385 // Decluttering your home: Where to start (and why clutter is stressing you out) with Emily McDermott

Breaking Free from Perfectionism with Monica Packer Have you ever put off decorating a room because you can't decide what to do? Or spent so much time trying to make the right decision that you never make one at all? Friend, perfectionism might be at play, and it doesn't always look the way we expect. In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, I'm joined by Monica Packer, host of the About Progress podcast and author of Sticky Habits, to talk about the surprising ways perfectionism shows up in our lives, our decisions, and even our homes. We often picture perfectionism as the person who has it all together, with every detail just so. But perfectionism can also look like procrastination, indecision, overthinking, or avoiding the very things we want to do because we're afraid we won't get them right. And if you've ever found yourself endlessly saving decorating inspiration, second-guessing a purchase, or waiting until you have the perfect plan before you start a room, this conversation is especially for you. Monica shares her personal experience with perfectionism and the profound cost it can carry. We talk about what it means to rediscover yourself in any season of life, including Monica's Do Something List and the Joy List I've created for myself. Both offer a way to reconnect with what matters to us, make room for joy, and begin taking action without needing everything to be perfect first. This conversation reminded me that creating a home we love isn't just about choosing the right paint color or finding the perfect sofa. Sometimes, it's about learning to trust ourselves enough to make a decision, take a small step, and let our homes evolve along with us. Because a cozy home doesn't require perfect decisions. It requires us to begin. In this episode, we talk about:

Why Budget-First Decorating Can Leave You With a Room You Still Don't Love Before you spend money redecorating a room, there are five questions worth asking yourself. The answers can help you decide what to keep, what to change, and where to spend your decorating budget so you create a home that reflects your style, supports your life, and feels good to live in. Because here's the thing: your budget matters, but it shouldn't be the only thing guiding your decorating decisions.When you start with price instead of purpose, you can end up buying things that don't solve the problem, don't fit your aesthetic, or leave you wishing you'd made a different choice. Whether you're ready for a complete room refresh or just feel like something in your home needs to change, these five questions will help you approach your next decorating reset with more clarity and confidence. In This Episode

How to Create a Cozy Home All Year Long (Not Just in Fall) A cozy home isn't about pumpkins, chunky blankets, or decorating for fall. It's about creating a space that feels warm, welcoming, comfortable, and good to live in, no matter the season. The secret? Cozy is a dial you can turn up or down, using elements like lighting, color, texture, and the way you arrange your space. Why Does Everything Feel Cozier in Fall? There's something about fall that makes us crave a cozier home. The days get shorter, the light changes, and our routines often shift toward spending more time indoors. Our circadian rhythms respond to the changing patterns of light and darkness, and that seasonal shift can make the desire for warmth, comfort, and a welcoming place to land feel especially strong. But here's the thing: you don't have to wait for September to create a cozy home, and you don't have to pack away your favorite cozy elements when spring arrives. In this episode, we're talking about what cozy really means, what it doesn't mean, and how to create a home that feels cozy all year long without turning every room into a fall decorating display. In This Episode

How to Create a Cozy Man Cave: Ralph Lauren Style, Color Drenching & a Decorating Plan Creating a cozy man cave doesn't mean filling a room with dark furniture and calling it done. In this behind-the-scenes decorating session with Dani (yes, another Dani), we're creating a warm, masculine space inspired by Ralph Lauren style, complete with leather, plaid, flannel, basketball installation art, framed golf clubs and deer heads. And yes, we're color drenching the room, too. The best part? Dani wasn't nervous about the bold plan at all. When I asked if she was scared about color drenching, her answer was simple: "No... I LOVE that I have a plan." And honestly, that's what this episode is really about. In This Episode

What If Your Home Needs Less? Backwards Decluttering & House Hushing with Myquillyn Smith If you’re wondering how to make your home feel calmer, cozier, and less cluttered, one of the best places to start is by removing things rather than adding more. Backwards decluttering and house hushing can help you see what your home actually needs by temporarily clearing a room, creating visual quiet, and then intentionally adding back only the things you love and use. In this episode, I’m talking with New York Times bestselling author Myquillyn Smith about why a cozier home doesn’t necessarily mean more stuff...and how embracing cozy minimalism can completely change the way your home feels. Have you ever walked into a room and thought, Something is bothering me in here...but I can't quite put my finger on it? Maybe the room isn't technically messy. Maybe everything has a place. Maybe you've even decorated it. And yet...it still feels like too much. That's where my conversation with New York Times bestselling author Myquillyn Smith gets really interesting. Myquillyn has a completely different way of thinking about decluttering. Instead of starting by deciding what to get rid of, she starts by removing most everything from the room. Then she creates what she calls a "hush." And when you can actually experience the room without all the visual noise, you can begin to see what belongs there much more clearly. It's a fascinating approach to decluttering, but it also made me think differently about decorating. Because sometimes decorating your home doesn't mean adding something. Sometimes the most powerful decorating decision you can make is to take something away. In This Episode