There’s no denying we’ve developed a soft spot for pink over the past few years—Millennial Pink and its many cousins have been everywhere. In this episode we unpack that pink trend, how it influenced choices for our beach house, and the dangers of letting trends dictate long-term design decisions. We also reveal the dramatic finish to our most-hated DIY project ever, explain kitchen features that can turn off buyers, share tips to make short trips easier, and point out a surprising source for extra-long curtains where you can buy fabric by the pound.

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio, or listen to it from your favorite podcast app. Use this page to browse the links, notes, and photos we mentioned. If you’re reading this in a feed reader, click through to see the full player and show notes.

What’s New

• If you want the full context on our ongoing lawn irrigation adventures, catch up with Episode #20 and Episode #21 where the project begins and continues. We summarize the highlights here and will publish a full how-to post soon.
• Below is a snapshot from the early stages of the project to give you an idea of how it started:

• If you liked Buffy’s recommendation for finding extra-long curtains, consider looking for stage or theatrical curtains as a budget-friendly option. We found a variety of lengths and materials—navy velvet, burlap, and long silver velvets—that can be customized for width and are much longer than standard retail panels.

What’s Not

• We cover five kitchen design trends that commonly repel buyers—many of which we’ve used ourselves—and explain how small changes can make a space feel more modern and marketable.
• One useful trick is to hang upper cabinets a bit higher and install a functional shelf underneath. That creates usable storage and visually lengthens the room rather than leaving inaccessible voids above cabinets. You can find several kitchen remodels that use this approach as inspiration.
• Design examples include homeowners who removed older cabinets, repositioned them higher, painted them, and added a shelf below for accessible storage. It’s a simple move that improves both form and function.

Listener Question

• We discuss “The Oregon Trail Generation,” a cultural idea that resonates with people born in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
• The photos above show a close-up of our beach house exterior and the ways we’ve integrated pink and soft peach tones into the design without letting a trend completely drive our choices.
• There’s a surprisingly wide range of peach and pink hues that get lumped under the “Millennial Pink” label. Some publications have even pushed back on the term, noting that it’s used too broadly for very different shades.
• Below are examples of how we’ve embraced pink over the years in small, intentional doses rather than committing to a single trend-driven color scheme:
  • Rugs chosen for a showhouse office and master bedroom
  • A painted ceiling in our daughter’s room that adds a soft, playful touch
  • Original paintings in our bedroom and foyer that introduce warm pink accents
  • Pillows in the living room that layer in subtle color
  • A dining room rug that brings cohesion and warmth

• If your phone is full of pink screenshots and photos like Sherry’s, she’s curated an Instagram account devoted to pink imagery called @pinchmeimpink where she shares and collects inspiring pink finds. Feel free to tag her if you spot something pink and lovely.

We’re Digging

• A mesh laundry bag is a great travel essential—ideal for keeping dirty clothes separate in your suitcase and easy to toss into a hotel washer or laundromat. Smaller, washer-ready bags in a set are also handy for delicates.
• For quick weekend trips, a small, durable weekender bag saves time and hassle. If you can’t find an exact match to one we’ve used, there are many similar options in a variety of styles and price points that will do the job well.

If you ever want to find something we’ve recommended in past episodes, we maintain a master list of all the items we’ve discussed so you can quickly locate show notes and links from previous shows.

Finally, a thanks to Delta for sponsoring this episode. We mention a few of their products in the episode, and we appreciate their support of our show.

Thanks for listening and for following along with our projects and design conversations—your feedback and questions keep the show lively and useful.

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