my new prop garage reveal – including ikea shelving (non spon) and a lot of vintage collections

Home Decor

My New Prop Garage Reveal – Including IKEA Shelving (Non-Spon) And A Lot Of Vintage Collections

Drescription

Iam a new person. Transformed! The fact that there aren’t more before/after shows for the “chronically disorganized” (me!) is a real missed TV opportunity. Now, I do give myself grace because the amount of stuff one has to have to do this job, run this company, and create so much design content so frequently is extreme (occupational hazard – just the way it is). And even with a team of people, it’s impossible to keep it organized unless you have what we now have – a dedicated space, with IKEA shelving and cabinets, labels, color-coded shelves, THE WORKS. Without systems, there is chaos!!!! And Houston, we now have systems. For those of you who want to jump to the reveal, you can watch our latest YouTube video right here. I couldn’t love it any more.

When we bought the property, this was the garage – full of potential and spiders/dampness. We always knew that one of the perks of buying the property with so many outbuildings would be that we could have prop storage within reach (crucial to running the business), but not when they looked like this…

She was in rough shape. A slab had been poured in the last 20 years (we think), but otherwise it was “vintage”. So my brother’s company, Afore, set to restore and repair it, using the existing footprint and structure (and slab). They reinforced the framing, scissoring where they needed to, replacing other boards, but we really tried to save money by using the original wood. We opted to get rid of the broken windows, choosing functional wall space over a weird fence view. We updated the simple electrical and panneled it all.

January 2025 – Construction Progress

As you can see, the four bays remained the same, just fixed for new garage doors. The two on the left would be furniture store, holiday, and “Henderson life stuff”, while the two on the right would be smaller props, tools, supplies – all the stuff that needed a true dedicated space. Brian’s truck would go on the far left (and to save money, we made it just a covered carport without a slab, electrical or garage doors, and just a corrugated roof).

Initially, we were going to leave the original ceiling (it was pretty!), but we ended up cladding over it just to keep it as clean, insulated, and simple as possible. We needed to add recessed lighting so the paneling covered up the wiring, and honestly, we just didn’t want to deal with spiders and the potentially ickiness ever again.

The Old Prop House – Carriage House

As a reminder, we had everything on shelving in the only “not-totally-damp” room in the carriage house. Things were not staying in great shape, and we needed to start restoring this house, so it was time to fix the garages so we could have safe, dry storage.

June 2025 – DONE!!!! And I’m So Happy

Last week, I showed off the prettiest garage doors ever (by Clopay, installed by local company Ponderosa) that we are legit obsessed with. Head over to this post to read alllllllll about our doors and the color, etc.

Once open, those doors really create this indoor/outdoor workspace which we all love being in (besides the fact that there is spotty wifi out here – fixing that asap). It’s a huge garage, extremely functional and tidy, and I spend far more time in here than predicted.

The After After…My New Favorite Space

It’s so much space, and so organized with the right dedicated storage for every type of thing. We have three sides of storage – the shallow shelves on the left, the deep closed storage on the back, and then deep shelves on the right. I mapped it all out beforehand, and I think I did a fantastic job if I do say so myself!

In front of the PAX units (which I want to discuss more below), we have our old vintage kitchen table from LA that I have been hoarding, and my beloved Cherner chairs (which admittedly shouldn’t be in a garage, but they aren’t comfortable enough for our day-to-day chairs – so squeaky!). We use this table to pull props and pack them up, but also we have been meeting out here while the kids have been running feral all summer. It’s oddly peaceful and quiet out here. While it’s likely not our year-round “studio,” it’s reallly nice not to always work in my sunroom and have some separation (we are hybrid, so unless we are meeting or shooting, everyone does computer work from home).

Are The IKEA PAX Units Good Enough For Garage Shelves??

I saw a lot of comments after I posted about how we had installed the PAX units. A few of you mentioned they aren’t strong enough for true garage storage (based on your experience). So before you do what I did, do more research (than I did). So far we are fine, but as you can see, we do have some stacks of dishes which are rather heavy, and I think I’m going to disperse based on your advice. For the most part, what is in these units isn’t heavy, but if you have heavy bins of garage “stuff,” then based on the comments, you’d want to get the kitchen cabinetry from IKEA.

This is our tabletop cabinet as you can see, pared down and super organized. The labels are my boss!!!

In the other prop house, these were stacked in a bookshelf and were a total disaster. Here they are stacked perfectly and dust/spider-free. I bought the IKEA organizers for inside that work fine for the flatware.

On the left is oversized art and mirrors (which I organized in that cute little wall-mounted art organizer).

More IKEA Shelving!

This is my favorite wall – so many pretty things that we pull for shoots, rotate in and out of my house, and I think I have a story about every single thing (not saying it’s healthy, just giving the facts). Most of this is vintage or one-of-a-kind (with a decent amount of really useful Anthro, CB2, and Target mixed in here).

I had so much fun organizing everything by color – forcing Marlee and Gretchen into a personal show-and-tell monologue about each thing that had a story. Yes, I’m a hoarder of pretty things, and I accept this full accountability (I also purge a lot – and trust me, you want to be friends with “purging Emily”).

I’m glad that most of you are likely design enthusiasts and aren’t judging but instead admiring (but it’s ok if you don’t get it, too!)

Let me be clear, this is post-purge. As in this is the stuff that made the cut, either because I use it a lot, or it’s somehow special to me, or it’s new and I haven’t found its permanent home yet.

On the other side is “Lamp Land,” which houses (you guessed it) all the lighting, as well as art and fabric.

How can a photo of shelves of stuff make me so happy???? I guess I see years of collecting (dopamine burst after dopamine burst) mixed with excitement for future projects.

Now that I can see everything clearly, I can really place them in future projects (that I know of). I’ve gotten pretty great and knowing what I should keep versus what I really don’t think I need to store any longer. All of this made the cut.

Lamps, baskets, small inside pots, and large vessels – everything has a place, and it’s visually so clear.

On the bottom row lie row after row of fabric bins that I bought specifically to fit in here side by side, and with a vinyl window to show me what is inside. Admittedly, they look squished, but they do the job assigned to them so well and can fit a LOT.

I’m pretty obsessed with these art dividers (pot lid organizers work, too). I bought these from Amazon, with the larger rolling ones here and the smaller art dividers here. These make me feel on top of the world, TBH, and I’m so excited that my art will stop getting damaged by being thrown around.

How smart are these rolling art carts? Very specific to my needs (not an every garage staple), but they work so well for our needs. We keep them in front of the door, which we aren’t really using (we might in the winter) because the garage doors open so easily and quickly.

It’s such a dream. And a big shout out to the Clopay garage doors that open and close so quietly and, as you can see below, honestly look pretty lovely when closed (the windows help a lot).

We’ve been leaving the doors open while we are in here, and it really stays cool (no direct sun, north facing) and is just so nice to get away from the free rein kids running around our property all summer.

It’s also fantastic that cars can pull right up to it, so even in the winter we have very little excuse to not put things away (but we can also just stack everything on the table if we are in a hurry – a dedicated staging spot).

We put in a cadet heater that is behind the art, leaning on the floor, so we’ll see if we use it in the winter. I think at minimum I’ll set it to keep it 50 degrees so that it doesn’t get too cold in here and warp the art.

That white door leads to the other garage, which is full of samples of something I’m very excited to show you, but can’t yet. So more to come from that garage soon…

A huge thanks to my team for helping me with this. I know that it’s technically part of their job, but reorganizing your boss’s life (while also shooting a YouTube series about it) is definitely both hard work and very personal. And thanks to my brother’s company, Afore, for making these garages so beautiful, safe, dry, and polished. They are such a dream. Now go watch the fun/fast YouTube to see the full tour (including what is in the other cabinets).

Shoppers ‘Pack Double or Triple’ in Their Carry-On Bags Thanks to This $30 Travel Hack That Skirts Baggage Fees

I’m a one-bag traveler through and through. Even on a recent monthlong trip through Northern Europe, I was able to fit everything I needed into a carry-on suitcase—puffer jacket included. The best way to pack a suitcase, we seasoned travelers know, is to use compression packing cubes. These clever hacks flatten soft goods to half their size, so you can pack a checked bag’s worth of contents into a carry-on suitcase. They’re the only way a recovering overpacker like me could ever join the exclusive carry-on-only club. Bagail Set of 6 Compression Packing Cubes How do compression packing cubes work? They’re super simple in construction but majorly helpful in practice. Each packing cube is a zippered pouch in ripstop nylon, with two zippers: one that closes the pouch itself, and another you can zip closed to shrink the contents to the smallest size possible. It’s the same principle as sitting on your suitcase to get it to zip—except this travel hack keeps everything nice and tight from start to finish. With clothing packed neatly into these soft nylon pouches, then zipped down to wring out all the air, you’ll wonder why you ever checked a bag to begin with. “The compression feature is genius,” one five-star reviewer said. “Just zip everything tight, and boom, it’s like vacuum-sealing your wardrobe (minus the vacuum). I was able to fit way more than I expected, and everything stayed neatly organized. No more suitcase explosions every time I needed socks.” Say, for instance, a stack of blouses is 6 inches high. Those blouses might squash nice and neat into the medium-sized compression cube that’s 4 inches deep. But then, you can zip that cube down to compress it even further and whittle down that 6-inch stack of clothes to just 2 inches or so. And all that saved space adds up, letting you “pack double or triple your clothes in a small suitcase,” one shopper shared. “Just fold your clothes and overpack, then double zip it! Literally watched my clothes shrink as air was let out.” That shopper was able to fit four pairs of shorts, two sets of pajamas, a robe, three shirts, and nine undergarments—into just one of these compression cubes. As a bonus, you won’t be rifling through a jumbled mess of clothing when you go to unpack in your destination. Instead, your belongings arrive neatly organized in dedicated bags to make finding what you need a breeze. “Unpacking took seconds,” one reviewer raved. “I just pulled out the cubes and popped them into drawers.” This six-pack by Bagail includes six different size options, a variety you don’t often get from other brands. Packing cube fans call these “lightweight, but tough as nails,” with ”high-quality and durable” fabric, “reinforced seams and reliable zippers,” and a mesh panel that lets you see what’s inside. They’re also water repellent too, so if your face wash springs a leak, your clothes stand a fighting chance of still arriving unsoiled. You can even pack damp clothes, one shopper said, without fretting over leaks. “If you're an overpacker like me or just want to feel like a travel ninja, do yourself a favor and grab a set,” a recent packing-cube convert wrote. “Your future-suitcase self will thank you.” Snag this six-pack of the compression packing cubes even skeptical shoppers called “a real game changer,” and read on for other compression cubes for travel to level up your packing game. Bagsmart Compression Packing Cubes, Set of 6 Tripped Travel Gear Compression Packing Cubes, Set of 6 Gonex Compression Packing Cubes, Set of 6 OlarHike Compression Packing Cubes, Set of 8 Veken Packing Cubes, Set of 8

How to Revive Near-Dead Petunias and Save Your Yard in the Process

Depending on where you live, petunias are probably a summer staple in your flower beds. They’re a reliable pop of color, and they tend to thrive in a variety of conditions. As long as they’re in a sunny spot and watered regularly, petunias are generally considered low-maintenance plants. As the summer goes on, it’s not uncommon to catch your petunias drooping and dying—especially if you’ve faced a summer of extremes—but with a few handy tips you might be able to revive your near-dead petunias and bring them back to thrive until the season ends. Deadhead Any Lost Blooms One of the best ways to help a struggling petunia plant is by deadheading; this is the process of removing any dead or faded flowers from the plant. Deadheading petunias both encourages more blooming and immediately fixes the look of your plant. The reason it encourages more flowers to bloom is because the plant can focus its energy on new life, rather than trying to revive spent blossoms. You can do this either with proper shears, or by simply picking off the dead flower with your fingers. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Prune the Dried Foliage Another way to perk up your petunias is with pruning. This is similar to deadheading (it serves the same purpose), but instead of tackling the dead flowers, you go for the dead leaves. Along with cleaning up the look of your plant, you’re also helping it direct its energy toward new, fresh growth. While pinching off flowers is an option for deadheading, you’ll need proper, sharp shears for dealing with the foliage. It’s also important they’re clean, as otherwise you run the risk of spreading disease to the plant. Adjust Your Watering Schedule Depending on where you live, petunias don't require too much attention, but they still need regular watering. If you notice your plants look dire, have a peek at your watering schedule. You might need to make adjustments. While petunias planted in the ground can go longer, anything in a pot needs daily watering. But you don’t want to over-water your petunias, either. If your plants look parched and crispy, amp up the water. If the leaves are yellow and the plants are drooping, slow it down. Ensure Proper Drainage Along with taking note of whether or not your petunias are drooping and looking yellow, you also need to beware of root rot. This is when the roots of your petunias become waterlogged, and it’s the most fatal effect of over-watering. If you suspect your petunias are at risk, they might need removing or relocating into fresh soil that can ensure good drainage. If you plan to repot in the same container, make sure you clean and disinfect the pot thoroughly to avoid the spread of any mold or mildew that might have started to accumulate. Fertilize the Soil Petunias are considered heavy feeders, which means they benefit from fertilizers. Slow-release options are great, and can be used both in the ground and when petunias are planted in pots and containers. Along with reviving your plants, fertilizing petunias can also help with more abundant blooms and a longer growing season. If you don’t want to invest in special fertilizer, you can try making your own compost, or adding banana peels or coffee grounds to the soil. Move Into Full Sun Petunias thrive with the right amount of sunlight, so check the light levels if you find your blooms aren’t full or abundant. You should aim to provide these plants with at least six hours of direct sunlight a day, although eight or more is ideal. If your plants are in containers, this should be easy enough to resolve—simply move the pot. If you’re dealing with grumpy petunias in the ground, it’s likely time to relocate. Some shade is fine, but a sunny spot is an absolute must if you’re hoping to perk your plants up enough to see more flowers. Offer Protection From the Elements As a final potential problem for your petunias, consider their exposure to any extreme elements. Blistering sun with no water is an obvious problem, but petunias can also be sensitive to strong winds—especially any varieties with more delicate blooms. Keep an eye out, too, for any potential pests. Petunias are prone to attracting aphids and slugs, while rabbits and deer might also snack on these blooms. If you notice any signs of an invasion, consider moving or protecting your plants to help bring them back to life.

Want To Paint Your Concrete Floor? Read This First (Here’s What We Did)

When we first started “fixing up the garages” (that’s a real understatement, I know), one of the few things that we knew we could salvage was the concrete floor of the first bay (where our prop shelves live). The second bay (where our sofas now live:)) would need to be poured because it was rotten wood + dirt. For most of the renovation, I was so budget-focused (this was not a budget project, mind you), I tried very hard not to spend more than needed. So I was like “just leave it concrete, maybe seal it, but that’s it”. No fancy epoxy or garage floor company for us. But then, of course, when it’s all done, the pine was on the walls, and it was so pretty, the gross rust-covered floor popped, and I changed my tune. So today I’ll show you what we did and why. Ok, this was the OG prop storage garage and floor. I think the darkness was wet. We don’t know how old the concrete was, maybe 10-20 years, but it was FINE. Like, not incredible, but not worth demo-ing out and repouring. It had some cracks, and it wasn’t super level, but it was FINE. See? For a garage, it was “ok”. Now, of course, when you are redoing a garage, you have so many other options – Epoxies, fancier finishes with flex, or even rubber squares? But all of them cost $5k + and it just wasn’t where we wanted to put any money. This floor (in the other bay) had to be poured with new concrete. Now the reason I bring this up is because we actually treated the two differently – something I typically wouldn’t do, but it truly wasn’t important enough to me to spend the time and money. You’ll see. So for the sofa bay, Ken poured new concrete. GREAT. It looked really pretty. And just needed to be sealed. We used a satin polyurethane that he just rolled on and called it a day. But for the prop garage, which had a lot more stains and rust marks (and cracks), we decided that we needed more coverage. Something to cover the stains and make it look as fresh as possible. But of course, we were in a rush. It was Thursday, and the IKEA task rabbits were coming on Tuesday to install the closets (that once installed couldn’t be moved). I did a dumb thing – I thought I was choosing a transparent stain from Sherwin-Williams and quickly chose a deep blue. But then I realized… I actually chose a concrete paint that was opaque (aka not transparent, not a stain, a full paint color). Now I like the color, don’t get me wrong. But it was way too intense and jarring. I walked in and immediately called my brother (this was only one coat, thank goodness) and said, “I’m so sorry, I was wrong”. We just wanted it to look like a clean garage floor appropriate gray cement color. But you can’t just choose “gray,” there are a lot of bad, cold, clinical-looking grays, and our garage is pretty! So we sampled many, taking into account the wood on the walls and the green of the cabinet fronts. You have to pretend the floor isn’t blue and that the color would connect the wood to the green cabinets. They are all neutrals and all warmer grays (a couple even taupier). And that there was the winner – Illusive Green. FTW! It had a slightly green undertone, which looked great with the cabinets and the wood, and yet was still super neutral, letting the cabinets be the star. And by the way, we used Sherwin-Williams color-match concrete paint. Two coats, and each took about 3-4 hours to dry (no long curing session). I mean, sure, it just looks gray here, but I promise a bad gray could have looked flat, sad, depressing, and this gray does complement the green nicely. It’s full coverage, and should be easy to clean. Super low maintenance and stuck really easily. In that shot, you can see the undertones more, and how they complement the cabinets and wood. It was the cheapest option (besides just leaving it). My brother acid-washed it first just to clean it and get all the gunk up so that it would stick, and then the darker blue paint essentially just became a primer for this paint color. So that’s how we painted our concrete floor with “Porch and Flooring” product. Non-spon, Ken has just become great friends with the crew at the local SW, so he was psyched to use the product they recommended. Thanks, Ken!!

Our 2025 Summer Landscaping Reveal (With Full Process)

I’m currently caught in the “why would anyone live anywhere else” fever dream that is “Oregon in The Summer”, and while I intellectually know there is no perfect place to live, right now, up here, it’s magical (and has been since March – 2025 was a real pretty one). This backyard is certainly serving up some particularly beautiful vibes, and we are in full hosting season. Today I wanted to do a full documentation of the backyard landscaping process, and get into the details for all of us landscape design nerds. Like most things in design – it looks a lot easier than it is, and the more expertise and experience involved, the better product you get. As you know, for this project we hired Dennis’ 7 Dees, a local (and booming) family landscaping company that now manages all our landscaping maintenance as well (besides Charlie mowing the lawn…when we are in town). They designed, planned, executed, and now care for our yard with total seamlessness – not once did I feel like I didn’t know what was happening, when, or that they were too busy with other jobs to take care of us. (Read til the end for some hot tips on working with design professionals.) January – OOF IT WAS SAD Of course, there are more “before befores” from 2019 (when we bought the property) and 2021 (aka the year of the mud before phase 1 began). But this was in January 2025, which is always a sad time of year (and before we had proper maintenance because we thought we could handle it, so the leaves were clearly a problem). As you know, the sports court was way too big – I even mentioned this in the reveal 2 summers ago. And then the area underneath the cherry trees was fine in the summer, but just not working as well as we wanted (that’s the area between the flagstone path and the sports court). So this was the main area we were working to make better, along with the outdoor grill area (which was done by my brother’s company). The Overall Landscaping Plan We worked with Eric Hagberg from Dennis’ 7 Dees, whom we loved – he had so much experience, expertise, and was so flexible – listening to us, and editing as things came up. He came up with the first plan and accompanied budget, and presented it to us (I believe this was in November). Landscaping Plan Number #1 We really loved it, but needed to scale it back for budget purposes. So we reduced the amount of trees, plants, stonework, and lighting (all the pink), and totally nixed the back area near the paddock, seeding for clover instead. One thing we were more sensitive to this time around was planting enough evergreen plants, not just perennials. I love echinacea and all these gorgeous wildflowers, but winter can be really sad here (sadder than my former California lady brain knew), so this time we asked for 70% evergreen plants, 30% perennials. Plan #2 – Reduced Plants, Lighting And Square Footage He sent through the edited plan, which reduced the scope by almost in 1/2. Sure, we still had demo, prep soil, irrigate, run lighting lines, but the scope of planting, stonework, irrigation, and lighting helped reduce the cost substantially. I mean, it’s obvious, but the less you do, the less it costs. The Plant Palette Here was the palette they had planned, which I was in love with and all came from their garden centers (which have an incredibly robust selection). While in the past I have been picky with plants, needing to love each one and feel like stylistically it was “me,” this time around I shifted my mentality. My goal was to have a cohesive color palette, sure, (no random pops that didn’t make sense), but otherwise all I wanted was for the experts to choose things that really thrived easily here, in Oregon, under our conditions. I didn’t want to make suggestions that would override the expertise. For instance, I never thought that I, Emily Henderson, would choose hydrangeas (I had wrong judgements about them, ok?), but as you can see below – they are all over our yard and so beautiful. I am a full hydrangea girly now!! I really, really trusted Eric that they would plant plants that loved living in Oregon and would be easy to manage/tend to and beautiful year-round. They understood that we like a less manicured look, less structure, lots of levels and layers (I said no to orange, sorry, and nothing oddly tropical or like red roses). I really let them do their job because everything they showed me was so aligned with what we wanted. We were speaking the same language, which is really what you want from any designer. The Schedule From Eric: “Originally, we were thinking this would be a 4-week project. But because we’ve doubled the crew size to 6 guys, it’s likely to only take about 2 weeks”. OK!!!! Let go! Concrete Demo: Feb 17-20 Green Demo: Feb 21 Stone Patios/Paths: Feb 24-25 Soil/Grading: Feb 26 Irrigation: Feb 27 Plants: Feb 28 Irrigation: March 3 Lighting: March 3 Bark/Clover Lawn Seed: March 4 (we’ll come back in April, after freezing to apply the seed) They ended up extending it a bit, which worked better for us so that we could be around to capture more of the content. But we were seriously thrilled with the speed and manpower that went into it. Again, this whole “booking in fall and starting in winter” strategy strangely sped things up because it’s the slowest time of year, and a company of 7 Dees’ size has multiple crews they employ – more manpower and time to spend on us! The Prep Work This clearly wasn’t a DIY situation, at least not for us. They moved fast, and that chunk of the sports court was gone in a matter of days. The Hardscape – Flagstone Next came the laying of the paths and landing pads (which they drew out with water-soluble spray paint). If you think it’s just putting down stones (like we did), it’s clearly not. So much prep work underneath the stones as well as leveling and grading. But still, they were so fast. The dirt/puddle areas are where the plants would go. Then, we had the landing pads and the stepping stone paths to the sports court. Now, if you haven’t done flagstone before, know that this is a massive investment (ours cost over $20k). We could have used pea gravel, but it’s a lot messier and we wanted it to be cohesive with the rest of the walkway around the house. In Oregon, due to the rain, you really want solid hardscape to walk – you can’t use DG like you can in CA. So this was a massive investment and something we knew we needed the experts to execute. The Planting Phase Eric, our designer, created the plant selection that we tweaked together. Again, it’s a combination of perennials and evergreen plants and in all the tones that I love. One of the perks with working with them is that since they also have three garden centers in Portland (well, one in Vancouver), they call pull from them as well as place the bigger orders. They are also great resources as a home gardener without a designer – their inventory and selection is huge and so well cared for. The plants went in so fast, I couldn’t believe it. Brian and I were watching from inside like it was a movie – every day there was so much progress. So many people working so hard to make our yard beautiful. We felt so grateful. After planting, they added irrigation and the lighting, as well as a French drain with river rocks along the sports court because it was flooding a lot (remember that disturbed soil doesn’t drain as much as established soil – a fun fact I’m learning over and over). The June Reveal – 2 Months Ago We shot the first round of reveals in June because, well, it was done and looked so beautiful. Check out this post to see that full reveal. We needed to shoot the outdoor kitchen, so we did a tour of the landscaping as well. But little did we know that over the next six weeks things would pop and grow in the most beautiful way. It’s honestly so stunning, I can’t even tell you. Magical, enchanted, already so grown-in (thanks to the Monrovia plants that are so healthy and thrive so well). We have been hosting like crazy back here. We had another big 75-person multi-family school fundraiser here last Saturday – I love sharing it (read: showing it off :) so much). P.S. The theme was the pig’s birthday party, i.e., the “Wine and Swine,” which I need to show you photos from – Barb and Alicia were the belles of the ball in party hats!!! The Newest Update! Mid-July 2025 summer landscaping It’s incredibly beautiful. The panicle hydrangeas are incredible – all from their garden centers (Monrovia has very healthy, high-quality plants that are locally grown, which helps), and the layering, textures, and colors feel so natural but not messy. Here you can see how the whole yard works – the stone pathways with the picnic tables surrounded by all the greenery (designed to be full but not grow too high) and with the trees that will eventually create shade for the seating areas. We are hoping that greenery will eventually take over the grout lines in the stone (left just as soil, unplanted for budget reasons). We love how organic it feels and know that once it’s fully grown it we think it will look like it was always here. They did a great job specifying plants that would be ball barriers from the sport court but not too fragile or thorny. Here you can see the river rock that covers the French drain to keep water from flooding the plants or the new pickleball court. It’s just incredibly beautiful. Over the weekend, we put umbrellas over the picnic tables to create shade, which was wonderful (and made me secretly want big comfy upholstered chairs or a sofa + 2 chairs for the middle one to be more comfortable). The entire yard gets used when 80 people come over, and it’s incredibly delightful. Dennis’ 7 Dees did such a great job of making it look like a park-like area, casual but still elevated and appropriate to the farm vibe. Jess asked where the umbrellas went, but we just couldn’t get them all straight for the photos and videos at the same time – there is SUCH a hole in the market for long-lasting umbrella stands that actually keep umbrellas perfectly vertical. But I love that you can see the full garden without them. These hydrangeas keep changing color – first bright white, then blush, and now these sweet pastel pink. I’m here for all of the shades and love seeing the yard change. The pops of these hotter pinks from the agastache surprised me a bit, and while I love them, I want to add a few more to make the other areas more balanced. All of the echinaceas (perhaps my favorite flowers) are that bright pink, so holistically the yard works together really well. The lighting is perfect. It’s mostly path lighting for nighttime without it being lit up super bright. I know that most people like more/brighter landscape lighting, but we love the string lights on the fenceline and roofline and don’t mind that the garden area is more subtle. We had some uplights in LA and didn’t really love the vibe and prefer less (as of now). I love this view – seeing the sunroom through the trees and flowers is just so pretty. I really want to add wisteria to the back porch, to grow up those posts, so stay tuned on that (although I’m not ready for a phase 3 yet, folks). A huge thanks to Eric for the design and his wonderful crew at Dennis’ 7 Dees for executing it so professionally. This project was so seamless, and caused us zero unnecessary stress, which is saying A LOT. We got all the plants from the 7Dees garden centers (one in Lake Oswego, Vancouver and Cedar Hills/Beaverton). They source a lot from Monrovia for their garden centers, who grow such healthy plants (thank you). And always Kaitlin for all the beautiful photography. The rundown pickleball wall is getting replaced today, so we are about to do a full backyard tour with the kids in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to show you how it all flows together. A Special Reader/ Follower Offers From Dennis’ 7 Dees For all of you in Portland, they are extending some pretty sweet deals. Check these out: Offer #1: Free Landscape Design with Installation, like ours below If you mention my name, “Emily Henderson” when requesting a residential landscape consultation, you’ll get a free AutoCAD landscape design (a $2,500 value) when you move forward with an installation contract of $15,000 or more. Essentially, you’ll pay the design fee upfront, but it’s fully credited back on the final invoice if you move forward with the full design (saving $2500). This offer would be good for contracted projects through August 31, 2025 (so act now!). Additionally, they wanted me to mention that right now they have fast install timelines available, which will change as fall approaches. They also offer flexible financing options to fit your budget *Reminder to use the landing page link we sent you guys for any website links. 🙂 Offer #2: 20% Off at Our Garden Centers For any Portland followers that are more into plants + DIY, Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Centers are such a gem if you’re looking for gorgeous, high-quality plants and fun DIY inspiration. They even have the cutest indoor plant shops—like their Bridgeport Village location that’s all about houseplants. You can get 20% off any in-store purchase with the code EMHENDERSON through August 31st (in-store only at any of their 5 locations). I love the Lake Oswego store (it’s such a lovely shopping experience), but I usually pop into Cedar Hills because it’s closer—plus, their Vancouver location is supposed to be huge and beautiful too! Thank you, Dennis’ 7 Dees, for your landscape magic. I’m just so grateful and proud to call this ours. Here Are My Tips For Landscaping: Be realistic about your budget up front. I still fall into this dumb mental trap – not wanting to say what I can spend for fear that I’ve just played my card and lose leverage. But consistently, it has wasted people’s time. Our first quote for the first design came in so high because they didn’t know what our parameters were, so once we cut it by 1/2 or two-thirds (which was realistic for our budget), they had to edit and essentially redesign it. I should have said at the beginning what we really couldn’t go over on the project as a whole from the beginning. When it comes to landscaping, while you want your artistic vision to be executed (farm! natural! wildflowers!), what you really want is for an expert in your region to choose plants that they know will thrive in your yard, based on your conditions, sun location, etc. Like I said below, I weighed in on the color palette but wanted them to use their expertise to choose the right plants that would help the yard look pretty year round (crucial, as we use it and stare it at allllllll year long). Plan early for spring/summer usage. Most landscapers are slow from October/November – February, and then they get SLAMMED. The second that we start fantasizing about using our yard (February/March), they get inundated with new work, so do what we did – reach out in late fall, and then you could be ready by spring!