Decorating is deeply personal—what delights one person can make another feel uneasy, frustrated, or just plain off. In this episode we talk about the little design quirks we avoid in our own home (from furniture arrangements to color combinations), share a wide range of sources for original art at many price points, and give a personal update about our beloved chihuahua. We also reveal a new trick for catching typos, and finally resolve the long-running question: which computer bag will John choose? Plus, enjoy a clip of the wonderfully chaotic Drunk House Love.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen to it from the embedded player below. Use this page to follow any links, notes, or photos we mention. Note: if you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the audio player.
What’s New
- That painting above is one we picked up at Homearama, the annual showhouse event. It’s by Rita Driscoll from Yellow Door Art RVA and made a lovely statement in our space.
- We also found some small, inexpensive pieces that delighted Sherry—sometimes inexpensive art is the perfect way to fill a wall without breaking the bank.
- Sherry pulled a few pages from a recent Real Simple and framed them quickly; it’s an easy way to create unique, budget-friendly artwork.
For tips on finding or making affordable art when you’re in the “fill the walls” phase, check out our earlier episode where we round up inexpensive wall-fillers and mood-board ideas for large surfaces.
- We’ve also shared a post featuring art we love, including a commissioned portrait we had done by a talented neighbor. That roundup includes a variety of shop and artist options at different price points.
- Here’s a photo of Burger before surgery — not thrilled about the doggy ice cream he was offered, and you can see the eye mass that needed to be removed. We’ll post another photo once he’s fully recovered and feeling like himself again.
Updates
- Thanks to many recommendations from listeners, I chose the eBag Professional Slim Laptop Bag in Heathered Grey (it has a cheerful orange interior). I’ll share a photo of me wearing it on our next trip.
- Another frequently suggested brand was Timbuk2, which offers many solid laptop bag options.
- And Jansport now has sleeker, more laptop-friendly backpacks, so some of the old favorites have been refreshed for modern needs.
What’s Not
- If you’re curious about appearing on TV, the Be on HGTV page lists casting calls for several shows. Also, we were surprised to learn that Love Yurts is already airing on DIY Network—definitely catching up on that one.
- We can’t resist dreaming about a Modpool, so we shared a short video that shows how these heated, compact pools made from shipping containers work.
Design Neuroses
- One recurring theme is Sherry’s desire to align books and frames precisely with the edges of surfaces rather than angling them. Our showhouse living room offers a clear example of that preference.
- We also shared a recent photo from the beach house breakfast nook—imagine a pendant centered in that doorway for the perfect visual balance.
- Another image shows the kitchen layout where placing the fridge and dishwasher in an alternate spot would make them visible from the front door. We’re glad we chose the configuration we did, which keeps the entry sightlines clean.
- We also mentioned our preferred LED bulb that casts a soft white light and is comfortable for sensitive eyes.
We’re Digging
- For listeners who liked our past book-club pick The Kind Worth Killing, Sherry recommends several Liane Moriarty novels. Her favorites include What Alice Forgot and The Husband’s Secret; she’s also looking forward to reading Truly Madly Guilty and The Last Anniversary.
- We also recommend Grammarly as a quick, easy tool to catch typos—either via the browser extension or by copying and pasting text into their web checker.
If you want to revisit previous recommendations from the show, we keep a master list of everything we’ve shared across past episodes so you can find older favorites quickly.
Finally, thank you to Thomas Avenue Ceramics for sponsoring this episode. They offer beautiful tile options with convenient delivery, and Sherry curated 10 favorite picks from their collections. Use the discount code provided during the episode to save on your first order.
Thanks for listening and following along.
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