Work It! Our Favorite Creative Workspace Essentials

1. Barbie Pink

There’s no doubt that the anticipation for Barbie to hit theaters has crept into every area of our lives. Barbie pink is back in a big way this summer, adorning our clothes, accessories, beverages, and even our interiors.

TikTok’s “Miamicore” (all about the bright and the bold) interior design trend is a testament to Barbie pink’s power at the moment. According to Taskrabbit, 25% of people expressed a desire to incorporate pink accents into their homes this year.

2. Red-orange

It’s not totally red, and it’s not really orange, either. It’s red-orange, and we love that this color’s trending right now because it's complimentary to practically any skin tone and just hits different in the summertime.

Pantone truly hit the mark on this color trend with the hue Cherry Tomato, which was featured in their Summer ‘23 Color Trend Report. This Loveliest Looks Woven Midi Dress ($64) from Flying Tomato is the true embodiment of the color.

Perhaps its popularity is because it reminds us of actual tomatoes – the ones we’re growing in our home gardens and using for fresh summer pasta salads. We also can’t forget the viral Loewe tomato candle.

Fiery, tomato-y red-orange looks stunning against turquoise, chartreuse, and this next trending color: lilac.

3. Lilac

As Swifties, we’ll take a chance and say this next trending color is a product of the “Lavender Haze” effect. But it could also be that lilac is simply easy to feature as the main component of an outfit, or be used for a small pop of color in your room. This lilac BDG Eddie Ribbed Shrug Sweater ($39) is proof – the versatility of it all!

The trending shade could *also* be linked to our growing passion for florals and botanicals, whether they come in scent or flavor form. We adore them all the same! According to Tastewise, in the past two years alone, floral flavors have received a +91% rise in consumer interest, with botanical flavors following suit, experiencing a +31% increase. Their scented counterparts are popular as well, being highly correlated with stress relief.

4. Lime Green

The bright and the bold continue in this trending green. It seems we’ve departed from spring’s popular chartreuse to more lime green shades in the color canon – after all, there’s nothing wrong with standing out a bit!

Like lilac, lime green is easy to apply all-over, or as an accent – it’s whatever you’re feeling. Greens in all forms and shades are trusted to be nourishing and lush, but this punchy take just infuses the summer months in sheer fun! Take this Lime Fizz Polish from Olive & June ($9) – it truly stands out among the rest.

5. Metallic Silver

This next color simply shines. More prominent in fashion than in interior design, metallic silver is having a renaissance – no, literally. Thanks to Beyonce’s recently-embarked Renaissance tour that’s dripping in eye-catching metallics and disco-esque futuristic aesthetics, interest in silver pieces has dramatically increased.

A recent finding by Nasty Gal revealed that online interest in 'metallic cowboy boots' skyrocketed 488% after the first night of the tour, according to the analysis of Google search data.

Google searches for 'silver cowboy boots,' a la NG's Real Leather Stitched Western Boots ($98), also rose 300% worldwide after the first tour date, as well as searches for 'disco cowboy hat', which went up 525%. The metrics for ‘silver bodysuit; and ‘silver corset’ measure up to the large increases as well.

“These increases in searches tell us exactly what everyone is wearing to the tour, with many fans wanting to emulate Beyoncé's iconic and daring style,” a spokesperson for Nasty Gal said. “Expect to see plenty of chromatic cowboy boots, head-to-toe silver, and disco-embellished cowboy hats on your tour date.”

6. Cream White

Cream white is super design-friendly, and can be observed through current fashion and home trends. It’s most prevalent in the fashion world when we look at sustainable fashion – people are making more careful investments in their wardrobe in an effort to shop sustainably and halt detrimental spending habits. See: the rise of capsule wardrobes.

This hue is also incorporated into minimalist fashion trends that prioritize easy styling by using neutral palettes – think blacks, whites, tans, creams, and the like.

Furthermore, cream white’s summer presence in architecture and interior design can be attributed to the same reasons. Consumers are craving the minimalistic simplicity found in limited color palettes.

The Chip and Joanna-style houses are a good example – they boast an uncomplicated black and white color scheme that makes things look super clean and minimal. We’ve taken that concept and ran with it for interiors, too.

Any desk can be a standing desk when you add this adjustable workstation. There's room for your monitor or laptop on the upper shelf, and keyboard on the lower shelf, plus you can pick from a variety of colors to best fit your office.

Ergonomic and adjustable, this desk has a contemporary and minimalist look that works for any modern office. The shallow shelf below the desktop is great for pens and notebooks to jot down your best ideas.

This desk comes with different tabletop space and color options to maximize your workspace. The monitor stand, storage cubicle, and two side drawers offer plenty of room to store your desktop knick knacks, without cluttering up the room.

Have the best of both worlds with a standing desk that you can lower when you'd rather sit. The bamboo is durable and sustainable (not to mention it looks amazing), and the height adjustment is smooth enough that nothing will fall off.

If you live somewhere small, or you don't enjoy staying in the same place all day, try a standing desk that you can take with you around your home thank to its wheels.

The cool thing about this desk is that the lower portion sits flat or tilts upward so that you can type at an angle that works best for your wrists. It also comes with cord hooks underneath the desk for helpful organization.

Since this option is a tripod, you can fold it up and store it behind a door or under your bed. This works great for anyone who needs a desk but doesn't have room to keep a permanent one in their space.

Not only does this pick let you sit or stand, but it also comes with its own bookshelf so you can keep your favorite books nearby.

This sitting and standing desk hybrid works like a TV tray, so when you feel like sitting, you can work from your bed or the couch. Yes, please!

If you have a large sitting desk, opt for a smaller laptop stand that you can use whenever you feel like it. That way you can stand during work hours, without committing to a whole other desk.

Don't worry if you've never worked from a rolling desk before — two of the wheels lock so that you don't have to worry about accidentally pushing the desk around.

When you get a tabletop that attaches the wall, and stools that fit right underneath, you don't have to worry about taking up tons of floor space. Making it a wrap-around desk that sits in the corner also maximizes space in your room. (via A Beautiful Mess)

This basically looks like a desk on top of another desk on stilts. And it kind of is. This is great because it doubles your table space. The craziest thing about this setup? The monitor risers are just upside down plate holders! (via Ikea Hackers)

Standing Desk Accessory

If you already have a regular desk in your workspace, DIY a desk accessory instead of a whole new workspace. That way, you can alternate between standing and sitting when you need to. We love that this one prevents you from leaning over and has a lower keypad area, which will help if you have circulation issues in your hands.

Another Ikea hack, this take pairs the base of a desk with a super low TV cabinet. The results? Fashion and function. If your desk is in the middle of a room like this one is, just don't forget that the desk is wide open — you don't want to push your stuff out the back! (via Spacekat on Github)

Need a really shallow desk for a small space? This hacker took a cabinet door and attached it to the wall. It's wide enough that you can fit your planner, laptop, and desk supplies, but it doesn't stick out too far into your room. Small space win! (via Ikea Hackers)

Why not elevate your entire workspace? We love the vibe of this craft room, work room, get-everything-done room. Just look at all that under-the-desk storage! If you organize the space into different sections for your different activities, it won't be as confusing as you might think. (via Paper and Ink)

Of course you can also turn a tabletop into an extra large shelf right on your wall. If you have the space for it, why not! We love the lower level shelving, most likely made from a TV stand or small dresser, which will give you extra drawer space too. (via Jason Garber on Flickr)

And last, a slightly more advanced take on the standing desk, created by an architect. The desk unfolds into an angled drafting table, doubles as a pretty portable bar, and looks darn good. If you're pretty handy with woodwork and want something that's a bit of a challenge, this is a great project for you. (via Barrett Morgan Design)

Here's How Often You Should Cut Your Hair, According To Professionals

I’ll admit it — it had been eight months since my last haircut. My hair had lost its shape, my layers were nowhere to be found, and my ends were begging for mercy. Life got busy over the last few months and I was neglecting my haircare like never before.

My hairdresser could immediately see that I was beyond due for a cut and said I needed to get more taken off than I was hoping. I was definitely disappointed — I'd been working on growing out my hair for a while now, and it just felt like my hard work had completely gone to waste. He explained that getting consistent haircuts is the key to growing out healthy and strong hair, rather than letting it grow and grow until it eventually breaks. So let's dig into the top three things you can do to avoid this scenario!

1. Just Get The Dang Haircut

Also avoiding a haircut like I was? You might want to schedule one at your nearest salon. Like my stylist said, when you wait too long between trims like I did, you risk your hair becoming heavy, dull, and lifeless. When the hair is dry or even dead, it’s nearly impossible for it to hold a curl or style, essentially collapsing on you and taking on more and more heat damage all the while. I know the pain of spending time on a blowout only for it to fall minutes later — it’s the worst.

According to Jack, getting a haircut every 10-12 weeks is the best time frame or your ends will pay the price. Between blow-drying, curling, straightening, sun, and weather, our ends get dry and start to break without the proper care. Getting consistent haircuts allows hair to bounce back, shine, and perform the way we want in a healthy way.

2. Leave-In Conditioners Are Your Friend

His top piece of advice to keep your hair looking and feeling hydrated between trims? Invest in conditioning treatments. Jack swears by the Olaplex conditioning system, specifically the No 3 Hair Perfector. Made with patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology™, this conditioning treatment repairs and prevents damage in as little as three minutes. No 3 promises to reduce breakage and visibly strengthen hair, so it’s the perfect assistance to keep ends fresh between cuts. Another conditioning treatments I’ve used and loved for years is the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, which is designed to restore moisture, elasticity, and shine to dry hair.

3. Switch Up Your Shampoos

Switching shampoos frequently is a pretty hot tip that I honestly hadn't thought of. Our hair gets used to the same products and grows tired of them, resulting in lackluster locks. Jack’s advice is to switch brands after finishing every bottle of shampoo to bring life back to your hair. Have two brands that you’re loyal to? Even switching back and forth between them after every bottle should make a big difference in your hair. I’m a huge fan of the R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo, which makes my hair look thick and full, as well as the Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo, which is so hydrating and gives so much shine.

In the end, navigating your back-and-forth relationship with haircuts often feels like a rollercoaster ride between wanting that fresh look and cringing at the receipt. Luckily, by using conditioning treatments and switching up your products,, you can keep your locks healthy, shiny, and full of life between trims. But take a newly learned lesson out of my book: don't let your ends pay the price for procrastination and just book the haircut.