

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…
A bouquet from my wife’s cut flower garden arranged in a vintage vase or mason jar.
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!
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.
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.
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!
Peel-and-stick wallpaper is amazeballs.
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.
White. I like white walls, especially in my bedroom. I like that clean, bright, peaceful feeling.
Did you read the thing about the white paint?
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.
We aspire to be Japandi: minimalist, but with bold color and pattern here and there.
I’m fairly obsessed with Outerknown blanket shirts. The perfect layer. Can dress them up or down. I wish I had 10 of them.
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.
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.
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.
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