Category: Design 101
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Arlyn’s Love Letter to Latin American Designers & Creatives (Well…Sort Of)
Since January 20, 2025—though really, since the morning of November 6, 2024—I’ve felt a heavy weight on my heart as someone of Latino heritage. I’ve always felt like an American. I was born in Florida and with the exception of about a year and a half where my family lived in Puerto Rico when I…
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Arlyn Is Considering Turning Her Dining Room Into A Playroom: 3 Options To Make It Work
The dining room in my previous home was *literally* the jewel box of that place. It was my showpiece, the room I loved to just sit in and look around. I was proud to host dinners and game nights there. I was grateful for a beautiful space like that when it became the impromptu home…
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My First Time Hanging A Gallery Wall With Picture Rail Rods (So Easy And Looks So Good!)
Robyn and Ryan (two of our best friends) have this gorgeous 100-year-old home (see the intro post here) that has picture molding near the crown, which gave us an opportunity to use picture rods (art rods?) for the gallery wall above the sofa. I had bought most of these pieces for their basement in their…
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A Reader Rebuttal: Why Painting The Bookcases A Dark Blue With Light Walls Was The Right Choice
This blog post has a very happy ending – which is a very good thing as I was the one who kinda forced my best friend to invest in painting (which wasn’t cheap) and I got a lot of pushback from readers (which I don’t mind, but at times doesn’t help with the self-doubt). Well,…
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Our Rugs In The Wild: Come See How The Rugs USA Giveaway Winners Styled Their New Rugs!
You might remember that back in September, we did a Rugs USA giveaway in celebration of our new collection. Five lucky winners got to choose from either of our two collections to help cozy up or refresh their homes. To be helpful, and show people the possibilities, I suggested two rugs per winner but they…
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Yay Or Nay Reviews: Our Honest Feelings About 5 Major Mattress Brands (Because We’ve Slept On Them:))
Purchasing a mattress is a big deal. We spend so much time sleeping (or laying) in our beds that making the not-ideal decision for our wants and needs would be SUCH a bummer. Not to mention so cumbersome because it’s not a small little thing either. We’re here today to help you make an educated…
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If We Could Recommend One Pendant Light For Any Style It Might Be This One…Come See Why
I can’t tell you when or where I was when I first saw a Noguchi Akari light sculpture but I can tell you that I have been in love with them since that moment. Considering they were first designed in the early 1950s and are as popular as ever almost 40 years after Noguchi’s passing,…
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Love It Or Leave It: Should These Readers Replace A Piece Of Furniture They’re Struggling With Or Make It Work? Here’s What We Said…
Welcome to Love It or Leave It, a fun concept Jess and I cooked up earlier this month to satisfy both of my design loves: helping people to shop for specific pieces that will help improve the way their room functions, and brainstorming ways for readers to make something they already have work. We put…
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Are We Over White Bedding? Here Is What I’m Into Instead…
I don’t know you guys – it just feels like the all-white hotel-style bed is not really doing it for me, but perhaps it hasn’t for a while and I’m just now ready to announce it. Is it the fault of my year-round spray tan that leaves a body-shaped orange glow on just my side…
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13 Great And Practical Decor Pieces That Are REALLY On Sale (Like Up To 70% Off)
January poses a little conundrum. Our wallets are recovering from a big spending month yet we want our homes to feel fresh, put together, and of course, organized. What does Emily always repeat that a reader once commented? “Without systems, there is chaos.” Thankfully, Wayfair is giving us a big ole sale on their clearance…