Here are the show notes for Episode #18 of Young House Love Has A Podcast. Is the podcast officially an adult now? Can it go get a tattoo without asking our permission? (We quietly wonder.) In this episode, Grace Bonney, founder of Design*Sponge, joins us to reflect on twelve years of design blogging and share what that experience has taught her about personal style, the changing terrain of the Internet, and why the idea of a neat “work-life balance” is mostly a myth. We also pull back the curtain on our new coloring book and share a few behind-the-scenes moments, turn to a surprisingly bold source for a bit of design guidance, and commiserate about the persistent little curse that’s been following John this year. Plus, we explain a simple strategy we’re using to reduce unwanted mail from the postman.
You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen to it below. Use this page to find the links, notes, and photos we referenced during the show.
What’s New

- Our coloring book, Color at Home, launches this week (October 4). We included preview pages above so you can see some of the illustrations before you buy — including the chair collage we keep talking about. The book is meant to be a relaxed, creative companion for anyone who loves interiors, patterns, and a little mindful coloring time. If you like what you see, here are the places where you can order a copy:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indigo (Canada)
Amazon (UK) | Book Depository (Worldwide) | Fountain Books (Autographed)
What’s Not
- For a cheeky take on room layout, I mentioned a Playboy piece during the episode: “The 9 Biggest Mistakes Guys Make When Laying Out A Room.” If you want a laugh and a few blunt layout tips, that’s the one.
Grace Bonney
- If you’re curious about Grace Bonney’s work and want daily inspiration for design, travel, and small-business stories, visit Design*Sponge, the site she founded.
- Grace also collected interviews with more than one hundred female makers, artists, and creative entrepreneurs in her book In The Company of Women, which is a useful resource if you want to hear firsthand how other creative professionals build careers and sustain their practices.
We’re Digging

- We’re loving the Carats DOF drinking glasses from World Market — the set comes with four glasses in a jewel-toned palette. We have the green and pink ones, and they’ve been an easy, inexpensive way to add color and personality to the new kitchen. You can find that set at World Market if you want to add similar pieces to your home.
- To reduce the amount of unwanted mail and catalogs arriving at our house, we mentioned the PaperKarma app on the episode. It helps you unsubscribe from physical junk mail — it’s available for iOS and on Google Play if you want to try it for yourself.
Psst — looking for something we mentioned on a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to open? Here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging across past episodes.
*This post contains affiliate links*