Evergreen House: The Exterior Plans

This post is sponsored by Lowe’s. The Evergreen house is really coming along quickly! We’ve made some big progress on the exterior design and I can’t wait to share our plans with you guys today! Brick Pavers // Ceramic Tile in “Concrete” // Ceramic Tile in “Cement” Front Door // House Numbers // Porch…

This post is sponsored by Lowe’s.

The Evergreen house is really coming along quickly! We’ve made some big progress on the exterior design and I can’t wait to share our plans with you guys today!

Brick Pavers // Ceramic Tile in “Concrete” // Ceramic Tile in “Cement”

Front Door // House Numbers // Porch Swing

Green Pillows // Striped Pillows // Welcome Mat // Planters

I have loved the idea of doing a green exterior from day one, but lately I’ve been thinking we could try a cool two-tone look with the exterior. We will be adding board and batten to the two largest wings of the house and the main body of the house will be white painted stucco. I think everything will look so pretty with black and wood accents! This is a quick photoshop mock up and I love it!

Here’s the other part of the house in the very back that we’ll also be painting green after adding board and batten siding. We’re also adding a porch here!

If you drive around some of the prettiest neighborhoods in Phoenix, you’ll start to notice the two-tone exterior trend has really taken hold here in Arizona! Here are some of my favorite inspiration images that are really getting me excited about this idea for the Evergreen house!

Source

I think the two different colors/materials in all of these exteriors is such a fresh look! I think it really helps to break things up. This week I asked you guys to weigh in on your favorite green paint colors from Lowes and today we went down to Lowes to grab a couple of samples. I love that they sort their paint collections by general color both in stores and online – it made it easy for me (and for you guys!) to browse all different shades of green paint! The HGTV by Sherwin Williams line at Lowe’s has a lot of great curated colors but I love how the Valspar line has an ENORMOUS sample section, which is helpful when you have really specific color needs! I want to find a green that doesn’t have too much blue but also isn’t yellow. And I don’t want it to be too bright – more on muddy side!

I usually like to get five or six options for samples and I always paint them on a poster board first to narrow down the selection. This way you can move the poster boards all around the exterior and see how the colors read on different sides of the house without having to paint a million samples.

These are the colors you guys suggested and that I was most drawn to:

RETREAT // FARM TO TABLE // LUSH SAGE // WOODLAND LICHEN // BELMONT GREEN

Which of these colors do you like the best here? I think I’m leaning toward Woodland Lichen! Keep in mind the front door will be black, the fence, new pergola and porch planters will be a warm cedar wood stain. Also I found this reclaimed brick at Lowes that we’re going to use in a herringbone pattern up the walk and on the side yard area. I love it!

A few months ago I visited my friend Susan and toured her gorgeous new house in Utah that was designed by Alice Lane. Her beautiful front porch was tiled in a checkerboard pattern and I’ve been thinking something similar could be so pretty on the porches at our Evergreen house!

I found these AMAZING tiles at Lowes (can you believe the price!?) and I’m obsessed with the subtle tones! I think these will be so pretty with our green board and batten!

So that’s the plan for the exterior and I really love it! We just got a HUGE lumber delivery from Lowes (so grateful they have a convenient delivery option!) and we’re getting ready to start the new fence this week. Make sure you’re following along on stories to catch the latest with this project!

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Evergreen House

Introducing the Evergreen Project!

More than a year ago, I toured a 100 yr-old house in Mesa’s Evergreen Historic District that was on the wholesale real estate market. It was in terrible condition and needed a huge amount of work, but I wanted to get my hands on that house SO BAD. You know when you walk in a house that’s for sale and it just speaks to you? This house has a soul and I felt way back then like we were supposed to work on bringing it back to life! Even though we tried really hard to buy it, in the end we were outbid by another flipper. I was so bummed, but we moved on to the Gentry project and focused on that house rehab last year.

Then at the end of the year we learned the other flippers were ready to offload the house (they had not done much work in the year they were holding it). We jumped fast to buy the house as soon as it came on the market again, and it for sure feels like it was all meant to be! The neighborhood is GORGEOUS and we’re really hoping to focus our rehabs here in the historic district, which is only about a block away from our Juniper offices! I hope this house is the first of many we redo in the neighborhood!

The house was originally an 800 sq ft Sears kit house, built in 1920, but over the decades there have been several additions and now the home is more than 2500 sq ft. The same family lived here since the 40s and it was fun to learn a little about their story. The owner’s mother had been a librarian for many years and the house was absolutely covered in books when we first walked it more than a year ago. When we closed on the house a few weeks ago I was DEVASTATED to learn that the previous flipper had taken all the books to the dump! Isn’t that unreal and so, so sad?!

The above photos are how the house looked when I toured it last year and below when we closed on the house a few weeks ago. If you look closely in this photo you can see a yellow children’s book they accidentally left behind on the shelf. We took it to the studio with us before demo and I hope to figure out a good way to use it in the home. There are some cute illustrations inside that maybe we’ll copy and print? We’ll think of something to give a little nod and a wink to the previous owners!

We also had the crew carefully pull out these old built-ins that were in Bedroom 1 and we’re planning to clean them up and install them in the living room. I love the glass sliding doors at the top (the glass is still in tact!) and the sawtooth shelf supports in the base! So old school!

Here are the plans for the house, both as built and with the layout changes we landed on. The original floor plan wasn’t all that bad and I was shocked at how large the original kitchen was! I’m used to having to give up a lot of space from other areas in a house to get a bigger kitchen in remodel projects, but we didn’t have to do that here. I think the new layout really helps the house flow better and make the house more appealing to buyers. (NOTE: I only shared the first floor here for the sake of simplicity, but there is a bedroom and bathroom on the second floor.)

We made the most changes to the back rooms. We were able to add a full master suite, a guest bathroom and a bigger laundry room/mudroom space that I think really helps to modernize the home. Here are a couple more before photos (this was the day we closed on the house):

The coved ceiling in the sunroom is my favorite! This room has the best vibe! I can’t wait to get in there with some beautiful furniture!

And here we are a few short weeks later! This week we are finishing up drywall and window installation! We’ve come a long way!

The drywall guys need to soften the arches on the fireplace and kitchen walkway, but I’m loving everything already! Isn’t it cool that we unburied that old wood burning fireplace out of the wall?! We have some fun plans for this room! Stay tuned for lots more updates as we finish up this house in the coming weeks!

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Round Up

Latest Tile Trends Spotted at Lowes

This post is sponsored by Lowe’s. Gray Patterned // Marble Beige and Black Hex Mosaic // Handmade White Subway // Marble Brick Subway // Gray Penny // Marble Chair Rail // Green Patterned // Putty Beige Subway // White and Gray Hex Mosaic // Marble Hex Mosaic // Dark Handmade Subway // Sage Green Square…

This post is sponsored by Lowe’s.

Gray Patterned // Marble Beige and Black Hex Mosaic // Handmade White Subway // Marble Brick Subway // Gray Penny // Marble Chair Rail // Green Patterned // Putty Beige Subway // White and Gray Hex Mosaic // Marble Hex Mosaic // Dark Handmade Subway // Sage Green Square Mosaic // Marble and Brass Subway // White Star Mosaic

We have a lot of fun projects happening right now between my own home renovation, the Evergreen project, a couple of client remodels and a cabin my parents recently bought and are renovating (more on that soon!). I’ve been non-stop shopping for tile for months now with all of these projects, and at this point I’m dreaming about tile! (There could be worse things to dream about though, am I right?) Lowe’s invited me to share some of my favorite tile picks and how I like to approach the bathroom design process. I absolutely love all the gorgeous tiles they have right now (and a few of these made my JAW DROP in person!!).

Marble Beige and Black Hex Mosaic // Dark Handmade Subway

Before I share my design planning process for bathrooms, let’s jump right to the good stuff – a few of my favorite Lowe’s tile finds! I have to say though, there were too many to list them all here! There are SO many goodies on the site and the prices are incredibly affordable. If you’re looking for any tile, check out this selection here! (Just make sure you don’t miss out on seeing this AMAZING marble and brass inlay tile!! It’s insane!!!)

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

Okay, so when I’m designing a space, I like to pull out tile and stone samples, little accessories, scraps of fabric and other items that can represent a color story or a certain texture I’d like to incorporate into the space. I lay them on a white backdrop and snap a photo to keep in my phone. It sounds silly, but it only takes a few minutes, it’s a fun little creative exercise and it ends up acting as a roadmap for me that I can reference back as I make purchases for the space. These warm, earthy flat lays are for a client who lives in a California style rancher.

Marble Hex tile // Sage Green Squares // White Handmade Subway tile // Quartz counter material

Here’s another flat lay from the same house. Items like the little coral plastic ring represent just a color I’d like to incorporate in the bathroom, maybe in a vintage rug or hand towels. Also, CAN YOU EVEN HANDLE the brass and marble tile we’re planning to use on the walls? Usually when people have brass inlay pieces like this, the tile installer has to cut down brass schluter strips by hand – a SUPER expensive and labor-intensive process! That’s why I was completely shocked by the price of this tile!

Marble trim piece // Brass and Marble wall tile // Putty Beige Subway Tile

For the kids bathroom, I LOVE the idea of this gorgeous moody green blue fireclay like tile all over the walls and this super sweet gray penny tile on the shower floor. Wouldn’t the super affordable green patterned tile be the perfect fun accent to the space?

Gray Subway Tile // Gray Penny Tile // Green Patterned Tile // Marble look Quartz

Let me know if you guys end up trying my little flat lay trick! It really does help create a visual checklist for a space. It’s great that you can pop into Lowe’s and quickly buy a single sheet of any of their tile (and there’s even more tiles in their online selection!) so you can test the color and size in your space before committing. I hope you look around at their selection – they have so many pretty options right now!

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Entry and Hallway

1 Entry, 5 Ways!

Last month while shooting the Elm House we decided to have some fun and play around with a few different entry looks! We started with this console table, but liked the idea of having a more neutral base, so we painted ours white. We switched out art, lamps, trees and rugs to give each look its own identity. Which one…

Last month while shooting the Elm House we decided to have some fun and play around with a few different entry looks!

We started with this console table, but liked the idea of having a more neutral base, so we painted ours white. We switched out art, lamps, trees and rugs to give each look its own identity. Which one is your favorite? Let us know if you would like us to do this in other types of spaces!

LOOK #1

POPPIES print // NAOMI print

plant stand // faux tree (we used 2 here for a fuller look) // brass lamp

blue bowl // striped throw // basket (similar) // vintage rug (similar)

LOOK #2

I LIKE YOU VERY MUCH print // KNOTS I print

leather poufs // jute runner // white and cement lamp

faux fiddle leaf fig // round brass tray

LOOK #3

GRASS print (we printed at a 40×55 and cut it down to fit four 16×20 frames)

LOOK #4

BOTANICAL II print // HUDDLE print // KNOTS II print // ASPENS print // WOMEN print

baskets with lids // vintage runner (similar) // wood tray // faux banana leaf tree

LOOK #5

FORMAT I print // FORMAT II print

black basket with handles // fiddle leaf fig tree (similar) // black lamp (similar) // faux fur stool

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Home Tour

Home Tour: The Elm House

Last week we launched the new Juniper Print Shop!! We are so excited about all of the changes, including the addition of paper prints!! This has been in the works for a long time, and we knew we wanted to get some great video content to help introduce the new site and product to everyone. We had recently taken a tour of the Elm House, a new Airbnb (you can see the listing here) in the heart of downtown Gilbert designed by our friends over at Bigelow Built, and thought this would be the perfect location to showcase some of our new prints!

welcome mat // buffalo check rug // kilim pillow (similar) // white tassel pillow

faux monstera plant // black basket // modern house numbers

BOTANICAL II print // HUDDLE print // KNOTS I print // WOMEN print

We tried out multiple looks in the entry, each showing a different way you can incorporate our prints into your space! We decided to keep the neutral gallery wall up for the owners.

BOTANICAL II print // HUDDLE print // KNOTS I print // WOMEN print

SPRIG I print // SPRIG III print

hanging wall frames // runner

JUNE print // runner // bread board // sink faucet // knife set

I absolutely love the kitchen design and color! The cabinets are from Bigelow Built and the color is Hale Navy.

runner // bar stools

dishwasher // runner // sink faucet

Do you remember the rug we used in the Gentry living room?? We found the exact same one in a runner and its so, so beautiful!!

yellow dansk pot // salt cellar // butter keeper // blue wood bowl // round bread board

There is so much attention to detail in this kitchen. I especially love how the wood shelf line continues over the range hood! Genius!

brass pulls

GOSLING ISLAND print // MIDNIGHT STRIPE lumbar

white and concrete lamps // brass tray

In the guest bedroom we hung our GOSLING ISLAND print by Sarah Maderia Day in 40×55″ which we think it the perfect size for putting over a Queen (shown here) or King bed.

Ikea Tutorial:

You can see custom wood touches all throughout the house, like these floating nightstands.

black knobs // black pulls

The homeowners incorporated some super fun tile into the space, and I love the way it turned out! A rental property is a such a great space to incorporate some bold choices.

BIG SUR print // AMBER STRIPE lumbar

black metal bed frame // ceramic lamp base // lamp shade

ceramic lamp base // brass nesting jewelry boxes

BIG SUR print // AMBER STRIPE lumbar

black metal bed frame // ceramic lamp base // lamp shade

patio set

A big thanks to Bigelow Built for allowing us to shoot in their gorgeous new Airbnb!

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Gift Guide

2018 Juniper Gift Guide

We’re living smack dab in the middle of a construction zone this holiday season, so the halls we’re decking are cramped and quite a bit more dusty than they were last year, but I’m still loving it. For the last few years we’ve focused on a experiences during the holidays rather than a ton of gifts. We told the girls on Christmas morning last year about our Scandinavian trip with a big book about the area. It was magical to look at it together by the Christmas tree and talk about all the places we wanted to see! This year we’ll tell them about our next trip (any guesses where we’re off to this summer?!)

In the gift department, we have been giving the girls each five presents that they get to suggest to us. 1. Something they want, 2. something they need 3. something to wear 4. something to read and then 5. one present from Santa. It’s still a lot, but it really helps keep a lid on gifts and they somehow all feel more special! It’s worked really well for us the last few years. I’d love to hear what you all do for your gifting traditions this season

And now for the 2018 JUNIPER GIFT GUIDE! These are all items I have (or would love to own) and that I think would make really wonderful gifts this season. Happy shopping!

FOR HER

1. Flowers By Color Book – This specific encyclopedia of flowers is stunning, but coffee table books in general are a GREAT gift idea. Because they’re usually slightly more expensive than an item you’d buy for yourself on the regular without a good reason ($40+), coffee table books feel more luxurious than maybe they even are! Also, it gives the receiver something to look at while they thank you for the gift, thereby avoiding the super awkward minute of explaining why you bought them the gift after its opened. It’s basically like you have given two gifts with this gorgeous book! Look at you. You are a gift-giving genius.

2. Leather and Brass Bag – I’ve been carrying this bag for the last two months and I love it! Want to know why? It has COMPARTMENTS. I love different sections for receipts, keys, wallet, phone, etc. The bag is just big enough to fit a full-sized wallet (I have this one) but not so roomy that you accidentally tote around a five pound tape measure for two weeks until your shoulder starts aching at nights.

3. Le Labo Travel Rollers – Le Labo products feel expensive and special. These rollers are a great price though! There are two in this pack, so if you are feeling sassy, open the box, keep one for yourself and give the other to your bestie! Make it a gift topper on an amazing coffee table book!

4. Statement Earrings – It’s only been the last year or two that I started tiptoeing into the world of statement earrings. Simple clothes and bold jewelry feels really chic to me right now. Also, earrings feel a little more giftable than rings or necklaces!

5. Jade Roller – Yup, they live up to the hype. I like to pop mine in the fridge or freezer before rolling the puffiness out of my face in the morning or the headache out after a long day. Which reminds me of another great gift idea that I forgot to include in this round up graphic but will mention here. These blue-light blocking glasses are game changing! If I am good about wearing them all day I notice a huge difference in my eyes and the frequency/intensity of my headaches. Worth the $20 and they look cute too! :) I think a combo gift of the jade roller and these glasses would be a super thoughtful gift for friends that work long hours behind a screen!

6. Hair Refresher Spray – I use this powder dry shampoo religiously. I’ve found aerosol dry shampoo just doesn’t cut it for me, not to mention I get like five uses out of a bottle? Not cool. I’ll stick with my $12 powder dry shampoo that lasts me two months. And lately, I’ve been using a little of this Hair Refresher spray if I haven’t washed my hair in a couple of days. It smells AMAZING (like, really) and you only need a little bit.

7. Black Boots – I needed new black boots, snagged these a few weeks ago and they make me feel cool. They are often on sale and they are surprisingly affordable for the construction, style and brand! Recommend!

8. Striped Bow Hair Tie – I LOVE these bow hair ties! They’re cute in my girls’ hair for sure, but I also like wearing them in a loose half up style or just with a low pony and a hat. Super cute especially for just a few dollars.

9. Personalized Luggage Tag – Gorgeous color and material? Check. Personalized? Check. Travel-focused? Check! The perfect gift to give to your wife along with plane tickets to Paris or Tokyo! (Hint, hint, Michael!)

10. Dyson Hair Dryer – Have you tried it yet? I stayed at a fancy hotel recently that had one of these Dyson Hair Dryers in my room and I LOVED it. My current hair dryer is on its last leg, and I’ve got this one in my cart ready for when it finally kicks the bucket! :)

11. Classic Sunglasses – I’ll probably include these classic sunnies in every gift guide from here on because they’re just that good. I’ve managed to keep these ones safe for the past year, but even if I lost them I’d buy the exact same pair the same day. That is how much I love these sunglasses. I feel no need to have multiples in rotation. It’s a committed relationship.

12. Josef Albers in Mexico Book – If a friend gave me this art book, their cool factor would instantly jump up quite a few notches. Right?! Look at that cover. The color is even better in person and the inside is just as amazing and inspiring.

13. Instax Square Polaroid – It’s about time that Instax came out with a square polaroid photo size! The camera is supposed have a lot more features on this one too! I’m asking Santa for one of these.

14. Wide Brim Hat – You’ve probably seen me link to this affordable and gorgeous hat a couple times. It’s on sale so I snagged a couple more colors! I’m working on the design of our new master closet and I’m thinking I should try to incorporate some hat storage somewhere. Have you seen any cool ideas?

15. Black Levi’s 501s – I’ve been on a Madewell jeans kick for the last three or four years (just like the rest of the world), and I still really love them, but I grabbed a couple pairs of these Levi’s 501 jeans in the cropped 28″ inseam over Black Friday weekend and I have found a new favorite. They do wonders for the booty just like Madewell jeans, but they feel a lot more classic. Warning though, unlike Madewell who is VERY generous with their sizing, you’ll want to size up in Levi’s. There’s not a lot of stretch in these, but they REALLY hold their shape because of it! I’m about to order a pair of the vintage wash lighter blue while they’re 20% off!

16. Gold Rings Stack – I have recently been leaving my engagement ring at home and just wearing my wedding band, especially if I’m wearing a fun ring on my right hand. I have a collection of vintage turquoise rings that I love to wear but I also love these gold rings that come in a stack of five! It’s a statement but it’s still a simple look.

17. Lip Mask – Yup, still using it every night, and still LOVING it. I’m only about halfway through my little tub too. High fives for affordable, good products!

18. Rosehip Oil – Here’s another affordable, good product I’m still using every day and loving. I got my husband hooked on it too and the bottles are so affordable we each have our own. I choose it over coconut oil any day of the week!

19. Rosewater Spray – I love this spray, in every season it helps with dryness and gives a natural, dewy glow all day. Plus it makes you smell like a rose garden and who doesn’t want that?

20. Dusty Rose Knit Tennies – Just like how I’m branching outside my Madewell jeans, I’m also looking outside my Nike tunnel vision with running shoes. I like the fit of these Stella McCartney for Adidas tennies and that gorgeous dusty rose color gives me life, even when I’m dying on the treadmill.

21. Milk Bar Life Book – We all love Milk Bar. And after watching her on Chef’s Table, I love Christina Tosi and her approach to life and food. Really looking forward to checking out her new book and trying her recipes!

22. Homebody Sweatshirt – I’ve taken the Meyers Briggs Test a dozen times and each time the first letter in my results switch between I and E, depending on the year and my headspace while taking the test. Either way though, I’m obsessed with being home, snuggling with my kiddos and shutting out the world for at least a few hours of the day. It fills me up for sure. Needless to say, I love this cute Homebody sweatshirt and I love the lady that makes them.

23. High-waisted leggings – Thanks to the Buy Guide, I have fallen in LOVE with these $20 Lululemon dupes. They are high-waisted and flattering, but not so thick that you get overheated at the gym. My favorite part is the double phone pockets in the leg! I am not a fan of belt pockets or arm bands, but these are the perfect size that make my phone easily accessible but keep it in place. I have them in black and navy and can’t wait to get more! Never again will I pay $100+ for leggings!!

24. Sports Bras Value Pack – Same story with this sports bra! I used to run 30 miles a week and I miss being in that kind of shape. Running was the best therapy and stress reliever for me. I’ve been doing the Couch to 10k app for the past month or two and I’m starting to feel the switch over happen in my fitness, where it’s not as painful and where my body is starting to crave the activity! Finally! This bra has been great for running (because I should know better by now that sports bras that are great for yoga are NOT great for running!!!).

25. Rust Suede Moto Jacket – This suede jacket has been my favorite fashion purchase this year. I love it, I feel put together when I wear it and I know I’ll love it for years to come. I went up a size and was glad I did when it arrived!

26. 30oz Tumbler with Metal Straw – I read Girl, Wash Your Face earlier this year and I really liked it then, but I’ve especially enjoyed following Rachel Hollis on Insta since then. She does a program at the end of the year called the last 90 days where you try to end the year with a bang, so you’re in a good spot for the New Year before it actually starts. Every day you do just a few things to help you thrive in your day and drinking water is one of them. Half your weight in ounces. It sounds worse than it is. I’ve been using my metal tumbler with lots of ice and some fresh lemon or lime to mix it up and I’m feeling great! Right now just might be the most stressful month of my life/career and I’m not really feeling it the way I know I would have in years past. I think its the 5 To Thrive tips I’m taking from Rachel’s advice. You should join in if you haven’t started following her!

27. Wideleg Crop Pant -The cut and color of these wideleg pants is great on everyone! Every woman on my team has a pair and we all love them! I think they are pretty true to size, but I’d maybe go a size smaller if you’re slightly between sizes.

28. Impress Nails – Okay, this might stir up some controversy, but my friends at Classy Clutter told me about these press-on nails that are only a few dollars per set and that last about 10 days (which is about as long as I can get my gel nails to stay on). I’ve been using them for the past few months and I am blown away at how much healthier my nails have gotten after giving them a break from the constant gel manicures! You just stick them on clean nails and trim to your liking! I’m HOOKED.

29. Month’s Supply of Face Masks – These sheet masks are truly awesome, affordable and have become a favorite ritual I do a few times a week before bed, scrolling insta and watching The Office. It’s the small things, friends.

30. Hand Warmer + Portable Charger – Okay, I know I live in Arizona, but our 130 yr old brick building is CHILLY in the winter! We just started keeping these hand warmers around the studio to keep our typing fingers toasty and limber. Bonus points for it also being a portable phone charger! I would have used this thing to death when we lived in NYC!

31. Marie Kondo – I Marie-Kondoed my house up and down before we started this reno. I still have to work on the studio, but it was amazing to revisit the wonderful little book that so beautifully and simply describes the importance of using what we have and keeping only what we really love and use. I just bought this book called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and I’m excited to dive in.

32. Braided Leather Booties – The weather is mild enough here for these booties to be considered winter footwear and I love them! They’re flattering on the foot and super comfortable, though I’d definitely go up a size!

FOR HIM

1. Record Player – I got Michael a record player for Christmas a couple years ago and I’m surprised at how much we all love and use it! We buy new records often and Michael and I love to go to used record stores on date nights.

2. Sigur Ros Album – This is one of my favorite bands (even more so after going to Iceland!) and it feels like all of their albums were meant to be listened to on vinyl!

3. Apple Earbuds – Michael is getting a pair of these for Christmas because I bought myself a pair at the airport recently and haven’t stopped raving about them since. They are so great for my runs too! There’s nothing worse than yanking out the cord accidentally.

4. Hilarious Adult Award Ribbons – Guys, these adult ribbon awards are so funny. I want to frame them for our home office because they make me giggle. :)

5. Leather iPhone Case + Wallet – Just the necessities! The slightly pebbled finish on this leather helps the color stay true and finish can be more easily cleaned than the leather cases from the Apple store.

6. Schrute Farms Sweatshirt – Michael and I started re-watching The Office before bed and I forgot just how funny that show is. It really holds up and warms the heart. I love this inexpensive sweatshirt that I’m planning to order for Michael (and then borrow for myself) :)

7. Beard Kit – Michael grew a beard last year and he really likes this kit! It comes with a balm and oil and a brush and comb.

8. Peeps Glasses Cleaner – Glasses are hard to keep clean, but Michael keeps one of these in his work bag and one in his car and they work really well! I might get one for myself to keep my sunglasses and blue-blockers fingerprint free! :)

9. Post Secret Book – Do you remember this book? I stumbled on it again recently and I loved it. The author left blank postcards in random places and asked people to anonymously share a secret they’ve never shared before. The submissions are raw and funny and often so heartfelt. I found myself tearing up several times while quickly browsing the book in my local used bookshop. I think it would make a wonderful gift.

10. 23 and Me – Michael and I got each other 23 and me DNA kits last year. It was SO exciting (and slightly terrifying) to get the reports back. We bought the upgraded version where they test you for some common genetic diseases and disorders. Thankfully we didn’t have any big surprises there! The ancestry report though was FASCINATING! I’m mostly Scandinavian (which I knew) but there were some big surprises, like I have some ancestors from Senegal! Wow! I also am 3% Native American! I’m looking forward to doing more family history and learning more about my family history. Our trip to see my great grandmother’s home in Sweden this summer lit a fire in me and I’m excited to keep learning and I know Michael feels the same after seeing his family history report. It was a very special gift!

11. Wireless Charger – Once you go wireless, it feels like such a burden to have to actually plug in your phone! ;)

12. Compression Eye Mask – We’ve got a couple of migraine sufferers in my extended family and I’ve heard really really good things about this compression mask!

13. Shiatsu Massager – This might be me imposing my own wishlist on to Michael, but I will definitely borrow this neck massager if he got one for Christmas! It has several thousand five star reviews, so I think it’s a safe gift purchase!

14. Tile Keyfinder -Not saying that my husband occasionally misplaces his keys (he does), but if he did, the Tile would be a miracle for us (it is).

15. Leather Key Ring – (To make the said keys even easier to find.)

16. Credit Card Survival Tool – Isn’t this cool?! All the guys I know would be VERY into this survival tool. And if the end of the world is actually as close as it has been feeling lately, maybe I’ll want one for myself. (because nothing says Merry Christmas like apocalypse planning!)

FOR KIDS

1. Wooden Zoo Puzzle – I’m really trying to limit the number of plastic toys we bring in the house and so I’m trying to only buy wood toys and books for Christmas. I love this wooden puzzle set of safari animals.

2. Balance Blocks Game – Another wooden toy that the whole family loves to play with. We had these sitting in a pretty bowl on a sideboard by our dining table because they’re fun to tinker with after meals while we’re all still talking.

3. Checkerboard Skateboard – All my girls are very into skating right now and they fight over the one board we have. I like the checkerboard pattern on this one (and that it’s so affordable, in case this is really just a passing phase!).

4. Scratch Off Travel Map – We’ve made it a goal to visit a new continent every year and I love the idea of hanging this Scratch Off travel map in our playroom. It starts out black and white and the countries under the scratch off material are all in color. Such a cute idea, right?

5. Wooden Doctor Kit Toy – In case you can’t bring yourself to buy plastic character toys but your three year-old daughter loves watching Doc McStuffins.

6. Bloxels – My girls are in a coding club at our local library and one of the parents suggested this game! It combines tech and arts and crafts and I’m excited to try it with my kids!

7. Mustard Kids Suitcase – I mean, I really just want one for myself. This little suitcase would make weekend trips up to my parents house all the more exciting!

8. Giant Maps Book – This book is STUNNING. It’s been a favorite of ours and has really fueled the girls’ desires to see the world. It’s also sparked a lot of important conversations about the rest of the world and how truly, truly lucky we are.

9. Today Book – Margot is almost four and she is the perfect age for this beautiful, interactive book. It’s almost like a Choose Your Own Adventure book for toddlers and younger children, but with everyday objects and tasks. It’s a really well done book!

10. One Thousand Things Book – Another perfect Margot-aged book that helps with those budding vocabularies! There are a thousand unique items hidden in the pages that your child can search for and find and share with you. It’s cute and fun to do if you’re sick of reciting the same bedtime books for the seven millionth time.

11. Wooden Tool Box Toy – Boys and girls alike would love this beautifully made wooden toy! I love that it comes with a pretty box where every toy tool has a designated spot!

12. Moon Nightlight – This is hands down the prettiest nightlight I’ve ever stumbled across. It’s like a little sculpture for your child’s nightstand or dresser. I love it and would totally put one in my room if I didn’t need like the blackest darkness to fall asleep every night. :)

13. Kid Bath Bombs with Surprise Toys – Bath bombs are trendy, yes, but they are also the answer to many of life’s problems, even for kids. A good bath or shower and early bedtime fixes 90% of life’s problems, am I right? What I love about these bath bombs is they are colorful but don’t stain my tub and they DON’T HAVE GLITTER (how and why is that a thing!?). But most importantly they have little toys inside that make the bath time ritual like opening one giant LOL surprise doll without the expense, mess and confusing messaging about sexualized babies? I don’t know how long the novelty of these bath bombs will last with my two youngest daughters, but I’ll take any help I can get these days and will be stuffing their stockings with bath bombs!

14. Jotblock Watercolor Set – I love that this watercolor set is semi-portable! Perfect for road trips and for keeping on bedside tables. My 11 year-old will LOVE getting this on Christmas morning.

15. Caboodles Organizer – Did you die like I did seeing Caboodles on the end cap of your local Target?! I literally gasped out loud and yelled at my girls OH MY GOSH THIS WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY CHILDHOOD!!!! I worked so hard babysitting to save enough money for my own Caboodles organizer. It was peach and teal and perfect all over. I filled it with velvet scrunchies and green and pink tubes of mascara, Dr. Pepper lip smackers and a super heavy hairbrush with the world’s stiffest bristles that were all missing the little plastic bead things on the end so it felt like you were basically brushing your hair with razor blades. A treasure box I tell you and my girls should all want one!

16. Harry Potter Gift Set – Okay, so, yes, this is an expensive gift to give a kid, but this collector’s edition of the Harry Potter series is REALLY cool too. I’d even go out on a limb here and call it an heirloom collection. Your kid’s kids will cherish this set so if you can afford it and your child is old enough to respect and appreciate how nice they are, I’d totally go for it.

17. Christmas Jammies – Do you give your kids Christmas jammies every year? We used to wrap them up and let the girls open them and wear them on Christmas Eve, but this year I think I’m going to give them their Christmas jammies NOW so they can get some good use out of them before the big night! I love these old school button down separates!

18. Wooden Dollhouse – We bought an old dollhouse on Craigslist last year with the plan to fix it up. It’s not in terrible shape so the girls have been playing with it and it’s fine. Maybe someday I’ll have enough time to really fix it up! If I had it to do over again though, I would have bought something beautiful and easy and toddler proof like this wooden dollhouse! It comes with a ton of furniture and accessory options!

19. Fuzzy Socks and Eye Mask – These would make the cutest stocking stuffers. There are a couple of different variations too – like a panda and a unicorn. I like to buy extras of cute and cheap gifts like these to have on hand that go on a high shelf in my closet where I stash small gifts for last minute birthday parties. It comes in handy so often but whatever you do, guard the secret of the shelf with your life!

20. Red Polka Dot Tea Set – You know what’s a really terrible idea? A ceramic play tea set. The pieces shatter or even just chip and you’ve got a problem on your hands! With four daughters, I’ve bought a play tea set or ten in my day, and this metal one has become a family favorite. It’s tiny (which is actually perfect for minimizing spills/mess) and adorable and indestructible.

21. The Little Prince Pop-Up Book – Okay, this book is a serious masterpiece. The illustrations and pop-ups are next level and they help tell the story so beautifully! My kids love it and I do too. We try to read to whole book together once or twice a year over a few nights.

22. Mary Jane Velvet Bow Flats – I love these sweet little flats for Christmas card photos or a special occasion! They are so pretty and would pair well with this adorable buffalo check dress!

FOR HOME

1. Black Bread Board with Double Handles – The double handle here makes this super affordable bread board feel much more expensive than it is. The two handles make it a great layering piece on a larger more traditional round board (or like #20 below!).

2. Round Bamboo Tray – Perfect for any coffee table or console top, wrap a book and a candle or the towels below and set it in this tray with a big bow around it and you’ve just taken simple gifts to the next level!

3. Black and White Turkish Towels – No one would guess these towels are from Amazon!

4. Match Striker – I love getting candles for gifts, but adding candle accessories takes the gift to the next level! I love this handmade match striker!

5. Wick Trimmer & Candle Snuffer – Same as above! This makes a great addition to a fancy candle! The snuffer especially is the best. Who wants to ruin all the great smell you got from the candle with a bunch of smoke?

6. Cinderose Candle – I’m really impressed with this candle! Like with a super expensive candle brand (like Byredo or Dyptique), the scent lingers for days. This woodsy, smoky rose scent is my very favorite!

7. Rust Runner – We love this rug! I used the 8×10 version in the Gentry Project living room and the runner in this kitchen project. It’s affordable and gorgeous!

8. Super Affordable Trestle Dining Table – About $600 is a CRAZY GOOD price for a table this pretty and that’s made from solid wood. Click through the listing photos to see a close up of the wood grain. It’s so much more expensive looking – like a Restoration Hardware table. And I love that you could get it in just a few days, so you have time to spruce up your dining room before hosting Christmas dinner!

9. Juniper Home Collection Lumbar Pillow – Still my favorite way to dress a bed without a million pillows! As part of the Last 90 Days program thing I was just talking about I have been trying to make my bed every morning consistently. This lumbar pillow makes it a quick and easy process and I feel like I have started my day right.

10. Favorite Planter – We use this planter a lot too and always get a million questions about where to buy it! It’s just from Amazon! Easy and so cute!

11. Leather and Brass Wall Frame – featuring “Huddle” by Jenny’s Print Shop – I love this frame and HUDDLE has become one of my favorite prints in the shop. Did you know we also offer gift cards for the holidays?!

12. Cream Chunky Knit Throw – I am OBSESSED with this throw. It is chunky and soft and well-made and absolutely gorgeous. If you’re over your sofa but want a stop gap before buying a new one, this throw would be a great neutral addition!

13. West Elm Knock-Off Leather Office Chair – I’m not sure what is happening here, but somehow this Amazon chair is an EXACT replica of the West Elm Slope chair that is twice the price! We have a few of these from West Elm at the studio and will be ordering more from the Amazon seller as our team is growing.

14. Mother of Pearl Bottle Opener – I don’t drink, but a bottle opener is handy to have in any home and makes a great gift for friends that do! I love mother of pearl together with brass!

15. Copper Pepper Mill – This copper pepper mill is the perfect gift for moms (me included)!! It feels so luxe!

16. Mustard Mudcloth Pillow – My local friend owns Sew + Cloth and her pillows are my FAVORITE. I love so many of her pillows and this gold mudcloth she recently added to her shop is at the top of my list.

17. Best Brass Box – I’m a sucker for little trinkets to layer on top of desks or on stacks of coffee table books and this little brass box is amazing. The BEST engraving is the name of brand, but I love it as a gift that makes a general sweet statement – Best Mom/Dad/Aunt/Uncle. Best Boss. Best Friend.

18. Firewood Holder – This is another item that looks way more expensive than it actually is! I love the matte black finish and modern shape.

19. Faux Ficus Branches – Faux branches are a great way to step into the world of faux plants without committing to a 8′ fiddle leaf for hundreds of dollars. These branches are only $20 and look super realistic! For an even fuller look, I’d order two bundles and put them in a HUGE vase for a console table or a center hall table.

20. Wood and Marble Bread Board – Bread boards make a great hostess gift, just be sure to bring a little (or a lot of) cheese with you! Try the honey goat cheese at Trader Joe’s! Or some camembert with fig jam. Yum!

21. Sonos – Our cute Tivoli at the studio has been acting up the past couple of months so I think we’re going to switch over to Sonos system. I’ve only heard amazing reviews about this speaker and the one I linked to here is gift-appropriate and on the affordable side!

22. Dyson Vacuum – I got my Dyson stick vacuum last year for Christmas and I can’t believe I lived in a world with corded vacuums for so much of my life before that! If you haven’t jumped ship yet, NOW IS THE TIME. Life is too short for vacuum bags and cords.

23. White Fluted Vase – Another favorite hostess gift? Fresh flowers in a pretty vase. This one looks incredible with literally any flower you can find even at the grocery store.

24. Hygge & West Home Book – I love the people from Hygge & West and their first design book did not disappoint! Beautiful images of real homes that look lived in and so cozy!

25. Rust Waffle Throw – Rust is my favorite accent color to use in rooms these days! This super inexpensive throw looks great on a sofa or chair or thrown at the end of the bed. It’s lightweight and delicate but still so soft.

26. Striped Planter – This little planter (that could also work as a vase) is SO pretty and so unique with the loose, organic blue stripes! And it’s on super sale right now. Win-win.

27. String Shopping Bags – I love having these bags around my house and in my car! They work great in a pinch for toting snacks to the soccer field or to use as grocery bags!

28. Velvet Hangers – I have these hangers in the beige color for our closet and you just can’t beat the 50 for $20 price! They make our small master closet actually usable and I love that all of my tops and dresses stay put!

29. Portable Steamer – I’ve bought a few fancy steamers in my day and none of have worked as long and as well as this little steamer that fits perfectly in a cabinet in your laundry room or closet!

30. Terrazzo Coasters – This is an affordable, non-committal way to get on the terrazzo train!

31. – Pressed Glass Frames – I love little brass frames for pressed flowers. I love the idea of collecting little flowers and leaves from a special place, pressing them and framing for a gift.

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Kitchen

7 Tips for Working with a Stone Fabricator

I’ve got all things kitchen on my brain these days! I shared the plans for our big renovation here in case you missed it. We’ve been saving for a long time and I really feel the need to find the *perfect* choice for every piece of this design puzzle. It’s harder and more stressful than I expected,…

My friend, Tanya Fischbeck is one of the owners of G3 Glass Granite Group (yay for women-owned businesses!). Her gorgeous offices and fabrication facility are just around the corner from the Juniper offices in downtown Mesa. G3 does stone and glass fabrication for some of the most beautiful homes in the valley, and works with trusted builders and contractors for commercial glass as well. Tanya is a wealth of information about trends in home and commercial design and she has been a great resource for me over the years! She also shares a lot on their Instagram account. I thought it would be fun to show you the behind-the-scenes at a stone fabricator (albeit an UNUSUALLY clean and beautiful one! ha!) and give you some of Tanya’s tips on working with a stone fabricator and trends she is seeing in stone/countertop design and application.

TIP #1 CHOOSE YOUR STONE AT LEAST ONE MONTH BEFORE KITCHEN COMPLETION

A lot of people wait too long before selecting their stone, which can cause delays and even add to the expense of their project. As soon as your kitchen cabinet design is complete, bring your plans to your fabricator along with a general (or specific) idea of what you want for your countertops and backsplash, and they’ll let you know how much material you should shop for at a stone yard if it’s natural stone. If you’re looking for quartz, many fabricators are suppliers for manmade products. G3 carries many lines and has a huge showroom where you can see and touch samples of the product! The final selections of your material should be done AT LEAST one month before you project is scheduled to be completed. I usually suggest about six weeks out at the earliest though, so if there is a situation where you need to buy an additional slab, there’s a likelihood the material will still be available.

We used G3 to order and fabricate the Cambria Matte Britannica quartz for the Gentry project and they did a killer job with matching the veining on the waterfall and with my favorite detail in the kitchen – the hood backsplash! They nailed it with the cute little integrated spice shelf!

TIP #2 NATURAL STONE IS STUNNING, BUT BE OPEN TO NEW PRODUCTS AND OPTIONS

Quartzite is a natural stone that is absolutely dreamy! It looks quite a bit like the marble that everyone loves and can even be honed or leathered, but it is much harder and durable than marble. There are also a lot of really great manmade surfaces with stone-like qualities. We all loved the matte finish Britannica quartz from Cambria that was installed in the Gentry project kitchen! G3 is a Cambria authorized dealer and we have a lot of experience working with this material so they were able to minimize product waste.

Neolith and Dekton are two ultracompact surfaces that are in a class of their own (some of G3’s samples are pictured below!). They are unique in that they are somewhere between porcelain and glass, insanely durable, and engineered to resist scratches, stains, fire and UV light (so they’re a great option for outside!) They can be used for countertops, flooring, tile, and exterior cladding. Because of the nature of the material, special tooling and certification may be required. G3 Glass Granite Group is certified for these surfaces. Super slab sizes are also available (for those mega huge islands!) and a must-see in person.

TIP #3 STEP AWAY FROM THE PINTEREST!

Pinterest is a GREAT tool for helping you decide on a general vibe for your kitchen or bath design. If you’re leaning toward soapstone or honed black granite, scouring Pinterest for kitchens with dark countertops is a really smart idea and will help you get a sense of how a kitchen with dark countertops actually feels. People often get tunnel vision when designing a kitchen, choosing items based off samples, and what they often don’t realize is countertops are a HUGE factor in the feel of kitchen! When you are working in your kitchen, looking down at the food you are prepping, the countertops are most of what you’ll see. Do you want dark and moody? Light and bright? Mottled, heavily veined, or no pattern? Polished, honed or leathered? The details REALLY matter.

Once you have selected your stone and worked with your fabricator on the finishing details – stop looking at Pinterest! Trust me when I say, there are a million and one gorgeous stone options. Do your research, commit and then stop torturing yourself by continuing to look around! :)

TIP #4 ALL APPLIANCES AND FARMHOUSE SINKS NEED TO BE INSTALLED BEFORE TEMPLATING

A common misconception is that stone fabricators will install sinks and plumbing for a project, but that is something that needs to be coordinated with your contractor and plumber. G3 stocks many standard sinks and installs under-mounted sinks, but custom sinks such as farm-sinks or drop-in sinks will most likely need to be installed prior to or after your countertop installation. It is imperative that all appliances, sinks, and plumbing hardware be on site for your countertop templating appointment (when the final measure happens before cutting the stone) and fabrication. You can easily avoid additional time delays and unnecessary trip charges for having to reschedule this visit by having all items on site for the appointment. All decisions and change orders must be made prior to measuring, as once it’s cut, it cannot be changed.

TIP #5 DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO REUSE OLD SINKS AND FAUCETS

Countertop materials and fabrication are not cheap and it can be a disruptive, messy project. I think it’s wise to wait to start a big kitchen project until you have the funds to replace everything at once – including cabinets and appliances, but especially sinks and faucets! You’ll be much happier in the long run to have a fresh new sink and faucet to go with your new investment, so don’t be tempted to keep the old stuff! It’s like wearing a pair of old, broken in shoes with a gorgeous new dress – it just doesn’t quite work!

TIP #6 YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

This is true for everything in life, but we have found it to be especially true with stone and fabrication. It’s important to do your research and find a trusted, licensed fabricator that has a nice and clean facility, with loyal and experienced employees. Too many times we have heard about situations where people hire cheap fabricators so they can spend more on their stone and then come to deeply regret that when irreparable mistakes are made to one of a kind stone. G3 Glass Granite Group is licensed, bonded and insured with over 30 years of industry experience and knowledge. They use only state-of-the-art equipment and software for templating and fabricating, but more valuable than any equipment or facility is a shops team and work ethic. Tanya says everyone on their team works hard to build solid relationships with each other and those in the field. Their pattern of clear communication, settling realistic expectations (including refusing some stone because of it’s nature), project coordination and industry knowledge are key to executing the many facets of fabrication. Tanya says their goal is to make you giddy when you see your new counters!

TIP #7 TAKE CARE OF YOUR STONE AND IT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME

To seal, or not to seal? G3 GlassGranite Group seals most stones, helping to make the surfaces more stain resistant for up to five years! Whereas sealing does not make the stone stain proof, it does help male it more repellant to stains. The Natural Stone Institute is a valuable resource that Tanya often refers to and cites articles about when sharing information and educating others. For stone maintenance, it’s really important to use something non-abrasive with a neutral pH level. A high pH cleaner is really bad for stone, especially for marble, which is the most delicate of stones, but definitely for most beautiful! Simple Green for Stone or StoneTech Revitalizer are two products that work great for day to day cleaning!

Quartz is also not as care free as people make it out to be! Quartz can stain and all quartz can scratch. For this reason, use common sense rules such as using cutting boards and trivets if you want to remain it to remain in perfect condition. Streaking may also appear on a quartz surface, so always use a clean rag and follow up with a dry soft microfiber cloth for best results. Tanya loves Norwex microfiber cloths, but any clean microfiber towel works! (Norwex also has an amazing glass cloth that requires nothing but water to clean pantry doors, glass appliances and windows!)

Marble countertops are beautiful, but will inevitably stain, scratch and etch. The biggest cause of scratches is from dragging items such as kitchen pots, pans, or dishes across the surface. Use cutting boards or trivets, and wipe up spills quickly as acidic foods (tomatoes, lemons, soda, perfume, toothpaste, hairspray, etc) will etch it. Understanding how marble ages and wears is an important aspect to consider. If you love the soft luxurious texture and look of marble and understand the aging process that will include etching and scratches, then marble may be the right choice for you! If you’re not sure, Tanya recommends visiting a friend who has a marble kitchen and see for yourself before committing!

Also if you get any etching in marble, granite or quartzite we love and recommend this etch removing paste! I am planning on honed marble for my kitchen reno and plan to have an industrial sized tub of this stuff on hand! Ha! We have honed Calacatta Gold marble counters in the studio kitchen and use this cleaner in there too. G3 supplied and fabricated this stone for us as well! The glow of natural honed marble is my favorite!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! A HUGE thanks to Tanya and our friends at G3 Glass Granite Group for helping us put together this post and for being such a great resource to us over the years! If you’re local and looking for an amazing stone or glass fabricator, definitely reach out!

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Kitchen

Trends in Kitchen Appliances

This post is sponsored by Lowes. I’ve got about six kitchen projects at various stages that I’m helping design and finish right now, so I’ve got kitchens on my brain in a major way! I’ve partnered with Lowes this year to share practical tips for approaching renovation and design in your own home (see my…

This post is sponsored by Lowes.

I’ve got about six kitchen projects at various stages that I’m helping design and finish right now, so I’ve got kitchens on my brain in a major way! I’ve partnered with Lowes this year to share practical tips for approaching renovation and design in your own home (see my post on painting here!) and today we’re going to tackle a big topic: Trends in kitchen appliances! Here are a couple of the points I’m going to cover today, but please let me know in the comments if there’s anything else you’d like me to touch on here!

THOUGHTS ON STAINLESS STEEL

CABINET FRONT/PANEL READY APPLIANCES – HOW THESE WORK

COLOR APPLIANCES: TRENDY OR TIMELESS? ALSO, HOW TO MIX AND MATCH FINISHES

WALL OVENS + COOKTOP VS RANGE

48″ Black KitchenAid Gas Range

Cafe Series French door style wall ovens

Pebble Ice Maker

48″ Gas Cooktop

Panel Ready Refrigerator

Matte White and Brass Cafe Dishwasher

White Matte 36″ Cafe Range

Freestanding Electrolux Fridge and Freezer

48″ ZLINE Gas Range

While I dive into these topics, I’ll be sharing photos from a kitchen we recently styled in downtown Gilbert by Bigelow Built. This home is now available for Airbnb bookings and you can check out the listing here! All of the appliances in this kitchen are available from Lowes as well! I love how this gorgeous space turned out!

THOUGHTS ON STAINLESS STEEL:

Some of you might disagree with me here, but I’m very much so in the pro stainless steel camp. I think stainless is a great neutral foundation for a kitchen design. My thoughts are that any material used in most commercial applications is going to be a classic and will endure the test of time.

Stainless steel appliances also mix really well with other metals like brass and matte black, but they usually don’t mix easily with all other stainless appliances. Every brand has a slightly different sheen and color, so it’s best to stick with a consistant suite of appliances in your kitchen, unless you can be sure that the stainless is really similar. In this kitchen here for example – the refrigerator is by Samsung and it works since the color of the stainless steel on the range is really similar and the fridge is far enough away to not be able to directly compare.

The KitchenAid appliances also in this space are probably my favorite mid-end appliances right now. They are built to last and have the reviews to back that up, and they have the lines and details of much more expensive appliances! I always like to use a slide-in range, where the controls are on top or in front instead of a high back panel. It’s so much more of a clean look to see the backsplash instead of the back of the range!

CABINET FRONT/PANEL READY APPLIANCES – HOW THESE WORK

If you have a little more room in your budget, panel-ready appliances are a great way to get a more custom, seamless look in a kitchen. What’s not so common knowledge though is that you don’t need to have custom cabinetry or super high end appliances to get this look. Every cabinet line available at Lowes and several of their appliances lines have panel ready options. I especially love this look for dishwasher fronts and undercounter ice makers.

COLOR APPLIANCES: TRENDY OR TIMELESS? ALSO, HOW TO MIX AND MATCH FINISHES

I get asked all. the. time about color appliances and if they’re trendy or not. I think color appliances are definitely on the trendy side, but I still love them. It feels safe and smart to go with a more neutral color like black or white though. I am loving the new Cafe line of appliances at Lowes. The brass handles are to die for and I love the perfectly matte black and white finish options!

Cafe Series French door style wall ovens

Cafe Matte Black Fridge

I think if you’re choosing white appliances, it’s a good idea to have lighter color cabinets. You can pair black appliances with any color cabinets, including white cabinets. I like the idea of the range being the only colorful appliance in the kitchen and the fridge and dishwasher both being panel-ready! Otherwise, I like all the appliances to be matching. I’d gladly take a suite of these Cafe appliances for any of the projects I’m working on right now! We are doing more of an English style kitchen in the Evergreen project and I think these would be perfect!

Cafe Series Fridge

Cafe Series 36″ Range

And for the final topic –

WALL OVENS + COOKTOP VS RANGE

This one is top of mind for me right now! It is a HUGE trend in kitchen design to have wall ovens tucked into the pantry and out of the main kitchen prep area. You usually see this with cooktops instead of ranges. We currently have an induction cooktop and double wall ovens, and I’ll admit that it is handy to have two ovens and that it’s nice to not have to bend over to check on dinner. BUT ranges are so pretty! One thought I’ve had is to have a 36″ or 48″ range (I love this Z-line one or the 36″ Cafe range above) and a single or double wall oven in our pantry.

Another great option if you’re tight on space is to include a built in microwave or warming drawer in your island or peninsula! This frees up counter space but keeps dinner prep convenient.

I hope this post was helpful to you guys who are in the trenches of kitchen design with me! I’d love to hear your questions and opinions on kitchen appliances trends in the comments!

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Interiors

Our Big House Renovation! (Finally!)

Since we moved to Arizona about five years ago, Michael and I have been saving up and planning for a big remodel. We really love parts of our house and we really, REALLY love our neighborhood. We feel like this is most likely our forever home. I’m so excited that we can finally make some really…

I promised to post the floor plans and here they are! In a nutshell, we are closing up the two back porches and one hallway, which will allow us to shuffle around rooms and make small, awkward spaces function much better! We have plenty of square footage in our house, but most of our rooms are either way too big or too small/narrow. The master bedroom is ridiculously enormous but the closet is TINY. We’re capturing a dark and narrow hallway to use for a bigger master bathroom and we’ll be bumping the closet out into the bedroom’s footprint.

The kitchen is also pretty small. You can see from the as-built floor plan above that it’s a narrow U-shaped layout that feels out of proportion to the rest of our home. It also feels isolated and disconnected from the living spaces. If you’re cooking a meal, or eating at the dining table it feels like you are basically on another planet! You can’t hear or see anything in the rest of the house. It’s such a bummer for me because I really love to cook and entertain and I know if our kitchen were more connected to the rest of the house, we’d all be in there together more. Here are some quick snaps of our kitchen from earlier today. We have DIYed every square inch of this space and I would say we got a lot of mileage out of those projects. But I’m frankly pretty surprised I lasted this long before started the reno! :) It’s time. We are getting ready to demo in here in the next few days and I’m already bummed about having to do dishes in the bathtub for the next 2+ months!

We already did a little work in here when the guys installed a few headers for the living room. Isn’t it funny that I’m getting rid of my arched brick hood surround right when that design is getting popular again?! Ha! I’ve actually always really liked the arch, but it bugs me that the brick doesn’t continue up higher. I might have been tempted to make it work with the new kitchen layout, but it’s right in the exact wrong place for where we will be opening up the walls.

By closing in the back porch, we can basically double the size of our kitchen and have a more separate and comfortable dining space closer to the living room. Here are a few pictures from demo and framing in the living room over the last two weeks or so! Part of me was sad to take out the fireplace, but we’ve used it exactly twice in the last five years, so it wasn’t really that big of a loss.

I just placed the order for a 16′ bi-fold door to go along the back exterior and I can’t wait to have our first party and open up the door completely! The weather here is truly perfect for about 8 months of the year and I’m ready to enjoy it more!

We were also able to squeeze in a new little office just off the master in the porch addition. This will be our new master bedroom entrance, and the office and new entrance to the laundry room will act as a sort of foyer to our room. We haven’t had a good office in this house and it will be great to move out the desk in our bedroom since we are taking some of the bedroom for the new closet.

To make the porch addition feel like it’s always been a part of the house I made the tough call to drop the ceilings. We had a crazy high vault in our living room (more than 18′!) and the highest the ceilings could be in the addition is about 11′, which is still plenty high, right? They just finished the framing for the drop and I think it was the right call.

The kitchen is just on the other side of that door. We’ll be opening the wall about where the center post starts to almost the corner. I love that my kitchen will feel more connected to the spaces where we hang out the most. Even though we’re opening this space up a lot, we’ll still have a ton of separation and privacy. It’s pretty much my main goal in life to not let people at the front door see if I have dishes in my sink! :)

We’ll also be closing in the small side porch where our giant ficus used to sit. It was truly heartbreaking to see that beautiful 30 ft tree come down, but the roots were destroying our foundation and our roof. Our insurance company told us they would drop us this year if we didn’t have it removed (!) so it had to go, even without the renovation. By closing in the smaller porch on this side of the kitchen, we will gain a bathroom and an interior stairway up to what used to be my studio space and will now be our play room/bonus room. The only other access to that part of the house is through a tiny spiral staircase in our mudroom, so a wide and straight set of stairs inside will be a game changer! We also don’t have interior access to our garage right now, but we will after this!

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks watching all the demo and framing happen! I’m a little behind on kitchen plans, but I’m hoping to spend some serious quality time with Pinterest this week and praying inspiration strikes! Guys, it is a MILLION times harder to make design decisions for myself! I can spend other people’s money all day and tell them what they’ll love for years to come, but my money? Hard to spend. My commitment to design choices? Hard to pin down! Argh! Such a fun problem to have though. :)

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Shopping

Black Friday Sales!

Here’s what I’ll be shopping for this Black Friday weekend! I’ll continue to update this last as sales get announced. :) rug // chairs // faux tree // planter Jenny’s Print Shop – 25% off every print!! Yay!!! Use the code JPSTHANKS at checkout. Juniper Lumbars are 30% off! We just launched two new pillows, Midnight Stripe…

Here’s what I’ll be shopping for this Black Friday weekend! I’ll continue to update this last as sales get announced. :)

rug // chairs // faux tree // planter

Jenny’s Print Shop – 25% off every print!! Yay!!! Use the code JPSTHANKS at checkout.

Juniper Lumbars are 30% off! We just launched two new pillows, Midnight Stripe and Amber Stripe, and now would be a great time to pick one of those up! Use the code GIVETHANKS at checkout.

Interior Define – Buy More, Save more! I am doing an Instagram give away with Interior Define this weekend too! If you buy three pieces this weekend you will get a $5000 room makeover with my design help! The Maxwell sofa is my FAVE.

Madewell is offering 25% off with code DEALWITHIT – I’m buying a second pair of my very favorite black jeans and finally getting a pair of leather Red Wing boots which will be SO great for long job site visits!

Anthropologie – 30% off your cart. This rust suede jacket was my favorite purchase this fall and I wish I could have got it at the lower price!

Target – My favorite Dyson vacuum is only $189!

CB2 – 15% off and free shipping – These leather chairs are AMAZING in person and so, so comfortable! I also really love this new coffee table! I’ll placing an order for sure.

West Elm is offering up to 30% off during their Buy More Save More event and 40% throws, and select rugs and lighting! Some of our favorite throws are only $19!

World Market is offering 40% off of all furniture and free shipping if you spend over $200! – We used the marble &brass pedestal table and rattan daybed in this room makeover!

Pottery Barn is offering 20% off and free shipping when you use the code HOLIDAY. All of the bedding we used in this bedroom reveal was from Pottery Barn and I was so impressed with the quality. I especially love this ticking stripe duvet!

Urban Outfitters is offering Buy 1, Get 1 50% off site wide, which is a perfect opportunity to grab two of these sconces for your bedroom! I also forever love these chairs! Also, I bought about a dozen of these cutest hair ties. They look adorable in my girls hair, but I use them a ton too.

Also, this Mens hat is my favorite (for me! I got the small and the medium sizes and they fit great!)! I love the wide brim.

Nordstrom – TONS of sales! This cute rust floral dress is only $27!

Sew & Cloth is offering 25% off and I LOVE their pillows!

Gap is offering 50% off everything with code BLCKFRIDAY! This is a great time to pick up a pair of my very favorite vintage style jeans!

Wayfair – I’ve been looking for the perfect 72″ trestle table and this one is so affordable! It’s 50% off today!

Amazon – This is the gorgeous rug I posted today on Instagram and I paid $100 more for it! $279 is a KILLER price for this rug. It’s my current favorite cheap-but-looking-expensive rug!

I also stocked up on my favorite inexpensive sports bras and leggings that have phone pockets! Can’t beat the $20 price so I have them in most every color. :)

And finally, the best sunglasses I have ever owned in my life are 25% off today!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Juniper Team!!

FJORD print // BOTANICAL I print

chairs // bread board

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Interiors

Bringing Fall Colors to Juniper Studio

We have a living room set up at Juniper Studio, where we like to sit for longer brainstorming meetings about the Print Shop or calendaring for blog content. We’re constantly changing this space with the seasons and trying out new products that brands have sent to us or that we’ve bought to test before sharing with you all. Rejuvenation sent us a couple of beautiful pieces to cozy up our sitting area for fall and I’m absolutely OBSESSED with these new additions.

We went a little darker and warmer and a lot cozier – perfect for the cooler temps!

rug // table lamp

The star of the show here is absolutely the gorgeous Rejuvenation rug! I love that it has the color and styling of a vintage rug, but it is plush, clean and a standard size of a new rug! The best of both worlds! We saved a little money here by ordering down a size (this is the 6×9′) and layering on a flat natural rug.

striped pillow // blue pillow // rug

Isn’t that warm coral color perfection with our black walls?! I also love how Rejuvenation pieces pair so well with vintage furniture like my midcentury modern Plycraft chair and the coffee table (which was a marriage of an antique tiger oak coffee table and a vintage white marble remnant).

JUNE print // striped basket // throw blanket // wood console

GARDEN ROSES print // HILLS II print

The pillows are a mix of new from Rejuvenation and vintage finds. You all know I love me a good lumbar pillow and this rust stripe is GORGEOUS, especially paired with the luxe blue velvet pillow!

The colors are so pretty with one of our new prints HILLS II from Lynne Millar.

I also love the pop of gold warmth from the inside of the lamp shade!

Here are a couple more photos of this pretty space we all love to hang out in here at Juniper! I’ll link to all the sources here and I’ll include a few more favorites from Rejuvenation. There’s so much to love on that site!

striped basket // throw blanket // wood console // striped pillow // blue pillow

pink rug // caned chair // brass knobs // rust pillow // striped lumbar

mirror // wood side table // blue glass vase // wall sconce

striped pot // wood bench // pendant light // white frame

wood wall hook // striped rug

This post is sponsored by Rejuvenation.

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Bedroom

Green Bedroom Reveal

Today we are sharing all of the sources for the bedroom reveal we posted last week!! BIG SUR print // ONYX STRIPE lumbar (similar) rug // bed frame // sconces (similar) // fiddle leaf fig If you remember, we are temporarily moving into our playroom during our home renovation. We didn’t want to spend a ton of money…

Today we are sharing all of the sources for the bedroom reveal we posted last week!!

BIG SUR print // ONYX STRIPE lumbar (similar)

rug // bed frame // sconces (similar) // fiddle leaf fig

If you remember, we are temporarily moving into our playroom during our home renovation. We didn’t want to spend a ton of money buying everything new, so we reused most of the furniture from our guest bedroom. Isn’t it crazy the same furniture and rug looks SO different next to the new paint color?! Painting your walls is such an easy way to give new life to your old things!

Click here to see my tips on how to paint a bedroom in under an hour!