The Note on My Phone Called “Sizes That Bit Me”
There is a note on my phone called “sizes that bit me.” It has eleven lines. The first one reads: sink for the 30 inch cabinet, ordered a 33.
That note is the reason Flora Home Styling exists. My name is Scarlett Hilton, I write every post on this site, and I started publishing in 2025 because I was tired of learning the answer to a small home question only after I had paid for the wrong thing.
The week we moved into our 1964 ranch house, I made four purchases that were each off by an inch or two. The sink overhung its cabinet. A rug skated across the carpet every time someone walked past it. New curtains would not clear the blind cords behind them. And a dresser I was very pleased with turned out to be wider than the staircase it needed to climb. None of these was a disaster. Together they cost me a month of weekends and three trips to the returns counter. So I started writing down what I should have checked first, and then I started writing it up for other people.
What I am, and what I am not
I am not a contractor, an interior designer or a licensed tradesperson. What I have is eleven years of renting, buying and repairing my own places, across three apartments and the ranch house I own now. I have pulled old tile off a concrete slab and laid laminate on it afterward. I have hung the same set of curtains three times. I have carried furniture up stairs in ways I would not recommend to you. I write from that experience, and when a job is beyond a careful homeowner, I say so and point you toward a professional.
Two kinds of posts, and why the categories look split
Every post here starts from one of two situations. Either something in your home is in the way, like a stain, a wobble or a measurement you cannot find, or you are about to choose something and want to see real options first. The categories follow that split, so I have grouped them below by situation instead of by room.
When something is in the way
- Carpet & Flooring: stain removal for coffee and wool carpet, keeping rugs from creeping, drying a wet carpet, and floor jobs such as laying laminate over concrete, removing tile, insulating a floor and checking how much weight a floor can hold.
- Curtains & Window: choosing curtain colors and hanging curtains over blinds you already own.
- Home Improvement: the size and repair questions that stopped me mid-project, including standard bathroom vanity sizes and depth, the right sink for a 30 inch cabinet, sheetrock for bathroom walls and removing paint from walls. It also holds the furniture problems, like a chair that keeps sinking, ink on a leather sofa and moving heavy pieces up stairs.
When you are choosing something
- TV Unit & Media Console: TV unit and media console ideas for small rooms, 55 inch screens, bedrooms and living rooms, including oak and storage-heavy designs.
- Lighting & Lamp: table, floor and nightstand lamps, lampshade ideas, and lighting for spots people tend to forget, like a dining table or a small-space nightstand.
- Outdoor: patio and balcony ideas built for weather and weight, from seating for six in a small space and wooden pergolas with roofs to fence panels, balcony wall tiles, farmhouse gates, picnic tables and outdoor plant shelves.
These posts are ideas and options, not blueprints. Anything that involves load, wiring or a structural change belongs under the safety notes further down.
Practical first, pretty second
I care how a room looks, but I care more about whether it survives a normal week with coffee, wet shoes and a strong breeze. I give real measurements wherever they exist, I say what a fix costs in time as well as money, and I would rather tell you to leave something alone than sell you a project. This site is not a showroom, and you will not find staged rooms that nobody could actually live in.
If a number in one of my posts is wrong, please write to me. I will check it and correct the post.
A few things outside the house
I check the care label on every rug before I check the price. I keep a tape measure in the glove box of my car, because I own three and can never find any of them at home. Most mornings I drink coffee while walking around the house, which is exactly why I know so much about getting it out of carpet.
Before you pick up a drill
Everything on this site is general information based on my own experience. It is not professional advice, and I am not a builder, electrician, plumber, structural engineer or lead paint inspector. Please treat the points below as the minimum.
- Structure and load: floors, balconies, pergolas, fences and walls carry weight in ways you cannot see. Before adding heavy furniture, planters, a roof or a new fence, check load limits, local building codes and permit rules, and hire a licensed professional for anything structural. Call your local utility locator before digging for posts or footings.
- Electrical work: new fixtures and wiring should be installed by a licensed electrician, and outdoor spaces need fixtures rated for outdoor use.
- Older homes: if a house was built before 1978, assume the paint may contain lead until a test says otherwise, and do not sand, scrape or strip it without proper testing and precautions. Old floor tiles, adhesives and insulation can contain asbestos, so have them tested before you remove or disturb them.
- Cleaning: test any cleaner on a hidden spot first, follow the manufacturer care instructions for your carpet, rug or sofa, and never mix cleaning products, because some combinations release harmful fumes.
- Moving furniture: heavy pieces cause real injuries. Get a second person, clear the route ahead of time and stop if it feels wrong.
- Window cords: blind and curtain cords are a strangulation risk for young children. Keep them out of reach and follow current child safety guidance.
Affiliate disclosure. Flora Home Styling is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy through one of my links I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what I write or what I tell you not to buy.
Say hello
- Email: [email protected]
- Based in: Columbus, Ohio
- Pinterest: pinterest.com/florastyling
- Contact page: florastyling.com/contact
About Scarlett Hilton:
- Full name: Scarlett Hilton
- Role: Founder and writer, Flora Home Styling
- Based in: Columbus, Ohio
- Email: [email protected]
- Contact page: florastyling.com/contact
- Background: Eleven years of hands-on home projects across three rentals and one 1960s ranch house. No formal trade or design credentials.
- Focus: Carpet and flooring, lighting, windows, home improvement questions and outdoor spaces
- Writing since: 2025
- Pinterest: pinterest.com/florastyling
