gretch’s next moto the bedroom switch up

Home Decor

Gretch’s Next MOTO: The Bedroom Switch Up

Drescription

Timing is everything, and that’s also true in design. A little over a year ago, in April, to be exact, I revealed my first Makeover Takeover–my bedroom. I had moved into my place a few months prior and was so excited to have the opportunity to design my room from the ground up, so soon after moving in. It felt like perfect timing.

I was (and still am) absolutely in love with how the space turned out. I scored some incredible furniture pieces from Article (a sick storage bed, the coolest floating headboard, and the dresser of my dreams), plus enough fabric to completely cover my walls and then some. It was awesome! But a year and two months of living in a space, even in a room you LOVE, can tend to reveal some things. Namely, how wrong I was in making the smaller room my bedroom, with the stubbed toes to prove it.

I consider myself lucky to reside in a two-bedroom apartment, where both rooms are mine to do with as I please. When I moved from my last spot, “more livable space” was high on my wishlist. I’d had a garage previously, which was AWESOME but very dangerous. Not in the sense that anything could harm me (except maybe the rats, damp/crumbling walls, and broken/exposed pipes…okay maybe it was a little dangerous). But when you have a ton of extra space, especially the kind disconnected from daily life (a garage), it is alarmingly easy to fill it with extra stuff. And for me, that is very dangerous. (Later this week, Em will dive into an assessment of her own stuff, which is initially what inspired me to take a closer look at mine, so definitely check that out when it’s live!)

When I had the garage, I was working a variety of freelance creative jobs and was heavily into flipping furniture and selling vintage decor on Facebook Marketplace. Having a workshop space was ideal and necessary for how I made a living. But soon enough, I started working for Em, and that garage space just wasn’t needed anymore. And yet somehow I convinced myself that most of what lived inside still was.

A handful of unfinished projects, paint cans with some life left (debatable), a huge collection of vintage wares (and soooo much more) came with me to the new spot. When it was time to choose which room would serve as my bedroom and the other as my “studio”, it made more sense to me at the time to pile my mountains of crap into the larger space, thinking I would eventually turn it into a state-of-the-art creative zone and office, with plenty of room to spread out and work. Fast forward a bit, and I can barely walk inside. The in-home studio I envisioned earned its new name, The Doom Room, in record time. A place where all of my extra things went to die, disappearing out of sight and out of mind as soon as I shut the door. No systems, all chaos.

And when chaos lives next door, even the dreamiest of bedrooms will begin to suffocate you. After a year in my beautiful room, I began to feel the walls closing in, and not because of the wallpaper, no complaints there–but the lack of wiggle room, in both spaces. My storage bed is so functional, but not if the drawers will only open when all of the dresser drawers across it are closed. Then there’s my clothes closet–the true catalyst for the switch up. If hang up one more romper, and I promise you that wooden rod will SNAP. I literally have to fist fight my t-shirts daily to get them back behind closed doors. And I’m sick of it!! Sick of traversing the narrow walkways of my tiny room, carved out by my big, beautiful bed. Sick of the piles of stuff ignored next door, filling the room with more and more doom every second. Sick of the overall lack of breathing room, accidental injuries, and impenetrable wall of garments.

Caitlin’s closet confidential had awoken something in me. Em’s recent prop/carriage house assessment inspired me. Tripping one too many times in both of my rooms drove me insane enough to need a change. Sometimes you really just have to empty everything out, take stock, trim alllll the fat and put back only what’s really important to you, with care (and a bit of a cut-throat mentality) while trying your darnedest not to add more stuff to the stuff. Then step-and-repeating every few years because consumerism has us in a chokehold, and this is a lesson I never seem to be done learning.

So that’s my plan! This is the official kick-off of my MOTO: Take 2. A reassessment. And my first step is to purge. My neighborhood is having a garage sale this weekend, and it’s the perfect opportunity (hell yes, deadline) to decide what really deserves to take up space in my life and home. Then it’s another small room challenge–this time a guest room/office that is actually useable and inspired. I want to live in a livable space! My biggest priority is having a bedroom I can actually walk around in, and plenty of room to sit back and admire the pieces I love so much, with the ability to use the drawers (all of them, at the same time) without stubbing my damn toe!

I don’t have a solid design plan for either space. Concepts of a plan, sure. What I know for a fact is that all of the major elements of my first MOTO design will live on. I will not be parting ways with my bedroom furniture, only migrating it. I am not exaggerating when I say: these are some of the best pieces I’ve ever owned and still look as good as the day I got them. The headboard, storage bed, and dresser–they’ll live on in the bigger room for a chance to really shine! I will also NOT be touching the wall fabric in the smaller room. This hasn’t budged since the day I installed it (a year ago! With just liquid starch, a bucket, and a paint roller!), and I don’t intend to remove it anytime soon. But it’s totally renter-friendly, and when I am ready to take it down, I can re-use the fabric elsewhere (shameless DIY post plug)!

I actually can’t fathom designing a space without adding a little DIY mojo to the mix. The wall fabric is the foundation of the smaller room, so it should be a fun challenge for me to pick pieces that work well with the existing vibe. But the DIY element in my new bedroom is yet to be determined. One big idea on the brain is: stencils. I’ve been vision boarding a lot lately and find myself continuously drawn to the vintage magazine images of stenciled, folky flowers on the walls (or the ceiling, perhaps?). It’s not necessarily renter-friendly, but I’m a friendly renter and could always paint over it when I leave.

But also, I’ve been dying to play with the color stain trend I’ve been seeing everywhere lately and might need to test it out on an older piece of mine that could use a refresh (my garage workshop mentality will never die). It’s a beautiful etagere I’ve been using (and not really loving) in my bathroom, which I think would serve me better in my new big bedroom. Better yet, if the wood was stained…burgundy? Or maybe a denim-y blue? I don’t know! But I want to try. So look out for that DIY sometime down the line.

That’s it for now. The grunt work comes first, hopefully followed by clarity and tons of radical vision. I’ll keep you posted as I move the needle. All in due time. Until then…

Sincerely,

Gretch

Our Regrind Driveway Review – 3 Years Later Would Asphalt Have Been Better?

Now that our latest construction project is done (the garages) and until we start the next one (the carriage house), we have fewer trucks, cars, and equipment wreaking havoc on our property, which made me stare at our regrind driveway with fresh eyes. I just reread the original article, from three years ago, debating all the driveway options and unsure if we made the right decision. We compared concrete (too expensive), gravel (would wash away in rain), chipseal (would also wash away with rain), asphalt (cheapest but very black and new-construction-esque/wrong vibe), and regrind (compacted recycled asphalt with a layer of loose gravel on top). We chose regrind, which was $2k more than asphalt (done by our asphalt contractor). I left that last post on a cliff hanger – did we make the right $40k decision???? Three years later, let’s see. Before – 2019 As a reminder, here’s how busted it was before – SUPER BUSTED. And I wish I knew the exact square footage of our driveway, but I’d say it’s around 1/4 of a mile (at least it feels that way when we take the trash cans to the street – so freaking long). While I had hoped to not invest in the driveway (boring way to spend money), we had to and belabored the decision of what to do. Read the article where I break down all our options, with the pros and cons of each. First Year Of Our Regrind Driveway – 2022 As a reminder, we wanted something that felt older, appropriate to a 120-year-old farm. Listen, however fancy our house has turned out, it still has a casual vibe, and we were (and still are) afraid that asphalt would not be the right choice, style-wise. And as a reminder, gravel would have washed away because we are on a hill and we live in the Pacific Northwest, where God blesses us with months of rain every year. Our initial reaction was “it’s fine,” then months later, “it’s actually GREAT”. And since then, it’s honestly not something we ever think about. It’s just our driveway and I give zero attention to it. Listen, I barely know which of our two cars I drive (not joking, I have what the kids call “car blindness” where I get into the closest black SUV), so we all have the things we care about, and driveways aren’t one of mine. Now, Our Regrind Driveway in 2025…3 Years Later It looks mostly the same but dirtier and looser in parts. I just asked Brian what he thought of it now, and he said, “I don’t know – I guess it’s fine?”. That’s kind of how I feel. I still prefer the charm of the gravel sound under my feet. I love that it’s more rustic and not a harsh dark new color (or broken concrete). You can really beat it up without leaving a trace. I do fear that had we done asphalt, we would have to have it redone already since we deal with so many trucks here, likely damaging it. Over time, some areas have gotten a tiny bit “bald” of loose gravel, but the compacted asphalt underneath is still there. I didn’t even notice it, to be honest, until I forced myself to look. I think it’s mostly the same, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the top layer of loose gravel is shaken up a bit. My Official Verdict – Regrind Or Asphalt? Regrind is still the best choice for us, even if we aren’t vocal Regrind enthusiasts. It’s just great, appropriate, and works here really well. Listen, if we didn’t have an older, more rustic property AND have a sports court for biking/roller blading, then I think asphalt would probably have been our choice. If you have young kids and want a place for biking or blading (or playing basketball), then regrind isn’t the best for that. They are about the same cost, so like most things, this is a personal preference, and we are happy enough with what we chose. We have zero regrets, but really don’t think that asphalt is a bad choice, just stylistically not what we wanted. We don’t love dragging the trash cans down to the street (feels like 1/4 mile) on the regrind driveway, but it’s better than gravel. But the look and feel is worth it to us. Will give you an update in another 3 years :)

Want Better Lilies Next Year? Gardeners Say You Should Never Skip This Important Task

Lilies are one of the stars of any flower lover's midsummer garden. But what should you do once those blooms begin to fade? Like many popular garden flowers, lilies benefit from deadheading—but maybe not for the reason you think. Here's why you should make a point to deadhead your lilies this growing season. Should You Deadhead Lilies? Lilies benefit from deadheading for a couple of different reasons. In addition to tidying up the appearance of your garden after its blooms have faded, snipping away the spent flower heads is important for next year's growth. Leaving the flowers on the plant will allow them to go to seed if the flowers have been pollinated. Instead of storing up energy in their bulbs for next year's flowers, your lily plants will expend that energy producing seeds. Removing the flowering portions of each stem once they fade means you'll have stronger, more vibrant flowers next year than if you let the plants go to seed.1 Note that, unlike flowers such as marigolds and zinnias, deadheading true lilies, including Asiatic lilies and Easter lilies, won't encourage the plants to rebloom this year. How to Deadhead Lilies Look for lily stems with flowers that have faded or are beginning to fade, discolor, or drop off. Keep an eye out for flowers in which the petals and stamens have fallen away completely. Only the stigma, the structure in the center of the flower that collects pollen to send down to the ovary in the base of the flower to form seeds, may remain. If your lily flowers have already bloomed, you may also see only long green seed pods where the flowers once were. You can deadhead a single lily flower out of many on a stem or, once all blooms have faded, cut back the entire flowering portion of that stem. To remove a single flower, use clean, sharp scissors or pruners to cut the flower stem where it meets the main stem. Sanitize Your Tools If possible, sanitize your tools between cuts to avoid spreading disease. While it's possible to simply snap off the spent flowers with your hands rather than using snips, leaving ragged, uneven stem ends behind may help introduce disease to your lily plants. If all flowers on the stem have faded and begun going to seed, you can make your cut at the bottom of the flowering portion of the main stem—below the lowest flower stem but above any leaves. Once your lily flowers begin to fade, check them every few days to deadhead individual blooms as needed. You can also choose to wait until all flowers on a single stem are spent and remove the flowering portion of the spike all at once. Tip Deadheading, or cutting away faded or dead flowers, is an important garden task for many plants. Depending on the type of flower, deadheading can help plants preserve energy for next year or promote reblooming the same season. Either way, deadheading keeps your flower garden looking neat and tidy. What to Do With Deadheaded Blooms As long as they don't show signs of pests or disease, lilies can be added to your compost pile. They can also be thrown in the trash. If your lilies do become diseased or infested, it's best to tie them up in a plastic bag before tossing them to prevent any spread. You may also decide to skip deadheading altogether and leave the seed pods on the plant, though it may not grow as vigorously the next year. In fact, some types of lilies are known for their visually striking seed pods, which can add interest to the garden in the off-season if they're left on the plant. For example, blackberry lilies get their name from the distinctive shiny black seeds left behind after the flowers bloom.

How to Make Cosmos Bloom Again (and Again) Before Summer Is Officially Over

Key Points Take a quick garden walk to spot watering or pruning needs. Don’t panic—most stressed plants can bounce back with care. Check for pests that may have moved in while you were away. Unfussy cosmos are a low-maintenance landscaper lover’s dream. They don’t need much help to produce a profusion of colorful, pollinator-friendly blooms. However, if you're growing cosmos and they’re only producing a few flowers or they suddenly stop blooming in the height of summer, you might be making some simple mistakes in terms of care or conditions. Here’s how to make your cosmos bloom again (and again) right through summer to the first fall frost. Why Cosmos Stop Blooming in Late Summer Various culprits could be causing your cosmos flowers to fade or fail to rebloom as summer progresses. Aside from not tidying spent flowers, neglecting to adjust your care to account for seasonal changes can be a blight on blooms. Too much shade, excessive fertilizer or water, and lack of respite from intense heat waves can all slow down or stop cosmos from blooming. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! 7 Ways to Make Cosmos Bloom Again To ensure your cosmos have a second wind when it comes to flowering, try these tricks. Deadhead spent flowers: When the first flush of flowers fades, cut the stem with sterile shears above the first leaves to promote new bud formation. This keeps your plant focused on flower production. Pick the best yard position: Cosmos are sun-lovers that need a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of full sun to produce plenty of big blooms. Protect during heatwaves: Temperatures above 95°F will stress your cosmos and pause blooming. If you live in a heatwave-prone region, consider growing cosmos in containers. That way, you can move them to a cooler when the mercury rises. Pinch for productive plants: When your young cosmos reach 8 to 10 inches tall, use clippers to remove the top of the stem, leaving just a few sets of leaves. This encourages more branches and blooms. Weigh up your watering habits: Cosmos are drought-tolerant plants that don’t appreciate soggy soils. Avoid overwatering, letting the soil dry fully between irrigations. Avoid overfertilization: These plants thrive in poor soils and don’t require feeding when grown in the ground. A balanced, slow-release, low-nitrogen fertilizer is best for container-grown cosmos. Too much nitrogen means the plant will focus on leaf rather than bloom production. Prune to promote air circulation: Fungal diseases, like fusarium wilt and powdery mildew, can cause problems with cosmos bud drop and bloom development. Don’t plant seedlings too close, prune vigorously branching leaves, and water plants at the base. Avoid artificial light: If you have security lights on all night in your yard, this can cause issues as cosmos need 12 hours of darkness to start blooming. 3 Signs Your Cosmos Will Rebloom After taking steps to remedy an unexpected pause in blooming, these subtle clues could be a sign that a flurry of fresh flowers are on the way. New bud formation: Can you see new, small, round swellings at the tips of your plant’s stems? This means that new blooms are forming. Fresh growth: Stressed plants stop or slow their leaf production and can experience stunted growth. If you see signs of new leaves growing and your plant is putting on a growth spurt, that’s a good sign. Plant perks up: A wilting plant that has too much sun or the wrong amount of water will start to become more upright as it recovers its vigor. How to Keep Cosmos Blooming Until Frost Now that you’ve got the blooms back on track, continue to make the most of the flowers until the first frosts arrive by watering deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out in between waterings. Watch for pests, such as aphids, slugs, and spider mites, to proactively prevent bloom-limiting infestations. Plus, provide shelter from strong winds to help protect tall cosmos varieties when staking isn’t enough.

Great Dupes: Emily’s Favorite Outdoor Pieces

Ithink I can say that the majority of us love looking at beautiful homes filled with beautiful things that are often outside of our budgets. It’s both aspirational and sometimes a bummer because WE WANT THOSE BEAUTIFUL THINGS TOO. The good news is that there are so many products on the market, including so many incredible dupes or near dupes to give us the same/very similar look…but for smaller budgets. And I’m sure that it’s no surprise that Wayfair is the place to find them. I’m never not pleasantly surprised that when I’m creating a “look for less,” Wayfair always comes through. It’s actually wild. So, since summer is upon us, we thought we’d put together a very compelling “look for less” of some of Emily’s favorite pieces. Let me show you that you can easily get “the Emily look” for an affordable budget:) Let’s take this awesome sectional from Wayfair. It’s big, has that great slatted back detail (so it’s pretty at any angle), and I love that warm medium-toned wood color. The only thing that could be a little tough, depending on your budget, is the pricetag, which comes in at $3,199. But guess what I found after an easy little search on their site… …these much more affordable beauties!! I know that they aren’t exact replicas (which is good TBH), but they give the same vibe/look/feel. The Suvada Wide Outdoor L-Shaped Patio Sectional has that sweet wood “X” detail that is perfect for a farmhouse, casual traditional look. I also love the long bench cushions. Oh, and not for nothing, but there’s a savings of $2,459 compared to Emily’s. Then the Acacia Outdoor Patio Sectional is a little more expensive, but you’re still saving $2,299 (!), and it has the wood slate detail. This one leans a little more modern if that’s what you’re looking for. They are also both highly rated! Let’s move on to her poolside lounge chairs. Emily has the loungers from Neighbor, and as someone with an outdoor sofa from them as well, I can attest to their quality… and their heftier price tag. The lounger is currently priced at $1,475. So I went on a mission to find a couple of affordable options that looked extremely similar, and here’s what I decided on:) I love the Strausbaugh Outdoor Acacia Chaise Lounge because the wood tone is similar, and it has back wheels like Emily’s for moving them around easily. Then personally, I really love armrests, so that was a factor too:) But we’re here for savings, and boy, are these much more budget-friendly! These loungers are $1,170 LESS. You could get four and still not pay as much as her one. But if you are someone who doesn’t like armrests, the Scheiner Outdoor Acacia Chaise Lounge is so great. They have over 600 4.5 stars, and the savings are even better since you get two for $449, which, if you were able to buy them individually, would be a difference of $1,251. If you’ve been following since the mountain house days, then you know Emily Henderson loves hammocks…a lot. Emily originally paid almost $400 for the one in the photo, and that’s without the stand! So these two options are not only really cute, but they are more than half the price. If you’re looking for an EHD-approved, affordable hammock, then look no further than these two. Your summer will absolutely be upgraded if you can nap in the shade while gently swaying:) Another important Emily outdoor tip is to have a patterned moment like this umbrella. Emily tends to be partial to a bold stripe:) But her umbrella was almost $400. So when I found this one on Wayfair for a fraction of the price for the same size and tilt function, I was beyond excited. Yes, you would also need a stand, and this cutie is only $42, so done and done. That’s still more than a $300 saving on the original. Another item from this part of Emily’s backyard are those sweet folding dining chairs. I love the mix of wood and metal, and these ones from Wayfair are almost identical…but of course, more affordable. Emily’s were $300 for two, so you can save $50 with these. Every dollar counts, and these have a perfect 5-star rating:) Lanterns (especially black metal and glass ones) are another Emily Henderson outdoor staple. As you can see above, she styles them in outdoor entries, dining areas, by lounge zones — there isn’t an outdoor area she won’t try them, ha. But some lanterns aren’t cheap. Luckily, I found ones that look expensive but aren’t, AND come with candles. I’m sorry, but being able to purchase two outdoor lanterns with candles for $38 is WILD. The small one in the photo above is $88, and that definitely does not come with a candle. So yes to lanterns, and YES, to affordable ones. They just add such a great amount of visual interest and layering, plus, when lit, a pretty ambiance! Another outdoor decor piece that is super impactful but can easily get pricey are tall planters. They are so helpful in framing a doorway, an entry, a zone, etc. Emily uses them all of the time, and Exhibit A is by her front door above. Those were bought at a local nursery, but let’s just say she wouldn’t have categorized them as affordable, as opposed to these ones that I found… The white ones are made of resin and are that sleek shape that goes with any style. They also come in a few other colors if white doesn’t look best with your home. I also wanted to show you these black ones because they could lean a little more modern traditional and are such a great price. For a set of 2, both of these options are at least half the price of many on the market! For Em’s newest outdoor space, her outdoor kitchen, she chose those awesome POLYWOOD counter stools. Wayfair sells this version too! Oh, and if you love the style but need a dining chair height, they have these:) However, to save some more dollars, I found a really great option that’s $64 less per stool. And here they are! Slightly more modern but still has the slatted look and green color. I think these look great, but they also come in a few other colors! Another common dream I feel many of us have is a porch swing. I’m not sure what movie or show infiltrated our brains, but boy, do I want one someday. This light wood one Emily has is great, but as you can imagine isn’t the most budget-friendly, coming in at $2,195. Let me show you what Wayfair has:) Well, what have I been tellin ya? That wood bench above is so pretty and almost $2,000 LESS than what’s on her front porch. A total steal! But if you are worried about wood and harsh weather, we know that POLYWOOD is maybe the most durable outdoor furniture available, so while not a natural wood tone and a little more expensive, the cream one on the right has the right style look and is still over $1,500 less than Em’s. This little upper deck patio is one of my favorites, too, so I had to include it. This chair is also a favorite. It’s comfortable, so chic, and of course, not inexpensive. But that’s what’s also awesome about Wayfair, they have pieces like this one from Blu Dot, but if you want something similar in a different budget, you can find this… It’s not “the same”, but also feels the same, you know? I love how this chair is also low, has a similar metal frame, and while it’s a different material, the natural fiber also wraps around the frame. Oh, and it’s also $1,345 less than the Blu Dot one. Not bad! Hope this was helpful as you’re gearing up for the warm weather! What’s also great about Wayfair are those fast shipping times, so no time wasting waiting for your dream outdoor space. Thanks to Wayfair for sponsoring this post and for making it so easy to create a truly great space. Happy sourcing, everyone! Love you, mean it.