内容摘要：. Liam, halfway through folding a towel with suspicious precision, sighed. Searching for an explanation for why that particular task always fell on me, he said, "Maybe it's because I'm a Virgo and you're... well, you." We laughed, but it stuck. Later that night, we went down an internet rabbit hole of zodiac traits, half-mocking, half-curious. And something clicked.

. Liam, halfway through folding a towel with suspicious precision, sighed. Searching for an explanation for why that particular task always fell on me, he said, "Maybe it's because I'm a Virgo and you're... well, you." We laughed, but it stuck. Later that night, we went down an internet rabbit hole of zodiac traits, half-mocking, half-curious. And something clicked.

All I had to do was cut the fabric and staple it snugly over the cushion. The vibrant yellow was fun, but not enough for this seating nook, so I took it further by adding a cream throw (a similar hue as the leaves on the wallcovering), and a whimsicalA trip to HomeGoods resulted in a marble and brass plant stand that doubles as a mini side table. I also picked up marble knobs that look like dandelions, adding to my garden theme. This was a (mostly) easy swap, but I did have to use a hacksaw to remove the original brass knobs that were stuck.

Organizing the shelving on the built-ins took hours, but I started by decluttering old magazines and miscellaneous tchotchkes. I focused on curating my collection of design books, ceramics, and planters. I stayed true to the wall covering and added pops of yellow and read throughout to tie it all together.All the additional decor elements, sourced from HomeGoods, thrift stores, or repurposed from other spaces around the house bumped my makeover expense another $200. I am still looking for the perfect office chair. The floors need to be refinished, too — but that’s a project for another time.And the grand total for this gorgeous, colorful wonderland of a home office? Just over $1,000 and worth every penny!

Never miss the style inspo and recommendations you crave with Design Defined. Follow along each week as our Home Director Danielle shares the best style advice, latest trends, and popular decor finds you just can't miss.There’s nothing like the clean lines of freshly cut grass. But, what if we told you skipping your final step of bagging those grass clippings can actually help you

—and at no additional cost to you? Allowing your mower to leave behind grass clippings can have a variety of benefits for your lawn.

As your mower blades trim the grass, they produce clippings that can be immediately vacuumed up by your mower or left behind for pickup after the fact. Here, Jim Licklider, associate director of arboriculture and integrated pest management (IPM) atA flea market find may

like a good deal, but some pieces actually require lots of extra TLC to really shine. "Don't underestimate the," Shaffer stresses. "I may pass if I can't justify the repair costs."

If you find something that's intriguing but ultimately doesn't fully speak to you, skip it. "If you're on the fence, it's advisable to leave it behind," Shaffer says. The right piece could be just around the corner!Larger purchases—as in, anything that's physically more sizable as well as things that are more costly—will require some additional consideration, and you should pass up anything that doesn't feel quite right, explains