About H & H

Tara Besore and cat Charlie at Hammer & a Headband, mid-century modern home blog

Welcome to Hammer & a Headband! This is a home and garden blog with a mid-century modern twist (and LOTS of cats).

I’m Tara Besore, an interior design enthusiast restoring my 1960s house and sharing tips and tutorials in the process.

My goal is to help you create a beautiful home that makes you happy.

Looking for mid-century modern decor ideas?

Check out these home decor articles.

Hoping to create your backyard oasis?

Check out these gardening and landscaping articles.

Renovating a fixer upper?

Check out these home improvement articles.


Behind the Headband

Tara Besore

I’m the H & H creator and resident DIY-er, serving as home improvement project archivist one blog post at a time.

Soaking wallpaper

Since I was young, I’ve been obsessed with interior design, constantly tweaking my bedroom’s layout and decor until I got it just right. My mom even let me rearrange the living room a few times.

I bought a mid-century modern fixer upper in 2014 and have learned a lot since then, like how to create a landscape berm, how to make an old bathroom look new, and how to hang wallpaper.

The Rest of the Gang

I couldn’t do all this without my crew. Here are the people and cats you might see on this site.

  • Eric: Handsome husband and home improvement master
  • Handy Andy: Bro-in-law and DIY extraordinaire who helps with many of our big projects
  • Jane: Stunning gray cat who helps with blog photo shoots when it’s convenient for her
  • Charlie: Adorable black and white cat who loves his catio space, rain or shine
Custom midcentury cat painting

Join the Crew

As an H & H subscriber, you’ll get home and garden inspiration regularly delivered to your inbox, along with irresistible cat pics. Who could say no to that?

And right now I’m giving away two mod cat printables with newsletter signups. This could be the beginning of a fabulous gallery wall at your place.