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Jessica Monroe

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You guys, I’m super excited to talk about one of my absolute favorite home exterior combinations today! White brick house with black trim have completely taken over my Pinterest boards lately. There’s something magical about that crisp white brick against bold black accents. It’s like the little black dress of home design! This classic contrast has been around forever, but it’s having a major moment right now, and I’m here for it. What makes this combo so special is how it instantly gives a home character and curb appeal without trying too hard. It’s clean, timeless, and honestly works with almost any architectural style. In this post, I’ll walk you through 25 gorgeous ways to style a white brick house with black trim. I’ve collected these ideas over years of working with clients, stalking my neighborhood, and yes, spending way too much time scrolling through home design accounts online. Let’s…

Talking about mental health used to feel so taboo. Now it seems like everyone’s sharing their therapy wins on Instagram. Progress, right? But when it comes to the serious stuff—like suicide prevention—we’re still struggling to have the real conversations that matter. I learned this firsthand when my cousin spent three days in an ER hallway because there wasn’t a single mental health bed available in our entire county. Three days. In a hallway. With fluorescent lights and zero privacy while experiencing the worst mental health crisis of his life. That experience changed how I look at our mental health system forever. Mental health beds might sound like just another boring healthcare term. But trust me, they’re literally lifesaving spaces that we desperately need more of. What is the role of mental health in suicide prevention? Mental health plays this huge role in suicide prevention that we just don’t talk about…

Ever walk into a room with the honest intention of finding your favorite socks, and instead you find a box of tangled Christmas lights, two phone chargers that don’t fit anything you own, and a stack of magazines from when people still said “hashtag” out loud? Yeah. That. Clutter has this sneaky way of building up when you’re not looking. It starts small. A receipt here. A pair of shoes there. Next thing you know, your hallway has turned into a sideways obstacle course. And then there’s hoarding — which is more than just mess. It’s deeper. Heavier. And honestly, a lot more emotional than most folks think. So why do we hold on to things we don’t need, don’t use, and sometimes don’t even remember owning? That’s exactly what we’re unpacking today. What is Hoarding? Now, there’s messy, and then there’s hoarding. Messy is when your junk drawer doesn’t…

Good morning everyone, my name is Jessica, and welcome to my blog about home design. I decided to teach myself about home design and architecture, and I’ve been fascinated ever since. I’ve learned everything I know from making mistakes, reading design magazines, talking to local contractors, and spending countless hours researching online. So I’m really excited about this post today. This is the first article in my Architectural Trends series. I plan to break down complex design concepts into simple, actionable ideas that anyone can understand and maybe even try in their own homes. Every week, I’ll share new insights about home design, so if that sounds interesting to you, please bookmark my blog or sign up for updates. Now let’s get into the seven best architectural trends that are transforming residential spaces right now. 7 Best Architectural Trends To Transform Residential Spaces These seven trends aren’t just for fancy…

Let me walk you through my journey with regular rubbish removal and how it completely changed my home life! Let’s start with a confession… My house used to be a disaster zone. Trash piled up in corners, junk mail mountains on every surface, and mysterious bags of “I’ll sort this later” stuff cluttering every room. Finding anything was like going on a treasure hunt with no map! Fast forward to now, and wow, what a difference! My home stays clean without those weekend panic cleanups. My stress levels have dropped dramatically. And I actually have free time to enjoy life instead of constantly battling mess. Let’s take a look at all the ways regular rubbish removal has saved my sanity… How Regular Rubbish Removal Saves You Time and Stress? This transformation didn’t happen overnight! It took developing some simple habits and creating systems that work for our busy household. I…

You know what nobody tells you when you’re dreaming about buying that perfect home? All the weird stuff that can go wrong with the title. Yeah, that boring legal document that says who actually owns the property. It turns out this little piece of paper can cause some giant headaches. If you’ve ever bought a house, you probably remember signing a mountain of papers without really understanding what most of them were for. One of those was about title insurance. At the time, you might have thought “Do I really need to pay for this?” Well, let me tell you a story that might change your mind. My friend Chris found his dream home last year. Great neighborhood, good schools, perfect kitchen for his cooking hobby. The inspection went fine, financing was approved, everything looked good to go. Then, two weeks before closing, boom. A title search revealed that the…

Y’all! I am excited to talk about home renovation today! If you’ve ever watched those home makeover shows and thought “I could do that!” only to start a project and find yourself drowning in decisions, timelines, and unexpected costs… then this post is absolutely for you! My husband and I have tackled three major house renovations in the past seven years, and let me tell you, we learned things the hard way. Our first bathroom redo took TWICE as long as planned because we didn’t know what we were doing. But now? We’ve got systems that work like magic! A shocking 85% of renovations go over budget or past deadline (or both!), according to a 2022 Houzz survey. But with good planning and smart strategies, you can be in that happy 15% who nail their projects on time and on budget. Let’s jump right into making your renovation dreams come…

I was chatting with my friend Kareena last weekend about her living room makeover project. She had gone all in on a modern minimalist look. White walls, white sofa, white coffee table, white rug… you get the picture. The room looked straight out of a magazine but felt about as cozy as a hospital waiting room. “I don’t get it,” she told me. “I followed all the trends, but my living room feels so flat and boring!” That got me thinking about how many of us fall into this trap. We go crazy for matching everything, then wonder why our spaces feel lifeless. The secret ingredient Emma was missing? Contrast and balance! Let’s start with a good visual… Picture two living rooms, one where everything is the same color and texture, and another where soft fabrics play against rough woods, where light colors pop against dark ones. Which one catches…

If you have you been struggling with limited space in your rooom but still want a comfortable place, then Murphy beds might be exactly what you need to transform your space. When not being used, these clever beds fold right up against the wall, giving you back that precious floor space while maintaining a stylish home. I’ve been designing homes for over 15 years, and I can tell you one thing with 100% assurity, that space is always at a premium. About 82% of my clients mention space constraints as their number one concern. Murphy beds solve this problem beautifully by wearing multiple hats in your home. Let’s look at 10 amazing ways you can use a Murphy bed in practically any room of your house. Also read: Essential Home Updates to Make Right After You Move In 10 Ways to Use a Multi-Purpose Murphy Bed in Any Room The…

Target, a perfect place where you can find amazing discounts on products, and more amazing are their gift cards. They are one of those things that people love to keep a stash of in their homes. They are easy to use and also a great gifting option for those people who love shopping. But there’s this one question that’s lingering around in my mind whenever I get these Target gift cards, “do Target gift cards expire?” Because the amount of cards I have gifted to people and the stash I have in my home, I don’t want them to go to waste. But after looking online and doing a quick search I realised that these cards don’t really expire, even after a year, which means they can be used indefinitely. Even if you see an expiration date printed on the physical card, there will be no fee associated with them.…