Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

Get him a warm sweater that will make him look like the most sophisticated person in the room. On sale for $34 (Bonus: love this one too. Also on sale for $34!)

Or some cozy pajama pants from Gap to basically live in all winter. $34.95

Because we could all use an electric shaver each year, especially Amazon’s #1 choice. $29.95

Fun boxer briefs like these from Abercrombie will put him in the holiday spirit, and lift yours too :). $18 (These are also cute. $22)

One of our friends read Less by Andrew Sean Greer and told us it’s breathtaking. It doesn’t hurt that it won the Pulitzer Prize last year, either. Have you read it? $10.87

To protect their phone, this leather case is stylish and convenient, since you can keep all your cards in the flap inside. PJ has this same one and absolutely loves it. *For iPhone X, XS* $15.99

For your loved one who moved away from home and misses it like crazy, this fun candle might make them a little less homesick. Each one smells like the state they’re labeled as and should remind them of home. They have every state, too, like New York, California, Georgia, and Virginia. $29.95

The show Scandal may be over, but Olivia Pope’s tall stemmed wine glasses will never be out of style. We got Thomas’ mom these a few years ago and we still feel fancy every time we drink out of them. $12.95 (Bonus: for a sleeker look, get them these stemless wine glasses from World Market. six for $28.74)

Tell them how much they mean to you with a cute piece of art like this one from Urban Outfitters. Starting at $34 (Bonus: this and this are also so fun.)

We want to start off the season by wishing you happy holidays and happy shopping!

xx

After: Our Primary Bath Refresh

This is a sponsored conversation written by us on behalf of Delta® Faucet. The opinions and text are all ours.

Remember when we started tackling our mini bathroom refresh last month with the help of our friends at Delta®? Well, we’re back with some “after” photos because this baby is FINISHED. And we love it dearly.

The main goal of this refresh was to make the bathroom more functional for us, but more importantly, to finish it out the way it was always intended to be. We had originally gone with different faucets when we renovated our house last year, knowing they wouldn’t last forever. We had to go with two pedestal sinks (that we knew we would eventually replace) because our cabinetmaker couldn’t commission our vanity in time.

We wanted the bathroom to have the same traditional, classic feel as the rest of our house, so our faucets had to be just right. We chose the Delta Two Handle Widespread Bathroom Faucet from the Cassidy Collection. We love the way they turned out and how they add the sophisticated charm we were desperately lacking in that space. They’re fun because they look original to the house, but at the same time they look sleek and new. We love the juxtaposition they bring to the room. We had similar cross handles like these at our last house (which was built in the 1950’s) that were actually original, and everyone always complimented on how much they loved them. We’re getting the same response with our new Delta ones, too :).

We went with a chrome finish to match the rest of the bathroom’s fixtures and hardware so that it all flows together. We debated on if we wanted to choose a different finish and mix metals (something we believe is fully acceptable when done correctly) but we ultimately decided to go with matching, as we felt it was more timeless. We didn’t want anything too busy going on in there because, like we said before, we want it to feel relaxing, spa-like, and serene. So far we feel all those things and more every time we walk in there.

We also added a new wood-stained vanity with a polished Carrera marble countertop. We can’t tell you how much of a game changer this is for us. We have drawers! And storage! And a place to set things down on when we’re doing our hair or washing our face! It’s glorious and we’re kicking ourselves as we wonder why we didn’t tackle this sooner. There’s literally a place for everything now.

We thought about doing a white vanity to brighten the space up, but we love the look of the dark wood mixed with the lighter countertop. That contrast is key, and really elevates the feel of the room. Plus, stained wood is a staple in craftsman style homes, so adding it in our bathroom felt appropriate.

We are maximalists at heart (more is more!) but we wanted our bathroom to be paired down and simple. We added new hand towels and some greenery to bring a little nature to the area around our sink. We also added some more plants to our window ledge directly across from our vanity because you can never have enough plants in one room.

Then, to finish it out, we added some simple DIY curtains. We had talked about adding shelves above the toilet and possibly one long, wooden shelf going across the windows to hold plants, but once the vanity was built, we realized we have all the storage we need and ultimately decided against adding any more shelves.

The end result is exactly what we were going for: clean, sophisticated, and timeless. Every time we go in there now, we realize all the waiting was worth it so that we could decide on exactly what we wanted. We couldn’t have done it without the help from our friends at Delta, and want to thank them so much for these beautiful faucets!

We're Giving Our Primary Bathroom a Refresh a Year and a Half Later

This is a sponsored conversation written by us on behalf of Delta® Faucet. The opinions and text are all ours.

Even though we just moved in a little over a year ago, we’re making big changes to our primary bath with the help of our friends at Delta.

When we renovated our home last year, it was for a television pilot and the filming schedule was STRICT. We had to have everything done in a tight time frame, and because of that, we weren’t able to completely renovate our primary bath the way we wanted to. We ended up going with two pedestal sinks in lieu of a double vanity because our cabinet maker didn’t have time to build the one we designed, and we went with less elevated faucets that were pretty, but not the exact ones we wanted for our primary bath.

So here we are, one year later and ready to tackle another renovation, though this time we’re just making subtle changes that will have a big payoff. Isn’t it crazy how changing one or two things in a room can completely transform a space? We love a good before and after and this one won’t disappoint. So let’s get right to it!

Our plan is to switch out our old faucets with a new, high-end Delta faucet that will better match the overall feel of this old craftsman style home of ours. We went with mostly traditional, classic style & décor in all of the other rooms in our house, and we want to make sure that cohesiveness is reflected in our master bath as well. For that reason, we’re going with the Delta Cassidy Collection. It’s more traditional (you know our feelings about traditional styling) and features clean lines & elegant design details, something we desperately wanted for our bathroom. We want the space to have that spa-like quality to it, a place where as soon as we walk in we immediately feel relaxed.

After we decided which collection we were going with, we began to look through the different options. In the end we confidently chose the Two Handle Widespread Bathroom Faucet with cross handles and we’re so glad we did!

We felt the classic shape of the cross handles, the beautiful curve of the tall spout, and the chrome finish were the perfect mix of old meets new. They have the glamour and high-end look we were craving and honestly would be something you would have originally seen (or a version of them, at least) when our house was built back in 1924. They won’t look out of place and are very much in line with the rest of the design of our house, and that was important to us.

Along with the faucets, we are also replacing the pedestal sinks with a wood stained double vanity for added storage. Like we mentioned, our cabinetmaker wasn’t able to get to that in time last year, so we’ve been living with two sinks that provide absolutely zero storage. We got by adding a small cabinet, which works alright, but even that isn’t ideal. It’s wobbly, so we leveled it by adding a flossing tool underneath the foot so it doesn’t shake. Comical, right?

While they’re charming and add a bit of an old school touch to the space, it will be nice to have somewhere to store towels and bathroom essentials so they’re not always out in the open. You can see the original drawing PJ did a year ago of what we had in mind for the vanity:

We’re going with a Carrera marble countertop (to match our marble window ledge directly across from the vanity) and finishing the room off with chrome hardware to match the lights and faucets. We are also considering adding a few shelves to the bathroom for even more storage. Maybe above the toilet? Or a long one in the middle of the windows to set plants on? We haven’t decided entirely on that just yet, but we’ll let you know when we do.

What we DO know, however, is the feel we want our bathroom to have. We want it to feel like an oasis, like we’re bringing the outside in. Our biggest inspiration for this reno is water and the way we use it every day. We are going with natural elements with things like the slate-like floor tile, the wooden vanity, and the use of stone in our marble countertops. We plan to incorporate more plants in the finished space, too, to add a touch of nature because let’s be honest, every room deserves a little green here and there. To complete the room, we’re bringing in new washcloths and towels to freshen the space up.

We are so excited to get started on this project, y’all. The vanity has been built and was just installed a few days ago, and our brand new Delta faucets just came in the mail last week! This has been a year in the making and we can’t wait to show you the finished results. Stay tuned to see how it all comes together!

A Perfectly Cluttered Brooklyn Brownstone

We came across this brownstone this past weekend and haven't been able to get it out of our minds since. 

We have a thing for Brooklyn brownstones (the character! the history! the layout!) and this one definitely doesn't disappoint. Is it not the most cozy-cluttered home, but in the best possible way? Loving the library sconces over the bookcases, and how about the chandelier that's shaped like an old pirate ship? Don't even get us started on that fireplace. 

It's four stories, has five bedrooms, and is 16.5 ft wide. It was listed for $5.25 million back in Feb 2017 (wonder if it sold?) so it was/is a bit out of our price range, but we can dream can't we? 

PS: how to get the style of a Brooklyn brownstone in your own home.