Our beach house has thrown plenty of curveballs at us, but frozen pipes was one we didn’t expect. This tense episode had a mostly happy ending, aside from one regrettable move in the final moments. We also debate whether high-end paint is worth the price or if everyday hardware-store brands do the job — the conclusion may surprise you. Plus, Sherry shares how she’s cutting down visual clutter with larger-scale accessories while John wrestles with social media FOMO.
You can download the episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen with the embedded player below. Use this page to find links, notes, and photos we mentioned. Note: if you’re reading in a feed reader you may need to click through to see the player.
What’s New
- The photo above was sent by a neighbor showing our beach house during the “bomb cyclone” that brought heavy snow and freezing temperatures earlier this month — conditions that seriously threatened our pipes.
- I still regret not photographing that duplex toilet we described (I was focused on other emergencies in the moment), but here’s a picture of the outside blanketed in snow.
- If you need practical advice on frozen pipes, the American Red Cross has a helpful article with prevention and emergency tips.
- If you missed my earlier conversation about choosing a resolution “word” for the year, that’s covered in Episode #78.
- Also — debating whether I should get that t-shirt I mentioned. Thoughts?
- We’re waiting for our 2017 Family Yearbook from Blurb (expected this week). In the meantime, you can browse past yearbook peeks and read about our process. We ordered the Standard Landscape size and used a 30% off coupon we received by email after creating an account.
Can We Just Talk About?
- We based part of our discussion on a Washington Post article that asks whether expensive, trendy paint brands are really worth the cost.
- To see some Glidden colors we used in our first house, check the first house tour and the post that traces its evolving color palette.
- For our second house, most paint came from Benjamin Moore — see the house tour and the overview of that home’s color palette.
- The small collage below illustrates how many different paint brands we’ve used over the years.
- After recording, I found an Architectural Digest piece that argues in favor of splurging on high-end paints like Farrow & Ball. It highlights reasons those brands can carry a higher price, from pigment quality to unique finishes.
We’re Digging
- Above is the large-scale artificial fern Sherry mentioned on the episode — a simple solution that helped minimize clutter on our dining room console.
- Below are other oversized accessories she’s been using to reduce visual clutter caused by many small knick-knacks: a set of curated items that create a cleaner, more cohesive look.
- One book I recommended is This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving Where You Live — a thoughtful read about making a place feel like home.
image source
If you’re trying to find something we mentioned in a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to open, we keep a master list of everything we’ve shared across past episodes for easy reference.
Finally, a big thank you to The Annie Selke Companies for sponsoring this episode. Use the code YHL15 to get 15% off at AnnieSelke.com/YHL on bedding, furniture, rugs, and more.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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