You Said It: 'Make It Easy on Yourself' and More Houzz Quotables

Each week I try to keep up with all of the new featured ideabooks on Houzz, and often I find myself nodding in agreement, smiling, learning about new concepts and even learning new words. Also, I find myself bookmarking those I know I'll go back to in the future, when I finally get around to remodeling or tackling a project. Each week I collect some of my favorite nuggets — great quotes, good ideas, solid advice and lines that make me laugh. Here they are, along with links to the full stories they came from.

"What’s funk? It’s those rough edges that challenge your expectations and give a composition soul. It’s what separates Pat Metheny from Pat Boone, Langston Hughes from Hallmark." — Fred Albert

Albert thought he was done furnishing his home after placing all the new furniture and hanging window treatments and art, but it was missing those one-of-a-kind pieces with age and history.

Full story: Bring in da Funk: How Humble Touches Give a Home Soul


"Make it easy on yourself! For most gatherings, simple appetizers and snacks should suffice. Take an extra moment to remove packaging and put dips and snacks into bowls, and toast up wedges of pita bread or slices of baguette — small details make all the difference." — Laura Gaskill

Gaskill's story about how to host game night is full of great tips, but this one resonated most with me. My friend Lucas calls me "the reluctant hostess," because I think I need to prepare some sort of Top Chef–winning dish to have people over. She reminded me that all it takes is a trip to Trader Joe's and some cute serving pieces to keep guests well fed and happy.

Full story: Simple Pleasures: Game Night Done Right


New York Shelf and Clothes Rack - $79 "Check yourself at checkout." — Jennifer Phelps

Phelps is referring to reexamining buying habits — wardrobe impulse buys in particular. While her ideabook is specific to keeping closets clutter free, it's a good rule to follow for every aspect of life. Whether you're picking up those pants that make your butt look big but they are "a bargain," gifts you'll never wind up giving or stuff at the grocery store you know will rot before you can even think about completing that complicated Martha recipe, develop the habit of pausing and thinking twice about purchases before you pull out your wallet.

Full story: 7 Habits to Help a Tidy Closet Stay That Way


"The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be done, right? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way if you haven’t done some essential planning up front." — Anne Higuera

Higuera's story is a must-read for anyone getting ready to dive into a home remodeling project. Even if your plans are in the far-off future, bookmark it now.

Full story: 6 Steps to Planning a Successful Building Project


"You don’t have to stand for the one-size-fits-all mentality. I spoke with numerous designers who are bucking the norm to offer clients custom features that won't hurt (and might actually help) resale value." — Tiffani Carboni

Sometimes I think we watch so many home design TV shows that focus on staging and resale that we design for some fictional future owners instead of ourselves. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to design. Unless you'll be moving within months, design for the way you and your family live.

Full story: The Kitchen Counter Goes to New Heights


"Scientists don't completely understand why this type of design — known as biophilic — calms us, although research clearly indicates that it does." –– Sally Augustin

I love learning a new word! "Biophilic" — never heard of it. Now I have, and it's fascinating. If you've never heard of it either, learn all about it in Augustin's story.

Full story: Designing for Pleasure: Savor Your Natural Surroundings


"'Despite its clever design,' Kolmakov acknowledges, 'it's seemingly impossible to fill up and keep warm.'" — Lauren Bryan Knight

Kolmakov was referring to a large bathtub in her home. This is one of those big bummers people don't think about when purchasing a deep soaking bathtub: The water heating system needs to be able to provide enough hot water to fill the tub. Good friends of mine never use their luxurious new bathtub for the same reason. They've even considered filling up a boiling pot of water to try and make up for their water heater's shortcomings, and dream of installing a tankless water heater someday. Be sure to investigate your hot-water heater's capacity before choosing a tub. Also ask yourself if filling such a big bathtub is worth the amount of energy expended.

Full story: My Houzz: Love Abounds in a Small London Flat


"Don't let your quarter-inch-scale floor plan have the final word." –– Becky Dietrich

Amen. What may not work on paper may work beautifully in the real room. You'll never know until you get in there and start moving furniture around. Also, I loved Dietrich's very personal introduction to her lesson, about how she and her husband gave each other a small chair as an anniversary gift.

Full story: Why Your Room Wants a Small Chair


"From what I have observed, guests sometimes are not sure where on the sofa the host(s) are going to sit, so they gravitate towards a chair. This absolves them from having to make a decision or a possible faux pas." –– Houzz user ruthmand

This astute observation appeared in the Comments section for Dietrich's ideabook (see previous). I'm still pondering it, but I think ruthmand is on to something — figuring out where to sit in some social situations creates the same stress level as a game of musical chairs. I also think snapping up that nice single chair is preferable to getting stuck in the middle of the sofa.

Full story: Why Your Room Wants a Small Chair


"How can you tell if someone doesn't watch TV? Don't worry, they'll tell you!" — Houzz user nastassia1031

This comment is so spot-on and funny, it made me spit out my coffee when I read it. Anti-TV crowd, I respect that you think TV is evil, but I want to hear about it as much as you want to hear me recap the last season of Vanderpump Rules.

Full story: New Strategies for Hiding the TV

URL: You Said It: 'Make It Easy on Yourself' and More Houzz Quotables http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21942.html