We recently realized that storage baskets can both help and hinder our attempts to keep the home organized—yes, the “hamper” pun was intentional. This week the duplex reached a major milestone: the floors were refinished. We had a plan for how it would go, but a last-minute twist forced us to change everything at the eleventh hour. We also share a useful counterpoint to one of our previously touted “must-have” home features—thanks to your thoughtful feedback from the last episode—and offer simple decor tips to make a home feel calmer and less stressful.
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What’s New
- The photo above shows how rough the duplex floors looked when we bought the place last year: carpet padding glued to the hardwoods and dark water stains in spots.
- We’ll share a full before-and-after post later this week with lots of photos, but trust us—refinishing made a dramatic difference.
- Another photo below shows sticky tile that had been laid over the wood floors; when removed it left a gooey residue across the room that literally made shoes stick to the floor.
- If you want an example of how much refinished floors can change a room, check out the transformation we did at the pink beach house — it’s a great reference for how much brighter and richer wood floors can become.
- We’ve also refinished floors downstairs in our Richmond house during a kitchen renovation and documented what to expect when having hardwoods refinished, which might be helpful if you’re planning similar work.
Updates
- All the updates this week come from last week’s Episode #122, so listen to that show if you missed it.
- We posted an Instagram thread that gathered 250+ comments about people’s top “must-have” home features. Reading the responses was eye-opening and gave us lots of fresh ideas for future projects and feature lists.
- One design we talked about previously—a Jack-and-Jill bathroom from our showhouse—featured a “private pooper” concept: a toilet tucked behind its own locking door, with the tub in the same enclosed area. The arrangement solved the locked-door frustration many people mentioned.
What’s Not
- If you want ways to reduce stress through decorating, House Beautiful compiled a list called “10 Ways To Decorate Your House If You Have Anxiety” that offers approachable, calming design strategies.
- They also ran a helpful piece on “6 Things In Your Home That Are Secretly Stressing You Out,” pointing out small sources of daily tension many people overlook.
- For a lighter, style-focused read, there’s an article about decorating with a French-chic sensibility—useful if you’re looking for effortless, elegant touches that feel calming and refined.
Can We Just Talk About: Baskets
- Above is a classic example of the large woven storage baskets we’ve used for years. That photo is a little dated—the frame wall pictured is gone—but the basket still holds Sherry’s weighted blanket.
- By contrast, many of the big baskets we once used for Duplo blocks and larger toys are now empty. Our kids moved on to smaller Legos and figurines, which are better stored in small bins and drawers inside their room, not scattered in oversized floor baskets.
- Here’s a look at what we jokingly call Sherry’s “Baskets In The Attic™” wall—lots of large baskets, many with smaller baskets nested inside. Baskets are useful, but they can become a way to hide clutter instead of solving the root cause.
We’re Digging
- I picked up an Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular on Black Friday for about $325—far cheaper than the newer models I’d considered. Mostly I’m using the standard black sports band that came with it.
- I’ve been enjoying the built-in Breathe app; it uses a simple animated graphic to guide short breathing meditations. There are also other great apps for guided practice—apps like Headspace and 10% Happier are easy to use on both phone and watch.
- On the entertainment front, we binge-watched The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix and loved it. It’s the kind of show that sticks with you—chilling, well-crafted, and perfect for talking about after you finish it.
If you want to find something we’ve featured in an earlier episode but don’t remember which show notes to open, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve been digging from past episodes. We also list all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
Finally, thanks to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring this episode. If you sign up at Grove.co/YHL you’ll receive a free holiday gift pack that includes a trio of Mrs. Meyer’s cleaners, a set of walnut scrubber sponges, and a special-edition red tin cleaning caddy—an excellent seasonal freebie.
Thanks for listening and for following along as we tackle renovations, organization, and the small changes that make a house feel like home.
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