Farmhouse Guest Bathroom Update (And How I Feel About The Tonal Grout Choice)

The upstairs guest bath is coming along, not there yet, but coming along. I LOVE the tile, the polished nickel finishes, and the sweet little window. This is a new bathroom that you guys convinced us to put in upstairs on the bedroom floor (and we are happy we did). So many of you suggested that we’d want this specifically when the kids are older so they can each have their own bathroom. They already shower at the same time, one in here and one in the kids’ bath, which cuts down on “bathtime” by 20 minutes. I swear from “time to take a shower” to downstairs in PJs is a solid 45 minutes for whatever reason – and not because they are taking long showers. Distractions! So many distractions. I’m going to start guiding them blindfolded to do their tasks because my goodness they get so distracted by the dogs, the sewing machine (“Is now the time to make a pillow for Sue Sue, Charlie?”, A piece of paper that could be an airplane, a pokemon card that HAS to be set out to bring to school tomorrow, and again the dogs”… “but mama they are soooooo cutttttte”)… Anyway, yes, they use both twice a week and I’m glad this is an option. So let’s revisit where we are in the house:

The Guest Bedroom

We are upstairs (ignore all the sunroom, kitchen, and TV room stuff–that is all on the first floor). You walk upstairs and there is a large landing which we love, three bedrooms, a hallway shared bath (which I showed you in this post), a guest room (Permanent-function TBD), and this new small attached full bath. We were spoiled (and spoiled our guests) with ensuite bathrooms at the mountain house, but we weren’t going to put an extra bath up here originally (“Guests can share with the kids!” We said) but it is so nice for guests (and since Brian writes in the guest room this has become his personal spot. Ahem).

The vision for this guest bath was similar to the other rooms – have one high-impact color that we’ll never get sick of, but keep it simple and very high quality. We’d bring in more style and risk with the less permanent finishes and fixtures, but stay more classic with tile and plumbing. I’m still sorting through what level of regret I have in this bathroom – some days none, other days I feel like I know what I would have done differently to, you know, jazz it up a bit.

For this bathroom, we fell in LOVE with this deep mauve/rose-colored pink tile from Pratt + Larson and paired it with polished nickel finishes. The combination is so beautiful, but the room doesn’t feel complete yet (likely because it’s not done). Here’s where we are at today:

Tile | Vanity

There is a lot of backstory that affected some decisions until those elements changed, but the decisions didn’t – let me explain. This bathroom was stolen from one of the original large bedrooms, and therefore it has a massive bedroom-sized window in it that would have landed between the sink and the toilet. It was relatively close to the ground (about 20″ off the ground) which meant that it would be below any normal vanity and not allow for a normal backsplash. For that reason, we knew that we needed a pedestal or console-style vanity, i.e a sculptural base that could be in front of a window, and ordered this one from Rejuvenation. It’s a quirky solution to an older home remodel and one that was actually really cute (before we changed it). We’d have an oversized window in here, with a pedestal sink in front of it and an accordion mirror coming out the side. For this reason, we also needed a pedestal sink with an integrated backsplash since it would be in front of the window. If you are confused, here is where it was before:

This is the bedroom off of the guest bathroom before we created the bathroom. Are you following? So what we did was steal from the nook in the bedroom and the hall closet to create this 5’x7′ (ish) new bathroom. As you can see from the original photo the window that was going to be incorporated was big (and beautiful).

So as you can see, with the larger original window the vanity couldn’t be a typical storage piece – it needed to have an open base and be freestanding with an integrated backsplash (i.e. again, pedestal or console). We found the perfect one via Rejuvenation and called it a day. Great.

But then, a few months later we realized that the house on the exterior seemed to be missing a window. We didn’t really realize it originally because the whole house had funny awkward windows (and that’s ok for an older home!).

Once everything was demoed and cleared out and the new back-covered porch was going to be such a pretty view, we realized that we need that 4th window.

We did some window configuration and realized we could take another one of the unused original windows from downstairs (one of the smaller ones in the entry) and put it up in the bathroom, which would be a better scale for that bathroom. It wouldn’t be operable, but that’s ok (there is a fan). But it was smaller and since we had to reframe it anyway (HOT TIP: do this before re-siding) this felt like a smart swap. We’d put the original large bedroom-now-bathroom window back into the bedroom (matching perfectly) on the much-needed west exterior wall and then add this smaller leftover window in the newly created guest bath on the east wall. It was window musical chairs and it hurt my brain for a while, but so glad we did it.

Here is what it looks like on the outside with the four windows:

So much better and since this back porch and view have become such a feature of the home I’m SO GRATEFUL that we did it. Thank you, Jamie and ARCIFORM. If you want to watch a full video tour of this bathroom & where we want to take it, then here she is (just wait for the ad to play!):

Sconce | Faucet | Faucet Supply Lines | Outlet Cover | Toilet Lever

So now that that was done, no one realized (including me) that at this point we could have swapped for a different vanity with more storage, or something more custom. Now, to be honest, I’m totally fine with this because this is such a cute pedestal sink, was affordable, vintage-y, and because it was a “one and done” piece it did save us some money by not tiling or fabricating stone for a backsplash. And listen, in order to get a window in there it was always going to be awkward so we decided to do the least awkward thing and center it between the shower and the wall – thus not right above the vanity, but leaving enough room for an articulating mirror. Remember this is the guest bath and maybe a future kids’ bath. But not ours:)

Towel Bar | Shower Set | Shower Head

So here’s where we are. Everything is good and fine and great, but when I walked into this bathroom after renovating for so long I felt this slight pang of disappointment and I didn’t know why. After much thought and a few private tears, I figured it out:

1. The grout color that I loved so much (“matches perfectly” she said) made it so the wall of incredible tile felt flat. I think this move of matching the grout with the tile could absolutely work (and does) in a room with a lot of natural light that reflects off the tile, showing the texture and color variation. We did this in our main bathroom on the floor and it’s PERFECTION. But up here? Without a lot of light (the photos make it much brighter) the tile feature wall just looks dark. Can I change the grout? I mean, you can do anything but it’s a thing. I know that over time grout lightens with soap, hard water, and just general wear/tear so I feel ok about letting it just do that naturally. You could dremel out the top layer of grout (on each individual grout line) and then grout over it, but I’m not there yet. I don’t hate it, I just wish it were lighter so the grout lines would create more of a pattern (literally what I didn’t want to do at the beginning because I didn’t want it to look/feel busy). That’s all to say – if you have a ton of natural light, going tonal with the grout and tile is a great move, but if you have no natural light, contrast the grout so that the tile pops more, adding interest and pattern. End of hard lesson:) But that’s not it…
2. I was super clear at the beginning about having this monochrome tile look – the same color on walls and floors, but different shapes/orientations. But y’all it just doesn’t pop. I wish I had done a white and rose hex combo on the floor – still incorporating the pink tile but with another accent or neutral to shake it up. Or maybe even a powder blue. Dunno.

But then I remembered that wallpaper exists and that I can shake it up through (minor) accessorizing. Hope reemerged and I got to work. So let’s show you what is happening:

The Articulating Mirror

I found this vintage polished nickel at Portland Architectural Salvage and snagged it pretty quickly. I LOVE the polished nickel fixtures in here (from Rejuvenation) and was happy to find a mirror that works with it and can swing in front of the window.

Of course, this is not the bathroom nor mirror to get ready from prom in, if you know what I mean. It’s a real gift I have of finding extremely distorted antique mirrors that barely reflect your face. As you can see she is old and the paint on the back (the mercury that created the mirror effect) is chipping off. I haven’t hung it yet because we have yet to wallpaper, so I still have my eye out for another solution that might give Suz less frustration when she is putting on her lipliner. At the same time, I could also just put another mirror on the wall by the door. I’m not concerned about it AT ALL (likely because it’s not my bathroom) and I feel like not every room gets to be this super dialed 2023 luxury.

The Wallpaper

Wallpaper

I got pretty excited about putting wallpaper in here, but have yet to make the final decision. Brian and I agreed quickly on this House of Hackney London Rose pattern and we called it a day…until I became unsure of which kid will ultimately “get” this bed/bath when they get older (if either). If it ends up that Charlie (the oldest) moves in here then he’s already told us he does not want a pink floral wallpaper and you can balk at that if you want, but any parent of a seemingly cis male boy won’t try to make it a bigger thing and force it (because that is a weird parenting move and I want to respect who he is and give him a shot at loving this bathroom). I get it and so I’m taking a second to figure it out. Maybe neither kid “gets” this bathroom and the bedroom remains a guest room, with one of them more dominantly showering or getting ready in here when older. It seems easy to let Birdie have it (she is a HUGE FAN of that wallpaper), but she also likes to take baths more and I’m unsure if when she is a tween/teen if it makes more sense for her to “get” the kids bath with the bathtub. Again, I’m not concerned about it at all, this isn’t a real thing, I’m just working it out here in real-time and I really don’t want to replace the wallpaper in 4 years nor do I want Charlie to feel silly or embarrassed showing his friends his room. So is there a wallpaper that could offset the femininity of the pinky/rose just in case? Maybe! I’m waiting on Kelly Ventura’s new samples to get to me (which are likely to do the trick) but meanwhile, I’m going to look around a bit and see if there is something that might make more sense for more family members, long term. The feminist in me wants to make men deal through a few floral wallpapers as we have DEALT with centuries of systemic patriarchal oppression:). But the loving mom in me wants my son to feel like his room represents him as much as Birdie’s room represents her because he’s wonderful, not to blame, and has done no such oppression in his 9 years on this planet. I’m also kinda laughing to myself right now as the tone is so hard to portray in writing (is it time for a podcast?). Why oh why would I open up this conversation in a seemingly innocuous progress post? Who knows. Silly, Emily. But I guess I want you to know why I’m not immediately installing that pink floral wallpaper. Lastly, and with less gender controversy, we were going to do a shower curtain in here to save money and bring in some sweetness, but once I realized that the room needed more pattern (aka wallpaper) I knew that a curtain wouldn’t do and we’d have to put in a glass shower door. You can have a shower curtain with wallpaper, but it’s not terribly advised for overspray and general moisture reasons – especially in Oregon where it is so humid in the winter. I just finalized the glass order and it should be installed in a few weeks, and then I’ll hopefully pick a wallpaper, install the mirror (and that sweet antique polished nickel cup and toothbrush holder), and be done with this little lady. If I’m being honest no matter what wallpaper I choose this bathroom is inherently going to be relatively on the “feminine” side (pink + pedestal sink + wallpaper will do that to a space) so you might see this original wallpaper back up on the walls in a couple of months because that’s what Brian and I want. Stay tuned 🙂

Resources:
Wall Tile: Pratt + Larson
Floor Tile: Pratt + Larson
Sconce: Rejuvenation
Faucet: Rejuvenation
Shower Fixtures: Rejuvenation
Pedestal Vanity: Rejuvenation
Wallpaper: House of Hackney
Wall Paint Color: Pure White by Sherwin-Williams

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Farmhouse Guest Bathroom Update (And How I Feel About The Tonal Grout Choice) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/farmhouse-guest-bath-update

Step Inside Artist Ben Medansky’s Colorful, Modern-Industrial Home

From Emily: I’ve been a MASSIVE fan of Ben Medansky’s for years and years – his sculptures are so provocative and full of such spirit. I forget if he reached out to me or vice versa, but he invited me over to his home, and I was immediately blown away by every inch of it. Like a true artist, there was this sense of unbridled creativity, yet in a way that was still totally livable. I wish there were more homes of creatives that we could take our kids to because exposing them to homes like Ben’s that are full of color, whimsy and so much quiet rebellion is wildly inspiring. I hope you love it as much as we do.

Hello friends, Ryann here to be your virtual guide through yet another stunning home tour featured in Emily’s book, The New Design Rules. As Emily prefaced above, you are about to get a glimpse inside the home of Ben Medansky, and not unlike his art, his home is endlessly inspiring and encompasses bold uses of color with a breathtaking mix of modern and vintage elements.

One of the many things I am so drawn to about his home is how effortlessly the Mid-century modern furniture blends with his contemporary art, pops of bold color, and notes of industrial influence. It comes across as effortless, but anyone who has dabbled in mixing styles knows this is far from easy to do so. There is a noticeable balance between different styles and colors that creates a highly lived-in, personal feel.

This room is one of my favorite examples of how to create a space that is personal and straightforward, yet totally unexpected and creative. Despite the amazing use of bold color, this home isn’t maximalist and despite the white walls and wood tones, it isn’t minimalist either. It toes the line between both by perfectly balancing bold modern elements with understated timeless decor. Not surprisingly, this is also mastered through his displays of art (some his, some by friends of his).

If you are already familiar with Ben’s art (and if you aren’t yet then consider this your introduction), you probably guessed that the awesome ceramic totemic piece is one of his. He made this one for himself and I really love how perfectly it suits this room. The colors play off the rest of the decor and furniture, it adds a lot of texture, and the height is crucial to draw your eye up to the incredible high ceilings.

When it comes to living room layouts, having the back of the sofa face out toward another common area is not the most ideal but sometimes it is the only layout that makes sense (which is obviously the case here). A hack we normally suggest when this is the only option is to drape a blanket or vintage fabric over the back of the sofa to create some visual interest. But clearly, this sofa has no need for such a hack. It is an extremely special piece by Stephen Kenn with a metal base and leather belt strappings to keep the cushions in place. It’s functional art as far as we are concerned, so hiding the back of it against a wall may as well be a crime. Luckily, this living room calls for the sofa to “float” out in the open so we all can enjoy a full 360-degree view of the stunning sofa.

The back of the sofa calls for a close-up. The contrast between the brown leather straps, metal frame, and bright blue cushions is really striking.

The kitchen is quite simple and utilitarian except for that incredible island so I had to ask Ben to tell me more about it. He told me the kitchen island was custom-made by Eddy and Astrid Sykes of wrinkle.MX who also designed and built the house. The front of the island is made of cast fiberglass and the top is a custom-edged and honed Carrera marble slab. It’s incredible.

On the opposite side of the kitchen island, the light wood drawers and Carrera countertop create some warmth to contrast with the steel appliances and concrete floors. I LOVE this juxtaposition and how it adds depth and nuance to the space. For the drawers, having circle cutouts instead of hardware adds to this straightforward yet creative style that is carefully exuded throughout the home.

We have talked about those pendant lights on the blog before because they are a great example of breaking a design “rule”. The unspoken “rule” is that an array of lights in a line like so should match one another to maintain continuity and to prevent a space from feeling unfinished or random. Here, the pendants are matching except for their color which is a really cool design risk that 100% paid off. The fact that they go from light to dark creating an ombre effect makes it feel intentional yet totally unique.

The all-steel stove and counters drive home the industrial style that grounds the home. This utilitarian vibe mixed with contemporary art is really exciting.

We never take for granted the power of natural light here at EHD, and it is safe to say this home is dripping with it. The kitchen and dining area open up to the backyard with huge floor-to-ceiling sliding doors which allows so much beautiful natural light to flow through. The skylight in the living room always helps, too :).

Now onto the bathroom, where this vintage pink dresser-turned-vanity paired with a black accent wall creates such a dynamic look. I love the choice to continue the paint color up the ceiling so it encompasses the room (but he didn’t paint every wall so the color isn’t too overwhelming). SO good.

It is very rare we show toilets on the blog (because, well, you know) but I love how simple this one is. Mounting it on the wall partition is very modern and dare I say elegant.

Also, please note the salvaged graffiti door to the left. It’s just another highly creative decor element that speaks to Ben’s style and brings a ton of personality to the space.

I adore this clawfoot tub and love that the black accents tie in the paint color and tile. It creates continuity without being too expected.

This open shower and bathtub nook is really incredible. The way it is open to the outdoors helps drive home a natural, airy feel that is completely intoxicating. I also love how the plants add to this effect (and now I am thinking I want to see more plants in showers!).

In the bedroom, a vintage wall-mount sliding barn door brings in so much soul. The fact that it is so tarnished compared to the clean white walls creates such an exciting contrast that I just can’t get enough of. And again, dark wood MCM furniture plays into the simple, straightforward style, and then the bold colorful art provides a modern flair.

I could stare at this home all day but unfortunately, this concludes our home tour of the day. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and huge thanks to Ben Mendansky for sharing his incredibly inspiring home with us. xx

Design by Ben Medansky | Styling by Velinda Hellen and Erik Staalberg | Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

The post Step Inside Artist Ben Medansky’s Colorful, Modern-Industrial Home appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/colorful-modern-industrial-home

The Link Up: Emily’s Magical Salad Chopping Tool, Caitlin’s Vacuum Show & Tell, And A Plea For Paris Vintage Shopping Recs

Happy Sunday everyone. For EHD this was an exciting week between Emily’s mudroom reveal (see above but also go read the post if you missed it), Em’s new pool install (and the drama that unfolded – see her Instastories or you can wait for the blog post), and lastly some fun developments on the MOTO (Makeover Takeover) front. However, we likely don’t need to tell you that it has been yet another devasting week in the United States. It continues to be heartbreaking that guns and the lack of common sense laws seem to have a higher value than actual human lives. One of our favorites, Gabrielle Blair (aka DesignMom), has yet again made some very important points on this issue. Whether your gut is to agree or disagree before reading maybe just take a moment and have a look. We can’t get numb.

This week’s home tour is a stunning apartment in Mexico City (as if we needed yet another reason to love that magical place). It’s funny because when you see the space you don’t immediately clock that its architecture is really contemporary because of how it is decorated. The soothing colors, the amazing vintage from the owner’s travels, tons of different textures, and of course the magic of limewash paint. Our favorite detail might be the limewash accent walls under the stairway. It’s a perfect example of when an accent wall makes sense (because there’s an architectural reason:)) Go check out Natalie Stoclet’s home on Clever.

From Emily: The salad tool that makes my salad taste like a $16 salad from a professional salad store. I know it’s soup season but hear me out: I was making a salad over the holidays for all the adults and my BIL was like, “Oh you should get what I have – the metal bowl and salad cutter thing that chops and mixes everything perfectly”.  He sent me the link, I ordered it, and have since used it every lunch, joyfully, as if I’m behind the counter at one of those fancy salad places. It mixes and chops everything small enough that you get all the ingredients in the same bite – CRUCIAL to pure salad enjoyment. With a few whips of the wrist, your salad goes from awkward and clumsy to gourmet. No one, I mean NO ONE wants to eat a whole broccoli floret in a salad (Brian and I differ on this so technically Brian does) but once finely chopped and mixed in you can put more veggies in a way that tastes just so good.

From Mallory: I want this book and I want it badddd — Colin King is an insanely talented stylist (you’ve probably seen his work before if you don’t already know who he is). Every time I see a photo that makes my jaw drop I look at the crediting and the tag is @colinking. If you’re interested like I am, you can pre-order the book here!

From Ryann: I think all pet owners can agree that having pets can come with certain…odors. To that end, I like to use this deodorizing spray after I bathe my pup to help him smell fresh and clean longer. It has a subtle kiwi scent and the baking soda really helps keep his coat nice and clean.

From Caitlin: As promised in my earlier post this week – a before & after shots from vacuuming with my new Dyson V15 after two weeks of cat fur and laundry lint buildup (I wanted you to be able to see the difference, too!). GUYS. This thing is extraordinary! It weighs 6 pounds, it’s easy to maneuver, and it pulls up SO MUCH GUNK – my former corded vacuum literally cannot compare. It took less than two minutes to take this rug from “yikes” to “freshly unrolled,” which is a literal dream come true – after 10 years of opting for tan rugs (in the hopes of concealing my cat’s fur), it’s SO EXCITING to find a tool that can keep my bold, rich, jewel-toned pieces looking like new. It makes me excited to source some more saturated floor coverings for the rest of my apartment:) The laser tools are incredible, too. (It shoots out a green light that highlights dirt and dust that’s invisible to your naked eye!). It’s a splurge, but it’s a blast to use, and IT ROCKS. So effective. I wish I could buy one for all of you!!!

From Jess: Y’all the “Les and Jess Take Paris” trip is officially booked!! I’ll be there at the end of February so it’s going to be cold. Because bodies can never stay constant (side eye) I needed some new pants and got these cuties from Abercrombie. My faint attempt at looking like a cool (but unstated) Parisian…ha.

Also From Jess: Speaking of Paris, pretty please give me all of your Paris vintage home store/flea market recs! We’re willing to travel a little outside of the city if necessary:) I promise to make a reallllly good blog post out of it!

GREAT SALES:

Lulu and Georgia is having their annual rug sale and is giving 20% off with code RUGS20 (even rugs that are on sale!)

Alright, that’s it for today. Enjoy the rest of your day, hug your loved ones, and stay diligent. xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Henderson and ARCIFORM | Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Farmhouse Mudroom Reveal

The post The Link Up: Emily’s Magical Salad Chopping Tool, Caitlin’s Vacuum Show & Tell, And A Plea For Paris Vintage Shopping Recs appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/salad-chopping-tool-reveiw

My Winter Workout Gear – What I’m Wearing And Loving Both Indoors And Out When It’s Chilly (And Even Freezing)

Despite the weather being different up here than in SoCal, I love the few months after the holidays when I hunker down, stay in every night, make so much cozy food, and recommit to an exercise routine that was forgotten during most of November and December. Honestly, part of it is just the need for endorphins during the darkness, and I am forever grateful for these dogs that force me to walk in nature for 1-2 hours a day (which is a huge mood boost and very missed when I don’t do it). So today I’ll show you the pieces that I wear inside (for yoga classes and Pelaton rides) as well as the base layer when I go outside and the different jackets and coats that I need for different temperatures or weather. If you have coat confusion and never know what coat you need for what weather or temperature, you are not alone. I’ve figured some things out.

Matching Sets (That Are Also Easy To Throw On A Top For Zoom Calls)

Tank | Leggings

I booked a partnership with Vuori which I said yes to immediately because almost everything that I’ve bought from the I’ve loved (this post isn’t sponsored, just instastories, but I wanted to show you here because I love them). I bought these leggings recently (which I’ve linked up before) and couldn’t believe how soft they were and proceeded to buy two more (and then Oscar ate the crotch out of one of them so I’m back to two). So I knew that for this brand (as well as for most) I like to size up in leggings to be more comfortable. This patterned version I’m wearing is a bit slicker, but still extremely comfortable and very, very flattering. I can wear them all day every day – they don’t cut in anywhere and the subtle pattern makes them forgiving – it shows nothing underneath. I can’t HANDLE when pants are thin and you see all the bits and bobs – the fabric technology is so much better now so don’t settle for this if you don’t want to.

I rarely wear a tank top because I’m self-conscious, which is dumb, but I’m more comfortable covering them up. I recently started back into a heated yoga class and I need to wear less clothes so I don’t DIE. As far as the tank/sports bra – this one has a support shelf and shaping pads (that don’t add too much bulk, they just give your ladies a nice shape). I can definitely wear this for yoga, but not anything too high impact as it’s not a super supportive sports bra (but again, I have large 43-year-old natural lady DD boobs, so they like support if I jump up and down a lot:). I love the cut of this in front and back – it doesn’t cut in in the armpit at all (I’m wearing a medium) and I like a racer back. The tank stays down more than any other (you can watch some yoga moves in stories if you want to see it in action). I’ve historically not worn super cute matching sets because I don’t love wearing really tight or small clothes, but this set is so cute and it changed my mind quickly and made me honestly just feel a little better/cooler. I like the peek of the mid-drift without showing off too much in different poses.

Tank | Leggings

I’m pretty sure I’m watching Cody ride, listening to Kelly Clarkson, as we were shooting this (IFKYK). This gray tank is so cute but less supportive than the other. Brian is a fan, FYI, so I wear this more for weight lifting in our bedroom (until we figure out where we are going to put all our home gym stuff) and like it for more mellow Peloton rides (not the HIIT and hills ones). These pants are also excellent. A different cut than the others, in a dark camo which is again flattering and forgiving.

T-Shirt (similar) | Tank | Leggings | Shoes (similar)

I put this together so you could see my favorite pants but they are all sold out in black (stay tuned). I’m more likely to go to yoga wearing this crop top and then de-robe when it gets hot, revealing my tank underneath. Also, I couldn’t find my mat so yes, that is a bathroom runner turned upside down, fooling even myself:)

My Base Layer For Colder Days – Mostly Dog Walking

After walking the dogs for a year and a half up here I’ve gone through a lot of coat confusion and there is NOTHING worse than when you are 2 miles away and you are either A. still cold or B. sweating inside your coat. So I start with a good base layer then let the temperature of the coat match the weather. It’s a patented formula, science-backed.

Top (similar) | Bra | Leggings | Socks

These awkward poses are because I was trying to show you both the finger holes on the shirt (which keeps my hands colder) AND the pockets in the pants for my cell phone. These pants are on the warmer side which is good if I don’t want to wear a long coat. They also have great compression, which is so good for a fast performance. That shirt doesn’t look anything special but I find the cut more flattering than longer cuts. I couldn’t find the shirt online, but this one looks very great and similar function. What you can’t see is the most supportive sports bra I’ve bought in a long time (great for high-impact anything – I can run again!!) as it has clasps and zipper in front and clasps in the back. Neither pants nor sports bra are “sitting around the house” comfortable, but they are both high-performance for HIIT workouts or when I muster up the willpower to actually run the dogs.

Solving My Coat Confusion – What I Wear Outside On My Long Dog Walks

Coat (similar)

It should be known (again) that I was a professional dog walker in my early 20’s in New York – a job that I really loved and clearly, it turned into a very committed daily hobby (can walking be a hobby? If so I’m really nailing it these days). But it took me a while to dial in my dog-walking attire in the PNW winter months. I don’t want to layer because I don’t want bulk or to feel claustrophobic, but I hate being cold and definitely not sweaty while it’s cold outside. You have to strategize and I take it very seriously. I start with a good base layer that is thin but warm (above), then I need to calculate the temperature and the precipitation chances to choose the right coat for the time of the day (and the time of day matters!). I want to warm up quickly but not get sweaty on mile three.

This first one is my 20-40 degree coat that I wear especially when I don’t want to change into super warm pants. I can wear any of my above thing and comfy leggings, throw this coat on and I’m warm from my neck to my ankles (I hate cold legs). It is extremely warm and if I wear it when it’s 45+ degrees, on a big walk, I will get too hot and sweat which is annoying. But it’s perfect for the 34-degree mornings when leaving the house in the pitch black which feels painful unless you are bundled up properly and it’s great for standing on the sidelines of any games in the winter.

One of the things I love about it is that the top half is lined with fleece so that it’s extremely cozy. I don’t layer anything underneath except a long sleeve shirt. The bottom half is slick parka material making it light and easy to walk in. And there are zipper pockets on both the outside and inside. I read a lot of good reviews on this coat before I bought it and would buy it over and over and over. It zips from your calves to your neck and is just so warm, without being heavy. UGH. I can’t see to find the link for it (I bought it last year). I’m sorry! But this one is super similar.

Jacket

Next up is my 45 – 55 degree jacket. This is great for long walks (but might not be warm enough for just hanging by the soccer field in winter, but def good in fall/spring). I like that it’s long enough to still keep my butt warm. Lululemon loves a fitted body-con coat which I don’t think is necessary (meaning they contour their coats to create a flattering hourglass shape) so yes, it is slimming. Definitely size up – this is a 6 and there are days when it feels too tight (I have an even older model of the same coat in a size 4 which still fits – I don’t get it (and yes I’ve been frustrated buying online, so I try to it just in person when I need something new).

It’s a good jacket, and on final sale for $50 off, that I do wear a lot. I wish that the current colors were available when I bought this one (that blue is so good!). If I didn’t have this one already I would buy it now in the reflective gear colorway as gearing up with my reflector vest and headlamp is annoying…

The Oversized Fleece

Warm Fleece

Another for 45 – 65 degree brisk walks, and this one is warm enough on its own if you are standing outside for soccer. I just got it and have worn it a lot in the last 2 weeks. It’s a great oversized fleece that is extremely cozy on the inside (it drives me nuts when fleeces aren’t fleece-y on the inside!). It doesn’t look very flattering up there, but I feel cute wearing it. I like that it has so many pockets and is just really warm.

It’s long enough to cover your butt (which keeps you SO much warmer than just going to your waist) but you can also style it up like that (which is cute in a bulbous kinda way). I find that I wear this around the house a lot, like a grandpa sweater.

The Long But Light Raincoat

Raincoat

This is my 60+ degree raincoat (or long windbreaker). I avoid walking the dogs in the pouring rain because nobody likes that, but I definitely walk them in sprinkles or take the risk during dryer moments on rainier days. When it does rain I don’t love my legs getting wet, so this one goes down to my knees and feels more like a long windbreaker than a big raincoat. Definitely not for warmer days, but sometimes in the afternoons it gets warm enough that I just want a layer (like a top sheet for those of you who like to sleep with just a bit of fabric). And it has a hood in case I get caught in the rain, which I obviously have.

The Short Rain Jacket/Windbreaker

Jacket

Lastly, for my afternoon walk when it’s not cold (55+) I want something lightweight, with a pocket that will block the air/wind. This guy isn’t really flashy (I have other spring windbreakers just you wait) but it is simple and good.

It has a zipper pouch, zips up to your chin (keeping your neck warm), and is water and windproof. I suppose if you were a big winter hiker this would be a great one for you – super lightweight but keeps out the elements.

And there you have it. I can’t believe how much I had to say about each one. I do think there is a big hole in the market specifically for cool ‘dog walking’ clothes. I’d be happy to collaborate with a brand on this because I have a lot of grievances and suggestions. We dog walkers deserve to look and feel cool, too, while being safe at night and warm during the day. Once again giving away a million-dollar idea … 🙂

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post My Winter Workout Gear – What I’m Wearing And Loving Both Indoors And Out When It’s Chilly (And Even Freezing) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/my-winter-workout-clothes