We’ve been living in our new house for a month now, and the experience has been a mix of the expected and the surprising. Some projects came together much more quickly than we imagined, while other parts of settling in unfolded in ways we hadn’t planned. In this update we share what’s been easier than expected, what took unexpected turns, and a few design stories we dove into — from the true origins of subway tile to why fiddle‑leaf figs aren’t just a passing trend. We also share a curtain‑rod trick one of us quietly tested for an entire year, and a few funny moments where Alexa misinterpreted commands.

What’s New

One pleasant surprise: furniture and décor flowed into place faster than we expected. A lot of pieces felt right immediately, and you can see how the downstairs kitchen area shaped up in last week’s update about that space. This week we plan a follow‑up that shows how the upstairs living room has come together so far.

Updates

• We’re still getting questions about our time zone. To clarify: we now live in the Central Time Zone. It’s easy to assume Florida is all Eastern Time, but the panhandle extends into Central. We even shared a map in a previous episode that explains the shift.
• There was a recent TV moment where hosts debated whether a question’s answer belonged to Florida or Virginia — a fun example of how geography can surprise people.

The Story Behind Some Popular Design Trends

We spent time exploring the history behind a few long‑lasting design trends: subway tile, fiddle‑leaf figs, and rattan. These elements keep showing up in homes because of a mix of practicality, nostalgic appeal, and cultural waves that keep bringing them back into style. We referenced a thoughtful longform piece that traces how certain trends persist and resurface, and dug into supplemental sources that provide deeper context for the fiddle‑leaf fig and the classic subway tile.

We also revisited an episode that had a big influence on our own plant habits. Hearing an expert’s tips on plant care is what convinced one of us to bring more real greenery into the home, and it truly marked a turning point toward becoming more confident plant parents.

We’re Digging

One small but effective update: removing ornate finials from our curtain rods instantly modernized the look. In photos the change is subtle, but in person it simplified and freshened the hardware. We showed what the rods looked like with the finials removed, and also what they looked like before — with small round finials attached.

For anyone refreshing their window treatments, we shared the curtain rods we bought for the new house along with a few other minimalist options in a range of finishes. Choosing low‑profile finials or swapping them out entirely can be an inexpensive way to update a room without replacing the whole rod.

Another small discovery we loved: a tiny mail‑order piñata filled with candy made a delightful gift for family members. It arrives assembled and ready to enjoy — a playful, unexpected present that was a big hit with both my mom and godmother.

If you’re trying to track down something we mentioned on a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to check, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve featured across episodes. We also keep a dedicated Book Club page listing every book we’ve recommended.

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