The Link Up: The Summer Bag Emily is SO Excited About (9 Other Juicy Team EHD Recommendations))6/30/2019 Reunited and it feels so good! Our little EHD fam is finally all back together. We know vacations are “important” for mental health and whatever but we REALLY miss each other when we are apart for an extended amount of time. Needless to say, the catching up was pretty nonstop and lots of new recommendations were rapidly being traded on the daily. Here are our new favorite finds this week… Emily’s exact words were, “I WANT THIS.” The Henderson’s are doing a lot of schlepping this summer, so it’s so nice for Em to have a smallish bag for her essentials (wallet, sunglasses and phone). This way they don’t get lost in her bigger beach bag. Also, it’s 25% off right now! Bowers’ cousin Leah lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and turned her on to this up-and-coming local (to her) artist, Katherine Dunlap. If you are looking for colorful and soulful art, look no further. She is particularly drawn to her pool scenes. Katherine also recently did a collab with artist Chambers Austelle and their styles work together beautifully. Not only does this house, owned by Claire Mazur and Chris Roan, have Jess’ all-time dream chair (the chunky leather and wood beauties in the opener photo) but it’s a stunning tonal oasis that had some layout issues they had to get creative with. Velinda got turned onto a friend of a friend, Mike Beavers, who does incredible woodworking projects and she’s dying to collaborate soon/find a spot for one of his chairs in her home. Grace told us all to GO. WATCH. season 2 of Fleabag on Amazon Prime. She first discovered Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Crashing in 2016 and has been hooked on her shows ever since. Fleabag season 1 was honestly so long ago (way before the rest of America fell in love with her because of Killing Eve), but season 2 came out fairly recently. She writes so well and makes you think about “life things” and she really gets it and sometimes, like in this season, makes you question (in a good way) your own beliefs, to the point that you’re crying for the lead character at the end of the season finale. On Jess’ vacation, she made a stop in Marrakech, Morroco, and naturally bought a rug. She felt it was nearly mandatory and wasn’t mad about it. She stumbled about Les Nomades de Marrakech, a huge and amazing rug shop that also sells online! She can 100% vouch for the beautiful designs and super high quality. Sara finds this whole series on personal salaries so interesting, informative and just plain juicy. Arlyn first saw this Calpack backpack during a trip to Target HQ on one of the very stylish press team members but then she lost track of the brand and was so sad. THEN she saw someone talking about it on Instagram and she took it as a sign from the retail gods to buy it. She’s been looking for a new work bag for probably two years that would hold her 15” laptop along with her wallet and personal items and THIS IS IT. It’s gorgeous, very reasonably priced, and she promises everyone will compliment you on it (if you care about that sort of thing…don’t lie, you do). P.S. We ALL complimented it the moment we saw it. Ryann has been coveting this shirt byThe Line by K for SO long and finally bought it this past week. It is the perfect combination of comfortable and sexy. She wants to wear it every single day for the rest of her life. Veronica says these linen pants are soooo comfy and cheap and come in three different colors. She’d wear them every day if she could! If you want them to be baggy, she’d suggest going up one size because they do shrink in the wash. There ya have it! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and hope you are pumped for is hopefully a great, short holiday week. xx The post The Link Up: The Summer Bag Emily is SO Excited About (+9 Other Juicy Team EHD Recommendations)) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/2NptOYS
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It’s about that time where I start to think about implementing more exercise in my life. I’m TERRIBLE at pushing myself and find myself listening to Armchair Expert (Dax Shephard’s podcast which is GREAT) and just walking if I don’t listen to a workout app (see below). But the other day, in an attempt to get my active juices flowing, Brian and I went MOUNTAIN BIKING. I am talking the extreme kind where people are wearing pads all over their body and jumping off ramps which was wildly fun if not kinda terrifying. We are currently shopping for our summer sporting routine up in this mountain town that we can do either together or as a family so we don’t just sit at the beach and drink rosé all day. Mountain biking was definitely the top of the list and this weekend we are trying kayaking (is that an actual workout?), paddleboarding and rock climbing (there is a close-by rock climbing outdoor gym which would be fun to get into). What else do people do?? Pickleball? Tennis? Water skiing? Dunno. Anyway, you guys DM me all the time asking what I’m wearing when I workout so we pulled together a quick post with all my current favorites and as always, we want to hear your suggestions, too. That was my uniform for a while, mostly because the cuts were good, flattering and comfortable. But that shirt is no longer available so I’m kinda in the market for a new shirt (I don’t love tank tops on me). This one was great because it was fitted enough, but not tight and came down in the front, up on the sides and had a scoop neck: all cuts that I really like (while staying put and not bouncing up and showing tummy while running). I just ordered this one so I’ll let you know the verdict. But what I DO know is the following seven things are my regular go-to fitness items that I can recommend: Lululemon Baller Hat, $38:I don’t really know why I like this hat so much but I do. It’s not like I have tried on every hat out there and can say with conviction that it’s the best one, but it looks cute, is lightweight and is really simple. I’ve been wearing it for over a year (since Souptember—OMG do you remember Souptember?) and I haven’t washed it once so that’s where I’m at as a human being. Whatever you do, DO NOT think it’s okay to borrow your husband’s favorite hat for any cardio exercise. He looked at me afterward and was so confused why I would think that is okay. Whoops! Lululemon Speed Up Tight, $108:These are my favorite pants for most activities because my phone, wallet and/or ID can fit in the zipper pockets. The waist has a thick band making it so it doesn’t cut in and is kinda high waisted. Nothing drives me more nuts than my tummy coming out and over my workout pants while running or doing yoga and then constantly having to pull up the waist. These stay put and keep things in. Fabletics Seamless High-Waisted Mesh 7/8, 2 for $24 (with VIP membership):I just got these and really like them (although I wish it had a pocket). The bright red is VERY good and the mesh feels a little more stylish. Plus, I like that when I’m hiking around with the kids in the woods behind our house they can find me easily. Without the VIP membership, they are $65, but if you like new gear every month then they are really inexpensive (I was super skeptical about any workout pant being $12 TBH, but I ended up really liking the fit). Lululemon Run Times Short II, $58:These are really great running shorts. The waistband is thick and semi-high-waisted so, again, everything stays in its place. They also have a pocket in the back to hold a card or ID (great for going on runs in your neighborhood). They have a 4-inch inseam so they don’t ride up your bum, or you know, other places. Nike Free TR8, $100:I’m a Nike loyalist, being from Portland and two of my best friends work there. I typically ask them what is the best shoe for running and they both said quickly this one. I then went on to beg them to open up a store close to me so I could try on more workout clothes because workout gear (and swimsuits) is the one thing that I really don’t like buying online. Let me rant about that for a second—I have now, NO JOKE, bought and returned nine swimsuits this season, keeping only one of them. It’s just so annoying. I wish there was one big swimsuit store that we could go to try everything on in person because it’s such a waste of time and packaging to try and return so many. I have a few more on the way (just ordered this one) because I’m now on the hunt for suits that are more modest and stay put because when hanging out with father-in law, brother, friends husbands and, of course, young kids, I like to opt for ones that are less revealing and all my favorites suits show a lot of the ladies. Let me know if you guys want a post about what I actually bought, love and feel comfortable wearing. But back to these shoes. They are lightweight, cute and comfortable. I feel like I can run fast in them and are easy to pull on and off (have you heard of my disdain for laces and tying my shoes? Who’s got the time??) XTFree Bluetooth Wireless Sweat Resistant Earbuds, $50:These are my go-to headphones. Again, I haven’t tried every one on the market, but I have a few different wireless headphones and prefer this every time. They stay put, have the controls on the cord (not on the actual earpiece like some others which means you can accidentally turn them off if you are adjusting them) and they stay in my tiny ear holes. I have found that much cheaper ones are, well, cheap, but I’ve spent more and have not felt that it’s worth the dough. Aaptiv Workout App, $14.99/month or $99/year:I have a theory that personal trainers (like interior designers) might be going away for most people except the highly wealthy because of apps and the Internet, which make is just so much more convenient and cheaper. I’ve had personal trainers over the years and while I love having them, trying to coordinate time (they are always booked in the morning) and, of course, the fee (in LA they start at $80 if you want them to come to you) is pretty cost prohibitive. I’ve tried group classes to save money but with my schedule, it’s really hard to find the right class at 6 am. LONG STORY SHORT, I’ve been doing Aaptiv since Souptember and it’s the only real way that I’ll workout and even remotely push myself. I know that if I had a personal trainer, I’d get pushed more, but it’s a good substitute that is FAR more convenient and affordable. I’ll often just go on a 22 minute run with intervals and lunges (Akeem is my favorite trainer) and then if I’m up for it, I’ll try an 8 minute HIIT workout or strength training right after. Just the intervals, which include sprinting, get my endorphins up and change my day drastically. Again, it hasn’t really gotten me a six-pack because I don’t do it enough or hard enough but it’s good for maintenance and stress relief. I haven’t tried the yoga yet and if anyone can recommend the best power yoga instructor on the app, that would be awesome. I’d love recommendations on sports bras and shoes that are really supportive for tennis because while I played in high school and was actually pretty good at it, the last time I played was 8 years ago and I sprained my ankle pretty badly. Any good shoes for lateral moves? Any recommendations for good family outdoor summer sport or activities? What age can kids start rock climbing? We’ve tried hiking and we just end up carrying them…help. The post Because You Asked: My Favorite Workout Clothes, Sneakers & More appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/2XgoL1f If any of you read my MOTO intro, you know I have a deep love affair with New York City (as do many of the other team members). The culture, people, energy, FOOD are all pretty perfect in my book. But sadly despite living there for over five years, my book on what is new and fresh in the city that never sleeps is quite frankly outdated outside of my ol’ faithfuls. Whenever I go back, I rely on my best friend Casey to take me to all the wonderful new places that have popped up since my departure. She’s basically the go-to travel insider for everyone she knows (and not just for NYC but for almost any major city in the world). How she does it, none of us will ever know but damn am I glad she does. So when the edit team got to talking about doing a travel guide series, I immediately piped in to say Casey had to be part of this because I knew she would make it special. I tend to feel utterly underwhelmed by almost every city guide I read. What I want is to know about great places actual locals go to (with a hint of must-see tourist stuff) or just anything off the beaten path…and that is what this list is. Sorry no bagels or pizza here, but a curated list of everything you will want to see, do, eat and drink in one of the best cities in the world during the summer. First, let’s start with some insider New York City travel hacks, because understandably, the city can feel a little overwhelming at first so these tips are here to make it a little less stressful and a lot more enjoyable…as it should be. I will let Casey take it from here.
Hope you were able to take that ALLLLL in. It’s a lot but once you are there, you will be so happy you have this guide because you will undoubtedly have the best time and feel very cool doing it. Also, if you have any further NYC questions, feel free to DM Casey on her Instagram. If we continue these guides, what cities are you interested in? Where are you going? We want to help make it awesome.
The post “What’s Good?”: A Local’s Guide to All the Best Places in NYC appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/2RGRV3A Hi everyone, it’s Grace, Social Media Manager for EHD and trained interior designer. You haven’t seen my name around these parts much, but I’m always in the background, promise. When Emily and Arlyn asked me to take a stab at writing this post, between all the fear that flashed through my eyes and the sirens that went off in my non-writer head, I had to laugh. Ironically, in college, I had a couple of geology classes that I thoroughly enjoyed. We had to memorize so many rock types, which stone turns into what, and also be able to identify them from a photo or sample on command. I surprisingly aced those classes and enjoyed all the lectures, so naturally, I thought being a geologist was my calling. Because obviously all you need in order to become a geologist is be great at memorizing all the rocks! My young and naive self told my dad about my amazing career discovery and he literally laughed at my face while reminding me that geologists go and spend time on the ground under the sun. I hate going outside and spending time in the heat (my kryptonite). Crushed and dejected, I was, I tell ya. But just because I couldn’t pursue that path doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from the things that have refused to be memory-dumped out of my brain from those days. Today, we’re talking to you all about stone slabs for your home, how to pick them, and the pros and cons of each. And while EHD has had its fair share of kitchen and bathroom designs, we’re by no means the absolute pros, so to fill in the missing pages from our own research, Brooke, our amazing contact at Bedrosians (where we got most of our slabs for the mountain house), set up a call so we could pick the brains of a few people in the company. Going for natural stone can be a commitment, but stick with us and you might just end up with the stone of your dreams. There are a lot of options, most you wouldn’t be using in your everyday space like a kitchen or bathroom, so we’ll only go through some of the more popular ones in the market right now. But first, there are three things to consider before running out and buying that milky white marble with gorgeous blue-gray veining you just saw on Instagram. 1. What is your lifestyle?Listen up! This is, hands down, the most important tip of all (and everyone that we talked to at Bedrosians agreed—thanks Michael and Anna!). Think about your lifestyle and how you are as a person. Dig deep, guys. Are you an extremely busy person who is normally running late in the morning and don’t have time to meticulously clean up a massive spill as you frantically run out the door, or are you a helicopter parent to your surfaces? This is a safe space. There is no judgment here. You can be honest to yourself. Wherever you lie on this spectrum, there is a perfect stone for you. For instance, as I’m sure you’ve heard, marble is soft and picks up stains easily while something like an engineered quartz or even natural quartzite are much harder stones that resist chipping, scratches and wear-and-tear. 2. Where is this stone going to go?Now that you know your capabilities, think about where you want to put this dream stone of yours. Kitchen countertop? Bathroom vanity counter? Shower floor and surround? A wall feature? In each of these areas, the stone will be exposed to different kinds of traffic, liquid (wine, citrus, vinegar, products, etc.), and level of moisture. Certain stones will definitely work better in some areas than others, though that’s not to say that they should never be used in non-recommended areas. We just want you to be aware of the stone’s limitations so that you know how to properly care for it. 3. What’s your budget?Make sure you come up with a realistic budget for yourself (with maybe a cap on how much you’re willing to spend) before you start choosing and wanting to buy everything to your heart’s desire. To give you a quick rundown about pricing (don’t worry, we’ll go into specifics in a bit), on average, granite and marble are generally similarly priced, travertine and limestone are cheaper, and quartzite is more expensive because it is harder to find and quarry. In general, these are the factors that determine the price of your stone:
Stone is usually sold polished, but some might be available pre-honed. For our stone slabs in the mountain house that were honed or leathered, our fabricator found a guy who was able to add the finish for about $650 a slab. MarbleLet’s chat about marble first because in case you’ve been living under a rock (ha!), you know that people are absolutely obsessed with marble. I know that you know that we here at EHD are obsessed with it, too. (I mean, how can you not be?! Have you guys seen that Montclair Danby marble in the Portland kitchen and media room wet bar? While there are many different types of marble (the variety of colors in veining is from the different minerals present in the areas that they are quarried from), the most popular ones are Italian marble. You might have heard of them: Carrara, Calacatta, and Statuario. Keep in mind though that for whichever type of marble you’re looking at, there are different grades within each type depending on where exactly they were quarried from (meaning that cost can really vary, though on average, marble is about $50-$100/sq ft, but a rare Roman Calacatta Gold marble could range from $80-$260/sq ft). But now you’re asking, “Which one is the best and most low-maintenance of all??” I wondered the same thing, so I asked our friend Michael again. Short answer: there is no difference between the three in terms of porosity (ability to absorb liquid). All marble, no matter where it is quarried from, is composed of calcite. So while it looks like a tough material, calcium is still going to be sensitive to acid no matter what. Lemons, wine, vinegar, and other acidic items are not marble’s friend and will cause etching. The acid essentially dissolves an area of your marble surface as it reacts with calcite; think science class volcanic eruption experiment minus the mega explosion! A similar problem can happen on marble flooring, as Anne from Bedrosians’ PNW market told me. In one of their showrooms with polished marble flooring, daily foot traffic over the years has self-honed a pathway and you can see a dullness contrasting with the polished stone on the rest of the floor. But do not despair, not all is lost! You can still have your house where marble dreams are made of! Here’s how:
Very important note: Sealing will not necessarily prevent your marble from etching, or from getting scratched for that matter. It’s not the hardest of stones in the grand scheme of things; Michelangelo did sculpt from it after all. Make sure you’re using a cutting board and wiping spills right away. If you think of looking at marble on a microscopic level, picture the letter “W” with the troughs being tiny little pores that get filled with sealant; in this scenario, the pores get filled and become protected, but on some level, the three tips of the “W” are still exposed and prone to being etched or stained. GraniteGranite is a silica-based rock that typically has a speckled look from crystallized minerals that formed and cooled underneath the earth’s surface. I read on this one geology website that in the stone industry, granite is any stone that you can see visible grains from that are much harder than marble. This is where you get your granite varieties (the standard speckled granite is probably pegmatite and something with visible bands is probably gneiss, but let’s not get into that). We’ve all seen the usual builder-grade kitchen countertop, but similar to marble, there are different levels of granite, some with very beautiful flowing patterns and mottling in various colors. You can get a more standard granite for the low, low price of $2/sq ft even, but on average it is similarly priced to marble at $50-$100/sq ft. Once you get to the mid to upper ranges though (think $90/sq ft and up), you can get some really pretty stone with lots of different colors that make up its pattern. Because it is considered to be a hard material (read: scratch-resistant), it’s great for kitchens and areas that will take a beating. If areas do get chipped, repairs are fairly easy as you can get a professional to refill chipped or cracked areas with some granite dust and epoxy resin, color-matched to your specific stone. It’s not as porous as marble, so you don’t really have to worry about staining and wiping spills right away. (Tip: Ask your fabricator or installer for the type of sealer they used on yours so you can get the same one for future reapplication; sometimes different sealants react badly with one another.) Granite is also one of the more heat-resistant stones so no need to worry about having to place a too-hot baking sheet directly on the counter. That said, be careful with slow cookers and such appliances that retain heat for long periods as they might crack your surface. If you’re able to find a slab that speaks to you, it can kind of be just as pretty as marble (for a relatively similar price), but without all the upkeep and maintenance of actual marble. QuartziteNot to be confused with quartz (which I’ll address later), quartzite is characterized by streaks and striations that are kind of similar to marble, and can also come polished, honed or leathered. But unlike the softer marble, quartzite is much harder and durable (a 7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale—marble is a 3…diamonds a 10, for instance). Just like with every other natural stone, it should be sealed during installation, and resealed over time, to protect it from stains and other abrasive materials. (Strong chemicals, in general, could ruin a stone’s sealant over time.) Because it is not a very porous material, is scratch-resistant, and is not sensitive to acid, it’s a great alternative for shower surrounds and hard-working kitchens. Remember that striking emerald stone you guys picked for the Mountain house kids bath? That’s quartzite! It’s also UV-resistant so they are great for indoor and outdoor use without having to worry about fading issues from sun exposure. So now you’re thinking, “Enough already, Grace, you’ve sold me on quartzite!” GREAT! My job here is done. Almost. You might be surprised to find out that marble is in fact not the most expensive of stones out there. That distinction goes to none other than our quartzite friend over here; on average being $60-$120/sq ft though it can definitely get even more expensive. Our stone expert friend Michael says that because quartzite is typically harder to find and quarry (it’s such a hard material that they need diamond cutters for the job), its price and fabrication costs can cost you a pretty penny. But hey, if you’ve got the change to spare and you’re looking for a striking and low-maintenance natural stone alternative to marble, quartzite just might be the one for ya! If you’re looking for other options that won’t break the bank as much, but will most likely endure many accidents and mishaps, you should consider composite stones, aka engineered stone. Guys, meet quartz and porcelain! QuartzQuartz countertops are not to be mistaken with the mineral quartz (read: rose quartz, amethyst, and the likes, yes, I’m talking about those same crystals that you have in your intention corner for positive vibes). In the stone industry, quartz countertops are a type of engineered stone made up of loose quartz mineral aggregates, mineral pigment, and a binder (usually resin). I’m sure we’re all familiar with the cream surface with tiny little speckles throughout, but quartz can actually come solid or even textured as well. And you might be surprised to find out (as was I) that you can get it in a polished, honed, lightly textured, or rough finish. They can be used in practically the same way as natural stone, as countertops, vanities, cladding, and even flooring. Emily used quartz counters (White Cliffe Matte from Cambria) in the mountain house kitchen, but went with a solid color to let the wood of the cabinetry shine. It’s a stylistic choice, but also a lifestyle choice because she didn’t want to spend her time up there babysitting countertops. And because they’re engineered and makes use of resin as their binder, they’re non-porous (aka very resistant to staining), durable, acid-friendly, and generally requires no additional sealing. A low-maintenance stone for a “low-maintenance” gal like me! You can cut all the lemons you want for your spa water and peel all the oranges you need to get that perfect twirl for your old fashioned. But quartz’s greatest feature is (kinda) also its greatest downfall: that same resin used to bind it in production makes the stone sensitive to heat! So unless you want burn marks on your precious countertop, don’t put extremely hot things on it! And by extremely hot, I mean anything above 300F. That’s what a trivet is for guys! Or a towel, that works, too. Btw, if you’re thinking of using quartz for that outdoor kitchen you’ve been dreaming of, you should know that it’s not very UV-friendly like quartzite. When placed outside, there’s a high chance that sun exposure will cause fading and none of us would want that for you. PorcelainPorcelain slab countertops, on the other hand, are a newcomer (relatively) in the stone industry game…in the US at least, I’ve read that it’s been around in Europe for a while. Similar to your porcelain dinnerware, when used in this capacity, it has some more additives and is fired at a higher temperature which makes it extremely hard and strong. It is very much resistant to chipping, scratches, and general wear and tear (Velinda has them in her home and basement kitchenette—above, Bedrosians Magnifica Basalto porcelain countertop slab—and loves them), though that’s not to say that it won’t ever crack or break, with enough blunt force, it can. I also read somewhere that ceramic knives could potentially scratch your porcelain surface (because they fall under the same grade in the hardness scale). Oh, and remember when I said earlier that quartz can’t take the heat? (I’m so punny, ha ha.) Porcelain, because it literally took the heat during manufacturing, has no problems handling hot pots or tools! No more worrying that your curling wand will burn your pretty stone (just your pretty hair?). One of the best things about using porcelain countertops is that you can use high definition inkjet printing technology to get photos of natural stone (or any pattern really) printed onto your porcelain slab. Your stone company should have a database of high-resolution patterns that you can choose from. INSTANT CALACATTA MARBLE OF YOUR DREAMS! Without the upkeep and commitment required from the real deal. Our other friend Anne from Bedrosians said that the process is much like office printing, but on a grander scale. A large computer-controlled printer installed in the manufacturing plant applies mineral glaze components instead of ink. The image files are pulled from the computer and imprinted onto the slab; the more images used, the less the pattern repeats, making it look as realistic as natural stone. (Bonus Perk: the glazing aspect means no additional sealant is required to protect the surface from moisture and staining). I know I said I’m all for quartzite, but I think I’m all about porcelain now. And did I tell you that you can even install it directly over an existing countertop? And and and! Because it’s made out of clay, it’s considered to be a very green material that can be recycled for use in other products at the end of its life cycle. And because we know that’s A LOT of information to remember, we put together this handy dandy matrix for you to save and reference when it comes time to pick stone and surfaces for your home. Now, there are a few more natural stones on this sheet above which we haven’t touched on yet (like limestone and soapstone) since those are less popular, but here’s a quick crash course in case you want to know: Limestone and travertine are both sedimentary rocks formed out of layers of compacted sandstone and seashells. These two have a high calcite content like marble (in fact, marble WAS limestone in a previous life) so they are very sensitive to acid and could corrode in a similar way to marble. Limestone, usually ivory and beige in color, has that beautiful rustic texture that is popular in use as pavers, tiles, and slabs in exterior designs. Travertine, used mainly as a building material, is also a popular choice for facades, flooring (great as pavers), and wall cladding. In the last few years that I’ve spent scrolling through Houzz, I’ve seen a lot of people use it in bathrooms. It comes in a polished or honed finish, and filled or unfilled. Travertine naturally has holes that can be filled in with a mixture of stone dust, water, and glue. It isn’t typically used as a slab countertop, but more as an outdoor flooring or cladding material where it is often desirable to leave it unfilled with a chiseled finish to add to its rustic look. Soapstone is a talc-based stone that can range from gray to charcoal to black in color with little to no veining. It also happens to be the softest mineral out there. This means that while a lot of people use this as a working kitchen countertop (or science labs in school settings), it is very prone to scratching. Not to worry though because you can erase these scratches with mineral oil, which also acts as its sealant and is great if you want to go for a darker look. BEFORE WE LEAVE YOU, IT’S BONUS TIP TIME! Once you picked your stone type based on budget, lifestyle and placement, there are still other decisions to be made such as stone thickness and edge profiles. Let’s start with thickness: Natural stone slabs typically come in a thickness of either 2cm or 3cm. 2cm is the standard practice here in California because of labor laws, FYI. That 1cm difference between the two slabs apparently makes the thinner option weigh half as much as the thicker option, and causes less accidents in fabrication and installs. The rest of the country generally uses 3cm slabs, which eliminates the need to both install the stone over plywood and have extra edge pieces. On to edge profiles: We figured a graphic could do most of the talking here, so here are all the options in one quick reference sheet: Eased edge (which is also just your basic straight finish) is not usually an upgrade, but most of these other profiles are and can range from $20-$36 per linear foot, so make sure to account for that in your budget if you have a stylistic preference. And that’s all we have for you today. You’re ready to get your stone on! Hopefully, you feel like you have more information to make the best choice for your home and your lifestyle, but please ask more questions should you have them. If we can’t answer them, I know the readers here probably can because you all are a wealth of knowledge from your own projects. We know this was a very nuts-and-bolts post, and probably not the sexiest topic, but if you have any requests for other useful posts like these that would help you (or would have helped you) in a renovation, let us know. We’re happy to put on our backpacks and take out our notebooks to school ourselves and then pass on the information in a digestible format. The post Countertops 101: All the Details on Marble, Quartz, Quartzite (& What’s Right for You) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/31YCFDW When I was in college and family members would ask what I was planning on doing with my life (as family members do), I would proudly reveal that I was studying English literature. Anyone who received a degree in Liberal Arts might guess the popular response: “Oh, so you want to be a teacher?” My answer would be a big resounding no, leaving them scratching their heads and praying I would change my mind and switch to a more reasonable major, such as business. In my mind, the reasoning behind my choice in higher education was quite simple: I love reading and writing. When you don’t have a math brain or an inkling for science, you sort of need to stick with what you know, and reading is what I know. It turns out when you are someone like me, studying literature eventually becomes synonymous with hoarding books, so to this day, I have an absurd number of books that I hold near and dear to my heart like a coin collector would their many coins. As it so happens, displaying these books in my home has become a source of comfort. I like looking at them and being reminded of the stories within. I like seeing the wear of their spines indicating a vigorous read. I like reading them once and then reading them again. If I have somewhat lost you on what is beginning to seem like an ode to books, have no fear because I am mostly here to say books are an important styling tool that can show off your interests and personality (or, even if you don’t style with them and just let them be in their natural habitat, books are such an important part of a home). Take it from someone who will immediately scan a bookshelf in any home I enter to see what the owner is into, books can say a lot about a person and their style. So today, I am not going to try and recruit you to participate in an EHD worldwide book club (although that would be fun…wait should we start a book club?) but instead will present to you over 70 bookcases that we really really love right now. We scoured the internet for tall and short, vertical and horizontal, slim and wide bookcases for any and all potential square footages and budgets. So, assuming you have your books and tchotchkes that need a home, let’s get you a bookcase. Tall Vertical BookcasesFirst up, we have tall vertical bookcases. In a small footprint (or any home really, no matter the size), designing “up” is a powerful tool to both save space but also create interest for the eye high and low. #27 would be a great choice to add a ton of character, while something like #5 could be more minimal and quiet depending on how you chose to fill the shelves. Here’s a hint: bookcases will look more styled and put together when books are accompanied with other items (sorry for making you read the most boring sentence ever written, but it is true). Vessels are your book’s best friends, and decorative objects are their long lost mates. Again, there’s also nothing wrong with just cramming those shelves with books and only books—in fact, sometimes that’s the most powerful design statement you can make. 1. Billy Bookcase with Glass Doors| 2. Douglas Tall Bookcase Solid Walnut | 3. Mid-Century 38″ Bookshelf | 4. Amalie Cabinet | 5. Apanas Hardwood Bookshelf | 6. Hemnes Glass-Door Cabinet | 7. 62″ Siegel Bookcase With Doors | 8. Vintage Brass & Glass Bookcase Etagere | 9. Zephyr Bookcase in Coal | 10. Tall Walnut Brown Wood Ashlyn Bookshelf | 11. Modrn Industrial Finna Tall Bookcase | 12. Leaning Bookshelf | 13. Madison Bookshelf | 14. Laran Bookshelf, Oak | 15. Stax Walnut Bookcase | 16. Posner Standard Bookcase | 17. Lignum | 18. Natural Acacia Wood Fletcher Bookshelf | 19. Archive | 20. 72″ Amherst Mid Century Modern 5-Shelf Bookcase | 21. St. Paul Ladder Shelf | 22. Vintage Boho Chic Bamboo Rattan Etagere Bookshelf | 23. One Step Up Bookcase | 24. Zane Wide Bookshelf | 25. Modrn Scandinavian Finna Tall Bookcase | 26. Helix Acacia Wall-Mounted Bookcase | 27. 1970s Boho Chic Wicker Bookshelf with Glass Shelves Medium Height BookcasesA medium-sized bookcase like any of the below would be great for additional shelving in say, a bedroom or entryway where you might want to keep your sight lines open. I am swooning over #4 (those legs!) and#2 because it looks like you can also store records on those shelves which I am very into. Also, a cabinet like #3 is a very chic alternative if open shelving is not your thing. 1. 48″ Minsmere Caned Bookshelf | 2. Maud Shelf – Medium | 3. Malsjo Glass-Door Cabinet | 4. Cameron Ash Bookcase | 5. Carneal Standard Bookcase | 6. Vintage Rattan 3 Level Shelf | 7. Havsta Glass-Door Cabinet with Base | 8. Bergerson Standard Bookcase | 9. Chapple Geometric Bookcase | 10. Dahl Console Bookcase | 11. Woodcrest Etagere Bookcase | 12. Ashby Storage Cubby | 13. 66″ Paulo 4 Shelf Bookcase | 14. Archive | 15. 46″ Amherst Mid Century Modern 3 Shelf Bookcase | 16. Small Olive Green Bookcase | 17. Copenhagen Bookcase in Cherry | 18. Kirby Bookshelf Horizontal BookcasesNow onto the horizontals. What I like about these is you can save on space by going for a media stand that doubles as a bookshelf. I know some people don’t have TVs in their living rooms (which is wild to me by the way) but a stereo or record player could easily go on top a lot of these bad boys, as well. I have my eye on#5 and #7 because I am a sucker for weird, geometric shaped furniture, and I am really loving #21 because of the scattered shelving that adds just enough element of visual interest. 1. Industrial Modular Bookcase | 2. Graywash Wood and Metal Keenan Shelf | 3. Stax Console | 4. Mainstays 34″ Conrad 3-Shelf Bookcase | 5. Maud Shelf – Low | 6. Billy Bookcase | 7. Walnut Brown Wood Ashlyn Bookshelf | 8. Harper Shelf – Medium | 9. Foshay Console Bookcase | 10. Modrn Scandinavian Finna Wide Ladder Bookcase | 11. Contender 2 Compartment Shelving Unit | 12. Florence Media Stand | 13. Novogratz Baxter 33″ Bookcase | 14. Bandit Ave Low Bookcase | 15. Hayward Bookcase | 16.29.5″ Dudley Bookshelf | 17. 34″ Loring 8 Cube Bookcase | 18. IKEA PS 2017 Shelf Unit | 19. Long Bookcase | 20. Way Basics 2-Shelf Bookcase | 21. Amherst Mid Century Modern Horizontal Bookcase Extra Large & Wide BookcasesHere, we have the GO BIG OR GO HOME section for the bold and fearless (and non-spacially challenged). If you are leaning towards any of these I would venture to guess you have A LOT of books and tons of unique objects that would make me insanely jealous. Look out for #6 because it just about knocked the wind out of me it is so beautiful, and #5 is perfect if you require both open and closed storage. 1. Studio Bookshelf | 2. Foshay Bookcase Wall Unit | 3. Hart Modular Walnut Double Shelving Unit | 4. Beckett 6-High Shelf | 5. Logan Large Wall Suite With Open Shelving | 6. Wave Bookshelf | 7. Tuscan 5-Piece Flush Bookcases | 8. Balboa Wide Shelf | 9. General Store Shelf | 10. Oak Rise Rack | 11. Reclaimed Pine Wood Bookshelf | 12. Whitewash Carved Wood Peacock Bookshelf Okay my friends, that is all the shopping for today. What bookcases are on your radar? What is your favorite way to style a bookcase or shelf? Tell me everything. AND BEFORE WE GO, we thought it would be fun to get a peek into your homes and see how your store your beloved books. Head on over to Instagram, snap a photo of your shelves (whether full of books or your favorite doodads), and use hashtag #ShowEmYourShelfie to make sure we see it. We’ll share our favorites throughout the day on Stories, so check back to see if you were featured. ‘Til next time. <3 The post In Our Book: 78 of Our Favorite Bookcases (All Sizes & All Budgets) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson https://ift.tt/2xff7wC We’ve styled a lot of bedrooms around these parts but this one right here might be our new favorite. I mean…just look at those vintage tree canvases. What?!? They very much set the tone for this master suite’s design aesthetic, which we’re going to walk you through today because it’s GOOD. But first, a little backstory: Emily has been a huge fan of Brooklinen since probably night #1 of sleeping on their sheets. Their percale sheets are her current favorites from any brand she’s tried, so when they reached out to partner with us, it was a very quick “YES” on our part. Plus, we’d been itching to get our hands on another room in this house and a mostly empty space there to makeover felt like the stars aligning. The bedroom this home is in belongs to one of Emily’s best friends, Corbett—you might remember some of the spaces indoors from here, here and here, as well as the KILLER outdoor space from this post. She already had a modern, organic thing going on so we worked within that for design consistency (but also because it feels perfect for a serene, unfussy bedroom). Armed with some beautiful bedding from Brooklinen (more on that in a sec), a view of LA so killer it feels almost unreal, and plenty of fun furniture and decor accessories to play with, we “made over” this room that already had very, very good bones (not hard). Here, we’ll walk you through the elements that make up this high-impact yet fresh and organic bedroom so you can recreate it with your own twist in your home (vistas not included, sadly). But first, a quick aside before moving on: we want to talk a little about the features that make Brooklinen’s bed linens so dang good:
5 Elements You Need to Create a Modern Organic Bedroom#1: Natural TexturesStriped Duvet Cover | Striped and Olive Green Pillowcases | Sheets | Quilt | Rug | Vintage Nightstands | Pendants | Bed (similar) | Bench Let’s start with one of the most important parts of a bedroom: what goes on the actual bed that you put your body on every night. Here, we used a mix of Brooklinen’s Classic Core percale sheets (like we mentioned, Emily’s favorites for how crisp and cool they sleep…they really will make your bed feel like an expensive hotel), and the brand’s linen duvet and pillowcases. Now, a few of us have tried the linen from some other companies and have mixed feelings about them. This is not a blanket statement for all, but linen takes a while to break in and until you do, can feel scratchy and uncomfortable—the opposite of what you think you’re getting into based on the internet’s universal rave review of linen bedding. But Brooklinen’s is honestly different. It’s stonewashed so it’s soft from the get go and just really pliable and inviting. In a “modern organic” bedroom style, a subtle, natural texture like the Belgian and French flax linen of this duvet cover works so, so well. To keep the bed textural and layered with enough punch, we opted for the striped duvet cover with the solid sheets, then brought in that awesome army/moss green with the back set of shams. That color really helps tie in the verdant elements in the vintage tree artwork as well as the actual trees out the windows. Finishing off the bed is a linen quilt that Emily Bowser couldn’t stop raving about. She said it was the perfect medium weight (not too heavy, not too flimsy) and SO incredibly soft she just wanted to live wrapped up in it. Another textural element in this vignette is that cushy shag rug on the side of the bed. Who wouldn’t want to sink their toes into that every morning? Keeping that in a neutral color really lets it be all about the texture, while the imperfect shape keeps it squarely in the “organic” part of “modern organic.” We’ll talk more about these two things next, but the use of rich wood grains in all the furnishings as well as the leather from the pendants varies the tactility. When you’re building the design for a room, you want to be sure you’re tapping a diverse range of textures so everything feels well-rounded and effortlessly pulled together. For instance, in this space, we have the imperfectness of the canvases, the sleekness of the percale sheets, the floppiness of the linen duvet and shams, the lushness of the rugs, the lived-in quilt, the visually rich wood grain and even the roughness of the cotton rope of the end-of-bed bench. #2: Imperfect ShapesOrganic doesn’t just mean a natural material, but also wonky, imperfect shapes (i.e. not streamlined and straight-edged). Here, we used a 4’x6′ sheepskin rug to break up all the straight lines from the bed, nightstand and console and it really pulls its weight to relax the eye. Okay, it’s time to touch on these pendant lights. UGH SO GOOD, right? They get their slightly wonky shape from being wet-formed, which means each one is just slightly different from the next. Also, take note of the cable. It lets you put these up as high or as low down as you want, plus all excess length can be coiled right up and is built into the design of the light fixture. Here, we went with just about the height of the headboard for visual cohesion but they could have also been easily lowered to avoid being blasted in the eyes at night from the bulb. Art | Rug | Side Table | Mug | Chairs (vintage) Possibly less subtle but still impactful is the imperfect edge of the blockprint piece above the fireplace. Having that float mounted to leave the rawness exposed works really well against the very crisp frame of the gas fireplace insert. This visual tension is integral to creating rooms that feel cohesive but also not too overthought (even though a lot of thought goes into it…). #3: Vintage Furniture & Decor for CharacterWe’ll preface this point by saying no, not everything in this room is vintage. If it were, it might have been too much “old world” and not enough “modern” but the pieces that are here fit in in a way that adds both character and warmth. Let’s start with that bureau. The movement in the burlwood is so special, and the arched shape really stands out amongst boxier pieces in here. How do we find a way to, um, “borrow” that from her? The Robsjohn-Gibbings nightstands, found via Pop Up Home here in LA, add a nice mid-century touch (because what Emily Henderson room doesn’t have a little mid-century in it?). They’re clean in silhouette with an interesting leg, so don’t come off feeling too heavy or overwhelming but still special. The bed, which was a custom commission (though here’s a similar one), is new, so flanking it with two vintage tables keeps the scene from looking too catalog-y. And of course, that vintage tree quadtych mural, which like we mentioned, was our jumping off point for the look and feel of this room. When you have something like that, you really don’t need much else to make a statement. That’s your visual “moment” and boy is this one special. The imperfections and wear-and-tear on the panels give them a presence you just can’t replicate with newness. It has a history (even if you don’t know what it is) that emanates warmth, character and, frankly, a cool factor. #4: A Neutral Palette (With Natural Color Punches)We touched on this in the first portion about the texture and bedding, but the key to “modern organic” is keeping the palette mostly neutral while layering in an edgy pop of color; here, for instance, we went with army/mossy green. Whether the tree mural was there or not, it would have still provided a nice balance and shot of warmth between the cool palette of the blue and white bedding, and all the warm, rich wood tones. Not to mention, olive green is very much in style right now but doesn’t scream “trendy” when kept at a minimum. #5: Pepper in Modern TouchesOverall, this room is minimal yet warm, and doesn’t come off too rustic even with all the wood pieces and tree art, but part of that is because of the other more modern touches sprinkled throughout the room, like these vintage chairs for instance. Quick back story: When we first got our hands on this room, these chairs were facing the bed, and we decided to flip them around because…the tree-top view. If you have a panoramic vista like Corbett does (or even just any view worth looking at, i.e. not the brick wall of the building next door), you’ll want to make sure that your seating area, should you have one, faces out. Now, a few notes, take note of the seating you choose. You don’t necessarily want something big and bulky with a less-than-attractive back because they’ll be very visible. These chairs are low-profile (hence, don’t block any of the view), and the frame is interesting from every angle. Alright, back to the “modern” touches. To balance the warmer woods, we opted for a matte black and brass frame on the chair, which is also just visually lighter than something more solid. The legs of the nightstands also bring in another hit of brass, as does the polished shade of the arch floor lamp. Leather Ottoman | Arch Floor Lamp | Concrete Tree Planter Of course, a room with windows like those with a view like that would look crazy good empty, but even if your room doesn’t look like this (because, uh, whose does?!?), there are plenty of lessons to pull from its design and styling to get something similar in your own bedroom. This high-impact yet organic vibe would easily translate and we think it’s such a nice look for a room that’s interesting but calm. Is this a place we’d love to tuck ourselves in for the night in? Yup. Speaking of tucking ourselves in, Brooklinen is offering all readers $20 off an order over $100 with code EMILYH. If you’re on the market for new bedding, definitely check them out and take advantage of the discount because this stuff is honestly good. Also, they offers free exchanges and returns for a full 365 days should you be unsatisfied in any way, and free replacements FOREVER with their lifetime guarantee. Thanks for hanging out today, folks. Let us know what you think of this look, and if you are a proud owner of Brooklinen products, let us know what your favorites are because sharing is caring. RESOURCESBeddingStriped Duvet Cover | Striped and Olive Green Pillowcases | Sheets | Quilt FurnitureBed (similar) | Vintage Nightstands | Bench | Wood Side Table | Leather Ottoman Rugs & DecorSheepskin Rug | Pendants | Art | Knit Rug | Black Mug | Arch Floor Lamp | Concrete Tree Planter | Wood & Brass Tray | Green Mug *This post is in partnership with Brooklinen but all words, designs and selections are our own. Thanks for supporting the brands we love that support the blog. **photography by Sara Ligorria-Tramp, creative direction by Emily Henderson, design and styling by Emily Bowser The post Makeover Alert! 5 Steps to Know to Design a High Impact Yet Organic Bedroom appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson http://bit.ly/2KBjCu9 For anyone who came for a mountain house Monday post, we’re sorry to disappoint. Wrapping up the shoot last week meant we needed to pause and take inventory of what stories we have left before we can reveal a few more rooms, so hang tight. More #MHM coming soon. For today, we have a little Monday inspiration for you… There are few things that get us more excited than a house tour. It is not uncommon in the office to hear someone utter the words “Have you seen this house tour from ___? IT’S AMAZING” and quickly thereafter we will all be huddled around one computer oohing and ahhing. By the way, there are many perks working at EHD, and being surrounded by creative people with great taste is just one of them. So, seeing as the bulk of us had a bunch of beautiful tours bookmarked and collecting dust, we decided to band together and share the ones we are loving this month with all you lovely people. Consider this a little “inside our heads” post. Get your eyeballs ready folks, because we’ve got some treats for you that we hope will inspire you as much as they do us. Let’s begin: We’ve talked extensively on dark moody blues and this one is clearly right up our alley. We love those rust colored velvet chairs something fierce, and the hints of brass pulls together the room perfectly (hi, gold-framed portrait of a woman and elegant bar cart. We see you). Head over to Rue Mag see the rest of the home and you will not be disappointed. If the words (from the designer herself) “Spanish romantic with a hint of David Lynch moodiness with soft textures and saturated jewel tones” don’t get your juices flowing, then I don’t know what will. We shared this photo in yesterday’s Link Up article but here, you can see the whole thing via The Design Files (one of our favorite Aussie design sites, FYI). If you are looking for a rustic yet modern beauty, look no further. Arlyn really enjoyed getting a peek into Sophie Donelson’s New York pad on Apartment Therapy. Sophie is a long-time design editor (she used to be the editor-in-chief at House Beautiful, for instance), and Arlyn is always curious how OTHER design editors live, being one herself. Are their homes that of a real person, or very designer-y? We are particularly obsessed with Sophie’s paint choices (that master bedroom color is heart eyes). Give us an excuse to play voyeur and we’ll take it. Jess brought this home tour to our attention last week and boy are we into it. It’s not new, necessarily, but that doesn’t make it any less good. The home of designer and shop owner John Derian, it is full of unique curiosities and is making a huge case for us all to move into a Sea Captain’s house. What exactly is a Sea Captain’s house? We’re not totally sure, but we are hopping on board (pun intended). This bright and airy kitchen via Lonny lives in a charming 100-year-old home in Los Angeles, and we couldn’t help but notice the subtleties that REALLY make the whole house. From the arched front door (it’s pink!) to the uber cool bathroom, this one left us feeling inspired yet calm, cool and collected (much like the house itself). Here we have your daily dose of what Australians are known for in the design realm: serenely cool and warm. This is the type of house that you know came together over time; a collection of beloved items edited down to outfit a beautiful shell of a home with a RIDICULOUS view. What you’ll find here is a perfectly executed eclectic mix of textiles and just enough color to bring to life various wood tones. Ryann loves to peek into homes that have a small footprint but feel like not a single inch more is needed. This NYC apartment (which is in a building that once was artist lofts and rumored to have been used by Jackson Pollock and Diego Rivera) comes in just under 500 square feet (480, to be exact), and she says she’d move into it in a heartbeat. The reason it works so well is because it’s not necessarily designed like a home its size, but rather every furniture piece is special and has a presence. Also, Dan Mazzarini’s design makes a very strong case for how to make a beige, neutral space feel rich and interesting. And finally, when asking around the office for new tours, Grace nearly jumped out of her seat she was so excited to share this one. It’s not a home (that would be wild), but rather a hotel in New York that’s so dang special. The Moxy NYC Chelsea is aptly named, because this thing has, well, serious moxie. Click through to see a VERY fun idea for a headboard (would be great in a kid’s room), a cafe with a killer color palette we want to steal for a future project and a rooftop lounge that’ll make you want to go on vacation immediately. Alright folks, now it’s time for the “tell” portion of today’s house tour show and tell. We showed…now enlighten us with house tours you guys have saved/bookmarked recently and are itching to show to someone who will appreciate it (we will). The post 8 House Tours Worth Taking a Break From Work to See (Because…Monday) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson http://bit.ly/2IEyqWE The Link Up: A Vintage-Lovers Go-To Resource 10 More Things We Couldnt Wait to Share With You6/23/2019 The mountain house shoot is A WRAP (well, the shoot for the magazine, we’ll be going back to get more stuff for the blog rollout). The team is exhausted by exhilarated and we can’t wait to show you. While the team was partly on set, partly in the office, partly on vacation, we still managed to read, discover, and purchase things that we were itching to share with all of you (and hear what you guys are into as of late, too). Let’s dive in. When Sara saw this garlic peeling hack (that has since gone viral), her mind was blown. Has anyone tried it?! Does it really work? A few of us have tried (and failed) so we are not convinced. And speaking of garlic, this is not a link (well, sort of) but Arlyn wants to put out a PSA: if you’re not cooking with black garlic, WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING? She first used it when she made the “Bet It All On Black Garlic Burger” from the Bob’s Burgers Cookbook and the black garlic aioli that goes on that burger is RIDICULOUS. Here’s the gist: a whole head of black garlic (she buys it at Trader Joe’s usually, but Whole Foods or other “specialty” stores have it), ½ cup of mayo, Sriracha, salt and pepper. Proceed to apply to anything that crosses your path, including old shoe leather and shards of tile, for all the mouthfeels. Moving on to non-garlic related things, one of Emily’s favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is digging through sites like Chairish just to get the gears churning (she is very into their mid-century modern section recently). While sure, she might find something she would want to buy, it’s also a palate cleanser for her. She sees so much of the same thing on big-box retailer sites, so digging through a collection of vintage and antique pieces displayed in a clean way makes her think outside the box. Sara finds this entire series on people’s salaries so interesting, informative and just plain juicy. Grace is obsessed with this moisturizer right now. She says it smells AMAZING and makes her excited to actually wash her face every day/night so she can slather it on her face. Ryann discovered this Instagram account earlier this week and can’t stop staring at all the beautiful wash basins (and will from here on out always refer to sinks as wash basins). Another Instagram account: Arlyn, who basically worships Eva Chen, saw her obsessed over Donté Colley’s feed and now she can’t stop but go to it every day to see what he’s up to. If your life needs a serving of uplifting inspiration mixed with humor and actually VERY good dance moves, go follow him ASAP. Veronica just bought these pants that she says are “sooo comfy and come in three different colors.” She would wear them every day if she could. She suggests going a size up if you want a baggy fit because they do shrink in the wash. Velinda and her wife Katie bought Katie’s dad this bucket tool organizer to carry his gardening tools and he loves it. It could be perfect for all the handy people in your life, too. Jess has been non-stop listening to the podcast Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel. You may already know but Esther Perel is an internationally renowned relationship therapist, New York Times best-selling author and all around incredible woman. Her podcast features real-life couples going through counseling with her. It’s heartbreaking, riveting but also hopeful. Jess loves this quote of her’s, “Today, in the West, most of us are going to have two or three relationships or marriages, and some of us are going to do it with the same person.” Emily (Bowser)’s cousin Leah lives in Charleston, South Caroline and she turned her on to this up and coming local (to her) artist, Katherine Dunlap. If you are looking for colorful and soulful art, look no further! She is particularly drawn to her pool scenes. She also recently did a collab with artist Chambers Austelle and their styles work together beautifully. Alright, that is all we have for you beautiful people today. A short and sweet Link Up. See you tomorrow xx The post The Link Up: A Vintage-Lover’s Go-To Resource + 10 More Things We Couldn’t Wait to Share With You appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson http://bit.ly/2RyoYXF Hey all, If you are coming for the “All my thoughts and feelings about Goop after going to the wellness summit” post, I’ve temporarily taken it down to rework it. Due to its polarizing subject matter, I want to be extra careful and honestly, it deserved more thought on my part with a clearer thesis and more self-reflection. There were already over 100 comments, so please come back and join the heated conversation. Meanwhile, I’m going to take a deep breath and go to my kid’s pre-school graduation. BRING ON THE KLEENEX. It’s going to be a day, folks. A real day. Come back later (hopefully by 2 pm) if you feel like it…hopefully, I’ll have the guts to republish it…there is something about me, a privileged white woman, either defending OR criticizing a brand that speaks to privileged white women that might just be a lose lose. We’ll see … xx Emily The post GOOP…Stay Tuned appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson http://bit.ly/2Rt04IM No one is more controversial, polarizing even, amongst women (and many men) as Gwyneth Paltrow and her brand Goop. I know this post might inflame some (a lot) of you—even a mention of Goop in our Sunday links post gets some of you going—but over the course of several years, as a follower of the site and now, after attending this year’s “In Goop Health” health summit, I’ve gone through a bit of a “it’s fine, it’s problematic, it’s good” roller coaster in terms of my stance on it (the brand, not Gwyneth herself, keep reading). Fair warning that this post is looooong. I have a lot to say here. And while I promise to get to my actual review (and criticisms) of the summit in case you guys are wondering what that THOUSAND DOLLAR ticket buys you, first, I need to take you on my GP + Goop journey to help you understand my thought process about it all. First off, let’s talk about Gwyneth Paltrow. I’ve gotten into so many heated debates that have ended in arguments not because I feel so passionately about ol’ Gwynnie, but because I think that most of the dislike/distaste for her comes out of close-mindedness, judgement and jealousy, and that’s a trigger for me. I’ve found that my friends who can’t stand her or her brand haven’t ever even gone to Goop.com, certainly haven’t listened to the podcast, and instead, are just reacting to a persona that the media is trashing because of her privilege. Do I agree with everything she’s ever done or said? Of course not. But she’s also just a mom, businesswoman and writer trying to put forth some progressive ideas that aren’t for everyone though meant to be helpful and generally positive. Sure, she was born and raised wealthy and has aspired to turn her career as an actor into a lifestyle brand; people take issue with this, although they would probably never do this for a man. I was on board with her from the start even though I couldn’t relate to her (at the time I wasn’t her demographic—I was broke and even when I had a TV show, I couldn’t have afforded anything from her gift guide). But I thought she did what she did really well. She found a hole in the market and she filled it beautifully (her cookbooks were good, her travel guides were beautiful). Did I make the recipes or go to those countries? No, but I thought she did a great job at speaking to her audience and I liked watching. She wasn’t putting garbage out there, but her product wasn’t for everyone. It was (maybe?) unintentionally exclusive, mostly for wealthy people and inherently that is alienating to many, and when one feels alienated, it’s easy to be angry/dismissive. How I saw it though, was like this: if you don’t like her, you don’t have to buy her product or read her content. Goop isn’t for you so just move on. But I also know it’s not actually that simple or straight-forward. That is, until a few years ago when I found myself turned off by what I was seeing. The fear-based marketing that they were doing at the time had been bugging me for a while, and then one day, an article from Goop with a headline similar to “Are you poisoning your future baby with these toxins?” popped up into my Facebook feed. I can’t find the article now so full disclosure that might be an exaggeration, but it was inflammatory and the definition of fear-based click bait. I think I was likely pregnant at the time and got pissed. Women are already riddled with guilt about what they are putting in their bodies while pregnant and breastfeeding, now I need to feel guilty about the things I might have put in my body (and thus the future fetus) even before I became pregnant? It just went too far. I already despised fear-based marketing and was just so bummed that a female-founded company was turning it on us. This might have been around the same time as vagina steaming. That didn’t help her image. But I still defended her. My nanny at the time was friends with a nanny whose family was best friends with her and they had only incredibly nice things to say about Gwyneth and Chris, how they co-parented, how they showed up at every activity, just how normal they were. This nanny also had very unlovely things to say about a lot of celebrities so for her to go out of her way to praise Gwyneth felt genuine. Also, when people freaked out when she rebranded her divorce as “conscious uncoupling” (which she didn’t invent, it’s from the ’70s), I was like “HEY JERKS, SHE IS A MOM WHO IS GOING THROUGH WHAT MUST BE THE MOST PAINFUL THING IN THE WORLD” and she wants to give it a positive spin for her kids and take the power away from DIVORCE. Unfortunately, what it did was make anybody who had gotten a divorce and called it just that, feel bad. Listen to Dax Shepard’s podcast with her about it. “The general brand did start feeling like they were pressuring women to buy Moon Dust (tried it, gave me anxiety) and jade eggs.”Anyway, I kept following and defending Gwyneth and liked some of the content, but the general brand did start feeling like they were pressuring women to buy Moon Dust (tried it, gave me anxiety) and jade eggs. To be fair, I consider myself a very open-minded and curious person and love hearing, listening and debating all new theories. When people started buying crystals, I laughed and said, “great, which ones should I get?” (turns out two experts told me the same thing—I shouldn’t carry rose quartz because I’m already too high energy and should be wearing more copper to help ground me). I honestly love this stuff because guess what guys? NOBODY REALLY KNOWS. But last year, my two best friends from Oregon came down to go to the Goop wellness summit, In Goop Health. Let me preface this by saying that these ladies are the most grounded, solid people I know. All of us were raised middle class, all of us have worked our asses off since college and are the dominant financial earners in our families. Do they like face cream and are curious about supplements that help detox the liver? Sure! But being that they are both in marketing, they more so admired the success of the brand and liked a lot of the wellness components and self-improvement aspects of the brand. Me, too. If you haven’t already started screaming “BUT THE PSEUDOSCIENCE” at your device/computer, I’m getting to it. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, the brand has gotten some heat for promoting health and wellness techniques that some claim are pseudoscience, meaning anecdotal evidence at best and not actually founded in scientific method. Many people criticized that what they were promoting was dangerous, which was possibly true. Not everyone should be taking every supplement and certainly trendy diets can be harmful to your health. Plus, buying into anything that feels “science-y” and absolute without much—or any—backing should make your red flags raise a little. That said, they’ve since shifted from this mostly, and as a follower, what I’ve noticed is that they rephrase things to be less factual and more “hey, here is a theory,” and they have employed far more scientists and functional doctors than they used to. If you are wondering what a functional doctor is, you aren’t alone. It’s a doctor with a western medical Ph.D. that focuses more on a holistic approach analyzing nutrition and lifestyle and genes in addition to bloodwork to find underlying causes of disease. It’s an absolute no brainer to me as I believe strongly that what you put in your body and your mental health effects and contributes to your physical success. After much analyzing, here is how I stand on this: I drank the alternative life Koolaid/kombucha in addition to my love of western medicine. My kids get vaccinated. We employ medicine when needed. While I previously thought that a lot of what Goop was spewing was pretentious, expensive pseudoscience—particularly when they were using that fear-based marketing I talked about—I’ve actually shifted. What was the cause of this shift? Glad you asked. It all has to do with my “spiritual journey” that I’ve been on the last year and a half to well, ha, find meaning and purpose in life. It’s like my only hobby outside of decorating. I listen to podcast after podcast on self-help, business, spirituality, parenting, and wellness, buy and borrow so many self-improvement books, all to help me figure out how to live more consciously, feel more connected to everyone and everything on this earth and essentially have a more fulfilling life. One podcast that I LOVE and listen to weekly (sometimes I marathon it while I’m cleaning the house) is The Goop Podcast and it’s really where the mental change happened for me (though keep reading for my criticism). If you are on the side of “ugh, I hate Gwyneth and Goop,” please listen to a few episodes before you comment negatively below. “Do I agree with everything Goop does? Nope, but how can I denigrate a nice woman, trying to do something new and different in media?”Here’s why: generally, the guests are experts in their field—doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, motivational speakers—and they are pretty inspiring. Nobody is telling you to not vaccinate yourself or your kids; it’s more about how you can rewire your brain to create better habits or even heal physical ailments (TRUE), how eating less meat can lead to less cardiovascular problems, or very interesting theories on why auto-immune disorders have shot up in the last 30 years. I know what lectins are now, guys, and my gut is happier. I learn so much and it’s honestly made me strive to be a better person. Moreover, when Gwyneth is on, you’ll hear how she actually is—a mom, a divorced wife, a newlywed, a business owner, a daughter of a beloved dad who passed, and most importantly, a human being who admits her flaws as much as we do and is just trying to figure it all out and be a good person. She’s refreshingly honest and vulnerable. Again, do I agree with everything Goop does? Nope, but how can I denigrate a nice woman, trying to do something new and different in media? Her brand has inadvertently made people feel bad and that’s their biggest problem. OKAY, ON TO THE WELLNESS SUMMIT. So my friends from Oregon (Robyn and Nicole) attended last year, I missed it, but they RAVED about it being this really inspiring and fun day so I, of course, wanted to join. They bought their tickets and flights and we had it all set, but when I went to buy my ticket, I was SHOCKED to find out that it was a $1,000. You read that right, although it seems unbelievable. ONE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS for a one day conference. Woah. Surely I could get a press pass. I knew “influencers” who went last year with 1/10th the following who got passes. But nope. By the time I reached out they were out. In fact, they were out of tickets entirely and they pulled strings to even let me buy my ticket. So then, I had to make a choice and I figured if I could write it off through the business (by writing this article) I would go to A. not let my friends down and miss a VERY fun day, but B. What could possibly happen in 9 hours that would be worth $1,000??? It became more about marketing and brand research than a girls’ day really. Held at Rolling Greens in downtown LA (which is a stunning space), the summit was an extremely well-produced event, beautifully decorated and flowed great. We got there at 8 am sharp since we weren’t going to miss a second of our $1,000 day and proceeded to spend an hour and a half exploring. We got our B-12 shots in our bottoms, we watched the tuning fork therapy (which I think can work because I believe a lot of theories about energy healing but a 5-minute session won’t do much and the line was always long). We did a guided meditation to “plant music”…that’s right, there is this guy that has an instrument that takes the energy of plants and transforms it into music. It was weird and silly but if you are game to experience it—you’d have to be in order to be there to begin with—then it’s fun. Goop’s Chief Content Officer Elisa Loehnen chimed in to say that “that may or may not be the goopiest thing you do all day” and everyone laughed. They make fun of themselves, they are in on the joke. We ate and drank delicious food and bopped into a lot of fun workshops and tested new products. There were no real hiccups in the production; no Fyre Festival here. At 9:30, the first session started with Gwyneth and Elizabeth Gilbert, who spoke about grief, fear and creativity in a way that left us almost in tears (and excited to buy her book). Most of the sessions were totally inspiring I took an entire notebook of notes. Lacy Phillips taught us her three easy steps to manifesting what you want in life (I’m currently manifesting a new office space). Most inspiring was Lynne Twist who wrote “The Soul of Money,” a powerful book about the history of money and how we’ve all shifted from citizens to consumers (with the irony being of course that there was a massive gift shop inside the conference). The session with medium Laura Day was so entertaining (I love her) and the final session with Busy Phillips, Olivia Wilde, Jessica Alba and Taraji P. Henson was actually amazing. I was there for the other experts, not the celebrities, but they were all very authentic, articulate and inspiring. We left with our 20-pound gift bag feeling utterly inspired and spent the next three days debriefing—how we felt it was as a marketing event for their brand as well as what changes we were going to make in our lives because of it. There was a lot to unpack from it. Now for my criticism. I believe a large part of wellness comes from helping others and this conference was certainly SELF-help. Now, nothing is innately wrong with that, but there is something so confronting about being in a room with 600 HIGHLY privileged mostly white women, and there not being one word about helping others (except Lynne Twist). No percentage of the $1,000 ticket sales went towards a cause, and none of the sessions were focused on helping anything but yourself. What I love so much about the podcast is that they do dive into a lot of that, and it was missing from the conference. You have 600 either rich or powerful (press) in the room and boy did it feel like such a missed opportunity to not create a conversation or dialogue about what we can do both macro and micro to change the world for the better. So while we left feeling inspired, we also left feeling a little gross and very guilty. Give me the opportunity to give back and use my privilege to contribute. Have a speaker that helps us understand how to best help our community and give back and frankly remind these women that it’s the responsibility of the elite to serve others. It just is. But again, that’s not the Goop brand or ethos, which I suppose is my biggest issue. I don’t really know what they value, I don’t understand their “why” beyond creating interesting conversations and recommending the newest organic self-tanner. The clothes they promote on their site aren’t even sustainable brands. They are a self-proclaimed “Modern Lifestyle Brand” and I suppose I just wish it were bigger, more empowering and more responsible. All in all, it was GREAT for what it set out to do, I think I just wanted it to be less about how can I be a better me and more about the earth, community, etc. Will I go again? I’m torn. I mean if I get a press pass, then of course. If my best friends fly down again for girls weekend it will be very hard to stay home, but if they don’t then no I wouldn’t spend $1,000 again. (FYI, all the speakers become podcasts soon after, so you can tune in to that for FREE). Okay…now it’s your turn (but remember, this is a place of commentary that is both respectful and constructive; please check your anger and blatant negativity before hitting that “comment” button). The post Unpopular Opinion: In Defense of Gwyneth Paltrow & Goop (Mostly) appeared first on Emily Henderson. Originally from Emily Henderson http://bit.ly/2ZFUANX |
Author Kimberly ReedDesign Consultant at Furnishing Knowledge:KI Archives
April 2023
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