Whether you’re actively house hunting, planning a new build, renovating, or simply daydreaming, you probably have a list of home features you love and a few you’d skip next time. In this post we share seven favorite features we’ve learned to appreciate (and some we’ve decided to avoid) based on life in our current and past homes, working with a local builder on new construction, and renovating two beach houses. We talk about preferred ceiling heights, where we avoid a purely “open concept” layout, and two things we wish our current home had but likely won’t. We also describe a new, simplified approach to holiday decorating that still feels cozy and festive while costing less and adding less clutter. Fun side note: science has an opinion on when decorating for the holidays can make you feel happier — the findings surprised us.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, or Spotify — or use your favorite podcast player to search for the show. If you prefer reading, keep going: we outline the highlights and include photos from recent projects and houses.
What’s New
- This year we’re simplifying our holiday decor: fewer items, more intentional displays, and the same warm feeling. We’ll share a full blog post with photos and tips soon.
- Sherry found a couple of mercury glass trees that we love: a taller 12.5″ tree and a smaller 8.5″ version; we used the 12.5″ tree in our seasonal vignette.
- Last year we tried to rein in our holiday overflow; we shared how that experiment went in a prior episode and will refer back to those lessons here.
- For additional context on simplifying decor, we’ve discussed this in earlier episodes and interviews, including a conversation about Cozy Minimalist Home that influenced some of our choices.
- Research on seasonal decorating habits suggests people who decorate earlier may feel happier — an interesting data point we mention in the episode.
- We also pulled together some of the Black Friday deals we used to update appliances and tech around the house; while prices change, a few of the items we bought are still worth considering.
Listener Question
- Below are photos and details that show the kinds of features we’d prioritize when looking for a new home or designing one from scratch.
- One important preference: ceiling height can dramatically change how a room feels. For example, our beach house living room downstairs has 9-foot ceilings, which make the space feel open and comfortable.
- Upstairs in that same house the ceilings are 8 feet tall, which feels cozier for bedrooms and smaller spaces. The contrast between the two levels illustrates why mixing ceiling heights can be useful.
- We also like lofted ceilings above staircases. When we first bought the duplex, the ceiling slope followed the stairs and created a tunnel-like effect. Raising the ceiling and reworking the wall at the top of the stairs made the stairwell feel far more spacious.
- After we raised the ceiling during renovation, the change was dramatic — the stairway now reads as an intentional, airy transition instead of a cramped corridor.
- Open concept spaces can be beautiful but sometimes make furnishing and decorating more difficult. In our showhouse the living room, kitchen, and breakfast nook flowed together seamlessly, which required careful planning so each zone felt intentional rather than one big, undefined room.
- We chose to keep a cased opening between our kitchen and living room rather than removing the wall entirely. That small separation helped define each space, made decorating and furniture placement easier, and gave us a place to build wrap-around bookcases for extra storage and display.
- Natural light is another priority. Sidelights around the front door flood our entry with sunshine and make the space feel brighter. If sidelights aren’t an option, a half-lite door is a great alternative to bring more light into an entryway.
- We’ve made the most of small spaces by creating a kitchen-adjacent mudroom area for backpacks and shoes. In other projects we’ve considered a full mudroom, which can be a real game-changer for organization if your floorplan allows it.
- We prefer having laundry upstairs for convenience; more on that topic was covered in a listener-question episode.
- Small but impactful decisions matter too. In the showhouse we included a water closet so the toilet could be closed off behind its own door — a thoughtful touch that improves privacy and usability in family bathrooms.
- We also designed a jack-and-jill bathroom with a green vanity that serves two bedrooms; the sink area is separate from the toilet and shower behind its own door, which keeps morning traffic smooth for kids and guests.
We’re Digging
- Our new furniture line is now available. We’re proud of the pieces we designed — durable, versatile, and made to fit everyday living. You can browse the full collection and see how items look in real rooms.
- We’ve been adding smart switches and plugs around the house to streamline lighting and holiday setups. A three-way smart switch lets you control lights from multiple locations, and smart plugs make it easy to schedule or remotely control seasonal lights and decor without extra hubs.
- We wrote about the smart home tech we use and some practical ways it makes everyday life easier.
- For family movie night, we highly recommend Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet — fun for kids and adults alike.
(Video and audio embeds have been removed from this text version to improve load performance.)
If you’re looking for past recommendations we’ve mentioned on the podcast, we keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging and a Book Club page with books we’ve discussed and recommended over the years.
Finally, a heartfelt thank-you to The Citizenry for sponsoring the episode. We appreciate their support in helping us bring the podcast to you.
Thanks for reading and for listening — we hope these examples and tips help you prioritize the features that will make your next home feel especially welcoming and functional.
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