Emily Henderson of Secrets from a Stylist: 5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy
An Interview with Candice Georgiadis
Bring The Inside Out: There’s nothing I love more this fall than utilizing outdoor space. And while there are a ton of disposable party items out there, bringing your indoor dishes, furniture, and textiles (like blankets) outside not only makes an outdoor party feel more special but it is far more sustainable and better for the planet. Plus, reducing clutter always sparks joy in my life 🙂 ha.
As part of my series on the “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Henderson.
Emily Henderson is an interior designer, content creator, blogger, and television personality. She is best known for winning “HGTV Design Star” and starring in “Secrets from a Stylist” on HGTV. Emily is also the author of New York Times Bestseller, “Styled” and is currently working on her second novel on all things renovation being published in February 2021.
Recently, Emily Henderson partnered with PRESS Premium Alcohol Seltzer to help consumers elevated their backyard gatherings.
Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I started as a prop stylist, styling for photography and commercials but during the recession (2008) I started a blog out of boredom and went on DesignStar for adventure. Between TV, blog, and book they all just kinda fed each other and the rest is history.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
As a blogger, specifically, I took some interesting risks when I was just starting out. For instance, HGTV wanted to document my first child’s pregnancy and birth (in 2013) for a digital series. It was pretty casual — we hired a local videographer who we really got along with and he came on ultrasounds, baby showers and yes, filmed the unintentionally all-natural birth. Now the internet was a different place then, much safer I’d say, but there is no way I’d do that now (and no, you can’t even find it!). I do love watching it every year though 🙂
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh, I make funny mistakes every day, but most of them have to do with loving something so much that I don’t bother measuring it to see if it will even fit through my door. You’d think you’d learn that only once, but not me! It took me a few times of having to practically break a pine armoire to ensure that I bring a tape measure to the flea market.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
Two big favorites come to mind right now: personally, we’re currently mid-renovation on a farmhouse project that my family will *someday* move into. It’s a run-down piece of property outside Portland and I can’t WAIT to raise our kids there, but currently, it’s a real construction zone. We’ve been documenting all the ups and downs on the blog and we’re so lucky to have an audience who can commiserate with the struggles and celebrate the wins with us. Professionally, my team and I are really excited about our partnership with PRESS Premium Alcohol Seltzer — over the summer, I was able to hold a safe and tiny backyard gathering for my team to shoot content where we highlighted how to make spaces sophisticated and comfortable. They’re a female-founded brand (and delicious, with some really elevated flavors to boot) and I love working with them — it’s been such a dreamy partnership and I’m so grateful for their support as we slowly and safely come back together.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I don’t know the key to success, but I do know the key to failure is trying to please everyone. As someone with a large following of readers who watch my every move pretty closely, I know that I have to act from my inner moral compass, listen to my close team, friends and family and make decisions based on experience. Trying to please everyone is simply as impossible as trying to be perfect and once you realize that, your life gets so much easier.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
So many people. I had my boss through my 20s, Cindy Diprima, who taught me how to style, be resourceful and treat everyone in production. I have had so many team members over the years and currently who really brought a new perspective, expertise and frankly, passion to my company that I not only learned from but truly have admired over the years. Many have gone on to do such great things and I’m so proud and happy for them.
Thank you for that. Here is the main question of our discussion. What are your “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
OH GOSH. What a good, big question. I’ve actually thought about this a lot this year, especially now that we’re able to gather together again safely. I want my spaces to spark joy for not only myself, but also for my friends and family and team. I actually made this a key theme of my partnership with PRESS Premium Alcohol Seltzer, so I’d love to share some of my favorite findings with you…
1. Elevate The Classics: You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, however tempting that may be. Just lean into things you’ve loved forever and scatter them around to elevate your indoor or outdoor space — I’m currently loving classics like plaids, ginghams, brown furniture, and string lights. Pretty looks good with pretty — don’t overthink it.
2. Ambiance Is Key: To that end, it all starts with lighting — if you’re inside, make sure to have a few different lighting options in every room. Outdoors, think string and fairy lights. They create such a lovely golden ambiance that’ll make you — or your guests — feel comfortable and cozy. As the weather changes, think about adding fireplaces, heat lamps, and candles for extra light and warmth. Lighting really does set the tone and make the space.
3. Garnish Your Drinks: This is such a simple and special way to treat yourself. My current go-to hack: an Apple Cinnamon or Pear Chamomile PRESS paired with some in-season fruits or edible flowers. The flavors are so sophisticated and elegant and such an easy way to make gatherings feel elevated and considered. We talk a lot about designing our homes to spark joy, but I think we sometimes forget that making memories in our homes is the real key to living in a place that makes us happy day in and day out.
4. Bring The Inside Out: There’s nothing I love more this fall than utilizing outdoor space. And while there are a ton of disposable party items out there, bringing your indoor dishes, furniture, and textiles (like blankets) outside not only makes an outdoor party feel more special but it is far more sustainable and better for the planet. Plus, reducing clutter always sparks joy in my life 🙂 ha.
5. Ready, Set, Game On: You want to be happy in your home? Leave out some fun activities that suit your interests — it could be conversation cards, or bingo (that’s what we have in my house, complete with a vintage ball cage!), or cornhole, or bocce. The opportunities are endless. Give yourself a way to relax and unwind and enjoy the space you’ve made…with a PRESS in hand, of course. 🙂
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’ve wanted to start more of a community service revolution for years. I grew up doing a lot through my church but for many people who are no longer attending a church, it’s not easy to just volunteer and serve (especially with kids). While there are programs out there, I love the idea of all of us coming together, with our kids, to paint a house, put together essential boxes for the unhoused, decorate a community center for the holidays, etc. It’s a muscle that you can start to develop in our kids when they are young, as my parents did in me, and I think it’s a crucial part of being a good citizen as well as incredibly fulfilling for everyone’s individual self-worth. I am extremely grateful that I have a job that I can incorporate service into my day to day — it has really helped shape my purpose.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them 🙂
Michelle Obama. I wish I had someone more creative but I just admire her so much and would love to collaborate with her anyway possible. I used to have dreams of helping design low-income housing with her.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
You can follow PRESS on Instagram and Facebook @presseltzer
You can follow me on Instagram @em_henderson and visit my blog at stylebyemilyhenderson.com
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational!
Emily Henderson of Secrets from a Stylist: 5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.