Welcome to the show notes for Episode #4 of Young House Love Has A Podcast. In this episode, interior designer Orlando Soria joins the conversation to offer practical, accessible advice for common decorating dilemmas: how to discover and refine your personal style, effective ways to mix patterns without feeling overwhelmed, and straightforward strategies for deciding where to begin on a room makeover. We also share updates on our current building projects (they’ve been moving along a bit more quickly), a whole-house upgrade that consistently makes our home feel brighter and more pleasant, and why our garage is in dire need of some attention. Later in the episode we also have fun with unusually named paint colors and revisit the work of one of Trading Spaces’ most memorable designers.
You can listen to this episode on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio — or play it in the embedded player below. Use this page as a reference for the links, products, and photos we mention during the show.
What’s New
- We use energy-efficient LED lightbulbs throughout our home. If you’re looking for a reliable, warm-white option sold in convenient multipacks, check the LED lightbulbs we link to.
- If you want a preview of the small garage wall we refreshed, you can find that project starting on page 216 of our book, Lovable Livable Home. It’s a simple example of how a little styling can go a long way in an otherwise utilitarian space.
- We previously shared photos and a video tour of a very messy basement workshop and the step-by-step process we used to organize it. Those posts show how planning, storage solutions, and a few decisions about what to keep versus donate can turn chaos into functionality.
What’s Not
- We had fun collecting paint colors with flirtatious names, including Divine Pleasure, Seduction, Hot Lips, Secret Rendezvous, and Snugglepuss. In assembling these notes we also discovered that the name Love Note actually exists: one brand lists it as an off-white and another as a soft pink, which was a fun surprise and proof that color names can vary widely between manufacturers.
- Wondering how often to wash different types of clothing? We reference helpful laundry guides that walk through recommended washing frequencies for various garments, plus an interesting human-interest piece about someone who washes his jeans infrequently to illustrate how personal preferences and lifestyle influence laundry routines.
- For a dose of TV nostalgia and outrageous makeovers, we included a round-up that showcases the most memorable (and sometimes WTF) room transformations by a notable Trading Spaces designer.
Orlando Soria
- Orlando’s writing and design work are worth exploring. His blog provides a peek into his projects, process, and sense of humor, and he has also worked with professional interior design platforms that connect designers with clients.
- He documented the renovation of his condo — affectionately dubbed the “Orcondo” — with striking before-and-after images that highlight clever space planning and bold stylistic choices in the living, dining, kitchen, and bathroom areas.
- If you enjoy short, visual updates and candid snapshots of design life, Orlando’s Instagram account showcases his personality and design sensibility in a lively, entertaining way.
We’re Digging
- For anyone tackling trim, built-ins, or light woodworking, a factory-refurbished Ryobi Airstrike nailer can be a budget-friendly, dependable tool. If you don’t already have compatible batteries and a charger, be sure to add those to your purchase. We recently used a similar nailer while installing built-ins around a window niche, and it made the job much faster and cleaner.
- On the wardrobe front, StitchFix is a styling service that one of us has used to mix up a mostly-black closet. It’s a convenient way to try new pieces and diversify a capsule wardrobe without a huge time investment.
If you’re trying to remember a product or idea we mentioned in a previous episode, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve been digging from past shows to make it easier to find earlier recommendations.
*This page contains affiliate links