Brrr — it’s chilly outside, so why not cozy up with the show notes for Episode #28 of Young House Love Has A Podcast? In this episode, Robert and Cortney welcome the Novogratz to talk about creating a warm, welcoming guest experience, designing for a large and active household, and balancing style with practical needs when kids of many ages share a home. We also dive into a painfully indecisive paint-color process (14 swatches later and still undecided), share the ongoing saga of a household computer rebellion, admit to less-than-stellar vacuuming habits, and celebrate John’s particular enthusiasm for organizing the small stuff.
You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen with the embedded player below. Use this page to follow up on links, notes, and photos mentioned in the episode.
What’s New
- We’re knee-deep in paint-swatch madness as we decide on colors for the beach house exterior. Expect a full breakdown of the color options in a future blog post where we’ll share swatches, pros and cons, and hopefully the final decision. The front of the house (pictured above) shows how scattered our picks have been so far — from bold and dramatic to soft coastal tones.
- New gear update: John picked up a new iMac and Sherry has a new MacBook Pro. Early impressions? They’re performing well for everyday tasks, photo editing, and podcast prep — but we’re still learning the little quirks that come with new hardware.
Updates
- We ran a listener poll related to the Decluttering Epiphanies article mentioned in Episode #24. If you missed it, you can review the poll results and read the original article to find ideas and motivation for simplifying your home and routines.
What’s Not
- We talk about vacuuming lessons learned and share a useful roundup from HouseBeautiful (via Elle Decor) that lists common vacuuming mistakes. It’s a helpful read if you want to get more efficient and avoid damaging surfaces while cleaning.
The Novogratz
- Guests this week are the Novogratz. They share insights into designing welcoming spaces for guests, how to host comfortably in a vacation home, and how to outfit a house so it functions smoothly with lots of kids around. Their approach blends bold design choices with practical solutions for real family life.
- They’ve released a new book, Beachside Bohemian, which showcases their Brazilian vacation home and includes approachable tips for travel-ready design and entertaining. Their earlier book, Downtown Chic, remains a favorite for creative urban interiors and has influenced many listeners.
- If you’re curious about their style, they offer a design quiz on GratziDesign.com and maintain active social profiles and a website where they share projects and products. Their e-commerce shop features curated items inspired by their aesthetic.
We’re Digging
- Small compartment organizers are getting a lot of praise around our house. John loves using them to sort nails, screws, washers, anchors, picture hangers, wire caps, and other tiny hardware so projects stay organized and parts are easy to find. These organizers reduce time spent digging for a missing screw and keep drawers tidy.
- Sherry’s currently into a pair of jeans that require no hemming and offer a flattering fit without alteration; John, meanwhile, swears by a pair of stretchy, comfortable pants that feel like a “dreamboat” for busy days. Practical, comfortable clothing is a small but meaningful life upgrade when you’re balancing projects, parenting, and work.
Psst — looking for an item we mentioned in an earlier episode? We keep a master list of every product we’ve recommended in past episodes to make it easy to find previous picks and references.
Explore DIYZ.com/YHL for more details about our projects and download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Search “YHL” in the app for short videos that walk through several five-step projects we’ve created.
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