Author Archives: Nicole Clausing

7 Things You Need to Do in Your Vegetable Garden This Winter Before It’s Too Late

If there’s any time when I’m most likely to ignore my garden, it’s winter. Which is completely understandable, of course. The holidays take up… Read More

I’m a Garden Editor, and Here’s What I Always Do Before Buying a Houseplant

So, you’re wandering through your local Trader Joe’s or local nursery, and you think to yourself, Hey, I should get a houseplant. You grab the one that… Read More

This One-Pot Soup Is the Most Comforting Meal You’ll Make This Winter

Within months of opening in Seattle’s Central District, Communion became the must-get reservation for anyone looking for a fresh… Read More

The Houseplants That No One Else Has—And That You Need in Your Space

Los Angeles restaurateur Yuko Watanabe has an incredibly green thumb—her restaurants, Yuko Kitchen: Miracle Mile and Yuko Kitchen: DTLA are filled to the… Read More

How to Dispose of Your Old Christmas Tree

If the holidays are about giving, then January is about ridding. There’s so much to purge. The torn wrapping paper. The novelty socks. The extra… Read More

The Biggest Garden Trends Right Now

The holiday lights are still up, and New Year’s has yet to arrive, but I feel it’s my duty to tell you what the… Read More

7 Ways with Oysters for New Year’s Eve

After years of every day (and night) basically being casual Friday, wouldn’t it be nice to have a slightly swanky evening for a change?… Read More

This Ranch House Strikes the Perfect Balance Between Mid-century Design and Groovy ’70s Nostalgia

Treci Smith and her husband, Amir, live in a Southern California home that was never intended to be owned by Black people. When it… Read More

This Garden Courtyard with Mid-Century Vibes Was Designed Specifically for Outdoor Movie Nights

When Rashana Zaklit, the Hospitality Studio director at Gensler, a global architecture firm, looked at her Oakland courtyard, she… Read More

The Easiest (and Best Last-Minute!) Holiday Cocktail Party You’ll Ever Throw

Procrastinated and need some ideas for a holiday gathering? Look no further than these recipes that won’t have you spending hours in the kitchen… Read More

Do These Things to Survive a Natural Disaster—and the Aftermath

Considering the array of catastrophes that the West is prone to—earthquakes, wildfires, floods, even tsunamis—can be overwhelming. While it’s true that we can’t… Read More

I Made This Easy Christmas Wreath for Less Than $9

So you’d love to have a modern Christmas wreath this holiday season but you don’t want to spend a lot of money. (And why… Read More

A Family of Four Ditches City Life for the Coolest Little Island Cottage You’ve Ever Seen

The best home stories usually originate with far-fetched what-ifs, questions that are often the catalysts for massive changes that push people into new frontiers. The… Read More

This Holiday Menu Is So Classic You Might Start Making It Every Year

Mary Heffernan knows how to cook for a crowd. The California rancher grew up in a big family—her parents were each one of five—and she… Read More

These Charming Mountain Towns Know How to Do Winter (Spoiler: Whiskey Is Involved)

There’s perhaps no spirit more synonymous with the Western frontier than whiskey. But in fact, most of the hooch consumed by cowboys and trappers… Read More

Christmas Trees Are More Expensive Than Ever This Year—Here’s How to Find the Right One for You

Inflation is on everyone’s mind this holiday season, but a Christmas tree will cost about the same as it did last year, right? Wrong. According… Read More

Fresh, Mail-Order Holiday Wreaths Are the Easiest Way to Decorate Your Front Door (Plus, They’re Stunning)

A live holiday wreath hung on your front door is a verdant invitation to guests: It encourages them to come inside, get warm,… Read More

5 Tasting Rooms Where You’ll Come for the Wine, But Stay for the Vibes

At the risk of stating the obvious, we go wine tasting to taste wine, right?  Well, yes and no. Yes, you’ll come… Read More

This Pocket Patio Is a Masterclass on How to Maximize Space

When Saffron + Poe shop owners and designers Fiona Bronte Burr and Johanna Vente Anderson saw the tiny 330-square-foot patio their new… Read More

Drink the Issue: Sunset Wine Club’s Perfect Pairings from the 2022 Holiday Issue

The wines of the West are an integral part of the lifestyle that we celebrate in our pages—and the Sunset Wine Club is the essence… Read More

10 Secret Spots in California’s Unsung Mountain Getaway

Sunset’s Insider Guide series highlights seasonal diversions and secret travel tips from local experts. Follow along as we learn where to eat, drink,… Read More

Will Ferrell and LeBron James Are Making Urban Honey. It’s $250 a Jar and It’s Actually Worth It.

Like so many cities in the West, Los Angeles could be honey heaven if we set up beehives throughout the urban sprawl. Imagine drizzling… Read More

Your Houseplants Find the Holidays Stressful, Too. Here’s How to Keep Them Alive.

I don’t know about you, but when I go out of town to spend time with my family for the holidays, I experience a lot of… Read More

10 Thanksgiving Pie Recipes That Aren’t All Pumpkin

We need to talk about pumpkin. This great gourd has a wonderful flavor and impressive utility, and it’s completely intertwined with… Read More