Note: This post discusses weight gain and loss, body image, and other diet/fitness related issues so if you’re someone who is negatively affected by reading this type of content just look at the photos or skip altogether. I woke up on January first to a tremendous feeling of relief. I realize that the year changing over to 2021 isn’t going to immediately solve our problems (as is evidenced by the fact that it’s only been a few weeks and we’ve already had a group of domestic terrorists try to overturn our legitimate election, literally threatening democracy in the process) but there truly is s ..read more

Hark! At short last! The guest bedroom I designed for my parents at Londo Lodge is done! You can read more about the ins and outs of what I did and why over on Emily’s blog, but here I’m gonna concentrate on how I mixed high and low to quickly transform this space. My goal for this first round of rapid makeovers is A) Not to spend too much money, I’m still financially recuperating for having to put a ton of money down to get the house in the first place, B) To renovate in a way that makes it easier to move forward with the next round of renovations (ie getting rid of carpet to make way for th ..read more

Things at Londo Lodge have been simultaneously serene and chaotic. I don’t really know how to explain it, but I feel really at peace here while also feeling completely overwhelmed by my daily life. Living here has definitely come with a learning curve and taken some getting used to. I like all the chores involved: tending the fire, cleaning out the ashes, splitting and stacking wood, dealing with the trash and getting rid of construction rubbish, cleaning up the house after every single project I do, figuring out shopping and laundry and bills meanwhile trying to juggle a number of very fun c ..read more

The gym in its current, carpet-less state. I’ve been at Londo Lodge officially for a month now and, slowly, I’m getting settled in. Move-in has been a little more involved than I anticipated. This is my first house so I had no idea what to expect. I think part of me just imagined moving in and magically beginning renovations immediately. I had no idea I’d have to repair the septic system before I could use the water, repair the heating system before I could get the heat to turn on (it’s been getting down into the twenties at night here), replace the washer and dryer before I could properly do ..read more

I had gotten to the point where I thought it was never going to happen. For us Californians, especially those of us living in large cities, buying a house can seem like an absolute impossibility. In cities like Los Angeles, your typical charming bungalow runs at least a million dollars. And even the humble towns around where I grew up, where homes were probably in the 200K range when I left in 2000, a decent house in need of repair is around $600,000. Add to that the fact that I am a freelancer, single, and have lived through the two worst recessions since the Great Depression, all since grad ..read more

Photography by Zeke Ruelas People think that once I’ve finished designing a home my work there is done. But something many clients don’t anticipate is that over time their home’s styling can fall off. Accessories get moved, things break, people give stuff away. Unless you live in a museum where no one touches anything, it’s likely that you home needs some styling help from time to time. I tend to do this seasonally, as there are items and accessories I like seeing at some times during the year (such as earthy, seasonal leaves in autumn) that I don’t want to see at other times. And I get ..read more

Photography by Zeke Ruelas People think that once I’ve finished designing a home my work there is done. But something many clients don’t anticipate is that over time their home’s styling can fall off. Accessories get moved, things break, people give stuff away. Unless you live in a museum where no one touches anything, it’s likely that you home needs some styling help from time to time. I tend to do this seasonally, as there are items and accessories I like seeing at some times during the year (such as earthy, seasonal leaves in autumn) that I don’t want to see at other times. And I get calls ..read more

Something insanely exciting is happening this week. I’m getting my own TV show! Unspouse My House airs this Thursday, June 6th on HGTV! This is something I’ve worked toward my whole life, without really knowing I was doing so. I’ve had a wild, winding career that was at most times scrappy and trying, at rare times glamorous and rewarding. And now I’m on the precipice of this huge benchmark. The number one question I’m getting from friends right now is “Are you excited!?!” And the answer is absolutely YES. But the pre-show emotional journey has been a lot more complicated than that. I live in a ..read more

When I turned 18 and was getting ready to head to college, I did something extreme. I went through my childhood bedroom, put almost everything I owned in garbage bags, and hauled it down the street to a dumpster. I did this for a few reasons. First, because high school was terrible and I was ready to say goodbye. Second, because I have had a life long fear of clutter and disorderliness. The only thing I regret getting rid of that day is my childhood Teddy bear, Tofy (named after Tofu). I do, however, massively regret how I got rid of all that stuff. I should have donated it. Something t ..read more