12 years with you.

December 28, 2025

or 105,120 hours and counting…

in the early days we used to count the hours until we’d see each other again. when life turned my world upside down and made it revolve around you. when you were it.

Nick, you’re still it.

Even though I don’t say it maybe as regularly as I should, you continue to make all my wildest dreams come true. Twelve years, two houses, and three boys with the greatest, most handsome man I know.

Know that now, more than ever, as we both build our dream businesses while raising smart, kind and level headed humans that I couldn’t imagine going through life with anyone but you. I love you with my whole heart – happy anniversary my love.

My Five 2026 Design Trends

December 2, 2025

As we look ahead to 2026, one theme is crystal clear: interiors are becoming warmer, more natural, and more personal than ever. The focus is shifting toward materials that feel good to live with, colors that ground us, and craftsmanship that makes a home truly unique.

Here are five trends I’m loving for the year ahead—and how you can bring them into your own home.

1. Stone as Art: Sculptural Countertops & Statement Surfaces

Next year, stone isn’t just a surface—it’s a moment. Designers are treating marble, limestone, and quartzite like sculptural elements. Think dramatic veining, chunky monolithic islands, waterfall legs, and curved stone edges that feel custom and high-end.

Texture matters, too. Honed, leathered, and brushed finishes are taking the lead over anything polished or shiny. Integrated sinks, or fully custom free standing sinks – elevated uses are here to stay.

If you’ve followed WYC Designs for a while, you know I love a stone with personality. Breccia Aurora, Calacatta Viola, or even a pink marble moment? Always yes.

brittany albert - shot by @nicole_franzen

2. Earth Pigments & Clay Paints

The paint world is moving toward sun-baked, grounded color palettes inspired by natural pigments: clay, sand, terracotta, and soft earth tones.

Instead of cool greys and stark whites, 2026 is all about:

Clay taupe
Warm barley
Muted desert rose
Moss oatmeal
Soft sienna

Ultra-matte finishes like limewash or clay paint add beautiful movement to a room without feeling busy. These tones layer perfectly with natural stone, warm woods, and unlacquered brass—three things I will never quit.

3. A Return to True Natural Materials

“Natural” isn’t a look—it’s a lifestyle shift. Homeowners are gravitating toward materials that age, patina, and tell a story over time.

You’ll see more:

Natural wood tones like walnut, white oak, ash, and cedar
Handmade tile instead of machine-perfect alternatives
Tadelakt, lime plaster, and clay walls
Unpolished limestone and rough-cut stone
Cane, rattan, reed, and woven grasses

This trend aligns so deeply with the way I design. I’m always more drawn to an imperfect plaster wall than a perfectly smooth drywall surface.

wyc designs, lacanche range — wyc designs

4. Mixed Metals & Beautiful Patina

Shiny finishes are taking a back seat. In 2026, interiors will be full of lived-in metals—unlacquered brass, aged bronze, burnished nickel, and blackened steel, often mixed together in one space.

The look is warm, authentic, and quietly luxurious. Take a mixed metal Lacanche range for example. I’m getting antsy to include one in a future project.

If you know me… you know this is my happy place. Give me aging brass and a hand-rubbed bronze dome any day. The key is embracing imperfections—they add soul to a room.

5. Quiet Maximalism: Warm, Layered Living

Not clutter—just cozy. “Quiet Maximalism” blends the warmth and personality of collected interiors with a calm, curated feeling.

This looks like:

Layered textiles
Mixed woods
Chunkier upholstery
Vintage accents
Full, tailored drapery
Collected books, pottery, and personal touches

It’s about creating spaces that feel lived-in, loved, and deeply personal—not staged or overdesigned. This trend plays beautifully with photography-driven styling, which makes my designer heart very happy.

Final Thoughts

The overarching message for 2026 is this:
Homes are becoming more human. More textured. More storied. More natural. More warm.

If you’re planning a renovation or simply refreshing a room, lean into materials that feel good to touch, colors that soothe, and details that will age gracefully.

And if you want help applying these trends to your own home – well, you know where to find me. 🤍

wycdesigns.com

A Summer 2025 Recap

November 27, 2025

if you ask me what I’m thankful for – I’d say this life. This time. This past summer.

Endless memories, extra time and the flexibility to not just build my dream business but to actually take weeks away to live in the moment with my family. To reset, to re-evaluate.

We skipped the annual holiday card photo shoot this year – so I’ll leave you with these.

A gentle reminder that the joy is in the in-between, the less scripted, the blissful chaos.

Wishing everyone a beautiful thanksgiving filled with comfort food, loved ones and maybe a sweet or two.

the gernerts

A Beginners Guide to Round Top

March 31, 2025

Welp – we did it.

Corry and I have been talking about a trip to Round Top for awhile and we finally made it happen. With a decent list of items needed for custom home projects it was the perfect time to fly out to Texas and get our Round Top fill.

We did some research beforehand and asked for some recs from fellow designers and friends which helped us a ton. We got in a day early to meet with our Four Hands family and then spent two full days at Round top – here’s everything we learned.

A few biggie things to consider:

Lodging is kinda slim in Round Top proper so we stayed in downtown Austin and truly didn’t mind the 1hr and 10min commute! We drank coffee, went through other work related items and ran through our day and next plan of attack. Also, a rental is a must.
Bring checks and/or be prepared to use Zelle or Venmo apps. We pretty much do everything through our work Amex but some vendors geniuely preferred to use cash apps.
Shipping logistics vary. Some vendors help faciliate but most of them do not. There are other shipping vendors there that you will then need to contact to get shipping estimates done. It’s not as turn key as I would have hoped but we still made it work. Most folks bring a u-haul! And for smaller items we utilized a local UPS tent and they were super efficient.

Now on to our favorites:

Shopping

WYC Designs - Round Top - Beginners Guide

Marburger Farm was our first stop and the most successful. We sourced all our big ticket furniture items from this particular market. There are over 7 tents with access to food/drinks and they typically had live music. You do need to purchase tickets in advance to enter this one – $15 for unlimited entry. Totally worth it. This is a really good mix of antiques, furniture, lighting, clothing and accessories. Don’t miss Good Livin’ Co. – I’ve got a soft spot for these folks.

Horseshoe was second on our list! From Prize to Em to Rose and Grace they had really amazing vendors! We bought some accessories/staging items here but nothing too big. We loved a lot, shared a lot but unfortunately nothing worked out but man, we’ll be back.

Market Halles was another great spot filled with a lot of vendors – Amelia Tabert is one of them. We tried really hard for a few of her pieces but again, didn’t work out. Also a lot of pieces we sold at this point. We did more vintage styling items for upcoming shoots so it wasn’t a total miss.

Jardine De France was a total stunner. We would have hung out here all day if it weren’t for the rainy windy weather. Their showrooms are exquisite (a bit on the pricer side) but really beautiful pieces and super cute greenhouse looking bar with light bites.

Box Road was another highlight! This one is a stand alone shop and super adorable from the street. It’s loaded with a mix of antique and reclaimed new furniture. They make custom pieces as well which is cool and the two guys that run it are so darn kind. We bought more staging and decor items from them because their shop was just so well curated. Make it a must visit.

Round Top Antiques was super cool and Rosie the black lab is the best little greeter. Three large barns filled with antique and vintage furniture – they tend to lean a bit more rustic but truly some one of a kind pieces. I feel like things were a bit pricey here as well but we saw a lot of beautiful things.

Food/Drink

LuLu’s – we made a reservation which was a really good idea. It has a nice elevated environment with an amazing butter cake. We left pretty dang happy.
Lady Elaine is a food truck set up at Junk Gypsy – coffee was top notch! I suggest the drip hold the cream.
Next time we want to try the tex mex place and Round Top Brewing.

They have 2 big markets in Spring and Fall and we’re already contemplating taking the whole team back this Fall. If you plan to go drop us a note – we’d love to meet you!

Little Valentines with Minted

February 3, 2025

this post is sponsored by Minted but the words and photos are all my own.

How is it already February?! The first of the year flew by and as we get into Palmer’s birthday month I’m reminded of how much I loved Valentine’s day as a kid. The candy, the notes and all the pink and red! I’ve sprinkled some hearts and decor around the house which adds just a little something as all the Christmas has been officially packed up and it’s been a nice seasonal shift.

For years I’ve used Minted for all their class Valentines. The personalization is just the best and they have so many fun and quirky cards for kids. For Hudson we did “Friend-chip Goals” as he’s a big chip eater but also doesn’t want any mushy valentine messaging – guys he’s 10. For Palmer we did the “I like you A’Lotle” as he loves watching fish videos and very much into Florida fish species. I mean, is that not perfect? And then for Wells (his nickname is Nugs) we did Nuggs and Kisses and got a bunch of Hersey kisses. Home run!

minted valentines day - work your closet

I’m smitten with these and of course my kids. We added fun activities and photos to the back of their cards and you can get coordinating stickers to seal the envelope or attach them to a candy of your choice.

For Nick – I got this super cute keepsake print made with photos from our trip to VT back in December. I love an easy way to frame anything and well, I’m super pleased with how this turned out. And love the photo booth strip design – such a classic.

Shop Minted valentine cards, stationery and select gifts and get 20% off with code XOCLOSET2025

A Birthday to Remember in New York

December 23, 2024

I’ve spent many a birthday celebrating in New York but this year was different. Yeah, 40 is big (I mean, I guess) but the thought and planning that went into this trip plus all the surprises and celebrating that even came after that left me feeling insanely loved but also crazy grateful. What a life.

The memories that were made that week truthfully warm my heart.

Nick – you got me once again. Your love is truly my greatest present. xx

40, let’s do this thing.

My Five 2025 Design Trends

December 10, 2024

this post is always a hit. I mean I get it – we all wanna know what folks are going to be excited about or experiment with going into the new year… so here are my top five trends I’m predicting for 2025:

my top five trends I'm predicting for 2025 - color blocking

1 // Color Blocking

We all love the monochrome nature of color drenching – we’ve done it in just about every office this year... But I love the idea of rich, saturated color blocking combos. Walls and cabinets at higher contrast can pack a really beautiful punch seen here by Studio McGee. Or even in a subtle way with this beautiful contrast shaker detail on these moody cabinets by Yond Interiors.

my top five trends I'm predicting for 2025 - pattern drenching

2 // Pattern Drenching

Drenching anything is always cool, but either using ONE pattern on walls, furniture and drapery can really create a mood. Pattern drenching by using a million patterns at once in a single space takes some serious finesse which candidly I don’t have but I’m here for the trend anyway.

\3 // Interior Glass

We’ve done more and more custom mirror and glass elements for projects that we will be debuting next year and I’m super giddy about them. From antique mirror backsplashes, cabinet fronts and interior wall cladding to neat interior windows – I’m here for this cool trend. Found from Pinterest and Jean Stoffer.

my top five trends I'm predicting for 2025 - shorter cabinetry

4 // Cabinets – go shorty!

The day where cabinets have to go to the ceiling or soffit isn’t a must anymore. Gasp! Guys, I know – I’m not one for dusting above cabinets either but there is something really quaint and intentional to keep cabinets proportionate and dare I say pretty and fully functional where we don’t need them scraping the ceiling in every space?! spaces by Yond interiors and Devol Kitchens.

my top five trends I'm predicting for 2025 - ceiling lighting

5 // Look up

What used to be rows of cans will now be really intentional but also beautiful lighting – from cylinder cans to semi-flushmounts we’re going to see and use more decorative lighting in main living and primary spaces then ever before. Cans were a necessity and totally still have a spot, but what takes a home up a notch – lighting. Think of it like jewelry. Inspo by Yond Interiors and Electric Bowery.