#108: Science Says These Rooms Are A Waste Of Space

Welp, it is official: new research shows that we are not using all of the square footage in our homes. But we sure are paying for it (and then paying to heat & cool it, decorate it, plus spending time cleaning it). Why are we doing that?! Well, this week we are diving into a study that shows what specific spaces are not being used – and what we all might want to consider focusing on instead of house size – even if you enjoy having people over and entertaining large groups. We are also sharing a failed painting project that shines a light on some of the peculiar pitfalls of sharing your renovations with the world. Plus, as summer comes to an end, we are taking you inside a months-long (and somewhat heated) disagreement that we have been having about the beach house.

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you are reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the player.

WHAT IS NEW

That is Embarrassing

Above is one of the photos of our half bathroom that we took for our second book, Lovable Livable Home, where you cannot truly tell at all that we brought in a pearlescent topcoat to the walls (which are painted Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray, simply like most of the other rooms downstairs).
The product we used was Benjamin Moore’s Pearlescent White Metallic Glaze and we enjoy it in person, it is simply impossible to capture in that room in a photo (I think if we had better natural light you might be able to see it). Sherry will try to post a video later this week on Instagram Stories to assist you see it.

Does Anyone Use Formal Spaces Anymore?

Turbodizin bright modern dining room makeover home decor

Here is the Curbed article that got us thinking about this topic, “Our Homes Do not Need Formal Spaces.” Coincidentally, it was written by Kate Wagner (of McMansion Hell) who authored the article about big renovation fatigue we discussed in last week’s episode.
And here is the heatmap graphic from the study that shows where the people they observed spent most of their time. The single dot in the dining room cracked me up. It is not even at the table!

You can also check out Episode #95 where we admitted that we think our own house is bigger than we need.
We also referenced our recent Episode #106, where we spoke to Shavonda Gardner about the realities of downsizing.
And Episode #82 includes our interview with Kevin and Mandy who live in a compact home. Be sure to check out their Instagram to follow along with their new compact home renovation!
Another old episode that tackles the topic of living in a smaller space is Episode #33 when we talked with Dana Miller about downsizing to reach financial goals.

We are Digging

I know not everyone can go see Story Pirates perform in person like we did last month, but if you enjoy their podcast as much as we do around here (I dug it back in Episode #98), we are also truly enjoying their book Stuck In The Stone Age because it has strong pointers for young story writers.
You also may remember this photo from a couple of weeks ago when I used it to show Sherry’s go-to mascara, and now it is back to show the necklace that everyone keeps asking about (hers has a 16″ chain, a .10 stone, and it is white gold).

If you are looking for something we have dug in a past episode, but do not remember which show notes to click into, here is a master list of everything we have been digging from all of our past episodes. You can also see all the books we have recommended on our Book Club page.

And lastly, a big thank you to Smartstuff Furniture for sponsoring this episode. You can enter to win up to $5,000 in kid, baby, and teen furniture at SmartstuffFurniture.com/YHL now through August 27th. Also, get up to 15% off retail during their Back To School event, also ending August 27th.