Steal the Room: The Girls' Kitchen (from The Golden Girls)

February 15, 2023 Julia Jorgenson

Sure, Nancy Myer’s kitchens are enviable, but when I think of favorite kitchens in television and film, only one really, truly has my heart.

The Golden Girl’s kitchen. In all of its 80’s grandmother glory. Yeah, it has builder grade cabinets, laminate countertops, a wood-look fridge, white iron shelving, and a lobster pan that kind of sorta looks like… something else. I’m not the only one nostalgic for it, though. In New York, there’s even a Golden Girls themed pop up restaurant styled after it.

If you’re nostalgic for it too, here’s how to get the look at home (with a little 2020s updating).

WALLS, CABINETS & FLOOR

I’m not the biggest fan of tan walls, but I have to admit that they help make this Miami kitchen feel sunny and warm. I absolutely do love the subtle palm wallpaper on the walls, and I think this look could certainly be featured in a stylish kitchen in 2023. I think I found an extremely close match that is just stunning. I am going to upgrade the cabinets, and take them from this very red builder grade, to a similar, but softer and more modern look. Similarly, we’ll trade out the laminate counters for real butcher block counters.

Paint: Farrow & Ball: Oxford Stone

Wallpaper: Rainforest Leaves

Tile: Sullivan Peel & Stick

Cabinets: Cove CLJ Shaker Door (pairs with Ikea cabinets), Butcher Block Counters

FURNITURE & APPLIANCES

Oh, 80s. There’s so much nostalgia in this room, the bamboo-look patio set, the iron shelving, the wood-look fridge. It’s terrible and wonderful and we’re going to do our best to replicate it for a modern kitchen. That style of chair is actually still easy to find! The shelving will be slightly more modern. The table is always a mystery under the tablecloth. Wood-look fridges aren’t a thing anymore, but you can easily recreate the look with a cheap fridge (with a smooth finish!) and contact paper—same goes for a dishwasher, an appliance I don’t think The Girls had.

Fridge: Fisher and Paykel, Wood Look Contact Paper

Dining Set: Asante Linen Side Chair, Roman Cotton Chair, Jane Street Pedestal Table

Shelving: Chiasson Bookcase

Island: Rolling Kitchen Island

DECOR

There are really only three words you need if you want to decorate your kitchen like The Golden Girls: Copper. Bundt. Pans. Unfortunately, you know what is practically impossible to buy new? Copper. Bundt. Pans. The rest is easier at least: the plants and baskets on the shelves, the ceramic flour canisters, the Chinoiserie vase. There are so many goodies here! Also, if you’re not one for vintage scores but really want the look, collect some cheap aluminum cake pans and spray paint them copper. Just… don’t use them afterwards.

Bundt Pans: Harvest Bounty, Wilton Novelty Pans, Wreath Bundt Pan, Curved fish mold, Pineapple mold, lobster mold

Shelf Items: Chinoiserie Vase, Wicker Basket, Indoor Plants (Option 2), Cabbage Tureen, Large Copper Pot

Dinnerware: Light Blue Plates, Yellow Mug set

Countertop Items: Smeg Toaster, Copper Cannisters, Flour Cannister, Glass Jars

Table Cloths: Palm Beach Leaves, Tropical Banana Palm Life, Miami Vibes, Retro 80s Monstera, Pastel Palms

Hanging Food: Purple Onions

Wall Phone: Vintage Sangyn, Tablet Wall Mounts

Poster: Miami Ocean Drive Poster, Miami Art Deco Poster, Still Life (featured in show)

Cafe Curtains: Reade - Linen

We’ve left the 80s behind a bit with this updated tribute to the Golden Girls’ fabulous kitchen, but you can forget all of the rest too so long as you remember the most essential element of any kitchen that wants to claim to be like The Golden Girls: a cheesecake.

Thank you for being a friend,

Julia

Steal the Room: Sherlock's Study (from BBC's Sherlock)

February 8, 2023 Julia Jorgenson

Time for another edition of Steal the Room! We’re back in England, but with a whole new vibe. Sherlock’s study from BBC’s Sherlock was, for a time, iconic, airing back when those Keep Calm and Carry On posters were all of the rage and the world was about to enter full Anglophile mode with the 2011 wedding of Will and Kate, the 2012 Olympics, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

BBC’s Sherlock gained a lot of acclaim for taking the Victorian detective into the 21st century (those on-screen text messages were revolutionary), and I think this room won over viewers for the same reason. It’s a beautifully modern twist on an old English study and so gorgeously atmospheric.

Walls

Sherlock’s study is dark and moody, and it’s hard to truly get a handle on just how much is going on with these walls. For starters, there are two different dramatic wallpapers: a red and gold damask and a slightly more modern black floral pattern. The wallpapers are on opposite walls, with solid green walls in-between. The red damask wall has the most going on, with stripes of green wall and backless (built-in?) bookcases on either side of a central fireplace, pulling the room out of the Victorian age and helping it feel more modern.

Paint: Farrow & Ball Green Smoke

Wallpapers: Red Damask, Red and Gold Damask, Black and Silver Damask, Black and white (exact match)

Fireplace: Electric Fireplace

Furniture

Sherlock’s furniture does even more to take Sherlock out of the Victorian era, with a large selection of mid-century walnut furniture and leather seating, mixed with only a few older pieces: a couple of antique-look chairs, and an old trunk that holds a printer. The Sparknotes of a Sherlock study: dramatic Victorian walls with worn-in mid-century furniture will do the trick.

Leather Armchairs: Chesterfield, Modern, Modern 2

Sofa: Robertson Leather, Hoxton Leather

Bookcase: Bloomquist, Modway

Desk/Dining Table: Seb Dining Set

Chest: Nayla Vintage Trunk

Coffee Table: Waterfall Coffee Table

End Table: Laurel

Armchair: Red Upholstered Arm Chair

Decor

The decor in this room does a lot to tie the room together and create a vibrant, cohesive space. There is so much of Sherlock’s personality in the little touches and so many objects that grab your eye and interest. Every new corner has a detail that reveals the personality of its inhabitant.

In replicating it, I tried to represent all of these various aspects. There’s some Victorian Gothic (the scientific bat study, the vertebrae in a cloche), more mid-century modern (the orange lollypop lamp), modern modern (the blue skull painting), and finally the classic English Gentleman Detective touches (the leather-bound books, the magnifying glass).

Wall Art: Etched Mirror, Bat Scientific Drawing, Abstract Art, Art Light, Map of Britain, Skull Art (1) (2), Resin Bison Skull

Tabletop Decor: Resin Skull, Abstract Dark Sculpture, Magnifying Glass, Spine in Cloche, Chess Board

Lamp: Orange Globe, Table Lamp

Textiles: Sophia Burgundy Rug, Gold Velvet Curtains, Union Jack Pillow, Tartan Throw

Leather-bound Books: B&N Classics

Tea cups: UK map tea cup (used in show), Blue Scale, William Morris Tea Mugs

To complete the room—or if you don’t want to decorate like this at all but still want to vibe—light a candle, pour a cup of tea, and curl up with a good mystery.

Best,

Julia

Steal the Room: Max's Room (from Hocus Pocus)

January 30, 2023 Julia Jorgenson

Hear me out.

I know that Max’s room from Hocus Pocus isn’t going to be making any top ten list. It’s most notable feature, the lookout tower with views of Salem Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean, isn’t even one that you can attempt to replicate. Design wise, it’s not even a completed room. It’s been freshly moved-in to, with boxes still stuffed in corners.

But when I think of movie rooms, it’s one I keep coming back to, especially now that I’m the mother of a little boy.

For one, this room had the shiplap craze beat by about two decades, with its gorgeously preserved walls. For another, it has the wallpaper and paneling trend of the 2022s also beat with its gorgeous tall ship wall paper and chair (knee?) rail and paneled walls on the area that don’t feature shiplap.

It’s a gorgeously dressed room, that would be a showstopper in any house.

Except it’s not the showstopper in this house. It’s the teenage boy’s room. So these beautiful design details are mixed with these little design nightmares, like dartboards and kitchy bikini-girl lamps and a giant tie dye tapestry.

I love the contrast between beautiful New England nautical design and lived-in, colorful (tacky) teenage boy room. I think it makes the space less pristine, but all the more charming.

Although I am going to touch up a few details while stealing this room, I’m really inspired by this space that is both beautifully designed and prioritizes its inhabitant.

So let’s begin.

WALLS

Like I said up top, the walls in Max’s room are truly amazing. The slanted walls are painted a pretty periwinkle blue, while the walls on the bottom level are wallpapered with a gorgeous tall ship pattern with chair rail and paneling starting at around knee height. The walls around the staircase leading up to the lookout are shiplap. Every detail screams “historical New England oceanside home.”

Paint: Farrow & Ball: Lulworth Blue

Molding: Rail Trim

Ship Wallpaper: Hudson Bay Nautical

Shiplap: Wallpaper, Boards

FURNITURE

Max has pretty basic oak and pine furniture with clean lines. The most interesting detail in his furniture are the dark green drawers that repeat across a few items, like his dresser and nightstand. Using his furniture as inspiration, I tried to keep similar somewhat utilitarian silhouettes, in a mixture of warm wood tones and olive green colors. His room features what looks like classic Ikea Ivar shelving, which we’ll elevate slightly. Same with his 4-leg desk chair, which we’ll keep the style of, but elevate to a swivel chair.

Bed: Alexia Pine

Dresser: Hampshire Olive

Nightstand: Hampshire Olive

Desk: Minnie Desk

Shelving: Thelan Stackable Bookcase

Chair: Armless Office Chair, Leather Drum Stool

DECOR

Max’s decor, while being very textbook teenager-y (the drum set, the dartboard, the tie dye tapestry, the little basketball hoop on the door) still actually draws a lot from the nautical theme of the house. The floor lamp is a tripod style that I find really reminiscent of a telescope that you’d expect to find in a sea-side lookout tower. There are fish on the wall and on the bed (and in a tank!). Even the figural lamps on Max’s bedside reads nautical: a bikini clad woman with a sailor—reminding you both that Max is a teenage boy and that Salem is nearly as famous for whaling as it is for witches.

We won’t steal this decor so much as draw inspiration from it, as decor obviously dates much quicker than wall coverings and furniture pieces and can be a little harder to replicate overall. I’ll try to include the fun teenage boy elements while making them more hip to the 21st century and “designed,” for example: an emoji-esque peace sign tapestry instead of a tie dye one. Unfortunately, the vintage pinup lamp cannot be replicated, for that missing touch of camp, I hope a Big Mouth Billy Bass will do.

Lamps: Tripod Lamp, Figural (Lobster) Lamp, Illuminated Globe

Bedding: A Few Freshwater Fish Comforter, Green Wool Blanket

Door Decor: Mini Basketball Hoop, Stop Sign

Wall Art: Peace Sign Wall Hanging, Big Mouth Bass, Magnetic Dartboard, Woodstock Poster

Drums: Electric Drum Kit

Rug: Impasto Blue Rug

And there you are! That’s everything you’ll need for a nautical and game-filled teenage boy’s room. All you’d really need to finish it off is a ring of salt to protect from witches and ex-boyfriends. I honestly think this would be such a fun room and there’s a lot more to love here than I thought there’d be before I studied it. I hope you’re able to get some inspiration from it, too!

Best,

Julia

Steal the Room: Rosehill Cottage (from The Holiday)

January 24, 2023 Julia Jorgenson

It’s late January and I think it’s safe to say that most of us in the Northern hemisphere have been bundled up in our homes for the past few months. If you’re like me, you’ve also probably been dreaming of other, cozier places you could bundle up instead. If you’re really like me, you’ve probably wondered why your home couldn’t be more like this home: Rosehill Cottage, the (unfortunately not-real) cottage featured in The Holiday (2006), a quintessential Nancy Myers interior-design envy film.

So if you’re interested in stealing this room for a Rosehill Cottage of your own, here are some ideas and sources for making that dream a reality.

Walls

Rosehill Cottage’s walls are a warm off-white. It has an accent stone wall with a built-in wood fireplace. The walls and ceilings feature rough wooden beams in a medium tone. All of these features create an impeccably cozy, rustic interior. There’s no way to exactly replicate this vibe, but even in the most basic “blank white box” room, there are tons of things you can do to attempt it.

Paint: Farrow and Ball Blanc de Treillage

Ceiling: Faux Wood Beam

Stone: Sandstone Real Stone Veneer, Field Stone Wallpaper, Stucco Wallpaper, Sierra Sand Faux-Stone Panel

Fireplace: Electric Fireplace

Furniture

Rosehill Cottage’s sitting room consists of a collection of vintage country furniture, with an eclectic mix of patterns and textures: florals and stripes, velvet and rattan. The look is tied together by somewhat desaturated shades of blue and a red that often reads as yellow on screen. The warm colors blend into the yellow stone and walls, fading into the room, and the blue provides a calming contrast. There’s a deceptively large amount of furniture in the room, and I didn’t even include it all, but the basic elements are covered.

Sofa: Yellow Stripes, Beige striped settee, Rattan Daybed, Wood/Rattan Love Seat

Armchair (Floral): Grey Thistle, Blush Primrose, Summer Birds

Armchair (White): Fluffy, Chair and a half

Ottoman: Madison, Blue storage, Navy linen

Bookcase: 3-Shelf, Shaker

Side table: Off-white, Hultgren, Livesay

Drum Table: Bronze, Rose copper

Wood Console Table: Medium tone, light cherry

Metal pedestal table: 3 tier, tray top, sleek

Accent Cabinet: Windowed, Noblitt, tall farmhouse

Decor

The vibe of the Rosehill’s decor is shabby chic clutter. The collection focuses on a lot of white elements: plain ivory candles, white ceramic bowls and vases, large white mats on photos. This helps keep the room looking calm and appealing, despite how busy it is.

In my view, this is where the room fails a bit. These are items you’ll find in any basic home goods store and they lack any semblance of personality beyond “nice middle-class lady.” It’s all bland, basic and could use an extra edge of taste and that same “eclectic collection” vibe of the furniture. Where is the person who mixed a blue velvet ottoman and a striped rattan sofa here?

If I personally were to replicate this look, I feel like a few swaps (like maybe a ceramic cat lamp instead of a ceramic vase lamp) would help step up the look while having the same cozy English cottage vibe. I would also aim for less, so it didn’t look quite so much like I’d just bought out a HomeGoods.

Throw Pillows: Chinoiserie Vines, Laura Ashley Blue, Nantucket Red Stripe, Rifle Paper Strawberry Fields

Rug: Kamran Royal Blue Ruggable Rug, Anmie Oriental Dark Blue Area Rug

Wicker Basket: With Tassel, Simple

Lighting: Tall white lamp, Anderson Table Lamp, Regency gold buffet lamps, Wall sconce

Wicker Trays: Rattan serving basket, Rattan serving tray

Floral curtains: Floral Fuscias, Chintz Floral

Vases & Bowls: Ceramic Vase set, Ceramic bowls, Ceramic Bowl

Dried Florals and Fruit: Faux Pomanders, Cotton Stems, Faux potted rose, preserved boxwood topiary

Framed Art: Cotswold & Co.

Candles: Unscented pillar candles

Fireplace Brooms: Steel set

Stay cozy this winter.

Best,

Julia

A Little One's First Winter Library

November 21, 2022 Julia Jorgenson

The first holiday tradition my husband and I ever stumbled upon, then purposefully strode into, was buying a Christmas tree immediately after Thanksgiving dinner. I think it’s still our only real Capital “T” Tradition—eagerly jumping from one holiday, straight to the next.

American Thanksgiving is still a few days away, which is why it’s the perfect time for the winter edition of my “A Little One’s First Library” series.

Again, this list doesn’t include all of the classics, but focuses on simple stories & rhymes, colorful illustrations, interactive elements, and introducing concepts. It’s not a perfect winter library, just a good starter library for a baby’s first holiday season.

Winter Board & Picture Books

Christmas Board & Picture Books

Hanukkah Board & Picture Books

If you want some inspiration for decorating shelves, here are some options:

I hope you have an amazing week, whether you’re celebrating something or not!

Happy reading!

Best,

Julia