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We live in a DIY culture. Whether we’re pinning to our interior design boards or saving images on Instagram, we’re made to believe that this home improvement stuff can be super easy!  But is DIY really as simple as it looks? And can you create a home that you’ll love long term? We have a feeling today’s guest instructor is going to YES! Cara Newhart is a color a prints obsessed DIY expert who is helping women create a beautifully lived-in life through home design advice and DIY tutorials. With a B.B.A. in Energy Management and a background in Energy Finance, Cara took a hard right turn into home decor a DIY to make creativity her sole focus. Her goal is to help her audience dive deeper than pin-worthy rooms and beat the "boys club" culture of home Improvement. Watch out Mr. Fix It! She wants to empower women to design homes they love on their terms with some good old fashioned elbow grease. By the end of this class you’ll have project planning tips, ideas for incorporating functionality in your design and a look at some 2020 trends that Cara believes you can totally pull off. Can you lay out an example planning process for our listeners when it comes to attacking a space? Think about your life and what you're doing in that room. Think about how you want the space to feel. Measure and create a floor plan, with functionality in mind. Bring in aesthetic/style. How do you incorporate functionality into your rooms? Storage and smart solutions! What do you do in the space, and which projects can you do to support that functionality. What are some simple diy ways to add warmth to your home? Warm tones Textiles (rug, throws, pillows) What are some 2020 trends you totally believe the average DIYer can achieve? Accent walls Blanket ladders What are some of your favorite hacks for making your guests feel welcome? Think about different ways the guests can customize it to work for them. Furniture pieces that are multiple use. An Alexa, spa products, a wifi sign...anything they might need. Lighting! Make sure they have multiple options. You could even stay in there for a night to see what you're missing. What is your philosophy when choosing paint colors? Learn how the paint deck works. Cara suggests a muted hue or a shaded hue. What should we all be doing ourselves? Where are we wasting money? If it's a project that's going to take a half day, at least try it! If it requires a lot of time, then asses if it's worth your time. Can you give us 3 great starter projects when moving into a new space/just starting out? Change out shower heads, replace shelving, upgrade flooring HOMEWORK: Find a project that incorporates something you already know how to do, but also incorporates something that challenges you. Go through the planning process Cara mentioned for your space. FIND CARA: INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK BLOG MAKE SPACE PODCAST HOME SCHOOL’D COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/homeschooldpodcast HOME SCHOOL’D INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/homeschooldpodcast/ HOME SCHOOL’D BLOG + SHOWNOTES: https://homeschooldpodcast.com AARON MASSEY’S SITE: https://www.mrfixitdiy.com TRACY PENDERGAST’S SITE: https://hey-tracy.com