Q: I have an idea for a blog post. “Design mistakes we won’t make again.” As I look through pictures of all the beautiful work you’ve done, I’m thinking of choosing many similar styles & purchases. But then I wonder, over time – did you ever regret a design choice? – Shannon
A: That’s a good one. And now for 1,970 words on the subject. We’ll start by saying that we definitely don’t always know what we’re doing when we do something (us = so not experts) so we just try to take things one day at a time and learn as we go. We make tons of mistakes. You’ve just gotta feel your way around and course-correct along the way.
The reality is that doing something, even if it’s a bad something, is so much more of a learning experience than doing nothing and being frozen in indecision (which never really gets your house anywhere). So here are a few live-and-learn mistakes of ours that come to mind:
1. Buying an expensive-for-us Pottery Barn sofa. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to buy a sofa without seeing it in person (and sitting down on that baby). The reason we got a PB one for our first house’s den was because we ordered a cheaper sofa from target.com and then it arrived and it was terrible. The scale and proportion was all wrong and it was hard as a rock. Thankfully it was fully returnable, but we were left feeling like “maybe you have to spend a lot on something to get something good” so we saved up and ordered the PB Basic sofa after sitting on it in the store (to the tune of around $1300 with delivery at the time).
But in all of the 3+ years that we spent with it, we never really loved it. It’s totally just one of those personal preference things but it always felt kind of baggy and frumpy. Here’s a less glamorous glimpse of those top cushions from this old old old post from back in the day:
It just never felt/looked as nice as the living room sofa that we actually paid $400 less for from Rowe (read about that here). Even Karl the sectional (who is three times bigger) was less expensive! He’s also more comfy and looks more like “us” than our old PB sofa (which we craigslisted for $500 before the big move). So I guess the lesson that we learned was that just because something is more expensive, it’s not always better.
2. Black trim in the bathroom. Bad idea. But I’m glad we tried it. I had this cool graphic Domino vision and it was not just working. But it only took about two hours to paint it…
… and then unpaint it. And it didn’t hurt to eliminate a few other odd items like the blue plastic shower curtain, my blue pashmina window treatment (that was definitely a work with whatcha got oddity), and those funny old shutters on the windows (among other things).
So the black trim was definitely a mistake worth making, just to learn that it wasn’t the right move so we could get past it and find out what we really liked. Turned out white on white on white made for a nice spa like effect until we could reno the entire bathroom (up close the original tile was a disaster, so it sadly couldn’t be saved).
3. Not bringing enough furniture into a room. Like our stark and completely non-functional living room in the early days:
This mistake was pretty easy to remedy over time. We just saved our pennies and slowly added items to fill out the long skinny never-used-it-at-all room. Here’s here’s how it looked a few years into the whole evolution (adding a dining area off of the kitchen was a lot more functional, so we used the room a lot more).
4. Going too crazy with our whole house color scheme. At first we thought every room called for a different color of the rainbow- read more about that here).
The black trim bathroom debacle taught us to try something, even if it doesn’t always work out. And this is more of that lesson. Slowly over time we tried a bunch of colors, identified the ones we loved best, painted over the rest, and ended up with a sea-glass inspired palette for our first house that was really welcoming and serene.
For our current house we’re in the mood for something a bit more moody, risky, and sophisticated (who wants to clone the same house twice?). Could be awesome. Might suck. Only time will tell!
5. Dinky, not-big-enough items. Even if your space is small, we’ve learned that lots of small furniture or art & accessories can actually make it feel smaller (and more cluttered) – at least through our eyes. Yup, we’re definitely fans of a nicely sized sofa or a large scale art item to add a little something extra. Some might say we like things too big (that’s what she said), but the drama of a giant light fixture, like this one in our current bedroom…
… or an oversized vase, like this one in our hallway…
… seems to add interest and presence to spaces that might not feel as special without them. Whatever tickles your pickle I guess (one more time, that’s what she said). Of course when Clara gets a little bigger we might have to nix the giant glass objects, but we’ll cross that bridge hide that vase when we get there. Ha.
6. Growing grass everywhere. A bag of grass seed is definitely cheaper than a bunch of bushes, and the easy-care regional grass that we use doesn’t need much water or weeding once it’s established (we don’t use fertilizer or sprinklers or anything). But it’s still a lot to mow. It used to take John at least an hour and a half to mow the front and back yards of our first house. And in the summer it would grow like crazy so it definitely ate into our “fun family time.”
Keeping a more naturalized landscape with a few areas of grass for the pup and the kiddo(s) is more of the plan when it comes to this house. So we’ll definitely add some grass in a few places for t-ball and picnics, but we hope to leave other areas au naturale (and add low maintenance wildflowers, grasses, ground cover, etc).
7. Not relying enough on craigslist and thrift stores for furnishings. Some of our favorite items, like our old living room coffee table (which is now being borrowed by John’s parents), the white slipcovered chair from the den (which now lives in the sunroom), the white pedestal table from our old sunroom (which now sits in the living room by the window) and Clara’s old dresser (which still resides in her room) are secondhand finds that cost less than $30 each. Yup, we paid under $120 for a giant 6-drawer dresser, a large white pedestal table, a crisp slipcovered armchair, and a two tiered glass and iron coffee table. Insanity.
We’re so glad we didn’t end up dropping $200+ for each thing from a big box store. And since moving into our new house we’ve added eight dining chairs from craigslist (scored for just $25 a pop) along with two $35 chairs from a secondhand shop, and all of the fun thrifted finds seen here. Secondhand treasures = yes please.
8. Not building things. It’s not that hard. Even though we’re the first to admit that it sounds intimidating (it took us three months to work up the nerve to tackle our latest build). But everything from our custom door-topped desk and our postcard shelves to the book ledges that John made in the nursery were so affordable and doable when we think back.
And now that John’s tackling our 140″ console table (he’s still hard at work – details soon). There’s something sweet and poetic about making furniture together at home (even if you’re just the cheerleader, and even better if you’re the one slinging the drill). Petersik-style romance is building something under your own roof (or outside in the yard). Sawdust + teamwork (even if it’s just me watching Clara and cheering John on while he works) = amore.
9. The whole matchy-matchy crime. In our first house we learned that we love a mixture of dark wood and white painted pieces along with brown faux leather upholstery mixed with white slipcovers and and even a few soft painted pieces (like a celery toned bookcase or bench). And in our current place we’re having fun switching things up by adding more boldness, different wood tones, and even things like gray beams or deep saturated walls. But one thing’s for sure. We’ll never have a room full of furnishings that are all the exact same wood tone or the same upholstery fabric. It’s just too much fun to switch it up with things like a green luggage-rack-turned-side-table (see how we DIYed that here)…
… or create a two-tone dresser like Clara’s (that we DIYed here).
10. Buying things that don’t work with anything else in our house. We thankfully never bought a giant piece of furniture that didn’t fit in with anything else that we own (other than the PB sofa we never really loved), but we’ve definitely picked up pillows and accessories that never felt quite right with other items in our house (and eventually they made it into the Goodwill/yard sale pile). Read more about trying to avoid grabbing tons of stuff that doesn’t work with the rest of the stuff that you already have here.
11. Refinishing the floors of our first house with traditional materials like oil-based stain and polyurethane. It stunk for months. We both got headaches for weeks and it felt really unhealthy, even though we ran fans and cracked windows (even in the dead of winter). Thank goodness it was two years before Clara was born (read more about that floor refinishing process here and here).
Moving forward we’d only use green products like just-as-amazing water based stain and eco sealants that aren’t full of nasty VOCs and odors that hang in the air for months on end (a local place called Eco Logic here in Richmond sells that stuff, which we plan to use when we redo our floors someday).
12. Buying a boob lights (yes, that’s a technical term). Or buying any interim item for that matter. For us it’s usually best just to wait and get something amazing that we love when we can afford it instead of rushing to buy something just to fill space until the real purchase is made later (read more on that here). We bought a boob light for something like $10 to get rid of the old never-used ceiling fan in our first house’s tiny guest bedroom.
The switch instantly made the small space feel ten times bigger, but we later switched El Boob out for a nicer long term fixture (learn how we made it here):
So if we really plan things out we’ve learned that we can save a step or two (and some money, even if it’s only $10) and not introduce boob lights to begin with. Or any other just-for-now-and-we’ll-upgrade-later item.
And so ends our little hope-we-don’t-make-these-mistakes-again-but-will-probably-make-others roundup. Of course all of these “errors” are subjective. You know what they say: “one man’s decorating ooops is another man’s decorating booyah.” Wait they don’t say that? Oh well. These are just a few of the things that came to mind when we looked back and tried to come up with “stuff we don’t wanna do again.” We’re sure there are probably fifty other decorating and renovating whoopsies looming in our future. But I guess I’ll be corny and say whisper “bring it on.” How else will we learn what we love (and don’t) if not by trial and error? Happy mistake making to one and all!
Update – Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint colors we used? Just click on this button:
Newness says
Co signing whole heartedly on no interim items. I did that when I first bought my house but no more. I think I’ve finally learned my lesson by purchashing waaaay too many shower curtains and window treatments I don’t like. Now they sit :| Thinking I may make them into pillow covers or something for the guest room. I hate to waste.
Faith says
This post was amazing…I’m currently stuck on a room and feeling the pressure to just hurry up and get it done! I saw myself in so many of these mistakes and was reminded to slow down, find what I love, and not worry about the small lessons along the way. Thanks!
Kymberly says
Our playroom has black trim!!! I hate it!
I love how you guys don’t hide the progress and ups and downs. Your a real inspiration.
Christy says
Love the drum shade light that you made! I’m running home to see what size drum shade I would need for my boob light. Is it 5 o-clock yet??
Reese Burdine says
I notices you ave a very simple crib set for Clara. Why is it that you opted out on getting the bumpers?
YoungHouseLove says
We just followed the what our doc recommended (bumpers are considered to be a suffocation hazard by the American Academy of Pediatrics). She has seemed to really like her fitted blue sheet and sleeps, well, like a baby. Haha.
xo,
s
Kymberly says
Oh ya’ll should totally look into building a play kitchen for Clara. “We” (DH) is building one now based off this ikea hack.
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/how-to/how-to-build-a-play-kitchen-from-ikea-components-066719
YoungHouseLove says
Adorable! I’m dying to DIY a play kitchen for her!
xo,
s
Amy @ larryspearslive.com says
Enjoyed this post! Great reminder about the “matchy – matchy” stuff. Sometimes there’s a gray area that I get caught in between being too matchy and being too un-matchy. I think your guest bedroom is great inspiration to solve this conundrum for me.
Amanda says
Great post! We built our first house and now we’re in the process of selling before we buy/build another. You’ve inspired me to make a list of things I tried that I DON’T want to do again (e.g., not attempting to make my colors flow, picking out carpet WITHOUT my paint samples–bad idea, not investing in slipcovers to hide, er, tie in our hid-e-oderous second-hand couches) in our next place, wherever it may be! Thanks for being willing to share your failures as well as your triumphs. It makes me less afraid of risk taking. :)
Anne says
Love this post! Thanks for pointing these things out– definitely helpful. I have a question about flooring (either for you or anyone else who cares to answer). We’re about to re-do both bathrooms in our house, one upstairs and one downstairs. We’re on a small budget and want to do something classic and timeless. Do you think it’s weird to have two bathrooms with the same tile on the walls (e.g. white subway tile)? How about very similar floors? I realize we could get creative but we keep being drawn to the same thing.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Lots of people intentionally go that route to keep things cohesive so it definitely won’t look weird! And you can use wall paint and accessories like towels and the shower curtain to make them feel different enough that no one will think they’re clones of each other or something!
xo,
s
Anne says
Thanks! I guess we’ve been waiting so long to do this that I’m almost paralyzed with the choices. The last thing we want to do is to go through all this effort and money and end up with it looking builder’s grade :)
Erin says
Along the lines of “buying interim items”, one pet peeve of mine is when people don’t decorate or try to incorporate their personal touch in their apartment or rental homes because its not their “forever home” or because “we are only going to be there a year”. Your home – either rented or owned – should be your sanctuary and a reflection of you -even if you are only going to be there a short while.
There are PLENTY of ways to put your mark on your temporarily abode. Staring at blank walls or keeping all your items in storage boxes is not fun or calming. And most certainly not a place I want to come home to day after day.
Julie says
I’ve had many happy memories in my totally un-personalized, totally ugly, temporary apartments! Personally I just didn’t have the energy to put a ton of effort into a home I was probably going to be in less than a year. Or money – most of my temporary places were when I was a student and (literally) did not have a dollar to spare. Even though I look back at pictures of my ugly apartments now and shudder, I honestly don’t think it bothered me at the time. But – to each their own!
Mel V. says
I’ve lived in a couple of apartments that I had no desire to stay in long term – not bad places, just not home in any meaningful sense. It would have felt forced and strange to decorate and put up curtains and try to feel at home, I was actually more comfortable just letting it look like a dorm room. When I moved into my current apartment it immediately felt like home, and I had curtains up within two weeks.
Caitlin says
As a military spouse, we move a LOT. I lived in North Carolina for the last two years, moved to Oklahoma a month ago and will move again in September to parts unknown.
Obviously, this makes it difficult sometimes to commit to expensive furnishings that might not work in you next place and a lot of times you can’t paint the wall, etc.
That being said, I like to make every place we live in feel like home by unpacking everything that will fit in the house (unfortunately a lot of stuff has to stay in storage this time around) and hanging curtains, etc.
I’d love a post about making a temporary house feel like home. Also if anyone knows of any blogs about decorating for military families or those who move a lot that would be great!
I’d love a post about ideas
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Caitlin,
Check out our Apartment and Dorm category on our Projects page (see that tab under the header?) for not just one post on the subject but a bunch! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Alison says
can’t help it – I LOVE BOOB LIGHTS!!! Oh the shame. ;)
Sarah says
I especially like how you made sure your handsoap even matched the curtain & scarf. that is a nice touch. :)
Traci says
I have SO MUCH trouble with paint colors. I will probably copy your paint scheme because I love it!
AE says
I’ve been a long time lurker fan, and I thought I’d finally jump in and comment! Your “mistake” no. 1 had me thinking about how I buy furniture. We just recently moved into a new house and needed/need lots of new furniture. Anyway, not sure if you are familiar with buying furniture direct, but I highly recommend it for the savings. There are some big hassle down sides to it (waiting a lifetime for your furniture, inflexible delivery options, etc), but I find that the savings are worth it. Anyway, there are a ton of places near you (North Carolina) that do this since many of the furniture manufacturers are there, and it’s a way of get really high quality named brand furniture (my favorites being Bernhardt, Stanley, and Drexel) often for less than what you’d pay at a place like PB or CB for not as good stuff. Since the lead time on the furniture is ridiculously long, I’ve mostly been buying non-essential pieces this way, i.e., furniture I’m trying to replace (so I have a substitute in the mean time) or for rooms that don’t get a ton of use (guest room, etc.). I’m a big bargain hunter, but at the same time, I do believe in investing in some nice pieces. So, sometimes I’m willing to be really patient in order to get high quality at a bargain price. Anyway, thanks for sharing all your experiences in decorating. I look forward to reading your blog daily.
RLB says
You guys are on a roll. Your past few posts have been chock full of interesting news and items. The console project kick-off, the selling of John’s parent’s house and accompanying painting, and now this great post prompted by Shannon have all captured my interest. Thank you!
Kirsten says
Fantastic advice – especially about not purchasing interim items. We’re moving into a rather large new house and it’s hard to not buy things just to fill it.
The boob light comment cracked me up – we’ve always called them that as well. Our new house has a total of 8 of these and they have an “antiqued” yellowish glass which makes them look even more like boobs than the ones in our apartment. Truly awful! I want to replace them and was probably just going to swap them for more modern nickel boob lights, but your post has led me to reconsider.
Suzannah says
Hahaha! I bought a boob light awhile back too. I was so proud of my new light fixture until my husband came home and announced that it looked like a boob. I had to agree. :(
No more boob lights in the house.
Bethie says
Typo alert in mistake #4. I think you meant “black trim” not “back trim”.
Great post either way though. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! Fixed.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Have you guys ever tried working with metallic paints or glazes? I have an old bookshelf that I would like to paint a metallic pearly-light gray. I’ve done some research but wondered if you have an experience. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
We haven’t tackled that yet but we got lots of good suggestions from people in the comment section of this post, so maybe they’ll help. Good luck!
xo,
s
K says
I’m in the midst of recovering my home from a color-craze from when we moved into our house 3.5 years ago. The kitchen is RED right now and I am happy to be painting over it (as well as the dark tan in the adjoining living room and hallway) with a nice neutral grey (with a slight tint of green).
jbhat says
Such good advice. Thanks!
jbhat
Carla says
Great post! Lots of great advice. I have learned that mistakes are just part of being a DIY homeowner, and as a perfectionist that lesson isn’t always easy. This tips are great to keep in mind, I would add: if you are drawn to warm colors don’t try to force yourself into cool ones or vice versa.
Lindsey Daniels says
Thanks for the great post!
On a side note, where did you get the graphic throw pillows on your Pottery Barn sofa? Super cute :)
YoungHouseLove says
Those were from Target a while back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kate says
Bahahahah!! El Boob. Hilar.
Chaucea says
“Doing something, even if it’s a bad something is so much more of a learning experience than doing nothing and being frozen in indecision.”
Yah know what? I wrote your quote down, and have it posted on my fridge now. Your way of wording it was really powerful and timely for me–you said it in just the right way.
I will see that quote every day and it will remind me to conquer indecision-paralysis by Doing Something™!
Thank you for your awesomely-stated words of inspiration! :-D
YoungHouseLove says
Wow – I’m all awkward and blushey over here. So glad to help!
xo,
s
Elisabeth@ArtsyBetsy says
I wholeheartedly agree! Great quote. I read your post this morning and that quote has stuck with me all day, thanks :)
almk42 says
Speaking of boobie lights, Ohdeedoh just posted a tutorial for how to replace the globe and nipple to make them personalized:
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/brass-flush-mount-ceiling-light-makeoverbefore-after-143466
Kari says
I am so glad I’m not the only one that reads “that’s what she said” moments! LOVE that you just go ahead and say what some (or most?) of us are thinking!!!
And, thanks again for keeping it real with us! It is so helpful to learn from others what they would/would not do again.
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
Great post!! I think a lot of us can totally relate.
carolinaheartstrings says
Great post. Good advice as always. You two rock!
Sandy says
We call them boob-lights too! And, I am definitely trying to get them out of my current home. And, thanks for the lead on Eco Logic. I will check them out this weekend!
Katie says
we recently bought a PB sofa (different from yours) and I am absolutely tickled with it! because its comfy, but mostly because of the price…originally $1100, final price $380! 2 months before moving, I put put the model of the sofa in a neutral color (that I’d been drooling over) on my “wishlist” at the PB outlet. (they keep your name in a book with what you are looking for and call you when it comes in, with no obligation to buy) Ours gets a ton of furniture, and so its only a matter of time til the pieces we “love” come through. It came it to the outlet for $700, during a 25% off furniture sale (525), and we used the outlet coupon for addition 20% off one item ($420), and had $40 of PB “Cash” from my parents. Yet another place for those who are furniture shopping…
YoungHouseLove says
Woah – that is amazing. Holy cow, what a score!
xo,
s
Wynnie says
Something I try to remember when shopping is if you buy it right then you only buy it once. I find myself going for something that I’m not totally in love with just because the price is right, then I get home and wish I would have spent a little more and got what I really loved.
Suzanne says
When you were summing up your post, it made me think of the kids book – Beautiful Oops. Check it out on Amazon – very cute for kids and adults! Great post.
YoungHouseLove says
Off to check it out!
xo,
s
andrea worley says
I really enjoyed reading this post! I couldn’t agree more with some of the items on the list! In our first home I feel like we did a lot of “interium” things that moving forward I won’t do again. We’ve def. learned not to buy something unless we really, really love it. we don’t want to be wasting anymore moo lah!
Brittany says
So I definitely thought that I was the only person who called those light fixtures boob lights. I’m happy to know that I’m not alone.
I think it takes the irony to a whole new level when they named the long round screw-type object that you connect the globe to, a nipple. I actually added drum shades over my already existing “boob lights” and had to get steel nipple extensions to make it work. Do you know how awkward it is to ask the sales Rep at Home Depot if they have “steel nipples”? haha
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, never thought about it that way, but it is indeed hilariously awkward.
xo,
s
Taylor says
Never thought I would see the words boob and boobies so much on YHL. Mix that with the TWSS jokes… Love it.
Great Post!
AJ says
I just recently started following your blog and I am definitely in love. You guys are so cool (I feel so corny saying that but seriously).
Anyway, I love that you call the ugly light fixtures boob lights. I hate them and pointed out their design inspiration to my husband as well. Thanks for the great tips and constant inspiration!
amanda says
I have a random question – that doesn’t have much to do with this post… I know you have a flip video camera and a mac. Do you have to convert the imported flip video to edit it in imovie (if so what converter do you use and what do you convert to)? I’m thinking of buying a flip but I want to make sure that it’s compatible with my macbook and its editing software first. Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
We just have to import the video into iMovie so it’s really easy. No converting necessary. We just plug in the Flip, upload it to FlipShare (which is software that comes with the Flip), then once it’s uploaded we go to iMovie and click “import.” Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kat @ Withywindle says
Here’s a random question regarding Craigslist:
How do you get the stuff home? My husband is convinced we need to sell my car and buy a truck (*ahem* he is dying for a truck) to get our buys to the house.
I know you borrowed a car for the chairs. Do you manage to fit everything else in your car?
I just have a Beetle. It’s mighty, but certainly couldn’t fit any large pieces of furniture.
YoungHouseLove says
We usually have to borrow an SUV from John’s sister to get large items home but occasionally we can squeeze them into the Altima and have even rented a truck for $19 from Home Depot or UHaul on one or two occasions. That seems more cost effective on those rare occasions than driving around a huge car all the time. It really depends how much hauling you’ll be doing and how it fits into your lifestyle I think! We love having a small car that gets great gas mileage.
xo,
s
Sarah says
I’m a new transplant to your neighboring town of Charlottesville, and I’d love to hear what sort of grass seed you recommend. We’re doing our best to minimize mowing too, but right now our small lawn is mostly weeds. Could you share the name of the easy-care regional grass you mentioned in the post?
YoungHouseLove says
We used some sort of Scott’s Virginia blend from Home Depot (it’s good in sun and part shade and we found that it needed very little maintenance – just mowing – once it was established). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Gina says
My husband and I have called them boob lights for years and finally we know that other people have laid in a bed, looked up and thought, “there is a boob on my ceiling.”
Glad to see that you two are making bold steps in the design of your new home! I’m trying to do the same without over doing it.
Leslie says
http://thedecorologist.com/wp/why-men-fear-painting-wood
I’m being a bit of a watchdog, but did this decorator get your permission to use your photos of your living room renovation? There aren’t any links or credits given to you, and since she makes money from her business, I felt it wrong to post them under somewhat of a guise that she did the designing for the room. I’ve followed your blog for two years, so I was perturbed when I happened across this!
Check it out!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the heads up Leslie! At the very bottom of the post it looks like she does credit us for the images! Whew.
xo,
s
Leslie says
Whoops!
“Photo Credits: CoHoMdUS, The Decorologist (2,3,6,7,11,12), HowStuffWorks, GraphicsSoft, YoungHouseLove (8,9), Country Living, Flickr, MyHomeIdeas.”
I stand corrected: there were tiny credits at the very bottom of the post. How do you guys feel about this kind of thing? I’ve noticed how responsible and open you are about your soure, providing credit and direct links, so I was curious.
Leslie says
Holy cow! You really are on top of answering posts! You replied before I typed up my “whoops”! Impressive!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, sometimes we’re on it! And other times we’re laughably slow. Haha. As for photo credits, we definitely prefer a little link love, but a source credit like hers with our url typed out still works for us. It only really bothers us when someone is trying to create the illusion that our images are theirs (by putting them in their design portfolio for example) because it just feels so shady to get clients using someone else’s work. Generally that’s not the case though (thank goodness) and it’s all good!
xo,
s
Rosie says
I think this is one of my favorite post of yours. I’m currently redecorating our master bedroom (after 12 years – blah!) and every day I have to remind myself that it will be beautiful if I save for what I truly want rather than run out and fill the space with an “interim item.” (Much like finding a man: waiting for Mr. Right instead of settling for Mr. He was on Sale.
joell says
Hi! This has nothing to do with this post, but I saw this and it reminds me of you guys.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68140864/world-map-giant-organic-cotton-cushion have a good day!
YoungHouseLove says
So in love! Thanks for the eye candy!
xo,
s
April says
Regarding #7…how do you address the whole bedbug issue when you bring used furniture into your house?
I am a starving college student who’s sick of not having any comfortable chairs to sit on in my room, but there’s no way I’m going to shell out the cash for new furniture now (even if I HAD the cash, which I don’t). I was ogling a club chair at Crate & Barrel yesterday, but $700? PLEASE. Just no.
YoungHouseLove says
John had a bedbug nightmare back when we lived in NY (it was pre-dating-me thank goodness or I might have gone crazy) but needless to say it was harrowing and agonizing for him, so we’re reeeeeeeeally careful. Basically bedbugs like small cavities in fabric (they don’t really live on slipper hard things like wood chairs, and are found more in upholstered chairs and mattresses) so John always looks for signs of bedbugs (you can google around for that info, there are blood dots, actual bugs themselves, and their poop to be found if they’re around – beyond gross!) and we even go as far as to put things outside in the freezing cold during (these chairs were contained in an unheated outdoor storage container and the temps overnight were well under 30 degrees in the last month before we picked them up) since bedbugs can’t survive in extreme cold (sticking pillows in the freezer is a way to kill them). Just google around for more info and details, but since they’re visible to the naked eye (along with their “evidence” it’s pretty easy to detect them if you’re thorough (or ensure they’re not there). Good luck!
xo,
s
Kristen says
I just have to say I love that you call this a boob light. I have always called them that – they freak me out. I too am guilty of purchasing them to fill up spare, hardly used bedrooms in leiu of a more expensive light fixture.
Jessica says
Call me crazy but I like boob lights(don’t have any but they don’t strike me as offensive)… not so much the name but just the light. Although I also like Rooms-to-go and contractors beige paint. *gasp* haha I don’t think I belong to all these blogs I read but I still learn so much! Love you guys!! Great post!
Jenna says
Thanks so much for this post (all 2,000 or so words of it)! It’s so nice to hear tips from people who have tried things out before you.
I thought my husband was the only one that called those types of fixtures “boob lights,” guess I was wrong! ;) Looks like he’s in good company!