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{full recap} our episode of secrets from a stylist!

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I was waiting to post my recap for you guys until the episode was online for those of you without TV's or who didn't get to see it live. So check it out right here if you haven't watched it yet. Then, all the bits below will make much more sense!

So you might wonder what it's like to have your house made over on a reality show…well, it's pretty awesome! Here's a little recap and behind-the-scenes bits for you of how it all went down. I had known of Emily's styling work previously to her being on Design Star but we had never met. Once I saw the pilot episode of her new show, I emailed her a fan letter and asked if she was available for consulting because I loved her show and needed help. Her show was the first on HGTV that I really felt fit our style and if anyone could give some good advice, she could. She was too busy to consult, but she was like, "Why don't you audition for the show and then I'd get to style your place for free?!?". My ears perked up and so I got Bob to film this audition tape with me. We sent it in, and soon after started the process of going through rounds of casting from August-October of last year. When we finally got the call that we were in, we were told we'd be shooting a month later and filmed our episode at the end of November.

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During the casting process, we met with Emily a couple times to talk about our own individual styles as well as our combined styles and what love our space to become. We sent her some tear sheets of things we liked. While I tend to be very type A and want to be in charge, I really let Emily do her thing because I love her work and trusted her 100%. And, Bob, well, he's easy so there were no concerns there. Here's what our living room & dining room looked like before…

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When the week of filming came, we moved out for the week and rented a temporary apartment nearby. The crew works long hours filming in the house, so especially since we have cats, we thought it would be easier for everyone involved if we just moved out for the week and took our furry friends with us. The show shoots from Monday-Saturday with 3 days that we had to be available for filming.

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On the first day of filming, we gave Emily an overview of our space, what we needed help with, and a bit about our styles.

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We went to Emily's studio to film the "Style Diagnostic" in which she has us choose between different objects to get a sense of our style through our choices. The funny part about this segment is that the two shoes I picked for Bob were actually his! We didn't see the objects ahead of time {they must have pulled some of his shoes from our house}, so we were laughing on the inside when I had to pick what he'd like…knowing that was an easy job for me! None of the girl's shoes were mine, so Bob had a tougher task…

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Then, she gave us our diagnosis and told us about the plan to start with my Artsy Nouveau look, and then layer on Bob's Single Malt Minimalism for a hybrid of Single Malt Nouveau. Now, here's where she warns us that she might go a little over the top with the girlie, feminine stuff and then tone it back down with Bob's style later.

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Emily, Orlando, and the team then proceed with the first look. I love this scene here where she's standing in a corner with full-on wallpaper! So cute. {Because no one puts Baby in the wallpapered corner!} And yes, this is from my wallpaper line. We did talk about that on the show but it got cut for time sake. They then proceeded to put together Artsy Nouveau…

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Vintage, hot pink, gold-gilded palace of girlieness!

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This was the expression on our faces. Don't we look scared? I was probably the most flustered as I didn't know something so feminine could exist. And that while I loved parts of it, on a whole it was too feminine even for me {and definitely for Bob}.

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Emily explains how she wanted to bring in a huge dose of "Joy" and then pare it down and add some of "Bob" in the next look. We were relieved that she wasn't going to leave it that way and excited to see the balance of our two styles in the second look.

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I loved this segment about how Emily placed our artwork on the wall in a pretty cluster. That paper trick is awesome and something I totally need to do going forward. They then did their magic, and here's the 2nd and final look…

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…which we LOVED! It was {and still is} a great mix of both Bob and my style. Emily paired down some of the girlieness and brought in more wood, chrome, and streamlined shapes that felt more modern and more like Bob…and a look which felt much more livable to me than the previous one.

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Can you see the smiles on our faces?!? Totally. Relieved. And so so happy!

You can see more before and after's right here. Check Emily's blog for all of her behind-the-scenes bit from our episode and sources on where she got everything. For the items that were ours that you guys have asked about…

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The ceramic head planters in the dining room are from Floral Art LA and the meat prints are by Dominic Episcopo.

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The prints above the couch are {from left to right}: lady print by Peggy Wolf, floral hedgehog by Chipmunk Cheeks, vintage poodle print from Rosebowl flea market, popsicle print by Anna Tillett, heart by CDR, portrait by Gemma Correll, bird print by Yumi Yumi, Manhattan print by Jim Datz for Three Potato Four, lemon print by Dear Colleen, lady print by Peggy Wolf, Swan girl print by Sophie Blackall, rabbit by Fifi Lapin, and buildings by Julia Rothman.

Phew! That was probably the longest post I've ever written! Thanks again for watching the episode and for all your nice emails, comments, and tweets! It was so fun sharing a bit of our home with you guys, and we hope you had fun watching it! — Joy

{all after photos by Laure Joliet. all other images are screen shots from the show}

116 comments

  1. I am FREAKING out over your home! I live in Denmark and cannot get the episode to load, but I’m going to keep trying because I am DYING to see it all! I’m so happy for you guys and it turned out completely amazing!!

  2. As I was skimming this the first go round and saw the pink palace, polite horror took over my face too, but oh my what a marriage of sophistication and elegance when Emily was done. Congratulations on your beautiful abode.

  3. Great post Joy! It also gave me a bit of an idea of what to expect 🙂 Emily did an amazing job and you and Bob are super adorable! I’m also loving the wall art trick. I tried to do the same thing but used a huge piece of paper, traced frames, and tried to stick it to the wall – FAIL :-/ glad to know there’s a better way! Thanks again for the behind the scenes post!

  4. Hi Joy, I love that you posted so many pictures (as I’m outside the US too, and can’t watch it) but I was wondering about the wallpaper – do you own your home? If not, are you allowed to wallpaper the walls? Just curious:) Hope you don’t mind the question.

  5. i totally watched this episode and did not realize it was you! so cool. the whole time i kept telling my fiance how much i liked all your outfits as well.

  6. The episode was so good. I love the look that was created and the pieces used. I also loved your coffee table that was originally yours. So jealous of the wonderful experience.

  7. What a great opportunity and it looks soo great! {Glad it was the 2nd option and not the first, for Bob’s sake!} Definitely going to have watch your episode. {Yay for you two!}

  8. Hi Joy, this was entertaining. The “scared” look on you and your husband’s faces is hilarious – thank god there was no crying. Not a lot of people would be up for a house makeover but you guys did it.

  9. Hi Joy! I watched the episode last night. Your room looks amazing! I really love the artwork display and the wallpaper. I have to say that I would miss that hot pink kitchen table though! It was so cool. Too bad it didn’t work with the rest of the look. 🙂

  10. It was a great episode! I was a little worried for you both when the first look was unveiled but it all came together wonderfully. Love your Kate Spade dress for the second reveal too. 🙂

  11. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  12. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  13. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  14. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  15. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  16. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  17. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  18. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  19. Oh god, I love the final look soooo much!! It makes me want to run out and wall paper our apartment! Too bad it’s a rental… *le sigh*
    In other news, that shot of you guys meeting with Emily in front of the cafe totally reminds me of the scene from “Inception”… haha!
    http://bit.ly/hsrdvz

  20. Hi Lynne,
    We dont own, we rent the place we currently live in. So I just had to get our landlords permission. He was way cooler about it then most landlords would be. If the next tenants dont want to keep the wallpaper then well just be responsible for having it removed and repainted. Which is worth it for me to get to enjoy it for however many years we do stay here!
    Thanks!!
    Joy

  21. enjoyed the show and love the final look! (and wow that TV credenza!! what a difference compared to the previous blk media unit). everything looks great!

  22. You guys are so freaking cute to watch!!! Emily’s styling is so chic and your rooms seem like the perfect balance of feminine and masculine.
    Note to self: must move to LA. Your views!

  23. Absolutely lovely! I love your wallpaper and simply adore the polka dot dress! And your facial expressions in the 1st reveal –priceless! I can see Bob’s already calculating how much it’s going to cost to undo all this and you’re like “Awh crap, is Bob gonna go into cardiac arrest?” Anyway, the end result is just fab. Congrats!

  24. Joy, I love your new design so much! Was so fun watching the show. We have two chairs like this wooden-framed one front of picture. Did you find/make the cushions yourself? I’m having a terrible time finding any cushion big enough to fit ours! Thanks much.

  25. Loved the episode! Your home looks great, the first style expression were so funny but in the end the room turned out gorgeous! You and Bob are really sweet. Love your blog too, it was fun to watch you on the show.

  26. The wallpaper. Looks. So. Good! I can’t stop looking at the photos of it. Not to mention that you and Bob were really fun to watch!
    I’m super impressed by Emily’s ability to make all those crazily different patterns work so well together.

  27. Yay! I have been so excited to see this episode & anticipating it’s availability on the internet. I know what I’ll be doing when I get home from work tonight!
    Joy, thanks for all the inspiration!!

  28. love what Emily did with your space, particularly the gallery wall on the great wallpaper 🙂
    set my dvr to tape her show and now have to refrain myself from completely redecorating my place!!

  29. loved watching the episode and you were so totally adorable the entire time! i wondered why they never mentioned that they were wallpapering with YOUR wallpaper! 😉

  30. I saw the episode! So great! I love what Emily did to your place- probably my favorite thing she’s done so far on the show! That wall paper is divine, as well! 😉

  31. I absolutely LOVED this episode! I love the wallpaper and how Emily pulled everything together in the second look. What a great place to live. 🙂

  32. I’m so very in love with you new room! Seriously, I’m obsessing over it! What I really wanted to say though, is how lucky you are to have such a terrific husband. I watched you interview video, and when he watches you talk you can see how much he loves you. Too sweet! Cheers! Kris10

  33. Hurrah! Emily is giving us what we have mourned since Domino (RIP) has been no more – her skills + Joy & Bob = perfection! (what a great treehouse in silverlake!) My favorite part? Seeing you two walk in a room surrounded by your gold wallpaper…. !

  34. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  35. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  36. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  37. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  38. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  39. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  40. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  41. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  42. Your house looks soooo lovely!! You must be loving living in your new, revamped space!! And I am in love with your wallpaper! You guys are such a cute couple, so cool to see you in “live-action”! xoxo

  43. The Emily and Joy collaboration has had me oh-so very excited! It is so neat to read the re-cap from you two on your blogs… something that never happens! The icing on the cake is that I love your styles so much. The room is beautiful. Congratulations!
    I wish so, so much that Emily would come to help us in NYC!

  44. Thanks everyone for your sweet super and kind comments! Bob and I had a blast filming the show. We LOVE our newly designed home, and Emily rocks the house…literally!
    xo,
    Joy

  45. Looks like the chair with the grey cushions and chrome arm rests was yours – what do you know about it? I love it, and have a similar loveseat.
    The final room is wonderful!

  46. Oh my goodness. I just saw this episode this weekend and didn’t realize that z u. I love ur blog and should have known that was u. You and Bob are so cute….I kept telling my husband how cute u guys were. Love Emily’s work. In fact, my post today on my blog was about Emily.
    haha.
    You guys are so lucky! She did a great job w/ ur space. Enjoy it!!!!!
    -christian

  47. Hello, Joy! Your blog has been a daily read for me for YEARS, and it was so great watching the episode and reading your recap. What an amazing opportunity that was! I have to say…your wardrobe is so enviable. The Kate Spade with the pink shoes?! *swoon*

  48. joy, i loved how the room turned out! the initial pink room was hilariously over the top. my favorite bits are the wallpaper + the art on the walls and bob’s favorite chair, cause it looks so comfy.

  49. Joy, the episode was so fun to watch! I was truly flattered that you asked for the pink hedgehog amongst such other wonderful artists. Hope you enjoy him…or her…not sure why i always think of the hedgeys as ‘hims.’ anyhoo, thanks for the link, enjoy your amazing space!
    Toodles,
    Katie “chipmunk cheeks” V.

  50. hehe i just finally got to watch the episode. such a beautiful home you guys have! i’m very much inspired to collect some great prints and arrange them eclectically like emily did.

  51. I finally got time to watch the episode too, the first reveal scared me a little, but the final room was totally beautiful!

  52. I think that first look would be enough for my Hubs to turn and run – so much going on.
    The second look is fabulous – great mix boldness & softness, in texture, form and colour.
    Your living room furniture is my ideal – I love it all (the truck, the chairs, the side table….).
    – agata.

  53. Hi Joy,
    Your room is wonderful!!!!
    I was wondering where you got the “Like For Ever” print in grey? I have seen it in pink before but never in grey. I love the grey color.
    FYI…this was my favorite episode of Emily’s thus far.

  54. Hi Joy!
    This is amazing! And it was so fun to see a pairing of two of our favorite things–Oh Joy! style and Emily’s room design!
    I also loved seeing the different ways to use the Eames style dining chairs–we use the ones w/ arms (from Overstock) as a desk chairs, and they even make a great white photo background in a pinch!
    Do you think that your wallpaper designs will ever be available in a temp. format, like Temper Paper, for us renters? If I though we’d stay somewhere for years I’d totally do the real wallpaper, but I think my beau and I are a bit too gypsy-hearted!
    Thanks so much!
    Kristen

  55. So much fun watching you come to life on TV! You’re so cute! My fave part is how she created your gallery wall. Thanks for sharing this process. I’m addicted to HGTV and have always wondered how people get on the programs.

  56. I loved seeing you guys on that show. Emily is really great—I love her style.
    The final result was very cool (and I agree with danielle, i looove that red headed lady!)
    But the real star of the show was YOUR WARDROBE! You looked soooo freakin’ cute everytime you were on screen.

  57. I love, love, love how it turned out! Emily did an amazing job. I wish I could just transplant your livingroom into my house! 😛
    – also joy 🙂

  58. i loved the episode .. cna i move in NOW??!?!? love his and her bus planters…. where do you find those?

  59. I always find it so interesting seeing bloggers in real life. So neat seeing the real people being the blogs. I really enjoyed the episode and the final result! You mentioned the bit about the wallpaper being your own design being cut for time but I was wondering if Emily knew it was your own design before you saw it at the reveal? Or was it a total surprise to see your own wallpaper when you had the first reveal?

  60. Joy I love the space, but the second I saw you polka dot dress, that’s all I could focus on! I’ve had that exact dress in my head for over a year, where ever did you get it?

  61. Totally want the base for your dining table. It’s just what I’ve been looking for! Need to keep looking. Enjoy your space- it looks awesome. So many treasures.

  62. I love how this turned out. Question, though– how does that beautiful credenza work as a TV stand? I’m loving the look of it and trying to talk my husband into something similar, but he’s arguing it’s impractical. Do you have to keep one of the doors open to use your remote(s) on DVD player, cable box, etc.? Do you have a speaker/sound system, and do you store it inside of the closed doors? Doesn’t that muffle the sound? Just trying to figure it all out. Seems like you had far more going on in your original, larger media center. Where’d it all go? Thanks in advance for your help!

  63. Hi LW,
    My husbands both techy handy so he didnt like that initially we had to keep a door open for the remote to work on the items inside. So he
    used an IR repeater that acts basically like a window to whatever is inside your media center. This is the exact one we use:
    http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Extender-System-Black/dp/B003FST9EC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8qid=1301244616sr=8-2
    This is only problem with that is if you have something controlled via radio frequency, which almost no home electronics today do.
    Now, we can operate the TV, DVR, Cable Box, and a video game system without opening the door! 😉
    We have surround speakers that sit on top of the credenza and behind the couch.
    Hope that helps!
    Joy

  64. Joy-
    You and Bob are soooo adorable (and well dressed)! I have been reading your blog for a long time but I hadn’t seen the latest episode of Secrets from A Stylist (it is sitting on my dvr). So I just had to stop everything and watched it! That is very cool that you guys got to be on it! My only complaint on their part is that they didn’t say it was your wallpaper design! They should have totally given you credit! Also Bob was a really good sport about all of the pink in the first version!
    Was Emily as nice in person as she appears on tv? I was really hoping that she would win DesignStar and I am very happy she has a show on HGTV.

  65. Thank you for introducing me to Emily Henderson! Her work on your home is gorgeous (love the artwork grouping). I have been a lurker on your blog for a long time and just wanted to let you know I love your blog. Keep up the great work!

  66. Love your room. I am ordering your same dining room chairs to use with my farm table. I am also obsessively looking for a credenza. I can’t find the credit for it on the show (the last look). Thank you and your wallpaper is to die for.

  67. I haven’t seen that show yet so I had no idea that there was that little trick of the super girly room before she was done and that scared me to death–but your rooms look amazing now, glad you made it on the show!

  68. This is the best makeover I’ve ever seen on HGTV, period. Emily + Joy = style match made in heaven!!! I have a quick question for you, I have been debating for a long time between the couch that Emily got for you guys from Room & Board and another one locally. What do you guys think of the couch? Is it as comfortable as it looks? I’ve been hesitant to order it sight unseen. I would love your opinion on it!!! Thanks Joy!

  69. Hi Joy,
    I’ve been loving your gorgeous blog for awhile now. I loved this episode from Secrets and was blown away by your amazing wallpaper! I was wondering, what color paint is on your dining room walls?? It is the perfect shade of gray I am looking for.
    Thanks!
    Joanna from LA

  70. Hi Joy, I’ve just been re-reading this post (again) and spotted your *gorgeous* cocktail cart. I’ve read through both your and Emily’s posts but can seem to find a source for it. Any chance you’d mind sharing where you got it? I love it’s vintage glam good looks and my gin collection needs a new home! Thanks, miss

  71. The most visible benefit of wallpaper is the dramatic change in the looks of the rooms. A new pattern breathes a new life in a room. In some cases, the room looks completely renovated with a simple change of wallpaper.

  72. hi Joy! what color did you order for the heart print? Yours seems a bit lk a faded pink but on Christopher David Ryans website, all the colors seem so vibrant. i LOVE the heart print. its so simple but perfect! Diana

  73. Hi Diana,
    The one I have is pink. I think it was his first edition. He may have changed the design or color since then as the one he sells now is differently a little different.
    Best!
    Joy

  74. Oh joy,
    You have a beautiful Home! I love it! I was wondering where did you get your Gold Curtain Rods? I wasn’t able to find the info from Emily’s blog. Thanks!

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