Ask Me Anything!

Sarah Gibson | Room for TuesdayThese days I’m feeling just a little drained- physically, mentally, and creatively. I know it’s a mixture of real work, our giant backyard project, lack of sleep, and the blog. It’s tough coming up with quality, original content every single week, so I thought it would be fun to ask YOU what you’d like to see. I’d love to get your feedback for post ideas, project ideas, and other outlets I should be trying. I just want to open up a discussion about your favorite content, what you’re interested in, and answer any questions y’all might have!

If you’re new or newish to the blog- hi & welcome!! I’m Sarah. My husband, Emmett, and I are renovating… again. I’m a designer in Utah, he’s in accounting, and in our ‘free time’ (ha!) we work on our house and wrestle our dogs, Finn and Johnny Cash. That pretty much sums it up.

Since the beginning of the year, the blog has shifted primarily toward interior and DIY content- which I’m stoked about! That’s what most of you prefer and that’s what I’m passionate about, so it’s a win/win. Lately I’ve been considering testing other social outlets to connect on a deeper level. Are you guys into podcasts? I’ve been trying to do way more video this year as well. I’m always on Insta stories sharing the day-to-day… I’ve had more fun with that as opposed to Facebook live, but am open to anything.

I’ll be sharing a really fun client project in a couple weeks that I know you’re going to love! I’m trying to do more of that as well… share the real projects (client work), and not just in MY home.

I really just thought I’d pick your brain in this post. To be honest, I’ve been feeling a little bit discouraged with social media and the blog lately. I spend a ton of time sharing and creating content, but sometimes see negative results. It’s hard to not be motivated by stats, likes, comments, and general engagement in this industry, but it seems to be shifting for everyone these days. A tiny insignificant example- I created a personal Instagram account (@sargibs) that was intended for me to post whatever / whenever (you know… anything goes, sort of account), but it’s about the same size as my blog / branded account (@roomfortuesday) now. All of this to say, Emmett and I went camping in Moab a few weeks ago with our family and I posted a couple images from our adventure, only to lose ~400 followers on my personal account. I know that doesn’t matter because it’s my “fun” account, and I’m truly not offended… it’s just difficult to wrap my brain around this weird industry and figure out what content is worth people’s time, and also try to find myself and stay true to what I’m passionate about along the way. So- tell me what YOU (my trusted friends) think, what you like, what you’d like to know, and please share any and all blog or social ideas. I’m all ears and eager to get excited about something new!

Drop me a line in the comments below! In regards to the ‘Ask Me Anything’ title, even if you’re just curious about the dogs, life questions, the house / renovation, favorite products, whatever… I just want to chat, connect, and have real, genuine conversations. You guys are the best!! Here’s to the weekend, Happy Friday! xo

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39 Comments

  1. Laurie Anne says:

    I know I just found you recently but if it’s any encouragement, I have seriously loved your blog and your content!! It’s so practical to my life. DIY’ing your home (totally the stage of life most people our age are in), fun/stylish DIY’s for stuff in the home like what to do with random blank walls and making cool planters and also the etsy plant round up (I’m a sucker for secret resource lists. It’s so helpful!)! I personally have felt like I’ve found my super cool creative doppleganger that lives in Utah 😂 I would love to continue to see more DIY’s and practical home things. Like one for the future which I’m sure you are already going to do is how y’all will landscape your new backyard. What kind of plants and trees etc. Something that I’d love to learn from you is how to style those random weird areas in your home that aren’t the easiest. Like how to decorate around a TV. That seems hard to me for some reason. I also love that you are super budget friendly! You make these big awesome changes but they are totally doable bc you show us how to do it ourselves (which saves money) and you find stylish but affordable stuff. Love it. Keep going. Your blog is one of the only ones I’ve consistently gone back to since I found you! Thank you!! For the record, personally, I am way more into instagram stories (which yours are awesome!!) instead of Facebook live and podcasts are cool! Ive started listening to a few but I think I lean more towards visual content. Also, I totally get being discouraged about social media etc. even though I am teeny tiny compared to your following its super frustrating to see what people like and don’t like and the algorithm ugh. its just nuts. But for real, no joke, I haven’t scoured blogs in a long time but your content has totally drawn me in. I love it. You are doing great. And you have adorable dogs. ;)

    1. Thank you so much. You made my weekend! That has to be the best compliment ever. So glad to have met you guys and love the fact that we can bond over our crazy dogs ;) xo

  2. It would be nice to see a full house tour with a floor plan for visual. I love your style and renovation, but I cant grasp where is all is.

    1. Great idea, Sara!! I can definitely do that. I’ll plan a post that shows a floor plan, along with what we’ve accomplished so far, as well as what’s on the to-do list. Thanks for the idea! xo

    2. Floor plans on the blog today! Thanks for the tip.

  3. Hi Sarah! I don’t have anything to ask, and I’m generally not a big interactor on social media, but I wanted to say how much I’ve been enjoying your blog lately. I work in marketing, so I can understand how much the statistics can affect your mentality. Your blog has a really nice balance of personal and professional, and your photos and design is always so inspiring (especially loved the closet makeovers and seeing how you worked with different closets – never would have guessed that’s what I would enjoy so much, but they were great!) I always want to see more of your dogs – they are too cute!

    1. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Elissa! I really appreciate your feedback and amazing compliments. You made my day! I have some fun dog posts coming up. Do you have any pups at home? xo

      1. We have one dog – a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Indy. But I had a mini schnauzer growing up, so I love seeing your Finn!

        1. Awww, Indy sounds adorable! Schnauzers have such strong personalities… Finn is definitely no exception. Ha! Thanks for following along!! xo

  4. Hi Sarah! I really enjoyed the e-design bathroom post. It’s fun to see your ideas being implemented by others with restricted budgets. I was floored by how seamlessly you integrated those Ikea pieces; it definitely didn’t look like an Ikea bathroom. I would bet that most blog readers do just that–read blogs–because they’re looking for solutions to budget-restricting design problems, and I thought the e-design bathroom post really spoke to those of us who can (sadly) really only afford Ikea, Home Depot, and flea market re-dos.

    Anyway, I have to agree with the above poster. Your blog is lovely! It’s filled with DIY ideas, personal experiences, shoppable links, and humor. While I’d love to see more budget-conscious renos, I wouldn’t actually change a thing. :)

    1. Thanks so much, Jacqui! I have a budget friendly client kitchen to share in a couple weeks that I think you’ll love! Believe me- I am definitely not above Ikea, Home Depot, Lowes, and flea market finds. In fact, some of my all-time favorite pieces have came from those places. I’m glad to hear those types of posts are being well received. I’ll try to integrate more! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and share your feedback. That means a lot to me!! Really appreciate you reading :) xoxox

      1. Awesome! Can’t wait to see that kitchen! :D

  5. I love your blog, it is one of my favorites because of the in-depth posts you put out there. They aren’t full of added fluff just to create content. They seem thought out and well developed and I love that!

    I will admit I haven’t been following you on social up until I read this post! I chose to follow @sarahgibs over your professional account because I personally like the more “un-edited” side of watching designers. I don’t get as excited over professional photos that make up a feed. This may be the more unpopular thought, but I was more drawn to your personal instagram :)

    Keep up the great work, I love the DIY’s you share and the design advice!

    1. Thanks so much, Courtney! I always try to keep posts detailed, to-the-point, and realistic. I’m glad to hear it’s appreciated! Really appreciate your feedback. Have an amazing weekend!! xo

  6. Elise Curry says:

    Sarah – I think your blog is fabulous! It’s full of interesting and upbeat content. I like seeing your DIY processes step-by-step.
    I LOVE decorating, refinishing furniture, all things DIY and finding creative outlets but I have a few spots in our new home that totally stump me. And I thought to myself I wonder what Sarah would do there? Because, hello, I need a more professional opinion on how to tackle these areas and really make them feel like part of our home and our design style. So all this to say, have you ever considered taking someone’s design challenge and offering them some ideas or solutions? If so, I call dibs! 😉

    Keep up the great work and don’t be discouraged! You’re doing wonderful things!

    Elise

    1. Thanks so much, Elise!! The real life design challenge is a great idea. I’ll have to find a way to make a couple of those happen! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and offer your feedback. Hope you have an awesome weekend! xxo

  7. Sarah, I love your blog and check it out multiple times a week! Your posts about DIY’ing home projects are my favorite because you’re so honest about setbacks, costs, and how life can just get in the way of completing something. And of course, you always post it with humor and grace. I always appreciate when you include images of the work being done during the process, because that’s what houses under construction look like (though I do love your styled posts too). Like another person commented, I can’t wait to see your yard and would love to see your designs and what plants you choose and why, etc. And as a dog owner, I love when your littles show up in pictures too – so cute! Your work is amazing – thanks for letting us all tag along with you!

    1. Thank you, Robyn!! For the comment and for checking in a few times a week. I really appreciate it. I’m definitely going to post A LOT about the yard process / design decisions, etc. xoxo

  8. I love your blog Sarah! My fiance and I are currently in the process of designing our home and completely redoing our backyard – so I am always on your blog for tips and trends! Social media and blog metrics are a funny thing – constantly changing, especially in the summer months when everyone is on vacation or traveling. Keep up the great work! Love reading about your progress – it gives me hope for our home :)

    1. Hey Cara!! So exciting about renovating your own home. Thanks for following along for ideas and tips! I know you understand metrics and the frustrations that come along with them. I appreciate your comment! xoxo

  9. I really enjoy your blog, Sarah! I love the well thought out content and beautiful photos. It’s obvious you put a lot of time and effort into your posts. I like visual content so I ignore Instagram, FB live, podcasts, vlogs, etc. Thanks for all you do!

    1. Thank you so much, Kim!! xo

  10. Hi Sarah! I don’t always comment every day but I sure look for your posts every day! For all the reasons posted above, I too love your blog. I enjoy seeing you turn an old house into something beautiful. I love your decorating style which is so classy. I really look forward to seeing the posts on your home remodeling projects, but I would love to see pictures of other client projects you are working on. In terms of looking at some new things, I am not really a fan of podcasts, but you wouldn’t lose me if you did some for others who do like them. I would be interested in seeing how you would solve some of your readers decorating dilemmas. Perhaps they could send you a photo and you could make suggestions and tell us why you make those choices. It helps the rest of us who don’t have much style sense to make better choices. I also like an occasional post about a product you use, could be home decorating product or something you use personally (like a make up item) that you really like and tell us why. I would also love to hear all about your backyard projects as my yard is sitting there waiting for me to figure out what to do with it. I am 66 years old, maybe not your typical younger reader, but I love your blog and encourage you not to be disheartened! You are doing a great job and seeking out new ways to go forward is always a positive step!

    1. Hi Linda! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Your feedback made my day- great ideas! I love that you enjoy reading the blog and I’m taking your advice. Hope your weekend has been wonderful. xo

  11. kddomingue says:

    It was quite interesting to hear other readers thoughts on blog content and other social media platforms. I only recently stumbled over your blog but have enjoyed it very much. You’re wonderfully talented and have a very clean, neat, uncluttered style that is also warm, welcoming and kick your feet up comfortable. You come up with some great diy projects, cost effective ideas and I appreciate how many photos you post. I enjoy reading your thought processes and how you arrive at your decisions.

    I don’t use Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I find Facebook to be particularly unpleasant. I prefer pictures and text to podcasts and videos. I can peruse pictures at my leisure, go back and forth, zoom in to capture a detail, pin something to a particular file on Pinterest for future reference. I find photos to be more useful to me than a video even when it comes to diy techniques. I prefer a written text as opposed to a podcast for some of the same reasons.

    I would be very interested in seeing what you’re doing in client homes, a tour of your home, your backyard projects as well as pictures of your pups, lol!

    And, on this your personal blog, my advice to you would be to do and show the things that you love and are interested in and you’ll be happier….and so will we. Too many wonderful blogs turned into not so great blogs when the bloggers tried to garner better numbers by trying to please everyone and lost sight of what they started out to do…..share the stuff that excited them. :)

    1. I’m so glad you stumbled over to my corner of the internet!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment along with your thoughts- they means so much to me! Love your great advice and appreciate it so much :) xo

  12. Hi Sarah! I’ve never commented on your blog before and I only recently found you this year. BUT I seriously love everything I’ve seen so far! I love your clean, uncluttered but also interesting and warm style. I love all the DIY and you always include really great tutorials to help us do the same projects. Your pictures are professional and beautiful. And I love the personal element you add to your blog as well. I especially loved the post on how your husband changed his name :)

    I recently moved to Ohio, I think right after you moved to Utah :) My husband and I are currently looking for a house to buy and in the areas that would be most convenient location-wise, we’re not finding the cute, bungalow look we would prefer. Lots of simple ranches and new builds. So I personally would LOVE LOVE posts that would include your ideas on what you’d like to do to your exterior! Also love the back yard posts… and all your interior posts hahah :) Basically I love it all. Oh but I would love to see more client posts like you mentioned. I think that would be really interesting to see your style as it translates through someone else’s home and they’re specific restraints and unique point of view blended with yours. And I love posts that include links and budgets… helps me feel out what is realistic to our personal budget.

    I agree with previous posters – do what you LOVE. Your consistent readers are clearly reacting positively to it. And then you can stay true to yourself and it will make you happier to continue.

    Keep it up, I hope ya feel encouraged by all the positive!

    1. Hi Maren! Thanks so much for the awesome compliments. I love that you’re living in Ohio! Just out of curiosity, where are you looking for a home? I will most definitely be sharing exterior posts as they happen. We live in a ranch / rambler style home and I hate the exterior. We’ll definitely be addressing that eventually! Thanks to you guys, I’m definitely feel encouraged and excited to create new content. I knew I could count on you ;) xo

      1. Hi Sarah – we moved to the Cleveland area. I think based on shop recommendations you might have been in Columbus? But we’re looking at a few suburbs of Cleveland like Independence and Orange. Lots of ranches and no offense to anyone who loves them but they’re really not our style. My husband works from home but travels on the west side of Cleveland for his work so we need that interstate access that those two suburbs provide. Can’t wait to see your exterior posts… and really anything else ya got up your sleeve :)

        1. Nice! I was actually in the Dayton area. We’re in the same boat… not loving the exterior of our home, but planning to make it better! xo

  13. Hey Sarah, I was thinking as I was reading your post “why two separate IG accounts?” I think it’s important to your readers to have both the “personal” and “branded” posts because it connects us to who you are as a person, not just pretty pictures. You might consider combining the two? Since IG is such a hot place for people who are blogging, it’s a great place for you to interact more with your readers. Keep up the good work!

    1. That’s a great question!! Initially, I wasn’t sure how the blog or my business would evolve, so I’ve always had two… one for fun and one that’s a bit more serious. Contrary to what most people “ask” to see, I’ve come to find that when I actually share the personal stuff- unedited images, messy process photos, and things of that nature, sadly I lose followers. The perfect example is me sharing the camping and adventure images and losing ~400 followers. As much as I want to share everything (the good AND the bad), I also want to grow my business and try to do this for a living. All of that to say, that’s the reason I’m active on two accounts. The people who want to see the ‘real’ stuff can follow my personal page if they wish, and those that are looking for strictly branded and home content can follow the other account. I basically wanted to create a place for everyone and curate content accordingly. Does that answer it? Thanks so much!! xo

      1. I see. Well, I’m glad I found your personal account. I like following along on your house projects in real time. Even more so since we just bought our first home. I’m going to need all the inspiration and advice I can get.

  14. I’m new to your blog (I just left a comment on another post complimenting your writing–and my comment had a typo it in!! oh well…) but clearly you are my design kindred spirit. I have thought about blogging so many times but never actually done it, so kudos to you for pursuing your dreams!! Even in the creatively drier times :)

    I would love a post on your house’s exterior and how you chose colors and fixtures. I saw your mailbox post and wondered if you painted or stained your brick grout? Also, where do you get your inspiration from when designing a space? And, do you think it’s harder to design a space over time, rather than all at once? I’m a little overwhelmed trying to make so many design decisions for our new home, but I worry if I do it over time things won’t look as good together.

    Thanks for your great blog!!

    1. Thank you SO much, Claire! You made my morning. Maybe you will be inspired to try it once you’re settled into your new place. I will most definitely post about the exterior once we’re to that point. We haven’t done anything to the brick… it’s pretty much as is (except a little cleaner).

      I find inspiration all over the place… outside (I’m located in gorgeous Utah), online, in print, sometimes an idea just pops into my head and I try to explore it. I think everyone’s process is different and unique to them. I actually think it’s easier to design a space over time as opposed to all at once. I like collecting things and living with them for a bit- that’s how to make the best design decisions in your own home. In fact, I always save painting for the very last step for that exact reason. Hope this helps! xo

  15. Sarah,

    You refinished / restored these built-ins, right?

    https://roomfortuesday.com/runner-giveaway/

    What was your process for that, other than choosing the hardware? Did you have to sand the doors at all, or just add a fresh coat of paint / new pulls? I tried searching for your process for this, but didn’t have any luck. I’ll soon be working on a very similar set of built-ins. Cheers.

    1. Yes, we did! We sanded the doors, had to add wood putty in some areas to level things out, and then primed and painted. Obviously we switched out the hardware as well. I wish I would’ve documented that process and posted about it, but that was forever ago. Sorry! Hope this helps! xo

      1. Definitely helpful, so yes, thank you for responding.

        It would have been a great post, but maybe you will get another chance in the future (for a client).

        I didn’t mention some of the things I like and would like to see more of about your blogging / posts:

        Regarding budget, I always appreciate seeing posts that show actual dollar amounts for different projects. I know a lot of people don’t do this for many reasons, but I’ve seen you do it and think it’s helpful to gauge personal projects of the same kind – but also just to know “real life” budgets from an experienced person, who also tries to save money when she can. It’s a great aspect of some of your posts.

        It’d be cool to know the dimensions of some of the spaces you design / renovate, to help get an idea of what can actually fit in certain spaces. For example, your small bathroom. I may have very well overlooked the size details, so apologies if so. This may seem like a peculiar detail to take interest in, but it helps me understand / visualize better the design / craftsmanship of manipulating only the space you have. Not many of the design blogs I follow post room dimensions.

        Thanks again. xx

        1. We actually have a built in linen closet in THIS home too… so it will definitely need some TLC. I’ll post about it then. Such great points! Thanks for sharing those… I’ll try to add dimensions more often and I’m all about keeping it real and sharing the budget. I’m happy to hear you appreciate the transparency. PS. our bathroom is TINY: 7′ x 5′