when and how to harvest dill for the freshest flavor without killing your plant

Gardening

When and How to Harvest Dill For the Freshest Flavor Without Killing Your Plant

Drescription

Dill plants benefit from repeat harvests, regenerating new growth for fuller, bushier plants.

Start harvesting when plants are 5 to 6 inches tall with four or five sets of fronds.

Harvest dill seeds for pickling when they are bright green.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a full-flavored, annual herb that completes its life cycle in one season. Harvesting equates to pruning, which means more growth and a full, bushy habit. Done correctly, you'll enjoy dill for fresh use throughout the growing season. Leaves, flowers, and seeds are all edible.

Find out how and when to harvest each part of the plant, along with tips for preserving and storing dill for use over winter.

When to Harvest Dill

Start harvesting dill fronds when plants reach 5 to 6 inches tall with four or five leaf-bearing stems. This herb grows rapidly, so you can start snipping fairly early in the growing season.

For best flavor and moisture content, plan your trip to the herb garden in mid-morning, just after dew has dried but before the heat of the day sets in. Repeat harvests generate new growth to extend the plant's life cycle.

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How to Harvest Dill

Dill features upright, branching growth with delicate, alternate, fern-like leaves or fronds. Harvested correctly, plants regenerate, putting out more stems and leaves. Use a small snipper to avoid bruising or stripping stems. Here's what to do.

Select a plant with four or five fronds,

Use your snipper to make a sharp cut across the leaf stem just above the growth point on the main stem. Look for tips of new fronds starting to emerge along a central stem to locate the right spot.

Continue harvesting additional leaves and stems with this method, but remove no more than one-third of the leaves at each cutting. The first few harvests will be small, but the amounts increase as the dill plant puts out new growth.

How to Harvest Dill Seeds

Once flowers open, flavor concentrates at the top of the stems. Seeds form one to two weeks after flowers appear. For pickling use, harvest heads when seeds are bright green. Yellow seeds aren't quite ready, while brown or black seeds indicate flavor and moisture loss.

Cut stems just below the heads and store them whole in plastic bags in the refrigerator or freezer. Fresh dill seeds retain the best flavor for pickling.

To harvest seeds for saving, wait until they turn brown or black on the plant. Cut stems just below the heads, tie them together, and place or hang them upside down in a paper bag. Once they're completely dry, shake the bag to separate seeds and stems.

Harvest leaves with flower heads

After dill flowers, leafy growth ceases so this is a good time to harvest most of the remaining usable leaves on your plant.

Tips for Storing Dill

Freezing fresh dill is often recommended as a better method for storing, however, it depends on your taste and preference. Freezing preserves color and holds flavor longer. Drying initially concentrates on a spicier flavor with less green taste.

Wash dill, run it through a salad spinner, and allow it to dry before storing.

Wrap clean, fresh dill stems in a moist paper towel or place leaves in a plastic bag. Keep them in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to two weeks.

Leaves can be dried in a low oven or dehydrator. Or tie several stems together and hang them in a dry location out of direct sunlight.

Store fresh leaves and seeds for pickling in plastic bags in the freezer for up to 12 months. Expect some flavor loss after six months.

Store dried leaves and saved seeds in glass bottles or jars in a cool, dark cupboard. Seeds remain viable for three to five years. Dried leaves lose their green flavor initially, but can be kept for several years.

Revisiting A 2013 Project, DesignLoveFest’s Apartment (+ What I Think About It Now)

In our grown-up pursuit of “timelessness” (which gets more intense as we get older), it sure is fun to see a time capsule of our youth. The year was clearly 2013, and two “internet famous” bloggers collabbed on what now feels like OG vintage influencer content. When I stumbled on Bri Emery’s apartment from 2013, I gasped and then wanted to gossip about it with you. So much to talk about. It still pops so hard and is full of pieces that I love, while also just screaming “2010’s blogger time capsule”. It’s a real lesson in where to bring in trends as well as demonstrating the power of vintage and color. This was my last “blogger collab,” where I designed/styled famous blogger’s homes (who would be called influencers now) to cross promote, garner press, more followers, etc (I decorated Cup of Jo’s apartment, Oh Joy’s (multiple times), Nicolette Mason and then Bri Emery, aka DesignLoveFest, Green Wedding Shoes nursery, and many more). Bri redesigned our website (which has since been redesigned and is DESPERATE for a new redesign – coming soon, I hope), and I designed/styled her living and dining room. If you want to read the original post, check it out -it’s a funny read. That’s Bri, aka DesignLoveFest, and if you haven’t seen her new kitchen in upstate New York, you MUST. She, like most OG design/style bloggers, made a lot of life shifts, and after taking a long creative/personal sabbatical from social media, she is posting again and collaborating with other old friends (which is so fun to watch on stories). She has always been wildly creative and such a visionary, so I’ll follow her forever. I dream of doing a “Bloggers: Where Are They Now” series because most of the OG crew that really took off in the 2010s, have changed careers and are thriving in such different and interesting ways (I think like 10 of us are still here, spoiler – social media caused burn out really fast). That’s a whole other story, but today let’s look at Bri’s 2013 apartment transformation: I swear we didn’t try to take low-light befores back then… But here’s the super bright after! LOL My first gut reaction: this room is undeniably still so fun. If I walked into this apartment now, I would think this person has so much style and creativity, an eclectic, even eccentric, point of view, and we are about to have fun. And then, of course, I’d want to edit it a bit, tweak it for 2025. So let’s talk through the main trends that were big then: 2013 Trend #1: Bright White With Pops Of Bright Colors I was so guilty of this, doing it over and over in that decade (and still am!). The formula: all white walls, big pops of color, drenched in natural light. And the thing is, this still really works in Southern California. Of course, now we’d do a warmer neutral, and employ darker, more subtle greens and lots of muted pinks. Heck, my brother and SIL wanted a version of that in their bedroom (see here). I think for the most part it works, it’s just some of the colors here that make it feel a bit 2013. I would definitely get rid of that scalloped pillow on the sofa and reduce the amount of hot pink (the vintage ottoman could be more of a neutral). 2013 Trend #2: Fig Trees And Whimsical Plants Galore (In Whimsical Pots!) Again, I still like fig trees, but my goodness, they were EVERYWHERE in the 2010s (mostly because of me, I think – remember DesignStar?), so I really don’t think we needed two here. And while having plants galore is more popular than ever, I don’t think doing it like this is working. I think it’s just a bit messy, the pots are a bit eclectic, and it feels generally over the top. If I could do it again, I’d do one big fig tree and a smaller green plant on the coffee table. Also, not sure we need a decorative piñata… 2013 Trend #3 Palm Springs Style Mid-Century Vintage Everything In Bright Colors Again, I don’t mind this trend!! Mid-century is never out, and I don’t think that there is too much of it here. It’s just combined with the big saturated colors and the Moroccan rug and brass that make all the pieces feel 2013. But yes, in the 2010s, before any of us had a budget to buy investment pieces from adult stores, we bought anything from the Rose Bowl flea market, which was full of midcentury vintage from Palm Springs. None of these are dated; it’s just within the context of so much stuff and bright colors that it screams 2013. What’s Not Working?? What Would I Get Rid Of? That’s pretty easy – the black chair with the more Navajo-inspired woven pattern feels like we were trying hard to dip into that next trend (I’m not sure what to call it, I apologize if I’m not accurate here). At the time were really seeing the rise of African mudcloth and Aztec-style prints, and now we know better and to never buy them in a mass-produced fashion. Purchasing from the actual people whose culture these textiles belong to should always be a priority, like with my Boro fabrics. I do like the idea of the pattern, but it belongs somewhere with less bright, saturated colors or trendy pieces. I’d also nix the gold drum table (very 2013), and I’d reduce the amount of stuff by 1/3rd AT LEAST. And I really, really don’t like that colorful pillow on the sofa. I think this was during my “miniatures” phase that I’ve never really grown out of, TBH, but I don’t force it on my friends as much now. Those flowers are WAY too big and busy in here, IMHO. I still love those vintage lamps and would use them in the right project now. The art was from the flea market, and the Blu Dot table is so simple that it’s hard to call it in or out, but the collective vignette just feels very 2013 due to the color palette. Now I’d change the drum shades to be more tapered or pleated (or a color). Nothing really dated here except all my EHD vintage whimsy, which I still love, but it’s a younger version of me. That lamp is still pretty darn cute. The midcentury shelving unit is rad still, just needs to be styled with less stuff and with more grounding colors (i.e. less teal and yellow). So many plants shoved in this shot!!! I really think the culprit here is mostly just the accessories and the styling, both of which were obviously 100% on me. And in a lot of ways, that is refreshing because those are the things that are less of an investment and easier to change. I still really like this!!! It’s just a bit too much, too many small trends that inevitably read as 2013, and too much “stuff”. But those are almost all in the smaller pieces and would be so easy to tweak to make them work. It’s visually so fun and stimulating,g so while it seems like I’m tearing my own work apart, it’s actually really easy to see that with a few tweaks it could feel 2025 really easily. We kept with the same styles and colors in the dining room – that vintage dining set is still so rad, and Mid-century teak is having a big comeback right now, so do NOT sell your stuff, people. Besides me holding the plant hostage in that cage, I think most of this works, but maybe just too much altogether. The Brendan Ravennhill light fixture had just launched, and Max Wanger’s photography was so popular (they both pioneered a LOT of copycats). hi, bri! While I wouldn’t go back to 2013 Emily, I think this room actually has a lot of timelessness. The Lessons In Trends And Timelessness: You will not be able to avoid leaning into some trendy design elements if you are super into design (no one is immune to the zeitgeist), but if you want to avoid looking dated, buy the high quality version of it or just do it in accessories that aren’t as much of an investment to change out. I think the squiggle or amorphous shapes are great current examples – bring them in in limited amounts to avoid looking dated real fast. Bright colors will always be more likely to be “dated”, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid what we love right now. Will they call 2022 the year of dark moody green everything? Yep! But I don’t know how you avoid any color trends without just being so boring. Will warm pinks, browns, and burgundies also be less exciting in 10 years? Probably, but again, there is no such thing as timeless colors, and for the most part, there is a way to make them still work with styling. A well-designed room with high-quality materials done in a balanced way will likely still be very pretty in 20 years. Sure, there are some navy blue tones that feel fresher than others, but for the most part, blues, greens, and neutrals are timeless (coming from someone who has and will always love blues and greens, so I’m very biased). Although if you live in Texas or Arizona it’s likely warmer tones that feel timeless there. It’s so nuanced, folks. Good luck! LOL. Too much stuff can really overwhelm a room (and in this case, make it feel dated). I think this can be blamed on youth, especially when we are younger and we can’t afford the more expensive design elements, but we love to shop, we are drawn to smaller things that we love, because it’s what we can buy. Nothing wrong with this, but just know that displaying it all, on every surface, especially when they are all super eclectic, can just look a bit cuckoo. I had to learn this lesson over and over and over. Authentic Vintage will always be in style – it’s just context, styling, and color combinations that can make the pieces look dated to the specific era that it “came back” in. For the most part, I think that this room could be tweaked so fast to make it feel “in” right now – the main “dated” culprits are in the accessorizing, which feels pretty harmless to me. Thoughts????

RIVER HOUSE REVEAL: My Brother’s Primary Bedroom – How We Added Color While Keeping The Calm

Y’all, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love designing a bedroom. Unlike a family room that has to act as a playroom, seating area, TV room with storage, etc, this room needs a singular function – sleep – (ahem), welcomes symmetry (less decisions!), and by nature of the space you don’t have a ton of options. This room was always meant to be calm, simple, white, and wood with huge windows (per the rest of the main spaces in the house) which lends itself easy to be designed. But the easy pitfall with more neutral rooms is that they can look boring (especially on the internet these days). So I needed to still honor the original intent (warm minimalism, focus on the views) while exerting some style and punch (new by-line?). And I LOVE how it turned out. But before you see it all decked out, let’s talk through the bones: The Bones – Flooring, Ceiling, Paint, Windows And Lighting The house was designed and laid out by Anne Usher, their architect. I love how she played with volume, light, the views, and didn’t just create a box. The triangular jut outs from the window seat are such a pretty architectural feature that you see immediately when you walk in. The wood flooring is Shell by Stuga, and the ceiling is also from Stuga, called Drift. If you are nervous about putting wood flooring on your walls or ceiling stay tuned for a blog post soon – we think if you do it right it looks AWESOME. The walls are the most perfect warm, but not too yellow white called Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams. It’s my new go-to white. Boy am I jealous that I had to learn my hard “not every white is equal” lesson in our house, but glad I did so that we chose the most perfect white here. The windows are by Marvin – white oak on the inside, black aluminum clad on the outside. The spotlights are from Rejuvenation and are so much prettier than recessed lighting (but less light, FYI so make sure you have other light sources). We also put in this fan which we still need to add an extender on (which came this week lol), so they’ll have that light source as well. It was a really simple space, as they all are when they are empty, and it was ready for some punch and style. Step on in… The Bed Wall Headboard | Bedframe | Rug | Nightstands | Lamp Base (vinage) | Pleated Shades | Sconces | Painting This room wasn’t as much of a challenge as other bedrooms I’ve done (layout wise), but the bed wall was more narrow and the room itself was more long, less square especially for a wider king bed. So when I started thinking about how to anchor this room, I wanted a bed/headboard that would be grounding enough to handle these high ceilings, to hold the wall with enough impact, add some color (but not in a super bold way), and frankly not look dinky and short but not be so big that you couldn’t fit proper nightstands. It was tight, TBH. So when I found this headboard from Article – wide, with channel tufting and the most beautiful green I designed the room around it. It could anchor the wall in a powerful way, and the right nightstands could tuck right inside. The headboard (and bed) from Article allowed us to casually float these rounded nightstands (which have storage – opens like a cabinet) and look good from all sides – which is important because if they are floating in front of the nightstand you’ll see the back as you walk in. This worked PERFECTLY and I love how the ribbing on the nightstands mimics the channel tufting on the bed (and the pleating on the lamps). We paired the headboard (that attaches to the wall with a big cleat) with the light oak platform bed from Article which is a move that I love to do – you don’t need a fully upholstered bed if the base contrasts enough and is pretty like this one. In fact, I’d argue that if you are on a budget get this headboard then use a basic base with a bed skirt – the headboard packs so much punch for the price. I love how the sconces flank the painting and take up more of the visual space above the bed, softening the shift between the horizontal headboard and vertical painting (plus they provide nice reading light). If you want a video tour the space HERE YA GO (just wait for the ad to play) The Most Beautiful Painting This painting by local Portland artist Charlie Salas Humera and is incredible. I was tipped off to his work last year (shout out to Purl!) and have been stalking him to see what I can buy for my house or convince my bro to buy. His use of color is incredible. When this came up on his stories I begged my brother and SIL to go see it in person – I knew I loved it, but it was an investment as good art should be and I needed them to love it, too. They did and bought it (support local good artist if you have the budget!) and my goodness does it make this room, color-wise, totally sing. The Lamps And Sconces I bought these vintage lamps when Charlie was a baby off Etsy, one of my first vintage splurges ever (I think they were $300 each). They are from Sweden and I’ve loved them for so long, and had no intention of using them here. We actually ordered these from West Elm that are so similar but they didn’t arrive in time, so I pulled these lamps from storage, ordered the pleated lampshades which did arrive in time. And while I wouldn’t put the two blues typically together, both colors are in the painting so collectively I think it looks really curated and intentional. The second I placed the lamps Gretchen, Emily M. and I all gasped. It took the room next level. And while I wouldn’t sell these lamps to just anybody (I have a strange sentimental attachment to them as I remember the exact time, place and mood I was in when I ordered them and it was a very, very special time in our lives) having them at my brother’s house felt emotionally doable for me, LOL. I can still visit them! Creepy! The Rug – The Remy Rug In Green The rug is our new Remy rug, in green from our new Rugs USA collection that just launched last week and we LOVE this rug. It’s so soft, has texture variation, and a really beautiful rich color that is really forgiving. It’s wool, durable, and the graphic staggered rectangles are totally transitional – they can live in both modern/contemporary houses like this but is so simple that it can easily be in a more traditional home as well. The View This room has the most incredible views of the river and trees (which is why Anne faced the bed that way). The huge wood windows anchor the opposite wall and create the focal point of the room. We hired Decorview for motorized shades (hard-wired, during the construction process) and we chose a color that integrated well with the wood and is just warm and soft. The shades are room darkening (“blackout” but there is always a tiny light leak in the center) and you can even do top down/bottom up, meaning if you want privacy up to your chest you can control them to go from the bottom up to any point, allowing light to come in from the top. The Window Seat There are a hilarious amount of window seats in this house, all full of storage and done in a rift-sawn white oak. This one, if head by the sconce has the most beautiful views of the river and is where my bro claims he will be napping. We made them deep enough (30″) to be ample for napping (and in the kids’ rooms they can have friends sleep on them for sleepovers). I found the most incredible fabric at our local upholsterer (shout out to Alexander Matthews in Tigard). The fabric is from Pollack and is called Boxing Day. I love how the pattern (that is a soft, textured cut velvet) integrates so easily with the wood and yet still adds some pattern and punch. We could have done a solid over here but with the solid rug and headboard I really wanted to bring in a pattern somewhere and this is perfect. Opposite the bed, we have the most cozy and big chair and ottoman, the Abisko from Article. This corner needed a big guy (and yes, we thought about putting it facing the view, but ultimately they wanted it to face the TV which worked better for me, too) and the scale of this chair and its low profile is perfect. It also comes in a few other awesome colors. The chair is firm and so comfortable (not a sinking-in chair, but very ergonomic and easy to snuggle in (with a child) with a really generous ottoman. The side table is so graphic and cool (and functional and heavy). The lamp has a great tripod base and mixed finishes – both wood, black, and of course a fabric shade. The painting I bought at Urbanite by an artist unknown (if you know let me know!). Vase and pillow from Anthropologie, marble dish from Target, and throw from Article. The bedding is a mix of a bunch of brands we shopped from. Upon my advisement, Katie bought the sheets/pillowcases and duvet in ‘bone’ from Parachute which is a really warm neutral (their heathered percale is so buttery and my current favorite). For styling, we added the Garnet Hill green linen duvet, a Parachute blue quilt, a linen throw from Garnet Hill, velvet pillows from West Elm, and custom bolsters (that were originally made for their daughter’s window seat but look sooo good here). The whole bed looked so layered and cozy (and while I wanted a bench at the end of the bed, walking around another piece of furniture to get to the bathroom made less sense. As you can see up there, the bathroom is on the left with a pocket door (it’s so pretty, I can’t WAIT to show you – hopefully soon). We installed a Frame TV on an arm so they can watch TV in bed (this was a whole thing but a pretty good solution). I want to now go back and shoot a reel coming out and showing how it works. They had to put a huge cavity in the wall to house the arm, FYI. The whole room turned out so bright and cohesive, but simple and warm. I love it so much. No unnecessary clutter or opportunity for clutter. They are lucky enough to have a walk-in closet (behind the headboard wall, coming soon) storage drawers in the bench, and an additional reach-in closet so this room didn’t need a dresser and hopefully won’t have a lot of clothes mess. It’s ready for a cozy Saturday morning and simple relaxation. A huge thanks to Article who has been a partner of mine for years because I love and trust their quality and design. If you know me IRL you’ll hear me recommend them to anyone who wants high quality, without spending a ton and most things can come within weeks. I have found all of their upholstered pieces to be very comfortable and they have even added a ton more fabrics to choose from should you want custom colors on their sofas and chairs. I really appreciate how they are doing things in a very simple and thoughtful way, expanding their lines slowly, making sure that everything meets their standards and their customer service is excellent.

The Mid-Year Kitchen Trend Report: Butter Yellow, Red Marble + 8 More Ideas For Your Next Reno (Or Dream Pin Board)

Our biggest post of the year around here is undoubtedly our kitchen trends exploration in January. You and the internet at large just love to see what’s new in these utilitarian-cum-showpiece spaces in our homes. So we decided to do a mid-year check-in to see what else might have materialized in our research since then, and wow, am I smitten. I think you will be, too. Let’s deep dive. #1: Double Bullnose Counter Edges I have to be honest. I’m not 100% certain that this countertop edge finish is even called a “double bull nose,” but that’s what I started calling it when I first saw it (some Google searches confirmed at least some people also call it this). Then, like learning a new word and hearing it constantly after, I’ve been seeing this absolutely nonstop ever since. It is far and away the most prevalent “trend” I’ve found in the kitchen space (as well as the bathroom) this year and as much as I mentally retreat from a concept the more I see it, I really love this detail. It feels somehow classic and modern at the same time. You can see a close-up here by Decus Interiors. Prepare yourself because this space by Anne Mcdonald Design for Isla Porter will make another appearance in this post (keep reading), but for now, it’s here to showcase the DBN (double bull nose) edge finish fully. I think this technique works particularly well on a heavily veined stone because it creates a bit more depth in the inset middle line. At full scale (meaning, seeing a kitchen, pulled back), it’s subtle but powerful. We shared Sarah Sherman Samuel’s delicious kitchen for Semihandmade in our January kitchen trends post for different reasons, but it’s such a glorious space that we had to keep breaking it down to the details, including its use of the DBN counter edge. Though I know I *just* said I prefer this treatment on a heavily veined natural stone, there is nothing wrong with it on a more subtle stone, either (it’s just a preference!). Our trendy gal, the DBN, looks wonderful here in this kitchen by House Nine Design. #2: Red Marble This one is bold, and not for the design meek, but wow, does it make an impact. Red, pink, and burgundy marbles have been slowly edging their way into our kitchen design vernacular, and I believe it’s broken out of the fringes to be more widely accepted. Red marble comes in maybe different types, just like other marbles, and some names you may want to acquaint yourself with if you’re dreaming of adding this to a future renovation are as follows: Rosso Collemandina, Rosso Levanto, Rosso Verona, Rosso Arabescato Orobico, Rosso Peperino, Rojo Alicante…and many more (note that some of the “rosso” labeling could also be “rojo” or simply “red” depending on origin and how the store is selling it). I’ve never typed “rosso” more in my life, but it’s a good idea to study all the different kinds to learn which shades and veining types are right for you. The one here in this beautiful kitchen by Susannah Holmberg Studios appears to be Rojo Bilbao marble, though it’s hard to tell as the image is dark. One comment on the post mentions it’s an Alicante, but that didn’t look right to me. Either way, it’s a beautiful stone color to use as an accent or throughout. Some red marbles have a white base and red veining, such as this surface in a kitchen by new-on-the-scene custom cabinetry company Isla Porter. This one is likely either a Calacatta Viola or Calacatta Borgogna, though I’m sure someone with expertise in natural stone could tell you more accurately if you were interested in it for your own home. This stone in a kitchen by Abhishek Dekate is similar in coloring but far more dramatic. It’s stunning with a dark-toned wood cabinetry and darker bronze accents. A thick edge lip on the counter helps show it off even more. And because it would be hard to find a tile that could compete with this, if budget allows, it simply must be brought up on the wall, too. No, this isn’t red, but it’s in the family, so I’m allowing it. How gorgeous is this pink stone (a Breccia Pernice marble), which is quieter and would be great with more of a linen or taupe cabinetry, similar to how it’s shown here in a post by the stone gallery, Starel Stones. Here’s a Rosso Rubino marble from another stone purveyor, SSC Countertops out of Vancouver, BC. Their post mentions it’s resistant to scratches and heat, making it a great material choice for countertops and even flooring. I’ve been in love with this kitchen by Workstead for nearly two years, having bookmarked it numerous times (basically, every time I see it), on all my inspiration hoarding platforms. It’s where I first saw a red stone and thought OMG I HAVE TO HAVE THIS ONE DAY. This is a warmer, brighter red than some of the burgundies and pinks shown above, but it really comes to life with the matching persimmon cabinetry. I’ll never tire of seeing this one. #3: Dark Wood Cabinetry & Paneling White oak and similar blonde woods (as well as white or painted cabinetry) have reigned supreme for well over a decade, but dark wood tones have slowly made a comeback. First in furniture, now abundantly in our kitchens. Unlike the vibrant red-toned cherry cabinets we all held on a Tuscan-inspired pedestal in the early 2000s, this dark brown wood is rich but neutral. You’ll find it both in traditional styles as well as more contemporary profiles, such as in this kitchen by Decus Interiors. Another one above by Decus Interiors, but I wanted to show it because of the lighter floors they paired with the dark cabinets. I think these would also work well with a creamy-hued stone floor, such as limestone, or even something like slate if you get enough natural light (otherwise, it may feel cave-like). Unnecessary Projects paired their warm wood cabinetry with a black stone, but kept it from getting too heavy with a blonde herringbone floor. (Note the wood handles and pulls in the same stain as the cabinets…beautiful.) I always enjoy seeing the work of Norm Architects—possibly because it’s the complete opposite of how I envision my future dream home—including the quiet, simple luxury of the kitchen here by Danish cabinet makers Kolon. I can’t imagine making any kind of mess in here, let alone leaving a rogue crumb, but the tidiness and warmth of the materials is a nice vacation for my mind. #4: Paneling > Tile We can thank the rise in popularity of the English kitchen with the onslaught of paneling use, where tile was king. I love a good tile moment (like LOVE), but you have to admit shiplap, tongue and groove, and beadboard sure do up the ante on the charm factor in a kitchen. To keep it more “now,” opt for a modern tone like the earthy brown in the kitchen above by The Misfit House. Jean Stoffer is American cabinet royalty IMHO, and she and her team love leaning into the use of paneling in a kitchen to achieve that pie-cooling-on-the-window-sill vibe (but make it elevated). Here, the wood is used throughout all walls and the ceiling, though you’ll often see it just along one or two walls where you might otherwise see tile. Beadboard painted in the same color as your cabinetry can be much more affordable than solid slab marble (not to mention lighter without needing as much reinforcement for an added shelf). In a saturated burgundy like the vignette here by Uns Hobbs Interiors, the look is classic but forward-thinking. Interior designer and content creator Lauren Costello revamped her 1930s Cape Cod kitchen for just over $1,000 (with no demo), including the MDF she used to cover her existing wall tile that no longer suited her aesthetic. #5: Custom Edge Shapes On Slab Backsplashes Slab stone has been popular as a backsplash material for a while now (it gives a kitchen a clean, luxurious vibe), but the new iteration of this is custom edge shapes. Here is one example—by Theresa Ory Interiors—I’ve been seeing more often, with an arabesque-style design around the range up into the hood. It’s lovely. I cannot stop looking at this photo (the home was designed by Anna Knight Interiors). The sinuous, tapered shape up from the countertops around the windows is subtle but striking. I warned you I’d be showing you Anne McDonald’s kitchen for Isla Porter again, this time to call out the gorgeous marble detailing around the windows. It would be stunning in just a straight angled cut, but it’s so much more romantic this way, dontcha think? Gotta love a good ol’ scallop detailing. Thank you, Intimiate Living Interiors, for the beautiful inspiration. As all the examples I’ve shown of this trend have been fairly classic and traditional, I wanted to pull something more modern to show that custom edging details on a wall slab can work in a contemporary setting, too. I’m particularly smitten with the delicate nosing trim here by Caroline Andreoni. #6: Butter Yellow Butter yellow has had a chokehold on cabinetry in the last year, and I am Here*For*It. It’s such a wonderful departure from all the white, cream, and green we’ve seen so much of over the past five or so years. Sherwood Kypreos used Farrow & Ball Matchstick here, which works beautifully with the red on the island and the teal floor tile for a buffet of color that still somehow feels subdued. We first explored this beautiful kitchen by Sarah Sherman Samuel for her new paintable line for Semihandmade when we were discussing the double bull nose edge, but it’s such a perfect creamy, hand-churned butter color, it also had to go down here. It picks up the warm golden tones of the marble beautifully, and is in harmony with the stone floor. Butter yellow seems to be primed for use with an accent color elsewhere on the cabinetry, like the grassy green on the island here in a space by Plain English. This hue has a way of looking like it’s been there forever, marinating in the sun, yet still feels really refreshing in terms of cabinetry colors we haven’t seen much of prior. Just when you thought whipped butter yellow was just for traditional kitchens, in comes this modern, cool and edgy room by Sarah Chirazi. Peep the handles shaped like corn and leeks (and even the pedestal table that, according to the caption, is adorned in bronze figs, peppers, and whatever a “gombo” is. And since it wouldn’t be a kitchen roundup without something from deVol, here’s a peep into one of their kitchen designs (slide 1) featuring the color du jour. #7: Bold Cabinet Interior Colors File this one under Fun & Flirty. I love the idea of a peek-a-boo bold color inside a cabinet or drawer. It’s likely most impactful in one or two areas, say, in an appliance garage or a coffee bar. The electric blue in this kitchen by Himlekök is a perfect complement to the terracotta cabinetry. Scroll to the second slide to see the gorgeous interior of this already gorgeous pistachio-tinted modern kitchen by Murray Barker. The orange interior is a callback to the earthy clay stone on the countertops and backsplash, but with a bit more punch. This is the first time I’ve heard of Pluck out of London, but I had so much fun scrolling through their colorful account, particularly to see all their enthusiastically hued larders (a.k.a. a large cupboard with pantry-type storage). The persimmon interior of this chocolate brown Plain English cupboard sure does bring the dark, neutral outer shell to life. Imagine the surprise of opening that door and being met with an unexpected shade like that. Fun! And just one more by Plain English, which clearly uses this interior paint pop often in their designs. (Scroll to see the second slide.) #8: Sculleries I first encountered the term scullery when I saw the space Lauren Lothrop Caron of Studio Laloc designed in her own home. (Perhaps I was late to the party, but better late than never!). Since then, I’ve seen these prep kitchens explode in popularity, which seem to have reached a fever pitch recently. For anyone not familiar with the term, a scullery was essentially a kitchen behind the main kitchen used to prep food and wash dirty dishes. There were maids who specifically tended to that space. Most of us wash our own dishes now, but more and more homes have been converting pantries, powder bathrooms, and even back patio spaces (like Caron did), to create the utility space. The one above is technically not a scullery but rather a “flower room” from the Pasadena Showcase House, but functionally speaking, it’s essentially a (beautiful) scullery. Even with its compact size, I’m sure most of us would gladly take this sweet scullery (by Winter McDermott Design) as our main kitchen. The rooms typically have a prep sink, plenty of counter space, and storage for food and large appliances. Anna King & Co. converted a powder bathroom into this light and airy scullery. It may be just wide enough for a single person to work in, but it does the trick. I started this section talking about Studio Laloc’s scullery, and here it is. Compact but functional, it seems to function as an “everything” utility room that just so happens to be so stinkin’ charming. #9: Warm Scandinavian Modern Cabinetry So far, we’ve seen a lot of traditional kitchens, heavy on the English design, but there’s another region making some (quiet luxury) noise in the space. Modern Scandinavian kitchens, particularly with this type of hardware-less drawer and door design seen above by Norm Architects, are everywhere right now. I think they’re an answer to the desire for something clean and contemporary that doesn’t feel sterile and unwelcoming. Of course, Scandinavian design has been synonymous with light, blonde oaks like the wood used in the above kitchen by Nordiska Kök. The drama from the marble veining somehow grounds the modern design. Here is a similar look in a more medium-toned warm wood by A.S.Helsingö, a Finnish company that sells retrofit cabinet fronts for IKEA kitchens. This is another one by A.S.Helsingö but in a parchment color, melding two kitchen trends together in one space. #10: Eat-In Kitchens And finally, in the home stretch of all the beauty shared here today is the last trend: the eat-in kitchen. I grew up with an eat-in kitchen, where we ate all of our meals together as a family (the dining room had a formal table in it but was more a showpiece than an eating space). I’ve noticed an onslaught of kitchen rooms that skipped the coveted island in place of a large table and chairs that seem to have a life beyond the more quaint breakfast nook. It’s rustic, communal and functional, as the table can surely operate as a work and prep surface as well, especially with a marble top like in this kitchen by Parsnip Design. A clever 8-seater table takes pride of place in this compact gallery kitchen that might be short on space but long in style. This Madrid home was featured in Clever. Bigger isn’t always better (or possible), especially in compact Parisian apartments. This one, by Orsini Daventure via Architectural Digest, fits in a small but functional kitchen with plenty of dining space thanks to a comfy banquette. Having an eat-in kitchen is ideal for families who want to be close to each other while doing different things in a more closed-up floor plan. I can imagine my kid hanging out in that booth and table (this one is another by deVol), having a snack, coloring, doing homework (eventually) while someone else cooked. Does an island also accomplish this? Sure, but frankly, I do not like sitting and eating at an island. The best of both worlds here: An island and an eat-in kitchen, by Nordiska Kök. — So much to digest there, I know, but so much good! As I mentioned here and basically every article I’ve ever written, I don’t love a trend for trend’s sake, but I do love seeing beautiful ideas take foot and become more accessible to all of us. Drop your thoughts or any observations in the comments below and let’s chat about it! Until the next time…

My Brother’s Beautiful Guest Bedroom – A Warm and Modern Retreat

Iwouldn’t exactly say Ken asked for a pink and dare I say purple guest bedroom but here we are (and we all really love it). But the thing is, bedrooms are my favorite, and guest rooms (and kids’ rooms) are my most favorites – you can lean into an idea, a theme, or a style without as many functional constraints (like living rooms or even “storage” stuff with everyday used grownup bedrooms). It’s a luxury for sure, and one that we had so much fun designing – AND IT WAS SO EASY!! We pitched this to AllModern, and almost everything in the room is from them. They hand-vet their designs for quality and pretty much everything was delivered fast + free. See? Easy. So let’s take a tour :) We started by choosing the perfect bed – we needed a bed that would be low, i.e. a platform that didn’t have a high headboard blocking the window. I loved that the Liza Upholstered Bed from AllModern not only checked that box, but the shape of the headboard complements the more rigid squared-off window and is a softer transition in front of that big square. The fabric is a really warm light caramel that works as a neutral (that I think could go with so many color palettes). It also comes in a few neutral boucle fabrics as well. And BTW the bed was super easy to put together, FYI – just clips into place. The rest of the room came together in textures and tones with a few bolder patterns. The blackout curtains are so excellent – They are 100″ wide and 108″ long which fit this room almost perfectly (there is a bit of a puddle behind the bed) and the width of them made it so easy to cover the huge window. Shout out to our Rowena rug, which we chose because it gave a nice graphic, but simple pattern and a bit of lightness and balance to the room. The nightstands are simple, but we chose them for the mixed material (marble and walnut) and we liked the depth of the wood tone (versus just choosing white oak). I felt that this room could handle deeper, warmer tones since it got the least amount of natural light and was tucked away in the house. The nightstands are super heavy and solid, FYI – if you are into high-quality furniture (and need two people to move them) just know we are so impressed with these. The lamps are also really heavy (cement) and brought a pretty texture to the room, as well as a graphic shape of the lamp. It’s likely time to talk about the paint color which I didn’t realize I’ve used before!! It’s called Cocoa Berry by Sherwin-Williams and I just LOVE it because I randomly chose it twice (our powder bath too). It’s a really warm dark mauve that can definitely lean towards “purple”, although we try not to use that word because people have FEELINGS about purple, but this color is just gorgeous. The incredible painting is by MaryAnn Puls – they bought it from the OG Portland project years ago. It works so well in the family room downstairs, but once we brought it up here I knew we had to hang it. All the bedding and pillows are from AllModern (I also love that brown-toned pillow from the Chris Loves Julia collection on Wayfair). The room really came together so quickly – we chose the paint color last, which is not how everyone’s process works, but in my mind it’s the easiest way to do it. Choose the furniture or conversation pieces first (like the bed, rug, and art) because there are more color limitations on those things, and then make the paint color work with those (not the other way around). The architect, Anne Usher, designed all of the bedrooms to have bench niches in them so we added this beautiful Pollack fabric for the bench cushion – the deep blue felt like a really pretty complement to all the warmer pinks (and we used the green colorway in the dining room so its a call back to that). I truly LOVE how this bedroom turned out so much – the colors, tones, textures and the overall vibe really hit a 10/10 of cozy. And yet it’s so livable, comfortable, and inviting. It’s an absolute retreat of a room, and perhaps we’ll be crashing here after many a summer BBQ gone rogue :) A huge thanks to AllModern for partnering on this room and making it all so easy with excellent modern furniture and decor that mixes so well together. AllModern keeps things simple with hand-vetted modern collections. Their designs are made for real life (which I can attest to!) and are made to stand the test of time.