A lifetime of rearranging my spaces + helping other people with theirs taught me that no matter how beautifully designed a space, it's all for naught if not organization. The pretty facade will fade without organized systems in place. I wanted to create designs that my clients could sustain.

I don't do client work anymore but I apply those same principles to the content I create & the how I design my own home... which is also why The Container Store has long been one of my favorite shopping destinations for all things storage & organization for every nook & cranny of our home... and long before buying house.

Needless to say, when I got the email a few weeks ago that I'd been chosen for this year's class of brand ambassadors for The Container Store...I squealed!

ShoppingAlbie KnowsMay 26, 2021organization, the container store, brand ambassador

Amazon Favorites: April 2021

Last month I told you the coming months would involve a lot more shopping... and I meant it. Granted, a lot of April's purchases weren't just Amazon, and it wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Slowly but surely, I have been plotting my purchases in anticipation of the kitchen renovation ending, while other purchases have just been everyday homemaking/adulting/mom'ing things.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsMay 26, 2021amazon, shopping, monthly amazon favs

Self Care Essentials: Waxing With The European Wax Center

Giving myself standing appointments, in the same way that I would with my talk therapist, makes it just as much of a priority — tending to my physical self with the same urgency that I would to my mental self.

Becoming an EWC client is simply one of many baby steps I hope to take in the right direction, in addition to other lifestyle enhancements.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsMay 23, 2021European wax center, self care, mental health

Self Care Essentials: At Home Workout Must Haves

My workout regimen to build myself back up has been slow and steady — rebuild my stamina then my strength. Since I have no intention or desire to go to anyone's gym any time soon, I needed to scale my fitness goals and find ways to make it work at home.

Shopping, LifestyleAlbie KnowsMay 20, 2021fitness, shopping, work life balance, new year

Behind The Design: The Media Room... In Real Life

28 weeks ago, the media room was a theoretical design. Heck... 28 weeks ago I wasn't even a homeowner... so definitely not even thinking about a media room! I was invited to be part of the One Room Challenge's first ever partnership with High Point Market, and I created a virtual design that would be the catalyzing inspiration for our family's new media room.

Design Daydreaming: Bringing The Indoors Out

DesignAlbie KnowsMay 14, 2021outdoor, design therapy, shopping, the home depot, west elm, rejuvenation, the hygge ranch

Self Care Essentials: Audibles I'm Listening To In 2021

Having "survived" January, all things considered, I decided to make an Audible wishlist — literally & figuratively, and I'm kicking off my book tour with a nod to Black History Month.

I have always been impressed by the Audible library but even I was surprised at the very robust assortment of listens showcasing Black voices & the Black experience.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsMay 5, 2021audible, self care

Amazon Favorites: March 2021

ShoppingAlbie KnowsApril 23, 2021amazon, shopping, monthly amazon favs

A Guest Bedroom... Without Guests

DesignAlbie KnowsApril 14, 2021the hygge ranch, guest bedroom, the inside, ruggable, decorview, sherwin williams, bedroom, popcorn ceiling

The Hygge Ranch: 2021 Home Goals & Projects

LifestyleAlbie KnowsApril 8, 2021the hygge ranch, home buying, my home, vision board, home goals

Analysis: Marriage Or Mortgage

LifestyleAlbie KnowsApril 1, 2021marriage or mortgage, Netflix

Around The House: Decorating With Acrylic

ShoppingAlbie KnowsMarch 25, 2021shopping, acrylic

The Hygge Ranch: Our Kitchen Organization With iDesign & The Container Store

It's no secret that organization is my jam, so when thinking about the kitchen renovation, how it would be organized has always been top of mind — from the design layout to the cabinetry options. But that's only one piece of the puzzle — the perimeter edges of the puzzle — but while the kitchen has been in a holding pattern, awaiting the countertops, I've been working on the middle pieces of my storage puzzle.

What's a dream kitchen without dream storage solutions?

It's no secret — and should come as no surprise — that The Container Store is my go to destination when it comes to storage, even if it's just to window shop. Switching out all the cabinetry, adding brand new cabinetry, and upgrading the existing pantry system meant a chance to optimizing our existing storage while also getting to bring in new products and solutions.

We going shopping y'all!

DesignAlbie KnowsMarch 23, 2021sponsored post, the container store, kitchen, the hygge ranch, renovation, idesign, pantry

Amazon Favorites: February 2021

ShoppingAlbie KnowsMarch 20, 2021amazon, shopping, monthly amazon favs

Behind The Design: Our Laundry Room Reveal

Did you know that my plan for the laundry room was heavily inspired by what we'd originally planned to be the media room? It leads to the laundry room & was originally designed to be a lot of black on black, so I wanted to lighten it up a bit in the laundry room, while still carrying the darker hues into the space. But my do things change!

Kitchen Accessories Shopping Guide: All Black Everything

In case you missed it, my cabinets are a combination of matte white and matte black cabinets by BOXI from the creators of Semihandmade.

Inspired the matte finish of our new cabinets, I was drawn to accents with the same smooth, non gloss look — like my dinnerware from the holidays — for utilitarian and decorative items for the kitchen.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsFebruary 28, 2021kitchen color guide, kitchen, color, shopping, black

Let There Be Light: Our Lighting Design Plan

Years ago I determined that lighting is the unsung hero of every design -- residential, commercial, doesn't even matter. Lighting is the jewelry of the room, from pendants to floor lamps to sconces and everything in between. Needless to say, when we bought our house, I knew we'd be upgrading all of he lighting to designs that were more "us".

DesignAlbie KnowsFebruary 25, 2021lighting, Hudson valley lighting, sponsored post, the hygge ranch

A Letter to Thirty Five Year Old Me

If nothing else, Albie, you can say you made it. But now what? If I know you — and I'd like to think I do — then you're probably thinking turning 35 is no big deal, but you're wrong. Did you know that in numerology the number 35 is a sign of "business, building, efficiency, realism, and balance"? I know this because I looked it up and now you know too — you're welcome very much. But here's something we both know... 35 broken down to 3 + 5... equals 8. There's a reason we gravitate towards the number 8. There's a reason we consider 20 to be our favorite number, but 8 to be our "lucky" number... a number of abundance.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsFebruary 19, 2021mompreneur, mental health