sprinkle in the fun!

Being an adult is not always easy...we've got schedules, bills, and people to take care of. But we can't let the serious things we do take away from the fun we used to have all the time as kids. That's why I believe it is SO important to make time to be silly, have fun, and shake off the “rules” every now and then. So today, we've partnered with Blue Bunny to share four of my favorite ways to sprinkle in fun throughout the day. Check it out...

1) Dress like a party! Even if the day is filled with lots of responsibilities, errands, and work, I love wearing something bright and colorful to bring the fun. So, put on that vintage scarf, statement earrings, bright heels, colorful pants, or sparkly jacket that you've been waiting to wear but never feel is the right occasion! Stop saving those pieces for "the right occasion" and bring them into the every day!

2) Make time for an ice cream party! Indulging in a sweet treat throughout the day is one of my favorite ways to give my day a small dose of delight. Ice cream is my favorite treat...especially with all the fixings. These Load'd Sundaes are PERFECT because they're loaded with TONS of toppings, and the Bunny Snacks and Mini Swirls are just the right size for a mid-afternoon snack. The best part about all of it? I can stash them in the mini freezer in my office to make sure that no matter how busy my day gets, I'm taking a moment for myself. 

3) Have an Impromptu Dance Party! If you follow my Instagram stories, you know that dancing always brings me joy! Try taking five minutes during the workday to put on that new dance song you love, grab all your co-workers, and dance, dance, dance! It'll be sure to put a smile on your face.

4) Swap out pillows for honeycombs! This is a fun detail for when you're throwing a party...or if you're just looking to surprise someone or cheer up their day. Just remove all the throw pillows from your couch, bed, or chairs and replace them with a mix of honeycombs for an instant splash of color and fun. It's an instant pick-me-up for everyone!

How do YOU like to bring in the fun!? Comment below to tell me how you make time for fun everyday!

{Photos by Lily Glass, styling by Julia Wester, styling assistance by Jess Hong.}

Oh Joy! Builds a House: The Laundry Room!

I'm back with interior updates for my house! I don't think I've ever been this excited to design a laundry room because...I've never had a laundry room before. In the last three places I have lived in my adult life, either: the laundry wasn't even in the building (Brooklyn living), laundry was shoved into a bathroom (small studio in Philly), or it's in a shared space with our duplex neighbor (our current place). So, to have a place to wash, dry, and fold...it's a dream!

All of the interiors for my house are being designed in collaboration with Cleo Murnane, the Creative Director at Project M+. It's so great to get the input and eye of an interiors/architect team because they bring a certain perspective to the process while I bring all my ideas for injecting fun into it. For this room, I wanted to go tile-heavy and use something statement and super fun. Since it's a small room, it felt like a great place to be able to make statement and make it feel really special. This cement tile by Juju was the focal point of this room so everything else was selected to complement it. This space provided an opportunity to bring in colorful cabinets...because if you're going to use THAT tile, you can't just go with solid white cabinets!

1. Juju Fruit Salad tile, 2. Clare paint in Seize the Gray, 3. Custom color Reform in dark green or blush 4. Emtek brass satin door knob, 5. Mohawk wood floors in Beachwood Oak, 6. Juju Fruit Salad tile, 7. Emtek hexagon knob in satin brass.

COLOR STUDY 1 (GREEN): This version pulls the dark green from the tile and gives the tile a pop that feels chic and sophisticated.

Cabinets by Reform (custom color), Caesarstone countertops in Calacutta Nuvo, Tiles by Juju, Washer and dryer by Whirlpool, Hardware by Emtek, Brass faucet by Newport Brass, Sink by Kohler, Art print by JimJam.

COLOR STUDY 2 (BLUSH): This version pulls the blush pink from the tile and offers a lighter palette in which the tile blends in a bit more into this feminine and colorful space!

Cabinets by Reform (custom color), Caesarstone countertops in Calacutta Nuvo, Tiles by Juju, Washer and dryer by Whirlpool, Hardware by Emtek, Brass faucet by Newport Brass, Sink by Kohler, Art print by JimJam.

Which color cabinets should we go with? And, check out my post over at Architectural Digest's Clever for my tips on things to consider when designing a laundry room.

{Photos by Lily Glass. Construction by Boswell Construction, Architecture and renderings by Project M+, all other layouts by Joy Cho.} 

a safari-inspired kid's room...

We're back with another themed kid's room! This one is safari-inspired with lots of animals, leafy greens, and lush textures. If you or your mini me adores animals, this is a fun space to create for them. Check it out...

dressing the team: boiler suits!

It's been a while since our last Oh Joy! Dressing the Team, but we're back with one of this season's most trendy pieces...boiler suits! Whether you love them or haven't tried them yet, here's how each member of the Oh Joy! team styled one and made it their own...

what happened when I didn't get my dream job...

In 2005, I had left my previous jobs in New York to move to Philly so that I could be in the same city as my then long-distance boyfriend (now my husband). I applied for my dream job of home decor designer at Anthropologie HQ thinking I had this in the bag. I was motivated, I was a go-getter, and I just assumed they’d fall in love with me. I went on a few interviews, completed a test project, and then…I didn’t get the job. They said they loved me, but they didn’t have a job opening that fit my level of experience, so I had to move on.

Five Fun Ideas for Mother's Day...

Mother's Day is just three days away! If you're still searching for that perfect gift that your mom will love, here are FIVE fun ideas that you can make, bake, or create!

NEW Oh Joy! x Erin Condren Designs...

We have BRAND NEW Oh Joy! x Erin Condren designs! They're bright, colorful, and are the perfect companion for planning all of your summer adventures. Their NEW LifePlanner™ includes a month-over-month and week-over-week calendar system, to do lists, color-coded stickers for flagging important dates, and SO MUCH MORE. The covers are interchangeable, so you can mix them up however you want! Take a look...

when a knob isn't just a knob...

As I've been working on finalizing design for the interiors of our house, it's the little details that I find to be surprisingly fun! Who would have known how many knobs, pulls, and handles exist but also this process has made me think about the functionality of all the pieces at the same time. Hardware is like icing on top of the cake! It's a detail that often gets overlooked but makes an easy way to add style to a new space or even change up an existing space especially in bathrooms and kitchens where storage is a huge priority. Today, we've partnered with Schaub and Company to show you some of my favorite pieces that will be going into our home and how you can use them in your spaces, too...



Small Knobs — For smaller cabinets, lighter drawers, and those that get used less often (like a dining room storage area), small knobs add function and not-too-much bulk. They are often round in nature and feel like adding stud earrings to an outfit. They're a bit more understated, smaller, and can go with lots of things. I'm going all brass with our hardware and love both the full brass options as well as those that have glass mixed in!

Small Pulls — For smaller cabinets and those that get used more often (like the top drawers of a bathroom or kitchen), you want to have the grip to be able open a cabinet that may have heavier items inside (like utensils). In these cases, small pulls work well because there is something with a bit more size to grasp onto. My favorites here are a mix of solid brass and these gorgeous brass and lucite options. 

1. Atherton Cup Pull, 2. Stargaze Cylinder Knob, 3. Haniburton Knob , 4. City Lights Knob, 5. Stargaze Round Knob, 6. Lumiere Brass T-Knob, 7. Lumiere Rose Gold T-Knob, 8. Haniburton Finger Pull, 9. City Lights Cylinder Knob.

Medium Handles — A medium sized handle (anywhere from 4-8" wide) works great for kitchen and bathroom drawers and cabinets. You want to use these on cabinet and millwork doors that get very regular usage and need sturdy handles. If you're using handles to freshen up a space by swapping out your older ones, think about how you like to open drawers and do you want your whole hand to fit into the handle or just be able to pull with your fingers? That will help determine the size as well as how it visually looks with the size of your drawer or cabinet.

Appliance Handles — If you're able to panel your fridge or dishwasher, a special appliance handle adds a custom aspect to your kitchen that helps it feels special and unique to you. We're using these brass and lucite handles for ours, and it adds a detail that makes it feel so unique but doesn't cost a ton.

10. Lumiere Pull, 11. Haniburton 4" cc Pull, 12. Haniburton 6" cc Pull, 13. Brass Lumiere Appliance Pull, 14. Rose Gold Lumiere Appliance Pull.

Do you see what I mean when I say a knob isn't just a knob? ;P

P.S. One thing to keep in mind if you're updating hardware that you currently have is to measure the center to center spacing between the screw holes! This helps ensure that you find something of the same size or at least something to cover the holes that currently exist on your future from the old hardware. For example, when replacing knobs with pulls, make sure you find something that covers the center hole on the drawers from the previous knobs.This way you don't have to patch any unnecessary holes!

{Photos by Lily Glass, styling by Joy Cho.}

dull to colorful: an acrylic chair DIY

Today, we're showing you how easy it is to create a multi-colored chair pairing in your dining room AND get to make them in whatever colors fit your space! It's an inexpensive DIY to take a simple acrylic chair up a notch and make it uniquely yours! Here's what we started with...

weekend project: make a glitter bud vase tray for mom!

Bud vases are a great way to add blooms to your home without needing crazy flower arranging skills. While you can scatter bud vases all around the home, we love them clustered to make a colorful statement. As we head into the weekend, here's a fun DIY bud vase tray with a little sparkle that you can make for your favorite lady for Mother's Day...