Mary’s House Renovation with Crate and Barrel

Brittany

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March 5, 2020

Mary’s House Renovation with Crate and Barrel

Here’s what the room looked like before:

As open as the new space was, it still was small; so, Mary wanted to focus on creating plenty of seating options without bulky pieces of furniture. A simple color palette completed her vision, with pieces that were both architectural and artistic.

Enter, Crate and Barrel, the royal family of clean and functional. They partnered with us to make the transformation happen and turns out, they were the best marriage partner for Mary’s more color subdued yet architectural style.

The constraints of the space led to the selection of the Knurl Small Coffee Table. It turned out to be the perfect solution, with thin legs and clean, refined lines that created a distinct but unobtrusive shape. The Fernando Accent Table was an ideal pairing with the Knurl Coffee Table, as it balanced the lighter elements of the coffee table with a solid and interesting geometric shape.

For seating, Mary chose two pieces with distinct shapes and artistic textures. The Gabo Leather Wingback Chair provided height with slender, architectural lines. Lightly colored legs contributed to the wingback chair feeling less bulky in the small space. The Mimi Vegan Lambskin Chair provided contrast with cozy, light upholstery and a low back. A square cutout on the back of the chair creates an interesting shape that adds to the texture of the room. Together, the two chairs fulfilled Mary’s vision for a room that had plenty of seating options without cluttering the space.

Now, this space continues the timeless, sleek style of the kitchen into the living room. Each piece of the room underscores Mary’s artistic intention for the space, while still creating a welcoming environment for anyone who enters.

Would love to hear what you think of her living room transformation. Are you more of a color lover or lack of color? Dish!

Thank you to our sponsor, Crate and Barrel, who made this transformation happen.

Brittany’s Master Bedroom Makeover with Spoonflower

Brittany

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July 23, 2019

3

Brittany’s Master Bedroom Makeover with Spoonflower

We partnered with them earlier this year on some new pillows for my living room and some custom fabric to make a lampshade (see here) so I was already familiar with their great quality and options. And, because I had already done a lot of research on artists and fabrics, I knew exactly where to look. Their marketplace can be overwhelming because of the sheer amount of designers and products, so I spent a good deal of time making collections for each room. That was the easy part. Narrowing down the favorites list was the tricky part. You know the feeling, right? You can take the design so many different directions so you don’t know where to start???

What do you do??!

How to concept your interior design

Start slowly! I decided to start with mock-ups by placing the products together to see which ones were really pulling me in.

Playing around with options I was able to visualize how to put together different patterns and colors, one of my favorite things to play with. I had so many favorites that I knew it would be tricky to put them together so this helped me narrow down.

To custom headboard or not?

I contemplated making a customized headboard, especially because the beauty of Spoonflower is that you can pretty much customize ANYTHING you’ve ever wanted. They have the ability to put any design onto any products and now, even more so! There are curtains, throws, wallpaper, bedding, you name it. Ultimately, I decided against the custom headboard because I wanted to save on time and headache so I knew I was probably going to find a solid colored one, since those were my options out on the market. Because of that, I wanted to add something decorative to the walls.

Concept 1

There’s one designer, Amy Vail, who references a lot of William Morris patterns and I’m INTO it! Look at this beautiful leaf pattern. I thought it could be fun to play around with some red gingham, like this one from another favorite designer, Peacoquette.

Concept 2

I’m loving on some pink right now and wanted to try it out on my walls. Here’s how it goes:

I also contemplated this fun berry and vine stripe pattern in pink from Danika Herrick. I still love it so much, but I think I’d love to try it for a girl’s room one day. Danika also has some really lovely chinoiserie patterns.

Concept 3

I knew I wanted a wallpaper, especially since theirs is renter friendly, so most of my mock-ups kept that in mind. However, in case my landlords wouldn’t go for it, I came up with a solid color paint choice that would still work. A beautiful grey/blue could do the trick:

I found that blue and white stripe and I thought it was so so pretty (clearly I thought it was pretty, as I eventually decided to do the entire bedroom with it!). The stripe is by designer Jenlats.

There’s already a blue theme going in Jasper’s nursery (see here) and I knew it would be fun to switch it up a bit so I tried out a blush pink (you know, because we haven’t seen that color ANYWHERE these days 😉

Concept 4

I love bringing greenery into a space because it really refreshes it, so when I found this green botanical print, once again from Peacoquette, I thought it would fit the bill beautifully. Then, I spotted this black and white striped headboard that would allow me to play with color and patterns all along with these pink art nouveau daisies that would be in the Spoonflower curtains. Top it off with this calico throw pillow and we’re good to go!

As soon as I spotted these headboards (here and here), I knew they were the perfect way to contrast the busyness of the wallpaper with the bedding. It needed a respite with a solid color.

Final concept

The more I looked around and played with the arrangements, I was able to gain a stronger sense of what I wanted so I started bringing in more furniture. My natural inclination lead me to go to the yellow headboard and that’s what I ended up basing my decisions off of.

When I have elements that are more whimsical and botanical like the butterfly bedding, I typically like to have a few other elements that are more streamlined like the lighting fixtures. I found this rad surface lamp from Cedar and Moss called Belle and though it could have leaned too modern, I love how it toned down the whole design and made it feel less, for lack of a better word, “frou frou”. Plus, I loved the idea of bringing in traces of black throughout the room because of the black in the butterfly bedspread.

I’m SO into rattan and wicker right now. You too? I love that it’s slowly been making its way into our vocabulary again, and not in the 80s overdone, fluffy way. It’s become cleaner yet still warm. If found these sconces that did not break the bank and I love them so much! They add the perfect amount of texture.

Finding the right side table has been a bit trickier. I still haven’t bit the bullet yet. I loved the idea of bringing in another color and pink would be great so I found these side tables that would be great but then I also love this peacock blue one. Which one would you go for?

Before photos

Now, before we get more into the final photos, I want to show you the mess that we were working with. You ready for this? Big gulp….

OUCH! This hurts. I didn’t even clean up for you! You’re welcome! It’s a small room, about 10×10’ with plastic vertical blinds, beige carpet. I painted it white a few years ago so at least there was that. I like to say that the worst before pictures make the best after photos.

Now, you ready for the full reveal???

Final bedroom design

This chair above is one from my grandparent’s home. I haven’t changed the fabric at all, but I kind of like how it works.

I had a little helper who loved jumping his way into the scene. Can you spot him? I’m sure it’s tough 😉

Bedding

Who doesn’t want glorious bedding to sleep in? This duvet, sheets, and shams not only make the design pop, they also make your bedding luxurious. The bedding pieces are made of cotton sateen, which has such a lovely polished look and feel. Jasper loves to snuggle up in it and spread his cracker crumbs everywhere. Yay!

Ok, sorry, I got distracted there…here’s the rest!

Curtains

I decided to continue the stripe from the walls to the curtains. I loved the idea of an all over pattern (anyone remember Chloe Sevigny’s bedroom?!). And with this particular stripe, it’s just small enough where it’s not too contrasty and because it’s all over it begins to feel more like a solid. I wanted to add a bit of pizzazz into them so I found some yellow trim and handstitched it onto the edges. Love how it turned out! Voilà!

Throw pillows

Spoonflower offers SO MANY choices (over 750,000 patterns) which can be overwhelming but more importantly inspiring! I loved that there were so many choices for the throw pillows and I had many options to mix and match. PLUS I love supporting independent artists and Spoonflower brings them all to one convenient place. You can find the links to the individual pillows in the product round up below!

Surface mount

Here’s the gorgeous surface mount I was telling you about from Cedar and Moss. Isn’t it so pretty in the space?!

And let’s end on a few more of the Boo because he just makes everything better.

So sweet–trying to hit the camera lens. Doh!

I was showing my good friend, Merrilee, pictures of my new room and she reminded me of one of my favorite inspiration images of all time that I realized I was unconsciously referencing. Right?!

This was also one of our This Girl’s from a few years ago. Take a lookie here.

Spoonflower selections

Here’s a round-up of all the Spoonflower products we used to make this bedroom happen. From the curtains to the wallpaper and bedding, it was all Spoonflower!

And here are all the accessories and furniture I used and/or I need your help deciding on!

Cedar and Moss surface mount
Curtain rod from Anthropologie
Pink side table from West Elm–should I go with this one?
Rattan Sconce from World Market
Velvet mustard headboard from Target
Peacock blue side table from Schoolhouse Electric–or should I go with this one?
Metal side table from Schoolhouse Electric–or this one??

The flower decorations below the sconces are vintage items that I found at the Brooklyn Flea ages ago!

I really do love working with Spoonflower because of the limitless opportunities to customize and find great designers. I know that if I want to tweak the color for whatever reason I can approach the designer. I didn’t do that in this case, but it’s good to know that I can.

Head on over to Spoonflower to check out their new bedding and product collections. They’re so good!

This post is sponsored by Spoonflower. Thanks to the brands who allow us to focus on clever and original content for you!

Brittany’s Guest Room Renovation with Crate and Barrel

Brittany

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February 26, 2020

3

Brittany’s Guest Room Renovation with Crate and Barrel

Wait…a room inspired by bath towels?

Oh, here they are. Look how happy I am because of them.

Exactly. That’s where this story begins. But to understand the story of our newly redone guest room, we first need to take a look at where the room started. As I’ve mentioned in the past, we live in a walk out apartment. At the time we first moved in we thought it had just two rooms. After a couple of years we discovered there was another bedroom and it was the best room in the whole place! It had served as our landlord’s storage room, but we soon found out that it was the biggest room that also received the most light. Not only that, but it had a bathroom with a bathtub, which is my favorite word in the winter time (I also consider bath tubs God’s gift to birthing mothers, but that’s a story for another day).

At the time I was working from home and after our discovery, our landlords generously offered it to us. I worked out of this room for a couple of years before moving into our Springville studio. The following year my brother moved in and lived with us for about a year and a half, and then Jasper was born and it kind of became this storage/guest room dumping ground. You know the kind of room I’m talking about, right? You’re horrified to actually let guests sleep there but you don’t really have any other choice?

Yeah, that’s the one. SO, yes, back to the transformation….Crate and Barrel gave me the charge to redo our guest bedroom and I have a feeling they didn’t know what they were in for.

Look at these before photos:

I mean, it’s pretty standard rental: beige carpet, walls, outdated lighting. The three storage shelving units are our landlord’s and we’ve kept it for storage. It’s pretty handy, actually!

I’ve long admired Crate and Barrel’s company and how they originally started as admirers and importers of Scandinavian design (have you listened to the founder’s episode on How I Built This? It’s so good!) and how they basically transformed the home furnishings industry. I can get behind that. And they’ve remained true to their vision by providing well made, thoughtful design.

We get enough guests that I know how I want them to feel, but I’ve never been able to provide that feeling until now. Ultimately, and even though we are in a basement apartment, I want them to feel welcome, cozy, and taken care of. Most of our guests come in from out of state and the country, thus, I want them to feel like they are getting a taste for Utah and all it has to offer. When I found this Pine wallpaper from Sandberg Wallpapers, I thought it was the perfect way to establish the alpine identity. It felt like an escape into somewhere majestic and cozy at the same time. Plus, it was one of the few that Paul and I could agree on 😉

Bedroom furniture and linens

With the Pine wallpaper setting the mood for the room, I knew I wanted to complement it with warm wooden furniture. I chose the Linea II Natural Bed frame. It has clean lines and works perfectly with the wallpaper. Cabin fever, catch it!

I paired it with the Dawson side table. I’ve never had a legit side table with a drawer in my bedroom before so I feel like this is a luxury.

To return to the beginning of our story, I knew I’d love something that would tie in the yellow of the striped towels and when I spotted the mustard yellow comforter, I knew that was it. (This comforter now comes in three new colors for Spring!) It’s a beautiful contrast to the green of the wallpaper. I LOVED the look of the Lior sheet set. I’ve always loved hotel linens and this creates the same look but with a touch more decoration.

Bench

I loved the idea of having a place to set luggage and such, so the Tate King bench in Walnut was the answer!

Rug

I wanted a rug to cover up the beige carpet because it bums me out, but I knew because of the wallpaper I couldn’t do something too intense. I went with the Azulejo neutral rug that has the perfect amount of pattern for this pattern-on-pattern lover, but is neutral enough not to collide with the wallpaper. And it’s a cut and loop pile so it works just great on carpet, which was one of my concerns.

Dresser

A high priority for the room was a dresser. There are two small closets in the room, which we have to use because we don’t have enough closet space in the rest of the rooms, so we needed additional storage. I chose to go light with the dresser so that the room wouldn’t be too dark, so I chose the Gia Ash-7 drawer dresser, which fit perfectly under the window.

Desk

The same goes for the desk, which sits against the opposing wall. Paul will also be using the space as his office so he needed a work space that could contain all his equipment. I went with the Kendall Desk in cream and paired it with the gorgeous leather Lincoln Round office chair.

Lighting

I also was tickled to find a gorgeous table lamp, the Arenson, in a similar color way as the bedding. It’s uneven finish makes it feel so rich. Plus, it’s super sturdy and feels luxurious.

Artwork

Though I tried so hard to keep with the natural, woodsy vibe of the Pine wallpaper and accompanying wooden furniture, I couldn’t help but throw in some color. I just had to! I collected quite a few prints from our trip to Denmark last year to visit Paul’s family and the room was begging for it! The exhibition poster by Walton Ford added the much needed dose of unexpected whimsy I was going for in bright pinks and kingfishers, Paul’s favorite.

I needed to balance out the bold colors with another bold color, so I added in a print from my friend, Lisa Grue, a Danish illustrator, whose 20 Birds in a Tree print was perfect. It’s colorful touches like these that make me feel more at home.

Other items of note:

The ceiling fixture was from Mitzi and was provided by Hudson Valley Lighting.
Rattan arm lamp
Red desk lamp
Blue retro lamp
Throw pillows: burgundy, blue, green/blue, pink stripe

Crate and Barrel Guest room selections:

The day we finished installing the room, Paul and I immediately decided that we couldn’t keep this to our guest room and we moved into the room that night. Ha! It’s larger than our real master bedroom and now, so much more comfortable. It feels like that hotel experience that I long for–you know…sturdy, clean and well-built. But don’t worry! When guests come, they will still be staying here and we’ll just trade rooms lucky ducks!).

Thank you to our brand sponsor, Crate and Barrel for working with us on this transformation. I’m a C&B lover for life!

Studio Tour of The House that Lars Built

Brittany

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March 15, 2022

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Studio Tour of The House that Lars Built

Where We Started

Remember what the basement looked like when we first bought this house? Totally gutted, and an eyesore, but full of potential. Well, we’ve come a long way since then! We still have a long way to go, but we want to show you our progress. Here‘s a post with the preliminary ideas for the studio. And if you’re interested, here‘s a compilation of everything we did to our house in one year.

How It’s Going

The Space

To kick off the studio tour, we need to explain the space. The entire basement makes up the studio. It’s divided into the following: Jane and Jenny’s office, the main crafting/working space, the kitchenette area, the bathroom, the shipping/packing room, and the archive room. The shipping and archive rooms needed to be more functional than anything, so our choices there have and will be more driven by functionality (with a little Lars flair, of course). But the rest of the space we have had a LOT of fun with thus far! So here’s what we’ve done.

Pink Epoxy Floor

First stop on our studio tour: flooring. The first thing we did to the basement was the floor. Remember our pink epoxy flooring?? Yep, that covers the floor of the entire basement, except for the bathroom. It’s such a fun, eye-catching detail that you notice right when you walk in! I always knew the studio needed a touch of pink to warm things up.

Stairs

The stairs are next on the studio tour. Now we knew we needed a quick and effective solution for the unfinished stairs. What an eyesore!! And did I mention they had carpet on them previously? It took a little extra time to get them prepped for painting. But it was worth it, because the final product (these big, bold, blue and white stripes) was the perfect way to get our guests’ attention and introduce them to the studio. We may end up altering these amidst our newest wave of home renovations, but it was the perfect temporary DIY solution until we could implement a more permanent situation.

Lighting

Speaking of an eye-catching entrance, guess what we just recently got?! Our very own neon Lars sign, courtesy of Neon 87! To say we’re excited would be a severe understatement. Needless to say when visitors come to the studio they’ll know exactly where they are when they see this sign.

We also couldn’t move on without mentioning the recent install of this schoolhouse light fixture. We loved the gold accent with the bold stripes and colorful art we added to the walls!

Office Makeover

The next step in our studio tour is the office. We did an office makeover! Matching the wallpaper in the office to the pink floor turned out to be an interesting challenge, but we loved the result when all was said and done! Here‘s the post where we explain it all.

Here’s Jane’s desk:

And here’s Jenny’s:

The Craft/Work Space

Next up on our studio tour is the craft space! While far from complete, we want to show you what we’ve done so far. It’s getting cozier by the day! You may have seen the initial improvements we made to our craft space here, with our DreamBox. We’re still crazy about it. But to add to the pleasure of being in the studio, we also recently purchased two things: an AMAZING blue velvet couch from Eternity Modern, and a remote control table with a tabletop that moves up and down from Flexispot. You wouldn’t believe how convenient this is for photo and video shoots!!

We now have a more organized, efficient space that opens up the possibilities. We’re finally versatile enough to host meetings. All we have to do is push two of the large craft tables together and we’re set. Speaking of, we had a veeeery important meeting the other day, the subject of which is yet to be revealed (wink, wink).

Below is our amazing new remote control table from Flexispot (bamboo tabletop on the right):

Here’s that show-stopping Eternity Modern couch:

Blinds

We were ecstatic to add the blinds to this studio tour. I don’t know if you noticed in the pictures of the office makeover, but for a long time, we were literally using paper as a makeshift version of blinds. NOT ideal. We knew we needed something much better, and that’s where blinds.com came into the picture! They replaced our sad, makeshift paper blinds with some classy new blinds, complete with blackout shades. This was a dream come true for Jane–good lighting makes all the difference in whether or not a photo turns out! We installed the blinds in all the basement rooms–Jane and Jenny’s office, the main crafting space, and the shipping room. Blinds are something that need to be functional as well as pretty, and we loved how our blinds turned out.

Here they are in the craft room:

Here’s the window next to Jane’s desk:

And here’s the shipping room!

Bathroom

Now let me preface this portion of our studio tour with a caveat–the bathroom is far from complete. We still want to add wallpaper and so much more! But we did get the flooring in (white tile with a FUN pop of blue grout!), along with the basic necessities, and a touch of color and pattern with this DIY shower curtain. We can’t wait to show you the rest when it’s ready! Hint: the final result includes our very own custom pattern made into Spoonflower wallpaper and much more. Stay tuned!

Stay Tuned for Much More

That’s it for the studio tour today! Friends, think about it. The combo of pink epoxy flooring, blue velvet, and fresh new blinds?! There’s a reason we’re excited. It’s already looking soo good and we’re far from done! We are beyond ecstatic about all the plans we have in the works. If you hadn’t noticed, the craft room lacks wallpaper. We’re thinking custom wallpaper designed by The House that Lars Built. And the kitchenette?!?! We have BIG plans. We don’t want to spoil the surprise, but this year is going to be the year where things come together in BIG ways. We’re so excited!! Who’s with us?!

NEW! Jungalow for Opalhouse by Target

Brittany

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July 1, 2021

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Justina is truly the most go-gettery of all go-getters. I’ve always admired her commitment to her art (she paints every morning to warm up! I’ve been wanting to do this for ages!), and focus on getting better and better. She’s created a beautiful brand with commitment to the environment and providing resources for people to capture her look. I’m so proud of you Justina!

Find Justina here:

My Bathroom Remodel Reveal

Brittany

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September 23, 2021

5

The road to our bathroom remodel was long and winding, and part of that is because Paul and I have such different sensibilities when it comes to style and design! If he had his way, we’d live in a sleek warehouse with Brutalistic concrete floors. Ha! So you can imagine that we had lots of negotiations and conversations during our ideation faze, which ultimately led to “do whatever you want”. I will, thank you very much 😉

I get by with a lot of help from my friend, Meta Coleman

Interior shot of a colorful, eclectic dining room with red chairs, wallpaper and blue wainscoting, a green cabinet, and plants. — Hannah Carpenter home by Meta Coleman

I would be sadly remiss if I didn’t start out by singing the praises of my friend and designer, Meta Coleman. Meta is a rockstar designer who’s work is like actual magic. I’m convinced that she knows everything there is to know about interior design because she eats, drinks, and breathes it, and I’m the luckiest to be able to work with her and be her friend. Having Meta at the helm of this bathroom remodel made everything possible. Read more about Meta being my dream designer!

Meta’s process begins with really getting to know the people who live in the space she’s designing, which is part of what makes her work so immaculate. You can see this part of Meta’s designing process through this video of Paul and me talking about our history and design preferences. I really respect how thorough of a designer Meta is, because even though she already knew me and knew my style, she checked in to get really clear on my vision.

Four children lounging and laughing on a green bed with a striped quilt. One is holding a dog and there's a window behind them. — Hannah Carpenter home by Meta Coleman

Then, with my style clearly in mind, Meta brought in so much magic! I was astounded by the way that she totally understood my taste, then surprised and stretched me through her design. All I can say is that I’m super lucky to be close friends with such an amazing interior designer! I highly recommend it.

It’s also thanks to Meta’s incredible interior design that our bathroom was featured in Domino Magazine, which is such a fun honor. Get to know Meta a little bit better through her Becoming interview, check out her website, and definitely follow her on Instagram @MetaColeman_ to keep up with her work.

Our Big Bathroom Remodel

Like I mentioned, our bathroom started out rough. It was a total bare-bones cavern! I mean, look at this:

Depressing, right?

With Meta’s help, we came up with a mood board that both Paul and I loved. As you’ll see, the final design departed just a bit from the mood board while still very much holding on to the essential spirit of Meta’s original design.

I’m a big believer in starting out with a great mood board. It makes everything so much easier and provides an invaluable frame of reference for later, when you’re in the middle of building your design and feel stuck. Check out this tutorial on making mood boards!

Stuga Studio

The very first step was to install flooring, and we fell in love with this amazing wood floor from Stuga Studio. The color we chose is called Tivoli, and it’s perfect–warm but not too yellow. It’s such lovely, high-quality wood, and it has so much personality. We installed it throughout pretty much the whole house, and instantly felt so relieved about our plans to totally update a blank slate fixer-upper. Check out this post to read more about the flooring.

Signature Hardware

Early on in the design process, I got this gorgeous vanity from Signature Hardware. I knew that I wanted an accent piece of furniture, but I didn’t have an overarching design planned out yet, so it was a tricky choice. Still, I had a deadline, so I went for a strong color that also serves as a neutral–the Olsen vanity in a deep emerald green. The green vanity informed lots of the remaining design choices for the bathroom remodel.

I’m so glad I went with the green! I’m a strong believer that green can count as a neutral color in design, and this bathroom is a strong example of that: it grounds the rest of the colors, which is what neutrals do best.

As you can see, I put the vanity to use long before things were finished or ready. Just keeping it real!

I also got a beautiful wooden hutch from Signature Hardware. It had an unfinished surface, so I wanted to do something to customize it and came up with a Swedish Wedding Cabinet as inspiration.

So beautiful, right?? I love the intricate floral designs and I think that cabinets make such perfect heirlooms (sturdy and useful? Check and check), so I decided to paint my wooden hutch with flowers. Stay tuned to learn more about that process in a future post!

Signature Hardware also has beautiful towel racks and wall hooks, which are so important for a bathroom remodel. I installed the Vintage Towel Bar and the Vintage Towel Ring in brushed gold, and they land at the perfect intersection between simple and refined.

To complete the set, I also got the Vintage Robe Hooks in brushed gold.

For the faucets I used New York Widespread faucets in polished brass from Signature Hardware. I’m a big fan of ceramic knobs, so I switched those in for the brass knobs to feel super classic.

The Walls

Apart from all the technical things (like flooring, plumbing, and electricity), the custom DIY wainscoting was a big part of the remodel. Meta presented the concept to me after seeing a photo of it on a door frame in Paris. She directed me to how to make it happen and then I was off to figure it out. I bought square and circular wooden cutouts, painted them in a soft, light, blue, and attached them to wall’s bottom third. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, the workmen we hired to paint and install trim didn’t think so. Haha! You should have seen their faces when I explained my plan! Thankfully they warmed up to the idea.

The wallpaper came next, and at that point things started getting really exciting. It turns out that having finished walls makes a huge difference! Ha! At this point we started shooting some projects in the bathroom. Some of our eagle-eyed readers may have caught onto a few bathroom remodel teasers in the backgrounds of some past projects. For example, you can see some wallpaper and wainscoting behind these paper pansies.

I also couldn’t resist shooting these paper hollyhocks between the sinks, so you can see the countertop, wallpaper, and some of the mirrors in this picture.

Hudson Valley Lighting

Meta selected these light fixtures from Hudson Valley Lighting and I loved the classic feel. For the wall sconces she picked out the Beekman lamps in aged brass, and on the ceiling I got the Flare flush mount light fixture in aged brass. The shower and toilet are in their own separate little space, but I got the Ainsley flush mount in aged brass for that room. The art deco details around the edges elevate it without being too gaudy.

Adding Finishing Touches

After we got all the main pieces installed, it was time to style the bathroom. Meta Coleman came back to lend a hand, and I truly love the way she put my bathroom together.

The mirrors are custom made by Meta, and I love the way the two-tone glass reflects such warm, glowing light around the room. She used this two toned mirror technique on her own bathroom and generously gave me the remains. We tried a few different shapes included a wavy design and a flower, but ultimately, I wanted to keep it a simple oval.

Meta also custom made my curtains using Soane fabric. I love the mustard color, and the fabric’s pattern reminds me so much of Matisse’s paper cutouts.

Our Full Bathroom Remodel Reveal

Whew! So many things came together for this bathroom remodel, and it was seriously so much work. I’m so grateful for Meta’s help all along the way! I truly couldn’t have done it without her.

I have a closet attached to my bathroom, and I updated that, too! I’ve included a few sneak peeks in this post, but you can stay tuned to see more of it soon. 😉

More Remodel Inspiration

For an overview on our renovations so far, read about everything we did to our house in the first year of owning it. You can also check out our tiled bathroom progress and our kitchen remodel update.

Would love to hear what you think! Let me know in the comments!

Becoming Danika Herrick

Brittany

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February 24, 2023

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Becoming Danika Herrick

My company is Danika Herrick, Inc., I’m a Surface Pattern Designer located north of Boston, MA and I create and design fabric and wallpaper.

What do you consider yourself? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business person, educator, etc.?

Designer seems to be the “umbrella” that covers everything I do. I’ve worn a lot of hats from Interior Designer, Decorative Artist, to Surface Pattern Designer. I am always “designing” something!

Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?

I grew up in a little town called Highland Mills, NY. It was about an hour north of NYC.

My parents always encouraged my sisters and I to be creative. This was during the 70’s and 80’s- so we would use whatever resources we had and put on neighborhood plays, had fashion shows (our entire line was made from Shop-Rite paper bags, staples and tape) and had plenty of entrepreneurial endeavors like selling grapevine wreaths and painted rocks to the neighbors. I think our neighbors hid when we would come knocking!

Our house was always under construction, and my love of DIY stemmed from this. My Mom would come up with the design and My Dad would build it. In 1st grade I asked my teacher if I could go home because my Dad was digging a foundation and I would much rather be doing that.

We also took lots of art classes. To this day I am so grateful my Mom encouraged us to do this because it really helped to build my confidence. It also fostered my love of learning. When I find myself stuck or not knowing how to do something I will seek out answers on Google or Skillshare.

Oh, one more thing that shaped me was that my parents would drag us to antique stores, flea markets, and the family trips were more Colonial Williamsburg than Disneyland. While we weren’t thrilled as kids they definitely made an impression. I find my patterns have a nod to the past and timeless design, and all the years of staring at shelves and shelves of Flo-blue plates and ginger jars can be seen in my work. Thanks Mom and Dad!

What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

A Nun! I went through a phase when I was about 3 or 4. I would dress up in rosary beads and shrouds of lace doilies. My Mom had a bag of big of vintage crocheted table runners she bought at a yard sale and I would wrap myself in them and make my own habit. She was a great sport, and I went everywhere dressed in my elaborate headdresses and beads for a while.

What is your educational background and how has it shaped or changed your current career?

So despite having a really creative childhood and always taking art classes, I went to college for Biology. I loved AP Bio in highschool and thought “I’m good at this. Maybe this is what I am supposed to do”. Fast forward to the end of my sophomore year. I had lasted one day as a Biology major. The long 5 hour labs killed it for me. I bounced from Communications to Psychology, and finally took a required elective art class. It felt natural. I was plugged into my creative side, but also terrified! How was I going to make a career out of this? The stereotype of being a starving artist haunted me. I called my Mom in tears one day, afraid of failing and that I had no idea what I was doing. All my friends seemed to know what they wanted to do. She was so supportive and calmly told me that I have always been creative and what works for one person isn’t going to work for me. If I was passionate about something, I needed to pursue it.

Have you ever made a big career switch? If so, what prompted that? Are there aspects of a prior career that you incorporate into what you do now?

My career feels like a long road full of forks… I have had several career changes but they felt really fluid and natural. One would lead me to the next. My first job was working as a Decorative Artist in New York. I got to work on so many beautiful spaces and I really became bitten by the world of interiors. I wanted to do more than just paint the walls and floors, and I went back to school in Boston to study Interior Design.

While in school I had a few internships with fabric companies and fell in love with patterns- but it would be a while until that seed would sprout. I worked as an Interior Designer for two decades and during that time I met so many inspiring people and had lots of little side projects from blogging and starting a fretwork company. I discovered Spoonflower while I was blogging and was instantly smitten. I had always wanted to create a fabric collection, and here was this platform that allowed me to design, print and sell my own patterns.

I had to brush up on my Photoshop skills and learn how to put my artwork into seamless repeats, but I would spend all my free time from 2011-2014 doing this. I began creating collections and designs were selling. I slowly added more and more designs and it suddenly became my full time business. I retired from interior Design in 2012 and gave it my full attention.

How do you make social connections in the creative realm?

I have made so many great friends through Instagram and Zoom. I am an introverted-extrovert, and very content to be alone and work, but when I find like minded creatives I am so excited! Quite often I will be DM-ing with someone and it will lead to a Zoom chat with drinks.

What is your workspace like? Has it changed at all since the beginning of the pandemic last year?

I work from home and have slowly taken over several rooms in our house. I have a main office on the first floor where I do my painting and computer editing, and I took over half of our guest room as a studio space where I store all my art and sewing supplies. Designing patterns requires testing out scale and color, so the surfaces of our home are my constantly changing canvas.

Describe some habits that keep you motivated and productive. How do you climb out of a creative slump?

Do one thing and do it well. I have a highly distracted ADD brain, and I love to multitask and do ALL the things, but it’s usually at my own demise. I would always find myself with so many unfinished projects and just feeling overwhelmed as many creatives do. I looked at my strengths and weaknesses and realized I was great at hyperfocusing on things I enjoyed. I did a little experiment and decided I would just focus on fabric design for a month. I drew, took classes, expanded my website- and almost immediately I saw so much growth! I also felt less chaotic. I realized that while I was good at doing several things at once, I was great at doing just one. To this day, I really try to map out that one thing I want to accomplish- and if I get in a slump I take a class and learn something new. That almost always triggers new ideas.

What is a typical day like for you?

Monday- Friday are all business and then I try to go off the grid Saturday and Sunday. The weekends are when I am my most creative because there are less distractions- it’s when I paint and create the artwork fo my designs.

My average day starts with a pot of coffee and getting my emails and custom design requests organized and prioritized. I am a paper list maker so I like to plan my day and cross things off as I go. Once I get through that I will Photoshop and work on digitizing my artwork. Working from home is great, and I love what I do, but I can easily get lost in it. Quite often I sit down with my coffee and suddenly I’m like “how is it already dinner time?”

What is one skill you wished you learned when you were younger?

Delegating and time management. I am just the worst, but I am trying!

Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your business?

Grow slowly and organically if you can. I hate debt and try to avoid taking loans or racking up my credit card if it’s not absolutely necessary. As I’ve grown and made extra money I reinvest in myself. Start with what you need, you will always have wants (for me its art supplies and better computers or software)- just don’t put yourself into debt if you don’t need to. I set yearly financial goals for myself and when I hit them and have the extra money, I treat myself to that “want” as a reward.

What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?

My goals include collaborations with a few of my favorite designers as well as creating a resort wear collection. Besides feeling like I work 24/7, I also have a husband, 2 teenage sons and a dog. My goal is to get better with my time management and be able to spend more quality time with them. Both boys are both really creative. The older one produces music and has had songs on Billboard and the younger one is an amazing artist/ entrepreneur so I am really excited to see what the future holds for them and the paths they take!

You can see read about Danika Herrick

On her website
On Instagram
On Spoonflower

How to Use Pillows to Complete Any Room Design

Brittany

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February 25, 2020

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How to Use Pillows to Complete Any Room Design

The best throw pillows in all the land

All the pictures are linked so click away!

Statement Pillows

If you’re not ready to try a statement couch, statement pillows are the perfect plan b. They elevate a room instantly, and add extra comfort in a way not a lot of decor can do. Find a pillow you are obsessed with and base your entire design around that! Play with bold colors and patterns in a way you never have before. Break beyond your go-to color scheme and surprise yourself with how much you love chartreuse and cobalt all of the sudden. Whatever your design style, decide what statement you want your room to make and use pillows to say that loud and clear.

We can picture this stunning woodland motif pillow finding its place in any room in the house; it is refined while whimsical, colorful while mature. Everything we aim for here at Lars! Since animal print is having quite a moment in the fashion world right now, we thought this round velvet leopard pillow was the perfect nod to this fun trend. Imagine it paired with some hot pink or kelly green! Ah! Explore all of our favorite statement pillows below –

Accent Pillows

These pillows are unique and will draw the eye, but only after everything else in the room has already had its time in the spotlight. These are the kind of pillows that will make your visitors think “and there is more?!” Yes! More beautiful and thoughtful pieces to enjoy.

We can’t stop looking at these floral pillows in the most lovely shade of blue. Soften your decor and add dynamic shape with these rounded velvet pillows (which come in 11 different colors!!!) Which of the pillows below will accent your next room makeover?

Textured Pillows

What can take a room from great to WONDERFUL is texture. If you find your decor feeling a little bland, or blending together too much, instead of adding color or large pieces, first ask yourself how you can add texture. This is what makes a room one you want touch live in and never want to leave, instead of one you just want to look at.

Embroidered Pillows

Embroidery, the trend that has found its way into every corner of our lives, and we couldn’t be happier! Drawing its roots from 9th century Sweden, embroidery has proved it will continue to stand the test of time. Add it to your decor without any fear of it losing its fashionableness.

Pattered Pillows

Want a bold pillow that complements your room but doesn’t overrule it? These patterned pillows are the slightly quieter sisters to our statement pillows above. Their patterns make them eye-catching but are happy to take the backseat to other statement pieces if needed.

Solid Pillows

Does your room already have enough patterns and textures to look at? Use pillows to strengthen your color scheme and finish off your design. Like curtains and rugs, pillows have this magic ability to make a room feel complete and next-level (at the fraction of the price of a good rug, win-win!)

DIY Pillows

Here you can find our tutorial and template for our fun circle pillow! Learn how to make your own woven bias tape pillow, or shop pillows curated by celebrated interior designer Meta Coleman at the Lars shop!

7 Rental-Friendly Interior Design Hacks

Brittany

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August 17, 2021

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Rental friendly interior design is important to me because I’m a huge believer in the power of interior design to make you happy. Too often we think that unless we own a home we can’t personalize our space, and I think that’s tragic. Everyone deserves to feel at home, so making a house a home in a rental feels much bigger than a simple penchant for style.

7 Rental Friendly Interior Design Hacks

Removable Wallpaper

This is definitely not the easiest rental friendly interior design hack, so let’s get it out of the way first. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my love for wallpaper. There’s this archaic idea that wallpaper is a nightmare to deinstall, involving lots of steaming, stickiness, and scraping. Yuck. That used to be true, but now there are so many rental friendly wallpapers, so you can peel and stick to your heart’s content!

I’ve loved using Spoonflower wallpaper in my homes and offices, and you can find my favorite Spoonflower artists and designs here!

In my last apartment I really let my imagination run wild with wallpaper, and I loved how fresh and unique it made the space. Here are my tips and tricks for installing Spoonflower wallpaper (which I love!)

If you’re still looking for just the right wallpaper, check out this post I wrote about my other favorite places to buy it.

Upgrade Your Lighting

I can’t say enough how important good lighting is! Of course, lots of natural light is best, but it’s not always available. Don’t worry, though! There’s hope for you and it’s in the form of lamps!

Just like when I was in college, I still love adding light with lamps. You can always go to thrift stores and upgrade them with paint or new shades (or even make your own shades). I also put together some of my favorite lampshades on the market right now, so browse these!

On top of lamps, you can say “Let there be light” by upgrading your light fixtures. It might seem daunting, but it’s not too tricky and makes a huge difference. So many rentals are chock full of boob lights, and I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t want reminders to #FreeTheNip every time I look up. 🤷🏼‍♀️ If you’re with me on this, consider this your permission to change out your light fixtures and get a new lease on life.

Check out this DIY light fixture you can make to add whimsy and color to your space.

Find a Statement Piece

Furnishing your rental with statement furniture can really elevate the space. Once you’ve found a piece that you love, plan the colors and design around it for a cohesive, beautiful look. (For bonus points, spot the light fixture I upgraded this room with)

Couches, and rugsare my favorite kinds of statement furniture to base a room off. A few years ago I got a life-changing green sofa and I’ll never stop recommending that people add emphasis with colorful furniture.

Couches

Rugs

Plan a Color Story For Each Space

One of my favorite rental friendly interior design hacks is to make and stick to a color palette. Especially when it’s a space that you don’t own and you can’t control everything about, it’s easy for a space to look makeshift and haphazardly thrown together. With a color palette, though, you can go from scattered and “meh” to really fabulous. It takes some creativity and restraint, but it makes a huge difference.

You can see I designed this room with a yellow, forest green, and deep blue color palette, and that there are little accents of pink throughout. Especially because the wallpaper is busy, having a solid (no pun intended) color palette really makes the room work.

Plants, Plants, Plants!

Houseplants and fresh flowers are a renter’s best friends. They bring (literal) life into your space and also freshen your air. Just remember to water and fertilize them and give them the right amount of light!

Here are some houseplants that you can buy online!

Mirror, Mirror

I’m such a huge believer in mirrors that I even wrote a whole post about why they’re essential in decor. And I’m sticking to my guns here! They make a space feel bigger and lighter, act as a focal point, and they’re a convenient way to make sure we’re walking out the front door looking great. You can find lots of my very favorite mirrors on the market in this post, and also check out this lovely Rattan mirror DIY here!

Add Art

Our print shop is chock full of incredible art that would seriously upgrade your home. I know I’ve loved having it in mine! Adding art to your rental friendly interior design plans is so easy, and my main tip is to use command strips. You and your security deposit will thank me later. 😉

Here’s a collection of some floral art prints to bring some everlasting blooms into your home, and you can also read about lots of the artists behind the Lars Print Shop here.

Rental Living

I lived in a rental for years and years before we bought our house, and by the end of our time there we had made some significant upgrades. You can check out everything we did to that apartment here! Not everyone has the opportunity to do as much with a rental as we did, but I hope it inspires you to make your space your own.

I’d love to see what rental friendly interior design tips you have used! Show me your renting secrets at #LarsAtHome!

DIY: Friendship Bracelet chevron rug

Brittany

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February 3, 2012

87

You know how friendship bracelets are totally back? Well, I can’t quite bring myself to get into it after 15 years but I love the bright colors, the patterns, the idea of it….It got me thinking where else I could apply the process and I thought it’d be fun to make a huge friendship bracelet that you could walk on. You know, given my love of all things oversized. After multiple attempts I came up with this rug for the new Chalkboard Magazine (it’s awesome. Check it out here). Any other size is too thick to actually use. The one you see here is two final rugs stitched together.

Materials: 2 sets of 5 colors of fabric, 8-10″ wide and 3 meters long; scissors, needle, thread, tape

Step 1: Line the 5 colors up how you’d like them to appear in rows on the rug.
Step 2: Mirror the colors on the other side of the line so that there are 10 pieces.
Step 3: With the first piece of fabric (mine is pink) on the left, make the number 4 with the second piece (dark blue here).
Step 4: Put the first piece under the second piece and tie it, bringing it up to the top.Step 5: With the first piece, move onto the next piece of fabric (yellow here) and repeat the process. Continue to the center of the colors and leave the pink alone for now.

Step 6: Work from the other side, moving from the right to the center. Make sure to reverse the number 4.
Step 7: When the two pinks meet in the middle, tie them together.

Step 8: Go onto the next row (the dark blue) and repeat the process.

Step 9: Work until you’ve finished your desired length. Mine is 31″ from the outer points.

Step 10: Begin a new one and repeat the process in the same color order.
Step 11: Stitch the two together with a needle and thread. I stitched mine so that they go opposite ways.
Step 12: Cut the ends off so that they hide into the first layer of color.
Step 13: Stich the ends to the first layer so it’s secure and can’t wiggle out.

Step 14: Voila!

Photography by Liv Colliander

In the Mood For: Andy Warhol Inspired Home Decor

Brittany

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November 4, 2020

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In the Mood For: Andy Warhol Inspired Home Decor

Who Was Andy Warhol?

Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 6, 1928. Aside from being an influential artist, Andy also delved into film making, producing, and photography.

At first, his career aspirations were to be a commercial illustrator in advertising. When some of his art pieces gained traction, he began to establish himself as a well-known artist. His art gallery, known as The Factory, attracted a wide range of people, from celebrities to bohemians and everything in between. Did you know that Andy actually invented the phrase “15 minutes of fame”?

In the 1960s, Andy Warhol’s work began to reflect the time period. His most famous pieces were depictions of Campbell’s soup, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, electric chairs, mushroom clouds, and Coca-Cola.

Learn More About This Great Artist!

Andy Warhol is one of the icons featured in our Great Artists! Course. During this 6 week kid’s course, an entire week is dedicated to hands-on projects designed to instill a love for creative learning while learning about Andy’s life and work! The course includes the Andy Warhol paper dolls shown below + daily videos, lessons, DIY project tutorials, and other fun printables. Click here to learn more about this art course!

You can find home decor inspired by other icons from our Great Artists! Course in our archives! Frida Kahlo here, Alma Thomas here, and Monet here.

What was Andy’s interior design style?

Some sources say Andy Warhol was a hoarder. He would go shopping and then never take things out of bags. Large rooms would turn into big unorganized closets.

In his interior design, he actually had very traditional, understated taste—nothing crazy wild or colorful like his art. He liked antiques, statues, and for different rooms to have different design themes like art deco, American West, traditional American, French, Roman, etc. He didn’t host guests at his home, not even close friends.

Mood board photo sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Andy Warhol Inspired Home Decor

Even if your design style is understated like Andy’s, you can enjoy “pops” of color (see what I did there?) throughout your home. Take a look at our fun Andy Warhol inspired home decor (plus other stuff, like masks of course!) and channel your inner pop artist.

Check out our Great Artists! Course for kids that includes some wonderful projects cooked special for you by our Lars team. During the course your family can create Warhol inspired pieces to perk up your home.

Fun Andy Warhol Gifts

Gift some colorful Andy Warhol inspired gifts paired with access to our Great Artists! Course this Christmas! It makes for a unique present for the little artist your life. Plus you’ll be gifting 6 weeks of fun and creativity!

This post is a part of our In the mood for series. In this series we show you how to recreate interior design styles and fashion inspired by people we admire! Click any of the links below to check out the past posts in this series!

Anne of Green Gables, Emma Woodhouse, Iris Apfel, Wes Anderson, the Royal Family, Little Women, Monet, Frida Kahlo, Alma Thomas, and Alexander Girard

Becoming: Jana and Tanner Roach of Beck and Cap

Brittany

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February 13, 2023

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Becoming: Jana and Tanner Roach of Beck and Cap

Becoming: Tanner and Jana of Beck and Cap

Currently nestled in the mountains of Northwestern Montana, Tanner and Jana Roach are the heart and soul behind each Beck & Cap piece. Starting as childhood friends, to spouses, and now Creative Designers, in every sense the development of Beck & Cap has been a natural progression of an early dream.

Being inherently artistic people, they knew from the start that any business venture would need to nurture their desire to create. Generating list after list until notebooks were filled, they were constantly dreaming up different pursuits.

In 2016, they were designing a display for Jana’s vintage market when Tanner carved the first wooden mushroom. They knew they were on to something special when dozens of people were asking how they could get one.

Over the next two years, they would carve hundreds of mushrooms, delivering them to California, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and everywhere in between.

Yet those notebooks of ideas grew as Tanner started dreaming up new furniture possibilities. It was undeniable that Beck & Cap as a business was now a reality.

Then in 2020, a whirlwind opportunity came when they were discovered by interior designer Leanne Ford, and then featured on “Home Again with the Fords.” Suddenly, Beck & Cap was no longer just a small business, but internationally recognized and thriving.

Together with a small team, they continue to hand carve organic modern wabi-sabi furniture out of sustainably and ethically sourced wood. Each new design and innovation is inspired by the natural beauty and imperfections of the wood itself. They consistently focus on one of life’s most important treasures – time brings character and beauty to everything.

What do you consider yourselves? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business person, educator, etc.?

We consider ourselves artists, creatives and serial entrepreneurs!

Where did you both grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?

Tanner and I grew up in North Idaho. We were both creative when we were younger, and I think the melding of our minds has only created a more insatiable creative monster haha.

What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

Tanner thought he was going to build houses and I thought I was going into forensic science! WILDLY different career choice, at least for me. I also knew back then that I couldn’t be corralled into one specific profession. I don’t think either of us could! We have to flex that creative, spontaneous muscle whenever we can.

Are there people who have been influential in your chosen career path?

My mom taught me to appreciate beauty and how to put together a room or vignette, and I know that has carried through to what we do now. Tanner’s entire family is extremely artistic as well. We are very inspired by Axel Vervoordt and his impeccable taste. The way he blends the natural and antique with modern is like none other.

What sparked your interest in design?

We’ve always had that spark for design in there, I think. We both love a good end result and appreciate the work/process/dance it takes to get from the before to the after. It sounds so simple, but beauty is what sparked my interest in design. There’s no better feeling than finishing a project or a piece and seeing it in someone’s space. No better feeling!

What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

We are so proud of Brittany’s island. I will forever be a lover of antiques with a story attached to them, so when we were tasked with creating her heirloom island that is infused with family history? I could barely wait to see the progress Tanner had made on it every day. We’re so proud to have created such a meaningful piece.

What is your design process like? Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

We typically brainstorm over Pinterest, design books, nature, and late night chats. We’ve found inspiration in the weirdest places, like an ottoman! The shape of it inspired our design for a side table. I love looking to antique furniture for unique shapes that we can incorporate into our signature organic modern pieces.

We would love to hear more about the amazing kitchen island. What was the process like?

We wanted to create something that looked like it had been around for centuries. I’ve loved larder tables and merchandise tables that you’d find in old general stores, so we wanted to have that look. Tanner drew up options for the legs and Britney gave the overall inspiration for sizing and we went to work! Tanner also drew and carved the design you see on the sides that give it such lovely detail.

What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present?

There are so many artists and creatives that we look up to – especially Axel Vervoordt, Leanne Ford, Rose Tarlow, Colin King, Hans Wegner, and even set designers like Grant Montgomery (those sets in Peaky Blinders? Incredible).

What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it from? Do you have a personal motto?

We don’t really have a motto, but we are firm believers (that have to regularly remind themselves) that everything will work out, even if it doesn’t look quite how we planned it to. God knows better than we do, and no matter what happens, we have hope in the goodness of who He is.

How do your surroundings influence your work?

We now own the quonset hut and brick building next to it which will be our showroom in the next few months! White brick, old timbers, concrete floors – we are surrounded by beauty which definitely makes us motivated to see each piece finished and set against that backdrop!!

What is a typical day like for you?

Tanner wakes up around 5-5:30, heads to the shop (sometimes plays a little guitar before work), and then carves all day long. I wake up, get the kids to school and then work on emails, posting on social and answering questions! Sometimes I go to the shop to take photos, look at projects and help out there. I pick up our kids after school and then Tanner comes home! We’ve just gotten to that place though. There were many, many months of him working until midnight or later.

Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

Tanner won’t tell you, but he’s an incredible artist and baker!! I look forward to the treats he makes during the holidays. I don’t know that I’ve got a secret talent, but I could probably beat just about anybody at movie trivia! We’re both working on learning guitar and ukulele right now which is such a relaxing hobby!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

Just go for it! Don’t worry about if it flops or it’s hard. Just start! Network with people doing that hobby or skill and see how you can help/shadow/be around them.

Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your business?

I would say it is SO worth it to find a financial professional before you start that will help you come up with a business plan and strong sense of how to set your pricing. It can be detrimental to your business if you don’t have those things in place. Creative types often don’t think about this before they start and it creates a lot of stress. Ask us how we know 😉

Is there anything more you would like to “become?”

This is a hard question! I think we’d like to become less stressed. It’s so much of a mindset thing for us, so being able to roll with things a little more than we do now would be great!

What is your long-term goal? or What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?

We would love to have a thriving business, be a well-known company and be freed up to travel more! Creating and delivering pieces to people all around the world would be incredible.

Thank you Tanner and Jana! You are the most talented and the best people to work with! Can’t wait to see what else you do!

You can read more about the custom work table kitchen island they made for us as featured on In With the Old on Magnolia Network now!