A question we get A LOT is how to combine different styles with a partner. Honestly, it can be tricky but completely doable. I mean, it was the whole basis of Em’s HGTV show, Secrets From a Stylist, right? It’s about finding the style connections (shapes, colors, materials, etc.), incorporating both styles with pieces that have those connections, and of course, some good ole fashion compromise and understanding. That’s precisely what Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach did when designing their new family home in Southern California and were starting from scratch. Well, first I should say that this house was half designed when they bought it (go read the AD article for the scoop) but luckily they loved the cozy vibe that designer, Katie Lester, had already established. Personally, I think that was a MASSIVE blessing given that decision fatigue is very real (just ask anyone that has gone through any kind of renovation). But here’s the deal, it sounds like Glennon has much more of a love for colorful interiors than Abby. Abby even said that had it been up to her initially, she likely would have gone for way less color. Sounds tricky, right?? What do you do when one partner wants color and the other doesn’t? Well, I’m going to walk you through how Katie and Glennon (who was mostly in charge of the decisions) made this cozy home both colorful yet calm and airy so that everyone was happy. I’m sure when you look at this photo you aren’t thinking “whoa, this is a wildly colorful room!” BUT, at the same time, it doesn’t feel like a totally white/neutral “California causal” living room either. Here’s why. First off, the room has a lot of texture and pattern which automatically makes it feel more alive. You have the brick walls, mixed with the paneling, mixed with the stone, and all of the fabric patterns. Then within those fabrics, you have that saturated indigo, hints of deep purples, reds, yellows, and other tones of blue. Also, those warm camel brown bench cushions do such an incredible job of livening up the room. Lastly, never underestimate the power of books and how they are an easy and sneaky way to bring color and personality into a room. Take the books out you have a pretty room. But with the books in? You have a personalized room. Moving over to the dining area, the colors are classically neutral but baby do we have some texture! The chandelier, those woven chair backs and leather cushion straps, the black table to contrast and ground the space…all help to make the open concept plan feel warm but not too colorful because… Y’all the kitchen is a beautiful bright blue. If you ask us (and DEFINITELY Emily), blue is a neutral in our book. So incorporating blue is a total no-brainer if there’s a couple that’s on different ends of the color-loving spectrum. Plus this blue, in particular, is so cheerful. Then by adding that beautiful warm-toned wood extension off the end of the island, brass pendants, and brass hardware it’s an irresistibly welcoming space. It feels both well designed but really approachable. That was their goal for the whole house and they achieve it. Please note the mix of patterned counter stools and a solid leather cabinet bench. I think I’m into it! Also, note that they are all upholstered and have backs which is an EHD requirement for ideal comfort when sitting for a while. This kitchen was made for hanging out in:) Now we are cookin with some “conversation piece” gas. The first things that catch your eye are those vintage chairs because A. the shape is amazing and B. they have that fun and unexpected leopard print fabric. Then for me, my eyes go right to those notched bookcases. GAH, I love them and they remind me of the CB x Lawson-Fenning bookcase that I have not been able to get out of my head. To finish it off, you see the modern and graphic pedestal table that helps make this house more “cool eclectic” than “California cool”. Oh, and see that colorful railing to your left?? Yikes, I ADORE that railing color choice. It’s subtle but so impactful! The railing equivalent to “I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom”. This may feel like a design risk but what an easy way to bring in a subtle color that will make your home feel so cozy and unique. A perfect compromise for a colorful moment that doesn’t scream “color”. Plus, again you have more books and a beautiful muted toned runner to add color in a way that feels decorative and not permanent (so less scary to the color averse if you are trying to ease them into it). Oh, and I love a gallery wall and all of those different toned frames add a ton of dimension. Also notice that they carried the paneling throughout the house but varied the scale and orientation. As you are about to see they really leaned into highly patterned wallpaper that’s colorful but doesn’t feel super saturated. If you can’t tell that’s how I think they balanced their differing love of color in their interiors. I don’t look at this very cute powder bath and think this is an overwhelming color. I think the wallpaper (by EHD fav Rebecca Atwood) is the perfect amount of color that’s still calming, with a pattern that’s playful but not too visually overstimulating. It’s also balanced by that beautiful warm wood vanity base, a simple white marble counter, a modern sconce, and a natural woven roman shade and floor basket. Moving onto the primary bedroom. I really love this room. It captures the love of color and pattern but also feels like a very calming space because of the more muted tones. The choice of the tall chair rail with the pink and purple wallpaper at the top was a great way to add in a fun wallpaper but have it not take over the space. Imagine if the walls were floor-to-ceiling wallpaper…not as calming right? What I also love are those burlwood nightstand dressers! They add so much warmth and with their natural pattern, balance out the wallpaper. Are you wondering why the roman shade pattern and wallpaper pattern work right next to each other? Different pattern scales! The wallpaper is a larger scale and the roman shades are medium. That’s the secret to mixing patterns. Just mix up the scales. Lastly, the bed, bedding, and chandelier are incredible. Their primary bathroom is definitely on the more neutral side but I think that’s ideal for this kind of space. They carried the paneling from the bedroom which nicely ties those two rooms together but then went ham on the white marble. I love the large slabs of book-matched marble on the walls and that extra-long bench! Then on the floor, you can see they chose marble tiles. This is a great way to still have marble floors but in a more cost-effective way since large slabs are pricey. I also love that the shower it totally enclosed. Both Emily and Brian are big on a fully enclosed shower as opposed to the large open-air style that’s been super popular. They like to stay warm and that other style can bring in a lot of cold air. This one is a marriage of the two! It’s large and almost looks like an open-air shower but isn’t. This is one of their daughter’s bedrooms and that bed is so pretty! I love the contrast of delicate pieces (wallpaper, shade fabric, bed, pillows) with the more graphic ones (art, side tables, lamps, blankets). Perfect for a teenager to grow into and then a great potential guest room. The surfboard makes it even cooler. Another dream teenage room! The color palette is similar to the rest of the home but through fabric and pattern choices feels a bit more fun and youthful. I love those pink and maroon pillows and that roman shade fabric is my favorite in that whole house. Please also note that the ceiling is painted black. I can’t get enough. Maybe this is my favorite room? While not all of us need a podcast studio in our homes, a lot of us can relate to needing an office. This space looks like it would be a dream to work in. That built-in bookcase is incredible and I love the two-toned wood paired with those beautiful sconces and cool brass knobs. I mostly love all of the books and collectibles that really make it personal to them. However, those awesome chairs and travertine side table don’t hurt either:) So as you can clearly see this is a home that is filled with love, family, happy but muted colors, and A LOT of great patterns that all make it the cozy, welcoming, lived-in home they were hoping for. The view also helps:) So do you have a favorite room? Any tips on designing with a partner with a different style? Let chat xx Love you, mean it. *Design by Kate Lester The post Designing With A Partner? See How This Celebrity Couple Designed Their Dream Home Despite One Major Opposing Style Preference appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/yEPJLBn
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HI, HEY, HELLO. Happy Memorial Day, gang! Below, you’ll find a roundup of today’s best sales in a (hopefully?) new-and-improved, easy-to-navigate format. I’m usually a pretty big yammerer (“yeah, we know,” said the daily readers), but in an attempt to keep this sleek and streamlined, let’s just JUMP ON IN. Without further ado, I hereby present to you the best deals of summer 2022… & Other StoriesThe Sale: 15% off orders over $175, 20% off orders over $250, 25% off orders over $350 through Monday, 5/30. Abercrombie & FitchThe Sale: 20% off site-wide, plus free shipping on all orders through Monday, 5/30. AllModernThe Sale: Up to 40% off select sofas, accent chairs, outdoor furniture, and more through Monday, 5/30. Annie SelkeThe Sale: 20% off in-stock items through Monday, 5/30 with code MEMORIAL22. AnthropologieThe Sale: Extra 40% off all sale items through Monday, 5/30. Apt2BThe Sale: 15% off site-wide, 20% off orders over $2,999, and 25% off orders over $3,999 through Tuesday, 5/31. ArticleThe Sale: Up to 15% off select chairs, lighting, sofas, and more through Monday, 5/30. BrooklinenThe Sale: 15% off site-wide through Monday, 5/30. Burke DecorThe Sale: Up to 25% off select coffee tables, credenzas, consoles, and WAY more through Tuesday, 5/31. CB2The Sale: Up to 30% off outdoor furniture and accessories, up to 20% off in-stock furniture, and up to 60% off sale items through Monday, 5/30. Circa LightingThe Sale: 20% off site-wide through Tuesday, 5/31. Crate & BarrelThe Sale: Up to 20% off outdoor furniture and decor and up to 60% off sale items through Monday, 5/30. EverlaneThe Sale: 25% off over 400 summer-ready styles through Monday, 5/30. HigherDOSEThe Sale: 20% off site-wide through Monday, 5/30 with code MDW22. Interior DefineThe Sale: 20% off everything custom, plus 15% off decor through Tuesday, 5/31. Jayson HomeThe Sale: 15% off site-wide through Monday, May 30 with code SAVE15. J. CrewThe Sale: 30% off (almost) everything, plus an extra 60% off all sale styles through Monday, 5/30 with code SUMMER. Lulu & GeorgiaThe Sale: 20% off site-wide through Monday, May 30. MadewellThe Sale: 25% off site-wide plus an extra 30% off sale through Monday, 5/30 with code LONGWEEKEND. MintedThe Sale: 15% off sitewide (excluding fine art) through Tuesday, 5/31 with code MEMORIALDAY22. NordstromThe Sale: Up to 60% off TONS of styles through Sunday, 6/5. (It’s the Half-Yearly Sale!) One Kings LaneThe Sale: 25% off site-wide through Monday, 5/30. ParachuteThe Sale: 20% off site-wide (including furniture!) through Monday, May 30. Pottery BarnThe Sale: Up to 70% off select furniture, outdoor, bedding, and more through Monday, 5/30. RejuvenationThe Sale: Up to 70% off select lighting, hardware, furniture, and more plus site-wide free shipping through Monday, 5/30 with code FREESHIP. SchoolhouseThe Sale: 15% off select outdoor items through Wednesday, 6/1. Serena & LilyThe Sale: 20% off site-wide through Tuesday, 5/31 with code WAVES. ShopbopThe Sale: Up to 50% off select items through Monday, 5/30. SixpennyThe Sale: 20% off orders over $1,000 through Tuesday, 5/31 with code NATURALWONDER20. TargetThe Sale: Up to 40% off patio furniture and decor, up to 30% off furniture, and up to 30% off clothing for the family through Monday, 5/30. Tuft & NeedleThe Sale: Up to $500 off mattresses and up to 15% off bedding through Monday, 5/30. Urban OutfittersThe Sale: Up to 50% off site-wide, plus an extra 40% off sale items through Monday, 5/30. WayfairThe Sale: Up to 70% off select rugs, outdoor furniture, seating, and more through Monday, 5/30. West ElmThe Sale: Up to 70% off select outdoor, bedding, furniture, and more through Monday, 5/30. World MarketThe Sale: 15% off in-store pickup orders through Monday, 5/30. As always, if you’re a small business owner, feel free to leave sale details in the comments below! Have a great day – see you back here tomorrow with your regularly scheduled design content. xx Opening Image Credits: Design by Sarah Zachary | Styling by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: A Historic Mid-Century Modern Home That Was Completely Brought Back To Life (Hope You’re Ready For Some COOL Original Details) The post The 2022 Memorial Day Sales We Wanted And Got (So Yes, The Best Ones On The Internet) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/GzXsB6d Collectively, we all know what kind of week it’s been. It was another completely devasting one here in the US. We hope that you held your babies and your loved ones close and even in a small way, helped in the fight for sensible gun control laws. Again, Everytown is an organization we strongly stand behind if you are searching for resources. We also know how important breaks from the sadness are. We know we’ve needed them. So here we are with some links to maybe make your day a little brighter. With this week’s home tour we are going to stay on the subject of weddings (did you read about Sara’s BEAUTIFUL wedding post yesterday?!). This week, Jess was in charge of the link up and while she was searching for a great house tour, she stumbled upon this wonderful Palm Springs boutique hotel that was originally built in the early 1900s. You should go read the article on Yellowtrace to find out how much history its got. Anyway, as Jess was scrolling through she realized that this is where her cousin is getting married this year! Needless to say, she’s PUMPED and even more excited about this wedding. Casa Cody’s incredible restoration is really something to see. From Emily: There are few, if not just one, newsletters that I pay for and look forward to each week. Haley Nahman’s Maybe Baby is it. She has her finger on the cultural pulse in a way that I wish I did and often writes about the exact issue I’m thinking about, stringing together my thoughts but in a more clever and yet digestible way. Having removed myself from an urban life, I find that her recommendations on articles and media keep me feeling fed and balanced and dare I say “in the know”. I had coffee with her in New York a couple of weeks ago (hey, social media can be a great connector sometimes) and can report that she is as fresh, smart, and normal in person as she is in her newsletter. I’ve been following her writing since the early-ish ManRepeller days. So if you are looking for what I think is a balanced perspective on the world, written in an inviting yet subversive tone, subscribe to her newsletter (and if you like it consider supporting by paying the $5). Also as I write this I’d like to NOT recommend press on long nails that you use super glue to attach. Brian had to help me button my pants (poor choice to go with a button fly at the book signing) and it’s taken me 10 minutes to write this paragraph due to extensive finger mistakes. They can’t fall off fast enough! From Jess: I know I’m a little late to the game but if you haven’t watched Jerrod Carmichael’s new special on HBOMax, Rothaniel, please watch it immediately. I knew he had a special out after seeing him host SNL, but it wasn’t until I listened to him on Armchair Expert that I finally sat down to watch. I can’t remember the last time I was so moved. It’s my favorite thing I’ve seen in a while. It’s so vulnerable, so intimate, so funny, so heartbreaking yet really hopeful. Also From Jess: For the sake of staying on theme, we’ve talked about wedding ceremonies (Ryann’s future and Sara’s recent) and guest dress options but I need shoe help! I’m 99% sure this is the dress (in red) I’m buying for a wedding in Massachusetts I’m going to in July but want to find the perfect shoe. Simple and effortlessly cool is the look I want:) I LOVE these but they are sold out in the color I want currently (they have them in stock in blue if you need blue heels). These are in line with what the dress model is wearing so maybe? These are cute and like nothing I’ve worn before but I’m worried the heel is too skinny for the grass. OR I could go bold and were these silver beauties. Note I want an ankle strap for easier walking and dancing:) What do y’all think? Also open to suggestions. From Jess: One of my favorite jewelry brands did a beautiful collaboration with Claude Home! There are 3 beautiful organic vessels that are perfect for your everyday pieces (or pieces you like to display:)) From Ryann: This week I’ve been trying to consume a healthy dose of uplifting/light media and entertainment for obvious reasons. My main go-to when I am feeling down/hopeless/depressed is the podcast Seek Treatment with comedians Pat Regan and Catherine Cohen. Listening to them is like hanging out with your hilarious friends gab about what’s going on in their lives. It really cheers me up anytime I need it and this week I’ve definitely needed it about 100 x over. From Mallory: So while Em is clearly NOT a fan (they definitely require patience and getting used to), Ryann once told me that she used press on nails and loved them (Ryann, Caitlin, and Jess are all team long nails, here’s proof). So when I came across these on sale I knew I had to give them a shot and I was SO pleasantly surprised! I wore them to date night the other night and they were so easy to put on and looked pretty legit. Not sure how long they will last since you literally just stick them on (I’ve been wearing them for one whole day and so far so good, also I cut mine down a bit so they’re not super long) but I think they’re awesome if you have an event or special occasion and don’t want to spend the time or money getting your nails done…I have a few more events coming up that I’m planning on getting them for!! 10/10! Remember when we featured Hopie Stockman’s home tour (co-founder of EHD favorite, Block Shop) from Cup of Jo? You may also remember some pretty beautiful wallpaper on some of her walls, right? Well, that one and more are now available to buy! Their designs are so special so even if your home is already covered in wallpaper you should at least go look. From Caitlin: This week I’ll be attending a baby shower in the midst of a 90-degree heatwave (#blessed) so I was on the hunt for a lightweight, breezy, pretty family-friendly dress and I FOUND ANOTHER ONE! I wasn’t expecting much from the photo, but this midi dress IS SO GOOD IN PERSON. It hit all my criteria: short sleeves that hide my bigger tattoos, super comfortable, under $120, bra-friendly, doesn’t show too much boob (again, the photos were misleading -the cut is nowhere near that low on my F cups!), pockets, cinched waist, and it’s just fun to wear in general. RESOUNDING RECOMMENDATION. Also from Caitlin: I’ve recommended it on the blog before, but earlier this year I plowed through a book called Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America. I hate to recommend it again under such different circumstances, but if this author can end his 30-year career as a firearms executive (like, he was the “Shooting Industry Person of The Year” at one point) after realizing things had gone too far…well, maybe there’s still hope that Americans can come to terms with supporting more common-sense legislation, you know? Have a good rest of your weekend. Opening Image Credits: Design by Electric Bowery | Photo by Lance Gerber | via Yellowtrace The post The Link Up: The One Newsletter Emily Pays For, Jess and Caitlin’s Summer “Special Event” Fashion Picks, And A Podcast That Will Brighten Your Day appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/HE9WbUS Today I’m here with a post of a very personal nature. I’m not really one to share a lot about my personal life. Sure, I’ll give you the intimate details on my cabinets or type for hours about every agonizing design decision I’ve ever made. But sharing details about the parts of my life that are non-design related? Harder (for me). And yet, so many wonderful people worked so hard to make this one beautiful day a reality. So, here it is. A blog post about my wedding. Macauley and I met in 2008, as freshmen at Otis College of Art & Design, within two days of starting school. Second semester we ended up in the same elective class. Fast forward nine years, two cats, one chargrilled apartment, and a house renovation later, and we were on a road trip up the Oregon coast. It was August 2020, and we were looking for a safe way to do something after quarantining the past few months. We figured a road trip and some camping sounded safe enough. And after driving 14 hours the day before, and a sunset hike up a mountain, at the top of Cape Perpetua, Macauley proposed. It was private and wonderful, and only made better by the fact that we spent so much time at the top of the look out (the only place with service) calling our friends and family, that we both killed our phone batteries and had to walk back down the service road in absolute forest darkness. Planning a wedding at the best of times sounds stressful. But planning a wedding during a pandemic was exhausting. And what no one tells you is that after the excitement of getting engaged, planning a wedding is homework. Very expensive homework. And as we assessed costs and safety issues, it began to feel overwhelming and near impossible. And then Macauley’s mom, who lives out in Yucca Valley (a little town right next to Joshua Tree National Park), offered her backyard as a venue. It would need some landscaping, and we’d have to bring everything in ourselves, but it was beautiful, and it was free. So began the planning in earnest of our backyard wedding, which would take place Saturday, October 2nd, 2021. For our invitations we turned to our good friend Brooke Granowski, who owns and runs her own printing and book binding studio in Los Angeles called Sorella Studios. We went with gold foil letterpress on a terracotta paper, to really set the desert tone for our wedding. She even designed us our own wedding logo, which we used everywhere. Insert here exactly what you’d imagine a year of planning a largely DIY backyard wedding during a pandemic would look like, and you’ve probably got a pretty accurate idea. So, instead let’s jump to… The day before our wedding some family and very, very good friends (including our entire wedding party) drove out to the desert and spent the whole day setting up all the decor in the backyard. We strung up hundreds of string lights (battery-powered, solar-powered, and plugin – most of which my mom had bought on sale the weekend after Christmas from Target and Home Depot), framed photos, filled lumenarias, and set up furniture. It was a long day, but our family and friends were amazing and their energy never dipped. The vibe was immaculate all day. Because our dance floor and all our rental furniture were delivered the day before, we had decided to just have our rehearsal dinner there in the backyard. So after some very laidback walk-thrus, we ordered pizza from a local place, invited anyone who had gotten into town early to come hang out, and started testing out the dance floor. It was one of the most fun parts of the whole weekend, and EHDs very own Veronica was there to capture it. Did we then go back to our Airbnb at a reasonable hour, and get a full night of sleep before the big day? No. Instead we did what any reasonable wedding party would do and went to Sonic’s for shakes, then stayed up until 1am. We rented an Airbnb out in Flamingo Heights for us and some of our friends to stay at through the weekend. It was a large spread-out compound, with a main house where Macauley and I stayed, two airstream trailers, and a yurt (fully insulated with power!) for our guests. Waking up on my wedding day to a beautiful, brisk desert morning was sensational. I got up early and sat outside to write my vows, with 360 views of the desert landscape around me. It was a much-needed moment of calm before a very loud, crazy, and fun storm. We invited everyone in the wedding party to come get ready together at the compound, and once the crew arrived it was non-stop from then on. Getting ready with Macauley, all of our friends, was one of the best parts of the day. It was just filled with so much joy and chaos – people shouting, laughing, passing around a bottle of Remy 1738, singing… It’s rare to have so many of your favorite people all in one place together, all there to support you. I was hit with a constantly overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love all morning. Toward the end of the morning my mom came to help me get ready, and that was such a special time. I was so appreciative of every moment with her. Right before our “first look” I got nervous. Everything was suddenly becoming very real, and it hit me that almost 10 years together, and a year and half of planning and work, were about to culminate in an event that would (hopefully) only happen once in our lives. And it was going to be over in a matter of hours. I suddenly felt like every moment was slipping by too quickly, and some anxiety started to creep in. All of that changed the minute Macauley stood in front of me and we both opened our eyes. Literally every anxiety that had been racing through my head melted away, and I was immediately back in the moment. We had sent everyone except the photographer and my mom ahead of us to the wedding site, and having this quiet time to take photos alone together was the grounding moment I needed. Instead of feeling nervous or awkward I felt beautiful and had so much fun. Our photographer, Anais Possami, was incredible. I had been worried about finding a photographer that would fit with us, but from the second she showed up – quietly getting started without much direction – I felt completely at ease around her. She was relaxed, and most of the time we didn’t even notice where she was. But she captured each and every moment perfectly. We also had an awesome videographer, Robert Schultze, who captured every minute of our days, and edited together a 20 minute documentary of our wedding. Because of the pandemic, I wasn’t able to try on wedding dresses in-store. So I ordered a bunch and tried them on in my parent’s living room. And trying on dresses that are too long, too wrinkled, and too heavy, in a living room doesn’t really give you the environment conducive to “envisioning” yourself on your wedding day. But, I fell in love with my dress the instant I put it on. It fit perfectly, and it truly felt like a cliche “aha” moment. The best part? It was the most affordable dress I ordered, coming in at only $150 from Lulus.com. I wanted to go for a 70s look, somewhere between bohemian and Vegas. And the bell sleeves of the dress mixed with the high leg slit checked both boxes. I had the dress tailored a bit because I’m very short, but also had the seamstress add a bustle and satin buttons down the entire back. My grandma always said she imagined me wearing a dress with buttons down the back, because she thought it was the most elegant a dress could get. My shoes were “new with tags” Loeffler Randall from Poshmark, and my veil was $20 on Amazon. My hair and make-up was done by Colette Becar from Emily Lynn & Co – and she was a magician. To say I was terrified of getting my hair and makeup done would be an understatement. To me, foundation feels heavy, lipstick always seems to make my whole mouth area look wrong, and eyeshadow makes my eyes small. But I trusted Colette, and I’ve never felt as beautiful as I did on that day. I told her natural, but better, and she delivered. And I had my beautiful lashes done by Tiina Troberg of Lash Bar By Dermacilia. I can’t recommend either of these ladies enough. Where I saved on my wedding dress, Macauley splurged on his suit, opting for a custom velvet suit jacket and cropped slacks made by Chookhare & Sons. Which made sense, because he’s already worn his suit to another wedding, whereas I can’t really ware my wedding dress to…someone else’s wedding. And instead of wearing a traditional pressed shirt, Macauley and all of his groomsmen wore patterned silk shirts for a more casual and personal look. After the “first look” we headed to the venue (Macauley’s mom’s house)… The day before we had lined the pathway into the backyard from the street with lumenarias (brown paper bags filled with sand holding a candle – we opted for battery-operated tea lights), so guests would be able to see the path once it got dark. And at the entrance, we set up a table with childhood photos of both Macauley and I, as well as photos of loved ones who were no longer with us. We had really wanted our wedding to feel warm and inviting, and avoid anything that could make it feel like it was happening at a hotel or resort. So we rented vintage furniture from Found Rentals. The final outcome was exactly what we wanted, and every piece of furniture added a little bit of soul. We lined the aisle on the way up to the alter with vintage rugs we brought from home. And at the end stood a gold archway I bought used from a friend of a friend, who had used it for their wedding. But what really made this whole area special were the flowers, which were a wedding gift from Emily Henderson herself – someone who truly understands the power of good floral. Not only were the flowers a gift, but all of the early morning flower market shopping, hauling out to the desert, and arranging of them were also done by some incredible EHD alumns – Emily Bowser, Erik Staalberg, and Velinda Hellen. So you could say my wedding florals were an EHD collaboration. Hot Tip: Make friends with stylists and then have them do your wedding flowers because they will look heartbreakingly beautiful. I handed over full trust to Bowser (and her team – of my very good friends, haha), and it was a huge relief to know that no matter what happened come wedding day, the flowers at least would be beautiful. My mom made me and my dad have our own first look, which felt hilarious, but I’m so happy she did because the photos from it are some of my favorite from the day. We were pretty casual about people seeing us before the ceremony, and really just enjoyed the little bit of time we had before walking down the aisle. We had week of coordination by Jenny, from Orange Blossom Special Events, and both she and her assistant were so lovely and helped the day run very smoothly. We were played down the aisle by cellist Hitoshi Suzuki. Hiring him was one of the best decisions we made for that day. Not only did he already have a beautiful selection of both classical and contemporary songs to choose from, but we had two specific songs we really wanted to have played while we walked down the aisle – AND HE LEARNED THEM. He played a selection of music during the pre-ceremony for our guests and played our procession in and out of the ceremony. The song we walked into was called Casadha an tSugain. He also learned “Mystery of Love” by Sufjan Stevens. 12 out of 10, would hire again. Instead of creating, printing, and handing out wedding programs, we just updated our wedding website to include a digital version of our wedding program. It also included a seating chart, a menu, and a link to view the live stream of our wedding. There were so many people we weren’t able to invite due to the safety concerns, as well as the size of the venue. But live-streaming the wedding at least allowed more people to be with us on our day. Our ceremony was my absolute favorite part of the whole day. We asked our good friend, Tones, to officiate, and he was amazing. He really blew everyone away with his thoughtful words. Our ceremony was short, personal, and beautiful. I went first with our vows because I didn’t think I’d be able to get through them if I went second. I think in total our ceremony lasted about 15 minutes, and they were the best 15 minutes of my life. Right after the ceremony, our photographer snuck us away for a few minutes alone and a few more photos. Next, we grabbed our wedding party for a few quick photos, while our guests headed to enjoy a cocktail hour. The bar was open, there were quesadillas, albondigas, and taquitos being passed around, and our photo booth was ready for use. It was finally time for the party to start. The reception was set up to happen just to the left of the ceremony site. We circled the tables around the dance floor, and relocated the same chairs that everyone had sat in for the ceremony (with the help of a few friends and family). Each table was decorated with a gauze runner in a cream or rust tone, votive candles that my mom had been collecting all year, a framed QR code which guests could use to access the wedding program and dinner menu, handwritten name cards, and flowers. 6 months before the wedding I got the crazy idea in my head that I wanted vintage glassware. But it was turning out to be pretty expensive to rent. So, I decided to just…collect it myself. I scoured Etsy, thrift stores, the Rose Bowl flea, I even shipped some back from an antique store in New Orleans (where I had my bachelorette party). I ended up collecting some 180 coupes and water glasses in a rainbow of colors and styles, which we also used at my bridal shower! My dad kicked the reception off with a speech that blew everyone (including me, his own daughter who has known him my entire life) away with his thoughtful, kind, and endearingly-awkward-in-a-classic-way-that-only-a-dad-can-be words. Dinner was up next, and we had decided to serve our one of favorites – tacos. Both having grown up in Southern California, the taco stand or truck is a mainstay of life here. Quick lunch on the way out? Tacos. Coming home from a party or bar at 2 am? Tacos. Hungover the next morning? More tacos. No one makes tacos like Los Angeles. Taqueria Vista Hermosa has been owned and operated by Raul in Los Angeles for years, and his family has been making al pastor for generations. You can taste that history in every bit of his food. Also, Raul is the best. We went for a tasting at his stall in Mercado La Paloma over by USC (which you can visit too!), and he personally came out to greet us, go over our vision, and customize a menu of tray-passed appetizers, tacos, drinks, and desserts. All the tortillas were made fresh on site, all the guacamoles and salsa were house-made, and his team brought house-made mixes for specialty margaritas (like tamarind). He also provided freshly made horchata and jamaica. His staff was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the setup was beautiful. We let the guests go through the taco line table by table, and got to spend some time saying hello to everyone. And then, while everyone finished eating, our friends Nafeesa, Nicole, and Pablo dragged all of our dirty laundry out in front of our guests with their speeches. My brother Shade, and his two best friends (who have become our two good friends), did a live set of songs they had picked and made everyone cry. Which was followed by a surprise duet of “I Follow You Into The Dark” by Shade and his girlfriend Natalie, which really sent us over the edge. And then Macauley and I had our first dance to “Kissing You” from Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet”. I thought it was going to be super awkward dancing alone in front of a crowd of people, but as soon as the song started playing it was truly like we were the only people there. ROMANCE. I had a dance with my dad, Macauley had a dance with his mom… And then the dance floor officially opened for everyone (but mostly for Erik). Hilariously, Erik is now a kind of legend to my entire family in Guatemala, because he danced so much with my great aunt who was visiting. She calls him “the beautiful man in blue”. DJ Chuck Supreme, a local of Pasadena, kept the dance floor full all night and played something for everyone. My favorite part of the reception was the vintage, black and white, real film strip photo booth, which we rented from Photomatica. We got so many good photos of our guests from it, and it made for fun party favors for the guests. The booth attendants were phenomenal, and the photo strips were unlimited. We ended the night with a cake cutting of a cake that almost didn’t make it to the wedding. Why? Because we all forgot to pick it up. About 20 minutes before the ceremony started someone was like “…where’s the cake?” It was 2:55, the bakery closed at 3. But between a phone call to the bakery and a hero guest who ran off to pick it up, we still had a cake for cutting. By midnight it was time to wind things down. At the venue at least. Most of our friends headed back to our airbnb to keep the partying going. I promptly fell asleep on the sunporch couch. Was I exhausted by the end of this night? Yes. But also overflowing with joy, gratitude, and SO MUCH FREAKING LOVE. Somehow, amidst a pandemic, our friends, family, and some amazing vendors came together to give us a wedding that was totally US. And now, almost 8 months into being married, I wouldn’t do a single thing differently. The post Sara Got Married! A DIY Wedding In The Desert That Was Filled With Nothing But Love appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/fWzNgtX There Are 3 Design Trends In Kirsten Blazeks Guesthouse That We Love And Think You Should See5/27/2022 Whenever a project by Kirsten Blazek (principal designer and founder of A1000XBetter) comes across our desks, I know I am about to see a design that will stay etched in my brain for a while. In fact, pick any past project by AXB and you will see a design that is intentional, practical, and yet dripping with charm and personality. It’s her unique style and bold design choices that always keep you guessing and wanting more. Today’s guesthouse tour is no exception and once again I had the distinct pleasure of picking her brain about each detail. Get ready for some expert design wisdom and a heavy dose of her eclectic soulful style. The guesthouse, formerly the garage, underwent a gut renovation that transformed the space into an inviting hangout area for the whole family and guests to enjoy. Just looking at the exterior, you can already see Kirsten’s signature style coming through. The bold paint color makes a statement right off the bat and is complemented with copper-colored sconces and those incredible doors that I just had to learn more about. Where are the exterior doors from? Are they stained glass? Are they custom?
We’ve been noticing more commissioned stained glass pieces popping up on our radar (take Bri of Designlovefest‘s new stained glass window in her upstate New York home for example). It’s not for every style home but when it works, it’s a fantastic way to add a personal unique feature to your home. If you have seen any of Kirsten’s projects, you know that she works with wallpaper frequently and masterfully. So anytime I see a design of hers I expect a wallpaper moment that instantly elevates the space. The wallpaper here does not disappoint but as many of us know, choosing and installing wallpaper is not for the faint of heart so I had to ask: How do you go about choosing wallpaper? Do you choose the wallpaper first and then select furniture and decor? Or vice versa?
In this space specifically, the wallpaper works well because it’s both neutral and playful. The white and gray colors don’t overwhelm the space, but the cactus and plant pattern speaks to the eclectic Southwestern rustic vibe that Kirsten is going for. The youthful pattern complements the design and the colors keep it from overpowering the rest of the space. Kirsten’s signature Southwestern-inspired style is creatively showcased through art, wallpaper, and pattern and is met with modern shapes that create an organic feel. See how every element here brings something new but plays within a strict color palette? The art is bold and bright, the wallpaper is neutral yet playful, the decor is patterned and colorful, the furniture is round and textured, and all these are tied together through the color palette. It’s a prime example of how she mixes textures and patterns in a way that comes across as unexpected but effortless. What’s your advice on mixing patterns and textures?
Though this space has so many decor pieces to look at and admire, your eye is drawn to the ceiling almost immediately. Some may think it’s a simple wood ceiling and leave it at that, but something about the rich color and texture makes it special. I am so drawn to the rustic, natural look of it so I had to ask Kirsten more about it: Can you tell us about the amazing wood ceiling?
Let’s pause for a second just to admire some of the decor here. That pendant, for one, stopped me in my tracks. It’s one of the more modern, stand out pieces here that juxtaposes all of the earth tones and vintage elements. Then there is the vintage coffee table that grounds the space with its organic texture and neutral tone, paired with the chunky side chairs that add even more texture. (P.S. The coffee table is a prime example of a trend that Caitlin is writing about as we speak..so stay tuned on that :)). The mini bulb sconces bring in a playfulness that contrasts the very grand pendant light. It’s all about mixing and matching different styles in a way that is intentional, a trick that Kirsten is clearly an expert at. Is there a bed or bedroom in this guesthouse or is it strictly a hang space?
Unexpected places to hang art is one of our favorite topics around here, so when I saw the low hanging art under the sconce, I was immediately intrigued. Sometimes art is hung low for practical reasons (needing a stud for example) but it’s also a great way to create visual interest. We love all the art placement! Was the low hanging art purely an aesthetic choice?
Speaking of unexpected art placement, if you look closely in the kitchen you’ll see another art placement that Emily loves and recently wrote about here. It’s hanging art over tile! It sounds scary I know, but you can use command strips or even a drill bit and it’s pretty low risk but high reward. It looks cool and is a budget-friendly way to refresh a space. Was there a reason you chose different tones of wood for the ceiling and flooring?
Indeed, too much of one type of wood could feel overbearing and the different tones actually forces your eye up, making the room feel taller and bigger. We can spot a Velux skylight from a mile away, and were so happy to see one here. You’ve heard it here again and again but truly, nothing compares to a skylight when it comes to adding natural light. We always say if you are renovating and have the ability to add a skylight, then honey, you should absolutely add that skylight. Another design choice that is certainly worth mentioning is the backsplash tile. I love that she used tile to break up the wallpaper and add yet another texture and color. It’s a similar tone as the ceiling so it’s pleasing to the eye, and if you look closely you’ll see that the tile isn’t flat but has a rounded, bubbled shape. This creates even more movement and adds a layer of softness. This is a tile trend that’s been happening overseas and is finally making its mark in the US. We love that you wallpapered your hood! Were there any additional precautions you had to take installing since it was over the stove?
As Kirsten said, this kitchen isn’t intended to be used daily, so the wallpaper isn’t a huge risk factor here. If you are thinking about wallpapering a hood in your kitchen that you do use every day, we advise checking the safety and durability of the wallpaper first. We’ve been seeing that awesome style of tile more and more. Do you think it’s about to be a trend?
I love the bathroom paint color! What color is it? How did you go about selecting a color that mixes so well with the amazing tile?
The bathroom mirror is awesome as well. Where is that from?
Lastly, I have to note how much she did with this small bathroom. There isn’t a ton of wall space so she hung the towel bar vertically (genius) and since there isn’t a lot of counter space she chose to hang the soap dispenser on the wall as well. It gives off a very cool restaurant vibe that is actually very attainable. I am obsessed with these two tricks and want to copy them immediately in my tiny bathroom. So, now that you’ve virtually toured the space, I’m curious what is your favorite part?? I can name 100 things I love so I want to know what tickles your design brain most. Sound off in the comments below and don’t forget to follow Kirsten for more eclectic and inspiring designs. *Design by Kirsten Blazek The post There Are 3 Design Trends In Kirsten Blazek’s Guesthouse That We Love And Think You Should See appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/7YhIwr4 ** I wrote this post days ago, postponed til today, publishing it with discomfort and sadness during what is another ugly day after ugly day in America. While I don’t want to move on I also know there might be times in your day where you want to think about something else. So if that time is now here you go. As the inside of the farm is coming along, the outside is NOT. It’s like spending $1k to detail the inside of your car and leaving the exterior covered in bird poop and layers of dirt. Part of me wants to close my eyes, climb into the car and never look out the windsheild, because cleaning that poop off and designing/landscaping this yard is going to be daunting and expensive. Luckily I have these renderings to look at and I can feel hope for the future, that one day we may not have to apologize or do that annoying dance of ‘we are still working on the …,” or “please excuse the…’, etc. to people when they come over. A few weeks ago we showed you the first round of renderings from Yardzen for our kitchen patio and covered walkway area (essentially the entire south side of the house) which we loved. Since they sent it to us we realized that the covered walkway needed some major changes and we had some additional notes. So today I’ll walk you through those changes as well as show you a real-time side by the side of what it looks like now and what it will look like in 2 years (planting this fall but realistically not fully grown in for a couple of years). We need a major car wash here with the help of Yardzen. THE COVERED WALKWAYThis was the biggest challenge because we love the covered walkway so much, and yet the locaiton of the new kitchen door made it really off center to the walkway. The whole thing was just a mess to figure out until one day I was standing back and maybe Jamie mentioned it first, not sure, but we realized that we could lose one “leg” of it and it would simplify the roofline so much, make the kitchen patio bigger and solve all of our overhang issues. So as you can see we will just cut it off here so that it dead-ends into the patio – only one long roofline and they’ll rebuild the roof to be pretty and intentional. The rendering above does not reflect how ARCIFORM would build it – they would pitch the roof back down so as you are looking at it you see the roof angled up (not just looking cut off). Here is the view facing North towards the house. We will have Clematis, Ferns, and Jasmine layered around the walkway creating a fun sensory experience of organic texture and the oh so sweet smell of Jasmine…I can’t wait! The walkway is so dreamy and just needs some love. We are big fans of ferns over here and with some light pink climbers I think it’s going to be stunning. As you can see we had them switch the trees from white to pink – not bright pink but more coppery tones. THE NEW RAILING + LANDINGThe new little landing had room for a little bench, but it didn’t have room for the same chunky railing, so here we are doing a metal railing which I think ties in nicely with the diamond pattern original windows and the black wrought iron accents. The one thing that we are waiting to figure out is an overhang over the door. Now the kids have a couple of other entries that we are hoping to force them to use on a daily basis, but trust that for groceries, etc, this will be the main one. So in a perfect world, there would be a cover over the door more than what there is here. Had we figured out this whole situation earlier we would have integrated it into the roofline, but since we didn’t it will need some support (i.e. posts) which will disrupt it all. So we are waiting to see what we need – we’ll live there in the winter to figure out how annoying this is with the rain. I have a feeling it won’t be that big of a deal. We have the front porch and the mudroom which are all covered for guests or people waiting for someone to open. On dry days they can take their shoes off outside (or leave their super muddy ones) and on rainy days we’ll just force them to go through the mudroom or front porch (I hope). How sweet is that? We will likely not put pillows on it like the rendering, haha, but my Wellies. As you can see its not covered which means that any shoes will get rained on in the winter, but having a little landing for the shoes for the dryer months I think is useful. In these renders you can tell that the table is too small (my choice) so I’ll figure out what we want to do here. Also I had Yardzen scale back the amount of plants as we still have residual shame from not keeping our indoor plants alive years ago, but I have to remind myself that literally everything grows in Oregon, except when it’s summer when it’s all of a sudden 100 degrees. I’M SO CONFUSED ABOUT THIS WEATHER. BRICK PATTERN REIMAGINEDSo we changed the brick pattern again, and yet this is still NOT decided because after we were almost 100% on the Spanish bond pattern the brick company (Glen Gery) said that the pattern would create so much waste. Now that I’m writing that I’m wondering if we could still tweak that pattern to make it work. Cali from Studio Campo (which is doing more of the whole homestead plan) came up with this running bond in the shape of a larger herringbone – working out from the middle. We were going to partner with GlenGery (this brick is called ‘old city brick’ and it’s awesome) because we loved the product and reached out to see if this would be mutually beneficial. They were excited to be part of the project. So I want to use the product how they recommended it best installed, but then just this week they let us know that shipping is 7k and going up quickly. So now we are re-thinking this again. Sure we save on product but between shipping and the installation of this brick, the patio is going to be so expensive and we are starting to pump the breaks a bit. NEW BORDER TREATMENTWe opted for the brick border because as my brother puts it, ‘Don’t put dirt by your house or it will look muddy all year and you’ll be power washing it 5 times a year”. I think we are afraid of it being just dirty and gross out there, so we are keeping this area cleaner and adding more pots. But most of the house will have plants against the house so I’m not sure how to avoid what ken is talking about. Do you put pebbles between the plants and the exterior of the house? Do tell?! PLANTINGSSo good. We have all these beautiful plants along the south wall, providing some privacy and softening the scale of the house. And then the patio is more clean (for now) and we can dress it up with more pots if we want to. Yardzen nailed it. THE FINAL PLANSOne of the things that has come up a lot is how to edge the pea gravel. Yardzen, Studio Campo and I all wanted brick lining. Great. Why pea gravel? Well, we love the casual vibe of gravel and it’s more affordable than masonry work like flagstone and brickwork, and DG might turn to mud up here in the winter. But mostly it’s the vibe. The crunch. The casualness. But what we didn’t predict is that to do it properly its still really expensive. Rock right now is more expensive than it used to be, plus labor of course. Our build team wants us to edge it with steel which we know works and is the cheapest option but it’s not the vibe of this farm – that kind of edging makes it look so manicured and too straight almost. So we had chosen brick (which is what Yardzen also loved) but I guess to do that you have to dig down and do some sort of plastic divider and then line it – aka again, not cheap. But honestly we don’t want a super straight manicured path, we wanted a pebble walkway to the back, with a crunchy sound and just rocks on both sides. So we are figuring out what the solution is. The Autocad plansOk. now these are the plans that Yardzen will give to our build team which help them A. quote and B. execute. There might be some ‘in the field game day’ changes of course, but this is such an incredible service to be able to hand over. It is going to be GLORIOUS!When it looks like THIS…Of course, the styling might change at any moment – I think the table we chose is too small, for instance, and we’d likely want at least to sit 8 people so I might go back to a rectangle. But what I know is that the renderings from Yardzen are SO incredibly helpful to see what works and what needs to be re-thought. More than anything we are wondering if we are overthinking the rest of the yard – we actually liked the rural/rustic nature of the property when we bought it, but have since kinda destroyed the area around the house. We have all these incredible people working on it, which we feel so grateful for (Studio Campo, Yardzen, and the landscape crew which I’ll link up soon) but we are so fearful that we are making expensive permanent decisions that we are going to regret and that if we just lived in a less manicured state for a couple of years we’d have a better idea of our true needs. But we can’t live in a mud pit so do we invest some knowing that things might change? It’s such a domino effect. Remember last week when I said it feels like a firehose of cash going nonstop and no one can find the ‘off’ nozzle? Don’t feel sorry for me, not asking for pity obviously because it’s a true privilege to be able to beautify your home in any way, but I know that many of you have been in this position and can relate. The interior is one thing – it is directly related to my work and my partnerships – I want and need this house to be beautifully executed inside for our famly’s enjoyment first and foremost, but also because it supports the business. We just so wish that we could live on the property and know how we are going to use the exterior before we invest so much in the landscaping. At this point, the construction to rebuild the inside of the house has fully torn up the yard so we have to do something short-term to not live in a mud pit. We might phase it out more than we had originally planned to help replenish the budget and to mostly make sure that we are making the right decisions – based on actually living there, not trying to predict our future needs and wants. It’s starting to feel reckless and once you get that feeling, you need to stop and re-assess. So here is what we are starting with: Demo of the roof/covered pathway that is close to the kitchen, demo of the concrete and flagstone (to be repurposed), install of the kitchen patio floor and plantings along the south wall and covered pathway. Brian and I are meeting for hours a day on site to troubleshoot the rest of the property – all things driveway (boring and $$$$), sports court revamp (exciting but $$$), new lawn (necessary but $$), privacy fencing and vehicular gates (necessary but $$$$) and planting (good to have, but can be $$$$). We hope to have some answers and clarity soon I promise. More to come for the back porch which is what Yardzen is tackling next as soon as Brian and I make some decisions. But a quick endorsement – I have LOVED working with Yardzen thus far and found their ideas awesome, their aesthetic extremely aligned with mine and most importantly their expertise impressive. *Sidenote: I was super happy to hear that they were named one of Inc magazines best workplace list, which makes me so happy. One of my contacts, Kevin, was gone on paternity leave at the beginning of the process for 3 months which just made me super super happy. The post The FINAL Kitchen Patio Design With Yardzen appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/ajSFLOH We spend years of our young kid’s lives desperately avoiding their preventable deaths. We sign up for questionable swim lessons where our babies are thrown in a pool in hopes that should they stumble in, they won’t drown. We can’t prevent all genetic diseases, for instance, but once something becomes frequent society tries to do something about it (crosswalks, helmets, tempered glass, etc.). But the so-called “randomness” of mass shootings has become so common that despite its unpredictability it feels preventable. Yesterday, parents like us, dropped off their kids at elementary school hoping for a normal day, maybe even a good one. And hours later their never-ending nightmare began. Grocery stores. Concerts. Flea Markets. Nightclubs. Churches. High Schools. Elementary schools. What do we do? At this point, in the “gun debate” we know that nothing will change. Nothing. We don’t know all of the specifics about this particular shooting yet but we can generalize enough because we are all too familiar with this story. And we live in a politicized country that can’t seem to change it, controlled by the gun lobby. Do we accept it? Of course not. But we, the citizens for common-sense gun laws, can’t seem to change it and more and more people, kids are dying. I won’t say anything new here, except this basic idea – dangerous things should be hard to get. For example, when I was in my twenties in New York I dabbled in recreational illegal drugs (which I would not do if I were that age now with the fentanyl scare – but that’s a totally different story/fear/epidemic). But it wasn’t always that easy to get, and if it had been I would have done it a lot more. Thank goodness for me it was illegal so it never affected my life too negatively because drugs can be very dangerous (as we know more than ever). We not only have laws but parental controls, even “age gates” controlling who has access to things that are dubbed “dangerous” for our kids to prevent bad things. I recently listened to a podcast about the link between access and use – it shows that when something was common in a neighborhood it directly affected how often kids did it – illegal drugs, prescription pills, underage drinking, guns, etc. It’s not that kids who lived in neighborhoods without those things couldn’t get their hands on it, of course they could, but it was just a lot harder. So much more effort had to go into tracking it down so the overall use was greatly diminished. It’s common sense that’s backed up by two generations of geographic data through this study. It negates the whole “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” bullshit that most of us don’t believe anyway. In this country, we love to blame individuals, as we should to an extent – we all have agency and should be accountable. But when something is “around,” common, normalized, and easy to get your hands on it, you are more likely to buy it, have it, and use it. Of course, this 18-year-old was mentally ill or evil if you believe in that, obviously. But guns make it easy to kill a lot of people – they aren’t recreational drugs, they are much more dangerous. I know I’m preaching mostly to the choir here, but our values are so upside down when you can’t get the birth control pill over the counter, forcing pregnancies for those without easy access and yet in many states, including Texas, you can go into a store and simply buy a weapon that kills other people, a gun! Without a background check or permit! You don’t even need a prescription! Riddle me this, America? What are we doing??? We all know this but the hypocrisies are sometimes too shocking to not write down again and re-read. You can’t buy birth control over the counter, but you can buy a gun. It’s all too much. I listened to another podcast that suggested a good coping tool for dealing with the tragedy of others is to learn about it, recognize it, help where you can, and then say to yourself “Ok. That’s bad. But that’s not my weather” so you can actually function. It’s selfish, for sure, but ruminating and catastrophizing about faraway problems you can’t solve isn’t healthy – not just for you, but your kids (a growing contributor to the anxiety problem). But the grocery store in Buffalo is our weather. The elementary school in Texas feels like my weather – every parent’s weather. These aren’t natural disasters 7,000 miles away or even problems in other countries that we can’t prevent. This is America’s weather. And its a really, really bad. If we accept another Sandy Hook – another mass elementary school shooting – without changing our gun laws, what happens next? To what end? And do we want to live here, risking the “randomness” of a mass shooting every day? This. Is. Preventable. Four years ago I learned a lot about why many of you own guns in this post and empathy was built. But like most of you today I feel really hopeless, helpless and so unsafe. The gun lobby rules our politics in this arena and Republicans are too scared of their funders and constituents to push back. I’ll desperately settle for harder access to guns for a diminished probability of a shooting happening near my family. I will sign the petitions and donate to Every Town, of course. But then what? Voting? Marching? What? Why don’t we file a class action suit – American parents versus NRA? Lord knows they care about money so it would hit them where it hurts and there are a million lawyers who would battle it. If the politicians are going to be too cowardly to do anything a massive suit might curb their efforts. If you trace how most mass shooters have gotten their guns, there are enough that show how easy it is to get if you are mentally ill, underage, with a record, and not to mention can purchase the totally unnecessary semi-automatic cartridges that should 100% not be legal to in the first place. The majority of Americans want common-sense laws! Those of you in Canada and Australia I know are again horrified and baffled that we remain in this situation. Maybe the Hendersons will join you sooner than later. Until then this is my version of yelling and screaming into the ether and praying that the families of these kids and all mass shooting victims might someday see stricter gun control. I’m just so sorry that we are collectively unable to prevent these mass shootings of children because we continue to normalize the ownership and use of guns by individuals in this country. Things that are dangerous, legal or not, should be hard to get. These deaths are, in fact, “preventable”. Here is the link to the Moms Demand Action site and you can join a local Moms Chapter by texting the word ACT to 644-33 (P.S I focused on access to guns because to me it’s a common-sense doable gate and hard to argue with. Of course its also about mental health, toxic masculinity, racism, politics, and more.) Opening Image Credit: via Time The post What Do We Do? appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/klHG04s How To Make A Boring Room Look Better With These 4 Elements (And Theyre All On Sale Right Now)5/24/2022 Color. Texture. Pattern. Shape. They’re the earth, air, fire, and water of design – you kiiiinda need all four if you want your home to feel balanced, collected, and finished. Today, I’m breaking down four classic EHD vignettes – you know, explaining why they work – while also sharing a few of my favorite now-on-sale pieces, so you can capture the same look and feel in your own home. READY TO GET STARTED? ShapeLet’s kick this off by really breaking down the elements in this vignette, yeah? Shape: OH MY. That graphic side table is kiiiinda the star of the show, don’t you think? It’s bold, but not overwhelming. I love how the round pillow breaks up the corner of this sofa while speaking to the circular opening, too – it makes this living room feel a lot more intentional and thoughtful. Color: A little goes a long way here! Look again – the main furniture and decor pieces in this shot are all totally neutral (though honestly, I think I could make a pretty compelling argument that rust and sage can be neutral, too!). Spreading your shades around evenly is key as well as having that color pop a little – see how the terra-cotta color is peppered in on the tabletop, the sofa, in the books, in the rug AND adds that color depth? It feels balanced, finished, and fun. Texture: Glass, metal, wood, ceramics, mohair (that throw is SO luxe, and also linked below – it’s worth it, even when it’s not on sale, IMO), linen, boucle…it all just looks so great when it’s layered together, you know? Even if color really isn’t your thing, having lots of textures will add visual interest and warmth! Pattern: YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH A BROKEN STRIPE. This is my favorite print for those who are a little wary of entering the whole “mix-and-match” pattern arena – just pop in a thin stripe, like Bowser did above, and you’re golden. High-end pattern mixing, NO STRESS REQUIRED. To that end, here are 9 of my favorite shaped pieces – from decor to furniture, so there’s something for every price point! – that’ll really make your room sing. All pieces in this post are from Lulu & Georgia, because they’re (a.) an awesome resource for all things home and (b.) a brand who chose to kick off their Memorial Day sale early, which means that I got to spend some time last week perusing and searching for the best deals to pass on to you. LET’S SHOP NOW, yeah?
ColorAs EHD’s resident fan of color (or at least like, loud color – the other gals are a little more discerning with their preferred palettes :)), I wanted to break down one of my all-time favorite vignettes next… (PS. Anyone else also start reading the blog around this time? This was one of the first reveals I saw!) Color: When it comes to jumping-off points, those windows are a freakin’ DREAM. Take a peek at their palette, throw in a rug with hits of pink and blue to ground the space, grab a blush pouf, add a graphic pillow with a pop of orange, and hang some soft pastel sheers to bring it all together – DONE. Texture: Mixing metallics, rattan, and leather is one of my all-time favorite combinations – it’s a little luxe and glam without being too over-the-top. (I think it’s one of Em’s favorite combos, too, judging by Birdie’s OG nursery – I’m filled with throwbacks today, y’all!) Pattern: When you’re working with this much color, it’s okay to take it easy on the pattern! A rug and one accent pillow is more than enough to keep your eye moving through the space. Shape: And, well, I mean…what here doesn’t have a cool shape? When you have a big statement piece of architecture – like these traditional gridded windows, aka straight line central – it’s kind of fun to play up the contrast by leaning into curvier, non-traditional pieces.
TextureThe Mountain House is a veritable masterclass on texture. If you’re also a lover of a neutral interior, being intentional the materials in your home will be key to keeping your place from feeling flat and boring. Let’s break it down real quick, yeah? Texture: A leather chair, lacquered teak end table, plush rug, thick blanket, and 3-material coffee table keep your eyes bouncing around this space. It feels dynamic and exciting, even without a ton of stuff. There aren’t a ton of repeating textures in this room, either – every piece gets its own chance to shine.
PatternLast – but certainly not least! – we gotta take a second to talk about pattern (another favorite of mine!). I know that pattern mixing can be a little (or, uh, a lot) intimidating, so let’s take a harder look at what makes this work. Pattern: First – and this may be my most helpful tip – it’s okay to repeat patterns if the scale of the piece is different! Example A: Take a peek at that striped lumbar in the front. Now, take a peek at the fifth pillow back – it’s the same pattern, just with a different shape (square vs. lumbar) and a different orientation (horizontal instead of vertical). If you’re still feeling nervous, you can check out Jess’ masterful explanation of how to mixing and match pattern right here. Shape: Decor-wise, we’re pretty square here (just different sizes). Our variation is coming from the furniture – check out that wishbone leg on the dining table, the gentle slope of the chair back, and the curve of the light fixture. Even the dimension of the window seat provides some interesting shapes and visual interest, which is neat. Color: When in doubt, pull your palette from nature! You ever notice how most windows are blown out in interior shots, but how these windows *aren’t* blown out? It’s so we can see the harmony between the inside and outside – there’s something really serene about “bringing the outdoors in” in such a doable way, you know? Texture: I mean, glass. Metal. WOOD FOR DAYS. The leather bench cushion, the woven pillows, the ceramics on the table – it’s so balanced and lovely. Ready for our final roundup?
ALRIGHT, GANG. Today was a mix of my two favorite things: writing about sales (your girl loves a deal – pulling together our holiday sale round up posts is one of my favorite parts of my job!) AND writing about why things work. I had a lot of fun combining the two, but what say you??? Any interest in more in-depth product roundups like this, or should we just keep it to the big sale list posts? (I can take your feedback, I promise!) LET’S CHAT ABOUT IT, PLEASE. xx Opening Image Credit: via Lulu And Georgia The post How To Make A Boring Room Look Better With These 4 Elements (And They’re All On Sale Right Now) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/cYfy4wR Les and Jess are at it again. For those who don’t know, Les is my dad and the carpenter hero to 99% of my room designs (the bench here, the banquette and counter here, and peg rail here). We’ve been building things together for as long as I can remember, and while it’s not always smooth sailing (you could say the apple doesn’t fall far from the stubborn tree), they are by far some of my favorite memories. ANYWAY, when I was starting to design my current living room, I knew there had to be a custom “Bunge Bench TM”. It’s the law. Again if you are newish here, this is the wrap-around bench I designed for my last apartment that was perfectly built by DIY DAD, Lester Bunge. Not only did I love it with all my heart, but y’all were also pretty into it too which made it even more special. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a spot for it in my new place so it now lives at my dad’s which feels right given that he built it. So aside from the fact that it wouldn’t have fit, I also needed a bench that was more of a cabinet and here’s why… AHHHHH. MY EYES. I get extremely bummed out when I have to see lots of electronics and cords. I know I’m not alone in this so I wanted to come up with a pretty way to only see them when necessary. Is a cabinet bench a new idea? No. But finding one that met all of my measurement, style, and potential financial limitations was going to be ummm…impossible? I should also mention that my living has only two outlets meaning I had only two spots where these technological terrors could live. One being on the wall you see above and the other on the wall under my non-turret window which you will see in a sec. A cabinet bench just made the most sense. Now, let’s revisit my “office” for a minute. I am so happy with how it turned out. I think it balances bold and soft, earthy and luxe, and classic and modern. Those were my main goals and my biggest stresses:) I want to continue that through the space, bringing in rich colors, patterns, and materials. So here is where this “cool” electronics storage cabinet bench will live. I love the idea of some extra seating (I need to get a cushion made so that will be new for me), I love that the outlet will be covered, and of course, I love that my electronics will be tucked away nicely. But what will it look like??? If you read this post about what we would buy if money were no object then you know this $52,000 Gustav BertelsenIf cabinet made in 1946 is at the top of my list. Y’all, there are only two known to have been made. I’ve never really been a polka dot gal but I do love circles so this speaks to the deepest parts of my design-loving soul. What I decided I am going to do (or try to do) is make my own highly-inspired version since I’m short about $52,000. And when I say “I make” I mean “me and my dad make”. I called him up, sent him a VERY basic drawing, the requested measurements, and we were off. I would like to mention now that this is very much a process post as this is as far as we’ve gotten. My dad built the frame, leaving me to cut the doors, and finish sanding everything…about two months ago. Between being nervous I would mess it up (wood still isn’t cheap) and laziness, I did not do what he asked. Luckily, I conned him into visiting me two weeks ago where we finally did those things. This notch is for the power strip to my computer and lamp. That was my dad’s idea which is why we make a great team. I’m more form and he’s more function. But now let’s talk stains and how I plan to make those perfect circles… This was the stain I picked that I thought looked closet to the original cabinet…Varathane in Colonial-Maple. I think it’s too orange. Since the original wood was mahogany maybe their Golden Mahogany color will look better?? Any thoughts? I want it to be warm-toned to bring more warmth into the room but this doesn’t feel right yet. Also, I am planning on adding a sheen so that might change the look a little as well. Then we have the circles… Hahahah. First off, the base stain was mostly dry but not 100%. Second, I haphazardly used a sponge brush to make those “circles”. The original plan, that my dad came up with and got made, was to use a custom vinyl stencil that had circle cutouts. Unfortunately, the circles were way too spaced out and the type of vinyl the company chose was waaaay too sticky. I was afraid it was going to mess up the wood. Dad agreed. Then as we were troubleshooting ideas I had a potentially great one. I could get a custom iron brand made! That way the circles would be perfect, dark, and I could even stain them if need be with a far less chance of any bleeding outside of the circle, right? Etsy has a ton of affordable iron brands so I don’t think it’s going to be too expensive to get made…I hope. But PLEASE! If you have any ideas, experience, and/or tips for any part of the staining and potential branding process I am all ears! This is my first time doing this and I want it to look good. DIYs are too time and money-consuming for them to come out bad! The next big decision that I’m figuring out is hardware. Aside from the shape and structure of the cabinet, hardware is where I will likely diverge from the original piece. Originally, I thought I would do a version of the large circle maybe wood, maybe not, but I really love the look of these micro knobs that DISC Interiors made for this incredible nightstand. I can’t get enough of the entire design. Using a knob similar to this could lean into that balance I was talking about earlier since that pattern is so big and bold. Then there’s this incredible piece by Hachi Collections. I love those medium chunk brass knobs! Plus they add an additional layer of “custom” with how they are inset in the wood. But then… …I look at these big wood knobs and think maybe I should just do something like that. I know it will totally work (and are probably cheaper). Then there’s the option to still do a larger circle but mix it up. I couple go for a more modern look with something like the black ones on the left OR try and find a sick two-toned option like the ones on the right. I just stuck this photo in here because I love those handles so much and has me thinking outside the box. Not sure what will come of it but it’s fun to think about. My last hardware idea is no hardware at all! OOF I love these double finger holes by Atelier Steve. So simple, so special, and so affordable. So as I think about the hardware I need to think about hardware placement too. I thought it would be fun to talk through where I started with the door design, where I ended up (which you already saw earlier), and the hardware placement options I’m considering. This was my initial plan. Two inset doors that swing out from the center with two knobs. I liked the simplicity of it since the circles were going to be visually very powerful. But in the final hour, as my dad was cutting the doors, I made a different decision… TADA! Three inset doors. I thought, “let’s take this up a notch!” So I had my dad cut one of the doors in half, horizontally. We even added a shelf (that was his idea, I think) so that there was an actual reason for the two skinny doors. I would have been fine either way but again, some added function never hurts. But now we have more options for knob placement. Knob size will obviously play a factor, but I think that versions two and three are my favorite but I’m open to all of them. What is your vote?? I won’t be opening and closing these a ton so don’t worry too much about the placement being near the edge. In the meantime, let me show you some actual hardware options I’m looking at. 1. Round Wooden Coat Hook | 2. Mid Century Ball Knob Brass Hardware | 3. Black Brass Knob | 4. Solid Brass Cabinet Knob | 5. Tall Mushroom Cabinet Knob | 6. Knurled Knob | 7. Teakhook Knob | 8. Teardrop Door Pull | 9. Gateway Ring Pull | 10. Larkin Finger Pull | 11. Solid Oak Drawer Pull | 12. Dish Knob | 13. Circle Drawer Knob | 14. Solid Brass Cabinet Knob | 15. Round Cabinet Knob I love #2 since it’s real small and works with the micro look but #8 and #14 are great for that too. #1 and #15 would need to be stained and I’m not 100% into them. I’ve loved #6 forever and love that it comes in a matte bronze. That could give it some instant age! What do you all think? Do any of you have cool vintage hardware resources? So that’s where I’m at in my cabinet bench process and my secret ploy to get all of y’all’s advice! Can’t wait to chat in the comments. Love you, mean it. The post Jess’ DIY Bench 2.0 – Her Solution To Her Ugly Electronics (Plus An Ask The Audience) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/SJQ8PY6 It’s our hope that these Sunday Link Up posts are a little reprieve in your weekend. However, with the 6, yes 6 mass shootings that happened in the US this past week, we need to be highly aware that while reprives are important for mental health, we can’t become desensitized. We know explicitly that the Buffalo shooting was a direct result of racism and white supremacy and the Orange county shooting was also a hate crime. One shooting in Texas was at a flea market and reportedly was due to a “fight between two groups of people.” While these issues go far deeper than our government and its laws, remember that midterms are coming up. Using our voices and votes is such an important and actionable way to get people elected that can actually make some tangible changes. It’s easy to feel helpless but it’s harder to lose someone you love. Everytown is a wonderful organization to support the end of gun violence if you are able. Let’s shift to embrace joy, joy in the form of design by the one and only Justina Blakeney. We think the world collectively rejoiced when we all saw that she and her home were on THE COVER OF ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST. Normally, we refrain from using photos with people in them so we can focus on the design. BUT again, the joy and love emanating from Justina and her family is the perfect entry into what their home is all about. There are two many incredible moments in this home to point out so you’ll just have to see for yourself. GO HERE NOW. From Emily: Pulling together outfits, where I felt comfortable, professional, and stylish, was much harder than anticipated when I was shopping for going on Good Morning America because WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FASHION? So I finally found this cute APC denim dress that was structured AF – thick, tailored, and going nowhere in a good way, which meant that it was going to be great for TV. But it was a bit utilitarian (which I loved) so for the GMA segment, I bought a victorian collared and sleeved lace shirt to layer underneath (here is a super similar one from the same store). Then I added a pearl necklace with a gold heart locket charm which felt right (and just cool). Those were more splurgy (from Clare V, but not fine jewelry or anything) so I went to Madewell to supplement because one must layer at all times – the thicker one linked here and the skinnier one that looks like ball bearings (can’t find on the site). I got that bauble ring on clearance which I do love (but don’t run it through your fine hair – it will harvest that hair from your scalp) and the chain buckle bracelet from Clare V too. The other one is from Madewell. I then added more stacking rings mostly because they wouldn’t fit on any other of my sausage fingers (runs in the family!). From Jess: I just bought really cute high-waist wide-leg medium blue denim jeans! The other best part is that they are FRAME jeans but from Nordstrom Rack, so they were $89 (originally $248). They are technically cropped but since I’m 5’4″ they hit me at the ankles which I like. Also FYI they are a little more “high-rise” on me than how they look on the model. Oh, and if you are looking for chic comfort slides, I loved these and almost bought them because they were so comfortable. Also From Jess: If you are looking for some great new music check out Maye. I love Moody but her songs are great. Enjoy! Also Also From Jess: I’ll take a 10-piece chicken nugget meal, 3 BBQ sauces, and a chair. Thank you! From Caitlin: OMG GUYS. I have found a skincare product that made my skin look SO GOOD that a MAN noticed the difference and dropped an unsolicited, “wow, your skin is glowing” after I had used it for the first time!!! It’s the Laniege Cica Sleeping Mask – I picked it up on a whim when I was grabbing yet another jar of their famous Water Sleeping Mask, which I use as a daily moisturizer because the gel texture is incredible – and Y’ALL, THIS STUFF IS MAGIC. My skin is naturally pretty dry (like, flaky in some parts) and kind of red, and this calmed the heck outta everything. It’s pretty thick (I may have over-applied because I looked like Mark Zuckerberg paddle boarding) but it absorbed so quickly and my skin felt unbelievable the next morning – all the places that normally feel a little scaly were totally smooth. I had no redness and some of my wrinkled areas (ya girl has DEEP laugh lines, even at 30) were a little less pronounced. I think this product may be a little TOO much if your skin leans oily (the Water Sleeping Mask may be great for you, though!) but OMG I AM SO EXCITED. It has a near-perfect rating on Sephora’s site and it deserves every freakin’ 5-star review it gets. A little miracle in a jar for all my fellow dry-skinned pals! From Mallory: I bought this cabinet for my entryway and I LOVE it but it ended up feeling too deep for my space (I thought after taping it out it would fit juuuuusssttt right…sad). Linking it here so someone else can buy it and enjoy it in their home!! It’s so well designed and was pretty easy to set up Opening Image Credits: Design by Justina Blakeney | Photo by Jenna Peffley | Fashion styling by Bettina Bati | via Architectural Digest The post The Link Up: The Clothes And Jewelry Em Wore On Good Morning America, The New Skincare Face Mask Caitlin Is Lathering On, And An Affordable Cabinet We Love appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/AhvDngX |
Author Kimberly ReedDesign Consultant at Furnishing Knowledge:KI Archives
April 2023
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