Jess’ Closet Progress Week One – We Have A Pattern Idea, People!

This post will likely be the closest thing to my personal diary that I ever put on the internet (and I literally wrote about being single and depressed during the holidays during quarantine). I am slightly terrified that after seeing these “patterns” or “drawings” that I “created,” I will be immediately kicked out of the design community forever. Not that I thought I would only come up with masterpieces but I had higher hopes for my work. Showing them feels super vulnerable since they came physically from my right hand (FYI I’m right-handed) but the creative process is bad until it’s good right? RIGHT? The good news is that by the end you will see what I plan to paint in my DIY closet makeover and I’m really pumped about it. Ok, let’s remind you of what the space looks like…

Here she is in her current state. The shelves my dad built have been made (as you know) but I still need to sand and stain them which will happen this weekend since I am currently out of town:) A lot of you suggested I get hooks to hang my ladder and drying rack. Unfortunately, I need to lean a couple more things behind those two main pieces so they won’t actually be against the wall. But don’t worry, my curtain will cover everything and having those things on the floor doesn’t bother me. Now let me remind you of my paint plan…

As you can see from this graphic, I’m only painting the pattern above the trim. It’s going to be so much easier and most of the bottom will be covered by the curtain on this side and my clothes on the other. No point in wasting time, right? My one-month deadline is coming in hot!

Ok now, let’s get vulnerable…

This was my first attempt at doodling. I wasn’t trying to put any pressure on myself but I truly hated allll of it. I quickly started to doubt if I possessed even an ounce of creativity in my head. Then I decided to get out the watercolors.

I liked the idea of doing a really simple color block as the base under whatever pattern I came up with…but my watercolor palette was very limited (aka had none of the colors I wanted) and even with the paint totally dry, I couldn’t layer new colors on top. Maybe that’s something I used to know when I was young but my knowledge was now nonexistent and my patience ran out. So back to the pencil I went.

Here I made a rough template of the four walls and then photocopied a handful to try out different patterns. These would not have gone altogether FYI. I just did something different on each “wall” to see if I maybe liked any of them. I DID NOT. Maybe if I had the right colors to play with that would’ve helped but I still was NOT happy and again, defeated. Then I remembered how much I liked the walls in a room I stayed in at the Freehand New York. They were just simple line drawings on the walls and it looks awesome. So then I tried this…

The idea was to paint each wall a different but complementary color and then essentially have a single line make its way through each wall in a fun way. The paper on the left was a little too much. Ha. Then the one on the right is better but would need A LOT of editing. This was just the first draft.

But then an idea came to me! I’d seen morse code art and thought that would look so cool and could have a ton of meaning for me. I immediately thought of coding out my mom’s name and a sweet card she wrote me years ago. I love the idea of feeling her the moment I walk into my front door (and maybe forget that there’s a toilet staring at me dead in the eyes). I also think this closet is a perfect place for this design because not only did she love to dress up but some of my favorite pieces of hers are stored in there. For some context for those that may not know, my mom passed away 11 years ago. This probably makes more sense with that info:)

Anyway, this drawing of my mom’s card in Morse code looks comically horrible since I did it pretty fast, but I think it will look really cool when it’s carefully done and properly measured all out. Plus the “style” is totally in line with my love of shapes and goes perfectly with the rest of my apartment’s design.

So that’s the idea! I might play with scale and still might color block the walls to make it a little more joyful because that’s what it’s supposed to represent to me. It’ll be like my own little secret whenever I look up at it:)

Oh, I actually have another update!

Cafe Curtain Rod | Pinch Rings

I decided that as much as I wanted to have the rod attached to the bottom of the top shelf, it was going to leave a little gap between the side of the curtain and the wall. NO thank you. So I happened upon this cafe curtain rod from Rejuvenation. It was only $50 and could be cut to size! I paid for it with my own money and also bought 12 of the unlacquered brass version of those curtain pinch rings. All in all, after tax and shipping, it came out just over $100. I will be making two little holes in the trim but they can be easily patched and since this whole thing is custom I am happy to leave it for future tenants.

Semi-Sheer Linen Drape | Dark Linen Curtain

So now that I have the rod I need a curtain! I told my dad I was planning to go to my favorite fabric store and get one made when he asked why I wouldn’t just get a readymade curtain panel and get it hemmed. Great question dad. It hadn’t crossed my mind. Why do I always make things way more complicated than they have to be????? Now that I had a much smarter plan, I found these two blue linen curtain panels that should be wide enough so I only need one. The space is 52″ wide. I like the idea of the lighter blue but not sure quite yet. Next update hopefully I’ll have the answer.

Thanks for enduring my middle school-level drawings. I hope we are all impressed by the end result. GULP.

Love you, mean it.

The post Jess’ Closet Progress Week One – We Have A Pattern Idea, People! appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/handpainted-pattern-ideas

The Link Up: Em’s $8 Pantry Org Dupe, Jess’ No-Fail Holiday Gift Idea, And Our New Favorite Fun, Fast-Paced Card Game

Happy Sunday! So now that it’s officially November are you “team Christmas time ASAP” or “team whoa! let’s all wait a sec, Halloween was a second ago.” I feel like we are 50/50 over here (Mal and Caitlin are already spinning holiday albums:)). Whichever team you are on, we hope you had a good week with another fun one coming up. Oh and if you live in the US and haven’t voted yet PLEASE go vote! This is such an important election and among so many important issues, women’s rights is absolutely one of them. We have to fight to protect them. Ok, so until then just sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s links.

This week’s house tour (not pictured above) is a treasure trove of architectural features and soul. But the story of this home is even more amazing. In 2018, Xan Balding bought back a beautiful home that was actually built by his parents in the 70s and that he partly grew up in! The staircase and the arched windows might be our favorite parts but you need to go see it and read the whole story on The Design Files.

From Emily: I’m deep in pantry org and styling mode and want it to be A. functional/smart/not annoying and B. nice looking. I can get so sucked into buying expensive accessories like that and did indeed buy these chip clips from Hawkins New York (a nice local company to support) but they were 3 for $18 and I don’t really need multiples of the coffee clip. So upon further internet research, I found these which are actually more functional, more affordable, still cute, and GREAT.

From Jess: My cooking adventures are still in full swing. This time I “helped” make a Middle eastern-inspired seared salmon Cous Cous bowl with tzatziki, and roasted tomato sauce with my friend on Halloween (I was only in charge of the tzatziki…baby steps). It was sooo good. As she was doing most of the cooking and explaining the process to me, I was snooping through her things, and naturally, my eyes went straight to this bottle of olive oil. My expert home chef friend thinks it’s a really good product and a great value for the price. Plus it’s less messy since it’s in a squeeze bottle! They are having a sale now so if you are curious this would be a good time to try. This would also be a perfect gift for either the home chef in your life or anyone who is hard to shop for. Add some Maldon salt to the mix and I promise it’ll be a home run. I know from experience. P.S. Add some fresh bread and that’s a perfect housewarming gift too:)

via our place

Also From Jess: Another item from this delightful dinner were the bowls we ate from (see previous dinner photo). They were the new Midi Bowls from Our Place. They are pretty, simple, durable, AND their Midi Plates can act as lids since they perfectly stack on top of the bowl. So smart! They also come in four other colors. 10/10.

From Albie: Last year I was introduced to Rainbow High by my mini — it’s an MGA series on YouTube that also streams on Netflix. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this show makes my inner child as happy as my actual child. To date, she has 16 of the dolls… and trust me there are a lot of dolls! Here’s what I’ve been loving lately — their latest season features a singing competition that includes Rainbow High, its sister school, its rival school, and some international exchange students. It’s very much giving a reality tv competition show. With it, they’ve released a World Tour Bus & Stage Playset and it’s already on the mini’s Christmas wishlist. It’s exactly how it sounds — a tour bus that converts into a stage — and my inner child loves this kind of imaginative play… and so does my real child. As a kid, I had BIG dreams of becoming a choreographer and going on tour with Aaliyah and Janet Jackson. I would’ve loved being able to have a playlet designed to help me play out these dreams with props & things specifically for that… not just dancing dolls around on a table. If it’s half as detailed as the Rainbow High Dollhouse we got her last year, this set may just be the perfect addition to her collection. 

From Ryann: I have a brand new card game for all you word game/charades-loving people out there. It’s called Featherbrain and it’s a fun quirky card game that is perfect for game night. It works like this: The player whose hair is the most feathered reads the first card. All other players compete to win the card. The card will have the players doing something like guessing a word that the card reader says backward, guessing two words that are spelled the same minus the first letter but sound completely different, or acting out something ridiculous. The card reader chooses the winner and the winner reads the next card and so on. It’s fast-paced and fun and depending on who you are playing with, really funny. 

From Mallory: If you’re looking for a restaurant quality dinner that’s EASY and COZY I have just the thing. The most delicious dish I have ever made is this lemon date chicken and it could not be more perfect for fall!! It’s by my favorite chef Alison Roman (she has awesome YouTube videos every week if you’re interested you should subscribe). It’s one-pot which makes clean-up easy and the date/lemon/shallot sauce is to die for. If you’re going to make this I HIGHLY recommend adding white wine instead of water (it makes the sauce way more flavorful) and I like to use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs because I think they work best with this. Let me know if you try this out!

Well, that’s it from us today so see y’all tomorrow xx

Opening Image Credits: Home of Jayma and Adam | Styled by Erik Kenneth Staalberg and Emily Edith Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: The New Design Rules

The post The Link Up: Em’s $8 Pantry Org Dupe, Jess’ No-Fail Holiday Gift Idea, And Our New Favorite Fun, Fast-Paced Card Game appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/affordable-cute-bag-clip

My Most Recent Vintage Haul For The BIG Kitchen Reveal

After showing you my prop room last week, I think we can all say that I don’t NEED more stuff. But when it comes to vintage I still snag things I think I can use or that will liven up a room or shot. Everything is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But last weekend when I went to the Rose City Flea market in Portland I was seriously not planning on getting anything – I’m really trying to not keep accumulating for the sake of hoarding, but then as you can see below, I did. 🙂 It was no Rose Bowl but the serotonin flowed nevertheless and most of these pieces quickly found a place in our home and in a shot (NOT the prop room, I’m happy to report). A quick note about the prices – most of these pieces were on the spendy-er side, and if you are a big thrifter you are going to maybe think I overpaid – and probably I did. But after having my own online “flea” and having it end up not profitable at all, I have a lot of compassion for vintage dealers – it’s so much work for an unscalable business model. I think it’s safe to say that none of them went into it for the money – they all just love it and I want them to continue to do it!! I need them! I can’t really dedicate too much time to thrift shopping anymore, not because I’m over it but because it’s so much more work and time to find good stuff, especially when the antique malls in Portland are so good. There are more pickers competing than ever, and the thrift shops are mostly full of 5-year-old IKEA or Home Goods stuff (and I can’t believe what some thrift stores charge for home things – even more than they are new at the store!). So if I find something I love, that someone else spent hours sourcing, storing, transporting, wrapping, and unwrapping multiples times I really try to just pay for it without much haggling. But I also have a decent budget for home stuff (as it’s tied to work) and can write off anything that ends up in a reveal or on the blog – which yes, makes me very lucky. I’d just rather overpay on vintage than buy something new from a store that I might not keep forever. Again, I’m not saying that’s what you should do but if you are fortunate to have the extra money to spend – buying from local vintage dealers is the best way to go IMHO.

Sculpture (And Vase – Kinda)

This guy is so incredible, heavy, and oddly narrow – making it great to style on a mantel or even narrow bookshelves. It has a flower frog thing on top but I don’t think it’s meant to actually hold water (it doesn’t go all the way down). I’d more likely shove a weird sculptural branch into the frog. Excited about this on the mantel. It was spendy at $175 from @northwestmodern – a really awesome mid-century dealer. Zero regrets. It’s dope.

Drawer Box

As you know I have been collecting these store/apothecary drawer sets for a while now (mostly using them as side tables or nightstands). This guy was so cute but I couldn’t find a purpose for it…UNTIL I realized that I could use it in the pantry for all my teas!!!

It was expensive but I don’t remember how much because I got a lot from this dealer – I think it was between $150 – $250. Coming to a pantry near you soon – it looks SO SO CUTE.

Brass Floor Lamp

Now, this guy I got at the thrift store/consignment shop the next day (Hoot-n-Annie in Raleigh Hills for all you locals). It’s a Curtis Jere brass lamp from the ’70s and it was way too expensive (and yet not overpriced – these things run 2k + online). I passed on it the first day but then I kept thinking about it, picturing where it could go, and falling more in love. So I offered a much lower offer and got it (around $700. I KNOW I KNOW IT HURTS TO WRITE THAT).

Table Lamp

Oh, this little guy made their debut perfectly in the corner of the kitchen by the bar. We were even inspired by Chris Loves Julia and cut the cord to be shorter (yes this is a more permanent choice, but it looks perfect in the kitchen corner and if it doesn’t stay there it will go into the pantry, but I felt confident it didn’t need a long cord). This was a bit overpriced at $175, but I honestly didn’t have a tiny lamp for the bar which I wanted and we were shooting in a couple of days. And again – local, vintage, etc, so I talked myself into it quickly. Venmo is VERY DANGEROUS, FRIENDS.

Nautical Oil Lamp Sconces

A pair of nautical wall-mounted oil lanterns with little brass hats to block the smoke!!! How cute are these?!!! Ok, sadly these might have been the mistake – not because they aren’t awesome, but because I can’t seem to find a place for them. I was thinking they could flank the piece of art in the entrance, but the scale is pretty small in there.

Then I thought maybe flanking the entry into the pantry but I foresaw so many tragic accidents, bumping into them (and being glass, full of oil, etc). It’s weird to add more sconces into bathrooms that already have sconces, but then I thought maybe in the kid’s bath behind the tub or in the WC. That’s all to say that I’m still trying to find a spot for them but admittedly they are very specific and I probably should have skipped them until I knew for sure I could use them. Heck, since the other older house on the farm doesn’t have any electricity maybe I’ll install them on the walls of the prop room for nighttime searches (yes, they work but I’m also scared of fires so…. ). Maybe up the stairs mixed in with family photos/art? Stay tuned.

Cool Art Book By Local Artist

I met Purl, a local artist/maker who made these dope book covers for his art book that I thought could be used as art in Charlie’s room (which he LOVED – both kids loved them). Purl also makes custom furniture (like the table and bench below) which likely sold, but we might work together on a few pieces. You can follow in at @total_nonsequitur

The Most Perfect Seascape

I was immediately drawn to this painting for obvious reasons – the colors. The vibe. The beautifully perfect blue and gold frame. I skipped it at first because it was $485. But it was the same dealer as the brass lanterns and the short brass lamp, and the more time I spent in his booth the more I KNEW it would work in the house. I have this other seascape that I’ve had forever (this one that was in our main bath).

photo by tessa neustadt | from: our classic modern master bathroom reveal

I put that painting in the kitchen, on one side of the range and it looked SO GOOD and just appropriate. But I needed something to balance it out on the other side. Once I remembered that (while still shopping) and realized I had the exact spot for it, I could justify the splurge. Since I was buying so much from him he sold it to me for $400. And honestly, after seeing it in the shots (coming soon) it was worth every penny.

Pink Glasses

Now these coupe glasses (or desert cups?) I was unsure about needing or working perfectly on the bar, but for $30 I figured they were worth the risk of not working, and if they did work it meant not needing to buy new. Either way, I knew that Elliot would love to eat ice cream out of them (happy to report they are on the bar and look great).

Vintage Canning Jars

If you know me at all you know that I love vintage jars. A lot. We canned a lot of tuna growing up (not a tradition I will continue) and I started collecting these vintage ones for our wedding 15 years ago for vases/candle holders. These three were just so lovely and even though I had just bought a ton of pantry jars for decanting, these have so much character. They were $10, $15, and $20 (I think, somewhere around that) and I styled them on my kitchen counter for the shoot which looked VERY VERY PRETTY.

A Vintage Blue Salad Bowl

Lastly, from the same vendor as the pink glasses, I found this bowl which I thought would look really pretty styled up in the pantry as well as used for salads on our island, in the sunroom – anywhere. Just a pretty blue color, nice texture, farm-y in the sweetest way.

Here’s the first pic again (sans copy) of them all for scale (and as you can see they all work so well together!).

Obviously, we took super quick iPhone shots for today’s post, which always pains me to publish but I’m sticking to my mantra these days that done is better than perfect! And fun is better than done. 🙂

The post My Most Recent Vintage Haul For The BIG Kitchen Reveal appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/portland-vintage-haul-for-kitchen

My Favorite 5 Affordable (and Fast) Holiday Party Decorating Hacks

While we were contemplating what holiday content we would like to put out this year, we came across this post published a few years ago and realized these are the hacks I still go back to year after year. So if you are looking for some easy decorating ideas you can do with things you likely already own, this post is for you.

As a general mantra, I like to come across like I’ve cared, but not that I’ve tried too hard. I think it’s actually the secret to life. So at this point, your tree is likely up and decorated and you might have a garland or two, but maybe you are of the “lets amp this up” type say for a party or just a general injection of more holiday cheer. After seeing my house, Jess’ apartment, and Arlyn’s apartment decorated, plus past projects, we realized that there are some easy and affordable things that we have done (with stuff you might already have) that make a big impact. Let’s get right to it.

1. Wrap any and all presents and style with them

Of course, the key to this is hoping that you don’t only have pokemon wrapping paper on hand, but honestly, even if it’s just solid colors, craft paper, or newspaper (with simple ribbons), it does the job.

We use them almost like we would books in styling, in fact, yes I’ve wrapped MANY a book. See how cute a couple stacked on top of each other adds just a little more holiday cheer?

2. Pepper large plastic cheap ball ornaments on surfaces

They are graphic and simple for your eye to understand, but say holiday immediately. So easy and so affordable as you typically have leftovers hanging out in your bins (if not, your tree likely won’t miss a dozen or so).

I like to mix sizes, colors and even textures to add an extra layer of interest. You can group just a few (2-3) or even add a few solo moments here and there.

3. Cedar branches are a styling dream

Short on garland? Cedar (or eucalyptus or any green branches) can be a very cheap substitute for amping up the styling. I promise it’s SO EASY.

You can put it on shelving, credenzas, coffee tables, mantels even hang it on art, like Jess did.

4. Fairy lights will light up your holiday decor and life

Just put them on those cedar branches (or even a houseplant if it’s appropriate) for instant holiday ambiance, which is all we really want, right?

Arlyn even put them in her non-working fireplace. Like why not??

5. Red…it may be obvious but totally undervalued

You don’t need a ton of it. Bring in big bursts of this color in large ornaments, ribbon, bows, or wrapping paper. Yes, you can buy a poinsettia, just consider taking it out of its plastic coat and putting it in a more modern vessel.

You can also throw that pop of red in a pillow, throw and/or small decorative figurines. And the best part is literally any style can handle red. Take the Portland house above. It’s a traditional space so we used a classic red. Then below in Jess’ modern apartment, she used a less traditional berry red. It’s festive but in a fresh different way.

Both have the perfect amount of punch for a little more holiday love.

Holiday decor doesn’t need to be expensive or a money suck. Look around at what you have and you most likely have all (or most) of what you need to add that extra layer of holiday cheer. I hope this was just the right amount of inspiration to make your holiday a little happier and cozier. Do you guys have any other easy, budget-friendly styling hacks to share? Let us know in the comments.

And if you are looking for even more holiday inspiration, here are some very helpful posts for you:

• #ShowEmYourHoliday: How You All Decorated For Christmas (Such Good Stuff, Folks)
• 7 New Ideas That’ll Shake Up Your Old Christmas Decor
• We Break It Down: How To Decorate For Christmas One Vignette At A Time
• 2019 Update: EHD-Approved Artificial Trees, Garland And All The Trimmings

The post My Favorite 5 Affordable (and Fast) Holiday Party Decorating Hacks appeared first on Emily Henderson.

from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/easy-holiday-decorating-ideas-2022