After a short Instagram clip of Sherry’s pared-down closet prompted hundreds of questions, we’re sharing her approach to building a wardrobe that saves space, reduces spending, and removes morning stress. Whether your closet is overflowing, you want to cut your clothing budget, or you want easier mornings for yourself and your kids, this episode breaks down practical steps, outfit pairings, and storage solutions. We’ll also offer an unconventional fix for empty corners in a bedroom, and John responds to a recent social media discussion.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, or Spotify — or listen in your preferred podcast app. Use this page to find links, notes, and photos we referenced. Note: if you’re reading in a feed reader you may need to open the post to see the audio player.
WHAT’S NEW
- We’ll be living with the current view for a few more weeks after our exterior brick painting was postponed. The yard is still remarkably green for now.
- Sherry is preparing a detailed blog post about her closet and wardrobe strategy, gathering everything in one place. For a quick glimpse, she shared a short Instagram Stories peek at her side of the closet that inspired many of your questions.
- In that upcoming post she’ll show several outfit combinations built from her simplified “uniform,” demonstrating how narrowing choices by style, cut, and color still yields a wide variety of looks by mixing the same pieces differently.
- We recorded a full video tour of every hanging bar and drawer so you can see where everything lives and exactly how much of each item she keeps. That will go live with the closet post later this week.
LISTENER QUESTION
Lots of you asked about dressers when we posted bedroom photos. In our bedroom we use two white painted dressers as nightstands and an antique wood dresser across from the bed that we received from John’s dad. We also have a third dresser on the opposite wall where we store our children’s artwork, sentimental school papers, and fabric.
We’ve written about how we style inexpensive curtains to fill the walls and make the room feel finished, and that same approach ties into how we balance furniture, mirrors, and storage to avoid clutter. One of the items in the room is a large floor mirror we’ve had for years — it actually made our list of “10 things we’ve owned for 10 years.” Those long-lived pieces often prove the most useful when designing a space that’s both functional and personal.
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- We’ll be at the new West Elm Carytown Grand Opening on Thursday, October 25 from 6–8pm. There will be food, drinks, music, and 15% off in-store purchases. A portion of proceeds will support ART 180, a local nonprofit that connects young people with art. Please RSVP if you plan to attend so the organizers can plan for food.
WE’RE DIGGING
- The photo above from last November is a reminder of why many of us love fall, even if opinions vary. We also mentioned a recent skincare find Sherry has been excited about: a natural clay mask she mixes with apple cider vinegar. She’s found it effective and has used it several times since we recorded.
- If you want more information about the simple beauty routine Sherry mentioned — which includes apple cider vinegar and coconut oil — we’ve covered those details in a previous post about favorite household and beauty routines.
If you’re looking for items, books, or resources we’ve mentioned on past episodes, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve been digging. We also publish our Book Club recommendations for books we’ve discussed on the show.
A quick thank-you to Annie Selke for sponsoring this episode. Use code YHL15 for 15% off your order and to see their seasonal collection. We appreciate sponsors that help keep the show going and support the resources we share.
Thanks for listening and reading — we hope these closet tips, storage ideas, and wardrobe strategies help you streamline your space and simplify your mornings.
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