Mixing color and pattern at home is one of the trickiest design skills to master. Done well, it’s bold and exciting; done without direction, it can look either chaotic or flat. We asked Cassie from Hi Sugarplum for her best tips. She explains how she balances a vibrant aesthetic to create a striking home and how she knows when to pull back. We also share how we honored a New Year’s resolution and a surprise birthday moment for Sherry—one of us was genuinely surprised, the other, not so much. Plus, we discuss why an awkwardly staged living room could be the reason your house struggles to sell.
You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio, or listen using the player embedded below. Use this page to find the links, notes, and photos we mentioned during the show. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might need to click through to the post to access the player.
What’s New
- We weren’t able to take photos inside the Escape Room itself, but we did capture our nervous excitement at the sign outside. For locals, we visited Escape Room RVA.
- We found inspiration at Quirk Hotel—details like the tiny peach fridge, rustic diagonal whitewashed floors, and a lobby with a restaurant right in the center grabbed our attention.
- Before becoming a hotel, Quirk operated as an art gallery we featured back in 2008. A few months later we visited the owner’s home, and it’s been rewarding to watch the property evolve into the distinctive local hotel it is today.
What’s Not
- We referenced a Realtor.com feature about living room designs buyers dislike—consider revisiting your living room layout and decor before listing your home.
Hi Sugarplum!
- Cassie’s blog, Hi Sugarplum!, is a great place to follow her approach to style and decorating.
- For the rooms we discussed on the show, check her parlor/blue room and her dining room for source lists and design notes.
- We also mentioned easy-to-use apps for creating mood boards on the go, such as Pic Stitch and PicMonkey—useful tools when you want to collect color and pattern inspiration quickly.
We’re Digging
- We mentioned a few helpful products we use around the house, like a humane spider picker-upper, a paint frisbee for quick paint sampling, and a device for keeping drinks cold. We also talked about Sherry’s recent favorite bra—she’s found a new go-to and is eyeing another style to add to her collection.
Psst—If you’re trying to find something we featured in an older episode, we created a master list of items we’ve been digging from past shows to make it easy to track them down.
Visit thomasavenueceramics.com/YHL to browse tile options for your next project, and receive 20% off your purchase with the code YHL20.
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