Our Back Patio Reveal! (+ How Everything’s Held Up To 6 Months Of Portland Weather)

The light at the end of the construction tunnel is getting bigger and brighter every day – we are hoping to be fully blinded by June. So it’s time to start showing you some of the finished spaces – starting with our kitchen patio. We’ve already spent many nights on this patio with family, kids playing soccer in the grass til 9 pm, grownups around the table, wine aplenty and I feel a flood of hope for the future, relief that we are happy here, and gratefulness that you are all still following along. Thank you 🙂 The landscaping and exterior construction was the second phase that we tackled, and it was a beast that almost devoured me whole. But we made it! Alive and with less mud! For today’s project, we partnered with Sunbrella on this patio, knowing that we wanted cushion fabric that provided comfort for our tushies for long hang sessions and durability from the weather/wine. Let me introduce you to our finished kitchen patio.

Where Is This Kitchen Patio?

The reason this patio was even a priority is that the living room (and deck on the right in the rendering) is west facing, which means that the afternoon sun is super hot over there and shadeless (the trees are too far away). Now that’s all fine and good – we’ll have umbrellas and can sit underneath the one big oak tree with friends (and it’s only hot/sunny a few months of the year). But on a daily basis when it’s just us four, we wanted somewhere closer to the shaded south-facing kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It goes without saying that we are spoiled when it comes to places to hang out, but come 4 pm this area is full of shade and so lovely (and while I’m not a meteorologist a fun fact about being in the PNW is that 6 pm is the hottest time of the day, it does NOT cool down til 9 pm – truly baffling). So that’s why we invested in this patio early.

Three Years Ago…

When we first bought the property it looked like this (above) and it was still charming. Sure, it needed work but the potential was so clear. The family that lived here before also had it as a little kitchen patio. They had a covered walkway that came from a carport with eccentric rooflines. We removed part of it because the walkway didn’t line up with the new kitchen windows and the new stairs. It had become incredibly awkward and was kinda falling down, so we took off half of it. Here’s a quick video tour if you want to walk through the space with me (just wait for the ad to play please and thank you!!!)

There she is now! It makes me soooo happy. New siding. New windows. New EVERYTHING. We decided to take the hardscape all the way to the house mostly to make this a forever mud-free zone (I think we are pretty scarred from the last two years of mud) and chose pots instead of planting straight in the ground. The brick herringbone is so pretty and classic (and Native Northwest did a great job of installing), and while the original Yardzen plan called for window boxes, once we got the corner plants and the umbrella we felt that it was enough. We will be doing more of a full reveal of this south side of the house, but the plants aren’t grown in enough so today is all about the patio and Sunbrella, our fabric partner here.

Table and Chair Set | Seat Cushions

We kept everything here pretty classic, hoping that it looks integrated with the older style home. I bought the table and chair set from Ballard Design, including the cushions made with Sunbrella fabric, and at first, I was worried the table and chairs were going to be too small or just not cool enough, but once styled out I love the vibe. The black legs tie in with the metal of the stair railing, and wood always looks good outside. Since these are teak and slatted my hope is that we can leave them out for the occasional rain and then fold them and put them away for the winter. As you know, we are not good about covering our furniture (and this is so prominent that I wouldn’t want to walk up to and stare at furniture covers six months of the year anyway) thus us choosing something that folds/stores easily and isn’t totally upholstered. While I’ve only had these for six months I can say I am very happy with this table/chair set and I’ll continue to let you know (fun fact: our mountain house upstairs deck is still in perfect condition despite harsh weather).

Umbrella

I LOVE how the black and white striped umbrella made with Sunbrella fabric ties it all together and creates a sense of a room. The pattern is super classic and adds some pattern and visual interest in one big pow. Since the herringbone brick is a pattern and the slats on the wood feel like a stripe I didn’t want to keep adding busyness, so we went with the sold white seat cushions which really toned it down in a good way. These cushions have been outside now for weeks since I got them and look brand new – Sunbrella fabric truly is just so durable, long-lasting, and weather-resistant.

The entire set is easy to take down and store for winter (and we even bought more chairs to add to when we have more guests as they were pretty affordable).

While this area does get shady by 4 pm we wanted to be able to eat lunch out here and you can see what a difference the umbrella makes. Left is no umbrella = full dangerous sun for my baby white skin and right = shady and less hot.

Enamelware (similar) | Pitcher (similar)

I styled it out with some vintage enamel camping dishes and serveware in blue to contrast with the warm tones. Blush and blue forever:)

Striped Pillows

The cushions made with Sunbrella fabric fit nicely on the chairs and are rather comfortable, and with little ties, when it’s about to rain, you pop them off and they store so well. They come in a ton of different colors and of course, are weather-resistant. Also, my brother who is not a wee man found them perfectly comfortable – I was a little nervous that these chairs were too petite for my large man friends, but the reviews are in and they are super solid and feel big enough.

I wear overalls now because FARM. And those blossoms came from our orchard and are so so pretty.

Sconce

Outdoor Sconce | Bench | Pillow | Side Table (vintage) | Lanterns | Candles | Cooper Mugs | Terra Cotta Planters | Dark Rust Planter

We kept it earthy with the pots, using the big ones that were left on the property, and adding in some pretty terra cotta and dark rust (both from Rejuvenation). I bought the lanterns from Terrain and huge candles from Pottery Barn (HOP TIP – do not leave them in the 95-degree sun – they both melted like an inflatable Gumbi). The copper exterior sconces are throughout our exterior, from Rejuvenation – Again, I love them so much and they add the perfect contrast.

This kitchen patio is a pretty darn lovely place to be, with the right balance of architectural hardness (brick, concrete, railings) and comfort-inducing softness (natural wood, fabric, plants, and umbrella). A huge thanks to the following: Sunbrella for partnering on this area, Yardzen for creating the initial design, Studio Campo for weighing in on all the things, and Native Northwest for executing it all (not a small job).

Resources:

Table and Chair Set: Ballard Designs
Seat Cushion: Sunbrella via Ballard Designs
Chair Striped Pillows: Sunbrella via Birch Lane
Bench Pillow: Sunbrella via Sien + Co
Umbrella: Sunbrella via Ballard
Lighting: Rejuvenation
Planters (New): Rejuvenation
Bench: Rejuvenation
Brick: Mutual Materials
House Paint Color: SW 7005 Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
Door Paint Color: SW 9655 Mountain Pass by Sherwin-Williams
Windows and Doors: White oak, Aspen Casement by Sierra Pacific Windows

This post was sponsored by Sunbrella but all words and opinions are mine🙂

*Design by Emily Henderson, Yardzen, and ARCIFORM
*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Our Back Patio Reveal! (+ How Everything’s Held Up To 6 Months Of Portland Weather) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/our-back-patio-reveal-a-six-month-review-of-our-sunbrella-cushions

Some Of The Boring Ways To Spend A Lot Of Money While Doing Landscape Construction (+ What I Learned That You Might Want To Know)

Tomorrow we have the reveal of the patio (come back!) so I wanted to take a second to revisit how far we’ve come and walk you through some things that I learned along the way about patio construction. One of the best (and worst) things about this job is the constant learning. I’m in very good hands here, with so many different teams helping both the design and execution. In fact, with this project in particular there might have been a “too many cooks” situation if everyone didn’t work so well together (I love a buffet)! Here’s how it went down (you might need to take notes): Yardzen reached out about partnering on the areas around the house, specifically this patio area and I was so excited to see what they came up with and we hit it off. Great! Right before that Cali, from Studio Campo had signed on to design the whole homestead and our visions were so aligned, so she of course needed to be kinda involved here as well to make sure it was cohesive. We still needed a landscape contractor so we hired Native Northwest to execute the plans. They are also a design-build company, and with Studio Campo being based both in Colorado and Oregon, there were times when we leaned on them for design changes, and when plans change then the design changes…so there was a lot of coordination. Lastly, of course, ARCIFORM was at the time doing the renovation of the house, including the exterior finishes, which shouldn’t necessarily affect the landscaping, but there are some things that crossed over – i.e. stairs, hardscape, the covered walkway, lighting, etc. It’s actually way less confusing than it sounds, but I suppose being more streamlined might have benefitted my brain at times haha. So, it’s kinda hard to talk about credit here as it was such a team effort and very nuanced. OH, and then I went ahead and changed some things at the end anyway because I’m ALSO a designer. HAHAHAHAH. I will absolutely admit that I might not have been the best client this year, BTW. It is what it is. So here we go…

Covered Walkway Change

We loved this covered walkway when we bought the house but the kitchen from the inside was designed with so many windows that the covered walkway actually hit halfway through one of the windows. I don’t think that the walkway was calculated in the interior elevations and we weren’t living here. So, after the windows were installed we came to the house and we were like, uh guys. After many months of trying to figure out how to fix it (and it was rotting anyway), we ultimately decided that the kitchen would be better if we simply cut off half of it because even if the door had lined up with the walkway (it didn’t), we would be staring out the kitchen window onto a roofline. But not having a covered walkway in Oregon is pretty unadvisable. At this point, our roof was already done on our house so we couldn’t even add an overhang over the stair landing unless we ripped off part of the roof and reframed it, and since our kitchen windows are so tall there is no room to add even a bracket to do an overhang or awning. Believe me, we went through ALL of the options. Do I wish the kitchen door had a 3′ overhang so that the kids could take off their shoes before they come in? Sure. But honestly, it bothers us way less than we thought it would.

photos by kaitlin green

Where the walkway ends is a bit abrupt so we are going to mask it with a mature cherry tree that is like “look at me look at me” and eventually add more rain chains (my new favorite architectural jewelry) to bling up that awkwardness. Jamie (ARCIFORM) cut it off and made it as solid and seamless as possible but there was a while when no one knew whose responsibility it was to design or fix it and it held up literally everyone’s plans. I’ve learned this happens way more than you think and that’s ok:)

Brick Layout Obsession, Then Last Minute Change

photo by kaitlin green

Yardzen came up with a cool brick design layout, per my request, but ultimately when we got the brick on site I chickened out and decided to do a classic herringbone. We had some designs that were so pretty, but there was going to be more waste (and would take more labor) and I was like, “You will never regret a herringbone with a border, just do that”. But this is after I sourced like 55 different aged bricks of different sizes and played with like 90 different pattern configurations. Sometimes classic wins, but it’s “nice” to go through the obsessive exercise to make sure that you exhausted all the more interesting stuff, in favor of the stuff you will never regret (Brian will say that this is my true specialty – remember the sunroom floor?). We ended up using an aged 4×8 brick that you would normally stack vertically (think a wall or fireplace) but it has holes in the side and we wanted to lay it skinny side up (so 2″) for that look, which we LOVE, but it meant digging down further to allow for the 4″ of space and of course, it took more material. We knew this going into it and I’m very happy we chose what we chose, even though it cost more.

All in all, I believe that the bricks were $7k (including the long walkway) and the labor was around $10k (maybe more, it’s hard when it’s all wrapped up together in a huge job). Again, Native Northwest did an excellent job executing. Shout out to Dan’l, Scotty, and their crew for their extreme precision (which is super important when it comes to hardscape).

The Cement Stairs Decision

photo by kaitlin green

Onto the more boring side of things – the cement stairs. Listen, I wanted more interesting stairs. I did. I wanted brick or just something, special. But ultimately we had four sets of stairs and they came in at $10k total ($2,500 each) for pouring cement, which everyone told me was by far the cheapest option. We were done spending money at that point. But this felt like a sad way to spend $10k – on something that I wasn’t even excited about design-wise and I still think that had we had more time I could have come up with a solution. But y’all, you have to have stairs to get into your house and we designed this house with five exits – one wood porch on the back, but the other four are cement. You can’t really do one brick while the others are cement (although I did fight for it). Ultimately, I said yes to the boring cement, paid the money, they came and did the mold and it was done in two days (which was great). While it’s still not my most favorite architectural feature, the ARCIFORM team was right in saying that once everything else looks done and pretty you don’t notice the stairs AT ALL and they just disappear. You’ll see tomorrow:) (but are there times when I want to clad it in the veneer version of the aged brick?? YES).

Our Siding Choice

right photo by kaitlin green

Quite possibly the easiest decision ever was the siding, and that’s because ARCIFORM was so clear about the overall vision – that it should look like the original house from 1910. Thank god for them. They reined me in when I was shouting about scalloped belly bands and shark tooth details. When we bought the house it had 3″ aluminum siding painted white, but underneath was the original wood siding (in bad condition of course – she’s old) and essentially what we put back on top – a 5″ lap siding. GREAT, DONE WAHOO! I LOVE how it turned out. We painted it SW 7005 Pure White By Sherwin–Williams which might have been one of the better days of my life. Instantly transformed! Hope before our eyes.

Our Sconce Whoopsie/Switch

Around the entire house, we have these awesome very classic farmhouse Carson sconces (from Rejuvenation) on a gooseneck in the most beautiful copper that is going to patina like Martha Stewart on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Great. Check that box. But Brian and I’s obsession with large windows (fine, we might have overdone it) meant that on the outside we didn’t have enough room to open the door without hitting the shade. So as you’ll see tomorrow we switched out the sconce for a smaller one that totally works (but admittedly isn’t as cohesive as I’d like). We have a lot of black metal around the house so you literally don’t notice it because everything else is so pretty. I feel like I have such design mistake resilience at this point. like WHOOPS, PIVOT, TRY AGAIN, TELL THE WORLD, GET IT RIGHT. It’s a cycle I’ve become very used to.

Gutters, Storm Drainage, And WHAT ARE Dry Wells???

photo by kaitlin green

Another super fun way to spend $5k is gutters. We went back and forth for months about white versus copper, ultimately deciding that copper might actually be too much on this white house (looks better on darker houses IMHO). So we listened to ARCIFORM and just got white metal (not plastic). They are very important up here, I get that. But that’s not where it ends. Yes, they installed gutters, but the downspouts went directly into this kitchen patio (and the foundation). Native Northwest called it pretty quickly and suggested we put in storm drainage – something you don’t need in California, but you really do in Oregon. Water is insidious. We are not going to mess with flooding, mold, foundation problems, etc. So they put in storm drainage that led to a dry well that deposited in the middle of the lawn (admittedly I don’t totally know what that means, but there are NO water issues even on the days that don’t ever stop raining so a big thank you to Dan’l’s crew).

Rain Chains (Pretty And Practical?)

photo by kaitlin green

On to good news that might make some of you enraged. I’m not a gutter purist (??) but I typically don’t like to put unnecessarily architectural things on houses (wait, isn’t that just what we do as creatives???). But the gutter was designed for the downspout to be in the corner of the kitchen patio, NOT the edge of the house where the rain chain was meant to go. You don’t need both a downspout and a rain chain – the rain chain is the downspout. So instead of re-doing the downspout or the gutter altogether, (duh) I had the rain chain installed to look like it functions, but it doesn’t. No one will know but all of you. I didn’t even tell ARCIFORM so shhh… We have three more left to hang (two on the covered walkways where they actually act as downspouts) and hang I will because they are so beautiful and special and I want them EVERYWHERE.

Stub Up For Irrigation (Why Is Borning Stuff SO Crucial)

Another thing I didn’t really know about is how important it is to irrigate underneath the patio and then stub up for planters to be watered with a drip line. This wasn’t my idea and I’m so glad it happened. We haven’t hooked them up to the pots yet, but will very soon (that reminds me I need to go water the plants).

I think that is all the boring stuff that we did, that cost $$$ and or stress but ultimately I’m so grateful to have been able to get done. Come back for the big reveal and pretty photos! xx

The post Some Of The Boring Ways To Spend A Lot Of Money While Doing Landscape Construction (+ What I Learned That You Might Want To Know) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/patio-landscaping-cost

Huge Deal Alert: Grab Up To 40% Off Anthropologie Today With This EHD Reader-Exclusive Code (!!!)

HI, HUGE NEWS. The powers that be (read: lil’ old me) have convinced Anthropologie to open up their Memorial Day Sale a WHOLE WEEK EARLY, just for EHD readers! It’s like the digital version of being first in line at a buzzy NYC sample sale…except instead of having to stand in line, you’re welcomed in a week ahead of time and given your full pick of the litter before anyone else gets eyes on the inventory. WEIRD ANALOGIES ASIDE, THIS IS VERY EXCITING. (PS. This blog post is not sponsored, I’m just very jazzed to share.)

Here’s the deal: you can nab up to 40% off everything displayed on this EHD-exclusive sale page with code EMILY40 before Anthropologie publicly shares these deals with the masses next week. Add an item from the page to your cart, apply the EMILY40 code, and watch the discounts stack up in real-time. Go take a peek now – the inventory on sale is AWESOME. Buuuuut if you don’t have the time or bandwidth to sort through 39 pages of incredible savings today, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite deals below…

1. Meriah Gauze Throw Blanket | 2. Gilded Rim Red Wine Glass | 3. Pineapple Laundry Basket | 4. Zaha Burl Switch Plate | 5. Cecilia Curtain | 6. Capri Blue Volcano Capiz Glass Jar Candle | 7. Eyelet Agate Coaster | 8. Lascaux Decorative Blanket Ladder | 9. Riviera Bath Mat | 10. Glenna Teapot | 11. Birdcage Lidded Basket | 12. Tufted Caro Rug

…beginning with a few sweet pieces that won’t break the bank. If you’re looking to jazz up your space, you can’t go wrong with a lightweight blanket in a cheery print (feels very ‘Citrus Garden’ but on a budget, right?), a pair of cult-classic curtains, a chic bathmat, or a modern take on an Oushak rug (the 8’x10′ is $250 off!).

Looking for a gift? You can’t go wrong with those scalloped agate coasters (I bought some this morning in both white and green!), the ever-popular Capri candle (if you can afford to stock up, this is SUCH a deal!), some charming stemware, or a simple, elevated pitcher.

And, I mean, you know how I feel about wood and quirk…so I’ve been absolutely taken by those burled switchplates, the pineapple-shaped hamper (spoiler: coming soon to a bedroom MOTO near you), the graphic and modern blanket ladder, and that birdcage lidded basket that’ll make any room sing. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER GOOD OPTIONS, TOO – this collection was just the tip of the iceberg!

1. Quincy Bed | 2. Wallace Cane and Oak Sideboard | 3. Dalton Bookcase | 4. Avalene Bar Cabinet | 5. Quincy Console Table | 6. Wallace Cane and Oak Media Console

We’re getting into the larger, more permanent items and I gotta say: I was blown away by the furniture that’s included in this sale. We’ll give you a little taste in this post – starting out with these classic neutral pieces that’ll work in almost any style of home! – but WOW, there’s truly something for EVERYONE.

And the savings are ENORMOUS. The bed? $330 off. That sideboard? $800 off (and it comes in an oak tone, too, if that black finish feels too heavy for your space!). The bookcase? $540 off. The bar cabinet? $360 off. The console table? $270 off. The media console? A SWEET $500 OFF. I’m so excited that we get to offer you ALL of these options at these prices before they sell out next week!

1. Nemus Dining Table | 2. Leather Cove Bed | 3. Anya Travertine Coffee Table | 4. Cove Woven Leather Ottoman | 5. Lara Hutch | 6. Stanton Chair | 7. Kalle Sculptural Oak Console | 8. Caillen Accent Chair | 9. Sonali Oval Coffee Table | 10. Oak Farmhouse Counter Stool | 11. Kalle Sculptural Oak Bookshelf | 12. Checkered Jute Rug

One thing I really appreciate about Anthropologie is the consistent stylistic thread that runs through all of their pieces – these would all be so easy to mix and match, you know? You can build a living room around a bold statement coffee table, add in some comfortable chairs, throw in a wooden hutch, and then add a chunky console to bring the whole space together.

Or you could make a super serene retreat in a studio apartment – grab a textured leather bed, use this sculptural bookshelf as a room divider, add some classic sling chairs to keep the space light and bright, add a fun neutral rug to anchor your living space, and bring in some sweet woven ottomans to add a pop of color while echoing the texture of the bed.

1. Velvet Elowen Chair | 2. Gleaming Primrose Mirror | 3. Deco Bed | 4. Merriton Five-Drawer Dresser | 5. Fern Kitchen Island | 6. Juneau Velvet Bar Cabinet | 7. Cyrus Chair | 8. Marcelle Console Table | 9. Odetta Media Console

To no one’s surprise, I LOVE some of these classic Anthro pieces, and this is your chance to grab them at prices I’ve literally never seen before. Case in point: that iconic bar cabinet is currently on sale for $1,318.80 – that’s $880 OFF THE NORMAL PRICE.

It’d also be a great time to stock up on new dining chairs (a set of 2 of these are currently going for $586.80 – they’re usually $498 PER PIECE!) I’m sure you get it by this point, right? The savings are unprecedented and right now, they’re only available to you!

1. Ofira Buffet | 2. Delia Chandelier | 3. Fern Wall Cabinet | 4. Peacock Indoor/Outdoor Hanging Chair | 5. Kori Modular Armless Chair | 6. Washed Wood Six-Drawer Dresser

Closing out our recommendations with a few special pieces that are guaranteed to pull your room together. Whether you need an art-nouveau-inspired buffet, a whimsical lighting fixture, or a comfy hanging chair with a little extra design pizzazz…well, pal, it’s all on sale RIGHT NOW, and just for you.

As a reminder, here’s how it works:

1. Head to this exclusive landing page to see all the deals in one place, before they’re released to the public.
2. Anything in this section is fair game, but it’s also not marked (as this is a special deal that’s only available for you!).
3. Add items to your cart, then apply the ‘EMILY40‘ code on the right-hand side (just below your total) to see the discounts – there are thousands of items on sale, but everything seems to be falling in the 30-40% off category.
4. Take your hard-earned savings and enjoy!

I’m SO THRILLED (could you tell?) that we’re able to offer this for ya – what’d you think? Should we get some more special sales going just for our readers? Did you get anything good? LET’S CHAT ABOUT IT. See ya in the comments… xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Dee Murphy | Styled by Velinda Hellen | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Dee Murphy’s Home Tour Is Giving Us All Wallpaper Envy

The post Huge Deal Alert: Grab Up To 40% Off Anthropologie Today With This EHD Reader-Exclusive Code (!!!) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/huge-deal-alert-grab-up-to-40-off-anthropologie-today-with-this-ehd-reader-exclusive-code

I Asked ChatGPT – AI – Design Questions… Here’s What It Said… And What Does This Mean For Design Blogs/Websites???

We knew it was going to happen, but it’s all of a sudden HERE and NOW. Like most human beings, I have mixed feelings about Artificial Intelligence taking over the world (and my job). By “mixed” I think it’s mostly going to be pretty bad socially and culturally, but it also feels rather inevitable so we need to accept, pivot, and figure out ways to adapt and enjoy our lives while we are here (and pay our bills). Being a digital creator is now being highly challenged as a lot of the information that I try to give as design education, can now be asked to AI instead of Google (which would historically send us traffic). Creativity can be copied, just not as good, and figuring out what holes can NOT be filled by AI is the new challenge. It’s all ok, I PROMISE and we are trying new strategies to stay alive/relevant and stay definitely 100% human:) But first, out of deep curiosity, I asked ChatGPT a few questions based on our most popular posts – the ones that send us “Google” traffic (versus people that come every day as true followers – thank you). These posts are what we call “evergreen successes” and we update them yearly to make sure they are still relevant as they continue to get traffic every day. Historically these posts have brought a lot of revenue as apparently, people are googling them a lot. But as more and more people use AI and TikTok as search engines these posts could get less and less traffic. So here’s what I asked ChatGPT.

My Question For Chat GPT: How High Should You Hang Curtains?

AI answer: The height at which you should hang curtains depends on several factors such as the height of the ceiling, the size of the window, and the overall aesthetic you are trying to achieve. Here are some general guidelines to follow:

1. Hang the curtain rod as close to the ceiling as possible: Hanging the curtains higher than the window frame creates the illusion of taller ceilings and makes the room feel more spacious. Ideally, the rod should be at least 4-6 inches above the window frame.
2. Length of curtains: If you want your curtains to just touch the floor, measure from the bottom of the curtain rod to the floor and subtract 1/2 to 1 inch. If you want your curtains to pool on the floor for a more dramatic look, add an additional 2-4 inches to the length.
3. Consider the style of curtains: The height at which you hang curtains also depends on the style of curtains you have chosen. For example, if you have full-length, heavy drapes, you may want to hang them higher than if you have shorter, lightweight curtains.
4. Take into account any furniture or decorative elements: If you have furniture or decorative elements below the window, such as a sofa or a console table, you may want to hang the curtains just above them to create a cohesive look.

In summary, it is generally recommended to hang curtains as close to the ceiling as possible, with a length that either just touches the floor or pools on it depending on the desired look, taking into account the style of the curtains and any furniture or decorative elements in the room.

GAH!!! That’s all pretty correct! Now, of course, what ChaptGPT can’t yet do is add photos, personal anecdotes based on experience with things to avoid, etc. There isn’t a voice that is entertaining, but y’all the information is accurate. Of course, the irony is that it’s searching the internet for this information that is gathered from this very site. It scrapes the world wide web which includes all our past posts. HA! Jokes on us!!!

Question For ChatGPT: How Do I Lay Out My Living Room Furniture?

AI Answer: Laying out your living room furniture can be a challenging task, but here are some general steps and tips to help you create a functional and aesthetically pleasing space:

1. Determine the focal point: The focal point of the living room is usually the television, fireplace, or a large window with a view. Once you have identified the focal point, arrange your furniture around it.
2. Create a conversation area: The living room is often used for socializing and entertaining guests, so it’s important to create a conversation area. Arrange your seating options (such as a sofa, loveseat, and chairs) in a way that encourages face-to-face conversation.
3. Leave enough space for traffic flow: It’s important to leave enough space for people to move around the room comfortably without bumping into furniture. As a general rule, leave at least 2-3 feet of clearance around the seating area.
4. Consider the size and scale of the furniture: Choose furniture that is appropriate for the size of your living room. If your room is small, choose furniture with a smaller scale to avoid overcrowding. If your room is large, choose larger pieces of furniture that can fill the space without looking out of place.
5. Add accent furniture and accessories: Once you have the main furniture pieces in place, add accent furniture and accessories such as a coffee table, side tables, and lamps to create a cohesive look.
6. Experiment with different layouts: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different furniture layouts until you find the one that works best for your space. You may need to move furniture around several times before finding the perfect layout.

In summary, when laying out your living room furniture, consider the focal point, create a conversation area, leave enough space for traffic flow, choose appropriately sized furniture, add accent furniture and accessories, and experiment with different layouts until you find the perfect one for your space.

Again, their response is good and correct. Is there a lot missing? Of course. Pictures, nuance, a distinct voice, humor – none of that is there. After thinking about this for months and months and months, I’ve come around to the idea that this is just a new inevitable creative challenge for us to solve. And solve, we will. So what is our strategy moving forward to ensure that we don’t all get taken over by robots and lose all our traffic to AI? Well, it’s actually super simple. We’ll lean into our human-ness. I’m actually really excited. You’ve already seen it roll out a bit, but essentially we need to be more of a platform of opinions (yes, please), trust (via actual design expertise), humor (which is more and more challenging these days TBH), connection (relatability, vulnerability, and nuance), and very specific projects (like mine, Bowser’s, Orlando’s, my team’s MOTOs, etc). It’s not that any of these things aren’t already here, but it actually gives us more permission to do them more. More journal entries and thought pieces, less tutorials and shopping roundups. Will we still do some design educational posts? Yes, but we have a new goal of making sure that how we position these posts won’t be AI-able or even something you can find on TikTok (which is also taking down Google and Instagram rapidly). I’ll be writing way more posts and we have the data on what posts by what writers you feel the most connected to so we’ll be hiring and publishing those voices the most.

I’m also excited about a new video strategy (with a new local videographer) that will hopefully create some fun ways to learn/share and connect. I have all these super juicy posts in my head, maybe not fully formed but ready to be written – stuff about social media, marriage, feminism, parenting – pieces that I think I would have been scared to write the last couple years but more and more it’s what I want to read, and therefore it’s what I want to write.

Anyway, as always I want to know what you are reading and loving (and coming back for). We can see the evidence through the analytics and the backend – some posts get great traffic, but less engagement (time on site) and others do the opposite. Some both:) We love them all for different reasons, but the goal now is to engage who is already here or here frequently, and not try to necessarily get all those Google hits because as this new tech rolls out it might be a fool’s errand (or one where I’d have to hire a full-time SEO person to execute which I’m not really interested in doing). More and more blogs are dropping like flies (this is also due to many lawsuits from photo agencies about usage – myself included) and the online and social media “competition” is undeniably fierce – just too many people, on too many platforms to follow, and you have to be posting obsessively – practically 24 hours a day – to be favored in the algorithm. But it’s not a zero-sum game and it’s actually not a competition with each other. The only way to not burn out or fold altogether is to try every single day to have a healthy relationship with the shared foe (social media algorithms and now AI) and know that the only thing you can control is your reaction to it.

I paid for five new Substacks last month that I’ve enjoyed reading. Each one is highly opinionated, personal, and mind-broadening. It seems like there is a renewed hunger for the longer form writing as long as it’s, well, really really engaging, compelling, personal, and entertaining. So does that mean that blogs are dead or are the OG personal journal-style blogs actually back? It seems to me that the “design website,” something that we claimed to be might have to shift. And if you know me (which you do), you know that you don’t have to ask me twice to be more personal. I’m excited. We have a big summer of reveals planned (shooting is currently on pause to finish everything) as we “wrap up” this house and I get to move on to documenting two other big projects.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please, sound off in the comments. We’ve thought about text notifications for farmhouse content so people don’t miss it (and still might but the idea of someone asking for my number feels hilarious, while I guess it’s successful for others). Lots of ideas floating around my head and in our brainstorming sessions. Digital media has always felt like the wild west, but now it’s gone full futuristic/sci-fi, where robots could take over creative jobs if we don’t assert ourselves and take control. RIGHT??!!!

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Tessa Neustadt | Styled by Brady Tolbert for EHD | From: Custom Framing For Our Home Office With Framebridge

The post I Asked ChatGPT – AI – Design Questions… Here’s What It Said… And What Does This Mean For Design Blogs/Websites??? appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/what-does-chatgpt-mean-for-design-blogs-websites

The Link Up: Em’s NEW Favorite Romance Beach Read, The Concealer Makeup Stick Jess Has Been Dying To Try, And A New Clothing Store We LOVE

Happy Sunday y’all! The warm weather miiiiight be here for good and we are PUMPED!! Some of us might even attempt a beach day this weekend:) Hope the weather is great where you are too but before it’s time to soak in those much-needed rays of sunshine let’s get to these links…

This week’s house tour has us all pretty jealous! Chloe Fineman (SNL Actor) might have the most wonderful apartment we’ve seen in New York. And it’s a rental! It’s clearly full of beautiful (expensive) pieces including lots of vintage but you can also feel like a real person lives there (not always the case with fancy house tours). It’s layered, full of pattern and color but in a muted and cozy way. Go check it out here!

From Emily: I just finished Emily Henry’s new book and I smiled for days while reading it. If you are into my rom-com recommendations (easy reads, happy endings, zero anxiety, look forward to reading every single night) then this book is for you. I loved her first book (Beach Read – Kindle and Local), enjoyed her second book (People We Meet on Vacation – Kindle and Local) and less so, but still liked her third book (Book Lovers – Kindle and Local). I was nervous that she was starting to pump them out too fast (which I fully understood and I want her to dominate financially so those book deals are so huge). But I’m so happy to say that I loved Happy Place (her most recent – Kindle and Local) as much if not MORE than Beach Read. It’s a coming-of-age romance, about a group of college friends and a super appealing/sweet love between two of them. It’s about what happens the 10 years after college and I found myself relating to it so much (Brian and I met in college as you know, all our friends dispersed and struggled to stay in each other’s lives, etc). Per usual her dialogue is excellent (funny without seeming like she tries too hard) and the pacing, the friendships – all of it. Listen, I also just finished The Candy House so I do dabble in real literature too, but y’all, I didn’t enjoy it (gave me anxiety) and it just felt like so much work to follow the story (more of a reflection on me than the book, I know). This book, Happy Place, I enjoyed reading it so much – every single second. I’m very excited to dive into Meet Me At The Lake (Kindle and Local) this weekend (Carley Fortune’s new book and if you haven’t read Every Summer After you should RIGHT NOW – Kindle and Local). It’s truly the beach read of this summer – you can’t put it down and it makes you feel VERY GOOD.

photo by kaitlin green

Also From Emily: I just wanted to shout out my favorite denim dress one more time. It’s definitely not cheap but I’ve had it for over a year and I wear it A LOT. Whenever I throw it on I feel so comfortable (it’s loose) and cool (an added bonus:)). If you missed yesterday’s fashion post I have a few more options I also love.

From Arlyn: You know the things you have you love so much, you lose track of how many people you’ve recommended them to? That’s these Bombas Gripper Slippers. I don’t recall ever sharing them here, but if I have, consider this a reminder. My husband calls these my “elf shoes” and a friend asked me “what are those?!?” once when she saw them, but neither of them know anything, and these are great. They’re basically a roomy sock with grippers on the bottom and a little cushioning to make them more like a slipper. Plus, I just feel really good about buying from Bombas for so many reasons (including their lifetime guarantee on their products: if they don’t hold up or are getting too worn down, they’ll just send you new ones…for free…what?!?). 

From Mallory: I was emailed marketed hard for this cute and classic crop top and man did that marketing hit its target. I immediately added it to cart and can’t wait for it to arrive!! This almost made it into my cart too but I had some restraint this time (but no promises for later though, it could end up in my closet eventually). I’ve bought a few different pieces from Oak + Fort recently and have always been impressed by the quality compared to the price. It feels like it’s really hitting that Zara price bracket but with slightly more elevated pieces and I am here for it. If you’re in the market for some summer clothes check them out:)

From Caitlin: I just tried these new ingrown hair patches – like a zit sticker, but for areas that grow hair! – and I HAVE BEEN BLOWN AWAY. I am about to write some very embarrassing personal information, so buckle up: my waxer recommended these patches to me because I have a few cystic ingrown hairs that keep coming back, wax after wax. I don’t necessarily love the aesthetics and I’ve caused scarring in the past by extracting them myself (again, not proud to write this on the internet), so I was in dire need of an at-home solution. While I initially balked at the price tag (that much for 12 patches?!), I can now confirm that these are 100% worth it – I’ve since used four of them on two particularly stubborn ingrowns and the results have been INCREDIBLE (though I would argue with their “6-hour” claim – it took mine two nights to totally surface and calm down). ANYWAY – if you’ve ever shaved or waxed and struggled with an uncomfortable ingrown hair afterward (and they work anywhere – face, armpits, chest, legs, pubic area, you name it!), I can’t recommend keeping a box of these on hand enough – they’re total lifesavers.

From Jess: I finally did it. I bought Merit’s “The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick” and so far I love it! I really don’t love wearing a ton of makeup but I also want an even skin tone…which I don’t naturally have lol. So this concealer stick is great because it’s a buildable medium coverage that you can apply with your fingers that looks really natural! Everyone’s skin tone is clearly different but I was matched with the Bisque shade if that helps at all. Enjoy!

Also From Jess: If you haven’t heard, let me be the first to introduce you to a WONDERFUL new podcast called Wiser Than Me, with host Julia Louis-Dreyfus (I KNOW!). Julia (in her early 60s) is exclusively interviewing women older (and wiser, or so she says) than her. Women like Jane Fonda, Fran Lebowitz, Isabelle Allende, and more! With each passing year, I find that I want and need stories of older women who have led and continue to lead beautifully full, inspiring lives. I’m so grateful for Julia, this podcast, and the women who are willing to tell their stories.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their Sunday and be sure to come back tomorrow afternoon for a very fun surprise deal you all might be interested in:) xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Velinda Hellen for EHD | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Sara’s Living Room & Dining Room Reveal

The post The Link Up: Em’s NEW Favorite Romance Beach Read, The Concealer Makeup Stick Jess Has Been Dying To Try, And A New Clothing Store We LOVE appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/great-concealer-makeup-stick