Reno Therapy: Electrical Upgrades with Leviton
Reno Therapy: Electrical Upgrades with Leviton

Throughout this renovation I've always maintained that I never wanted to sacrifice style for function, or vice versa. In order to truly improve our quality of life it had to be an equal balance and Leviton's products allowed me to achieve that.

In comparison to many of the other upgrades we made, these were minimal changes... minimal with maximum impact that makes every routines easier. It's always been said that good design is in the details, and taking the time to be intentional about these details paid off.

Read More
DesignAlbie Knowsreno therapy, renovation, leviton, sponsored post, lighting
Design Daydreaming: Getting Our Garage Organized
Design Daydreaming: Getting Our Garage Organized

While renovating the kitchen and doing other projects around the house, we leaned on the garage — A LOT — and in doing so, we realized that the garage had a lot of deficiencies. As a result, hubs and I unanimously agreed that we wouldn't take on any more projects — big or small -- before tackling the garage first. So I've been day dreaming...

Read More
DesignAlbie Knowsgarage, storage solutions, the container store, the hygge ranch
Reno Therapy: All About Our Formica Countertops
Reno Therapy: All About Our Formica Countertops

You guys have heard so much about my countertops, and yet I've never gotten a chance to actually tell you all about my countertops! All you know is that it took a while before I got them; and can I just say... totally worth the wait!

I've always been familiar with Formica, however, only for their laminate surfaces. While I was doing my research, Kim & Scott of @yellowbrickhome were revealing the kitchens of their 2 unit flat. Unit 2 featured supermatte black shakers cabinets from Semihandmade — yep... the same ones in our media room! — with a white countertop... a design that paralleled exactly what I had in mind for the hygge ranch.

Read More
DesignAlbie Knowsthe hygge ranch, kitchen, renovation, formica, sponsored post, reno therapy
Amazon Favorites: June 2021
Amazon Favorites: June 2021

Six months of Amazon shopping and this might be my fav haul yet. Last month I finally got around to shopping the final details for our kitchen — check out my kitchen essentials & accessories post — and a lot of that shopping happened on Amazon. I also took advantage of the season change to grab a few goodies for the warmer months.

Read More
ShoppingAlbie Knowsamazon, shopping, monthly amazon favs
Reno Therapy: Designing Our Semi Custom Cabinets with BOXI by Semihandmade
Reno Therapy: Designing Our Semi Custom Cabinets with BOXI by Semihandmade

A couple of months ago, over on the Emily Henderson Design Blog, I shared with you all the research and thought process on custom vs semi custom vs pre fab cabinets for the kitchen.

Having the opportunity to start from scratch, I took note of every deficiency we'd ever experienced in every kitchen, every feature we really liked, and all the big dreamy items we'd always wished we had... hence the wishlist.

Through a seamless design process with BOXI, I was able to create an intentionally designed kitchen, with symmetrical placement, tons of organization, and an aesthetic that speaks to both my design ethos & the home's preexisting charm.

Read More
DesignAlbie Knowsrenovation, Kitchen, the hygge ranch, reno therapy
Kitchen Essentials & Accessories from Amazon
Kitchen Essentials & Accessories from Amazon

At first I felt like I would have a lot to buy for the kitchen because I spotted a lot of eye candy when it came to different kitchen tools and decor. Truth is, once I took a step back and thought about what I needed versus what I have, there wasn't a ton of shopping that I "needed" to do... just things that I wanted... really really wanted lol.

Read More
Albie Knowskitchen, shopping, amazon
Reno Therapy: Where We Splurged & Saved To Complete Our Kitchen
Reno Therapy: Where We Splurged & Saved To Complete Our Kitchen

Deciding if to save or splurge is going to be a very personal decision because "save" and "splurge" are subjective. Looking back on our kitchen reno, we weighed different choices up against one another based on how they'd improve our quality of life, how they'd make us feel, and how (in the long run) they'd enhance our home.

Read More
DesignAlbie Knowsrenovation, kitchen, the hygge ranch, shopping, reno therapy
Shop With Me: All Black Kitchen Appliances
Shop With Me: All Black Kitchen Appliances

If you read my all black kitchen accessories shopping post, then you know I shopped a lot of black to complete the kitchen design. For the appliances I wanted to camouflage the appliances with the black cabinets and create a sleek continuity, where there'd be contrast with the white cabinets.

Read More
ShoppingAlbie Knowsshopping, kitchen color guide, kitchen, the home depot, build with ferguson, renovation, black
Amazon Prime Day vs. Target Deal Days: Here's What You Need To Know
Amazon Prime Day vs. Target Deal Days: Here's What You Need To Know

If you know even a little bit of my shopping habits then you already know two of my favorite go to retailers for all the things are Target and Amazon…and if you don’t know my fav retailers, you can go ahead and download my list of fav retailers here.

I like to think I share equal parts of my heart for Target and Amazon — I am a literal card carrying Target REDcard holder and have been an Amazon Prime member for more years than I can remember. So when I heard the news that Target was coming out with Target Deal Days, I was instantly excited — deeper discounts than their usual deals? SIGN. ME. UP!

These new deal days are in DIRECT competition with Amazon’s Prime Day, also July 15th and 16th.  Well played Target, well played.

While the word “competition” tends to denote something negative, I can’t think of anything better than this! So being the self-appointed shopping connoisseur that I am, I’m gonna simplify this for you so that you can get the most bang for your browsing buck for those two days of deals.

Read More
Shopping, LifestyleAlbie Knowsamazon, target, prime day, summertime, summer sales, shopping
Reno Therapy: Lessons We've Learned As First Time Homeowners
Reno Therapy: Lessons We've Learned As First Time Homeowners

Now that I have finally been able to catch my breath after starting the kitchen renovation back in January, I finally have time to process everything... all the highs & lows, all the pivots, and all of the lessons.

As first time homeowners, this was our first major renovation. The laundry renovation was, what I now call, a starter renovation by comparison. We went into the kitchen renovation with our eyes wide open and still found ourselves blindsided by so many aspects of the kitchen renovation. For what it's worth, though, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason & there's always a lesson to be learned.

Read More
DesignAlbie Knowsrenovation, kitchen, home buying, reno therapy
6 Months Into Home Ownership
6 Months Into Home Ownership

6 months later — 6 months of being a whole homeowner — to say it’s changed me would be an understatement!

The past six months have been 180 days of designing, renovating, shopping, and, above all else, learning. The transition from renting to owning was one that I expected to be riddled with lessons but I think it would be apropos to say that the past 6 months has been “baptism by fire”… learning lessons I didn’t even know I needed and constantly on my toes & problem solving.

Read More
LifestyleAlbie Knowsthe hygge ranch, home buying
Shop With Me: Gardening 101
Shop With Me: Gardening 101

When we bought the house, we were blessed with a magnificent yard that was clearly loved. I shared all my outdoor design musings, which is all about furnishings & decor, but not the landscape. Since the first time I saw the yard, I knew I'd have my work cut out for me. Despite the anticipated work, I found myself excited to learn and to grow... pun intended. From being able to identify the plants in our yard to learning how to care for them, it's been a crash course in landscaping. The best part about learning something new — shopping!

Read More
ShoppingAlbie Knowsthe hygge ranch, shopping, gardening, outdoor
Self Care Essentials: Bra Shopping
Self Care Essentials: Bra Shopping

After a year of mostly wearing "house bras" -- yes, I wear bras at home -- I figured it was time for me to switch my shopping strategy and test out the bras & brands I'd been window shopping. With so many offerings in sizes and shades, I knew I could finds more than a few options for my girls at home and whenever I go out.

Read More
LifestyleAlbie Knowsthirdlove, harper wilde, savage fenty, amazon, self care, bra shopping
Amazon Favorites: May 2021
Amazon Favorites: May 2021

Another month down y’all and I have to admit that I am doing a lot less shopping than I anticipated. Don’t get me wrong — I’m still shopping! What I’m saying is I thought I’d be doing a lot more than I actually am…and it does still feel like a lot because there seem to be daily deliveries here at the hygge ranch but alas… May was def a lighter load than I thought it’d be.

Read More
ShoppingAlbie Knowsamazon, shopping, monthly amazon favs
The Container Store Brand Ambassador
The Container Store Brand Ambassador

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!

Read More
ShoppingAlbie Knowsorganization, the container store, brand ambassador
Amazon Favorites: April 2021
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.

Read More
ShoppingAlbie Knowsamazon, shopping, monthly amazon favs
Self Care Essentials: Waxing With The European Wax Center
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.

Read More
LifestyleAlbie KnowsEuropean wax center, self care, mental health