After installing one in our old apartment a couple years ago and seeing dozens more in friends’ homes since, here’s what I’ve learned about whether tray ceilings are actually worth it: the good ones are subtle, the bad ones age…
The Built-In vs Freestanding Wardrobe Debate That Has Eaten My Brain for Six Weeks
So here’s the thing nobody warned me about when we started building this house. You don’t pick out wardrobes at the end. You pick them out in this weird middle stage where the drywall is up but the floors aren’t…
Is Crown Molding Still Popular? Why We Said No During Our House Build
Okay so. Quick story before we get into it. A couple days ago we were standing in what will eventually be our living room. Windows were in but that was about it. You could still see all the rough electrical…
What a $100 Budget Actually Does to a Living Room – Honest Breakdown
Here’s something I haven’t wanted to admit out loud: I’ve been treating my current living room like it doesn’t count. Like it’s a placeholder. Like the real version of my life starts when the house is done. That house counts….
What Actually Makes Layered Rugs Look Good – And What Makes Them Look Wrong
Okay, so I have a confession – I’ve been obsessing over rug layering for months without actually having floors to put rugs on yet, which is either very Type A or just what happens when you’re building a house from…
The Long-Awaited Roof Update – It’s Done, It’s Beautiful, and It Took Three Months
The roof is done. And honestly, I have a lot of feelings about this. It’s been a long time since we broke ground on this house – longer than we expected, if I’m being completely honest – and when you…
Do All Houses Have Attics? A Builder’s Honest Answer (With Photos of Our Very Humbling 1 Meter Attic)
So here’s something I didn’t think about once while we were planning this house – not once – and then it became a whole thing: do all houses even have attics? The answer is no. And finding that out while…
The Best Laundry Room Paint Colors Right Now (And What to Actually Pair Them With)
So this is our laundry room right now in the house. Rothoblaas vapor barrier, exposed pipes, a lot of “trust the process” energy. The bones are there and the decisions are coming fast and I have been in a full…
Cafe Curtains in the Kitchen: Ideas, Fabrics, and Styling Notes
If you’re trying to figure out how to choose, style, and hang cafe curtains in a kitchen — whether you’re building, renovating, or just finally dealing with that sad bare window over the sink — this post is everything I’ve…
How to Style Mismatched Nightstands (So It Looks Intentional, Not Random)
This week’s bedroom rabbit hole is mismatched nightstands – which, yes, can look wildly designer and chic and collected-over-time…or they can look like you panic-bought something at 11:47 pm because your phone kept falling on the floor and you just…
The Window Story: What We Chose, What It Cost, And Why We Obsessed Over Details
Windows… finally! They were supposed to be one of those straightforward build decisions. You know, pick the shape, pick the color, try not to faint at the quote, move on. But once we got into it, it became very clear…
How to Make a Galley Kitchen Look Bigger (10 Fixes That Actually Work)
If a galley kitchen has ever made you feel like you’re cooking in a hallway, you’re not imagining it. The good news is that learning how to make a galley kitchen look bigger usually comes down to a few smart…
