The first time I really understood the importance of privacy around a hot tub, I was sitting in one on a perfectly quiet evening, trying very hard to relax. The water was warm, there were a few little lights glowing around the patio, and everything should have felt peaceful. Then I looked up and realized … Read more
I used to think growing herbs required a proper garden. You know, a little patch of sunny soil, a few nice terracotta pots, and enough room to walk around without knocking something over. Then I started growing herbs on a tiny balcony. It wasn’t exactly a garden. There was one narrow railing, a couple of … Read more
I used to think a long, narrow garden was one of those spaces you simply had to put up with. You know the type. A thin strip of outdoor space running alongside the house, perhaps just wide enough for a path, a few pots, and a slightly optimistic garden chair. Every time I looked at … Read more
I have a confession: I’ve rearranged my living room more times than I’d like to admit. There’s something about that room that never feels quite finished. I’ll move the sofa a few inches, add a lamp, take the lamp away, decide the coffee table looks too empty, then suddenly wonder why I bought three decorative … Read more
The first time I walked into my college dorm room, I remember thinking, Okay… how am I supposed to make this feel like home? There was a bed, a desk, a tiny wardrobe, and those very unmistakable plain white walls. Everything looked clean, but nothing looked like me. It felt more like a temporary room … Read more
I used to think a small bathroom was one of those rooms you just had to accept. There was nowhere to put anything, the counter always looked cluttered, and somehow even after cleaning it, the whole room still felt a little cramped. I remember standing in my own bathroom one morning, looking at the collection … Read more
I used to think a small bedroom was something I had to work around rather than something I could actually enjoy. My room always seemed to have one too many things in it. A chair became a clothes pile, the bedside table collected cups and books, and somehow the floor disappeared by the end of … Read more
I’ve always thought flowers have a funny way of changing a room without asking for much in return. A small jar of flowers on a kitchen counter can make the whole space feel cared for. A slightly wild flower bed outside can make an ordinary afternoon feel a little slower. I learned this mostly by … Read more
There are photographs that capture a political moment. And then there are photographs that seem to capture something about the person standing inside that moment. On Friday, as America marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, one such photograph began racing across social media. President Donald Trump was seated beside First Lady Melania … Read more
I used to think a beautiful yard required a lot of space, a big budget, and probably a gardener who actually knew what they were doing. My own outdoor spaces taught me otherwise. Sometimes the best changes were surprisingly small. A few pots tucked beside the front steps. A narrow flower bed along a fence … Read more