#89: A Year Without Shopping: a house log
Could you put your wallet on lockdown for 365 days? Sherry shared the story of a woman who did, including why she took on the challenge, the few exceptions she allowed to make it possible, and how it is inspiring us to adjust our spending… and perhaps even try out a ban of our own. Plus, how much should you involve your kids in the design of their rooms? We share some pointers and tactics for keeping everyone glad in the process, so the result is a room that they enjoy (and that you also like to be in with them). Plus, the paint colors that will assist your home sell for more money (some of them surprised us!) and a DNA test that led to a humbling personal discovery.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, 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 might have to click through to the post to see the player.
What is New
- Here is that book Sherry was raving about, The Year of Less by Cait Flanders, which came out earlier this year.
- You can also follow Cait on her website, where she has some ongoing resources for people looking to follow in her footsteps.
- If you want to grab one of the AncestryDNA tests that we did, they are selling for $79 on Amazon right now. It takes about 8 weeks to get your results back, so simply be ready to be patient.
- Or you can simply try searching for old relatives without testing your DNA first over at Ancestry.com (they offer free trials to access their database of old documents so you can attempt to construct a family tree).
Paint Color Quiz
- Here is Zillow’s 2017 Paint Color Analysis, which includes a chart of all of the colors from last year that helped houses sell for more than expected (and the ones that caused them to sell for less).
- You can also check out the 2016 report to see what has changed or listen to Episode #24 to hear how Sherry quizzed me on that year’s data.
- Sherry also promised some of her go-to sale-friendly wall colors that we have used frequently, so here they are:
- Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore (with Simply White trim, also by BM), seen here:
office chair / bench / rug / woven blinds / curtains / rod / cork board walkthrough / more room sources
- And here:
console / similar mirror / similar baskets / more room sources
- White Heron by Sherwin Williams (with Pure White trim, also by SW), seen here:
dresser / similar mirror / bench / rug / sconce / curtain rods / curtains / more room sources
- And here:
headboard / art / blue pillow / sconces / side tables / striped duvet / more room sources
- Irish Mist by Behr (with Simply White trim by Benjamin Moore), seen here:
mega sofa (it is 3 of these together) / similar rug / curtains / rod / more room sources
- And here:
pendant lights / countertop / art / more room sources
- Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams (with Pure White trim, also by SW), seen here:
art / leaning mirror / shelves (we sprayed them gold) / rug / more room sources
- And here:
rug / desk / desk chairs / storage cubbies / more room sources
Listener Question
- If you want a peek at how our daughter’s room has evolved, you can scroll through this post that documented its progression. That post does not include it is most lately evolution (shown above), but it is detailed in this more recent post.
art / night stand / rug / similar headboard / lamp / more room sources
- Since our son’s room has not gone through quite as many stages (thanks to him being four years younger), this post about upgrading him to a big boy bed should get you fairly much up to speed. You can even see the striped sheets he chose poking out in this shot:
light / sconces / blue pillows / similar daybed & rug / ottoman / more room sources
- In both of those rooms, you can see how we did neutral walls (Going To The Chapel by Benjamin Moore in our son’s room, White Heron by Sherwin Williams in our daughter’s room) but brought in color and lively with accents like bedding, accessories, and paint on surfaces like the ceiling (in our daughter’s room) or both of their closet doors.
similar chair and side table / cloth bins / ottoman / bookshelf walkthrough / more room sources
- And if you check out this post, we in fact detail (and show video!) of how we got our daughter involved in one of the design elements of her room back when we was 3. So compact!
- Also, this is that closet with the desk that she requested lately (and helped me put together). Although this photo is from back before we got her a pink chair (that is a borrowed dining chair below) and later brought in the rug underfoot when she noticed it was colder in that corner. Note: see how we covered that back wall in fabric here.
We are Digging
- That is sister-and-brother-team Leann & Steve from Restored By The Fords above, in a space that kinda exemplifies what Sherry was describing in the episode. I mean the gold swan certainly was not something we saw coming…
- There is more of their work on HGTV’s webpage, but below are a couple of highlights:
- Sounds like their current season is complete, so you should be able to binge it on demand – and they simply got greenlit for season 2, so they’ll be back in 2019.
- And if you or the guy in your life is interested in checking out Wohven, the t-shirt subscription service I mentioned, I have been fairly impressed with the quality of them (versus what I typically wear which is typically Target, Old Navy, or free shirts from the various races I run). You can choose the size, the neckline (crew or V-neck), and plain ($9) or graphic tees ($11). Below are some samples of their designs:
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.
And lastly, a big thank you to You Need A Budget (YNAB) for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at YNAB.com/YHL to get your first three months free!
Thanks for listening, folks!
*This post contains affiliate links*
