Your search for the show notes for Episode #12 of Young House Love Has A Podcast ends here. Congratulations! If your relationship with area rugs is best described as “it’s complicated,” this episode will help. We walk through five easy rug rules to help you pick the right size, style, and placement for adjoining rooms. We also chat with Jenni Pulos from Flipping Out about surviving stressful renovations and the ups and downs of reality TV. She shares candid advice, a few memorable stories, and even busts a rhyme with Sherry. Plus we reveal a tool John is eager to add to his workshop, describe what life on a book tour is really like, and explore plant options beyond the ever-popular fiddle leaf fig.
You can download the episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and TuneIn Radio — or press play below. Use this page to follow any links, notes, or photos we mentioned during the show.
What’s New
- Greenville, SC was stunning — the photo above is one of many we took to capture the charm of the city. It felt magical, and we shared more images on Instagram during the trip.
- Haven Conference will be back next summer. If you’re interested in DIY and home-improvement events, check out photos and highlights from this year’s attendees by searching the Haven Conference hashtag on social platforms.
What’s Not
- We’re not professional botanists and we don’t claim to be ficus experts. For our plant references we consulted general online resources and visual guides to different fig species. If you’re researching fig trees for your home, check reputable horticulture resources for detailed care instructions and species comparisons.
Take Five: Rugs
During the episode we discuss rug sizing, shape, pile height, and color choices. Below are photos of a few rooms in our home — the office, dining room, and living room — that illustrate the points we made about rug placement and layering.
- A quick tip: layering a larger low-pile or woven rug under a smaller statement rug can anchor the seating area and make an undersized rug feel intentional. This trick works especially well in open-plan spaces where you need a clear visual boundary.
Jenni Pulos
- If you haven’t seen Flipping Out, it’s a good example of high-stakes renovation drama mixed with creative problem-solving. Jenni Pulos brings perspective and humor to the chaos of design and construction projects.
- Jenni has written a book and also created playful music projects for kids. In our conversation she talks about balancing public life, creative work, and the realities of renovation.
- We also dug into some of our older musical bits for fun — short creative interludes we’ve shared in past posts and episodes.
We’re Digging
- The saw and stand that sparked John’s tool envy was recommended by other DIY bloggers; specialty stands for miter saws can improve accuracy and portability for weekend projects and serious woodworking alike.
- If you’re looking for an easy watch, the trailer for the comedy Bad Moms gives a good sense of the cast and tone if you haven’t seen it yet.
Psst — Looking for something we previously recommended but can’t remember which episode it was? We keep a master list of items we’ve featured on the podcast so you can find past recommendations and resources in one place.
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