This week we’re sharing a small kitchen adjustment that made our daily routine far more efficient — and we’re honestly kicking ourselves for not doing it sooner. We also have an update about a dented fridge from a recent appliance delivery, three practical tips for book lovers who actually want books on their shelves (instead of filling them with mostly decorative items), and a recommendation for a new Netflix show that felt almost as revelatory to us as Marie Kondo’s series. We loved both shows and discuss them here.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen to the player embedded below. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- In hindsight, Sherry and I realized we took zero clear photos of the appliance delivery (we blame stress). The best visual evidence we have of the dented fridge is a video screen grab shown below.
- The good news: the fridges fit perfectly and look great in the kitchen. We haven’t peeled the protective plastic off everything yet, so the range, washer, and dryer look a bit awkward for now, but once everything’s settled we’ll share more photos.
Updates
- Sherry is still loving the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and is now reading the fourth book, A Court of Frost and Starlight. Next up for her is A Throne of Glass.
- Last week’s episode included a conversation with Stephanie Sikora about making your home not just neater but more efficient. That chat inspired us to rethink some kitchen drawers.
- The photo above is from our original post on kitchen drawer organization. At the time, the dish placement felt convenient relative to the dishwasher behind it.
- After we moved dishes and utensils to the drawers on the island’s other side, everything is now on the same side of the dishwasher as the cups and mugs in the upper cabinets next to the stove. Unloading is so much easier — no more circling the dishwasher back and forth.
Can We Just Talk About
- We can’t stop recommending Instant Hotel on Netflix. It’s a reality competition where hosts present their vacation rentals, packed with design ideas, rental tips, and dramatic TV moments. We loved it.
- The trailer highlights contestants and homes from the first half of the season, so you won’t see one standout later in the show — we included a screenshot of that participant and partner below because it’s a memorable moment.
Listener Question
- These are our living room built-in bookcases. After simplifying them during our cozy minimalism experiment they don’t look as book-heavy as they once did, but when we first filled them they were far fuller.
- Here’s one of our office bookcases; the matching case sits on the other side of the desk. Each mixes books, magazines, and a few decorative pieces. If you want books on your shelves rather than just decor, consider these three straightforward tips:
- Decide whether you want a curated look or to display your entire collection. Curated displays mix books with a few objects and create visual balance; full shelves celebrate quantity and make a room feel lived-in.
- Organize by category, frequency, or color depending on how you use the books. A practical approach is to place frequently reread books at eye level, reference or nonfiction nearby, and fiction grouped together.
- Make your shelves deep enough and adjustable so that different book sizes — including large hardcovers — fit neatly. A small, crowded shelf discourages actual book storage.
- We painted the backs of bookcases in our previous home for a quick, affordable update. In our current house we built floor-to-ceiling shelves deep enough for large hardcovers so they’re genuinely useful for book storage.
- We talked about the “backward book” decorating trend in Episode #85 if you want more perspective on styling with books.
We’re Digging
- We included the trailer for Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up and recommend her book if you want to learn the method that inspired so many people to rethink what they own.
- We also tried a new wireless phone charger and mount for the car. It costs about $25 and makes charging easier: clip it to a vent or stick it to the dash and simply place your phone into the mount to charge without fussing with a cable.
If you’re trying to find something we’ve recommended in a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to open, we keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging from past episodes. You can also see all the books we’ve suggested on our Book Club page.
Finally, thanks to Annie Selke for sponsoring this episode. They recently launched a rug collection with Bunny Williams — and as a thank you to listeners you can take 15% off an order with code YHL15.
Thanks for listening!
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