House projects don’t always go as planned. We’ve all been through delays, surprises, and moments when a renovation feels overwhelming—ours included with the duplex renovation—so we wanted to share a few strategies we’ve been using to stay positive when projects hit snags. We’ll also touch on some upcoming bathroom trends (one in particular made Sherry do a double take) and announce that we’ve officially started a no-TV challenge.
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher, or Spotify.
What’s New
- If you missed our earlier fridge delivery saga, the initial story is in Episode #126 and the follow-up about the dented door is in Episode #127.
- Below is the photo of the “scrape” the second delivery person discovered on the alternate fridge during our most recent visit. (Ignore the tiny water droplets—Sherry had been trying to wipe the area away.) It looked convincing and alarming, especially since it lined up with the handle screw, which made the delivery person suspect a drill had scraped the finish.
- We finally got the counters installed. They’re Silestone quartz in Pearl Jasmine—the same material we used on the island in our beach house. We’ll share wider shots of each kitchen once things are a bit more settled.
- We explained our reasons for choosing these counters in last week’s email newsletter (three times, apparently). If you want sneak peeks and extras delivered to your inbox, consider subscribing—our newsletter is basically a bonus blog post each week.
- If you missed last week’s podcast episode, we briefly mentioned our no-TV challenge during our interview with Joshua Becker.
2019 Bathroom Trend Quiz
- House & Home put together a list of “10 Bathroom Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2019,” and they also have similar roundups for 2018 and 2017.
- Above are their examples of buttery brass finishes and an “off-kilter tub” (which sounded stranger than it actually is to Sherry).
- Below is the tile statement wall we installed in our beach house hall bathroom a few years ago:
- And here’s the statement tile we added back in 2014 to the bathroom of our showhouse:
- At the beach house shower, we used a frameless glass panel and a continuous floor so the shower blends into the room—an example of an “invisible” shower wall.
- We also mentioned the “statement mirrors” we ordered for the duplex powder rooms. They’re large and look great—unfortunately they’re out of stock right now, but we’re hopeful they’ll return.
Listener Question
- If you want more ideas for fighting project fatigue, lifting your spirits, or celebrating renovation milestones, listen to Episode #90 where we dig into these topics in more detail.
We’re Digging
- If you’d like to shop HomeGoods online, check the “Home” section of the TJMaxx website. It’s especially useful when you need to find multiples of the same item.
- We also shared some specific product finds we liked and linked to several items we’ve used or recommended.
- I bought an outdoor smart plug for the patio lights on our back porch. It was easy to set up and has two independently controlled outlets.
- Note: if you use a smart plug outdoors, install a weatherproof “in-use” outlet cover to protect the outlet while leaving the plug connected.
- For more on our favorite smart tech and how we use it—plus dusk-to-dawn timers and sensors—check posts where we outline our go-to smart-home tools and tips.
If you’re trying to track down something we mentioned in a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to check, we keep a master list of everything we’ve covered in our “We’re Digging” archive. You’ll also find all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
Finally, thanks to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring this episode. New Grove customers can sign up to receive a free gift pack that includes a trio of Mrs. Meyer’s cleaners, walnut scrubber sponges, and a tin cleaning caddy.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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