I think I may need more kids just to dabble in my other fantasy design styles. I suppose this is why I became a stylist and not a designer and why I loved doing my show so much (13 years ago!!). As a stylist, every day is different, every job requires a different style, it’s so much more about aesthetics than function and it’s just incredibly creatively stimulating. Kids don’t care about storage or practicality so yeah, IT’S SUPER FUN. Not to say that kids can’t be really challenging clients, but like I’ve said before and will til I die – there is a good way to do every style. Name a style and I’ll show you a good version. You just have to get down to the “whys.” Like why are they attracted to whatever weird/tacky garbage thing they saw on Amazon or a TV commercial? Then you gotta be creative and more intentional about how to bring that feeling into the room. My almost 9-year-old wasn’t really interested in even talking about “decorating” until we watched “Get Out Of My Room,” an adorable makeover show where siblings redesign each other’s rooms (with a lot of pro … Read More

If you have ever stressed about your kitchen design and want to nail the coveted “practicality versus style” formula, then this post is for you (and know that you aren’t alone). In my recent book (which you should pick up if you are remodeling) I talk about asking yourself these questions before tackling a kitchen design, so I figured today I’d answer them myself. I kinda wish I had done this before, hilariously, because doing so I realized some things about us…here we go.

How Much Do You Truly Cook? And What Do You Make The Most?

This question is to basically help you figure out how high a priority different things in your kitchen should be in regards to space, storage, layout, and material choices. A big cook or a big baker requires more amenities, more easy-to-access serving pieces, more pots and pans, harder working (or very specific) surfaces, and for big entertainers, you might want full double ovens, a speed oven, and a larger 36″ fridge, for instance. If you cook once a week then you don’t need a 48″ range and don’t need … Read More

We moved into the farmhouse a couple of weeks ago and while we are still organizing and decorating (obviously), I am so incredibly happy to show you some sneak peeks into the house along with some of our new essentials that we needed styled out for all of our viewing pleasure. After moving, you realize that you don’t have all the little things that help you complete your space – like bath mats, sponges, candles and bringing in your old gross ones feels sacrilegious. So I went to Target and shopped for the things that we really need to function (things I typically don’t want to splurge on) and when I got home I was like, “Oh this stuff looks so good and needs to be shot”. This post is sponsored by Target, and I’m thrilled to say my new partnership with them will look different from years past. I’ll be shopping Target for stuff we need, and shooting it organically in our house rather than having larger shoots that are 100% Target. It’s such an incredibly lovely shift that just makes so much sense for both of us. While I still really want to buy vintage and locally made … Read More

Today’s post is all about the appliances we chose for our kitchen. I’ll give you a tour inside each so you can get a sense of their capacity and how functional they are so you can gauge whether or not they are right for you. Or if you aren’t in the market for appliances you’ll get to snoop inside my fridge:) I approached Build with Ferguson for this partnership because I loved working with them in the past, I knew that they carried most of the appliances for the whole house that we wanted, and y’all, their showrooms are absolutely spectacular. They are a one-stop shop for everything you need (and they have way more than just appliances – faucets, lighting, flooring – anything to renovate, remodel, and even a lot of decorative elements). For me, I like my appliances like I like my men – intuitive, easy, nice looking, and high quality enough so they don’t break down. Unlike my men, I like them integrated or panel-ready if possible, or if we are going to see it – then ideally it’s a beautiful feature. We actually prefer less bells and whistles than maybe some other families as our needs … Read More