This week we’re sharing how a quick cottage weekend turned into a scouting trip for our own vacation-rental plans. We also tackled a common design dilemma: how to choose ceiling lights that coordinate without being too matchy. After some trial and error, we discovered one simple rule that keeps fixtures cohesive while preserving character — and we break that down here. Plus: a roundup of pro decorator pet peeves about what men should never have in their homes, a new painting tool we can’t stop using, and a funny confession about something Sherry really struggles with that most people do without thinking.
You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen to the embedded player below. Use this page to check any links, notes, or photos we mention. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- Quick rundown of our Charlottesville weekend:
- We stayed in a charming 700 sq ft Airbnb cottage that felt like a perfect little test run for rental design.
- Breakfasts at Keevil & Keevil and Brazos Tacos.
- Dinners at Citizen Burger and Oakhart Social.
- Strolled through IX Art Park (right next to Brazos), which had some great public art.
- We shared the Instagram photo of the Airbnb, and below are a few more iPhone snapshots from the trip (the big camera stayed home).
- We also visited the IX Art Park and took a photo with the whimsical “Love Butt” sculpture — yes, we are very classy tourists.
Updates
- Revisit podcast episode #31 and the blog post where we pick our beach house “pinch” color to see how we landed on our shade.
- Sherry’s current obsession: the jeans she calls “life-changing” — they’re comfortable, flattering, and she keeps buying more.
- Episode #33 covers our experience with float tanks and includes a mention of Questlove’s related Instagram post.
That’s Embarrassing
- We referenced an older episode (#36) where Sherry admitted to her quirk about not taking baths often.
- Small victory update: we finally ordered a proper drain plug so both bathrooms have matching ones. Tiny wins feel big sometimes.
What’s Not
- We reacted to Elle Decor’s list of “16 Things a Man Should Never EVER Have in His Home” (yes, we read it in a pretend southern-lady voice). We also revisited the counterpart list about women in Episode #37 and offered our own eye-roll commentary.
Listener’s Call
We shared several lighting and furniture items that inspired the look: a dining chandelier, a kitchen pendant, a similar end chair, blue dining chairs, stools, and blinds. These pieces illustrate how mixing shapes and finishes can create a cohesive look without being overly matchy.
- Visit our Shop Our House page to see all the lights we use around our home and where they came from. Our recent house tour videos are also useful if you want to see how the fixtures look in real rooms.
- We made a misstep in our pre-renovated kitchen: we picked three lights that looked good together on paper, installed them, and then realized the two oversized fixtures competed for attention. There are photos and more detail in a linked post where we reflect on that lesson.
- Sherry started creating lighting mood boards and got carried away — we’ll turn those into a full post soon. For now, here’s a preview that shows how a glass globe fixture can relate to other fixtures in a room.
We’re Digging
- New painting tool: a concave roller. It hugs curved furniture legs and other rounded surfaces better than a traditional foam roller, and it avoids the plastic end nub that can scratch when you press too hard. We’ve found both the 10-pack and the 2-pack options useful depending on the project size.
- Current book recommendation: The Kind Worth Killing, a twisty, renovation-adjacent thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train — perfect if you like dark, page-turning reads with a design angle.
Psst — if you liked something we mentioned on a past episode but can’t remember which one, check our master list of everything we’ve been digging from previous shows.
To see the Smartstuff nursery makeover and learn more about the smart furniture features they offer, visit smartstufffurniture.com/YHL
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