Feels Like Home Eva Kosmas Flores & Sam Struck

Thank you guys SO much for listening to season 1 of the podcast! We had so much fun putting it together for you guys and chatting with all the amazing guests.
We’re taking a few months off, and we’ll be back later in the summer with new episodes. And if there’s any subject that you’re interested in having us cover on the podcast, or someone you’d like to see as a guest, feel free to reach out and let us know on Instagram @feelslikehomepodcast, or via email at feelslikehomepodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks again, enjoy the rest of spring + beginning of summer, and we’ll chat again soon!

In this episode, we’re diving deep into creating a bedroom that is both welcoming, soothing, functional, and captivating. At its base function, a bedroom should be a sanctuary space for you to recharge, feel safe and cozy, and relax.
Whether you’re wondering about what screen devices to shy away from in your bedroom, what kind of bed to get, how to make the most of bedroom storage, soothing lighting, or making your bedroom secure for “private” time, we dive into all of it in this episode. Tune in here!
SHOW WEBSITE - https://feelslikehomepodcast.com/
FIND US ON INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/feelslikehomepodcast/
FOR DESIGN + GARDEN ADVICE CONTACT - FeelsLikeHomePodcast@gmail.com

Our guests in this episode are mother and daughter team Sarah and Jo Blasi from Selva Floral Design. Sarah is a floral artist known for her unstructured and abundant floral & botanical designs. She focuses on sourcing local and sustainably grown flowers and foliages from the small flower farm she runs with Jo. Jo is an incredibly talented floral gardener and both she and Sarah grow a *HUGE* variety of flowers on a half acre of land in Oregon.
When it comes to getting more blooms out of your flowers, they recommend starting with the soil. A good, nourished soil will create much more blooms more easily and produce a healthy thriving plant that will bud more vigorously. They recommend using soil amendments like bone meal + compost, and there are many companies making organic soil amendments specifically blended for flowers. Growing conditions are also key, so make sure you understand the exact needs of that species of flower (does it need lots of sun, does it prefer partial shade, does it need a lot of water, etc) and plant it in a location that fits its needs + water it accordingly. And lastly, pinching back the stems can be really helpful with certain flowering plants.
Sarah and Jo also recommended a TON of amazing flower varieties during the show, and we have them listed below as well as some general resources. But make sure to listen to the show to soak up all of their *insanely helpful* flower growing advice!
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We welcomed the incredibly talented artist, designer, and straw bale home owner + builder Sharolyn Schofield onto this show for this chat about sustainable design both in furniture and in home construction. Sharolyn is a multi-talented creative who works with natural materials like wood and metals to create sculptures, furniture, jewelry and other artwork. The foundation of many of her pieces comes from wood sourced at the local Dee Mill, which processes reclaimed urban lumber, natural edge slabs, and can do custom milling based on the needs of her projects.
Because of her commitment to and passion for sustainability and natural earthen materials, she always dreamed of building her own straw bale house. Straw bale homes are indeed made of straw bales, which are then stacked up to ceiling height, staked with a metal rod in the center to keep in place, and then plastered over with natural plasters and clay to seal them. They’re 3x more energy efficient than conventional framing, and they’ve been used in building construction for hundreds (if not thousands) of years.
And on top of that, the interiors are ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING, as is evidenced by Sharolyn’s images of her dreamy eco-friendly home coming together. The beauty reflects the details and nuance that come from doing it by hand with a personal touch, which takes time, but it’s worth it to have a space that is specifically made to exactly what she needs, and holds memories of the creation of this incredible home. The natural and charming feel that comes from a straw bale home is warm and welcoming, and the curves and organic shapes also stirs a sense of creativity and inspiration. You can see what I mean in the photos Sharolyn provided below 😀
Make sure to tune in HERE to learn all about the process of building her straw bale home, what she learned, and where she’s at now—and a very HUGE thanks to Sharolyn for sharing all about her home with us!
References + Mentions:Schofield Designs Site + InstagramSharolyn’s Straw Bale Home’s InstagramThe Dee MillStrawbale.com (recommended resource for those interested in learning more about straw bale home construction)Straw Bale Home Workshops
SHOW WEBSITE - https://feelslikehomepodcast.com/
FIND US ON INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/feelslikehomepodcast/
FOR DESIGN + GARDEN ADVICE CONTACT - FeelsLikeHomePodcast@gmail.com

In this episode we’re diving into the most requested interior topic—kitchens! We’ve all soaked up the gorgeous gleaming and pristine kitchens on Pinterest and in design magazines and blogs….but how do those really hold up when you’re actually cooking, living, and moving in the space?
Well, one of the most important things when it coming to designing a kitchen that’s as useful as it is beautiful is the cabinets. When you’re picking out your cabinets, you want to think about accessibly and how you’ll use them. We recommend having drawers on the lower cabinets, so you can access the back of the cabinet storage space easily and don’t need to crouch down as much. If you want to store dishware in the drawers, many cabinet makers offer great wooden peg drawers that allow you to customize the storage space of the drawer to fit your exact dishware.
If you have frequently used appliances like a coffee machine, toaster, or microwave, and don’t want them out visible on the counter all the time, you also might want to consider getting an appliance garage cabinet. This is a cabinet that rests on your countertop but is set back so that there is a bit of usable counter space in front of the cabinet. Vertical slats are also really useful for kitchen storage for large but flat items like cookie sheets and cutting boards.
In terms of overall kitchen layout, you want to give at least 40 inches between the island and the cabinets so that there is enough room for someone to walk by when you have your dishwasher door or cabinet door open. It’s also important to think about the “kitchen work triangle”, which is the distance and trail between the sink, oven, and refrigerator. You really want that walkway to be as simple and accessible as possible, and minimize any awkward objects in the way.
We’re diving into LOTS more kitchen information in the episode including undermount vs overmount sinks, allll the types of kitchen countertops and which are the most durable, and much more, so make sure to tune in HERE + soak up all the useful kitchen tidbits to make the most of your space!
References + Mentions:Inset vs Overlay cabinetsPeg drawer organizerAppliance garagePull out pantry cabinetUndermount vs overmount sinkFarmhouse style sinksKitchen work triangle
SHOW WEBSITE - https://feelslikehomepodcast.com/
FIND US ON INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/feelslikehomepodcast/
FOR DESIGN + GARDEN ADVICE CONTACT - FeelsLikeHomePodcast@gmail.com

Get ready for some insanely gorgeous interiors, because in this episode we’re diving into all things plaster with Lauren Dillon. Lauren Dillon is the lead designer at Master of Plaster, a traditional lime plaster and lime wash maker based out of South Carolina. She’s passionate about restoring historic structures and infusing modern design with traditional plaster work, and specializes in making and recreating ornamental plasters.
So, what is lime plaster? Well, it’s mainly composed with hydrated lime made from limestone. It’s a natural material that is safe to use within the home, and not only that, but it also reabsorbs carbon dioxide from your home during the curing process, and it also has a high pH which is why mold and bacteria can’t grow on it, either.
And in addition to being an environmentally friendly interior finish, it’s also INSANELY beautiful. As you can see from the images in this post, the texture and depth and nuance it adds to your interior space are completely unique and unparalleled. The crushed limestone in the basecoat creates a subtle shimmer that’s visible when the light hits the plaster, and it just adds such depth and visual magic to an interior space.
One of the most common questions folks ask is whether or not plaster can be applied to newer wall materials (like drywall), and the answer is yes! Lauren recommends painting the wall with primer first before applying the plaster layers to the wall. And lime plaster can also be applied to existing plaster walls in older homes, too.
As far as how to apply the plaster to the wall, this should be done using a trowel, where the wet plaster is applied to the trowel, and then the trowel is pressed against the wall in a sweeping motion to apply the plaster to the wall. Lauren does 1:1 coaching sessions via video and/or in-person with their plaster clients who want to apply it themselves and coaches them through the application process to make sure things go smoothly.
Make sure to tune into the episode to learn about how to incorporate lime plaster into your home!
References + Mentions:Master of Plaster’s websiteMaster of Plaster’s InstagramTrowel (the tool used to apply plaster to the wall)
SHOW WEBSITE - https://feelslikehomepodcast.com/
FIND US ON INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/feelslikehomepodcast/
FOR DESIGN + GARDEN ADVICE CONTACT - FeelsLikeHomePodcast@gmail.com