I’m seeing stripes everywhere! What’s more, they’re making everything really cute. The same could easily be said about checks—especially gingham, to use a more countrified term. Stripes are an important design element in our country’s flag, and gingham is America’s favorite adopted fabric, so let’s call this an early 4th of July tribute.

Multi-stripe upholstered bed frame paired with velvet end-of-bed bench and a companionable checked armchair. (Photo: Andrew Howard Interior Design)

Stripes are associated with lots of cheery things, like cabanas and beach towels, rugby players and refs. They enjoyed renewed popularity in two distinctly troubling times— the Great Depression and, um, right now, purported to turn people’s minds from the dark and scary.

Despite their “in your face” reputation, stripes are surprisingly good playmates with other patterns and colors. A recent tribute to stripes in the New York Times included this comment from Katherine Finder, the chief merchandising officer for Anthropologie’s home division: “It’s a step up from a solid, but it’s a version of a solid.”

Striped Goods

Now that you’re thinking about them, my guess is you’ll start seeing some irresistible pieces to sprinkle around your own house. Here are a few striped goodies that got me smiling.

Hand-painted stripes adorn these generous-sized mugs with accompanying serving plates. Made by Jesabilsegundo. (Photo: Etsy)

Pembroke Stripe linen bedding shown here in Elderberry. (Photo: Piglet in Bed)

The French have a thing for stripes. In the south, you’ve got the bright seven-colored patterns of Basque as well as subtler “sunwashed” stripes of Provence. Brittany’s navy and white stripes up north go back to the Napoleonic era, each of the 21 stripes representing the battles he had won.

Smitten with these linen panels in a Provençale pattern of cherry-red stripes on natural background from Forest and Linen.

How about something more abstract and modern? When you really start looking you’ll notice that stripes form the basis for so many patterns, from plaid to grid to contrasting borders.

A sleek sculptural vase enhanced by crisp black and white stripes that expand with the contours of the vessel. (Photo: Wayfair)

Checks all the boxes

Did you know that gingham began its life as stripes? The pattern is attributed to Malaysian weavers in the 17th century, who called it “genggang,” which essentially translates to straight, or stripe. Somewhere along the way, via the Dutch and the British, these stripes morphed into a yarn-died reversible pattern that appears like basket weave. Intricate dark, light, and interwoven threads make it the modern gingham we know today.

Striped or checked? You could argue both ways on this handsome Berkshire rug from Scout and Nimble.

The sturdy cotton threads used in the early ginghams created a fabric that withstood wear and tear. Probably why it is strongly associated with farming and rural life (think Dorothy in Kansas).

Natural and indigo gingham tablecloth made from khadi (fabric woven by hand and using hand-spun yarn) from Auntie Oti.

Moving beyond gingham you have the checkerboard checked pattern. And you can’t mention the checkerboard pattern without including Mackenzie Childs. The bright, almost cartoonlike designs of this company have fervent followers.

Mackenzie Childs turns a simple checkerboard pattern into something extraordinary, from table lamps to bathroom accessories.

And for the grand finale, one of my favorite checked patterns: houndstooth. Although houndstooth has arguably been somewhat overused of late, it still has the power to delight when done right.

Houndstooth upholstery is a genius choice for a good piece of furniture in this stunning black and white bedroom. (Photo: Decor Pad)

Follow the trail to a new piece in your favorite striped or checked pattern, or highlight a piece you already have. See if it doesn’t put a smile on your face.

Reddit user No-Lo9955 wanted to “kick it up a notch” and asked for ideas to make it a cozier space. So that’s what we are going to do here.

That rogue window isn’t doing this plain room any favors. We need to push things around a little bit in here.

My first thought was that the bed wasn’t doing anything for the room. The linens are nice but it could use a headboard with some decorative elements and height. I envisioned an interesting headboard with open spaces (like metal or rattan) instead of a dark block of wood. Painted wood designs would also be very pretty.

This stunning headboard doubles as an art piece and would liven things up. (Photo: Pandora’s)

On Nano Banana 2 AI image editing, I tried a few different prompts and came up with this.

I am a definite novice with Nano Banana’s AI tool and this result isn’t exactly what I wanted. The machine definitely had a mind of its own and decided to move the window to the center! But I think the decorative metal headboard centered between dainty nightstands is an improvement.

Below is an East Indian style rattan headboard that is tall, but still light and airy. With such a plain boxy room I think that more attention should be given to the bed since it is the largest furnishing and commands attention.

This bedroom (a real one) looks like it’s close in size to our case study. See how much spice the rattan headboard adds? A translucent curtain across the entire wall is a nice touch and would disguise the awkward window while allowing in light. (Photo: Hallstrom Home)

The bedroom also needs some spot lighting, such as a couple of pendant plug-in lamps in the corner, if it’s a rental. For an owned home, consider a wall sconce on each side of the bed and an upgraded central light fixture.

Better Bed Placement

Did you know that there are rules regarding bed placement? I knew about feng shui but I wasn’t as familiar with certain taboos in interior design.

Feng shui principles recommend that a bed be in “command” position, which means that you have a sightline to the door, on a diagonal. The entryway should be visible but not on a perfectly straight line. The head of the bed should not be placed next to an entryway.

Common advice from interior design circles advises against pushing the bed against the wall on its widest side unless it is a child’s room. You are supposed to keep your bed in the center of the room for balance and access. Hmmm.

For this room, I might flout the rules and experiment with placing the bed against the back wall. It would open up so much more space in the front.

You can kind of see what I mean in this bedroom. The bed’s widest side is placed against the wall, giving much more space in the room’s center. (Photo: Apartment Therapy)

The undersized window and its off-center placement is a real problem. You need to work with the left section of the wall to create more of a balance.

This configuration opens up an L-shaped space and makes the window placement feel a bit more intentional. (Photo: Sustain My Craft Habit)

One way to do this is to position the bed against the left-hand wall. Then, put a dresser under the window and a shelf tower to the right of the window so that it resembles built-ins.

This AI-generated room shows what I mean about surrounding the window with furnishings. You could probably get a built-in effect with a wider dresser that buts up against a similar-looking tall bookshelf.

Using Nano Banana again, I came up with this. The bed’s headboard should have been on the back wall, left of the window, but you get the idea.

With the right headboard style, experimenting with bed placement, new paint, spot lighting, compelling art work, and either a curtain wall or some built-ins around the single window, Hi-Lo9955 could bring a lot of beauty and character into her room.

In Places of Passage, even a hallway merits notice. Its maze of patterns and quirky details, such as a keyboard hung on the wall, exudes playfulness. Places of Passage, 2025. 16 1/4 x 12 1/2 inches; $1,775.

Let’s banish the idea that good art and art collecting is the exclusive purview of the very rich. You can find art that has both aesthetic and investment value within your price range. But it takes time. That’s why I am launching a regular post (once a month, with luck) to shine a light on an artist I think is great enough to invest in, and maybe under the radar enough to be affordable.

Here we go!

A background of sprightly lace and a woven pattern frames the scene of a dressmaker’s studio. Atelier, 2025. 44 x 54 inches; $9,200.

BA Thomas

An artist who hails from North Carolina, BA Thomas paints interior and exterior spaces so personal that they powerfully reflect the human element they were created for. She is in her early thirties and already has many shows and exhibitions under her belt. We saw her paintings in Paris last summer, at Brigitte Mulholland’s gallery in Paris.

Thomas paints scenes that make us the voyeurs, expected to observe the details that make it so fascinating. Maison Aline, 2025. 36 x 36 inches; $6,800.

“People love the whimsy and lightness in BA's work,” Mulholland says. “They are intimate and filled with a lot of details that create a really lovely atmosphere. I can't tell you how many times people have walked in and just instantly fallen in love with the work.”

It’s pretty much what happened to us. My daughter, in particular, spotted the paintings first and they appealed to her on a very deep level. We wandered around the gallery for at least an hour, taking them in. Thomas plays with spatial perspective and incorporates layers of color and texture in ways that strike you differently every time you look away and then back again. A writer in Artsuite describes Thomas’ technique like this:

“In her paintings, space breaks apart and behaves irrationally; objects tilt at strange angles as if seen from different viewpoints. The overall compositional perspective is slightly voyeuristic, akin to peering down into a dollhouse or theater set. The representation of space in Thomas’ work is at once confounding and familiar, both impossible and somehow believable.”

Another reason we like this artist is because her work celebrates interior spaces. She is not a realist by any stretch, but her immense attention to detail reveals a love for everyday objects—things perhaps we don’t always acknowledge but would certainly miss if they weren’t there.

It’s as if the monied client and the attentive shop clerk have exited the room just momentarily. Haute Couture, 2025. 54 x 40 inches; $8,800.

Thomas says she spends a lot of time observing interiors from all kinds of media, from Airbnb listings to magazines to her own drawings as she enounters places that speak to her. Often her paintings capture the essence of multiple places, which may explain the layered effect they have.

Reflections, repetition, point of view—all are captured dreamily in Thomas’s Building What Is Home, 2025. 12 x 9 1/4 inches; $1,385.

Thomas mentioned one of her most important sources for design is Ilse Crawford, a UK design firm dedicated to making “responsive homes that support and embrace people’s physical, emotional, and psychological wants and needs. For anyone who thinks about this essential relationship between place and person, Thomas’s painted scenes act as illustration. Sort of like your dreams made manifest.

Jennifer’s pretty little greenhouse has a powerful feature: a 55-gallon rain capture system (on the right).

Earth Day is observed by more than one billion people around the world. This year I hope that number increases, perhaps fueled by the images of “Earthset” taken from Orion during its far side of the moon journey. A planet worth cherishing, worth conserving.

This post is all about a small way to cherish your water. Water—where to find it, how to access it, how to conserve—has driven civilizations since the beginning of time. It’s a big topic so we’re just going to zoom in on one tiny piece: rain saving.

Please note: Rainwater harvesting in the United States is restricted in some states and often has rules against using it for bathing or drinking. This post is strictly focused on an under-2,000 gallon system for irrigation, which is legal and even encouraged in most areas.

I love this example from Jennifer Ainsworth (@jjays_greenhouse) and most of us could replicate it in the garage or a shed.

Her rainwater capture system uses gravity, gutters, a big container and a hose to create a free-flowing spigot, making it easy to irrigate her potted plants all year long.

Gravity flow is simply about positioning your gutters and your collection barrel so that the rainwater drains easily and doesn’t pool.

Ainsworth, a database manager in Wilmington, NC and mom to a ten-year old, wanted to try her hand at gardening “when she had some time.” That time didn’t come until 2020, when the pandemic forced non-essential workers to stay home. Jennifer had a shed but wanted to add a light-filled greenhouse onto it. She and her husband started collecting windows and built a custom greenhouse of their own design.

A Better Way to Water

After a year of experimenting and teaching herself about plant care, Jennifer’s success as a tropical plant grower increased significantly. She quickly filled her new greenhouse with potted tropicals, while at the same time planting exterior gardens including vegetable beds and a wildflower patch.

Soon the hand watering became an onerous task. “I was filling up watering cans to water everything, which wasn’t too bad when we first started, but it got old quickly,” Jennifer says. Her husband did a little research and decided to create a simple rain capture system.

There’s something deeply satisfying about tapping into rainwater with just a barrel and a hose.

The result was a game-changer. “We save time and energy,” Jennifer says. “The plants really thrive on the rainwater.”

The gutter is 20 feet long and the rain barrel holds 55 gallons. According to Ainsworth’s calculations, the system can collect as much as 2,000 gallons during the five-month rainy season.

Here’s how they did it.

Rainwater Capture System

What You’ll Need

• Rain barrel stand (bricks, cinderblocks, pressure-treated wood)

• Rain barrel

• Gutters

• Downspout

• Flexible gutter extension

• Garden hose

• Female hose adapter

• Spigot

Instructions

1. Choose a location for your rain barrel and stand. It should be close to the downspout from your gutters and on level ground.

   

2. Install the rain barrel stand. Make sure everything is level and stable. Then, place the rain barrel on top of the stand.

3. Install the gutters on your greenhouse roof if they’re not already in place. Ensure that they slope slightly towards the downspout.

   

4. Attach the flexible gutter extension to the downspout. You’ll want the end of the gutter extension directly over the opening on the top of the rain barrel. Ainsworth screwed the gutter extension to the top of the rain barrel, so it stays in place.

5. Cut the hose to the desired length. This hose will run from the rain barrel to the inside of your greenhouse.

   

6. Drill a hole, the size of your hose, through your greenhouse, to run the hose through.

7. Thread the hose inside the greenhouse and attach the female hose adapter to the end of the hose.

9. Attach the spigot and tighten securely.

   

10. Finally, make sure your spigot is in the closed position before the rain barrel fills up. Once the barrel is full, open the spigot and use the rainwater water as needed!

Most of the things in this room I already had. The curtains, Rachel Ashwell rug, and square pillows came from HomeGoods.

Our new leased home gave us two additional bedrooms, a relief for times when all three kids decide to come visit. When our oldest daughter, who lives in Brooklyn, wanted to come see the new house for her birthday and bring a few friends just a few weeks after move-in, we hustled.

The last bedroom down the hall (we called it BR #4 on our moving boxes) was dark and drab. It was used as an office/mailroom by the owners and beauty was not on the memo. I had my eye on it for a crafts/sewing room that would double as extra sleeping space but frankly, I could barely look at it during the move-in.

You never want to spend more money than you need to on a leased home but in this case, a little bit of effort went a long way as you’ll see. Also, you should always get approval from the landlord even if you are clearly making the place better than it was.

The back bedroom was so dismal that even the newer wall-to-wall carpeting in the hallway stops short. You’re lucky that I’m not showing it packed to the gills with a fluorescent light overhead.

We diplomatically asked the owners if we could make some changes and they unhesitatingly agreed. Underneath the flimsy carpet was … subfloor. So much for discovering good oak hardwoods! The paint was really bad, too.

Within two weeks, the room was completely transformed.

My favorite quilt from Auntie Oti looks fresh and pretty against the light wood flooring and taupe-y paint.

Our three big things: New floor, new paint, Murphy bed

After living with laminate for the past few years I was eager to get wood back underfoot. True hardwood flooring is difficult and time-consuming to install as a DIY project so Tim started looking at engineered flooring on Facebook Marketplace. He found a local seller willing to sell us a small lot of light-colored wood—HDC Wymill Hickory click-lock engineered hardwood, to be precise.

These slabs lock into place without using adhesive. We got ours for $220, about half the price it would have cost at Home Depot.

Most of the home’s interior has an olive green paint. It’s very nice but I wanted something a little lighter for this back room. After a short search within the taupe colorway, I found this one: Porcelain by Benjamin Moore. I was pleased with the soft lavender-gray hue. It has enough contrast with the floor and goes well with all the blue and white bedding, too.

We originally planned to center the Murphy bed but ended up pushing it slightly to the right so that we could fit in our antique pine chest.

We’ve had this Murphy bed for many years now. It is a very traditional style, with a mahogany finish. It’s been a real benefit to us because it allows even a small room to have multiple uses.

I have a thing for bunting—blame it on my years of building she sheds.

For art, I remembered having some pretty paper bunting from my She Shed Living shop. I pulled it out and hung it behind the pillows. It’s perfect because it’s flat against the wall so the cabinet can close properly.

And there you go. A truly remarkable makeover that does exactly what we need it to, and does it prettily besides.

A generous tufted bench turns this small breakfast nook into a place where lively dinner parties of up to six people can sit. (Photo: Leela Cyd for Apartment Therapy)

Eating meals in a dedicated dining room was once commonplace, but not anymore. In a recent survey, home builders state that only 20% of their new house designs include a formal dining room. An architectural firm also notes that the majority of its remodel work is removing formal dining rooms to make larger open living space.

A miniature dining room is fashioned from an anteroom, with one wall designed as a combination cabinet and seating area. (Photo: Beth Boyne | Styled by Sunday Hendrickson)

The reasons include cost and consumer preference. You can build a 3-bedroom home with a kitchen eating nook for the same price as a 2-bedroom home with a formal dining room. Since dining rooms are one of the least-used rooms in the house, it’s difficult to justify in a small house.

Today’s dinner hour is more casual than in decades past. Work, sports, and recreational schedules get in the way of everyone trooping into the dining room every night. So even if you have a formal dining room, chances are you’re still mostly hanging around in the kitchen to eat.

Instead of a traditional island, this kitchen’s central focus is a large farmhouse table for family gatherings. (Photo: Mark Lohman | Styled by Sunday Hendrickson)

A Cozier Corner

I’m not going to spend time lamenting the demise of formal family dinners or the casualification of just about everything we do. The goal of this piece is to show some attractive and functional alternatives. A well-designed eating area can exist in and around the kitchen and still nuture the elemental value of breaking bread together.

A corner banquette and small round table fits three for a meal, with room for more on the deck just out the back door. (Photo: Helen Bergen Interiors | DecorPad)

Gathering spaces rise and fall over time, but they are always imbued with meaning and memories.

Look for a narrow table and armless chairs to create an eating nook even in the smallest of spaces. This wall area within the kitchen is only about 3 1/2 feet deep. (Photo: Mark Lohman | Styled by Sunday Hendrickson)

Think like a restaurant

A romantic table for two, reminiscent of a favorite restaurant, is possible (and fun!) to recreate in several areas of your house. It might be temporary—for winter, in front of the fireplace or come summertime, in a vine-covered corner of the garden—or permanent. Designing ad hoc seating allows for novelty and the chance to see your rooms in ways you haven’t before.

Be imaginative with your eating nooks. (Photo: Yvonne Purcell @sixat21)

The best place to gather for a meal may not be the room that was built purposefully for it. Experiment with table and chair placement, take advantage of windows and views, and consider underutilized floor space in your home to create a whole new experience when it comes to meaningful eating.

Designer Mandy Cheng designed custom cabinetry around the Murphy bed in her guest bedroom. (Photo: Yoshihiro Makino for Architectural Digest)

My husband, son, and I moved last week. It was traumatic and endless drudgery. Since we all know how bad it is to pack up an entire household then turn around and unpack it all again I’ll spare you the details.

One good thing that happened is our bedroom count changed from two to four.

Now I can accommodate any of my three adult children along with their partners and friends without worrying where they’re going to sleep. We bought a Murphy bed many years ago and it is still serving us well. It would also be great to do a foldaway-type bed for the other guest room so I could use it for other things in between guests.

Extra bed options have come a long way in recent years. For small homes and active social lives, they come in very handy, to say the least. They are smart in design and take up very little space when not in use. I collected some ideas that range in scope from easy and (relatively) cheap to time-consuming and pricey (but worth it).

(The obvious option, a pullout couch or sofa bed, is not included here as I intend to save that for an article on its own.)

First, the rollaway.

The Rollaway Bed

The Millard Deluxe Diplomat Folding Bed is an option with glowing reviews on Amazon. (Photo: Amazon)

For about $350 you really can’t go wrong with the classic rollaway bed. These metal foldups still resemble the ones we all remember from family trips that ended in budget motel rooms. However, they are superior in strength and support.

Rollaways are compact enough to store in a large closet. A good-quality rollaway will have a 4- or 5-inch-thick mattress and provides a surprisingly comfortable night’s sleep. One tip: Check the reviews to make sure the mattress size is accurate to standard sheet sizes.

Next up: the futon.

The Futon

The frame on this Okinawa Bi-Fold futon frame is sleek and pretty; it also offers a drawer below and a storage rack on the back. (Photo: The Futon Shop)

One lesson to share: When you say “futon” you are technically referring to the traditional Japanese bedding set that includes a roll-up mattress filled with wool or cotton (shikibuton), comforter, pillow, and floor mat. For the couch conversion type, the correct term is “Western futon.” It includes a thicker mattress that folds and fits onto a couch frame.

Overall, you have some pretty amazing options and comfort levels. Choose from twin, full, queen, or king; organic wool and cotton mattresses; and either frames or platforms if you don’t like the idea of your guest sleeping on the floor. Prices range from $400 - $1,600 for the mattress, and $600 - $1,000 for the frame.

Your basic vertical Murphy bed operates on a strong hydraulic spring so it is easy (and safe) to pull down.

Now for a bigger spend … the Murphy bed.

Wall-mount Murphy

The full Murphy bed appears to be a large cabinet by day, and pulls down into a twin, full, queen, or king bed by night. The mattress is very comfortable, just like a regular bed, and they come in a variety of designs (formal, beachy, modern, farmhouse, etc.) and finishes.

It’s probably the best option if you want a foldaway bed that acts like a permanent bed—for example, for someone who is staying in it longer than a week or so. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the bedcovering and the pillows need to be removed and put away before closing up the bed.

These things are very expensive and heavy. They range from $2,100 not including mattress (the Bestar shown above) to upwards of $10,000 for one that’s custom built. Ours is just a frame like the Bestar, but you have others with options like side cubbies, cabinets, reading lights, and overhead shelves.

Slightly less expensive but supposedly a b**tch to assemble, cabinet Murphy beds are nevertheless an ingenious way to give your spare room more space between guests. (Photo: Murphy Bed Depot)

Cabinet Bed

The cabinet bed is a very interesting configuration. It’s a Murphy bed that folds away into a portable cabinet instead of into the wall.

The obvious advantage here is more portability and you don’t lose a large chunk of wall to operate it.

(Photo: Murphy Bed Depot)

There are many designs to choose from including some really nice-looking Mission style and “Amish” style hand-finished cabinets. (Amish isn’t truly a furniture style; it simply refers to the use of solid wood, traditional joinery, and simple hardware and finishes.)

This is a good idea for a very small room that might feel engulfed by a wall-mount bed.

It wouldn’t hurt to ask an architect if your home could benefit from a built-in sleeping space like this. (Photo: DecorPad)

Drum roll, please … the Built-in Bed

Built-in Bed

This option is very expensive and also relies heavily on the space and layout of your room to work well. It’s ideal for an older house where the room might have alcoves, or maybe an adjoining smaller room that could be redesigned into a built-in bed area.

But oh … the end result could be spectacular.

Sometimes it’s difficult for a layperson to visualize the possibilities; a professional could help here. If you think you could benefit from a remodel that includes a built-in sleeping space, get the advice of an interior designer and/or an architect.

Needless to say, a built-in sleeping space is beneficial and attractive for any size home.

Needless to say, it’s also a big investment.

Creating a bed nook changes the entire layout and enhances the architectural appeal of the room. (Photo: DecorPad)

In the best outcome, the remodeled room is more cohesive and sets a boundary between sleeping area and living area.

A Cozy Port in a Storm

No matter which extra bed option ends up working for your own situation, you will experience a feeling of deep satisfaction. It’s a joyous expression of hospitality when one can say “I would love for you to stay with us” without having to sheet up the living room couch.

Your guests will appreciate it, too.

When we are finished with our “fourth bedroom” and its Murphy bed install, I’ll share it with you.

One advantage: The master bedroom in the new home is oversized, perfect for adding a sitting/reading area or my office.

One disadvantage: The room has no built-in overhead lighting.

So I started my hunt for pretty overhead lighting, with bonus points added if the fixture is available as a plug-in.

My search started off with a bang, with this:

This cluster of fabric-covered lanterns is called “Japanese Restaurant Lighting” and I immediately fell for it. Until I read the reviews. (Photo: Lighting-Forest)

It’s just one of the company’s many fixtures that are made essentially by clustering lanterns of various shapes and sizes. And yes, it does capture the ambiance of a well-designed restaurant. Each light fixture cost around $200, so not a cheap endeavor. But how pretty! How unique! As soon as I confirmed that the options included a plug-in pendant, I was eager to share it here with you.

Then I happened to glance at one of my search threads, which contained words like “never again” and “don’t buy from this company.” I had to look at what other people were saying about Lighting-Forest.

Sadly, we all know the drill

Most of it was pretty negative. Apparently these lanterns in reality (and other light fixtures supposedly manufactured by the company) are made with synthetic fabric and often arrive in a different size or shape than what was ordered.

But even worse, attempts to return the merchandise were met with a demand for shipping charges to China that were up to $100. It’s beyond insane. The company instead offers $20 credits toward another purchase. And so the loop, the waste, and the frustration go on.

The reviews shown on the product page are actually quite positive, and some of them even show photos of the product arriving “as ordered” in its box. It’s definitely not a black-and-white situation. Every purchase decision we make online is fraught. Many U.S. consumers will point a finger at international companies as causing the bulk of the problems, but in reality scamming and poor quality merchandise know no borders. It’s just a little easier, most of the time, to battle it out with a company in your own country.

You can’t just hit “submit order” anymore

There are a lot of troubling things going on right now with online buying and selling. Problems include: receiving products that literally are NOT the same products in the photos; the inability to contact customer service; no refunds given; high return shipping costs; and shoddy product quality.

The wildly fluctuating tariff situation and the end of the “de minimus” rule allowing overseas products to be shipped with no import fees if the value was $800 or less has made it really difficult to understand the amount you will be paying in the end. So for now, I decided to feature a few ideas from domestic lighting designers and makers (or at least, they are shipped from a U.S. fulfilment house to you). All but one of these are hard-wire connect.

Here they are:

Rosehill by Aerin | Visual Comfort & Co.

Sutter Pendant | McGee & Co.

Dyana by Schonbek

And finally, my favorite plug-in pendant of all time: the Capiz Flower Pendant

The Capiz Flower Pendant by Pottery Barn

Here is the Capiz Flower in a shed we designed for a children’s book author in 2021. Loved it then, love it still. (Photo: Velvet Chaise)

Maybe you’ll be seeing this in my new bedroom. And if you’ve ever made a great lighting discovery that was domestically sourced I’d love to hear about it.

Be careful out there!

Using light, furniture placement, and visual cues to create a space that reflects the human story—that is good set design. Isn’t that what good interior design is all about, too? (Photo: Christine Jones)

Whether you are a regular play-goer, a movie freak, or mostly just sit in front of the TV, you are a willing participant in the magnificent suspension of disbelief that is theatre. While knowing on one hand that you are watching a play, film, or show, your mind concurrently slips onto a parallel track, from which you enter into the imaginary world that is before you.

A huge part of what makes this work is the set design, created by an experienced, talented scenographer using all of the arts at her disposal. It is a gargantuan project integrating construction, furnishings, props, lighting, and often special effects to create a compelling scene. Not to mention the hours and hours of research, collaboration, sketching, and modeling that come before.

Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library. The set of the original Broadway production of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1941

Everything works towards the hard-won goal of making you feel like you’re in that living room, or kitchen, or with George and Lennie in their bunkhouse.

I’ve often thought about how set design could teach us a few things about our own sets … that is, the rooms in which we live. One is fantasy, the other reality but if you break down some of the components of creating a compelling scene, the same principles apply in creating good interior design.

Here are some of the important ones.

The budget’s the thing

Almost everything I read about set design starts with the same topic: the budget. How much money you have to work with in the production will influence literally every decision you make, big or small. “Excellent stage design simultaneously solves script, blocking and budget problems, to balance cost-effectiveness with originality,” says Jean-François Revon, a stage and video designer with more than 300 productions to his credit in opera, theatre, musicals, and ballet.

In Season 5 of Mad Men, meticulous period authenticity and set designer Christopher L. Brown’s ability to create a sunken living room brilliantly reflects Don Draper’s status as a rising 1960s ad executive. (Photo: AMC)

A budget is the tension that produces resourcefulness, creativity, and originality on your stage. You spend on the one (or two) things that don’t come cheap and that you really need. The rest is about opening your eyes to new uses and new sources. A sturdy couch can be transformed with a slipcover, or by investing in a (less expensive) armchair that brightens the sitting area.

Part of the artistry of a room is in creating luxe for less. Knowing when to spend and when to save.

Lighting is power

On stage, strategic lighting is crucial. It’s an entire industry with its own technologies, terminology, practitioners, and experts. It cannot be overestimated in the ultimate success of a film or a play.

Besides the fundamental purpose of allowing audience and actors to see what is happening (general cover), stage lighting goes further. Special lighting “spotlights” the significant, indicates who is important, and signifies the time of day or the passing of time.

Absence or diminished light evokes mood, suggests mystery or depression, and perhaps softens reality (think of how candlelight is more flattering to aging faces than bright LEDs).

In a production of The Glass Menagerie, both cool and warmly lit scenes are reflected by a pool of water that surrounds the stage. In this scene, blue, dim lighting tells the audience they are looking at past events from the protagonist Tom’s memory. (Photo: M.J. Lutch | JK’s Theatre Scene)

I can almost guarantee that none of us are 100% happy with the lighting in our rooms. Lighting is an art and it most definitely gets mishandled by the firms who build our homes. Both built-in and spot lighting is something well worth study as you think about how you use and enjoy your rooms.

There is meaning in everything

On stage, superfluousness is the enemy. To put it more positively, each object and its placement is imbued with meaning. The set designer makes a hard decision for everything: is it needed, what does it symbolize, will the actors use it, will the audience understand why it’s there, etc. The nice thing about make-believe is that the boring necessities of life can be ignored.

The backdrop here is busy and somewhat cartoonish, revealing the chaotic nature of the plot in Noises Off. Photo: Roger Moistriani for CoolCleveland.com

In real life, however, the needful must co-exist with the meaningful. Our meaningful objects are displayed prominently in our rooms. For the needful objects, we are grateful but try to hide them behind doors and drawers. Finding a balance and a place for everything is your challenge.

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”_William Morris

Basically if anything in a room catches your eye, and it’s not beautiful, or personally meaningful, then you still might have a little work to do.

Spatial manipulation

When designing a set, the stage is often divided into an odd number of parts, so that there is always a “center stage.” (The average stage is divided into a grid of nine parts.) Creating distinct areas emphasizes the different actions taking place and helps move the story forward.

This L-shaped set for a production of Of Mice and Men is built on a platform that rotates easily. One side is the exterior of a ranch bunkhouse where George and Lennie live. On the other side, the interior space is small but still has cleverly defined sleeping areas. (Photo: Jean-François Revon)

I’ve rambled on and on about zoning and creating distinct spaces in this Substack but it does bear repeating. In most cases, this is a winning strategy and honestly, most of us do it instinctively.

You don’t put your work desk on your bed.

Also, life changes. You started collecting 1960s album covers, took up needlepoint and need a well-lit spot for stitching, or you are a new parent and want a special baby area. That’s when the drama happens and you can use your innate set design skills to make your home reflect who you are, and where you are right now.

The design critics on reddit suggested a plant stand to replace the Home Depot bucket on the right. That’s so mean. (Photos: Reddit)

Sometimes it works to use furniture as a room divider but not in this case.

But as he recognizes, he is missing the mark in some key areas.

There are some opportunities here for creating a much more cohesive and inviting room. Start with easy things like rearranging the furniture and installing a plant shelf above the window. Then, consider bigger steps that include built-in furniture and a decorative TV wall. Like any reasonable person, I would start with the easy and plan for the rest.

First: Move the sectional
Burnt-spinach loves the sectional and spent good money on it. It’s non-negotiable. I think the biggest problem is that it sits in an awkward place. There is hardly any space to move past it on the side towards the front of the photo.

Could he rotate the sectional so that it faces the window and wall outcrop? (Where the cardboard robot is currently)

It’s hard to tell from these photos but I think it would be an improvement since the rest of the room doesn’t seem to be used for anything. If that worked, I would mount the TV there.

That way, the sectional floats and allows for movement around the periphery of the room. Like these.

(Photo: Houzz)

(Photo: DecorPad)

Second: Create a decorative TV wall

If that works, move on to the TV wall and bring in color or texture (wood, metal, or even a wall fabric) to make it look more intentional. Here are some ideas to create a pretty focal point:

(Photos: Fancy House Interior Design)

If the sectional can be separated, then there might be ways to position the seating even if he wanted to keep the TV where it is.

Third: Add built-ins

That large wall on the right is perfect for some built-ins. You could remove the little TV stand and build in some cabinets and bookshelves. Something like this:

A wall of built-in shelves and cabinets would boost by fivefold this room’s architectural interest. (Photo: Houzz)

Fourth: Add some meaningful art

(Photo: Nadia Watts Interior Design)

Meaningful art goes beyond a quick purchase on Amazon. Look at the scale of the art pieces above. They fit very well in their respective places. Also, they convey a sense of intent; you can tell they were chosen carefully. For burnt-spinach, one option is to hang some decent temporary art until he finds better pieces. I suggest a couple of larger pieces on the TV wall (if he moves the TV).

Fifth: Build a window seat and enhance the front window

The front window is very pretty and is in a bay that really cries out for something built in. The whole issue with this room is that it really has very little going for it architecturally. This is where home builders save on costs but it leaves options for you to design something yourself.

Like a window seat.

(Photo: DecorPad)

Sixth: Rethink the indoor plant display

This chest, with its motley collection of indoor plants, doesn’t do anything for the room’s aesthetics. The grow light is even worse. I know these are useful for maintaining plant health but it is so far away from them I don’t know if it’s even doing anything.

To further showcase this guy’s green thumb, I would do away with this little corner setup and put the plants on a more visible stage.

What about putting a few glass shelves across the large front window and moving all your plants there? (With pretty pots) Sunlight filtering through the plants would create a marvelous greenhouse effect.

I suggest using the front window as a sunny spot for the indoor plants, incorporating a couple of wood or glass shelves across it. I like the idea of hanging the trailing plants on a curtain rod. (Photo: Shelterness)

Sometimes a little goes a long way in a room makeover like this. You could play around with paint, lamps, and rugs. Maybe even splurge on a fabulous central light fixture. It’s a fabulous feeling when you hit on something beautiful.

This year was different. The 2026 color, called “Cloud Dancer,” got a lot of attention and a lot of flack.

Cloud Dancer is the dove-white color, not the pretty blue sky. (Photo: Pantone)

Here is an excerpt of Pantone’s description of what this white is supposed to do and look like.

Wow. Lofty! Diaphanous! Aqueous! Why didn’t I look for a copywriting job at Pantone when I had the chance?

It’s hard to see all those pretty adjectives in that little 11-4201 square of white. Interior designers commented that choosing a plain white color was somewhat “Pantone-deaf” and not very helpful. As one editor at Dwell put it when she and her colleagues were reading through mountains of pitches from brands and designers, “Some are offering tips on how to incorporate white into our home—about as useful as a tutorial on drinking water.”

Some mocked it as the equivalent of a "Landlord Special,” where everything in a house, down to the doorknobs, is coated in indifferent white. Don’t we have enough white swatches in the paint aisle to keep us happy until 2085?

But this isn’t just any white. This is Cloud Dancer! It whispers, it has tranquility—it…it…it has WATERY DEPTHS.

The Deeper Meaning of Choosing White

Pantone asserts that Cloud Dancer is both an active conveyor of tranquility, and a passive blank canvas that will complement all the rest of the colors with which it is paired. Critics pointed out that these are two very different things. Do you accept it gratefully as a brilliant new shade of Play-doh? Or do you rejoice that finally there is a truly neutral white destined to be the perfect choice no matter where you put it?

(Photo: The Toy Insider)

Others had some interesting things to say about how the color selection reflects what’s happening to us culturally. (This is the first year, incidentally, that Pantone selected white for its Color of the Year.) Perhaps it is an indicator of the collective mood of wanting a little peace and quiet, some serenity that doesn’t rage or talk back. Last year’s color was a metallic brown called Mocha Mousse and boy, did it have attitude.

Or maybe it’s just bad timing, choosing white instead of color. While I understand how that particular criticism could emerge right now, with overt and covert racism spilling out from the very top of our government, I don’t think Pantone should be blamed. I mean, for all we know the forecasters sit together in a big room blindfolded and throw darts at a big round color spectrum. This year, the decisive dart landed outside the target, literally on white space.

And despite the discomfort, Pantone is getting a lot of attention (and some pretty nice licensing deals) from all the noise about its controversial white.

RH’s famous Cloud sofa in white. Kind of a serendipitous cloud connection. (Photo: AptDeco)

Colors are powerful symbols and signals—red, white, blue, black, yellow, green, purple, brown. They are as much political as decorative. They are imbued with meanings that vary according to culture. They are warm and cool. They are in vogue, and then out again. Each of us responds uniquely to color and our opinions are strong.

That’s why if you are in the business of marketing color, know that it’s a tough audience and you’ll need to gird your loins.

Maybe just not in white cloth.

There’s something swanky about maintaining a little bar in your own home. It sends out an inviting vibe to your guests, whether they drink or not. (Photo: Houzz)

A pretty useful little thing

As it is in the she shed, so it is with the small home. Bar carts are small, mobile, and offer the holy grail of small-space living: shelves. But more symbolically, a bar cart signifies connection. It is a deeply social instrument on which rests the timeless ritual of offering drink to a thirsty visitor.

These things used to be in everyone’s house. They abounded during the heyday of dinner parties and backyard barbecues of the 50s and 60s. By the 80s, bar carts hit the skids as mixed drinks and the whole cocktail culture became a quaint thing of the past.

I thought the built-in ice bucket and expansive U-shaped wineglass rack was genius on this curvy wood and metal cart. (Photo: Safavieh)

But their usefulness not only as mobile bars but as added display and/or bev prep workspace brought the classic bar cart right back up on the It list. I mean, how many other pieces of furniture can you literally wheel around to the place you need it most?

This bar cart was originally teak so it took a lot of courage to paint it pink. I think it turned out kinda girly but still really cute. It has a lightness to it that feels at home in the garden, primed for mixing G&Ts or Arnold Palmers. (Photo: Maxine Brady)

Bar carts are artfully shaped and very graceful. They let the objects on their shelves do the talking. There’s a lot out there on “styling” the bar cart, where mixing beverages is almost an afterthought. Yet despite the enthusiasm there are still some holdouts who consider the bar cart as nothing more than a pretentious dust catcher.

I found a funny debate from two editors at House Beautiful, both of them expounding on why (or why not) they think the bar cart thing is over.

“To me, a bar cart is as necessary as a couch when it comes to decorating your home,” the pro-cart editor declares.

This gorgeous cart turns a cramped corner into a very usable bar area, especially with a couple of floating marble shelves overhead. (Photo: SwoonWorthy)

The con-cart editor claims that serving beverages from a rolling bar cart is clumsy and impractical. She also argues that most wine and liquor we commonly serve is not pretty enough to show off. “With the small exception of those who enjoy their liquor neat (with a hint of dust), the bar cart serves no one.”

The great news about bar carts is that you have so many to choose from, both new and vintage. This Liona Twisted Bar Cart is new but made with real wood and mortise-and-tenon joinery. (Photo: GreenRow)

They were equally adamant in their differing claims that a bar cart was either a space saver or a space waster. I think that both can be true depending on whether (or not) you integrate the bar cart into your living pattern.

If you entertain frequently, then I would say the bar cart is a must-have and will serve you well. It has a great advantage of keeping people out of the kitchen who are searching simply for a glass or water. (“Oh, please help yourself from the bar cart, darling. Flat or sparkling, up to you!”) If you entertain sporadically or not at all, then consider the bar cart as a kitchen helper or as spillover space for your prettier kitchen/dining items.

Leave it to the artisans at RH to come up with this over-the-top Bistro Bar Cart (Photo: RH)

Making a statement with your bar cart

While I think interesting bottles of wine, liquor, and sodas are the best décor for the bar cart, other items do lend a picturesque assist. Kimberly at Swoonworthy actually breaks down her styling into eight elements for “the perfect bar cart” (see photo above). They include interesting bottles, glassware, something quirky, flowers, art, ice bucket, and oh yeah, a cocktail shaker.

I found out that the art one installs above the bar cart is a thing unto itself. Google “bar cart art” and you will see.

An exquisite 1940s neoclassical style bar cart (Photo: Chairish)

This little bar cart is almost a full bar. I might pare it down and add a shaker + small vase of flowers. One trick to keep in mind is to make sure all the bottles are facing front. (Photo: Houzz)

I’m a little fearful for the snowy carpet but boy, nothing gets the party started like a fabulously appointed bar cart. (Photo: Houzz)

In between entertaining, your bar cart can be re-purposed as a sideboard or a bookshelf. Use it to roll out dinner plates to the living room when it’s movie night. It makes a fine catchall for organizing mail and handling car keys in the foyer. On Christmas Eve, stock it with mugs, toppings, and small plates for a hot chocolate gathering.

To start your search try Pottery Barn, West Elm, Chairish, Houzz, eBay, Etsy, Wayfair, and Amazon. Don’t forget about the antiques stores, either. You could easily find a treasure there.

With people being murdered on American streets by their own government, it seems ludicrous (if not contemptible) to prattle on about small space design. And yet, we all have to keep going with jobs and business, right?

So this week, I chose a topic to reflect my mood. Gray laminate flooring, especially the design that’s supposed to look like wood, is everywhere, casting its pall on floors, walls, and furnishings. Like a dull cloud of sameness that makes everything around it look worse, this flooring resembles the inside of my brain right now.

It occurs to me that I may be insulting some readers who deliberately chose gray laminate flooring in their latest remodel. I’ll answer that with two points: One, I didn’t start out hating it; and two, I currently live with it in the house we rent in San Pedro (it’s in two of our bathrooms).

This is our master bathroom—a far cry from House Beautiful. I had the bright idea to lay down a cream rug instead of a white one. It still looks terrible. Keep going to see what I did to improve it.

I’ll discuss why I think it does very little to enhance a room, and throw out some ideas on making it better.

The birth of aluminum oxide/fiberboard/plastic flooring

A few decades ago, wood-grained laminate flooring was marketed as a durable, budget-friendly alternative to wood, wall-to-wall carpet or tile. Pergo was the first commercially successful laminate and came to the U.S. in 1994. In a few years, Pergo and its competitors made flooring that locked in place without adhesives, thus easier to install for homeowners. The image of wood graining got better and better. At the same time, engineered wood flooring and wood-grained tiles rose in popularity, reflecting homeowners’ desire for a wood-esque look even if they couldn’t have the real thing.

So everyone likes the idea of wood floors, but they usually settle for something else.

Where did all the hardwoods go?

What happened to hardwood? My husband will tell you this: “It’s too expensive.” Upscale new builds typically offer engineered wood flooring; it’s less expensive (but not by much) and very pretty. Engineered flooring is marketed as a consistent, durable alternative to traditional wood slabs and that visually the two are nearly indistinguishable.

Hardwood flooring is expensive, probably three to four times the price per square foot of laminate. It is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture, so it expands and contracts as humidity changes. Which makes it a little tricky to install.

(Photo: Tom Peter Flooring)

But let me ask you this: If you were considering two houses for buying or renting, would you get excited about the one that was all tile and gray wood laminate, or would you want the one with original oak hardwood flooring throughout?

I thought so.

Hardwood is truly the gold standard in a house.

Scale back the gray

But let’s go back to gray laminate. There was a lot of excitement about how “cool” and “neutral” and “clean” it was when it first came out. It was supposed to mimic unstained barn wood that weathered over time.

The problem is that it’s everywhere now, paired with stark white walls and sometimes even flourescent lighting that does nothing to warm things up. Gray flooring is a gray hole that sucks down everything in its grayness. And it does NOT look like barn wood at all.

So the three best things to do when you’re stuck with gray faux wood laminate are PAINT IT, DISTRACT FROM IT, and COVER IT:

Paint it. The walls, not the floors. Choose colors that add warmth and vibrancy to the room. Depending on your gray floor’s undertones (are they more cool and bluish, or are they more warm and tan/beige-y?), you want to match cool with cool, and warm with warm. I’m not great at distinguishing undertones so I have to do a lot of testing with colors at different times of the day.

Some designers recommend additional neutral colors for a modern look but I disagree. It’s like adding fuel to the fire, in reverse. At the very least, stay away from stark whites like my bathroom, OK?

(Photo: Melanie Jade Design)

Distract from it. Use your furnishings to add depth and interest. Natural wood goes with everything and it has a softening effect on gray floors. Luxurious jewel tones mixed with some creamy or patterned pieces make the bedroom above really spectacular.

Cover it. Rugs are a gray floor victim’s best friend. They add softness, contrast, and camouflage. I made a simple rug switch in my bathroom and below is the result.

I never thought about putting a Turkish rug in the bathroom but I like the results. I need either a longer rug or a second rug that is similar but we’re headed in the right direction. Note how the colors complement the tile and brown cabinets.

I feel bad hating on gray laminate and hope that you take it all in stride. Your best revenge is to show me how you made it an asset and not a liability in your house. I’ll be the first to admit of exceptions.

And in these troubling times, we can derive comfort from having a roof over our head and flooring underfoot, no matter what the material or color.

Like crazed farmhouse.

Or neo-vacation rental.

Nicole Fisher, an interior designer in Hudson, New York, sums it up like this: “The beige-on-beige, generic modern farmhouse details, and spaces designed purely for resale are losing relevance.” Things are getting more personal and doing anything that looks like a cosmetic flip house is not going to make you happy.

Home design trends are never entirely new. I think they are more about rediscovery of the things you love best, along with a fatigue with what’s been done over and over in the past. And even though it’s fun to look at what’s trending, it’s even more fun to align a new approach with the timeless things in your home you’ll never part with.

Here are a few open-ended ideas to use in your favorite rooms this year. They are meant to get your imagination revved up and maybe even encourage you to put some neighborhood house tours (or open a new account on Houzz) on your list of things to do for inspiration.

Layers of color

(Photo: Houzz)

You wouldn’t think that pale green, ballet pink, and several shades of blue would be a good idea in an apartment living room, but this space proves you wrong. Notice how well spaced and proportional everything is, from the patterned window valance (with playful fringe) to the Asian rug with just enough neutral color in its center.

Curves and waves

As a further move away from stark minimalism, high-level designers are introducing furniture with more curvy lines. C-shaped sofas, barrel chairs, arched headboards, and freeform coffee tables are having a moment in stylish living spaces. A word of warning: Going crazy with this trend might result in a cartoonish effect. The best approach is introducing curves and waves to soften the other hard edges of a room.

A clever motif on this pretty couch is the ruching around the bottom, which reflects the pattern on the curvy coffee table. (Photo: Veranda)

Clubby padded chairs like this one were considered dated not too long ago. But in this rather austere corner, its soft profile and silver-blue fabric is the perfect complement. (Photo: Darlings of Chelsea)

Brown furniture is back

In a win for old oak and mahogany furniture, designers and homeowners are frowning on too much IKEA-style MDF and white melamine. Consumers are getting more and more concerned with the detrimental effects of fast fashion and fast furniture, so even modernists are mixing their interiors with both old and new. Natural wood furniture from the past is going to be in high demand.

(Photo: Decor Pad)

Antique wood furniture comes in a large variety of colors, wood species, and finishes. It’s made of solid wood components, in a time when old-growth and exotic woods weren’t on the brink of extinction. You are also rewarded with impeccable joinery and solid metal hardware. Dressed with eclectic art and patterned rugs, brown furniture is a real room upgrader.

(Photo: Decor Pad)

Asian Pieces

I don’t have a lot of Asian pieces but I love looking at them in shops. People are noticing the craftsmanship and interesting designs of things like room dividers, small chests, and antique prints. They are easy to integrate into a variety of room styles.

(Photo: Rock Paper Scissors)

My favorite Asian furniture is probably the tansu (maybe because I grew up in a house with a couple of them and discovered a hidden compartment in one.)

Tansu chests are very handy and instill a striking Japanese aesthetic in a room. They are available new-made and antique.

Take some time to think about each of your rooms and how they reflect your style. Maybe it was just right five years ago and you’re ready for some change. Whether small or large, your efforts to improve the status quo will make you feel great about the place you live.

As part of a separate writing project, I needed to learn more about raising heritage hens and roosters. This quick education in feather patterns, shapes, and colors opened my eyes to the extraordinary beauty of cultivated chicken breeds. My revelation led me to the idea of designing interior spaces using color combinations built by nature and curated by humans.

Are you ready for a most unconventional way to bring your rooms to life? Let’s cross the road and get started.

A French Black Copper Maran rooster provides the inspiration for this room. (Photo: Decor Pad)

Cocks, combs, and maximum color

You know those roosters you see depicted everywhere in gift shops and vintage-style kitchens? They are probably based on the Welsummer breed. Or a Rhode Island Red. Or maybe a Blue Partridge Cochin. (Yes, I’m showing off my newly acquired knowledge of chicken breeds.) The result is a stunning mix of deep orange-red on the upper body, green-gray on the breast, blue-green pluming tail feathers, and bright red comb and wattle.

You don’t need to cover your walls with rooster paintings to adopt this palette. Instead, study the colors and work them into your room with paint, textiles, rugs, and accessories. The living room above is not a perfect match, but the pillow, rug, and book covers do evoke this handsome bird’s head and neck colors. Besides, perfect is not the point.

Black and white with a cherry on top

Many chicken breeds produce birds with interesting black and white combinations. The Silver Laced Orpington is among the most striking. The silver in its name comes from the subtle areas where white and black merge. Note the deep, lustrous black area beneath the wing. Both color and pattern suggest an eclectic composition to me. And there’s no better accent in this combination than a touch of red.

The Silver Laced Orpington hen is graced with various patterns of black, white, and silver feathers that are almost ombre. There is a lot to look at, yet it’s all harmonious. This sitting area blends soft and hard surfaces with these same patterns to pleasing effect. (Photo: Decor Pad)

The Barred Plymouth Rock, on the other hand, is evenly striped all over its body. It’s such a fun, modern aesthetic! I love the ruffly texture of this hen’s tail feathers. It’s not a far stretch to compare it with textiles, rugs, or window treatments. But how to use it in a room?

Disciplined lines in the bed and rug follow the Barred Plymouth Rock’s feather patterns. I like the soft touches of the white gerbera daisies and the fringed throw. (Photo: Decor Pad)

And wait, is that an abstract egg painting above the headboard?

The golden girl

When I laid eyes on a Golden-Laced Wyandotte, I got this close to ordering a coop and some scratch. With its brilliant orange-gold feathers traced with inky black, this breed is one of the prettiest I’ve studied. There are other colors in the breed such as buff, black, and silver but I love the glow and depth of this one. Wow.

Meet the Golden-Laced Wyandotte, a genial forager who enjoys walks at sunset and synthwave music.

This is not really a black-and-tan palette; the coloring of the gold feathers goes way beyond tan. You almost need to go really gold or soft on the orange to capture it. Here is what I came up with.

A bit of burnished gold in the leather bench and picture frame capture the tones of the Golden-Laced Wyandotte in this handsome nook. (Photo: Decor Pad)

You say blue, I say gray

Another thing I learned in my chicken studies is that very often a breed that’s considered “blue” (Blue Cochin, Blue-Laced Wyandotte, etc.) register to the human eye as gray. Or at least, to my eye. The manner in which genes disperse to create the lacing (black outlines) on feathers is pretty incredible and reminds us how truly miraculous the natural world is.

This gorgeous Blue Cochin breed presents a fluffy panoply of feathers that translate beautifully into an interior. Whether you lean more blue-gray or stick to slate-gray you can capture the mystery of this handsome hen. Try layers that are tone-on-tone but punctuated with some heft (note the lamp base and pillows).

This serene room appears a bit washed-out when compared to the brilliance of the Blue Cochin hens but it does show how well grays and blues play together if there is enough contrast. (Photo: Decor Pad)

Following nature is always the right answer

It’s not the only answer but it’s a solid one (see The Arts and Crafts Movement). Using colors and patterns inspired by nature is a guideline that will not lead you astray. I hope after reading this you’ll see that the color palettes of chickens are sometimes dramatic and unexpected.

One such example is in the Blue-Laced Wyandotte.

Note the reverse lacing in white on this bird. Its blue-gray head transitions to the warm sienna wing and breast feathers. The result is a solid design framework for almost any room.

The Blue-Laced Wyandotte is graced with fresh colors from its charcoal head to milk white tail feathers. The main color is sienna, or maybe a light milk chocolate that is a pleasing complement to blue or blue-gray.

Plain wood surfaces in wide-plank floor and table get a colorful boost with the navy plaid club chair and red built-ins. Any Blue-Laced Wyandotte would feel at home roosting here. (Photo: Decor Pad)

What I learned from studying chickens, even for a brief time, is that there is much more to them than we urban and suburban dwellers realize. They are beautiful, personable creatures and we can feather our own nests in beautiful ways thanks to them.

This could be a really stunning room by taking advantage of the accent wall at the back and rearranging the furniture.

This living room lacks cohesion. Why is the TV all the way across the room? (It’s mounted on the wall above the console peeking in from the right corner of the photo.) If that’s the best spot for it—and I don’t see why, since it is positioned directly adjacent to a hallway—then bring the seating arrangement closer to it. Otherwise, I would consider creating a TV area on the opposite side.

One idea for a blank wall: Add a bank of built-in shelves and cabinets. (Photo: Houzz)

Use the accent wall for cabinetry and frame the TV on the left with comfortable seating. (Photo: Houzz)

Many people hesitate to “break up” an open room by floating furniture across a section or down the middle. The fear is particularly present in smaller homes. But really, what do we need a bunch of empty space for? It conveys the idea that no one lives there. Look at the sitting area in the original photo, then look at this one below.

This farmhouse-style room might not be to your taste, but I think the seating and TV wall are designed really well. This could be imitated in the room we’re examining. (Photo: Houzz)

You want to connect people and activities within a defined area and that sometimes means you will not use the entire room. An antique display cabinet, bookshelf, or various artwork above the console would be better in the original room.

Electric fireplace inserts provide visual interest and the warm feel of a traditional wood-burning hearth. Combining a fireplace with built-ins on one side would create cohesion in the living room. (Photo: Houzz)

Bay Window Bonus

One of the best elements of this original living room is the expansive bay window with built-in seat. The drapes are decent and the room benefits greatly from all of the natural light coming in.

But it feels like a missed opportunity not to play up the large window bay for reading or as extra seating for guests. Like this:

This configuration creates a 3-person bench in the bay, with furniture arranged around it to create a conversation area. (Photo: Houzz)

Some other suggestions for the original room would be a different area rug and ceiling fixture. Also, let’s add more color and texture with pillows, artwork, decorative pottery and sculpture, and interesting side tables.

In this new year, continue looking at your living spaces with a fresh eye to comfort, intimacy, and cohesion.

Your best resolution could start in the bathroom. Photo: May Petschel)

There is no lack of advice for making, keeping, and ditching New Year’s resolutions. But I think we are all still searching for that one brilliant answer, a strategy that leads us to certain success. We can see it so vividly: the moment when we can each look around a few months from now and say, “I did it.”

No matter how many forgotten or failed resolutions that litter my life’s path, I am still a believer in the power of resolve. There have been a few times where I actually followed through and succeeded in changing something important in my life. Those few successes made up for all the failures.

Resolutions are more or less like wishes with a plan. You’re not going to deliver on all of them. It’s a numbers game and that’s completely OK.

What are we wishing for?

According to Pew Research, most resolutions have to do with health, wealth, and relationships. These are huge, overarching concerns and it makes sense for us to consider them first. In fact, some resolution lists are structured around one thing in each of these categories.

Something that will make you healthier or feel better.

Something that will earn you more money or get you out of debt.

Something that will make you a better friend or spouse.

By all means keep your focus on staying well, eating better, walking every day, nurturing your family and friends, and smart investing. But a well-crafted resolution that leads you to finally organizing your clothes closet is not out of line. In fact, it will bestow more satisfaction than you might imagine.

Making a List

In the last few months I’ve thought about a few different approaches to making resolutions for the new year:

Traditional. The list on January 1st. On paper, in a journal or on Google docs, writing out a list of 5-10 things you wish to achieve or experience in the year ahead. According to NPR, in 1947 common goals were to “improve my character” and “stop smoking.” In 2026? Probably a lot of “reduce my screen time” resolutions.

The “One Big Thing.” Forget about making a list. Instead, choose just one thing as your official New Year’s project and channel all of your energy (and willpower) into it. Make it big: Join a church committee or a nonprofit; repair your frayed marriage; find a more fulfilling job; start writing your memoirs.

The Early List. Instead of waiting until January 1, get a head start by making your resolutions in September. This is very effective if you are trying to get into a consistent exercise flow; spend a few months experimenting with various workouts until you find the one that is just right. You will know it when you work it.

Macro vs Micro. Should you be expansive (get healthier) or specific (no more sodas with lunch)? I think this one depends on your personality and how you self-motivate. I tend to be pretty micro, since it tends to split up a big goal into smaller steps. For example, when it comes to reducing recreational screen time, you might have a challenging, but realistic, goal of not exceeding three hours per day.

Enhancing Your Environment

In this space, where for nearly a year we’ve been pondering the ways to make our personal surroundings more beautiful, the focus will be on design and harmonious living. Let’s add a few lines about how we want our homes to be refreshed and improved in 2026.

For your 2026 home goals, consider writing down a few that help eliminate clutter, a few that make your life (and housework) easier, and a few that actually change or improve your design. Don’t overdo it—curate. Write out everything and anything that bugs or intrigues you, but go back and whittle, whittle: keep your list lean.

Think of an art gallery, with well-chosen pieces surrounded by lots of white space. A lot of thought went into selecting and discarding before the end result is presented to a visitor. Your well-crafted resolutions should represent the best of who you are and who you could be.

With this in mind, visit every room and space and cabinet and drawer in your house. Observe and imagine. Refer to visual idea boards, if you have some, and begin forming a plan. Consider and reject. Reconsider and commence.

Don’t forget to take before shots, in progress shots, and final shots. Documenting your transformations is a deeply satisfying part of making and keeping New Year’s resolutions. Whether you share these successes with others or refer back to them on a dismal day, they become your visual reward for a job well done.

My 2026 offerings

I have some exciting plans for content this coming year and hope you will stick around to benefit from them. Here are a few previews:

1. Living with (and in) a well-appointed closet

2. In search of an heirloom

3. A nook for knitting

4. What we can learn from set design

Thank you for joining me in this newsletter of small-space design. I get a thrill whenever you like or comment on each post!

I hope you’ve gained something along the way and look forward to beautifying life with you in 2026.

Good! Keep reading.

Last year on Instagram, I decided to post a fabulously festive shed on each of the 24 days before Christmas. The project required a lot of digging and connecting with she shed owners, who weren’t quite sure what I was doing. Once they got it, they were extremely enthusiastic to be in the calendar.

Snow, garland, and a photogenic white cat—this is all Tracey Hiebert needs to dress her Ontario, Canada garden shed. I love the bracketed shelf across the gable, for displaying all manner of pretty things. (Photo: Tracey Hiebert)

It was a big hit for the many thousands of she shed fans who can’t get enough of these little rooms. Finally, an Advent calendar that is more than 24 little paper doors pried open to reveal a candle or a reindeer. A countdown for grownups!

Marking time in anticipation of a very important event is a huge part of Christmas. For Christians, it serves as preparation for the birth of Jesus. Others might appreciate honoring each day leading to Christmas morning as a way to slow down time and appreciate what good things are coming today and tomorrow and the next.

This used to be a playhouse until Martha’s girls grew up. One day, she looked out her window and discovered how cute it was. She took it over and the rest is history. (Photo: Martha Knake)

Decorating small perhaps reminds us of being small in a big world. Even as adults we gravitate to the wee, the miniature, worlds within worlds. That’s where the magic and innocence is.

Each of the four seasons frame Donna’s Indiana “Tinker House” in gorgeous displays of nature. At Christmas, it stands silent and waiting. (Photo: Donna Reyne)

Holly Blain focuses much of her attention on creating a stunning entrance into the garden shed. It’s different every year. (Photo: Holly Blain)

As Christmas Day comes near, I’m sending out a wish to you, for days that slow down and love that never ends.

There, wrapped up in holiday trim, was the coolest, cutest little … um, camper? I’ve ever seen. I peeked inside and within the 10-foot span of what Happier Camper calls their HC1 Studio, I saw an impressive array of beds, benches, bathroom, and even a stove/refrigerator unit arranged neatly. Headroom is a little over 6’ 1”. It was attracting a pretty big crowd too, who like me were fantasizing about “oh, the places we’ll go!” with this compact trailer.

The campers take inspiration from the retro-groovy look of the VW bus. (Photo: Happier Camper)

To put things into perspective, RV trailers that are considered average or even small range from 16 to 25 feet. The Happier Camper HC1 (Traveler version) is 10 feet long (not including the tongue) and about 6 1/2 feet wide on the inside. This means you have about 60 square feet, 42 of which is considered living space. It puts the tiny in tiny living. But the modular, and modern, design of each camper maximizes every single inch of space in a brand new way.

You can move the furniture around

What’s different about this brand is that it offers these Adaptiv building blocks so that you can configure and reconfigure your interior just like playing Lego. The floor is divided into a grid of 20” x 20” squares. Then you place your furniture and components to fit in the squares. Everything is movable and removable.

The interior can be fully outfitted for camping or remain empty for transporting bicycles, equipment, etc. (Photos: Happier Camper)

Essentials and Extras

The base building blocks are simply sturdy boxes, which serve as storage. To create seating, you place fitted cushions on top. Bed-sized cushions fit over multiple blocks. The HC1 Studio fits a queen-size bed that would extend across the entire width of the space. The camper I saw at the Rose Bowl had two twin mattresses with a walk space in between. Honestly they seemed a little narrower and shorter than a standard twin. But … it’s camping.

The interior’s components are easily removable, washable, and reconfigured. The campers are made with double fiberglass shells without seams, so no issues with leaks. (Photo: Happier Camper)

The table has a pole that fits into the leg-mount of a grid square. The kitchen is built in, featuring a two-burner range and a small refrigerator drawer. Next to it is a built-in toilet/shower area (other models come with a toilet as an option; you simply add it as an Adaptiv component). You have 17-gallon gray water and fresh water tanks and a forced-air heater that warms up the air and your water.

These are not your grandparents’ unwieldy gas-guzzling RVs. Happier Camper and other emerging camper brands are doing exciting things with size, modularity, and cleaner construction. (Photo: Happier Camper)

One of the most exciting ways to use these campers is for a mobile business. Have you ever wanted to open a little coffee kiosk or fresh flower business? The HC1 is towable by standard SUVs and trucks—most people recommend a vehicle that supports at least 3,500 pounds of towing weight. Even hybrid and electric vehicles are options (Tesla X, Audi E-Tron, Volvo C40, Ford F-150 Lightning, etc.).

The large hatch opening in the back is really handy for getting stuff in and out (and serves as weather cover, too). Photo: Happier Camper

Made in LA

Happier Camper began in 2014 as a vintage camper restoration business, shortly before entrepreneur David Michael designed his first new camper. It is headquartered in Frogtown, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles. Interesting to note that the $20 billion RV industry is dominated by US manufacturers, with Thor Industries being the largest (it owns Airstream, Jayco, Crosswinds, and many others).

What I like about this camper is how small and versatile it is. It is not the least expensive by any means (count on paying up to $40,000 for all of the extras you might want), but it is what I consider a lifestyle expander within reach. Just like the she sheds I’ve covered for years, it offers a chance for an “extra room” in your life that just so happens to be on wheels. You can take your vacation or your business anywhere you want.

And those were the sugarplum dreams floating through my head on a balmy December morning in Pasadena.

I haven’t purchased new wrapping since 2023. Upon inspection this year, I have maybe six rolls left, plus some large scraps.

Now I’m using newspaper, paper bags, and kraft paper to wrap gifts at Christmas. But it’s hard to let go. After a lifetime of Christmas mornings looking at a kaleidoscope of colors that made up our pleasing pile of presents, I struggle to find the same pleasure wrapping gifts that I used to have.

I want holly and village scenes and Santa Clauses under the tree, dammit! The sober hues of newsprint (not to mention their buzzkill headlines) take me down to earth with a resounding thud.

So I have to find new ways to create gifts that look pretty, even in plain wrap.

Getting Artsy with Newspaper

There are lot of advantages to using newspaper as gift wrap. For one thing, its size is ideal for any number of box or package sizes. If you’re lucky, you can find colorful images like the one above, or maybe the comics, to use. Save that pic of George Clooney or Taylor Swift in the Entertainment section and use it for the person who is a big fan.

If you want to get really fancy, cut out images and interesting layouts from various pages (or mags, if you still get those) and decoupage them onto the base wrap.

A deliberate use of color for the left-side border …

… then simple doodles in Christmas-appropriate marker colors, is all I did to make this box merry and bright.

It’s All About the Ribbon

The real saver of Christmas, at least in the aesthetics department, is ribbon. And no, NOT the stiff, shiny stuff you buy in exhausted desperation a few hours before wrap time.

Made with plastic and polypropylene, this kind of ribbon is terrible to work with and doesn’t do your plain wrapping any favors.

No. You’ll want the good stuff.

Fabric ribbon is best for wrapping gifts, hands down. You’ve got many choices, from cotton to organza to silk and velvet. These ribbons are flexible and sturdy; they come in a host of hues that will complement and elevate your gift wrap. You can even look for vintage ribbon, which has a distinct look and feel that’s hard to replicate with modern ribbon.

I found this old ribbon dispenser at Vintdustrial in Huntington Beach. It was still filled with the most amazing ribbon trim on its three spools.

This ribbon is much more expensive than the plastic stuff, no question. However, if used over and over (by careful salvaging on Christmas morning), it means you will never have to buy the plastic stuff again.

This old ribbon is beautiful at every angle. You just can’t beat the details, like the tiny sequins and the finished gold metallic fabric on the underside.

A couple of tips:

1. Cut your ribbon long for generous bow ties. You’ll be tempted to skimp but remember you will be reusing it and having longer pieces is important for accommodating all gift sizes.

2. Use ribbon to wrap one way only, instead of crossing it both ways. A little charm or pine tree cutting tucked into the bow would be nice, too.

3. Gather the ribbon as presents are opened, roll them up and put them away for next year.

Good News About Wrapping Paper

I am surprised to report that printed wrapping paper is actually recyclable, by and large (I was told a few years ago that it was not). The trick is getting paper that does not have plastic or other synthetic materials in it (no glitter!). If you can crumple it into a ball and it stays crumpled, then you’re good.

Does that mean I’ll be going back to the pretty wrappings I love? Probably not. There is too much waste in the world and this is a tiny way to combat it. I’ve turned gift-wrapping into a challenge and a way to use old things, and therefore I am happy.