by Furnishly | Jan 17, 2026 | Design Inspiration, Style
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After a long day, there’s nothing better than taking a hot shower to melt the stress away. But to really enjoy it, you need to set up your bathroom for ultimate relaxation. The best way to do that? It’s all in the lighting.
“Dark showering” has been trending on TikTok recently, but it’s actually something I’ve personally been doing for years. Basically the trend encourages those who shower at night to do so with the lights off, and instead light a candle or turn on a waterproof lamp for an ambient glow. Whatever you do, just don’t use “the big light!”
I’m a night-shower person; the combination of cozy lighting and warm water helps calm my nervous system in preparation for a good night’s sleep. Other “dark shower” enthusiasts say it feels luxurious and spa-like, too. That got me thinking: What else could I add to my bathroom to help make my nights even more relaxing?
How to Make Your Bathroom Feel Like Your Own Personal Spa
But that’s only the very beginning. Check out a few more of my favorite finds below to help elevate your night showers, too.
by Furnishly | Jan 17, 2026 | Design Inspiration, Style
Sarah EverettHome Projects Editor
I organize the Before & After series and cover DIY and design. I joined AT in October 2020 as a production assistant. I have an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri and a BA in Journalism from Belmont University. Past editorial stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and local magazines in my hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
by Furnishly | Jan 17, 2026 | Design Inspiration, Style
We
independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
When HGTV’s Joanna Gaines began the renovation process of her latest major Fixer Upper project (aka the Colorado mountain house!), she knew she had to do something for a grand entrance. She became fixated on a big blank wall that greeted guests as they stepped into the home.
It was the wall beneath the stairs, which Gaines calls a “dead space” — a spot in the home with major untapped potential (especially in small spaces) — and she shared with her fans that she could turn it into something not only beautiful but useful, too.
“Under most stairwells, there’s a hollow wall,” Gaines said in a recent Facebook video. “And this is a really good example of [something that] doesn’t require a lot of money or thought, but you can really add value and story to your space by simply cutting out — correctly — what’s underneath the stairs, creating bookshelves, more storage, or even like we have …this little reading nook.”
Joanna Gaines’ Tips for Making the Most of Dead Space
Gaines knocked out the drywall under the stairs to install built-in drawers and a daybed for reading on (similar to this $400 DIY update!). This upgrade could also serve as a makeshift mudroom, with gloves, hats, and shoes stored in the drawers.
In the Instagram caption, Gaines adds, “All the things you could create under the dead space of your stairs: reading nook, bookshelves/library, coffee bar, desk/office nook, toy storage, Etc. etc!!” There are endless possibilities!
To really capitalize on the opportunity, Gaines also suggests updating the stair railing to be “more reflective of your style.” She did just that at Mountain House, switching out the decorative iron railing for a design inspired by vintage ski chalets.
If you’re dealing with stairs that curve around a corner, that dead space under the landing may be best used as an indoor doghouse or small playroom for kids. Or, on the contrary, the space may be large enough to install a full door and convert it into a pantry or closet.
Look at the dead space under your stairs and start mapping out its potential. This project may just be the one that changes the flow of your home for the better!
by Furnishly | Jan 17, 2026 | Design Inspiration, Style
Megan McCarty is a full-time freelance writer, specializing in interior design. Her work can be seen in the Wall Street Journal, Rue, Architectural Digest, and Domino, among other outlets. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Minnesota and has spent more than a…read more
by Furnishly | Jan 17, 2026 | Design Inspiration, Style
We
independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
One of my absolute favorite things about moving from Florida to Tennessee is finally getting to enjoy all four seasons. Spring brings blooming trees, summer is full of pool days, fall glows with mountain color, and winter offers just enough snow to feel magical. Honestly, there isn’t a season I don’t love.
What I haven’t mastered yet, though, is swapping out and organizing seasonal clothing. Now that we’re in the winter months, all our wintertime accessories have become a mess around the home. Gloves and hats, for instance, might be tucked into storage bins, stuffed into kids’ drawers, tossed into the coat closet, or forgotten entirely inside jacket pockets. That’s not ideal — especially on dark, frigid school mornings when everyone suddenly needs a hat right now.
Our old system (a basket shoved into the closet) quickly turned into a jumbled mess, making it harder to see what we had and who needed what. That is until I decided to use a lid organizer.
Why a Lid Organizer Is Perfect for Hat Storage
When I came across an Instagram Reel by Courtney Broadhead of @keepitsimplesparkles, one detail immediately caught my eye: her solution for storing beanies. She used a dedicated hat organizer that retails for about $47 on Amazon. It was clever — but also looked very familiar. In fact, it looked exactly like the lid organizer I already use to file baking sheets in my kitchen cabinet. Instantly, I knew I had to try it.
What Happened When I Tried This Storage Hack
I pulled the lid organizer out of the cabinet and tested it with our beanies — and sure enough, they fit perfectly. Each hat slid neatly into its own slot, staying visible and easy to grab without collapsing into a pile. What I love most about this setup is how clearly you can see everything at once. Instead of digging through a basket or bin, every beanie has a dedicated spot, making it easier for kids (and adults) to grab one and put it back.
The only challenge I’m still working through is where to store it. Our under-the-stairs closet is oddly shaped, so visibility is tricky. I think this hack would shine even more in a personal closet or a traditional coat closet with a shelf.
Still, turning a simple lid organizer into a beanie station is hands down the smartest winter accessory storage hack I’ve tried — and it’s officially earned a permanent spot in our seasonal organizing rotation.
by Furnishly | Jan 16, 2026 | Design Inspiration, Style
We
independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Victorian conversion apartments like the one I live in come with many enviable perks, like large windows and high ceilings. But because they started out as larger Victorian houses that have since been chopped up into smaller apartments, these conversion apartments also come with plenty of quirks. Challenges include drafty windows, a lack of bathrooms, and the biggest one of all: at least one oddity in the layout.
In my home, that head-scratcher was the living room, which I can only describe as a large “hallway.” It has my bedroom at one end, the kitchen at the other, and the entryway in the middle, almost like a railroad-style apartment (just not in a completely straight line). It’s also windowless apart from a sliver of glass near the ceiling.
My living room started out in fixer-upper shape, with dated 1970s finishes, so gutting it down to its bare bones was the first step. I followed that with fresh wood floors and a new fireplace. This was the easy part! Choosing where new light switches and outlets should go was trickier, as was arranging the space so that flow of traffic to the surrounding rooms made sense. And then there was the lack of light! Here’s how I made it all work.
I went for an open layout with distinct zones.
I’m an interiors blogger who’s written about lots of homes, including my own, and I knew that fighting my home’s original layout was useless. Instead, I tried to create distinct zones within the living room’s long, open space.
I began by narrowing the opening between the kitchen and living room but opted for no physical separation between the spaces, not even glass doors. With the narrower opening, both the rooms work as two separate spaces but also allow my family to feel like we are together even when we’re in different areas.
I made the doorway “disappear.”
To reduce the number of angular doorways, I turned the opening of the entryway into an arch. I made it “disappear” by painting the entryway in a much darker color (Mylands’ Millbank). Now, when you’re in the living room, it’s almost as if there’s nothing there.
I fully embraced minimalism.
Although the style of this home was originally Victorian, my style naturally leans more minimalist. Luckily, the natural light and scale of Victorian-style homes lends itself well to my style, too. Painting the walls crisp white made the space look bright and helped maximize every bit of light.
I maximized natural light.
Adding windows to the living room wasn’t an option. So, lastly, I replaced almost the entire rear wall of the kitchen (which is an extension) with 18-foot-wide glass sliding doors. While costly, it is the single best splurge I made in this transformation. Now, I don’t even notice the lack of windows in the living room.
My favorite thing about the after is how light and bright my windowless living room looks and feels. And I absolutely love that as a family we can be in separate spaces but still feel like we’re together.
