Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Quick Takes With: Sally Kohn

Search

Quick Takes With: Sally Kohn

February 2, 2025
sally-kohn-sarah-hansen

You've reached Quick Takes With..., our weekly column reserved for paid subscribers. To upgrade to a paid subscription—and get access to bonus content like this, and more— head here.

You’ve probably seen Sally Kohn on the news—through her work as a political commentator, community organizer, writer, and communications strategist, that is. Or, perhaps, maybe, you’ve seen her work right here on Gardenista and Remodelista? We’re delighted to be among the esteemed publications she lends her voice to—among them CNN, MSNBC, Afar, and also not one but *three* TED talks.

“After 25+ years in New York City, I moved back to Pennsylvania, and I’m now DIY-ing my way through life in a 1780s farmhouse on eight acres,” says Sally. Her remodeling dispatches are filled with surprising wins, occasional mishaps, and her characteristic humor, and her design opinions are no different: Today she writes in from PA with a favorite shop, the designer she wants to hang out with (are you listening, Joanna Gaines?), and an unpopular design opinion she’s doubling down on…

Sally&#8\2\17;s guest bedroom. (See her hard-won tips for hosting here.)
Above: Sally’s guest bedroom. (See her hard-won tips for hosting here.)

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

A bouquet from my wife’s cut flower garden arranged in a vintage vase or mason jar.

What’s on your bedside table?

In addition to a bunch of non-fiction public affairs-type books (duh), we’ve been buying garden books out the wazoo. A bunch of Piet Oudolf books for inspiration. But my new favorite is The English Gardener’s Garden: so many fantastic pictures and tons of inspiration!

What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?

I’m a news nerd. And while I prefer to read the news, if I have a long car ride you can bet I’m listening to The Daily podcast from the New York Times.

Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?

I really love Beata Heuman (@beataheuman), the way she mixes patterns but does so in a way that still feels classic. And I’m secretly a Joanna Gaines (@joannagaines) superfan. I love her aesthetic and her sense of humor. I think personality is such an important design, and I guess I just wanna hang out in EVERY Joanna Gaines design WITH Joanna Gaines. There, I said it.

What has been your best house upgrade?

Above: On Sally’s wish list: a BC Greenhouse.

That depends on what you mean by best. The “fun” thing about living in a 1780s barn is that there are endless upgrades, all of which are necessary. But if we’re talking best in the sense of most pleasurable? My home office is in an outbuilding that used to house squab. So we call it the Pigeon House. The building also has a garden shed with a separate entrance, and we decided to insulate the shed, line it in rustic pine, and break through the wall. So now I have this extra little room in my office with all my storage and my printer and stuff like that, plus a little bathroom with a composting toilet. It’s just so delightful and sweet and feels like found space, which is so rare. Now I just need a new garden shed…or I have my eye on a stunning BC Greenhouse!

A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?

Peel-and-stick wallpaper is amazeballs.

My favorite sheets are…

Piglet in Bed makes the softest linen sheets in stunning colors. I’m particularly partial to their Atlantic shade of blue, but they also have some really fun plaids that work in our farmhouse but still feel fun and modern. And I love every single blanket that Schoolhouse has ever made.

My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…

White. I like white walls, especially in my bedroom. I like that clean, bright, peaceful feeling.

My unpopular design opinion is…

Did you read the thing about the white paint?

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

We have a wooden utensil that isn’t quite a spatula and isn’t quite a spoon but is somewhere in between. A spoontula? It’s just the greatest shape and feels amazing to hold. Someday I want to get better at woodworking so I can make more of them and give them to everyone I know.

A few words that describe my design style:

We aspire to be Japandi: minimalist, but with bold color and pattern here and there.

Even Sally&#8\2\17;s outdoor space has pops of bold color. Photograph by Sally Kohn, from The Year of Magical Lighting (or How I Nailed My Outdoor Lighting Scheme).
Above: Even Sally’s outdoor space has pops of bold color. Photograph by Sally Kohn, from The Year of Magical Lighting (or How I Nailed My Outdoor Lighting Scheme).

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

I’m fairly obsessed with Outerknown blanket shirts. The perfect layer. Can dress them up or down. I wish I had 10 of them.

Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?

Our friend Meg runs Modern Love in Frenchtown, NJ, and carries everything of our dreams. Whenever we’re there, we find some Japanese office supplies or beautiful woven basked that we absolutely need.

Something you’re coveting?

My friend Clare V has a new collab with Schoolhouse. And I love all things Schoolhouse and love Clare V, so of course their collaboration is perfection. I have my eye on a bright red lamp they did that feels to me sort of like a cartoon character it’s so dang cute.

Anything else you’d like us to know?

I’m currently lining a linen closet with tongue-and-groove cedar and building cedar shelves. And we’re converting a small room into a “snug”, with a cozy raised daybed that I’m building out of an old twin bed frame. So stay tuned for that! And I’m very very slowly trying to teach myself to do 3D computer rendering so that I can better plan and envision future house and garden projects. But that’s a complete slog for me. It’s HARD.

Thanks so much, Sally! Follow her work at @sallykohn and sallykohn.com—and right here on Gardenista and Remodelista, too.

For our full archive of Quick Takes, head here.

N.B.: This column was first published on Remodelista on January 12, 2025.

(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

v5.0