Happy Holidays! We have a little gift for you: the show notes for Episode #29 of Young House Love Has A Podcast. This week we discuss hiring out renovation work—how it can be exciting and rewarding, yet sometimes frustrating and disappointing. We share red flags to watch for, practical tips to avoid problems, and ways we’ve reduced holiday stress (and scaled back on excessive gifting). We also talk about favorite design books, flip through an old journal of John’s, and enjoy some holiday music from a special guest.
You can download the episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and TuneIn Radio—or listen on the podcast platform of your choice. Use this page to find links, notes, and photos mentioned during the show.
What’s New
- Above is the photo of John in the “baby chair” we referenced—about 12 inches off the ground while he’s 6 feet tall.
- Below is our Christmas card from this year, purchased from Minted (we used this design).
- Here’s a recap of holiday gift themes we’ve used in our group exchanges:
- Travel Finds — souvenirs or small items collected while traveling.
- Say Cheese — photo-related gifts (or cheese-themed presents); for example, we gave a Wisconsin-shaped cutting board to cousins in Madison.
- Back in the Day — vintage or retro-style items, like classic game sets.
- On the Road — travel-friendly gifts such as compact art kits or road-trip accessories.
- The Year of Granny — gifts inspired by a beloved family member (we honored grandma’s 90th with items that reminded us of her).
- Be a Good Sport — team memorabilia, sporty gifts, or games to enjoy together.
- Feeling Green — eco-friendly items or anything literally green.
- Across State Lines — locally made goods that represent the giver’s hometown.
- We’ve also chosen broader themes like “Music” or “Entertainment” in other years.
- We also mentioned a listener poll about smart home devices such as Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Echo Dot; see the show notes for Episode #25 for more details.
What’s Not
- Here are the holiday-inspired paint colors we talked about: White Christmas, Sleigh Bells, Holiday Wreath, Reindeer (which may read pinkish), Santa’s Beard, Egg Nog, December Eve, Elf, and Winter Snow.
Listener Call
- We referenced a post that answers common questions about when to DIY versus when to hire professionals—scroll down within that post for practical guidance.
- We also pointed listeners to tips on negotiating with contractors to help you get better outcomes and fair pricing.
- Have a DIY, decorating, or house-related question? Leave us a voicemail at 571-4-YHL-HAP (571-494-5427) and we may feature it on a future episode.
We’re Digging
- Design books Sherry recommends:
- Absolutely Beautiful Things by Anna Spiro
- My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living by Jonathan Adler
- Styled by Emily Henderson
- Domino: The Book of Decorating
- Domino: Your Guide To A Stylish Home
- Young House Love and Lovable Livable Home (we also added our own titles for context)
- We also enjoy the podcast Grown-Ups Read Things They Wrote As Kids for its funny, nostalgic readings of childhood writing.
Looking for something we featured in an earlier episode? We have a master list of everything we’ve been digging across past episodes—perfect if you want to revisit a resource or recommendation.
Visit westelm.com/yhl to learn about their Design to Impact program, and use code YHL15 at checkout for 15% off your next purchase.
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