Expert Advice

6 Ways to Make Your Dining Room Look More Expensive

What do you find more rewarding: splurging on a luxury piece that you find really beautiful and worthwhile? Or finding a thrifty bargain and making it look luxe? I think both can feel sweetly satisfying, but I’ve always admired people who can achieve the latter. Whether it’s the perfect thrifted leather jacket or flea market rug, […]

A Different Take on a Nursery

If you’re decorating a nursery for the first time, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by all of the new decisions to be made. Serena Dugan, a mother of two and the chief creative officer of Serena and Lily, says “the hardest thing is that new parents feel restricted by what’s ‘functional’ because it’s all […]

9 Ways to Make Your Home Cozier for Fall

It may have been 87 degrees in Austin this week, but that’s not holding me back from wanting to surround myself with all things comforting and cozy. I’m ready to roast vegetables and don a cape, but since our weather hasn’t quite caught up I’ve been finding ways to make my home look and feel the part. Whether you live […]

8 Spooky Pieces that Look Great All Year

If I had the storage, I’d be swapping out my decor with every season and holiday. But even if you’re tight on space (or budget), you can still embrace the year’s most supernatural holiday – you just have to get a little creative. As tempting as it can be to deck the house out in skulls […]

Are You a Countertop Maximalist or Minimalist?

My best friend is a countertop minimalist, while her boyfriend is a countertop maximalist. As you can imagine we’ve discussed at length the pros and cons of each, and I’ve landed squarely in her court (no surprise). I don’t have miles of countertop space to work with in my kitchen, so I like to keep […]

How to Make Your Bathroom Feel Like New

We spend so much time designing our living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms, but when it comes to the bathroom we usually pick a shower curtain, a bathmat, and call it a day. It doesn’t help that the bathroom decor section of most stores consists of unattractive matching sets of soap dishes and toothbrush holders […]

Are Hats the New Gallery Wall?

Gallery walls can be an intimidating project to start because as we all know, the best collections are acquired over time. And finding the art is just the first step. You still have to frame it all in a coordinated fashion and arrange and hang them in a formation that’s pleasing to the eye. So if, like […]

A Little Bit Rock N Roll

The only thing more satisfying than finding photos of a jaw dropping home? Seeing the before photos. This home’s before photos weren’t particularly offensive, it looked quite nice actually, but Amber Lewis’s design touch made for a stunning after. Homeowner Susan Anderson said she wanted “a casual California aesthetic with rock ’n’ roll undertones,” and now I’m totally convinced […]

Is Open Shelving Right for You?

I recently took the doors off of my kitchen cabinets. After years of fantasizing about what it would be like to have open shelving in my kitchen, I grabbed a screw driver and removed a couple of screws on each hinge – voila! Open shelving. They’re not true open shelves, and you can still see the […]

Do You Want Your Home to Feel Like a Hotel?

A common phrase I hear when people talk about decorating their homes is “I want it to look like a hotel.” I can relate, I’ve spent years making my bed as big, white and fluffy as I can; one that I can collapse into at the end of a long day. Hotels can feel so luxurious […]

Is Midcentury Modern Played Out?

Lately I’ve been on a mission to find inspiring rooms free of the ubiquitous tulip tables, matchtstick legs, fiberglass chairs. And can I tell you, it’s been very difficult! So seeing this French inspired rustic kitchen felt like a breath of fresh air for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love a leather Eames Lounge just […]

Moroccan Staycation

Lately I’ve been overscheduling myself on weekends, leaving me with low energy levels as I head into the workweek. As satisfying and productive as it feels to add tick marks to my project and to-do lists, I’m focusing on ways to unwind at home for a classic staycation. Right now I’m inspired by the opulence of the El Fenn luxury hotel […]

Break with Convention

Growing up all of my design inspiration came from just two or three sources – the glossy magazines that arrived in the mailbox each month. Today, we have new and diverse images available to us daily from so many sources it can be overwhelming, yet it is still so easy to fall into the same habits. Subway […]

Butcher’s Block Table

You may have seen this kitchen and immediately started thinking of reasons you need a butcher’s block table. I know I did. For example, the wood is better for your knives as it won’t dull their edges. If you have a small kitchen, then the additional work space can be a welcome solution to limited […]

How to Personalize a Rental

“Rental kitchen.” Those two words can strike fear into the hearts of many renters. The kitchen can be one of the more restricting rooms in the house to decorate, depending on how obliging your landlord is, so it takes a special kind of ingenuity to show your personal style in a rental. Believe it or not […]

Take It Outside

Here in Texas there is a small window between sweater weather and too-hot-to-breathe. And that window is here! It’s time to head out to the patio, balcony, or garden with friends for a pitcher of margaritas and make-your-own nachos. If your outdoor space was a bit neglected during the winter months and could use some TLC, now’s the perfect […]

Get Sprung

One swipe through my Instagram feed and it’s immediately clear that spring is here. Pastels and  florals have officially taken over, but I must confess – that’s not my thing. You won’t find many pastels and floral prints in my neutral wardrobe or my home, but I still like to find ways to express my […]