2025
Color of the Year
INTERIORS + DECOR
Welcome, my friend. The Idea Book is a blog about wellness within the home - a place where I can share my homebody stories and the ways I find comfort in my days. I’m so glad you’re here.
“All I really want to do is talk about how to make the house a home, the living room the epitome of comfort, and the kitchen cozy and practical. …and maybe some life lessons as a mother to three homebodies.”
MY FAVORITE THINGS
Looking for a deeper connection? Follow along for a more casual and behind the scenes glimpse into my home, products I love to buy and share, and lots of design tips.
Five Types of Lighting: and why you need them all
The love for the home has me writing about lighting today, which seems relevant as we will soon say goodbye to those long summer days of late evening sunshine (for those who still practice daylight savings time).
Lighting is most often an overlooked detail. For those who have the opportunity to build from scratch, a common mistake with lighting is that it is often dealt with after the fact or not viewed in sync with the entire room. Industry speaks to certain varieties of light that are typically needed in a space. Lighting should be viewed as “layers” in a space and should be found at different heights of the room, from the ceiling to sitting or below sitting level.
Holiday Gift Guide - 2023
‘Tis the season - the season of gifting. …or it’s coming up on us pretty quickly. Fairly regularly, I go through these (what some may consider manic) clean-out sessions. You know, the ones where you walk in your laundry room to put something back in its place, then realize the laundry room needs an overhaul? Yea, that happens a lot. But, I’ve noticed through the years the amount of time it takes to tackle those clean-outs are less and less.
Plaid Prosperity
If you know me, you know the wallpaper and textile line is floral friendly. Because florals never get old and no one will convince me otherwise. Pattern Play & Mixing Prints is a great article read if you’re looking to layer up patterns with florals. Today, I want to talk specifically about plaid. Last year, I had on my Christmas list “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Tartan.” Yes. My family questioned me, but yes.
Plaids, stripes, and geometric prints are especially important to balancing out heavier visual patterns. From the byHope line of wallpapers, the Painterly Gingham is one of the top sellers, AAANND if you’ve made it to this second paragraph, you’ll be the first to read that new color options are coming for this print.
Debut Textile Collection // a labor of love
When wallpaper was launched a few years ago, I knew textiles would eventually follow suit. Up until now, I’ve licensed my fabric, more novelty collections, with both Cotton + Steel and Hawthorne Fabrics. This work is geared more towards the quilter’s world of quilting cotton. As the wallpaper lead me more and more into the world of the home, I knew upholstery textiles were going to find a place in my heart and line of work. It seemed like the natural next step, and I’m so thankful to have a community of homebodies following along and supporting this journey.
Upholstery 101
So you’ve got a project on your hands. Maybe you picked up an epic marketplace find of a chair that needs recovering. Perhaps you’re thinking those windows of yours need some custom drapes. Your next question might be “how much fabric will I need for this?”
While we highly recommend consulting a professional, particularly the one that might be threading the needle for this project, we’ve got some go-to guidelines below to give you an idea of the amount of fabric yardage to estimate based on the project.
Pattern Pairing // textiles and wallpaper
I’ve heard it plenty: “I wallpapered one small room, now I’m hooked on pattern.” If you know, you know. Once you venture into the world of pattern-pairing, the concept is far less intimidating and feels more like a fun exploration of play and style.
As the wallpaper collection was developed, and then later the textile collection, there was a tremendous focus on a common thread of color throughout all the pieces. This intentional decision allowed multiple patterns to compliment each other without competing - color being the factor that tied them all together.
Trim & Millwork: instant character
One of the most loved attributes of what gives those historical style homes that character we love is the intricate attention to trim detail. Trim and millwork details are often found at the baseboard and crown molding of our walls, the transoms above the door frames, the exposed beams and built-in cabinetry, wall wainscoting and other trim and millwork opportunities - all giving any space instant character, texture, and depth.
Pattern Play + Mixing Prints
We should take note from our children more often. As a toddler, my daughter took a spirited approach to mixing her pattern choices during the “I want to dress myself” phase that every parent cringes at. …a polka dot dress, floral shoes, and heart shaped sunnies. Fabulous choices for our trip to grab some groceries.
Color Stories for the Home
Having strong-willed children has been such gift, most days anyway. They challenge me more than life itself, but I know they’ll grow up and make some fantastic humans. Part of raising strong-willed children is allowing them to make their own choices, even if it means they have to learn the hard way - which they do 99% of the time. A little reverse psychology helps too. You’ve got to make them feel like they’re making the decision that best suits them.
For instance, my toddler loves to dress himself, but if it were up to him, he would have worn his fire truck pajama bottoms and his raincoat as a top to church. So, I narrow down the options to 2 or 3 outfit selections that are a bit more …occasion-appropriate. It’s a win-win for both of us.
Measuring for Wallpaper
MATH NOT YOUR THING? Don’t worry …that’s what installers are for anyway. Whether you DIY your wallpaper install or hire it out (I’m a fan of outsourcing) the main question is :
HOW MUCH WALLPAPER WILL YOU NEED?
Don’t be scared of the math, this is third grade stuff. Also, I have children who are learning math much differently than I learned math, so I feel it’s necessary to say that some third grade math is admittedly scary …but this isn’t that, so we’re good.
Wallpaper Q&A for Your Installer
You build a house, you hire a contractor. You get married, you hire a wedding planner. Time do to your taxes, you hire a CPA.
Ready to install wallpaper? You hire an installer.
Today, we’re going to demystify the process of working with a wallpaper installer, folks. I know there’s a DIY route for all of the above (except do NOT youtube how to build a house …definitely hire a contractor) …but let’s take out the fear of working with an installer, mkay?
Wallpaper Paint Pairings
Tackling Wallpaper Overwhelm
When it comes to wallpaper, I have the pleasure of working directly with interior designers in the trade. This means that particular interior designer might be working with the architects, contractors, and subcontractors for both remodels and new construction. It’s a dream team!
Because the process stems from a collaborative design board of inspiration from beginning to end, I’m often asked “what whites would pair well with the whites from your wallpaper” or I’ll hear ideas like “we want to pull the green out for trim work.”
You see, I grew up around residential and commercial construction. I’m partial, sure, but he’s pretty great. So I know this process dearly.