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3 weeks ago | 
laurafenton.substack.com | Laura Fenton
This week I’m tackling a topic that readers have often brought up, but that I’ve resisted writing about for the last two years: Kid clutter. I’ve avoided it because I know a lot of readers don’t have kids (and if that’s you, I apologize). But I also shied away from the topic because I spent almost seven years as the lifestyle director at Parents magazine, after which I helped Apartment Therapy launch Cubby, a site for families.
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3 weeks ago | 
realsimple.com | Laura Fenton
Credit: LITTLE DINOSAUR/Getty Images Key TakeawaysEmbracing self-seeding plants can create a vibrant, low-maintenance garden that naturally fills in gaps and keeps unwanted weeds at bay. These self-sown flowers thrive in more relaxed, natural settings like meadow-inspired or cottage gardens, where their spread feels intentional and charming.
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3 weeks ago | 
gardenista.com | Laura Fenton
Landscape architect Joseph Richardson’s clients wanted to create a better connection between their stately Washington, D.C., home and its surrounding garden, while also bringing more light inside. But Richardson, who is the principal of Richardson & Associates, quickly realized this was not merely a landscape problem.
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1 month ago | 
laurafenton.substack.com | Laura Fenton
Q&A is an advice column for paid subscribers. Once a month, I answer a reader’s question about living small and invite the community to weigh in with ideas too. For this month’s installment, I called on six home experts to share their advice too. Q: Do you have any tips for what to do with the essential but annoying everyday clutter? For example, reading glasses, computer cables, chargers, chewing gum, pens.
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1 month ago | 
laurafenton.substack.com | Laura Fenton
During the last year, I’ve been thinking a lot about what is enough and how to cultivate a feeling of abundance without over-consuming. It’s a balancing act trying to discover where contentment lies. I’m always having to remind myself that even though our apartment is small, it is enough–that a bigger one (probably) wouldn’t make us happier. One thing that has been helpful in my quest for contentment is to identify what makes me feel like my cup is full—like I have “enough” and a little more.
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1 month ago | 
gardenista.com | Laura Fenton
When the editor of a literary magazine tapped garden designer Jarema Osofsky to conceive a garden for her SoHo roof terrace, she asked for “a slice of the High Line.” The client imagined her space as a gathering place for friends and a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city, says Osofsky, the author of Moon Garden, a book about creating “evening oases.” As the existing 14- x 42-foot terrace was nothing but glass, metal, and personality-less tile, the project would require both clever...
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1 month ago | 
midwestliving.com | Laura Fenton
When a pair of physicians with three young boys decided to build a home in St. Paul, they chose a lot that backed up to a preserve and hired Lucy Penfield, of Lucy Interiors in nearby Wayzata, to design it. “They were looking for spunk,” Penfield says. “Color pops, but not crazy—just enough for an increase in energy level and joy.” Modern farmhouse on the exterior, the house skews more contemporary inside, reflecting the couple’s preference for uncluttered, open spaces.
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1 month ago | 
laurafenton.substack.com | Laura Fenton
If you’ve been reading Living Small for a while, you’ve probably heard me sing the praises of maintenance, mending, and repair. I believe in taking care of our belongings so that they can live a long and useful life. I’ll almost always try to fix something before buying a replacement. This ethos is easy to embrace when the stakes are low: Getting shoes resoled and buffed up at the cobbler is a no-brainer. Things get more complicated when the cost of repair increases.
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1 month ago | 
gardenista.com | Laura Fenton
Flower-focused books have become enormously popular in recent years—and with good reason: Who doesn’t want to flip through a book filled with beautiful blossoms? The latest addition to the genre, ceramicist Frances Palmer’s new book, Life with Flowers: Inspiration and Lessons from the Garden, might be the most soulful flower book yet.
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1 month ago | 
laurafenton.substack.com | Laura Fenton
Last week while trying to wedge something onto the top shelf of our entryway closet I dislodged a brick of compressed potting soil, which hit me square on the forehead. I saw stars, endured a headache for the rest of the day, and then I sported a bruise for several days afterwards. It was inglorious. And it felt like the universe was telling me it was time to declutter—again.
