How to Decorate

Latest Episodes:

Bonus Episode: One-on-One with Design Services Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

Caroline sits down with Amy Ross of Ballard Designs' FREE Design Services program for a special one-on-one interview focused on demystifying design consultation. Whatever your at-home design dilemma may be, our team of experienced design consultants like Amy can help you turn your design vision into reality either in-person at our stores, by phone, or even virtually. Additionally, Caroline and Amy chat about the best ways to go about scheduling a consultation with a design expert and what you can expect if you are eager to try out Design Services for yourself.

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Ep. 305: Behind-the-Scenes of Design School with Justin Q. Williams Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

We welcome the wonderful and multi-talented Justin Q. Williams to our show to chat about his episode of 'Design School' on QVC+. Justin is not only an interior designer, but also an artist, furniture designer, and TV star who you might remember from Design Star: Next Gen on HGTV. The Atlanta-based designer talks to us about his journey from creating 3D plans as a 12-year old to now mentoring others. He emphasizes the importance of interior designers learning photo styling and business, and being able to pivot quickly. Justin also discusses designing restaurants vs. residential homes and why his special episode of Design School will be perfect for those living in a townhouse or row house. Additionally, Justin reveals more about his furniture line and art collections, which he named after family members to honor his amazing support system.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Special shout out to Justin’s dad who bought him architecture and design programs at 12 years old, that he jumped into and fell in love with the process.
How mentorship and working in many facets of design helped Justin develop the skills he has today.
How the experience of making the season finale episode of Design School differed from his show on HGTV, Design Star.
How Design Star changed his life (many months of 12 hour days) and business once the show was out.
The importance of learning how to pivot and be able to change plans quickly as a designer.
More behind his furniture business and why he named certain pieces after his family members to honor his support system.
The importance of building great relationships with people, because you never know what they can turn into.
The difference between designing a restaurant vs. a residential home.
A sneak peek into some of Justin’s highlights of his Design School episode!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Decorating Dilemma:

Thanks Gloria! First off, your room looks so good, and we love your wall color. And, you nailed the bed. For what you can change, Justin thinks you should focus on the sides of the bed. Whether it’s adding mirrors or some sweet art, that will make the size seem bigger. Then, over the bed, adding something round and textural will compliment the art and mirrors on both sides of the bed and balance the wall. Justin would switch the lamps on the tables and for accessories..remember: fashion is second and function is first.

There is no such thing as too big of a lamp, unless it can’t fit! Layering is a good thing and also makes the room feel full and curated.

Thanks so much and we can’t wait to see the updates!

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Ep. 304: Wallpaper and Textiles with Caitlin McGauley Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

We welcome back Caitlin McGauley, incredible watercolor artist and textile designer. Caitlin’s work has been featured by clients including Hermes Paris, the Ritz Paris, Christian Dior, Estee Lauder and many more. Prior to designing her own collection in 2014, Caitlin got her start in the industry as a designer for Ralph Lauren home. She talks about her journey to the wallpaper and textile industry, tips for adding beautiful textiles into your home, and also tips for designing a home studio.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

How working at Ralph Lauren Home was a fun and educational experience for Caitlin.
Caitlin’s background in live portrait events, even working with Hermes.
How Caitlin got into designing her own wallpaper.
Caitlins love of open patterns with a really wide and open repeat, which lends itself better to window treatments than a chair.
Her process of creating a mural.
How have the home renovations gone for Caitlin?
Caitlin talks about finding inspiration in nature.
Tips for designing a studio.
How she came into watercolor painting and learned on a limited palette.
When you’re designing your patterns, is Caitlin thinking about other patterns that might play nicely or keeping it neutral?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Ballard Designs Room Planner
Caitlin McGauley: IG | Website

Decorating Dilemma:

Caitlin understands how daunting renovation can be! That being said, she does like your plan of having the kitchen in the back of the house. She also wonders if you are sitting in the dining area and looking at the deck to the left of the kitchen, if that could be the information seating with the L shape? That way, you could kind of have the best of both worlds. She also does love the idea of a really large island. That’s what she did in her kitchen, and it serves as a space for where they eat and where they gather when people come over.

We love the idea of combining the sitting area so that everybody wins. If you can delineate that other somehow and make it really special, that would be amazing.

Send us pics of what you finally decide, including the view!

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Ep. 303: Decorating Small Spaces with Sarah Lederman Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

It’s all about small spaces this week as we welcome Sarah Letterman. Sarah is an interior designer based out of New York City, known for her ability to mix patterns and melt modern and traditional elements into her projects. She cut her teeth in the industry training for years under Tom Scheerer and later launched her firm, Sarah Letterman Interiors. At the start of the pandemic, her work has been featured in House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, Domino Magazine, and more.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

How working with Tom Scheerer and interning for Bunnie Williams helped Sarah grow as a designer and get more comfortable with her own style.
Design advice Sarah did NOT take from her mom when decorating her apartment!
Organization is a big part of small-space living.
Using wallpaper in small spaces to hide imperfections.
How do you find custom upholstery in Manhattan?
How do you make a kid’s bathroom feel pulled together enough?
Sarah’s favorite materials to help a space feel beautiful yet lived in, including performance velvet. Why shower curtains are underrated!
How we can better maximize small spaces and weird angles.
Tips for layering.
There's a fine line between being accessorized and cluttered. Get used to knowing the difference!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Sarah Lederman
Sarah Lederman IG

Decorating Dilemma:

Thank you for writing in! First off, the bones of this room are beautiful to start with. Okay, first off, Sarah thinks you could put a craft table in front of the big window. It can have three chairs around it and could even be the pedestal table you have tucked in the corner right now. If you need extra storage, you could potentially put an ottoman in front of the sofa. One of the biggest things for us is that the rug feels a little bit undersized. Sometimes an undersized rug actually shrinks the space and then a larger area rug would make it feel bigger.

Next, Sarah also recommends adding some finishing touches like a cool big piece of art over the sofa. Maybe framing a piece of your kid’s art, which would be fun and a great talking piece.

Maybe some fun pillows on the sofa which can also add extra seating for kids when adults are over.

If you find another place for the piano, we do think you can get some sort of credenza with storage.

Finally, for drapery ideas, check out our Isadore Floral Drapery Patterns for some good inspiration.

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Ep. 302: Behind-the-Scenes of Design School with Kristin Kong Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

We welcome back designer Kristin Kong, founder, and principal designer of K Kong Designs. Kristin talks about what it was like working with us on our new show, Design School, and the unique twist she’s crafted into her home. Kristin shares with us why she loves dark colors, how we can maximize seating in our space, and how universal design is not boring!

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Kristin and her husband bought his childhood home from his parents, and she talks about the renovations and changes they made.
The challenges of renovating a split-level house.
Universal design is not boring! And if you think it is, watch Kristin’s episode of Design School.
There's nothing more precious in your home than the people.
How to maximize seating in your space.
Kristin’s love of dark colors
Creating a palate cleanser in the hallways.
More about Kristin’s beautiful dining room, including the walls.
What was her experience like during Design School?
The importance of understanding scale.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Decorating Dilemma:

Hi, and thank you for writing in! First, it might be beneficial to move the armor to another room, if that is an option. We also wonder if you can sort of flip that leather chair, maybe to the other side of the television, and next to the stove. Adding a cool console table behind the loveseat would be great, along with tucking in a few ottomans.

And, if you could get a slipcover made for that Ottoman so that you could kind of keep it functionally, but you could just kind of pop some sort of fabric and a cool pattern or texture on top to again, it would help to break up all the matching brown leather. Be sure to try out Ballard’s Room Planning tool for scale!

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Ep. 301: Surprise! Our new TV show! Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

This week, we have the pleasure of hosting Mary Beth Anderson as our guest. In addition to being the accomplished producer behind several popular TV shows including HGTV’s Brother vs Brother, Restored by the Fords, My Lottery Dream Home, Design Star, and Good Bones, Mary Beth is the fearless leader behind Ballard’s new TV show, Design School, set to launch on QVC+ on March 24th hosted by our very own Caroline! Mary Beth provides an overview of what viewers can expect from Design School, and how it differs from her previous projects (we think this will be her favorite). She shares some fun behind-the-scenes information about her experience producing design TV, and some of her favorite moments from taping. Get ready for some decorating dilemmas and much more to be on a TV channel near you, very soon.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What was the genesis of the TV show?
How can we watch it?
Will some of my favorite podcast guests be on the TV show?
What is the format of the show, and how is it different from the typical makeover show?
Format of the show and how it’s different from a makeover show.
Mary Beth walks us through the process of filming and some of the logistical hurdles.
Some of the team’s favorite moments from the show.
How did they find the homes and designers featured in the show?
How did the experience of shooting this project differ from other property projects?
What is the future of design TV?
What is the story behind the great “cocktail table takeaway”?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Ballard Designs

Mary Beth Anderson

QVC+

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Ep. 300: Listener Q&A Special! Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

This week marks the 300th episode of our podcast, which means it's time to attempt our very first lightning round Decorating Dilemma Q&A special episode! Thank you so much for listening and support the How to Decorate podcast over the years. To honor our podcasting milestone, today's episode is all about authentically answering your home decorating questions: Caroline, Taryn, and Liz break down your Instagram-submitted questions by topic, from decorating with patterns and colors, living room layouts, outdoor styling questions, and even a few mystery wildcard questions.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

When will the color gray die?
What are some good color trends for traditional transitional designs?
Why the color wheel is a great tool for picking a color palette.
Decorating with patterns versus solids.
Is there a limit to the number of chairs in a room?
The power of pattern in your room.
How to create a zone in your home.
How do you style a coffee table?
How to add cozy ambiance for outdoor space lighting.

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Ep. 299: Romantic Modernism with Bobby McAlpine Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

Our guest this week is renowned architect Bobby McAlpine. His eponymous firm, McAlpine, is known for blending modern and traditional elements to create bold, soulful, and poetic homes meant to capture imaginations while still feeling familiar. Bobby joins the pod to talk about his new book, Romantic Modernism, out on March 21st, and discusses some of the sculptural elements he brought into the architecture, the influence theater and drama have had on his work, and the personification of his home including knowing his boy house needed a sister. Bobby also shares what life on a private island is really like and how we can include soft yet beautiful drapery in our homes to give us that romantic yet modern twist.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How the silver and gold crayons represent classicism and modernism to Bobby.
How Bobby decides when to really go for it in some elements in the house and when to remove them.
How has the experience of living in the house in Atlanta been compared to what Bobby imagined when designing it?
What it’s really like to have a private island in the world.
How Bobby balances being in the world of both architecture and art.
What would Bobby tell a student starting their first year of school now?
The importance of choosing materials that are timeless.
Many of us build more than we want and need, and a good house is not a long real estate amenities list of things.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Ballard Designs

McAlpine

Romantic Modernism

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Ep. 298: Making a House a Home with Susanna Salk Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

Our guest this week is good friend Susanna Salk: design expert, successful YouTube creator, and author of over 14 books. Susanna talks with us about her new book, Making a House a Home, and some of the things she’s been most surprised about in the designer’s homes. She also discusses the difference between a designer’s home vs. a non-designers home and how we can bring that casual elegance into our own life, and gives insight into why spring cleaning isn’t exactly her thing including ways to edit your wardrobe and home in an easier, more consistent way.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How does Susanna find the time and inspiration to come up with her book concepts?
Some of Susanna’s favorite tips and tricks that she has brought into her own space that she saw in a designer’s house.
Making a House a Home is for everyone, both designers and novices alike.
What are visual landscapes?
How we can tie visual landscapes together using the dinner guest analogy.
Your rooms don't have to look perfect, but they have to make you feel right.
Susanna’s motto: “live with what you love, or give it away to somebody else.”

Mentioned in This Episode:

Ballard Designs

Susanna Salk

Making a House a Home

Miles Redd

Decorating Dilemma

Susanna wishes she was right with you! If she was there, the first thing she would do is get you a fantastic rug to cut up some of the wood. This would be the biggest game changer, and it doesn’t even have to be an expensive rug. Check out the Ballard rugs with a big, beautiful juicy pattern on it, and put the rug under your table area. Next, you should paint those current cabinets a nice white. Then, take the spindly chandelier that's coming down low and kind of blocking the windows above that table. And I would put a more recessed light above there.

You don’t need window treatments, and the windows and the view are beautiful enough. As far as the table, Susanna recommends getting rid of the little table and replacing it with a series of flower pots down along the floor area or a fiddle fig tree along the side.

If you can replace the dining room table, a vintage table or long farmhouse wood table would highlight the rug and make it feel less matchy-matchy. Or if you do replace the black solid barstools, pick a soft fun pattern and don’t worry about it matching with the rug.

If you only have $500 to spend, have an electrician take down the chandelier and put in another ceiling light. Thanks so much for writing in and good luck!

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Ep. 297: Trials and Triumphs Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

It’s all about Trials and Triumphs this week as we talk about power outages and faulty fireplaces, beautiful drapes, a lack of hot water, Liz's recent trip to Paris, and why you should always store your warranties in a safe place. We also talk about new ventures in wallpaper and some of our favorite artist girl crushes.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Triumphs including finally having a fence around the pool - super ready for summer!
New ventures in wallpaper, including Anna French’s Thibaut and Peter Dunham.
Liz’s trip to Paris was a definite triumph.
A trial on a bathroom tile redo. Sometimes, you just have to try and try again.
You’re not alone if you’ve ever run a bath and just had four droplets of cold water come out.

Mentioned in This Episode:

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