Today we’re sharing how to strike the right balance when deciding between artwork and family photos for different walls. We’ll reveal where we tend to place personal photos in our own home—and why those spots feel right. You’ll also find creative ideas for personalizing walls beyond the typical smiling-at-the-camera snapshot. Plus, we’ve gone truly shed-crazy (in the best way) at the beach house: after a yearlong delay we finally have progress to show that’s saving us money and getting us excited for summer. And yes, I’m finally trying crystals—unexpected, but fun.
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s New
- Here’s a peek at the patio and shed work happening at the beach house. The duplex is a bit further behind—the sheds were just finished being framed—but overall it’s shaping up to be a productive, shed-filled spring.
- If you want background on the small beach house backyard, the project first came up in Episode #84 where we went over our disagreement about the shed and shared planning photos—there’s even a reminder of the original metal shed when we bought the house.
- We also discussed updated plans and background layouts in Episode #107 around the time the hot tub arrived. Spoiler: the plan evolved a few more times after that.
- You can learn more about our Richmond shed and how we organized it in earlier posts on the blog.
Listener Question
- That older bedroom photo shows our big family photo gallery wall before we simplified it around the bed. We talked about “quieting the room” and explored that idea more in Episode #111 about Cozy Minimalism.
- Some of the photos from that gallery ended up in our guest room above Sherry’s sewing and craft desk, which helped spread the personal touches around the house.
- Below is an example of the candid family photos we prefer: this shot of our kids playing on rocks at the beach is not posed, yet the matching striped shirts, scenery, and the memory of that day made it a keeper.
- In the kitchen we enjoy a new family photo every day thanks to our annual page-a-day calendar. We tape the daily images inside our “mini mudroom” cabinets—a simple way to personalize each person’s cubby.
- Beyond traditional photos, consider hanging artwork that represents your family: a shadowbox of painted wooden pegs, an embroidered family portrait, or a custom painting or sketch. We had a portrait of our kids made that hangs in our foyer and it adds a personal, artful touch.
- We also enlarged and framed kid artwork in our bonus room to create a large-scale piece with a personal touch. It’s imperfect, playful, and it always makes us smile when we see it.
- For more handmade family-art ideas from Etsy, there are plenty of creative options—from custom portraits to quirky, personalized pieces. We shared a few favorites and ideas that made us laugh or swoon.
We’re Digging
- Here are the “crystals” (window prisms) in action—yes, me, John Petersik, admitting I love them. I ordered two sets and they were such a hit we’ll bring a few more to the beach house.
- We’re still testing the best window spots for maximum light and rainbow effect. The kitchen window currently wins: in the morning the rainbows splash across the cabinets and reach the far wall where our shoe cubbies are, which is a cheerful start to the day.
- Sherry mentioned the book Joyful in Episode #130, which inspired me to try these prisms. It turned out to be a small, joyful change that brightens our mornings.
- We also recently binged the Netflix show Russian Doll. It’s funny, weird, intense, and not for kids—each of the eight episodes is only about 30 minutes, so it makes for a compact binge.
If you’re trying to remember something we mentioned in a past episode, we compiled a master list of everything we’ve been digging from previous shows. You can also find all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
Lastly, thanks to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring this episode. They offered a welcome gift when you sign up and spend your first $20—details were shared during the episode.
Thanks for listening!
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