Decor

Create Beautiful AND Livable Spaces

As a blogger and designer, I share beautiful spaces. I love to inspire, but I know sometimes this faux perfection can be exhausting. Today in partnership with STAINMASTER, I’m sharing how to create beautiful AND livable spaces.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of STAINMASTERยฎ. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a professional photographer, and together we stage photos such as this one of my bedroom. There is nothing wrong with creating a beautiful home (I’m a huge advocate for surrounding yourself with beauty) but you must realize that you LIVE in your home.

I wish our home looked as perfect as my Instagram feed, but the reality is that it never does. I have a messy husband and three kids – one of which is a mini tornado. She manages to leave a messy trail wherever she goes.

You’d never know how much use our stairs see from this staged shot.

Here’s a shot of the same stairway just a few nights ago. My kids were using the stairs as a sledding hill (even my 15 year old jumped in on the fun)! My family is fantastic at testing out the durability of our STAINMASTER flooring.

And here’s me happily fluffing pillows in our very clean guest room.

This is a more honest representation of the space.

It is the security office for my youngest two as they monitor our home.

We selected STAINMASTERยฎ carpet for our home knowing all STAINMASTERยฎ carpets include a *lifetime warranty on stain, soil, static shock and pet urine and can keep up with my crazy family (*as always, check your warranty for more details).

  • Upstairs Carpet: Power Point in White Dove
  • Stairway Carpet: Bora Bora in Harbor Lights
  • Master Bedroom: Braided Opulence in Flannel

Get 10% off Select STAINMASTER Carpet & RUGS!

If you are looking for new carpet, I have coupon from my friends at STAINMASTER just for you! You can get 10% off up to $500 on select carpet and rugs. GO HERE for the coupon and to find the nearest participating retailer to you.


Besides our STAINMASTER carpet, our LVP sees lots of living.

Here’s my perfectly clean laundry room (my laundry for the day apparently consisted of only two pretty towels).

However, here’s what my laundry room looks life in real life when photo shoots aren’t happening (and there was no way I was going to step in this photo and show you what real-life Sara looks like)!

We selected STAINMASTERยฎ LVP for our home in Phenix natural because it provides the look of beautifully realistic wood and STAINMASTER’s durability and easy maintenance.

One evening I found my youngest painting on the laundry room floor.

When I asked her what was going on, she happily replied that she knew the paint would be easy to clean up since it was STAINMASTER flooring.

Our back entry is our mudroom, so it sees the most traffic in our home.

We often think about little kids being rough on homes and flooring, but my teenage boys are doing a fantastic job of making toddlers seem harmless.

I hope sharing my family’s real-life photos were helpful to you. Even influencers can’t live up to the staged social media images we share.

Want some tips on how to choose flooring? Go HERE to see how we thought through our selection process knowing it would create a beautiful AND livable spaces!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Pinterest

Join the Conversation

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

We're On Instagram
I love this chair and side table from @zgallerie that I decided to try it in my office/library. Iโ€™m not sure where I love it more - here or my bedroom! It adds so much elegance and charm to the spaces. Use my code SY5 at checkout for 5% off your entire purchase.
Shop My Favorites by commenting LINKS or through the link in my bio #ZGallerie #MyZgallerie #Zgallerie #ModernLuxury #LuxuryInterior

...

26 11
We waited 13 years for this - and our house looks happier with her glow-up!

We went from a drafty single door (with a 90s glass inlay I poorly covered up) to double doors that allows in more light and feel right for our home.

What do you think?

...

89 38
My patio is all ready for warmer weather thanks to the new launch with @livabliss + @galeyalix! Iโ€™m LOVING the checkerboard outdoor rug. Comment โ€œPATIOโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the links! #Livabliss #LivablissHome #GaleyALixxLivabliss #HomeDecor #Rugs

...

40 16
Iโ€™ve been slowly refreshing our bedroom and recently added this beautiful swivel chair and side table from @zgallerie! They add the perfect elegant modern touch to the space. Use my code SY5 at checkout for 5% off your entire purchase. Shop My Favorites by commenting โ€œLINKSโ€ or through the link in my bio. 
#gifted #ZGallerie #MyZgallerie #Zgallerie #ModernLuxury

...

20 16
What started as a leak turned into my dream bathroom โœจ I partnered with @wayfair and found everything - from checkerboard tile to the vanities, mirrors, and faucets. Comment โ€œLINKโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you all my favorite finds! *Shower glass coming soon! #ad #wayfaircreator #homereno

...

70 34
@wayfair is helping us turn a disaster into something beautiful โœจA leak from our upstairs shower led to a full remodel, and I canโ€™t wait to show you the AFTER! Bathroom remodel reveal coming soon. Comment โ€œLINKSโ€ and Iโ€™ll send all my Wayfair favorites! #ad #wayfaircreator #wayfair #homereno

...

48 15
*TWO THINGS that make wallpaper removal easy* Wallpaper has come a long way and thereโ€™s no need to be scared of it anymore! Before I hang wallpaper, I size the walls and often use pre-pasted SureStrip wallpaper that is activated with water! Comment WALLPAPER for easy to remove wallpaper links!

...

41 29
What a difference pattern can make in a space! 

Are you ready to try wallpaper in your home?

...

131 46
2016 didnโ€™t seem that long ago until I dug through my blog for old home photos. ๐Ÿ˜ณ

...

112 13
Dreaming of spring days while winter does its thing.

...

63 14
We're On Instagram
I love this chair and side table from @zgallerie that I decided to try it in my office/library. Iโ€™m not sure where I love it more - here or my bedroom! It adds so much elegance and charm to the spaces. Use my code SY5 at checkout for 5% off your entire purchase.
Shop My Favorites by commenting LINKS or through the link in my bio #ZGallerie #MyZgallerie #Zgallerie #ModernLuxury #LuxuryInterior

...

26 11
We waited 13 years for this - and our house looks happier with her glow-up!

We went from a drafty single door (with a 90s glass inlay I poorly covered up) to double doors that allows in more light and feel right for our home.

What do you think?

...

89 38
My patio is all ready for warmer weather thanks to the new launch with @livabliss + @galeyalix! Iโ€™m LOVING the checkerboard outdoor rug. Comment โ€œPATIOโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the links! #Livabliss #LivablissHome #GaleyALixxLivabliss #HomeDecor #Rugs

...

40 16
Iโ€™ve been slowly refreshing our bedroom and recently added this beautiful swivel chair and side table from @zgallerie! They add the perfect elegant modern touch to the space. Use my code SY5 at checkout for 5% off your entire purchase. Shop My Favorites by commenting โ€œLINKSโ€ or through the link in my bio. 
#gifted #ZGallerie #MyZgallerie #Zgallerie #ModernLuxury

...

20 16
What started as a leak turned into my dream bathroom โœจ I partnered with @wayfair and found everything - from checkerboard tile to the vanities, mirrors, and faucets. Comment โ€œLINKโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you all my favorite finds! *Shower glass coming soon! #ad #wayfaircreator #homereno

...

70 34
@wayfair is helping us turn a disaster into something beautiful โœจA leak from our upstairs shower led to a full remodel, and I canโ€™t wait to show you the AFTER! Bathroom remodel reveal coming soon. Comment โ€œLINKSโ€ and Iโ€™ll send all my Wayfair favorites! #ad #wayfaircreator #wayfair #homereno

...

48 15
*TWO THINGS that make wallpaper removal easy* Wallpaper has come a long way and thereโ€™s no need to be scared of it anymore! Before I hang wallpaper, I size the walls and often use pre-pasted SureStrip wallpaper that is activated with water! Comment WALLPAPER for easy to remove wallpaper links!

...

41 29
What a difference pattern can make in a space! 

Are you ready to try wallpaper in your home?

...

131 46
2016 didnโ€™t seem that long ago until I dug through my blog for old home photos. ๐Ÿ˜ณ

...

112 13
Dreaming of spring days while winter does its thing.

...

63 14