Emily Henderson's Blog, page 96

The Best Design Forward Dog Beds And Dog Crates

A few months ago my husband and I accomplished something we thought was impossible. We trained our very stubborn dog to stop sleeping on our bed. It was not without frustration and about 100 dog treats, but we’ve officially declared our efforts a success. Our 60-pound American bulldog named Gus (who thinks he is human) has accepted that his own dog bed is where he ought to sleep. Such a valiant effort would not have been possible without a durable, comfortable dog bed so we began this sleep training journey with a practical bed we knew would meet our very spoiled dog’s comfort needs. Great. Perfect. Done. But now as I stare at his quite large bed taking up a lot of precious space, I am reminded that I’d much prefer a prettier, more design-forward dog bed. Knowing how much our pets can take over our hearts AND homes, I figured I am not alone. So since I am currently in the market, I figured I’d share some of the best, most stylish dog beds available right now. Let’s get into it.

PRETTY DOG BEDSdesign by sarah zachary | styling by emily bowser | photos by sara ligorria-tramp | from: a historic mid-century modern home that was completely brought back to life

Around here we are big on using floor pillows as dog beds because, well, floor pillows are home decor so they are often a bit more stylish. And I’ve never met a dog who doesn’t love to snuggle up on ANYTHING remotely comfy. That said, I made it my mission to find the best, most aesthetically pleasing dog beds that are also comfortable and long last lasting (and a couple of floor pillows that I’m confident dogs would love, too).

1. Essential Dog Bed: Why not give your pup the same amount of comfort you give yourself? We all know Tuft and Needle make great mattresses and now they have pretty dog beds that pets love. I love this review: After some initial reluctance to sleep on something new, our dog now spends most of her time on this bed. She loves it!
2. Upcycled Denim Stripe Dog Bed: The simple stripe design is chic yet understated. One reviewer commented: Very high-quality bed which goes perfectly with my decor and my dog absolutely loves.
3. Piazza Large Shale Tufted Dog Bed: The deep blue color is so pretty and the fabric is forgiving and easy to clean. This review sold it for me: I bought the Large Shale Tufted Bed a month ago and my dog has never been happier. He sleeps on it through the night and lounges on it throughout the day. He has very long hair that sheds often, so we love that the fabric can be easily vacuumed and/or fully removed to wash in the washing machine.
4. Square Tufted Reversible Floor Pillow: As I said above, we are always fans of swapping dog beds for floor pillows or cushions. This one comes in this mossy green, red, or dark blue and we love the tufted detail.
5. 2 Piece Sedona Pillow Set: Some superfans may remember that Emily has this floor pillow at the . It’s technically for humans but I think we dog owners know that any dog would take one look at this and think “my new bed”. Here’s what Em has to say about the comfort: Most floor pillows aren’t big enough to really lounge on and this one is HUGE with cushy down fill, and made of a really pretty grey linen. It’s so comfortable and cushy, not too firm or bouncy.
6. Sherpa Faux Fur 3-in-1 Pet Bed: This bed is INCREDIBLE. If you have trouble keeping your dog off furniture (same) then this is for you. The top cover and bolsters can be removed so you can drape it over a sofa and leave the bottom cushion on the floor. SO smart and innovative.
7. Dog Sofa: I am pretty blown away by this incredibly chic dog sofa bed design. The sleek design would go perfectly in any minimal Scandinavian home.
8. Orthopedic Calming Dog Bed: This donut shape bed offers extreme comfort and according to the seller is designed with orthopedic features to help provide support to your pet’s joints and muscles. The product photo pretty much sold it for me :).
9. Faux Fur Orthopedic Dog Bed: I have been social-media-marketed this particular dog bed for years. As far as ‘design forward’ goes, this one definitely hits the mark. It essentially looks like a sherpa rug but is actually an orthopedic bed that any pet would love. The best part? The faux sherpa cover is removable AND machine washable.

STYLISH DOG CRATES design by lea johnson of creekwood hill | photography by sage e imagery | from: lea’s living room reveal: her pet and family-friendly open concept design agony solved

I am a recent dog crate convert. My parents inherited my brother’s dog who is crate-trained and it is such a luxury for them. My dog is about 8 years old and I WISH we had crate-trained him early on (maybe it’s not too late??). In any case, I know there are dog owners who could use some stylish crates (these things do take up a lot of precious real estate afterall) so I set out to find some of the best options available right now:

1. Abbeville Pet Crate: If you have a large dog this is a great option. It has ample room and many reviewers noted how impressed they were with the quality and durability.
2. Dog Crate End Table: This extremely well-designed dog crate has a side cabinet for added storage and the flat top allows it to act as an end table should you want that. I love the midcentury modern design and dark wood finish (but it should be noted that this comes in one size best suited for smaller dogs).
3. Corner Dog Crate Furniture: If aren’t working with a lot of space, this corner dog crate can help you save space and can act as an end table.
4. UniPaws Gray Wooden End Table Dog Crate: I love the muted gray color and modern design. Reviewers also note that it is simple to put together, great for large dogs, and very sturdy.
5. Modern Dog Crate: This one comes in various colors including black, white, clear, and pink, or you can request a custom color. I love that it has a sliding door which helps if you don’t have a lot of space.
6. Fable Crate: I love this modern crate that was designed to mimic a natural den and reduce anxiety. One reviewer commented: Obsessed with the fable crate! Worth every penny and great quality that will last a lifetime. I have a 22lbs mini labradoodle and I got the large crate size so she has some extra space which has been a great fit. The look of the crate is timeless and is a beautiful addition to any room.

I couldn’t leave you without sharing one photo of our good boy, Gus. As you can see, he is the king of comfort.

That is all for today and I hope this was helpful for anyone who needed it. For all you cat parents out there, you can expect a design-forward litterbox & cat accessory roundup coming to you soon. In the meantime, drop a line down below if you have any more design-forward dog beds and crates to add to the list. xx

Opener Image Credit: Design by Annie Segal and Marieke Ochtman of ASOM HOME | Styled by Velinda Hellen, Emily Bowser, and Julie Rose | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Tour This Eclectic Midcentury Modern House Designed by ASOM Home + 10 Approachable Design Tricks Anyone Can Do

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Primary Closet Reveal! Our Functional and Beautiful Scandinavian Farmhouse DREAM Closet

It’s closet reveal day, and I say that with equal doses of excitement and gratitude. I’m going to write this post with as much objectivity as possible, almost pretending it’s not mine because y’all this closet is incredible. Of course I was part of the design process as a client, but it’s all thanks to the California Closets team, led by pro designer Amy Bodi in Oregon (with an all-female staff, btw) who designed behind the scenes for weeks before it was installed IN ONE DAY (practically). It’s a real embarrassment of riches, and I love every single second I’m in here.

Where Are We In The House?

As you can see the closet is between our bedroom and our bathroom, with a door between the closet and our bedroom. It’s the perfect location for us as I like to bathe at times after Brian goes to bed (and then dry my dumb hair because I can’t sleep on it wet) and I often get up way before him and want to dress without waking him up. The point is – having the bath and closet together with a closable door to the bedroom has proved handy many many times.

The Big Reveal!!

It’s a real dream y’all and I feel like the luckiest person on the planet that this is ours. Let’s talk about layout first because a closet is a utilitarian space and needs to function for daily needs. We designed this with California Closets (the Oregon branch) specifically for our daily clothing use which leans far more utilitarian these days. I still LOVE fun fashion and at times miss the need to try out things, but I rarely leave the house besides yoga, kids’ sports, and groceries (and LOVE it).

I’m on the left side and back, and Brian is on the right (and the drawer column along the back). Yes, I use more space because I have much more clothes. The combination of hanging rods, drawers, and shelves is PERFECT for us.

A Mix of Open And Closet Storage, Shelves, and Drawers FTW

We wanted a mix of closed storage, rods, shelves, and drawers to achieve the perfect balance of ‘easy to access’ and ‘nice to look at’ (Thank you Amy for guiding us towards more open storage :)). We fold our jeans (personal preference) so putting them on shelves behind the cabinet looked cleaner and yet easier to access than a bin within a shelf (which I like for things like spanks or swimsuits but not things you need to fold). Dresses or long coats/suits obviously get the full-length spot but anything that looks messy on a daily basis gets hidden.

Storage Symmetry = Clean Look + Easier For The Eye To Understand

Canvas Laundry Rolling Hamper

As you can see we chose to be symmetrical (you don’t have to) because my eye likes when something is visually easy to understand, especially in a potentially chaotic environment. All our blouses are hung, sweaters and sweatshirts are folded on shelves, with T-shirts and workout gear in the drawers beneath the hanging rods. We also had the option of more hanging rods on the bottom but chose space for hampers instead (mine has a rod if I change my mind). I bought this tall Amish wood hamper due to its perfect size, but it’s too heavy and deep to deal with so for Brian’s side I bought the Rejuvenation rolling hamper with the canvas bag (which works better in every way honestly).

Ceramic Pot | Leather Baskets | Wood Bins

As you can imagine I edited our wardrobes a bit for this professional partnership shoot because my intent is always a mix of real + aspirational, but Brian wants me to reassure you that he’s not a psychopath based on his side of hanging clothes. He walked in after I styled out his side and I think was a bit butt hurt that I didn’t include his vintage teal and gold Rams jacket…

Drawers In A Closet Instead Of A Dresser? Yes. Contain that mess.

Here’s my pitch for prioritizing a well-appointed closet over a dresser (or two) in a bigger bedroom (I’m currently lucky enough to have both in this house). Should you have the space and are considering or currently remodeling, I’d go for a smaller bedroom with no wall for a dresser in order to get a large enough closet for drawers or a stand-alone dresser. I’m messy so this is imperative for keeping our bedroom clean so that I can sleep, but it also just means all the “clothing ingredients” are together. I have the same feelings about the kitchen/cooking areas: I’d rather have a prep pantry and a more compact kitchen than a big kitchen with a small pantry. It’s all about containing the process and therefore mess – but it’s totally a personal preference. I also just want to call out my excellent hair in that shot and how it took me almost 5 years to recover from the bleach and chop that many of you warned me not to get 🙂 I have real, thick, non-extensioned hair again!!!! (Thanks to some time and supplements).

Our Finish Choice: Light Natural Wood

This cabinet front choice was harder than we thought it would be, not because we were unsure of the wood but because we were unsure of the wood tones together (including our Zena flooring). So we almost went white, but then I was reminded of Joy’s closet and just wanted the warmth of wood! Y’all I think we all need to obsess less about mixing different wood tones together. Pretty looks good with pretty, full stop (but California Closets has a LOT of options including gray tones, dark wood tones, and of course white).

The Pull Out Steaming or Prep Rod

Basket Planter

This rod has been strangely helpful. For different fashion partnerships, I will put all the options there and steam them out, keeping them all in one location as I put together outfits. It retracts back when not in use. It’s SO nice.

The Brass Hardware

Drawer Pulls | Cabinet Knobs

In an attempt to not busy it up too much we kept with gold on wood (low-contrast) and opted for Rejuvenation’s new Ansel pulls and knobs. California Closets lets you offer your own hardware and you can even do multiple handles or knobs, but we wanted large, easy to grab, and simple.

Leather Rods And Brass Detailing

The details of the finishes are so good – leather rods and brass fittings. We went with the taupe leather to again, keep the contrast down and make it look more seamless and quiet.

Smart Shoe Drawers + Shoe Shelves Up Top

I was never a huge displaying-my-shoes-person before we moved back to Oregon, but now even more so. So we told Amy we wanted some easy-to-access but none that needed to feel like a shoe display or shoe showroom. These drawers pull out and can store 4-6 pairs each, and then up top, we have more shelves that fit some less worn shoes.

The Drop Zone/Shelf

When our designer Amy suggested a drop zone shelf I didn’t predict how much I’d use it. It’s GREAT, mostly for pulling things out of my pockets before throwing clothes in the wash. Think receipts, chapstick, doggy bags, etc. Plus it’s a fun place to break up all the clothes with a sweet styling moment.

Marble Tray

The Jewelry Drawer

I only wear jewelry for shoots or special occasions because I end up taking them off and losing them :). This drawer is incredible and obviously allows for a place for any and all rings, bracelets, necklaces, etc.

I seriously debated how to style the top of these cabinets. Do I even put anything up there? I needed to play and experiment with what would work and make a tiny bit of sense. While Brian was out of town I went out to the prop closet and brought inside a bunch of pretty things that I thought could work – artwork that hadn’t found a place on a wall yet, stacks of vintage quilts that I love, and of course some plants. I was VERY reticent about putting plants on top because that felt like it could lean too 80s but y’all, there is a skylight RIGHT THERE. These plants might actually love it (except the faux one – can you guess which one?????). Looking at it now I LOVE how it’s styled on top and it brings me happiness every time I walk past. Yes watering the plants might be annoying at some point, but that monstera has been up there for a month (we shot this a while ago) and I’ve watered it twice with a step stool and it was only a ‘3’ on the annoying scale.

As you can see in the below photo any and all belts and bags are on hooks on the side of the cabinets. You have options to add way more (or add tie storage) but we don’t have a lot of that so we didn’t.

The Mirror

We of course wanted a mirror in here (even though I now have a big one in our bedroom) and we love that it is super simple and opens for more shelving behind it.

Bench

The bench is a Katy Skelton original that I’ve had for almost 10 years – it works so well in here. The rug we bought from Schoolhouse. It’s a 4’x6′ and we really need a 5’x6′ or a 6’x6′ (which doesn’t exist). I would have gotten a 5’x8′ but it would look like wall-to-wall carpet plus we have a huge air return that couldn’t be covered so it needed to be 6′ wide. But if you are wondering why it’s a different orientation for different angles it’s because we cheated it for each shot.

Let me be clear – a large closet like this is not essential to a life well lived, but it’s certainly a ‘good to have’ and certainly adds a lot of value to our home. I can enthusiastically state the obvious – having a well-thought-out and designed closet is pretty darn lovely. When we started designing the layout of this house 2 (3?) years ago we planned for a decent-sized primary closet. Whether I intended to or not, fashion (read: me trying on clothes) has ended up being a big revenue generator for my company so having a nice-looking closet as well as good storage (and a great steaming/prep area) became relatively important.

Should we ever decide to sell this house we knew first-hand the power of a spacious closet (or lack thereof). When we first put our LA house on the market – people loved the house, but many were turned off enough by the lack of closets. But that house was built in 1920 and lives are different now (for better or worse) so the expectation on a recently remodeled house is spacious closets. And spacious it is.

A huge thanks to California Closets for partnering with us on this closet. Amy Bodi, our designer, was so thoughtful and extremely detailed in her design. The process was incredibly seamless from start to finish. Also, I must shout out the installers who came in like ninjas and installed it all in one day (they came back the next day to add trim, etc, but it was almost fully functional after the first day). Designing and installing a closet like this is certainly a luxury and they nailed it on every single level. We are extremely impressed with the quality, the services, the function, and the style – it’s truly incredible and we feel like the luckiest people in the world. xx

Additional Resources:
Flooring: Zena Forest Products
Skylight: Velux
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams, “Extra White”

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

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The Link Up: The TV Series Emily’s Whole Family Loves, Caitlin’s Budget Date Night Idea, & A GREAT Design Shop In LA

Happy Sunday folks! We are so happy you stopped by. This week our lovely Jess has been galavanting around Paris likely wearing cute outfits and discovering awesome vintage finds. We can’t wait to hear about her trip once she returns (and you can expect a blog post about it, too :)). In the meantime, here are the links we are excited to share with you this week:

This week’s home tour takes us to San Francisco, where a striking all-black exterior contrasts the very bright and artistic interior. It is a modern “maximal minimalist” home that has us completely transfixed.

From Emily: For those of you with kids who like musicals, we just started watching High School Musical: The Musical: The Series which is a TV show set in the high school of the OG High School Musical, but 20 years later and they are re-preforming the OG musical. Listen, we didn’t love the OG High School Musical movies (besides of course our love for Zach Ephron) but this show is SO GOOD. Brian and I both LOVE IT (he even teared up during the episode where the parents tell their son that they are separating which they did so with so much thought and care). The music is awesome, the acting is so good, and the choreography is so good. The cast is refreshingly diverse and gives me hope for the future. I mean, to be fair, we are serious musical lovers over here and think that The Greatest Showman is the best family movie of the 21st century. But if you are looking for a new weeknight show to watch with your kids (over the age of 6 I think) we LOVE High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

From Jess: I found my dream pants and I might wear them every day on my Paris trip (I’m writing this pre-trip FYI). They are SO COMFORTABLE, make me feel cool, the quality is awesome, and I can dress them up or down. Normally I don’t spend this much on pants but as soon as I put them on I knew we were meant for each other. I got a medium and at almost 5’4” I don’t need to hem them (big win:)). I can’t say enough good things about them and might even sleep in them I love them so much. 100000000/10.

From Mallory: If you’re in LA listen up: go check out Olive Ateliers if you haven’t yet!! Their whole warehouse is full of “objects with old souls” and they import awesome stuff from literally all over the world. The best part?? It’s fairly affordable (solid marble bowls for $65, vases for under $100, and awesome wood pieces and paper mache bowls for $30-45). Obviously, some of their large planters & onyx sinks can be pricier but considering that most of these pieces are shipped in from all over, I was impressed. They do “drops” every few weeks that are open to the public but during the week they’re open to the trade. Check it out & follow them on IG 

From Caitlin:  Lemme tip y’all off to my favorite budget-friendly date idea: THE MONDO LLAMA CRAFT KIT. Head to Target with your love interest (or even a friend – or even yourself?), pick out a craft (or two different crafts, it’s your date!), pop on a show (something that works well in the background – I can vouch for Cheers or the Bon Appetit channel), and get to craftin’. IT’S THE BEST.

From Ryann: Once again I am looking for good books to get me back into reading. I always go in spurts where I read voraciously and then abruptly it stops which makes me feel, to be quite honest, very lazy and sad. So in an attempt to get myself reading again, I bought How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. I’ve heard great things about it, it’s one of those novels that follows several interconnecting stories which I am a fan of, plus it’s about a prehistoric plague that decimates humanity and that’s very intriguing to me (I wonder why??). This is my first book of the year (I’ll let you know my review hopefully next week!) but I would also love some recs from you all so I can keep the reading train going instead of going on Tik Tok every second of my life 🙂

Have a lovely Sunday sweet friends, and come back tomorrow for a brand new REVEAL! xx

Opener Image Credit: Design and Photos by Rosy Alexander | From: How To Add An Addition To Your House Without It Feeling TOO New (+ A Classic Yet Trend Forward Kitchen Island Extension You Need To See)

The post The Link Up: The TV Series Emily’s Whole Family Loves, Caitlin’s Budget Date Night Idea, & A GREAT Design Shop In LA appeared first on Emily Henderson.

What You Have Bought So Far in 2023

Is it just me or is this year already flying by?? As such, when we started planning this post and realized February is nearly over, we figured we would check the data to see what ya’ll have bought so far this year. We were genuinely curious if the beginning of the year purchases would reflect any interesting buying trends. I.e. would we see a lot of organizing stuff? Cleaning supplies? General get-your-life-together accouterments? The answer lies in these here links so let’s jump right in, shall we?

10. Wood Entryway Bench

Right off the bat, the data is throwing us a surprise gem. This entryway bench is not a casual purchase but it IS a really pretty and functional piece of furniture (that’s only $399!) so I understand why it would be so popular. I love the wood finish, cane drawer detail, and the adorable peg hooks. Who among us is a proud owner of this bad boy?? Don’t be shy and sound off in the comments 🙂

9. Emily’s Glass Dinner Plates

These classic and durable dinner plates have been a favorite of Emily’s for years. Here’s what Emily loves about them: “These plates are extremely flat, lightweight, and durable which means that the kids can easily set the table, do their own dishes, and easily load them into the dishwasher. While I love handmade pottery plates, those are more like the modern-day “fine china” – great for special occasions. But for day-to-day, I will only use these”

8. Large Oval Leather Shagreen Tray

We knew this Shagreen tray would be a winner as soon as we saw it. It is so pretty and has a lovely texture (and it has a matching box if you are into that). Emily styled it in her sunroom and we love the way the muted green color interacts with the stunning blue tile flooring.

7. Ryann’s Mug

I LOVE this mug. It’s one of the few things I use every single day and at this point, it’s something I feel like I can’t live without. If you are curious, here is my original sales pitch: “If you have ever opened Tik Tok you have probably seen the now viral Stanley mugs that every Gen Z and Millenial influencer has. And these influencers deserve a proverbial raise because I found myself ready to hit purchase until I saw they are $50 and basically sold out of every color. So I gave up on the dream until I was wandering through Target and saw this. It’s a Stanley mug dupe and I am sure not as heavy duty, but it’s the same size and idea AND half the price. So I bought it and I now have to run to the bathroom every hour on the hour because of how much water I am drinking. Big fan.“

6. Emily’s Sauna Blanket

Sauna blanket for the win! I can’t say I am surprised to see this guy made it to the top 10 list once again, especially since Em wrote another honest full review after having hers for 3 years. I don’t think anyone can question why it is a top seller, but I do want to know, who got themselves one this year?? Lets us know in the comments!

5. Women’s Sherpa Anorak Jacket

Emily wore this cute (and affordable) sherpa jacket in this post and really sold it with this endorsement: “How cute is this cozy jacket? It has this brown trim detailing that mimics the look of leather, a super high collar that is oversized and very cool, and it’s just as soft on the inside as it is on the outside.“

4. Faux Leather Storage Bin

We have used these faux leather storage bins in SO MANY shoots and projects over the years. I would say this guy falls under the category of pretty org and its placement on this list is reminding me that I could use a stylish bin or two. I love the stitching detail and faux patinaed look, and this is big enough that it could store shoes or perhaps some throw blankets. Who snagged one of these this year??

3. Mallory’s Turtleneck Sweater

Mallory, the queen of finding the best sales, bought this sweater when Madewell was offering an additional 40% off sale items. What a steal! It has a perfect boxy, cropped fit and lovely detailed stitching. Who else bought this one??

2. Ryann’s Flared Leggings

I always get compliments when I wear these pants which of course feels good 🙂 Like I said when I shared them in The Link Up, they are very flattering, COMFORTABLE, and slimming if you are into that and go with pretty much everything I own. And only $18! If you bought yourself a pair let me know down below!

1. Caitlin’s Yee Haw Needlepoint Pillows

And finally, coming in at #1 are these delightful needlepoint throw pillows. I wanna know who snagged these!! They are really cute and not surprisingly currently sold out (but don’t worry, the shop sells some others that are just as darling–like this cowboy boot one!). Here’s how Caitlin originally sold us all on them: “I’m currently obsessed with fun needlepoint pillows (anyone else?) and I just ordered a pink and orange pair that I’m so excited about!!! They’re from a small business in Texas, they shipped much quicker than anticipated, and the price is UNBEATABLE. I say this as a person who spent about $110 bucks back in 2017 on the now-famous Furbish Studio “got it all together but I forgot where I put it” needlepoint pillow – it was worth the splurge and I still love it, but dang, it feels great to find the look for about half the price:) Hoping they make it into one of my reveals this year.”

There you have it, folks. If you purchased any of these top sellers we’d love to hear about it down below! Thanks for stopping by and happy Saturday. xx

Opener Image Credit: Design by Mel Burstin | Photo by Tessa Neustadt | From: Mel’s MOTO Reveal – It’s The Breath Of Minimalist, Uncluttered Air We All Need

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The New Jake Arnold x Crate & Barrel Collection Is Giving Us Heart Palpitations

If you’ve made it this far you probably saw the opener photo, got butterflies, then had to click through to see more. Honestly, same. We were so excited when we heard Jake Arnold + Crate & Barrel were collaborating and now that the collection has launched, we wanted to do a deep dive into the beautiful pieces that they created together. I was actually lucky enough to see the collection yesterday in person and ya’ll, it’s even more stunning IRL. So today I am thrilled to highlight some of our favorite pieces and share why we love them so much. Enough talk, let’s let this collection speak for itself:

Rumford Accent Chair

Those chubby chairs are the perfect balance between modern and traditional. I am a huge fan of this layout and all of the pieces in the space. Perhaps the star of the show is this guy over in the corner:

Winslow Oak Bar Cabinet

This bar cabinet is one of my favorite pieces – dare I say – I’ve ever seen?? I love that it combines form and function seamlessly and THOSE LINES. Just, wow. So so good, Jake Arnold + team!!

Living Room

This is some serious eye candy am I right or am I right?? The curve of the chairs, the warm cognac sofa, and THAT CREDENZA. Hold up, let’s have a closer look at that…

credenza

Just wanted to confirm that this piece it’s awesome and it sure is. How amazing is that woven texture?! And those feet?? The whole thing is *chef’s kiss*. Also, click through to see the genius cord management solution in the back. That MAKES it for me and you can tell that there’s so much thought that went behind all of these pieces to make them beautiful and also functional so they can last you a lifetime. Now a moment for some of the other awesome products featured in this room:

floor lamp | accent chairmirror | sofa

Alright, let’s take this to the bedroom, shall we? Let’s start by saying that there’s nothing sexier than a statement bed and this one DELIVERS. The color is perfect, the lines are gorgeously crafted and all in all, it couldn’t be better. See for yourself:

Bedroom

Hi, can we get a closer look? Yes, yes we can:

Caldwell Camel Bed

But here’s the real kicker: IT HAS STORAGE. Yup, you heard that right. The base of the bed pulls out which is literally a dream. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better…I TOLD YOU THIS COLLECTION DELIVERS. Now we’ve been neglecting a seriously awesome part of the collab and I cannot continue on until we bring it up, ladies and gents, the lighting portion:

Lighting pendantsconce | floor lamptable lamp | pendant

This truly knocked my socks off. I love all of the textures and the continuity is so clear through that brass ball detail. They just really nailed it. Alright now, let’s chat a bit about decor because, between the candle holders and the textiles, we’re about to have ourselves a feast. BUCKLE UP.

Decor and Textiles

Ah, this room is styled so beautifully. Did ya notice that awesome candle holder on the coffee table?? Let me show you a more in-depth photo below because it CANNOT be missed. Here are some of our favorite decor pieces & textiles:

euro pillow | ceramicscandle holder | diamond patterned lumbar pillow

So good right?! Let’s end it off with a HUGE congrats to Jake Arnold, Crate & Barrel, and the amazing team work it takes to build something as incredible as this. Way to go everyone, it’s a MASSIVE success!! xx

If you want to check out even more of the collection, you can head here (definitely do because there are even more amazing pieces we didn’t have room for in this post, it’s worth it I swear!). Which products are your fav?? Let’s chat below! Thanks for being here. xx

**Images courtesy of Crate & Barrel

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Renovation Redo: The Farmhouse Window Trim Options + Shutters Debate (With Some Photoshop Renders To Help Us Decide)

In this week’s episode of ‘fixing our remodeling regrets’, we take it to the exterior where I’m just not feeling like I should about the house (and no, it’s not just the mud). The color of the body, Pure White by Sherwin-Williams, is perfect and lovely. We then chose Online by Sherwin-Williams as the trim color because it looked really good with the Sierra Pacific Windows steel blue aluminum clad doors – similar undertones but lighter. Great. Done. The color never felt totally ‘happy’ enough for me, but it looked really good with the blue doors, copper accents, and white (in the sun), and decisions had to be made FAST. I figured the ‘Online’ trim would recede and the future shutters would be the contrast or color that I wanted. And listen this color is extra gray when it’s gray outside (which is very frequent) and far bluer when it’s sunny. We chose it when it was sunny 🙂 But that wasn’t the biggest issue.

We want shutters, and as I started researching shutters for the first time I quickly realized there is a specific formula that I prefer: white house + white trim + white window sashes + contrasting shutters/doors. Sometimes the trim/windows color is the same as the shutters (and the muntins of the window) to give it more of a monochromatic look which I thought was very cool. Around the time of shutter contemplation, a month or so ago when I was starting to break down all my reno regrets, a reader reached out (hi Misty!) and said that she was a pro photoshopping graphic designer available to be hired to help should I need it. I’m pretty sure she could sense my frustration and had been there before as a remodeler herself. I know there are a lot of good graphic designers out there, but having an invested reader helping felt like a nice alignment. So I hired her to photoshop some options so if/when we repaint we feel REALLY GOOD about it. The question wasn’t just the window trim color it was also which window should get shutters. So today through some photoshop magic, I’ll show you a bunch of options (and what we’ve narrowed it down to).

Option A: White Window Sashes + White Trim + No Shutters

Admittedly this is pretty boring without the shutters, although once landscaping grows in I think it could be really pretty and classic. What you can’t see here are the copper Rejuvenation lights and of course a lot of pink, green, and coppery-toned trees and plants that have yet to be planted. Oh and don’t get too excited – the GREEN GRASS IS PHOTOSHOPPED. I think even Misty was sick of looking at the mud so at one point she threw in the green which really did it for me (are there any glasses I can put on to help transcribe mud to grass??). Regardless, the white on white was a real hard no for Brian and I kinda agreed.

There are days when the red door on this white house is too much for me, TBH, but that’s an easy fix. I actually think that when the upstairs window treatments are open the diamond pattern of the windows really pops more when the trim is white. However I still wasn’t convinced, Brian wasn’t into it, and this time around I have to feel REALLY REALLY good about it. I love the sunroom windows without the gray trim color – which is actually how it was planned but the painters messed up and painted it, and we decided to live with it. As you can see the profile of the trim is smaller and was never intended to be painted gray.

Option B: White Window Sashes + Blue trim + No Shutters

For a brief 2 days, a shutter salesperson told us that we couldn’t do shutters on some of the windows upstairs based on the photos. So just in case, in the interim, I asked Misty to photoshop this option: blue trim, white window sashes, with no shutters. Meanwhile, I measured the top windows – specifically the two on the right and left sides of the house that seemed too close to the edges. The window sashes (without the trim) are 36″ wide, which would require the shutters to be 18″ each. We have a solid 19″ to the edges of the house so we are fine – tight but fine. I did NOT like this version without shutters. But what if we add shutters???

Option C: White Window Sashes + Blue Trim + Blue Shutters

Brian was curious about this option and felt like exploring all options was important this time around (without a painting crew waiting for my decision). So in this option, we keep the window sashes white, then paint the window trim and the shutters blue. We thought this would totally work, but this was a hard and fast no for both of us – it looks so busy!! Your eye doesn’t know what to look at – Trim! Diamond windows! Shutters! Doors! Now I want to be clear – some houses can handle a lot of busyness on the outside and I have dreams of doing a Victorian house in a billion fun colors, but that’s not the intent for this house. I have to admit that I would not have known how much I didn’t like this until it was photoshopped. It sounded like a good idea (and I think we even tried it in the chief architect renderings once and liked it). But no, it’s too busy.

Option D: Blue Sashes + Blue Trim + Blue Shutters

When I first saw this monochromatic look I was like ‘OOOOHHHHH’, but I think for the wrong reasons. I thought it looked cool and a new take on the farmhouse exterior style. Brian and my brother Ken were both hard no’s thinking it was too trendy and didn’t want that for our house. I wasn’t going to fight for it, but I was surprised at how much I liked it. I actually thought that maybe it could be two different dark colors so not quite as monochromatic. I think I am just responding to feeling like a basic middle-aged lady with a big fancy house and wanting it to feel younger and cooler (!!), which is obviously pathetic and dumb to write, but I know I’m not alone in feeling like my house doesn’t really look like ‘me’ 🙂 So I asked Misty to do a few different views of the house to really make sure this wasn’t the direction we should go:

Pretty darn intense. But what if the red door was changed? There is still something that I liked about it, but I think it’s just that it’s strangely graphic, easy for your eye to ‘get’, and it has style to it. This brought up the dark house debate: whether or not dark houses will be dated in 20 years, but ultimately we decided that in the right setting it is soooo appropriate and classic, but no, a house like this with a wrap-around porch is probably meant to be more classic. Or maybe without the shutters it would look better. I also want to be clear that painting the actual sashes of the windows (the grid with the diamond) is more challenging so having them white is FAR easier and less expensive.

Option D + A Porch Shutter

In this one, you can see Misty added shutters on the bottom window (which I really liked as a feature). Here are a few more angles in this monochromatic look so you have all the information:

This is the kitchen patio side, which I think looks cool, actually, but that could be because there is no landscaping yet so the blue and white really pop (right now because of the lack of trees/bushes growing in every angle of the house looks so unfinished).

This side of the house is the most problematic (and publicly seen) for me and always has been. Here’s why: you can see all the mechanical aspects (heat pump, electrical panels, generator – all will be covered eventually but very exposed now) and this side also highlights a lot of window awkwardness (mixing old + new with the older windows oddly placed). BTW the odd placement doesn’t bother ME, but people sure love to call it out. I actually find it super charming that they aren’t perfectly aligned but boy are people on social media upset :).

Option E: Blue Sashes + Blue Trim + No Shutters

Misty also sent through this option without shutters, which is also fun to see and perhaps better. It’s still not what we decided on but I wanted to show you because it’s just so illuminating to see all the variations.

It’s definitely less intense and busy than the monochromatic + shutters look. Are you still following? This is getting complicated. OH, and we have a big cherry tree coming from the front porch area which I’m very excited about (and the grass and bushes are photoshopped – they aren’t in yet).

Option F: White Sashes + White Trim + Blue Shutters

OK NOW HERE WE GO. When Brian and I both saw this we were like ‘ooh, pretty!’. It feels super classic and still fresh. Is it young and cool? Nah, not really, but it’s timeless and appropriate and with styling, furniture, and landscaping I think it will still look fresh. After seeing this, I wanted to take a more pulled-back photo for Misty to see the mudroom/bedroom and potentially put shutters there.

Option G: White Sashes + White Trim + Blue Shutters On Both Floors

That looks SO PRETTY to us. I almost want to add more shutters on the windows flanking the big scenic doors but those would definitely hit the exterior sconces. It feels fresh and bright, pulled together, and hopefully not regrettable. Ok, let’s say that the white + blue shutters combination was our winner, does it work on all sides of the house?

Option G: Other angles Of The House + Shutter Debate

The kitchen side of the house allows for shutters on top, but not in the kitchen windows. You might think that it looks a little plain, but what you don’t know is that we are adding two large potted trees on the patio, a big striped umbrella, string lights, trees and bushes along the side of the house, etc. It’s going to be styled out a lot so the white-on-white window situation will just be a nice background.

But what about the shutters on the second floor? This is HARD. I think they are cute, but are they dinky? The one on the far left is a bedroom window and the rest of them will have shutters, but you won’t see them at the same time. The other two are pretty small – both bathroom windows. We could save money and not do any of these, but will this side look unfinished?

Option G: East Side/Problematic Angle

Look how happy our problematic side looks now! I like the shutters on the bottom left large window by the brick patio and the ones on the second floor. But then the ones on the first floor without shutters look unfinished and yet shutters don’t really work on them (especially that big one on the bottom left – the other three could maybe handle them). So I reached out to Misty again and asked for these options:

Only put shutters on top of larger “bedroom” windows (this is the more traditional way to do it – just bedrooms).Put shutters on top of larger windows + smaller upstairs windows (except that tiny one), but none on the bottom. Shutter all windows possible.

We don’t have to make this call today, but very soon. I’m hoping that any and all experienced shutter people will help weigh in. I’m a shutter newbie and they aren’t cheap so I don’t want to put some up that we eventually take down. Before we go let’s look at the front Porch entrance:

Option G: Front Porch/Entrance Without Shutter

It looks good but could be better…

Option G: Front Porch/Entrance With Shutter

Now that looks like a nice happy lady. I love the shutters on the window on the front porch. The red + blue + white is feeling really strong, so rethinking the red door but definitely going to wait a bit.

What’s up next? So we feel pretty darn confident that we want to paint the gray window trim the same white as the body of the house (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams). We are good there. But what I still feel needs a solid rethinking is what exact shade of blue (or green? pink? blush? black?) the shutters should be. Misty (our graphic designer) did them this round to match the doors as I asked. But I’m hoping to do my favorite thing and really EXHAUST ALL OPTIONS (something I didn’t do actually during this process the first time around). I think I under-thought it (I was also feeling overwhelmed/alone and depressed, so not in my best design self). Now that I feel excited again (!!) I think my old instincts will kick in and it will turn out GREAT.

Let me know in the comments what colors you want to see as the shutters (knowing that the blue aluminum-clad doors can’t change, but the red door can). I want to try Dutch Tile Blue which feels happier and a powder blue. I also want to see what a rosey-toned door would look like (blush and blue forever, no?) But what else??

The post Renovation Redo: The Farmhouse Window Trim Options + Shutters Debate (With Some Photoshop Renders To Help Us Decide) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Renovation Regrets: The Farmhouse Window Trim Options + Shutters Debate (With Some Photoshop Renders To Help Us Decide)

In this week’s episode of ‘fixing our remodeling regrets’, we take it to the exterior where I’m just not feeling like I should about the house (and no, it’s not just the mud). The color of the body, Pure White by Sherwin-Williams, is perfect and lovely. We then chose Online by Sherwin-Williams as the trim color because it looked really good with the Sierra Pacific Windows steel blue aluminum clad doors – similar undertones but lighter. Great. Done. The color never felt totally ‘happy’ enough for me, but it looked really good with the blue doors, copper accents, and white (in the sun), and decisions had to be made FAST. I figured the ‘Online’ trim would recede and the future shutters would be the contrast or color that I wanted. And listen this color is extra gray when it’s gray outside (which is very frequent) and far bluer when it’s sunny. We chose it when it was sunny 🙂 But that wasn’t the biggest issue.

We want shutters, and as I started researching shutters for the first time I quickly realized there is a specific formula that I prefer: white house + white trim + white window sashes + contrasting shutters/doors. Sometimes the trim/windows color is the same as the shutters (and the muntins of the window) to give it more of a monochromatic look which I thought was very cool. Around the time of shutter contemplation, a month or so ago when I was starting to break down all my reno regrets, a reader reached out (hi Misty!) and said that she was a pro photoshopping graphic designer available to be hired to help should I need it. I’m pretty sure she could sense my frustration and had been there before as a remodeler herself. I know there are a lot of good graphic designers out there, but having an invested reader helping felt like a nice alignment. So I hired her to photoshop some options so if/when we repaint we feel REALLY GOOD about it. The question wasn’t just the window trim color it was also which window should get shutters. So today through some photoshop magic, I’ll show you a bunch of options (and what we’ve narrowed it down to).

Option A: White Window Sashes + White Trim + No Shutters

Admittedly this is pretty boring without the shutters, although once landscaping grows in I think it could be really pretty and classic. What you can’t see here are the copper Rejuvenation lights and of course a lot of pink, green, and coppery-toned trees and plants that have yet to be planted. Oh and don’t get too excited – the GREEN GRASS IS PHOTOSHOPPED. I think even Misty was sick of looking at the mud so at one point she threw in the green which really did it for me (are there any glasses I can put on to help transcribe mud to grass??). Regardless, the white on white was a real hard no for Brian and I kinda agreed.

There are days when the red door on this white house is too much for me, TBH, but that’s an easy fix. I actually think that when the upstairs window treatments are open the diamond pattern of the windows really pops more when the trim is white. However I still wasn’t convinced, Brian wasn’t into it, and this time around I have to feel REALLY REALLY good about it. I love the sunroom windows without the gray trim color – which is actually how it was planned but the painters messed up and painted it, and we decided to live with it. As you can see the profile of the trim is smaller and was never intended to be painted gray.

Option B: White Window Sashes + Blue trim + No Shutters

For a brief 2 days, a shutter salesperson told us that we couldn’t do shutters on some of the windows upstairs based on the photos. So just in case, in the interim, I asked Misty to photoshop this option: blue trim, white window sashes, with no shutters. Meanwhile, I measured the top windows – specifically the two on the right and left sides of the house that seemed too close to the edges. The window sashes (without the trim) are 36″ wide, which would require the shutters to be 18″ each. We have a solid 19″ to the edges of the house so we are fine – tight but fine. I did NOT like this version without shutters. But what if we add shutters???

Option C: White Window Sashes + Blue Trim + Blue Shutters

Brian was curious about this option and felt like exploring all options was important this time around (without a painting crew waiting for my decision). So in this option, we keep the window sashes white, then paint the window trim and the shutters blue. We thought this would totally work, but this was a hard and fast no for both of us – it looks so busy!! Your eye doesn’t know what to look at – Trim! Diamond windows! Shutters! Doors! Now I want to be clear – some houses can handle a lot of busyness on the outside and I have dreams of doing a Victorian house in a billion fun colors, but that’s not the intent for this house. I have to admit that I would not have known how much I didn’t like this until it was photoshopped. It sounded like a good idea (and I think we even tried it in the chief architect renderings once and liked it). But no, it’s too busy.

Option D: Blue Sashes + Blue Trim + Blue Shutters

When I first saw this monochromatic look I was like ‘OOOOHHHHH’, but I think for the wrong reasons. I thought it looked cool and a new take on the farmhouse exterior style. Brian and my brother Ken were both hard no’s thinking it was too trendy and didn’t want that for our house. I wasn’t going to fight for it, but I was surprised at how much I liked it. I actually thought that maybe it could be two different dark colors so not quite as monochromatic. I think I am just responding to feeling like a basic middle-aged lady with a big fancy house and wanting it to feel younger and cooler (!!), which is obviously pathetic and dumb to write, but I know I’m not alone in feeling like my house doesn’t really look like ‘me’ 🙂 So I asked Misty to do a few different views of the house to really make sure this wasn’t the direction we should go:

Pretty darn intense. But what if the red door was changed? There is still something that I liked about it, but I think it’s just that it’s strangely graphic, easy for your eye to ‘get’, and it has style to it. This brought up the dark house debate: whether or not dark houses will be dated in 20 years, but ultimately we decided that in the right setting it is soooo appropriate and classic, but no, a house like this with a wrap-around porch is probably meant to be more classic. Or maybe without the shutters it would look better. I also want to be clear that painting the actual sashes of the windows (the grid with the diamond) is more challenging so having them white is FAR easier and less expensive.

Option D + A Porch Shutter

In this one, you can see Misty added shutters on the bottom window (which I really liked as a feature). Here are a few more angles in this monochromatic look so you have all the information:

This is the kitchen patio side, which I think looks cool, actually, but that could be because there is no landscaping yet so the blue and white really pop (right now because of the lack of trees/bushes growing in every angle of the house looks so unfinished).

This side of the house is the most problematic (and publicly seen) for me and always has been. Here’s why: you can see all the mechanical aspects (heat pump, electrical panels, generator – all will be covered eventually but very exposed now) and this side also highlights a lot of window awkwardness (mixing old + new with the older windows oddly placed). BTW the odd placement doesn’t bother ME, but people sure love to call it out. I actually find it super charming that they aren’t perfectly aligned but boy are people on social media upset :).

Option E: Blue Sashes + Blue Trim + No Shutters

Misty also sent through this option without shutters, which is also fun to see and perhaps better. It’s still not what we decided on but I wanted to show you because it’s just so illuminating to see all the variations.

It’s definitely less intense and busy than the monochromatic + shutters look. Are you still following? This is getting complicated. OH, and we have a big cherry tree coming from the front porch area which I’m very excited about (and the grass and bushes are photoshopped – they aren’t in yet).

Option F: White Sashes + White Trim + Blue Shutters

OK NOW HERE WE GO. When Brian and I both saw this we were like ‘ooh, pretty!’. It feels super classic and still fresh. Is it young and cool? Nah, not really, but it’s timeless and appropriate and with styling, furniture, and landscaping I think it will still look fresh. After seeing this, I wanted to take a more pulled-back photo for Misty to see the mudroom/bedroom and potentially put shutters there.

Option G: White Sashes + White Trim + Blue Shutters On Both Floors

That looks SO PRETTY to us. I almost want to add more shutters on the windows flanking the big scenic doors but those would definitely hit the exterior sconces. It feels fresh and bright, pulled together, and hopefully not regrettable. Ok, let’s say that the white + blue shutters combination was our winner, does it work on all sides of the house?

Option G: Other angles Of The House + Shutter Debate

The kitchen side of the house allows for shutters on top, but not in the kitchen windows. You might think that it looks a little plain, but what you don’t know is that we are adding two large potted trees on the patio, a big striped umbrella, string lights, trees and bushes along the side of the house, etc. It’s going to be styled out a lot so the white-on-white window situation will just be a nice background.

But what about the shutters on the second floor? This is HARD. I think they are cute, but are they dinky? The one on the far left is a bedroom window and the rest of them will have shutters, but you won’t see them at the same time. The other two are pretty small – both bathroom windows. We could save money and not do any of these, but will this side look unfinished?

Option G: East Side/Problematic Angle

Look how happy our problematic side looks now! I like the shutters on the bottom left large window by the brick patio and the ones on the second floor. But then the ones on the first floor without shutters look unfinished and yet shutters don’t really work on them (especially that big one on the bottom left – the other three could maybe handle them). So I reached out to Misty again and asked for these options:

Only put shutters on top of larger “bedroom” windows (this is the more traditional way to do it – just bedrooms).Put shutters on top of larger windows + smaller upstairs windows (except that tiny one), but none on the bottom. Shutter all windows possible.

We don’t have to make this call today, but very soon. I’m hoping that any and all experienced shutter people will help weigh in. I’m a shutter newbie and they aren’t cheap so I don’t want to put some up that we eventually take down. Before we go let’s look at the front Porch entrance:

Option G: Front Porch/Entrance Without Shutter

It looks good but could be better…

Option G: Front Porch/Entrance With Shutter

Now that looks like a nice happy lady. I love the shutters on the window on the front porch. The red + blue + white is feeling really strong, so rethinking the red door but definitely going to wait a bit.

What’s up next? So we feel pretty darn confident that we want to paint the gray window trim the same white as the body of the house (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams). We are good there. But what I still feel needs a solid rethinking is what exact shade of blue (or green? pink? blush? black?) the shutters should be. Misty (our graphic designer) did them this round to match the doors as I asked. But I’m hoping to do my favorite thing and really EXHAUST ALL OPTIONS (something I didn’t do actually during this process the first time around). I think I under-thought it (I was also feeling overwhelmed/alone and depressed, so not in my best design self). Now that I feel excited again (!!) I think my old instincts will kick in and it will turn out GREAT.

Let me know in the comments what colors you want to see as the shutters (knowing that the blue aluminum-clad doors can’t change, but the red door can). I want to try Dutch Tile Blue which feels happier and a powder blue. I also want to see what a rosey-toned door would look like (blush and blue forever, no?) But what else??

The post Renovation Regrets: The Farmhouse Window Trim Options + Shutters Debate (With Some Photoshop Renders To Help Us Decide) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

How Well Do IKEA Kitchen Cabinets Actually Hold Up? A Very Honest Review 4 Years Later

Hello! Amanda Holstein here with an update on how my IKEA Kitchen Cabinets have been holding up since my last post in 2020. To remind you, I’m an interior designer based in Mill Valley, California, and five years ago my husband and I began renovating our first home together. With a tight budget and the expectation of living there for 5-7 years, we chose to save on cabinetry by going with IKEA. Though the process was a bit of a headache, we were generally happy with the results and how our kitchen looked & functioned in the end. 

It’s been 5 years since our renovation, including a global pandemic, so we’ve definitely put our kitchen to use with so much time spent at home. Here’s what we’ve experienced:

The Good NewsNobody can tell they are from IKEA

Our friends, family, and guests have always commented on how nice our kitchen looks and are surprised when I tell them our cabinets are from IKEA. To a more discerning eye, like a designer or contractor, you can tell the materials are more cheaply made since the doors feel much lighter than real wood. But generally, I’d say they blend in nicely and our kitchen looks elevated.

We love our layout

The way we laid out our cabinetry, using IKEA’s 3D Kitchen Planner, has proven to be super functional for the way we live our daily life. We love our pantry and trash-pull out, and I wouldn’t change or rearrange anything. So those 3 hours (and 3 hot dogs) at IKEA deciding on every little detail paid off.

They’ve been easy to clean

One thing I wasn’t anticipating is how easy the doors have been to clean. They have a really smooth finish that wipes clean with minimal effort. 

The Bad NewsSome doors & drawers have become misaligned

Many of the doors have slightly shifted out of alignment and feel flimsy. Our trash pull-out, for example, gets a lot of use and feels a bit unstable. You can easily shake it from side to side. In the above photo, you can see our upper cabinets are clearly out of alignment as well.

There is some chipping paint

Because some doors have come a bit loose/misaligned, they are rubbing against each other, causing the paint to peel in certain areas.

They probably can’t withstand kids

I don’t think they are durable enough for regular use with kids. I can’t imagine the drawers being strong enough to hold the weight of a toddler pulling down on them or the doors making it very long with teenagers slamming them. 

Their customer service is very difficult

Unfortunately, dealing with IKEA’s customer service is a huge pain. If a piece breaks or is missing, I wouldn’t waste your time trying to replace it. We experienced so many issues that we ended up giving up, so one of our drawers is missing a side.

So, are they worth the savings?

For us, yes, they were worth the savings. Choosing IKEA cabinetry saved us a ton of money and we definitely don’t regret that (our cabinetry and appliance total came to about $6,500). Because we had a tight budget to renovate our entire 1800 sq foot house, I’d say saving on lower quality cabinets was worth it in our case as it allowed us to spread our budget over more square footage. We aren’t expecting them to last forever and we don’t have kids adding to their wear & tear, so they still look pretty good and function as we need them to. 

My Final Recommendation

If you’re planning to use them for 1-5 years, with no kids, and you’re doing a cheap flip or temporary renovation on a super tight budget, then yes they’re worth it. However, with a few more renovations under my belt, I’m now more likely to recommend something like Granite Expo which is slightly more expensive, and much better quality than IKEA, but nowhere near as expensive as custom cabinets. This kitchen cost $6500 in cabinetry and I would guess it would only be two thousand or so more from Granite Expo.

Just for fun, here is a before and after so you can see how the kitchen looked before the renovation:

Thanks for going on this IKEA Kitchen Cabinet journey with me! If you have any other questions or want to get in touch with me, you can find me at www.amandaholstein.com or on Instagram @amanda_holstein.

*Design and photos by Amanda Holstein

The post How Well Do IKEA Kitchen Cabinets Actually Hold Up? A Very Honest Review 4 Years Later appeared first on Emily Henderson.

We Are Putting In A Pool At The Farm!! All The Details Of Our “Soake” Pool And Why It’s The Best Fit

As I’ve alluded to on social media we are putting in a “pool,” but it’s not what you think (it’s better). When we first closed on the farm, the innocent fantasies for the property began. With almost 3 acres we technically have the land for a big old pool. But living in the PNW it doesn’t make as much sense to spend that kind of money or space to stare at a pool cover 8 months of the year. At the same time, thanks to climate change, the summers are now crazy hot, and while there are rivers and public pools, the heat last summer reignited the pool question with the same “it just doesn’t make sense for us” conclusion. I even explored a bio-dynamic swimming pond for months, to just realize that the liability of an open body of water scared me too much and the likelihood that it would look “natural” was low. Besides, do you really want to swim in a pond that cleaned itself with its own plants? So we almost gave up on the idea of a swimmable body of water when I was Facebook marketed by something called a Soake pool. I immediately clicked, landed on their site, and screamed to Brian that I’ve indeed found our “pool” that checks our boxes and makes so much more YEAR-ROUND sense for our PNW farm.

What is a Soake Pool?photo courtesy of soake pools

Here’s how I describe it to friends: It’s a pool the size of a living room rug (7×13) that can be a hot tub in the winter, and a cool pool in the summer. A year-round win/win that adds to your life without using as much real estate or spending as much money as a typical pool. It may not be perfect for everyone, but it was exactly what we wanted and needed.

photo courtesy of soake pools The Pros of a Soake Pool – My Pitch To Brian:

1. It’s year-round enjoyment regardless of outside temperature – pure genius. As I said, it can be a hot tub in the winter (or a cold plunge should you turn it off and let the outside temp cool it) and a normal heated or cool pool in the summer. We don’t live in CA anymore, so it was hard for us to justify the expense and the maintenance when we’d use it so much less. This year-round enjoyment really made the difference to us.
2. It’s made on the East Coast out of high-quality beautiful materials – think pretty tile and concrete, not a fiberglass shell. It’s delivered to you ready to install, thus eliminating the need for a pool contractor (it’s not a total plug-and-play, it’s still a construction project but no, you don’t need to hire a pool contractor which can save you a lot of time and money).
3. It’s a much smaller lead time for a pool (2-3 months) versus getting on a waitlist and then having six to eight months of construction.
4. When not in use, the smaller footprint means that you aren’t staring at a huge pool cover or dealing with as much maintenance. Up here a house with a huge pool is almost a deterrent for a lot of people (it was for us and my brother’s family) because they can be just so huge, expensive, and used so infrequently. Yes, this property could handle the size, but we simply didn’t feel like it was how we wanted to use our outdoor space (I mean, we still have to get these alpacas in here).
5. Because of the size and less construction needed it obviously can cost less than a pool. To be clear, these are not “cheap” as they are very high quality, but depending on how you design it and what your needs are to hook it up, it can be way less of an investment than a pool.

But Isn’t It too Small To Swim In? Will You Really Use It?photo courtesy of soake pools & murphy foto imagery

Obviously, that depends on your lifestyle and preferences. It’s our opinion (and hope) that this is perfect for our needs because while our kids love swimming and jumping/diving (and will continue to do so in rivers and public pools) they mostly gravitate towards the shallow area where they can float, stand, sit, splash, hang out, and cool off. We are huge homebodies and designed this house and land to not really need to leave and instead to entertain friends, families, and neighbors. We picture kids coming over after camps all summer, warming up playing basketball/pickleball, and cooling off in the pool when it’s 95 degrees until 8 pm (it gets strangely hotter here throughout the day). It’s a great way to be able to chill and hang out in your backyard in a body of water on super hot days, but no it’s not going to be where they learn how to dive. We won’t be having pool parties, we’ll be having backyard hang sessions by the sports court where people can cool off by a pool when they get hot.

How Does A Soake Pool Work? Is it Easy To Install? photo courtesy of soake pools & jon caron art

It definitely can be. Similar to a hot tub, you need to have the equipment hooked up to electricity and either gas or propane to heat it. It’s more involved than a hot tub that sits on the earth – you will have to trench for those mechanical lines, make sure you have enough on your electrical panel and gas meter to accommodate it, etc. You’ll need to dig a huge hole for it to be craned in and backfilled properly. The Soake team has helped hundreds of families ensure they are all good to go and they are there to help streamline the process. Of course, I relied on our local expert landscape construction team, Northwest Native Landscapes who acted as our GC on this one (which is atypical for him and we are SO grateful). Thank you, Dan’l! The point is – it is a construction project and shouldn’t be ordered like a rug, but it’s typically far more manageable than a pool.

You might have seen on stories that we ran into problems because our driveway and turn radius was so narrow that our crane company couldn’t bring in a larger crane. They brought a smaller crane in hopes of bringing the pool closer to the hole via a flatbed truck. But the mud and rain had different plans for us that day and the flatbed truck got stuck. Our team troubleshoot and did an incredible job of making it happen the next day and it wasn’t a huge deal. But with all heavy machinery + rain + mud + a hill can get trucks stuck so consider your topography if you are doing it in the rainy season or if your location is hard to access. Typically they can crane over a house just like a hot tub and drop it into the hole in your backyard without much disruption. It’s incredible.

How Much Do Soake Pools Cost?photo courtesy of soake pools & alden landscape design

Like all semi-custom things in life, it ranges from a smaller model with simple materials and a manual cover to a larger version with more high-end materials and electric covers. There is a lot to factor in and like any construction project, there could be some costs specific to your project. For our Soake Pool, we worked out a mutually beneficial partnership and we are obviously very grateful to be in this position, full stop. There is the cost of the pool itself and then the labor around it. To install it we had to put in a lot of gravel up the mud hill to get the truck carrying the pool (which included a lot of labor to spread out and compact the gravel and now to remove it). We also had to replace and upgrade our gas line and meter (we didn’t need to when we renovated because we have almost zero natural gas usage here), so that was an additional few thousand dollars. You will need a contractor or installer to dig the hole and put it all together. The product itself (fully tiled pool, including all equipment needed to run the pool) ranges from $31k-$45k depending on the cover and features chosen. That won’t include the excavation, trenching, hardscape, electrical, plumbing, or delivery. Like everything in our homes, it’s very specific to your project. It can be simple or add up so it’s good to know going into it so you can ensure it’s the right decision for your family. The final cost really depends on how far away your pool equipment is from the electrical or gas source (trenching is usually cost per linear foot) or how you want to finish the hardscape surrounding it (readymade cement tiles are a lot cheaper than flagstone, for instance). Like most things in life, the more you do yourself the less you spend on hiring out. It’s the old “time versus money” conundrum. If I could go back in time I would have rushed the installation for October, before months of rain made it harder to maneuver in the mud, which would have saved us some money.”

Are These Becoming More Of A Thing?photo courtesy of soake pools & jon caron art

Yes. Soake has been around for almost 10 years and their business has exploded with happy customers that wanted exactly what we do. I know firsthand that if you live in SoCal or Arizona that a traditional pool can get a lot of use, but in so many other areas what you really want is just to float around and cool off in the hot months. It simply makes so much sense and therefore is indeed a growing trend. The size also cuts down on maintenance and electricity costs and since you can use it in the winter as a hot tub most users keep it open year-round, eliminating the need to shut it down and winterize

Is It Chlorine Or Salt Water?

It’s a salt water pool. It’s smooth and luxurious and clean.

So Where Is Our Soake Pool Going And What Is It Going To Look Like?

See it up there as that tiny little blue square!!! We are treating our Soake Pool almost like a large water feature or a fountain, then designing the spaces around it. Since our property is more of a farm vibe (yes with a pickleball court, I know) we don’t want it to be front and center or to be too obvious and turn it into what could look more like an estate. It is not THE feature of our property, it’s more of a secret surprise in its own little courtyard surrounded by a split rail fence, and lots of potted plants and greenery. The greenhouse/shed that we are designing is more of a feature behind it. So from the sunroom, where I’m writing right now, you really won’t see it – you’ll see the split rail fence and the greenhouse, which is our intent.

The View From The Back Porch

This is the view from our back porch that Cali from Studio Campo (our landscape designer) drew up. The landscaping is actually still up in the air (just as far as how many plants are over there, etc) but we wanted to get a sense of what it could look like. This drawing gives us SO MUCH HOPE.

how it looks in early february

This is how it looks now:) Right now we have the area around it designed with rectangular flagstone as the hardscape then the greenhouse and veggie garden area will be pea gravel, but that part is up in the air.

Our plan is to finish the hardscape around the pool and then reassess everything. Ideally, we’d live with it for a summer before making more permanent decisions but at the same time, we can’t deal with another winter of mud out here. I’m thinking we want to widen the stone path from the greenhouse area to the pool area to make it feel more open and connected (and add locking gates that aren’t on the plan). So this could all get tweaked and changed over time as well. What can’t move is the sports court and the pool and we know pretty closely where the greenhouse is going to land, but everything else is up in the air.

What Does The Inside Of The Pool Look Like?

Ours is still wrapped so I can’t show you but will as soon as we take it off. It’s so lovely and looks very high-end – like a custom site-specific pool.

The interior area is 7×13 (the exterior is larger) with a 55″ – 57″ water depth (just shy of 5′). We designed ours with a bench and two stairs – so people can easily perch and get in and out. Our kids can’t touch the bottom but they can easily bounce off of it and swim so easily to the side. I chose a darker tile that basically just recedes, but all your options are here.

Is There A Pool Cover? Does It Lock?

Yes. As someone who has unmatched anxiety around kids + bodies of water, I feel really darn comfortable with this pool in my backyard (I recognize there are safe large pool covers these days, too but between the size/height of this and how easy and safe it is to open and close I have zero anxiety). There are different options for pool covers – both manual and automatic. We chose the powered safety cover, which locks (they all do). It is more expensive, but we are hoping the ease is worth it. As far as pool gate requirements – check your local code, but in many areas, it’s not required. We will have them, though because I’m a big fan of safety and low-maintenance parenting.

Can A Soake Pool Be Above Ground Or Flush With The Earth?photo courtesy of soake pools & murphy foto imagery

Both. And I really like the look of both, too! We chose to have it be flush just so it has less presence (and it saves on hardscape) but I love the idea of the partial above-ground option that acts more like a hot tub and of course provides seating even if you aren’t in the pool.

photo courtesy of soake pools & jon caron artphoto courtesy of soake pools & murphy foto imagery

This one (above) is our inspiration – we love how it integrates nicely with a more rustic design and greenery.

The Soake Pool Is In!! Now What?

The mechanicals are all trenched and the electrical and gas are going in this week and next. Then they can backfill the pool (put gravel all the way around it), install the pool cover, hook up all the goods, and then hardscape. We are all learning the process as we go (and Soake customer service has been super informative with a lot of calls and follow-ups). We are probably still a couple of months out from using it (or needing to), but we hope by late spring we’ll have sod, and hardscape and can start building out the greenhouse and finish planting.

Y’all, I can’t wait for this to be transformed. I know that the landscaping won’t be grown in for a while (read: years) but the mud will be reduced greatly in the next six months.

I didn’t want to leave you with visions of mud – instead one more picture of a Soake pool in the prettiest farm setting.

photo courtesy of soake pools & taylor ahearn

We feel extremely lucky to do this and bring you along in the process. I felt like this was a really great product to share with my audience because I figured I wasn’t alone in wanting a hot day body of water option, but not wanting a full pool. Soake will be in the comments answering questions should you think that a Soake pool is right for your family. I’ll also be continuing to document the process here and of course, give a full review (similar to the induction range post) after the first year.

Thanks, Soake Pools for partnering on this project – now let’s hope the sun lets the spring greenery explode so I can show it sooner rather than later 🙂

*Photos of Me and the Farmhouse by Kaitlin Green

The post We Are Putting In A Pool At The Farm!! All The Details Of Our “Soake” Pool And Why It’s The Best Fit appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Best EHD-Approved Presidents’ Day Sales

Happy Presidents’ Day, sweet pals! Spoiler alert: the sales this year are AWESOME. I normally have pretty great impulse spending control – it’s a skill you have to develop when your job involves this much internet shopping, I think – but even I fell prey to some deeply-discounted pieces at H&M Home, Urban, and Anthropologie. (We’re talking HUGE savings here – like, over 80% off after all the discounts were applied in cart!). If you’re in the market for something in particular, today will be a GREAT shopping day for you. (And if you’re not in the market for something particular…proceed with caution, okay?). In alphabetical order, I hereby present the best President’s Day sales of 2023…

photo by kaitlin green | from: a first round farmhouse reveal – readying our guest bedroom for family to visitAbercrombie & Fitch

Deal: 20% off 3+ items, 15% off 2 items.
Our Picks: Reformation Dress Dupe | The Internet’s Favorite Wide-Leg Pants | Curve Love Jean Collection

AllModern

Deal: Up to 60% off select items, plus an extra 20% off with code GET20.
Our Picks: Orlando’s LA Bungalow Sofa | Woven Leather Bench | Geometric and Textural Neutral Rug

Annie Selke

Deal: 20% off in-stock items with code REFRESHEMILY.
Our Picks: Cozy Harlequin Jute Rug | Quiet Handwoven Herringbone Rug | Luxe Pebbled Wool Rug

Anthropologie

Deal: Up to 30% off select in-stock furniture, decor, and more.
Our Picks: An EHD-Favorite Storage Cabinet | Capri Blue Candles | Sweet Grecian Bust Planter

Apt2B

Deal: 15% off site-wide; 20% off orders over $2,999; 25% off orders over $3,999; 30% off orders over $5,499.
Our Picks: A Comfortable, Beautiful Sleeper Sectional | MCM-Inspired Console Shelving | Classic Upholstered Bed

Artfully Walls

Deal: 25% off site-wide with code TREATYOURSELF.
Our Picks: The Ready-Made Gallery Walls (Of Course!)

Article

Deal: Up to 30% off select furniture, decor, and lighting.
Our Picks: Fresh and Modern Sofa | Statement Oak Sideboard | The Coziest Sheepskin Pillows
Note: Click right here for an extra $50 off an order of $200 or more. Plus, drop a comment in this post for your chance to win a $2,000 gift card!

Build.com

Deal: Up to 45% off select bathroom, kitchen, lighting, and more.
Our Picks: Em’s Panel-Ready Dishwasher | The Top Nugget Ice Maker | A 48″ Free-Standing Vanity (+ Hardware and Marble Top!) for $1,000

CB2

Deal: Up to 30% off best-selling furniture and decor, plus up to 60% off new markdowns.
Our Picks: Simple, Graphic Entryway Cabinet | Half-Price Wicker Chaise | Courant Wireless Charging Tray ($70 Off!)

Crate & Barrel

Deal: 20% off top-selling furniture, plus up to 60% off clearance.
Our Picks: Burl Bar Cabinet | Leanne Ford Cane Settee ($800 Off!) | Organic Modern Taper Candle Holders

Everlane

Deal: Up to 60% off select items.
Our Picks: Merino Turtleneck Sweater | Comfy and Functional Jumpsuit | High-Rise, On-Trend Jeans (70% Off!)

H&M

Deal: 20% off site-wide, including fashion and home.
Our Picks: Julie’s Famous Ceramic Vase | Wiggly Pink Glass Candlestick Holder | Rattan Storage Box

Industry West

Deal: 20% off site-wide with code PRESIDENT20.
Our Picks: Mal’s Cane Sideboard | Simple, Durable, Easy-to-Style Coffee Table | Lawson-Fenning Sofa Dupe

J. Crew

Deal: 40% off site-wide, plus an extra 60% off sale styles with code WEEKEND.
Our Picks: Ruched V-Neck One-Piece Swimsuit | Timeless Straight Chino Pants | Cheery, Bright Striped Button Up

Jonathan Adler

Deal: 25% off site-wide with code EXECUTIVE.
Our Picks: Any of the Vice Canisters | Pencil Reed Table Lamp | Wicker Giraffe Wall Art

Lulu and Georgia

Deal: 20% off site-wide.
Our Picks: Em’s Go-To Coffee Table | Sarah Sherman Samuel Irregular Checkered Rug | Ginny’s New Modern Traditional Dresser

Madewell

Deal: Extra 20% off sale with code YESPLEASE.
Our Picks: Extra-Long Plaid Shacket | EHD’s Favorite Cotton Bandanas | Lug-Sole Chelsea Boots

Neighbor

Deal: 15% off with code PRES2023.
Our Picks: Jess’ Outdoor Sofa | Teak Outdoor Dining Set | Recycled Flatweave Outdoor Rug

Nordstrom

Deal: Up to 50% off fashion, kids, home, and beauty.
Our Picks: Our 2022 Best-Selling Sneakers | My Favorite Mascara 🙂 | Iconic Ray Ban Aviators

Pottery Barn

Deal: Up to 50% off bedding, furniture, decor, and more.
Our Picks: Chunky Throw Blanket | Iron Sleigh Bed | Concrete Fluted Planters

photo by kaitlin green | from: the farmhouse kitchen reveal and all my thoughts and feelings about itRejuvenation

Deal: Up to 60% off lighting, hardware, furniture, and more.
Our Picks: The Cabinet Hardware We Can’t Stop Using | Conical Drum Pendant | Sara’s Kitchen Rail System
Note: You can win a $2,500 Rejuvenation gift card AND a free consultation with Em by dropping your email right over here!

Ruggable

Deal: 15% off site-wide with code PRES2023.
Our Picks: Jonathan Adler Collection | Iris Apfel Collection | Nina Takesh Collection

Rugs USA

Deal: Up to 70% off, plus $50 off orders over $250 with code SAVE50.
Our Picks: Lauren Liess Collection | Great Basic Jute Rug | Soft, Textured, Braided Wool Rug

Sephora

Deal: Up to 50% off select beauty.
Our Picks: A Dreamy Retinol Serum | Ultra-Effective Moisturizing Face Cream | EHD-Tested (And Loved!) Lash-Enhancing Serum

Serena & Lily

Deal: Up to 30% off all outdoor items.
Our Picks: Outdoor Hanging Chair ($300 Off!) | The Sweetest Striped Umbrella | A Double Chaise That’s Perfect For Cuddling

Target

Deal: Up to 30% off furniture and decor, 20% off jeans, up to $100 off Apple products, and more.
Our Picks: Studio McGee Safari-Style Armchair | Em’s Ticking Stripe Bench/Ottoman | Airpod Pros

Terrain

Deal: 25% off furniture, fire pits, doormats, and fireside accessories.
Our Picks: Angled Obelisk Chiminea | Weathering Steel Outdoor Fireplace | Low-Profile Square Fire Pit

Tuft & Needle

Deal: Up to $625 off mattresses, plus up to 30% off bedding, furniture, and more.
Our Picks: My New Mattress (10/10!!!) | Body/Lumbar Pillow | A Chic, Comfortable Dog Bed

Urban Outfitters

Deal: An extra 40% off sale home, fashion, and more.
Our Picks: Neutral Cane Bed Frame (Nearly $1,000 Off!) | The Lamp I Bought While Writing This Post ($29.99, down from $90!) | Cone-Shaped Candle

Wayfair

Deal: Up to 70% off furniture, appliances, fixtures, decor, and more.
Our Picks: 6-Person Outdoor Dining Set (56% off!) | Spindle-Back Entry Bench | Serena & Lily Riviera-Style Stools

West Elm

Deal: Up to 50% off furniture, bedding, decor and more.
Our Picks: Elevated, Textured Media Console | Half-Priced Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig | Bowser’s Metal Nightstands

We’re out of office today, but we’ll see you back here tomorrow for a VERY exciting farm update from Emily. It’s going to make a splash, if you catch my drift…so float on back here on Tuesday, okay? SEA YA LATER! xx

Opening Image Credits: Design and Styled by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Emily Bowser’s Back Unit Yard REVEAL, 2022 Musings, New Year Resolutions, And Other Meanderings…

The post The Best EHD-Approved Presidents’ Day Sales appeared first on Emily Henderson.