Our week of living furniture-free is finished, and it went… well, differently than we expected. Differently in ways that surprised us. Today we’re sharing what we liked, what we didn’t, where we messed up, and how the experiment might permanently change how we use our home. We also confess a quirky downside to a pretty-but-impractical feature in our house. Plus, Sherry leans into her love of all things a little woo-woo, and John vents about a smart-home tech choice that bugs him.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen to it below. Use this page to check any links, notes, or photos we mentioned. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- I’m rocking a bootleg standing desk (thanks to a random box) as part of the Furniture Free Living experiment we introduced in last week’s episode.
- I’m still undecided about adopting a standing desk long-term. If I did, I’d likely upgrade to an all-white, convertible standing desk that fits our aesthetic.
- I suggested an under-desk walking treadmill to Sherry, but it wouldn’t fit under her current desk. She prefers walking outside while handling small tasks—she’s often ordered things for the duplex, replied to emails, and even taken work calls while strolling the neighborhood.
- We watched a few videos to better understand the Furniture Free movement. Katy Bowman’s house tour is a thorough overview and was the feature in the Good Housekeeping article we linked last week. Many of you recommended her as a resource for natural movement enthusiasts.
- For reference, this is the bonus room we mentioned as a space that could handle more active elements. Behind the couches there’s enough room for a treadmill if we relocate a few baskets of dress-up clothes.
- Please tell us on social media if you’re joining us for Aquatober or Walktober!
Updates
- Thanks to your suggestions, I’m loyalty-card free on my keychain. I now rely on entering my phone number, Apple Wallet, or scanning cards stored in the Key Ring app. I’m also trying an app called Pass2u to import loyalty cards when a retailer’s app doesn’t support them.
- For clarification: the single loose key you might have noticed near my leather key organizer is on the ring with our car fob because it’s for the beach house. That way, when we head there I can detach the leather organizer and carry only the car key and that one key.
- I ordered a slim wallet to help pare down what I carry—thanks for the recommendation, Chris.
Can We Just Talk About Smart Locks?
- The door shown above is the one we’ve considered for a smart lock since it’s our most-used entry (it leads into the garage). We like how the current lockset coordinates with the polished nickel hardware in the kitchen, which is why we chose it originally. You can see the lock from far back in the living room.
- Imagine adding a large, dark smart-lock module to that door. Most smart locks come in satin nickel, chrome, black, or bronze; polished nickel options are rare. The bulk and color of typical smart locks would contrast with our light door and kitchen, making them stand out more than we want.
- Some brands offer smaller on-door hardware but require a separate hub inside the house, which reduces the door-mounted profile. For example, the August smart lock uses a hub and offers a keypad option so guests don’t need a phone. Its finish isn’t a perfect match to polished nickel, but it’s less visually intrusive than some alternatives. It still has a noticeable presence on the door, though.
- For context, our front and back doors use Kwikset locksets with the SmartKey system so we can rekey our own locks and make them match without hiring a locksmith—we’ve had them for five years and recommend them.
Listener Question
- The covered porch Ang asked about is shown above (ignore the old deck—this photo was taken before we removed it). The windows behind the outdoor sofa look into our living room.
- Usually our kitchen and living room look bright and open, but lighting can shift dramatically in the afternoon depending on where the sun is. The dining area can be very bright while the living room, shaded by the porch overhang, feels much darker.
- In the photo above you can see sunlight reflecting off our shed’s white doors lighting the fireplace area—sheds are underrated—but that same covered porch casts a notable shadow into the living room in the late afternoon. We enjoy the porch, but it does affect how bright the interior feels at certain times of day.
We’re Digging
- We’ve been playing the kids’ new favorite game: Tenzi. Yes, we’re using coasters to stack the dice.
- Our favorite mix is Tenzi Tower—stacking dice as you go—combined with Stealzi, where you can swipe an opponent’s dice. We also found a booklet called “77 Ways to Play Tenzi” packed with variations, and there’s a party pack with multiple sets of dice if you want to play with a crowd.
- Sherry bought a jade face roller that she’s been using as part of her routine. It’s currently sold out in places, but similar highly rated rollers are available. There are a number of articles discussing potential benefits, and we’ve shared Sherry’s demo on YouTube and our Instagram Highlights.
- For the rest of Sherry’s skincare and kitchen-based beauty recommendations, check the post that lists the other “woo-woo” products she swears by.
If you’re trying to find something we mentioned in a past episode but don’t remember which show notes to click, we keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging across past episodes. You can also find all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
Finally, thanks to Revel Woods for sponsoring this episode. They offer hardwood flooring samples to help you choose the right floor for your home.
Thanks for listening!
*This post contains affiliate links*