwed into the bottom of the shelf so it wouldn’t fall off, as those stickers seem to do eventually. This way we can keep most of the lights chill but have a work light where prep is happening.

I’ve owned the Gold Oak Kaloh dishes from West Elm for years. They’re just simple and good. So good in fact that I actually own twice as many as are seen here for large parties/when I inevitably break one. The mixing and serving bowls on the top shelf are from that line as well. The pretty ceramic cups were a gift and the green dishes and black mugs are vintage Hearth and Hand 🙂 The onion and garlic bowl is a Jayson Home concrete shell. Is it food safe? Who knows. Tell me how I’m going to get cancer in the comments.

Peep my amazing hedge out the kitchen window. Would it even be a blog post from me if I didn’t somehow bring up the only thing in my life that has ever just worked the way it was supposed to, my glorious 20-foot tall hedge?? I used to need a curtain here because my window looked directly into my neighbors but now I can look out to a sea of green. Some people have children, other people have hedges. Truly my pride and joy.

Switch Plate | Tea Kettle | Salt and Pepper Grinders | Pitcher (similar)

I decided to embrace the fact that my kitchen was renovated in this decade so therefore I feel like I have 1 million plugs and switches in a tiny space. Instead of hiding them, I gave them some bling with Rejuvenation’s switch plates. Then the tea kettle is by Fellow and those are vintage Nissen Denmark salt and pepper grinders, you can find them pretty easily on Etsy. I’m fraid the pitcher is old from Target and unavail at the moment.

GREMMY!!

Welcome to the area where Gremmy essentially lives because this is where he gets fed and thinks if he sits there food will magically appear. Also ever since I put this Jean Palmer Home vintage rug here all the cats have loved hanging out with me when I’m in the kitchen.

This is my perfect-size IKEA hack cabinet with Ross Alan Reclaimed top that you’ve seen in the process post. It houses all my cookbooks and our pantry things. I bought a wine rack for this area because we buy natural biodynamic wine in bulk for, you know, savings…and drinkings, so it’s not unusual for us to have too many wine bottles at any given time. I moved this old West Elm lamp from my living room into here because it’s perfect for giving off ambient light and being easy to clean. They no longer sell it but the link is there if you want to try to find it used online. I’m not going to link all my cutting boards because that would be wild. A lot of them are vintage, but if you have a question about any of them, ask away below!

Shelving Unit

Did I say I was going to do my laundry room? Let’s pretend I didn’t 🙂 INSTEAD let’s talk about the whole original inspo for doing anything with this space. I talked about this in the intro but this weird shape at the end of the kitchen has been tricky. There’s about 12” of wall on each side of the doorway to the laundry room and the IKEA hack was great for the right side, but because you needed space to walk past the edge of the counter you see on the right here, I needed something slim and tall on the left. Enter the Hart Modular Walnut Shelving Unit from Rejuvenation. I was also so happy to have some more open shelving to keep some of my pretty things I use when we have company and also a drink station for our everyday coffee and/or matcha…addiction. It’s visually helpful that the shelving unit is floating, it *feels* lighter and I hung it so that it would be even with the counter across from it.

peep sweet daffy in the laundry room window!

Rail System | Matcha Maker | Coffee Grinder

I loved the Brookeside Rail System, also from Rejuvenation, in Sara’s kitchen reveal and it very practically holds bar/coffee/tea accouterments so I don’t have to dig through drawers for tiny things. The bottom cabinet holds our fancy dishware. Head over to IG to see an up close and personal tour of this very hard-to-capture in photos corner :). The Cuzen matcha maker and Fellow coffee grinder (I bought mine refurbished) are everyday appliances so they stay on the counter, luckily they are as pretty as they are practical.

French Press | Glass Canisters

Look how pretty that walnut is! You can see here that the shelves are entirely adjustable.

If you are a French press person, I highly recommend this very inexpensive ($20!), extra large (34 oz!), double-walled (so it stays hot!), stainless steel (unbreakable!) french press. Save your money for a good grinder. I was shocked at how much that is a game changer. No need for expensive coffee makers in my opinion. Unless they are very fancy, and in that case, yeah probably buy those if you have the $$. Here’s a link for the simple canisters, but please don’t make me link everything on the rail system 🙂 if you have a question about something specific, ask away below!

If you are curious about the Cuzen matcha maker, it stores, grinds, and whisks whole matcha leaves. Apparently, this is the best way to consume matcha. They have a whole section of their website where they break it down. All I can say is it is convenient and delicious. I’ve taken to midday matcha with homemade cashew milk and have cut down our coffee consumption considerably.

Step Ladder

Let’s turn around and look from the laundry room through to the new and improved dining nook. When you don’t have a lot of square footage, you have to go vertical. In the couple of inches between the IKEA cabinet and my kitchen cabinets I have a slim step ladder to reach my upper cabinets (now that they go all the way to the ceiling) and the top of the open shelving as well.

Let’s get into the dining space! As you may have seen, I revealed this space back in 2019. It’s a teeny tiny space, 7’5”x7’7”, that connects the living room to the kitchen. We needed to be able to fit a table but you also have to be able to walk past the chairs without tripping. Here’s a pic from that reveal:

Putting in an L-shaped bench helped a lot with being able to make the most of the space we had but here are the issues we still had: 1. The vintage table that I loved was just a bit too big. It was 48” wide and we had to cram it just a little too much into the corner to make it so that we could walk by. 2. I made a mistake and didn’t consider the fact that the vintage table had a lip, about 4 inches all the way around it, so in reality I should have lowered the bench a few inches to compensate for that. It wasn’t impossible to put your legs under the table or anything, but you couldn’t cross your legs for example, it was just a little too smooshed. 3. My vintage chairs also stuck out a little too much, as you can see the back has a sort of handle that would get caught on your hip as you walked by if you weren’t careful. Don’t worry. They live in my office now. I love those damn chairs. 4. The loose pillows were driving me crazy. They were always thrown around and messy looking 5. The banquette was getting scuffed to hell by our feet.

I looked and looked for a table that would be smaller but not *too* much smaller, I still needed it to be a proper dining table that could easily seat at least 4 people (this is also sometimes a workspace) so I couldn’t have it be a bistro table, for example. When working in small spaces I find that it’s hard because you need every inch but one inch too much is too much, you know??

I found this beautiful, high-quality white oak table by Sunday Furniture. It was perfect because it was 42”, so still big enough, but a 6” difference in a space that’s only 7’ is a lot! They had lovely, comfortable, durable chairs (with easy-to-clean seat pads!) as well so I reached out and the rest is history. Wanna see??

What a mood change huh?? I bought a cheap-ish runner off of Etsy. It was $300 and the perfect width where I could split it down the center and make 2 pieces out of it to attach to the sides of the banquette. Don’t worry, it was not vintage. I’ve attached it with Velcro under the cushions and along the side so I can take it off to clean it. Cushions are the same as before, custom, made of green canvas that has held up well. The new pillows along the back are two body pillow inserts with custom cases I had made from vintage wool army blankets. They stay in place much better and offer more support. As you can see, no need to change the window treatments from Barn & Willow, the amazing ribbon art of Angela Chrusciaki, or the understated but perfect Schoolhouse chandelier. The Round pillow is vintage West Elm, sorry!

As you can see, there’s a little more space for the chair to be pushed out, but still able to get around. The chairs can also push in a lot more than seen here if necessary. The cushion on the chair is a must for me. We love hosting dinners and there is nothing I hate more than being uncomfortable or being concerned that our guests are uncomfortable. So far no issues with the cats tearing up the cushions accidentally or on purpose. They are also completely removable and easy to wipe down. The table is super sturdy. It’s solid white oak with a steel base so it’s not going anywhere, not even if Daffy tries her hardest 🙂

The tulip style also gives us the most legroom, especially if we are squeezing in a bunch of people for game night. It also gives us the flexibility to be able to push the chairs around easily.

Vase | Branches (unavailable) | Candlesticks | Candlestick Holders (similar)

This vase is my favorite from CB2. It’s currently on sale and you should buy it, you won’t regret it. I’m sorry to report that the very good faux branches are from Target last year and I don’t think they carry them anymore, same for the candlestick holder. As always though, I will implore you not to waste your money on candlesticks that drip. I usually buy Yummi brand – they don’t drip and they come in a lot of sizes.

Don’t worry! The cat “hide-y hole”, as we call it, still exists. It now even has a camera so we can spy on them with motion-activated lights 🙂

Table Lamp | Vase | Black Tray |

This is where we did the lamp switcheroo, I’m using the Avena Table Lamp from Crate & Barrel here now. The tray on the vintage entry table is by Ferm and the pretty vase is from Jayson Home. The whole vibe change by bringing more depth over here kind of blows my mind. Of course, now I’m thinking of how the living room needs a little facelift in light of all this…someone stop me. Seriously. Next up…HOT TUB! See you all soon!

RIP Puck 🙁

*Design and Styled by Emily Bowser
**Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

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Published on April 04, 2023 01:00

April 3, 2023

Drew Michael Scott’s DIY Packed Kitchen That May Have You Designing Your Own Range Hood

If you don’t know already, Drew of Lone Fox Home is an incredible DIY content creator whose work is extremely inspiring and entertaining (you must check out his youtube channel!). So, when he reached out wanting to write about his recent kitchen makeover that he renovated alone, we of course said YES PLEASE. So please enjoy and make sure to follow him here if you don’t already.

When I purchased my 1929 Spanish Revival stacked duplex, I opened the two units together which left me with two kitchens. The bottom kitchen was untouched with original tile and the top had undergone a recent renovation and no original character remained. Since I wanted to use the top floor as living space (the bottom is more of a workspace) that is the kitchen I decided to renovate first.

This was the first project I undertook with an extensive demo, and I loved the creativity that it offered me. I decided to open the wall from the dining room into the butler’s pantry with a large arch. I also decided to convert the butler’s pantry into a coffee bar by removing the doors on the upper cabinets and lining the back with marble remnants from my countertops.

The cabinets were brand new with inset doors, so I opted to keep them. I knew I wanted the countertops to be the main focal point, so choosing my marble was a priority. I browsed a few stone yards until I found a Calacatta Monet slab that I loved. The marble had a really interesting grain pattern that would scare a lot of people, but I had a vision and fell in love! I asked my countertop fabricator if I could place all the templates with him so I knew my vision was being executed perfectly. He even suggested we create a sink with some of the offcuts and I thought that was just a marvelous idea. I didn’t even know an integrated marble sink was something you could do… let alone with a garbage disposal.

I knew I wanted to go dark on the cabinetry for a more unexpected moody vibe for my kitchen. I went with Van Buren Brown from Benjamin Moore which I pulled directly from some of the marble’s veining. For the hardware, I chose unlacquered brass handles from Rejuvenation, which I thought tied in well into the Spanish style of the home. When I first shared the cabinetry the response was actually not as positive as I thought! A majority of the Lone Fox fam was preferring the white cabinets over the brown as it let the marble shine. However, I had a vision and knew a lighter plaster on the upper halves would brighten it up whilst adding some subtle movement.

range hood progress

Before applying the plaster I built a range hood from some 2x4s and a vent hood insert that I purchased on Amazon. The fireplaces in the home are what inspired the initial shape which then was tweaked a little to something I felt was more current. This was a different DIY for me as I’ve never really built something into a home that serves a function. Those types of projects always scare me a little and I almost just purchased a prefabricated range hood but felt making my own would be so much more rewarding. It 10000000% was and the range hood was finished in the same plaster that I used on the walls. I wanted a stone-like finish across the walls and ceiling and opted for Meoded’s Tonachino Firenze, which was tinted to a color you can now request as “Drew’s White”. Meoded actually named the color after me, haha! I couldn’t believe it when they mentioned it.

The application of plaster on the walls is pretty simple and very satisfying, however, the ceiling is a whole other story. I used a metal trowel and burnished the plaster onto the walls and under all the archways as well. When it came time to do the ceiling, the plaster was falling and dripping over EVERYTHING. It was getting pretty messy and half the product ended up on the floor, but once everything had a second coat it was perfect. I had some paint matched to the same color as the plaster and painted the can light inserts for a seamless finish.

I actually opted to do the tile floor last and the only reason was that it took about 2 months for the tile to arrive. I ordered from Cle tile and these are the pantry paver tiles. I laid them in a traditional offset brick pattern but the square shape of the tile creates more of a cobblestone look. This was also my first time ever tiling anything in my life but it wasn’t hard at all! I actually found the range hood to be trickier than the tile work in this space. We got a tile saw from Home Depot and I cut all the edge pieces whilst my friend Justin laid out and measured the cut pieces. After 3 days of constant cutting and mortaring, we let the floor fully harden for another 24 hours before piping every joint with grout. Piping in the grout is something you see more in masonry work, but I wanted the floors to have that aged authentic look to them, and giving the grout a “hand-done look” adds to that effect.

After three months of work in the kitchen, it was starting to take shape. I had this exact kitchen in my head since day one and it was becoming a reality! I hung two antique sconces that I sourced from an antique shop in Pasadena. I’ve been extremely into more gothic-style Spanish pieces and love to juxtapose them with a softer material like marble. I mixed metals throughout and knew copper would be a big element in the kitchen. I just love the warmth copper gives a space. After gathering everything I’d been collecting for this space it was time to style. In the coffee bar, I set up the new espresso machine which ties a bit of the stainless steel you can see in the fridge and range. I almost forgot to mention how incredibly stunning the range I got for this kitchen. She was found on Wayfair and I got the range in just a month after seeing ship times of over a year at other stores.

The open shelving was stacked with glassware, copper pots, and antique treasures collected from flea markets around Los Angeles. In the main kitchen space, I added more of your quintessential kitchen items like a mixer, bowls, and canisters along with some of your not-so-usual kitchen finds like a gothic spike hanging candlestick holder! You can also find a lamp on one of the counters. The kitchen is one of two complete rooms in my home and I must say it’s currently my favorite. The brown cabinets were such a great choice and every day I see this kitchen in a new light that makes me fall in love with it even more. It’s been about a month since it’s been completed and I’ve noticed myself cooking more, making coffee of course, and enjoying the early morning sunshine. When I shared this space on my Instagram the response was just incredible. I’ve never had so many kind comments and messages about a project I’ve done! The breakfast nook is a work in progress, but I plan for the design to accompany the kitchen. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the house turns out!

*Design and photos by Drew Michael Scott of Lone Fox Home

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Published on April 03, 2023 01:00

April 2, 2023

The Link Up: The Fun, Easy Beach Reads Em Took On Her Spring Break Vacation, Caitlin’s Biodegradable Gift Idea, And A Bikini Line Razor That Won’t Give You Razor Burn

Happy Sunday everyone. We are excited to have Emily back from her spring break vacation so we can vicariously live through her stories! We also want to make sure you saw Julie and Velinda’s reveal this week. It’s beautiful, welcoming, and thankfully not the last one you’ll see from them this year. Shall we link up??

This week’s house tour via The Design Files is a Mediterranean-inspired home by artist, Gemma Leslie and her partner, Mike Chambers. It’s a happy, inviting home that is clearly filled with beloved treasures from their lives. This home feels like a hug when looking at it:)

From Emily: The two books I’ve read (so far) on our spring break trip (both were hard to put down) and what is next in my cue. Like in design, I am picky but not snobby when it comes to what I read and planned mostly fun, easy-to-fly-through books for this trip. I have a lot to tell you but basically, the first four days of our trip were so action-packed that I barely read – only when going to bed, but I couldn’t get Daisy Jones and the Six (Kindle and Local) out of my head. Admittedly in the middle of it, I was frustrated with the writing format (very documentarian, with all the exposition told from 10 different characters). At times it felt a bit muddy to wade through and I was like, “move it along already!!!” but the writer Taylor Jenkins Reid must be doing something right because I couldn’t wait to get to it every night. I LOVED her other book, Malibu Rising (Kindle and Local) so much, but less so The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Kindle and Local). And to be fair I didn’t finish it so maybe it paid off and I think I’ll pick it back up next week. I am VERY excited to see the series now on Amazon because I sure did fall in love with the world and the characters (it’s set in the 70s about a rock band making its way to the top, with a lot of very human problems that go along with that time in that industry – i.e. addiction, fame, the patriarchy, feminism, ego, and of course, LOVE). After that, I switched to Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (Kindle and Local). Fun fact – they are two women/best friends named Christina and Lauren. I’ve read almost all of their rom-coms and mostly thoroughly enjoyed them. I flew through this in two days and it was exactly what I was in the mood for – a coming-of-age teen love story, revisited 14 years later with some family drama and enough layers to keep it from feeling totally basic. It’s like reading Sweet Home Alabama – you know what is going to happen and that knowledge is actually so comforting.

As you know, I started reading rom-com fiction during the pandemic which absolutely helped with my daily situational anxiety – it’s my emotional comfort food. This one was one of their better ones although it took me 10 pages to get hooked (sometimes I’m hooked on page 2). Now on day 7 of our trip (with two days left – writing this on Wednesday) I’m 20 pages into The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (Kindle and Local), which I’m fearful might keep me up, so the new Jojo Moyes book, Someone Else’s Shoes (Kindle and Local) and Ali Hazelwood’s Below Zero (Kindle) as backups. Who am I kidding, The Candy House might be less of a good beach read and will finish it when I’m home (it’s already a tiny bit unsettling). All hail the convenience of the kindle when traveling:)

From Ryann: This is the perfect crewneck sweatshirt. I have it in a few colors and it’s one of those pieces that I find myself gravitating toward every day (to be fair I am definitely into utilitarian basics as of late – probably because of all this rain!). But I do love it (I sized up for an oversized look) and wear with leggings or jeans and sneakers for a very laid-back but pulled-together look.

From Mallory: Summer is right around the corner so I think this is an appropriate time to bring up the bikini line conversation. I’m personally a shaver because I don’t love having hair down there (for me personally, totally cool if you’re in another camp :)) but shaving constantly in the summer brings up some razor burn issues that I also don’t love. ENTER MY RAZOR BURN SOLUTION. I heard about this wet/dry trimmer on TikTok and for $30 I was certainly ready to try it out. Not gonna lie I think it’s going to change my life in the coming months. It works GREAT. The three-blade system gets the bulk of the hair outta there but it doesnt give you razor burn because it’s not a CRAZY close shave. Plus I love that you can shave dry with literally no product, so if you have a spontaneous pool moment you can get that bikini line ready to rock without having to fully take a shower. Now I’m still planning to do a razor shave once in a while because it will be a smoother/closer shave, but this will be a great way to keep the hair down without constantly irritating the skin down there. Highly recommend!!

From Caitlin: It’s been a minute since I’ve fallen in love with a candle, but I am SO EXCITED about these “plant the box” scented candles. There are 8 different scents (running the gamut from Lavender to Tomato), but my favorites are the Fresh Cut Grass and Sweet Sunflower. The best part: the boxes they come in are biodegradable and filled with seeds, so you can actually grow the plant that the candle is based on! I’m going to try the Siam Poppy scent next – I can’t wait to grow some Flanders poppies on my balcony this spring:) (This would be a really great gift for Mother’s Day, too! It’s a slam dunk for anyone who loves candles or gardening…or both. Just something to keep in mind if you’re trying to get your gifts done early this year!)

From Albie: I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting closer to 40, however, I feel like I’ve been learning so much more about my body, and especially my skin…which in term triggered a whole skincare journey that I’m currently on. One of my fave new finds and facial skin care tools is this cryo ball. I leave it in my mini skincare fridge so it stays nice & cold, and use it every morning. Y’all… it feels so good on my skin! Bonus: it’s owned by a black woman! And without even realizing it, many of the other items in my facial skincare arsenal are black-owned, which means they were created with melamine in mind. I love that for me.

From Jess: When I was talking to my dad this past week, he asked where I bought the sweatpants I got him for Christmas because he wanted to buy more. If you have anyone in your life that is hard to shop for then you know the wave of pure shock and excitement that went through my body. I DID IT!!!! I got him a gift he actually loved!! He says they are the best-fitting sweatpants he’s ever worn but also are so comfortable that he doesn’t want to change into his PJs. Y’all he bought TWO more pairs (dark gray and navy) and the man is particular about his clothes. I really have to thank Brian and his gift guide from this last year. He talked them up so I thought I would try to gift my dad a pair of “cool but casual sweatpants.” So here’s another rave review if you are stumped for a gift for your dad or a person in your life. Oh, and they come in tall sizes too!

Before we leave you, we, of course, need to talk about the most recent mass shooting that happened in Nashville, TN this past week killing 6 people. It’s unimaginable to us that anyone who lives in the US feels good that these shootings continue to happen. Clearly, a gross understatement. And yet there is a recorded video interview of an actual Tennessee congressman saying quote, “It’s a horrible, horrible situation, and we’re not going to fix it.” He says more but it doesn’t get any better. The protection of our guns over our lives has to stop. Giving up is not an option. Sensible gun laws HAVE to be put into place. No one is saying guns can’t exist but our lives, and especially our kids’ lives, are just more important, aren’t they? What an unbelievable sentence to have to write. Please call your reps. Here is the official phone list. Also, pay attention to when your local and state elections are. Google it because it matters.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Velinda Hellen Design | Lead Designer: Julie Rose | Contractor: McLeod Construction, Inc. | Styling by Emily Bowser | Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: A Kitchen Makeover That Focused On Small Changes For A BIG Impact (Julie And Velinda Did It Again!)

The post The Link Up: The Fun, Easy Beach Reads Em Took On Her Spring Break Vacation, Caitlin’s Biodegradable Gift Idea, And A Bikini Line Razor That Won’t Give You Razor Burn appeared first on Emily Henderson.

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Published on April 02, 2023 01:00

April 1, 2023

Wedding Guest Dresses Based On Bust Coverage (Everyone Should Feel Beautiful AND Comfortable:))

It can feel like a blessing and a curse to have lots of close friends and family once those save-the-dates start rolling in each year, amirite? The curse part, of course, is the fact that you need to get an outfit that you ideally feel great in. And look, you may have options from years past or are lucky and can shop a friend’s closet. But if you are like my cousin who is attending six weddings this year or me with only two (but one is my brother’s so I want to look my absolute best…photos are forever) you might need some new options. Especially when most weddings require at least two dressy outfits!

So as I was about to start pinning for this post, I asked the team what they thought the most helpful angle would be. A “Pretty Wedding Guest Dress Options” post is all well and good but I wanted it to be more serviceable. Immediately we agreed on different coverage options. I think this is how most of us shop anyway. We know how much we are willing to show whether that be bust, arms, legs, etc. Also depending on the type of wedding (for example a family wedding doesn’t have me clamoring for anything low-cut since my chest isn’t small), you might want to go for something different than your typical style. Whatever the reason, I feel pretty confident there is something for everyone in this post from varying styles to a wide range of sizes. I did focus the categories mostly around bust coverage but a few are focused on skin coverage. So with that said let’s get into the first and most complete coverage options of the group…

Total Body Coverage

There are lots of reasons why full (or nearly) full-body coverage is a great and desired option. Maybe you’re simply a conservative dresser, for religious reasons, temperature, or peak comfort – Whatever the reason I really loved all six of these options.

I love that while #1, #3, and #5 keep everything covered they are still kinda sexy. The silky fabric may have something to do with it:) But also look at that button detail on #3. So good! Then #2 and #4 have beautiful draping that gives them something a little extra special. Lastly, #6 isn’t total coverage in terms of arms and legs, but this would be a great warm spring/summer dress if you want to be mostly covered up.

One Shoulder (A Little Peek;))

I love the look of a one-shoulder dress. It makes it look a little extra special and sexy without showing anything more than a shoulder! What a dream. And aside from one dress that has an open back, I believe you could wear a strapless bra with almost all of these options.

Ok, let’s start with the open-back dress – #3. So fun for a spring or summer wedding as well as #8 and #9. Those colors are so sweet and pretty! I also think for a stylish yet slightly more casual vibe #1 and #2 are perfect. You could also get a lot of non-wedding use out of them too. But for chic, fancier options #4, #5, and #6 are perfect! I personally almost bought #7 for my cousin’s wedding last year but good thing I didn’t because my other cousin wore it (and looked stunning in it:)). Highly recommend and it comes in a ton of colors.

Halter And High Neck (No Cleavage Here!)

I LOVE a halter or high-neck dress. I think it’s such a pretty cut! They can get tricky when it comes to bras so just keep that in mind when looking through them:)

#1 is sooo pretty and could easily be worn casually. #2 is simple and chic and #11 is gorgeous and comes in extended sizes! #8 is incredibly special and a guaranteed showstopper. If you like the idea of the “almost one shoulder” then #9 and #10 are it. I am actually HIGHLY considering #12 for my brother’s wedding. I’m in the bridal party and was told I could pick my own dress as long as it was long and black – check and check. The top says conservative but the slit says, “I’m not dead yet”:) Plus makes dancing easier. I’m trying to be extremely practical…

Short With Covered Tops (Show Them Legs, Baby)

Hey, you might be more in the mood to show off those limbs! The lower limbs of course. But that doesn’t mean you want to show off any cleavage. If that’s the case I’ve got you.

Sleeves and prints? A great combo if you ask me. #1 and #6 are perfect if that’s what you’re looking for. Plus #6 would also be perfect for any beach vacation. Speaking of summer, #4 can easily be dressed up or down. But to up the elegance, #2, #3, and #5 are all great options!

Square Neck Top (A Possible Hint Of Cleavage:))

I really love a square neckline because usually, that means a strapless or sometimes a regular bra (depending on the bra’s cut) can be worn without a problem!

For that body con, sultry look, #1, #4, and #8 are perfect. I really love a puff sleeve for some added drama which #2, #5, #6, and #9 all perfectly nail. But if all you want is a slightly thicker spaghetti strap then #3 and #7 are for you.

V Necks (For Some Hot But Respectable Spice)

Of course, a classic neckline is the V! Clearly beautiful and is a perfect way to show off a little (or a lot of cleavage) should you want to. I tried to give a range of “depths” so there’s something for everyone:)

Let’s start by talking about the dresses with a modest v-neck. #4, #5, and #10 all fall in that category from the looks of them. Then if you want to get sultry (one of my favorite descriptors if you can’t tell) go for #3, #11, and #12. Want more of a glam look? Then #1 and #2 are ideal. I personally have tried on #7 and LOVED it. I would say that unless you are really comfortable with cleavage (I tend to not be, unfortunately) then those with larger busts might want to skip this one.

Strapless and Double Off The Shoulder (Easy Breezy!)

Ah, my other favorite style of dress! It’s classic, automatically feels dressy, and can also work great with a strapless bra, What’s not to love?

Here I am at my cousin Becca’s wedding last summer (tbh it may have technically been fall but boy did the heat not get the cool breeze memo). It was a perfect wedding and this was the dress I bought for it (#4). I loved that it felt dressy but that I knew I could wear easily wear it casually because it was linen. Unless a wedding is wildly fancy, I really try to choose dresses (when possible) that I know I can wear more than once. And with this one, I didn’t even need to wear a bra!! The linen was thick and my boobs looked good enough:) 10/10. Here are some other options I really like.

For those extra fancy weddings, #1 and #8 are incredible. But for me, if I had to pick one dress it would be #2. I am obsessed with how that neckline and those sleeves create the coolest shape. It’s out of my price range now but someday it will be mine! For a much more affordable back dress option, I am digging #5 more than I ever thought I would. Those feathers are just so fun. But just like all of the dresses in this post, I like all of these options…because I chose them. Ha.

Well, that’s it y’all. I truly hope you found this helpful and that they were a wide enough range of good options. Shopping for clothing can be stressful and dress shopping for a special event can be even harder. We should be able to feel both beautiful and comfortable. Don’t forget that<3

Love you, mean it.

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Published on April 01, 2023 01:00

March 31, 2023

Our Easter Tradition (AKA The Easiest Easter Party Meal That We Look Forward To All Year That Pleases The Whole Crowd)

This year we MIGHT be able to have a little Easter gathering at our house – the sod is going in as I write this and while the work won’t be done (and our driveway is painfully broken up, waiting to be redone) I’m hoping to execute my favorite Easter tradition – a ham, mustard, and pickle sandwich bar. I have no pictures of this tradition but will be sure to document it this year. We started this in LA years ago and it was SUCH a crowd pleaser, so easy, relatively affordable, kids loved it, adults loved it, and I don’t think I can ever look back. Here’s what you’ll need:

The Universal Power of The Humble Hawaiian Rolls

Y’all I didn’t know these existed until 9 years ago when we started doing sliders for kids’ parties, and my goodness the sweetness of these rolls combined with the saltiness of the ham is incredible. Last year I got pretzel rolls, too, just to give variety but everyone gobbles up the Hawaiian rolls first. So soft and sweet – don’t bother getting the healthier options.

Honey Baked Ham

You’ll likely need to order ahead, but this is the only time of year that we really indulge in ham (and if you are vegetarian this sandwich totally still works with multiple slices of cheese). They usually pre-score it for you, but if not you cut about 1/2 of it for your guests in sizes that would fit the sandwich and lay it out on a platter (you’ll have leftovers so try to give it away to guests at the end because you won’t want to eat ham for 6 months after this day).

Lots Of Cheeses

You can get a cheese variety of course, but we have found that swiss or provolone works best here. Please tell me I’m wrong in the comments and suggest another cheese that works with ham because I’m certainly open. The sharper the better and of course supporting local farms feels nice if you can:)

Many The Mustards!

In order to fully indulge in this sandwich bar we need many types of mustard (this is where the cost can add up if you aren’t careful, but we are a mustard family so we’ll go through them). Sure, you might be fine with just yellow – but let yourself live out all your condiment fantasies on this glorious day. Obviously dijon, spicy dijon, stone ground, etc.

Classic + Artisanal Pickles

Whatever you do, do NOT think you are above bread and butter sweet pickles. It’s my humble opinion that these are the best, despite their basic reputation. However, this is your chance to indulge in all your pickle dreams and support some local pickle makers and impress your friends (if they are into pickles – this will not impress them if they are not into pickles). Dill, spicy, sweet, relish, etc. My LA team loves Kaylin + Kaylin pickles (they swear by the honey mustard flavor) and I might have them ship a jar to me. Heck, with enough time I might even make my own. Yes, you can try relish, but for me, I love a sweet pickle SO MUCH in this sandwich that I dabble in dill but only momentarily before I head back to sweet.

Extras

Last year I got horseradish and fried onions (from a can) which I enjoyed. You could also go for capers or literally anything canned from the condiment aisle. You can even get a variety of chips and put chips in your sandwich (if you have never done this might I suggest you stop denying yourself the deliciousness of the internal sandwich chip? Salt and vinegar, ruffled Lays, and classic salt & pepper are all good options. Lastly, we love mayo a lot but this more popular condiment takes a back seat on this day. Feel free to go full “Starke” (my maiden name) and indulge in some Miracle Whip or make your own aioli (which I just started doing and is delicious) should you want to offer something a little less artery-clogging. 🙂

That’s about it. We usually do bunny pancakes in the morning and Brian makes deviled eggs while I make a huge delicious salad because I love combining it with a cold crunch. Then in the afternoon when we invite folks over we’ll put all the above ingredients out on platters, on the island, or dining table. Please save yourself a big headache – don’t decant or label the mustards. Just shove a knife in each jar and line them up next to each other on a table. Part of the charm of this grab-and-hang meal is its ease and casualness. This is obviously not best for a sit-down meal, it’s more for a party atmosphere. Let the kids help themselves (what’s the worst that could happen? Yes, they might just eat roll after roll but it’s Easter and they are going to have a sugar hangover regardless :)). So pop some white wine or local IPAs and indulge in what will be a joyous and gut-busting Easter day. 🙂

Opening Image Credits: Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | Styled by Julie Rose and Velinda Hellen | From: Need Some At-Home Easter Brunch Inspo?? Our Never Before Seen Easter Shoot From Last Year Has You Covered

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Published on March 31, 2023 01:00

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