Designed Happy The Podcast

This week, Katie and TJ have a special guest! Industry pro, lifelong remodeler, and TJ's friend, Steve Scholl, joins the podcast. We talk about why having a good relationship with your contractor is so important, what a good relationship looks like, and what "running to trouble" means.

We're so excited to introduce a new series on our show. It's called 'Happy Home Stories.' In it, we talk with one of our clients about what it's really like to remodel - not the HGTV made-for-TV version remodeling - the real life, what happens when things don't go the way you planned, and how do you work through it. This week, Katie and TJ talk to Nick about his whole-home remodel in Fairfax. They...

Feathers will be ruffled and boats will be rocked! Gears might even be ground!! Katie and TJ discuss why Price Per Square Foot is such a common way to talk about remodeling and new construction pricing, and why it is completely misleading. Then they discuss a better alternative, before sneaking a Harry Connick Jr reference in just when you thought the episode was over.

Katie and TJ welcome Jake Jackson-Wolf to the show. Jake is the owner of b'well Counseling Services and is a licensed therapist. Katie, TJ, and Jake debate whether podcast guests should have entry music, reminisce about the 2011 DC earthquake, and discuss why remodeling is hard on relationships. Jake offers wisdom and advice to help you keep your relationship strong. To learn more about Jake and b...

In this episode, Katie and TJ have a special guest...Marc Cashin! Marc is a realtor, the owner Forward Real Estate , TJ's friend, and most importantly, Katie's husband. We have a fun time discussing our long time knowing each other - our time in college, TJ and Marc having a band, gifting a dining table, and Marc's dislike of formal dining rooms. We also discuss the DC real estate market, selling...

Katie and TJ review one of Designed Happy's favorite tools: The Future Test. This test and the accompanying worksheet help homeowners get their remodeling project unstuck by helping them imagine different versions of their future. They also discuss one-person seesaws, their current thermostat situation, and how TJ's hair blends in with his wallpaper. Visit https://www.designedhappy.com/the-future-...

This week, Katie and TJ invite their first guest to the podcast, and it gets personal for TJ, because it's his wife, Kat. We discuss what it's like to live through a remodeling or construction project, some of the fun projects TJ and Kat have done (and one they didn't do), and how to get your kids involved and engaged in the process.

Katie and TJ talk about what they do for Thanksgiving. TJ talks about his famous mashed potatoes that have an ego. Then they dive into one of the most popular posts on the Designed Happy blog: You're Late For Thanksgiving . They discuss how to talk about completion dates with your contractors, the idea of a reverse timeline and how it can be useful, and review how lead times can affect your projec...

Katie loves British cuisine. TJ wants to be in the Rat Pack. In a follow up to recent episodes on ways to pay, and what expensive really means, Katie and TJ discuss what kind of return you can expect on your investment, whether that investment is money, energy, time (or all 3). Then they review the 2025 Cost vs Value Report, explain what it is, and how it can be useful.

Katie and TJ discuss purchases they've made that felt expensive. Then they tackle our big topic - what does "expensive" really mean in remodeling? They discuss a chart from Designed Happy: The Book , why focusing on value is important, and call back to our episode on ways to pay (other than money).

Katie and TJ tackle the topic of paying. Sure, everyone knows what it means to pay for a project with money. But did you know that you could also choose to pay with your time, energy, and emotion? All of the options are interwoven, and have pros and cons. Katie and TJ tackle the nuances and guide you through decided which path might be best for you.

TJ and Katie take a break from the weekly wisdom, to talk about their favorite Halloween memories, being scared, haunted houses, and a brainstorm for a new brilliant business idea.

TJ and Katie discuss their favorite things to shop for and then dive in to the main topic: What are you actually buying when you buy remodeling? Katie's not sure if that's real grammar. Most people would say cabinets, or tile, or windows. Yes, while your money is technically being used to purchase materials for your project, learning what you're actually buying could help you have a much more enjo...

In this episode Katie and TJ discuss the remodeling and design process, and when and how clients can control it. As a homeowner, you'll want to tune in to this one to understand when in the process you have the most control vs when you have the least, and how to set your project up for success when you're in the driver's seat. Katie sneaks in some (seemingly) complicated laundry advice to keep you...

Katie and TJ talk about feedback: why it's important and how to make yours better. TJ is terrified on a roller coaster, and Katie does an A+ impression.

Katie and TJ introduce Heat Maps, a simple tool to help you see which rooms matter to you and which rooms don't. Katie makes a stellar air horn sound and TJ's ears get too hot.

Katie and TJ tackle the 3 types of stress: what they are, how to know which one you're currently feeling, and how to move between them. Here is the link to the book Katie mentioned (this is not an affiliate link - just trying to help you out): https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Stress-Why-Good-You/dp/1101982934/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

Katie and TJ discuss how to talk about the B word - Budget. Katie twirls her fingers in excitement, and we give you some tips for making an uncomfortable conversation a little bit easier.

Katie and TJ tackle the age old question...Should you stay, or should you go. Highlights include: Katie hates TJ's inflection, a review of the Stay or Go Quiz, and should houses have love letters written to them. You can take the Stay or Go quiz here: www. StayOrGoQuiz.com

Katie and TJ talk about Why, and why Why is more important than What. They discuss a helpful exercise to help you get to the core of the emotion leading to your desire to remodel or rebuild. TJ sings 2 seconds of Thrift Shop and Katie is a fancy lady.

Katie and TJ introduce Designed Happy: The Podcast, what it is, why it exists, who they are, and what you can expect from this show. And they absolutely crush the opening. You can check out our comic Nailed It, here: https://www.designedhappy.com/blog