Author | Lightnews

The people ready to clean your home’s spiritual energy

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 13h

Each year, the White House's holiday tour starts in the East Wing & the East Colonnade sets the tone for the decorations.

Now the East Wing and East Colonnade are rubble.

I just learned that, despite the demolition, the holiday tour is still happening

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 1d

I spoke with people who perform cleansings about how they do their work. One of my fave tidbits? “A lot of the time, it’s the actual people that live there" bringing the bad energy.

Here's a gift link to my story: wapo.st/49gsvne

If something in your home is feeling off, home cleansers may be able to help.

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 1d

Does something in your home feel … off? Stuck? Heavy? Maybe your dog won't stop barking or your things aren't where you left them.

This is when a home cleanser might step in.

"I like to think of it as a spiritual spring cleaning."

Smart vintage shopping starts with your nose, and other pro tips

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 16d

I spoke with the curators at Vintage Vintage Vintage, who provided great advice: Smell it! Bend the shoe!

Find all 11 in my story, here's a gift link wapo.st/4mQjLrb

11 expert tips that will help you figure out what’s a steal, and what’s just mildewy junk.

The trendiest TVs are tiny, old and in your kitchen

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 16d

Shopping secondhand might be intimidating for some people: Will you really find a treasure under that stack of old Afghans, or just more overpriced, mildewy junk to add to your pile of projects?

Turns out there are key tips to help you distinguish between gems and garbage!

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 17d

For my latest, I looked at the resurgence of the "kitchen TV" and what it tells us about our hunger for nostalgia and physical media. Here's a gift link: wapo.st/46TOSfr

Nostalgia for the aesthetics and phone-free days of the ’90s is driving the mini trend.

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 17d

TV trends have hustled in one direction: toward ever bigger and flatter screens with the highest possible resolution.

But now, a humble, boxy, tiny-screened TV dares to ask: What if we dust off a different path? And what if that path leads us to the kitchen?

How the play kitchen has evolved to reflect our changing tastes — and values

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 23d

For more about the evolution of the play kitchen, and how DIY is really parents' way to play, too, check out my latest piece. Here's a gift link: wapo.st/4pP2amf

From its centuries-old start in European dollhouses to the Instagram-friendly culinary suites of the modern day.

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · 23d

Sometimes I look at a play kitchen and I am amazed at how detailed and plain NICE it is. Like ... nicer than my real kitchen.

Turns out, they've mirrored the design tastes of parents and the broader culture for centuries. The biggest change? Now they're marketed to all kids

David Lynch’s home is on the market. Bulldozers need not make an offer.

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Sep 16

Sadly, don't expect an open house or a tour if you're not pre-qualified, so my story might be the closest you get to seeing the compound. Gift link here: wapo.st/46EUtY7

The director’s midcentury modern gem has a role in film history and a deep connection to Frank Lloyd Wright.

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Sep 16

The late, great David Lynch's stunning enclave in the Hollywood Hills is for sale for $15M

"The family’s strong desire is that the next owner protects, preserves and honors what David created."

The property has buildings designed by 2 generations of the Lloyd Wright fam

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Sep 12

This thread & responses are so funny -- they've inspired a story for the
@washingtonpost.com

Have you found anything wild or noteworthy in your kid's room? Send me a reply or email [email protected] if you're open to chatting. ty in advance!

Honey oak is back in our homes. Just don’t call it honey oak.

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Sep 10

I explored the resurgence of honey oak in my latest, which also touches upon home flipping and how they just don't make 'em like they used to. Here's a gift link: https://
wapo.st/3V9Ye1m

As the gray cabinets of the mid-aughts start to chip, it’s time to revisit the warm woods of the ’90s.

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Sep 10

Honey oak, aka the warm wood from the '90s, is back in a big way .... Just don't call it "honey oak."

Designers tell me people are hungry for a natural look. They're done with the Great Grayening and seeking warmth.

Why Gen Z conservatives love the ‘Reagan Bush ’84’ tee

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Aug 25

“Reagan is still a vibe." The shirts speak to a moment of total Republican dominance and nostalgia, plus they're less confrontational than MAGA gear. Here's a gift link to my piece: wapo.st/47LWfHY

Despite shifts in the Republican Party, Gen Z conservatives still embrace the Reagan Bush ’84 tee as a symbol of their values and a nod to American nostalgia.

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Aug 25

They weren't alive in the 80s but they love to wear the "Reagan Bush '84" t-shirts.

I saw frat bros in the 2010s in these tees. Now, the younger members of a totally changed GOP still don them. I wanted to know why!

A look at how fan fiction is changing publishing and reading

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Aug 19

Still cannot believe I got to read Buddie fan fic over the NPR airwaves. Dreams really do come true!

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Aug 19

ICYMI: I appeared on @NPR.org to chat about the power and pleasure of fan fiction.

Ended up entreating the iconic Scott Simon to allow more whimsy into his life. Hope you're taking that advice, Scott! www.npr.org/2025/08/16/n...

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Washington Post reporter Rachel Kurzius about fan fiction, which is changing publishing —from books inspired by "Twilight" to an award-winning take on "Huckleberry Finn."

www.npr.org

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Aug 19

Thank you so much!

Home stagers decorate a house in hours. Here are their tips for yours.

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Jul 31

I spoke with stagers and learned a bunch of tips and tricks you can use while nesting in your own home. Here's a gift link: wapo.st/4fa7VWy

Hang the art last!

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Jul 31

Last week, I watched the team from Sub Urban Staging transform an empty DC rowhome into a space brimming w/ furniture, art & the kind of baubles that make a house feel like a home in mere HOURS.

Stagers do a unique job, but they also have tips for all. Gorgeous pics by @valerieplesch.bsky.social

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Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Jul 31

Thank you so much!

Fan fiction is everywhere, if you know how to look

Rachel Kurzius @curiouskurz.bsky.social · Jul 28

In my latest, I argue that fan fiction ultimately represents the primordial soup of storytelling, pushing forward the bounds of the stories we can or would like to tell. Many thanks to @jacob.brogan for editing. Gift link: wapo.st/44QrnEn

Writers who were once relegated to the internet are reshaping traditional publishing. It’s partly thanks to their infectious, generous passion.