How to Decorate

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 286 Renovating a Country House with Country Living Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

We’ve got a great duo here this week on How to Decorate: Rachel Barrett, Editor in Chief of Country Living and acclaimed singer songwriter, serial house renovator and contributing Country Living writer Holly Williams. In the November issue of Country Living, we get to see the beautiful country house they renovated using some Ballard products. We hear the story of how they came to collaborate and the little details that turned out to be one big vision. They also talk about working in a tight timeline, along with some behind the scenes moments of a not so glamorous photo shoot. We also talk about fun ideas for ping pong rooms, how bold colors can make a big difference, and the importance of having a touchstone item.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How to create a cohesive vision for a project, especially when working in a tight timeline.
Maybe you should look on Craigslist for real estate?
How they incorporated an itch to use hunting lodge decor in their farmhouse.
The importance of starting with a neutral color.
Empowerment of happy accidents and being able to roll with things.
The importance of having a “touchstone” item.
Using brass lamps and skirted tables to create contrast.
The importance of window coverings in the house.
What to do if you have an eyesore in your home.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Rachel Hardage Barrett

Holly Williams

Country Living Magazine

Decorating Dilemma:

Thank you for writing in! First, the fireplace already has contrast against the white wall and then the shelves are pretty high contrast, so, maybe something that's a little bit like richer, darker, and warmer color might help it feel like one unit. Next, a skirted table underneath the TV in some great fabric can be repeated in the same fabric on the windows.

And remember, bold fabric will change the world! It makes everything feel intentional and beautiful, without busting your bank. As far as curtain rods, check out luddite brass ones.

For color, Oakmoss by Sherwin Williams could work, or a Jasper or Moss Point Green.

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Ep. 285 Achieving an Eclectic Look with Veronica Solomon Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

This week features Veronica Solomon, Houston interior designer and CEO and Creative Director of Casa Vilora Interiors. Veronica is also a mentor and a professional coach to other interior designers looking to build their businesses in the design community. She talks about the development of her bold style, her love of the eclectic and layered looks, her inspiration for taking more risks, and how not to be afraid of a dark wall.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What does it mean to be eclectic?
Are there certain rooms where Veronica feels like it makes sense to be a little more bold?
When is the right time to use draperies?
Veronica’s advice on taking more risks in a way that is calculated and intentional.
Low commitment but big splash items that can lend themselves to be a little more bold such as art and light fixtures.
How to know when it’s time to just call a designer?
Thinking about putting your favorite color everywhere on the wall? Veronica shares why you may want to think again, and how to weave it in using a more methodical way.
How to spice up a neutral space.
Plants are a great way to add texture to a space.
Veronica’s love of a BIG light fixture.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Veronica Solomon

@Casa Vilora

Decorating Dilemma:

First off, we love that you are bold and Veronica is certainly the right guest to answer this! She thinks you should keep it in red, match whatever trim color in the space, and do it in satin instead of high gloss for a nice sheen without too much shine. A grayer red versus an orange-red is what you want. Let us know how it turns out, we can’t wait to see!

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Ep. 284: Holiday Essentials with Karen Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

We are so excited to have former host Karen Mooney back on the show! On this special holiday episode, Karen gives us an update on her life since becoming President of Ballard Designs, walks us through her new beach house design, shares her favorite holiday Ballard products, and joins Caroline, Taryn, and Liz in giving tips for entertaining, holiday decorating, gift ideas, and more. Also, be sure to check out Ballard Design's Black Friday Deals while they last!

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Karen gives us an update of what she’s been up to since becoming President of Ballard.
Karen surprises us, and herself, with how colorful she has decorated her beach house.
How the podcast has helped Karen expand and embolden her design style.
We each offer our best hosting tips.
Thanksgiving dinner in the day or the evening?
Karen gives us her secret recipe for gravy.
How to set the table so it breaks the ice for guests.
What are the main parts of the house we decorate for the holidays?
How to accent faux decorations with “real” natural elements.
Does holiday decor need to match your existing decor or have a theme?
We gush over a few of our holiday items available.
Which Ballard products make great gifts?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Holiday & Seasonal Decorations

Andros Linen Panel

Café Dinnerware Collection

Holiday Dinnerware Collection

Drinkware

Flatware

Ballroom Folding Chairs

Marseille Linen Napkins

Tree Garland

Angel Pine Garland

Essential Stocking Holder

Mercury Glass Hurricane

Belissima Flax Linen Bedding

Amelie Bath Towel Collection

Faux Fur Blanket

Petite Acrylic Easel

Personalized Coir Mats

More Personalized Products

Celebratory Cocktail Napkins

Ornaments

Ep. 117: designer Janie Molster

Tom Scheerer

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Ep. 283: Flower Showhouse: Recap Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

We conclude our special series highlighting the FLOWER Magazine Atlanta Showhouse with a recap of our in-person tour! Ballard Designs is proud to be one of the sponsors of the house.

We share our initial thoughts and takeaways and go room by room to marvel at each designer’s work. Our biggest takeaway? The house is so awe-inspiring that we have to go again! And if you’re local, we highly recommend a visit.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

We start with the breathtaking entryway which includes textures, patterns, and a plethora of wallpaper.
We dig into the wallpaper, the details, and the cohesiveness of the house.
We are hoarse from talking so much at the showhouse; everyone was so inspiring and welcoming!
The house had everything you could imagine; including LIVE birds!
Did we mention there was pink marble?
We attempt to pick our favorite room. Is it even possible?
Which room had hand-painted tiger wallpaper?
Each space, even the small ones, was designed as its own room. A reminder to maximize every space.
Our only complaint was the space-age toilets the builder put in.
Why every single space was a wow moment; you must go in person if you can!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Visit the FLOWER Magazine Atlanta Showhouse to preview each designer’s space.

Buy tickets to the Showhouse HERE!

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Ep 282 Flower Showhouse: The Primary Bedroom with Cathy Kincaid Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

We are back with our special series highlighting the FLOWER magazine showhouse here in Atlanta. This episode features the celebrated Dallas-based interior designer, Cathy Kincaid. Known for her use of color and her exquisite eye for antiques, Cathy talks to us about how no detail is too small, her love of cozy bedrooms, and her tips for creating elegant yet livable designs inside your home. Cathy talks more about different ways to personalize your bedroom including getting clear on how you like your lighting, bed dressings, textiles, and furniture set up.

If you’d like to visit the house in person you can purchase tickets here, and also follow along with the podcast series whether you can see it in person or not!

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Cathy loves smaller bedrooms and finds them to be super cozy.
What was Cathy’s inspiration behind the color choice in the bedroom, other than it being the woman's domain?
The influence of the baby Taj on the bedroom design.
Cathy dives more into her choice of fabric and drapery in the bedroom.
What are some ways that we can create bedrooms that feel elegant, timeless, and livable?
How we can bring more comfort to ourselves in the bedroom, and also make it family-friendly for other partners, children, and of course…our pets.
Some ideas if you are like Cathy and want a desk somewhere in your bedroom.
Beautiful lighting ideas and how to make your nightstand more functional.
Cathy gives some great bed sheet recommendations and is not one to spend her morning stacking a million pillows.
What are some classic colors for a bedroom that stand the test of time?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Cathy Kincaid

The Well Adorned Home: Making Luxury Livable

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Ep 281 Flower Showhouse: The Library with Barry Dixon Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

We are back with our special series highlighting the FLOWER magazine showhouse here in Atlanta, and the fun continues with acclaimed designer Barry Dixon. His work can be found all over the world, and on the pages of your favorite magazines like House Beautiful, Traditional Home and of course, Flower magazine.Barry talks about designing for all five senses, telling the story of a space from beginning to end, and his choice of textiles, colors, and books in the beautifully inspiring library. Ballard Designs is proud to be one of the sponsors of the house, and we are so excited to share all the gorgeous spaces with you.

If you’d like to visit the house in person you can purchase tickets here, and also follow along with the podcast series whether you can see it in person or not!

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Barry talks about the foundation of the library, and the little bit of Hollywood Regency appeal to the house.
The views of the exterior are such an important part of the beauty of any interior.
Some masculine ways to bring in florals.
Barry talks about his curation of the books in the library and the intention behind the visual cues on the shelves.
What advice would Barry give to people who are trying to blend styles or work with someone who doesn’t have their same opinion on design?
A beautiful truth: you're never alone in a room that speaks to you.
How do you balance the personalities in your home (aka ones that love taxidermy and action figures)?
How design is like writing a story, and it’s important to tell the story from beginning to end.
Barry’s love of the extreme in design in every way, including location, architecture, and style.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Barry Dixon

Barry Dixon’s Books

Decorating Dilemma:

Thank you for writing in! First, Barry has some great thoughts and advice for you. The buffet always traditionally belonged in a dining room, so you can keep that and you can also keep the chairs you have. Maybe you want to paint those Hepa white chairs a really pretty French Gray from Farrow & Ball so they look fresh. Mix that with the green buffet, and it leaves your table to be brown, with some beautiful yellows and grays to add a sorbet of color. Let’s buy a really beautiful paper with a pattern that goes with the Tudor or Arts and Crafts style - Barry has some good suggestions for ones from the 1800s. The Benjamin Moore color can be brought in as the trim color for the windows, baseboards, and door casings.

Since you are just investing in the paper, maybe you can even do a coordinating pattern for your seat cushions on those chairs. This ties everything together in one grand statement.

Please send us after photos so we can see your final choices!

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Ep. 280: Flower Showhouse: The East Wing with Julie Dodson Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

This episode continues our special series highlighting the FLOWER magazine showhouse here in Atlanta. Ballard Designs is proud to be one of the sponsors of the house, and we are so excited to share all the gorgeous spaces with you. Each day this week we will interview a different designer from the showhouse to talk about the room they designed, their inspiration, trends throughout the space, and much more. This episode features Julie Dodson, of Dodson Interiors. For 20 years, she has brought chic French inspired spaces to her Houston clientele. Her love of antiques and ability to add a fresh spin on traditional elements is evident in her polished spaces that she creates her clients. Julie talks about the inspiration for the showroom, her choice of the color palette, and how we can find the balance between the old and the new with antiques.

If you’d like to visit the house in person you can purchase tickets here, and also follow along with the podcast series whether you can see it in person or not!

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What do you look for in a wallpaper especially in a space that small?
Why it’s important to keep scale in mind when picking a wallpaper.
Can one have too many wallpapers in a home?
Does Julie feel like brass is going to wane in popularity as far as finishes go?
Are wallpapers in bathrooms a good idea?
Julie talks about the camaraderie in the house, and how the design community comes together and is excited to see what everyone is up to.
Why Julie loves antiques and the character that comes with hard to find finishes.
Julie provides some great resources for getting great antiques all year long, including the Round Top Antiques Fair.
How does Julie start helping her clients create their art collections vs. ones that have been collecting for years?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Dodson Interiors

@dodsoninteriors

The Original Round Top Antiques Fair

Decorating Dilema:

Julie would do a custom rug that covers the entire room, and cuts out the hearth of the fireplace. A nice wool flat leaf would allow you to open and close the door, and it would make the room feel like one big comfy space, as opposed to multiple smaller rugs. Whatever you can do to bring it a little bit closer to the door would be nice. This brings up a great tip: if you're layering rugs on top, maybe go a little closer to the wall.

As for the windows, Julie feels like adding trim is not a good investment, and you won’t even notice if you are dressing them nicely.

Julie would keep the marble surround that you have, but add an old beam or boxed shelf that goes the length of the fireplace.

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Ep. 279: Flower Showhouse: The Scullery with Melanie Millner Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

We are continuing our special series highlighting the FLOWER magazine showhouse here in Atlanta. Ballard Designs is proud to be one of the sponsors of the house, and we are so excited to share all the gorgeous spaces with you. Each day this week we will interview a different designer from the showhouse to talk about the room they designed, their inspiration, trends throughout the space, and much more. Our guest today, Melanie Milner, discusses her work on the scullery in the showhouse. Melanie is an Atlanta-based designer with The Design Atelier known for her timeless style and use of colors. Her work has been featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle, LUXE, and more.

If you’d like to visit the house in person you can purchase tickets here, and also follow along with the podcast series whether you can see it in person or not!

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What is a scullery and why did it speak to Melanie?
Why Melanie worked alongside the dining room team of the showhouse to coordinate designs.
Melanie chose plaster finishes for the scullery for a durable, unique, and ethereal look.
All of the lighting in the scullery is recessed to have a functional and practical workspace.
What appliances go into a scullery?
Why the small details can be the star of the show; especially in a kitchen space.
How was designing this space different from designing other clients’ kitchens?
What are some new things Melanie is seeing in kitchens?
What goes in the cabinets of a scullery?
Why do Taryn and Melanie like bridge faucets?
What other trends is Melanie seeing that she’s excited about?
Why organization can be such an important, albeit luxury, design element.
Indoor/outdoor rugs are a great way to soften a space in a kitchen while still being easy to clean.

Decorating Dilemma:

Hi Nancy,

There are a lot of really cool switch plates out there if you’re willing to spend the money. A metal backplate would be a good place to start or you can find a colored one. I wouldn’t paint it since it doesn’t generally last. If you were to get wallpaper, you can have the installer cover that as well for an easy solution. Depending on how you design the bar, it could be a good idea to integrate the metal from the plate with hardware and accessories. I would say it depends on whether you want to be more subtle and integrate the switch plates or make a bold decision.

We appreciate your level of detail, Nancy! Let us know what you decide. And thank you for listening to all of our episodes; twice!

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Design Atelier

The Design Atelier on Instagram

Domingue Finishes - Plaster

Forbes and Lomax - Switchplates

Lutron - Switches

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Ep. 278: Flower Showhouse: The Powder Room with Nellie Jane Howard Ossi Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

This episode kicks off a special series we’re doing highlighting the FLOWER magazine showhouse here in Atlanta. Ballard Designs is proud to be one of the sponsors of the house, and we are so excited to share all the gorgeous spaces with you. Each day this week we will interview a different designer from the showhouse to talk about the room they designed, their inspiration, trends throughout the space, and much more. Our first designer, Nellie Jane Howard Ossi of Mrs. Howard Design Firm walks us through her powder room design for the house. She’s a lead designer, a domestic expert, and has a tabletop line coming out next year with Dillards.

If you’d like to visit the house in person you can purchase tickets here, and also follow along with the podcast series whether you can see it in person or not!

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How did Nellie get the chance to work on the showhouse?
What was Nellie’s inspiration for how to begin the powder room design and what is the theme?
How do you account for no natural light when choosing design elements?
Why did Nellie choose blue trim for the powder room?
Nellie shares last-minute dilemmas while working on showhouses.
What are the most common delays still happening in design, decorating, and building?
What are some must DOs when designing a powder room?
Why the powder room is a great place to do something bold–like wallpaper on the ceiling!
Lighting is one of the most important elements of a powder room. Nellie’s tips for getting it right.
What are some must DON’T’s when designing a powder room?
How antiquing has influenced Nellie’s design (and her personal life!)
All about growing up in a design family and how it influenced Nellie’s style.
Why accessorizing is expensive but can’t be overlooked. It’s what finishes a room.
Will Nellie continue to do showhouses?
How kids have impacted Nellie’s design; for better or worse!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Nellie Howard Ossi on Instagram

Nellie Howard Ossi

Mrs. Howard

Andrew Howard Interior Design

Visual Comfort Lighting

Pioneer Linens

Made Goods

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Ep. 277: Decorating the English Way with Emma Sims-Hilditch Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Today's lovely guest is English designer Emma Sims-Hilditch. Emma got her start designing sets for Ridley Scott before opening her own firm, Sims Hilditch, in 2009. Her work has been featured in Vogue, House & Garden, The Telegraph, and many other publications. We discuss Emma’s new book The Evolution of Home: English Interiors for a New Era and her tips for decorating the English way.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What has been the evolution of Emma’s design style through childhood, travels, and beyond?
How does Emma find balance between rustic and clean, modern styles?
Why does Emma paint her house twice a year?
Why light plays such an important role in color and hue choices.
Why is storage in the bedroom priority #1 for Emma?
Emma encourages people not to always get hung up on symmetry and matching; nature is the perfect example of this.
The case for brown furniture!
What Emma likes to consider for home office spaces.
How did working in set design influence Emma’s design style?
What does Emma recommend for adding European design elements into a space?
What are ways to add charm to your room even after decorating?
Overstuffed upholstery and pillows are English staples that are fun to play with.
What does Emma consider the ideal kitchen layout?

Decorating Dilemma:

Hi Jackie,

This is a lovely kitchen with fantastic bones and storage. I personally wouldn’t change the white cabinets because I think it’s much easier to paint a wall. If you don’t like it, it’s also much easier to repaint. I would personally do a soft gray like Mizzle by Farrow & Ball. You could also go darker like a blue-gray. A white kitchen is a great starting point and I love the black contrast. I notice the countertops are polished vs. honed; I would recommend getting a quote to see how much it is to get them honed. It’s an easy process that gives a much softer edge and makes a huge difference. I would also recommend some pendant lights over the bar if it’s not too difficult to add them now. You could use fabric-colored shades or even play with patterns. If it’s practical, upholstered bar stools are another fun way to bring color in. I would also even look at the curtain; the soft white curtain could be swapped for something with more texture or pattern that’s more structured and less floaty. I would base it on what you choose for the pendant and barstools. You could also try a coordinating Roman shade above the window as well; whether it’s decorative or functional it will often up that space. I would not wallpaper the backsplash as cooking can be damaging to wallpaper. If you really want to wallpaper somewhere or even if the room carries on around the corner, you could paper one wall. I would pick out a pattern that’s complimentary to the paint color you choose from the kitchen. We all think drawing more attention to the island will be your best bet. With that in mind, you could also paint the island 2 shades darker than whatever you choose for the wall. We don’t think the dog crate is permanent, but if you want you could put a rug under it for now!

The kitchen looks wonderful as is and just needs some finishing touches–you’re almost there! Good luck and please send us some pictures!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Sims Hilditch

Sims Hilditch on Instagram

Emma Sims-Hilditch on Instagram

The Evolution of Home: English Interiors for a New Era

Margot 2-Light Pendant

Hector Finch

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