This year, I’ve been more committed to finding ways our entire family can make more sustainable choices in our lives. Whether that it’s the way we eat, buy clothing or stock our home with household essentials. I’ve always strived for quality over quantity but as we lean on the Earth more and more, I’ve been thinking about what we can do in our home – the kitchen in particular. That said, I think that it’s important to get everyone (including the kids) involved in the process. Growing up my dad (an environmentalist) was always talking to me about ways to consume less. Therefore, it’s been on my mind in recent years. Fast forward to this past fall when I came across Grove Collaborative and I was intrigued by all of the products that they offer that are gentler on the earth and that they as a company are prioritizing post-consumer materials for packaging. This instantly got my attention to one way I could change the way we bring household essentials into our home. As a family we’ve come up with four simple ways all of us can make habits to help us with our footprint on the planet. 1) Bamboo Straws. Our kids love straws when they drink water. Anyone else’s kids insist on it? We’ve added these Grove bamboo straws in our kitchen and in our car. 2) Reusable Sandwich Bags. This was a no-brainer in our eyes. It’s one of the easiest ways to cut plastic out of your daily life. Plus, I love the way these Grove reusable sandwich bags are a little more sturdy. 3) Hand Soap and Dispenser. Instead of picking up a new bottle of hand soap each time you’re at the market, think about where that plastic will be going. Grove has hand soap refills and glass soap dispensers that are perfect for any home. I personally love that you get a pouch of soap that you can easily refill around the house in different spots when we are running low. 4) Walnut Sponges. Y’all I’m one of those people that’s pretty particular about her sponges. They have to work and need to be neutral (I know, I’m weird). These Grove Walnut Scrubber Sponges are amazing! Our family has completely converted to them. We also love the Grove Collaborative Scrubber Brush. Grove Collaborative is offering new customers a free gift with purchase – items may vary due to the demand in household essentials. There are so many amazing brands and products they have online. It’s definitely been a go-to for our household. There are SO many more ways we can shift the way we consume and the habits we’ve created. We’re also started using reusable towels instead of paper towels but this is a habit that will take time to get accustomed to. But if we don’t start shifting our focus now, we won’t. Right now we should be thinking of sustainability as the heart of everything we do. Please note: Grove Collaborative can only ship to the lower 48 states at this time — no Canada, Hawaii or Alaska. This post is sponsored by Grove Collaborative. It’s a wonderful online marketplace committed to sustainable household essentials. All opinions are my own. Many thanks for supporting the brands that support. #lifestyle

This year, I’ve decided that since I’ve been so focused on creating Travel Home and neglecting Sacramento Street it’s time to make more time for projects and collaborations that I truly enjoy and love. As I look forward into this new year I’m excited to welcome some exciting things and my new mantra is welcoming NEWNESS. That might sound a little general but it feels right. Over the past two years I’ve been incredibly focused on all of my client projects and Travel Home. Now that Travel Home is out in the universe, there is a hole that I need to fill. Does that makes any sense? I truly cannot wait to see what this year brings. I’m kicking it off with a few partnerships that I am excited to be apart of. To kick things off, I’m part of the Jenni Kayne Ambassador program this season. I’m incredibly honored to be part of this group. It felt like the perfect partnership since I’m already a customer and wear Jenni Kayne on a daily basis. It’s my go-to uniform. This season she’s kicking things off with a cozy boucle half-zip sweater that’s perfect for layering this winter. Can’t wait to share more of what she’s coming out with this season! And P.S. you can use code: Caitlin20 to get 20% off any purchase! Photo by Claire Giffen #style

As all of us know, the wine country of Napa and Sonoma, has been hard-hit by fires as well as floods over the past several years. One thing that is most helpful for the area, is to visit to help boost the economy and revive the shops, wineries, restaurants, and hotels there. A perfect day trip from the Bay Area, is to The Barlow in Sebastopol. Our family loves nothing more than a day trip or adventure. The Barlow is the old cannery row that’s been transformed into a destination filled with shopping, food, breweries, and more. I first began visiting The Barlow to visit one of my favorite stores – Elsie Green. They are one of my go-to places to find items for my projects as well as my own home. What I began to realize, is just how much more The Barlow has to offer. You can stalk up on your favorite natural and organic products at the worker-run Community Market. Also stop by for flowers and plants at California Sister Floral. And Scout West County is a modern version of a general store and carry a vast array of ceramics, art, and ethical objects – there is something for everyone in the family. I loved the kids section as well as the women’s sweaters that were perfect for chilly weather. If you want incredible sushi, consider eating at Kosho – the design is stunning and the food is amazing. I’m still day-dreaming about the miso soup and sushi we had! For Mexican, Barrio is yummy and takes me back to when I lived in Mexico City. Pick up a juice for the ride home at The Nectary and if you have a sweet tooth they even have an ice cream at Two Dog Night Creamery. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to know how you can help an area hard hit. One definite way is to simply return. I hope you have a chance to visit The Barlow in Sebastopol this season – it’s the perfect spot to take the entire family. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to know how you can help an area hard hit. One definite way is to simply return. I hope you have a chance to visit The Barlow in Sebastopol this season – it’s the perfect spot to take the entire family. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to know how you can help an area hard hit. One definite way is to simply return. I hope you have a chance to visit The Barlow in Sebastopol this season – it’s the perfect spot to take the entire family. #lifestyle

We had a big Texas welcome for our book signing events in Dallas and Austin a few weeks ago. When we stepped off of the plane, we could hear “Jolene” played by a country western band and we knew we were going to have a great time! It was so special to see friends and also meet new friends at both events. In Dallas, we had a wonderful event in the historic Aldophus hotel that my friend, Joslyn Taylor and the firm Swoon Studio decorated. It’s a gem and I dream of those mosaic floors in the lobby. The book signing was at Shop Commerce and was hosted by Joslyn Taylor and Samantha Reitmayer Sano. Of course, we found time to also shop – they had such a lovely curated selection of items! I bought gifts for the kiddos and my mom bought a turn-of-the-century engraved gold locket. We stayed with Joslyn and her wonderful family and were just gasping at the beautiful oasis she had created! The next day we jumped into the car and drove from Dallas to Austin for our next signing that evening. My close friend, Camille Styles, hosted us at her home in Austin. The house sits on the top of a hill that overlooks Austin and the Colorado River, which feeds into Lake Austin. With glass walls in the living room that can be entirely opened, it felt as if we could see the entire horizon stretched out below us. We had another incredible signing with such interesting people. About halfway through the event, a tremendous thunderstorm hit and we watched as the sky lit up. It was an evening we won’t quickly forget! You can see more photos from that event over on Camille’s site. Now we need to plan a longer trip so we can actually spend more time exploring! Photography from Camille event by Ashleigh Amoroso #travel. .

I’ve fallen a bit behind on my review of books (too busy getting my own book launched and book tour!) and I didn’t want to leave out these two amazing books: Houses/Atelier AM and Terrain: Ideas and Inspiration for Decorating the Home and Garden. Houses/Atelier AM by the husband-wife team Alexandra and Michael Misczynski, this is a follow-up book to their hugely successful book Interiors: Atelier AM. The interiors featured in the book are all designed by them and they are ones of refined beauty one can only dream of living in. With stunning antiques and priceless art, these homes show us a style everyone should feast their eyes upon. Taking on very few projects a year, each house is both an architectural and landscaped treasure. In Terrain: Ideas and Inspiration for Decorating the Home and Garden, writer Gary Lehmkuhl takes the reader through the steps to bring your space alive with suggestions on how to bring nature into your home. I had the opportunity of visiting their founding location at an historic nursery in southeast Pennsylvania, and it did not disappoint. I love the earthy approach to decorating that encourages bringing the outdoors in. Now I need to search for a nursery and try to implement some of the great ideas I found in the book! Check out our past book reviews here. #lifestyle

One of the places I often source for my clients’ spaces, is Jayson Home in Chicago. It’s been a tried and true source for many many years. The selection is deep and what I love is that I find pieces for their homes I don’t see everywhere – they are amazing curators. They have a wide variety of both furniture and accessories. And I can say, we usually source all of our table lamps from them (why is lighting sometimes so hard?). I can always count on Jayson Home to have those finishing touches I need to create a beautiful space. I’m excited to announce that for those of you living in the Chicago area, Jayson Home will be hosting our book signing for Travel Home at their store on Tuesday, October 8th from 5-7pm. It felt like the perfect match since we are already such huge fans of this store. With the change of season I thought I’d put together a mood board made up of items I’m currently loving from Jayson Home – there is no better time to switch out some items than a new season. Tanjia Spoons Beldi Footed Plates Aline Wing Chair in White Cotswold Solid Bedding Linker Tables (LOVE THESE) African Basket Alban Bar Stool Clara Sofa I hope this brings you some inspiration to you and your home. And remember we will be in Chicago at Jayson Home on 10/8and be sure to check out all our Travel Home book tour dates HERE. We look forward to meeting you! #interiors

I had every intention to have the launch of Travel Home go live on last Tuesday but, as often happens, life got crazy around here with the release. I wanted to have a chance to thank everyone who bought the book, wrote me kind messages, and/or showed up to the launch party we had here in San Francisco. I’ve received so much incredible support over these past three years creating this book and I appreciate all of it. I know I’ve been lacking in the blog post department but now that Travel Home (my third child I like to call it) is out I’ll have more time to create content for all of you! I’ve learned a lot about myself – how far I can push myself, when I need to stop for a minute to rest, and most importantly, how important all of you are to me. Now that the book has launched, I feel like life is returning to a sane pace – somewhat. I am about to go on several trips over the next month to promote the book and celebrate around the country. I’ll keep you posted on the variety of events. To kick of our travels we are heading down south and on Friday, October 4th, we’ll be at Jenni Kayne in Newport Beach. We will be making smudge sticks together! On Saturday, October 5th, we head to Amber Interiors – in Pacific Palisades. Click here to RSVP! This is one of my favorite spots for sourcing for both my clients and myself. Next Tuesday, we are in Chicago at Jayson Home (more about them in a post tomorrow). On Thursday, October 10th we will be at the pop up shop of Bloomist at Michelle Varian in Soho. I’m excited for this because we will be doing a panel with a couple designers from the book! Finally, on Saturday, October 12th we will be up in Germantown in Hudson Valley, New York for a very special gathering with Caroline Diani. For all of these events, we will post them on Instagram so you can get the information on where and when the events take place. You can all see the schedule here. For now, just bucket loads of gratitude for the outpouring of support for Travel Home. And I hope we see you at our book signings over the next few months! Images by Peggy Wong for Travel Home #interiors #lifestyle

Can you believe that 2019 is over halfway through (it just hit me and I’m a little floored). I’ve been setting some time aside each month to look at what I’ve achieved this year, the goals I’ve made for myself and what the future holds. All of this can sometimes feel very daunting when you sit down and actually look at the big picture. While I am not a John Hancock client, I enjoyed speaking with a John Hancock advisor well versed in financial planning strategies. When I started talking with a financial planner at John Hancock back in March, the thought of talking to one of their financial advisors about planning for the future made me nervous. I’ll be honest, I had a lot of questions swirling in my head. Was I worth their time? Would they question where we are putting money? The list goes on and on. The answer is that is what they are there for and over our two conversations in March and May it felt good to talk about successes, my questions and what we should be doing in the future. Fast forward to this summer – there is a lot about to unfold this fall and I have some big decisions to make. First, my book is coming out September 24th and I couldn’t be more proud of this project. To make something so beautiful with my mom was a dream. More on that here. Second, my lease is up on my office. I’ve been going back and forth about keeping the current space (although our rent is going up quite a bit), finding something new or not having an office for a while which would make our apartment feel very small but I would also be saving that money and it might be worth it. So many questions rolling around in my head with this one. Before we know it will be fall and then Christmas. It’s been such a treat having this extra time to focus on the future of my business and family with the tips from John Hancock. I cherish the fact that I was able to have this time to chat with them. Would you consider John Hancock for financial advice this year? Created in partnership with John Hancock – thank you for supporting the brands that keep this blog running! #lifestyle

Today’s the day! I’m thrilled to announce that Travel Home: Design with A Global Spirit is officially available for pre-order. The excitement is real – it’s like Christmas morning! It’s been three years in the making – from when my mom and I were driving across the Golden Gate Bridge coming up with the concept to it being published. A lifelong dream for both of us was to write a book and when we put both of our passions together – travel and design, it turned into our book. How travel influences interiors, life and overall well being. I’ll be sharing glimpses into the making of the book over the next two months on Instagram so pop over there for more. I will be showing you the outtakes that didn’t end up in the book! I think you are going to love it! And of course, I would be forever grateful if you popped over to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Target to pre-order the book. Every pre-sale has an enormous effect on our overall success. It’s been a labor of love and I can’t wait for all of you to see all 288 pages of Travel Home! Amazon Barnes & Noble Target Photography by Peggy Wong

This spring I was approached by Delta Faucet Company to come to their headquarters in Indianapolis to learn more about the brand, their innovations and what they have coming down the pipeline. I jumped at the chance. I personally find it fascinating to learn about the behind the scenes of companies. Plus, I had never had an inside look into a faucet company. Delta Faucet opened their doors to us with open arms. We were greeted by a huge team that we would get to know at different points throughout our two day journey through the Delta Faucet Company. It was probably one of the warmest welcomes I’ve ever received. The entire experience, from beginning to end, was absolutely incredible. We learned about innovation and technology for Delta. It’s funny, as a designer I source different faucets for clients depending on their aesthetic and budget but I never thought about how faucet companies are leading the way in technology and asking themselves important questions that think about how they can get into your home. How can we make your day better? How can we make it easier and more enjoyable to use? Can we make your house a home? Delta not only thinks about their customer but they are thinking about how they can help you make a house a home. They are taking it one step further and adding in a way to get an emotional and human connection with water. All while creating beautiful, stylish faucets and fixtures, fit for any design aesthetic. How pretty is this Stryke™ Bath Collection? Here are some of my favorite innovations the Delta brand has developed for their products: VoiceIQ™ Technology Dispenses exactly the amount of water you need with hands-free voice activation. Command your faucet to turn on and off, warm the water, dispense a metered amount or fill custom containers like your coffee pot. It’s pretty remarkable! Touch2O® Technology Inspired by watching how users interact with their faucets in the home, Touch2O Technology was developed from more than a decade of research and design. Its aim is to make kitchen tasks easy and keep the kitchen clean by removing the need to touch your faucet with full or messy hands. Whether you have two full hands or 10 messy fingers, Delta Touch2O® Technology helps keep your faucet clean, even when your hands aren’t. A simple touch anywhere on the spout or handle with your wrist or forearm activates the flow of water at the temperature where your handle is set. This is one I want when I have egg or raw chicken on my hands! ShieldSpray® Technology Want the pressure to get the food off your plate? This innovation “powers off the mess without making a mess” and cleans with laser-like precision while containing mess and splatter. A concentrated jet within a protective sphere of water powers away stubborn messes with an average of 90% less splatter than a standard spray. MagnaTite® Docking Uses a powerful integrated magnet to snap your faucet spray wand precisely into place and hold it there so it stays docked when not in use and doesn’t droop over time. DIAMOND™ Seal Technology Reduces leak points ensuring leak-free operation for the life of the faucet. Using diamonds, the hardest naturally-occurring substance on Earth, Delta engineered a faucet that’s longer lasting, leak-free and less hassle to install. Now that we’ve covered the technology side of the brand, I want to tell you a little about the design team at Delta. First and foremost, when I heard that the team gets to go on international inspiration trips each year I was asking them where I could sign up! It was fascinating to hear from two members of the design team about how they travel the world looking for inspiration – a photo of a wrought iron fence or a roof or exterior molding on a building could spark a design for a new faucet for the next season. It’s very similar to why designers need to take inspiration trips – it furthers your mind into looking at ordinary things that we might overlook in our own city but in a new one we have our eyes wide open. It was truly a treat and an honor to visit Delta Faucet headquarters. My eyes are now a little more intrigued by all things in the faucet world because of them and I can’t wait to see where they lead us in their next innovations that are paving the way for faucets! Created in partnership with the Delta Faucet brand– thank you for supporting the brands that keep this blog running! #travel #interiors