How to Decorate

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 276: A Vision to Design with Stephen Sills Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

We have a major treat for you today, in the form of a great conversation with the dean of American design, celebrated interior designer Stephen Sills. You’ve seen Stephen’s work in your favorite design magazines including Architectural Digest, Town and Country, Elle Decor, and many more. Stephen walks us through his new book, a Vision for Design, and a few of the recent projects featured in the book, including stunning homes in Florida, New York City, and his own Connecticut home.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Considerations when choosing a wallpaper.
How dining rooms are becoming less formal and more usable.
How to use boards to see the whole of the house, and work with layout and scale.
What should you consider when choosing a shape and size for a sofa?
What has changed in Stephen’s Connecticut home over the 30 years he has lived there.
In Stephen’s work, how does he approach both beauty and functionality of the space?
What’s next for Stephen now that the book is out?
How Stephen curated certain moods and atmospheres in the different homes featured in a Vision for Design.
How you can bring some of Stephen’s expert eye into your design decisions.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Stephen Sills

A Vision for Design

Hello, and thank you for writing! First, when hanging art, it’s all about your choice and intuition. We think you should make a choice between a height that works for you, and a height that the guests can enjoy. Stephen agrees that it’s always nice to look up at art instead of just looking straight at it. The bigger the painting, the higher you can hang it. The smaller the painting, the lower it could be. Hope this helps!

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Ep. 275 Trials & Triumphs Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

Welcome back to another Trials & Triumphs episode! Last time Caroline shared with us that lightning struck her house and did some damage. She took the opportunity to make some additional upgrades while doing those repairs. The Schwartz House is nearly finished and Taryn is very happy with her wallpaper choices; but not so happy with the broken appliances. Liz has no trials OR triumphs to report, but this episode got her thinking about what she wants to do next in her house.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Turning lemons into lemonade, Caroline took the opportunity to add a medicine cabinet after a lightning strike destroyed part of her house.
Caroline’s medicine cabinet addition led her to add some other design elements to both her primary bathroom and powder room.
Caroline took advantage of the Ballard clearance sale and found a life-changing new way to dry clothes.
The good news is the last big appliances arrived in The Schwartz House, bad news is they aren’t working.
The pool is just about ready in The Schwartz House.
Taryn is extremely happy about the wallpaper that has gone up; it all came together!
Why is Taryn waiting on the wallpaper for the dining room?
We are all frustrated with the way wallpaper is sold; why can’t there be a standard?!
Caroline’s kids are happy because her cooktop has been replaced and she can make pasta again.
Liz feels inspired to look at her laundry room and consider some wallpaper in other parts of her home.
Listeners – we appreciate all of your feedback, questions, and dilemmas! Now send us your wallpaper adventures and photos so we can take a peek!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Corday Accordion Drying Rack

Beadboard Drying Rack

Mural Wallpaper

The Schwartz House

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Ep. 274: Rugs 101 Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Today we are deep diving into rugs. They are a foundational part of any space and very functional, but can be quite challenging. Not only are rugs expensive, but they are high traffic and take up a lot of space. So to discuss such an important and high commitment design element, we brought in our rug expert and 23 year veteran here at Ballard Designs–Carmen Barbee. Carmen breaks down the different types of rugs, how to care for them, her favorite tips and tricks, and so much more.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What are the common rug materials?
Is there a rulebook for where rugs should be throughout the house?
Why is natural fiber not kid or pet friendly?
What role does synthetic fibers play in rug making?
When it comes to hand knots, the smaller the hand knot the more expensive it is.
How to care for wool rugs.
What is an oushak rug?
What is a flat woven rug?
What is a kilim rug?
Every rug needs a rug pad. What does it do?
The difference between hand tufted and hand hooked rugs.
Are machine made rugs still high quality?
The name of the game is easy care; and why many people are using performance rugs indoors now.
Tips for rug sizing and placement.
How to use rugs in an open floorplan to define a space and work together.
The rule of thumb is–start with the rug. This is why considering the color palette is so important.
Carmen’s thoughts on solid vs. patterned rugs.
How to use fashion rugs to rotate designs or change with the seasons.
What is the longevity/lifespan of different types of rugs?
Tips & tricks for treating stains on rugs.
Rugs are always going to lean more classic than trendy, but what are some of the upcoming trends?

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Ep. 273: Decorating with Emotion with Anne Hepfer Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Toronto-based interior designer Anne Hepfer joins the podcast to talk about her new book, Mood, plus why her client work is led by emotion. Anne shares her design work is anchored in rooms that make her clients' feel and how we can all bring more feeling into our spaces.

On the show you'll hear:

The evolution of Anne's new book, Mood
Her path to writing her book on her own before shopping it to a publisher
The format and concept of the book, and all of the heart she poured into the book
Why it's important to uncover your emotional triggers and use them in your decorating
Color as a way to evoke emotion in a room, but how to bring emotion into a neutral room too
Pattern and why it's such an inspiration to Anne's work
Why it's important to consider texture when choosing upholstery items
Anne shares the inspiration behind her lake house, which has a totally different feel than her house in the city
Anne's passion for travel and how it refills her design cup
Why asking yourself the 'why' questions are so important to the design process, whether you're working with a designer or decorating for yourself
Why you should incorporate nostalgia into your spaces
The color and spine of her new book

Mentioned in this Episode:

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Ep. 272: How to Design Fearlessly with Drake/Anderson Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

We are so thrilled to welcome award-winning design duo Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson of the design firm Drake/Anderson. Their iconic work has been featured in several issues of Shelter, on the AD100 List, ELLE DECOR’s A-List, and they’ve also received the highest awards and accolades in the industry. They are known for luxurious and sophisticated residential and commercial spaces that are fearless and bold. Their new book Bold: The Interiors of Drake/Anderson is available for pre-order now. We discuss that book and their best tips for how to design fearlessly.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How did they get started on the book and chose their projects?
The common thread throughout their book is that the contemporary work is informed by history and their traditional work also includes modern elements.
What is the thought process while blending the bold elements?
Where does the fearlessness come from?
How can others become more fearless?
Do they tend to influence their clients to be bolder or are bold clients drawn to Drake/Anderson?
How do you balance the room’s strength?
To achieve boldness, it’s important to be intentional with your choices.
With several statement pieces, how can you find balance?
Creating a visual with a board, PowerPoint, etc., can help tremendously in the planning process.
Often the element of surprise is what can make a space the most interesting.
What are Jamie and Caleb’s favorite projects from the book and why?
Why can unexpected colors work so well if used right?
More about the historic preservation project in London.

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Ep. 271: Bedding 101 Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

Today we are so excited to have Ballard’s in-house bedding & bath expert Amy Jourdan on the podcast. Amy knows everything about thread counts, materials, mixing and matching, and more. She designs all of the gorgeous beds in our catalog, and she knows what makes the perfect bed.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How to design a bed with not just look but function in mind.
What are some of the most popular bedding materials for sheets and how do they differ?
What are popular materials for duvets, coverlets, and quilts?
Tips for layering the bed from basics to catalog-worthy.
What is the bell of the bed?
What to think about when mixing materials on a bed.
All about how to arrange pillows depending on bed size and design goal.
Our love of the lumbar.
A tip for how to find the right orientation of the duvet cover.
What are we doing with box springs?
The trend now is a shift from headboards to platform beds.
What is the best way to style kid’s beds?
What are the different duvet fillings?
Is a signature scent necessary for bedding?
How often should bedding be washed?
Bed-making tips including some hot pillow insert tips.
A double-stuff duvet trick.
How to change bedding with the seasons.
Tips for drying sheets and having fewer wrinkles
Why we (or our spouses) like to make our beds every day.

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Ep. 270 Trials & Triumphs Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Perhaps the biggest of triumphs after two years of trials; Taryn finally moved into her new house! Plus, Liz and Caroline catch us up with all the Trials & Triumphs of their homes from bookcases to lightning, and more.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Liz finished her bedroom wallpaper project, but it uncovered a new “problem”.
The hunter green lining; Liz found a great paint color and is styling her bookcase.
Caroline’s house was struck by lightning…really!
Since Caroline now has to fix her living room, she’s going to repaint the walls and possibly the ceiling.
A BIG triumph for Taryn; they are in the house! But there are still workers in the house.
Taryn is making strides in her outdoor space.
Taryn installed, and then uninstalled, and then reinstalled some lighting (and outlets).
A lesson to be learned; have the rugs cleaned BEFORE you move all of your furniture around.
The fun is in the details but so is the devil.
Taryn updates us on the service and selection available from Blinds.com.
Now it’s time to decorate The Schwartz House…so stay tuned!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Find all of the show notes on our blog, howtodecorate.com/podcast

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Ep. 269: How to Decorate Like a Parisian with David Jimenez Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

Today we are joined by designer David Jimenez, owner and founder of David Jimenez Studio. David is a creative force who got his start working at household names like Banana Republic, Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware. Six years ago he left his corporate job to move to Paris and start his design business, and he now designs spaces all over the world for his clients in that enigmatic Parisian style. His style is effortless, dripping in antiques, but also livable and fresh. This fall he is publishing his first book Parisian by Design: Interiors by David Jimenez.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

We gush over David’s new book Parisian by Design and discuss how it came together.
David’s work history started by folding clothes in the Gap and eventually, it led him to Paris.
A staple in Parisian design is using and reusing antiques and heirloom pieces.
One of David’s tips for layering a room is setting a mood and finding joy within the room during the process.
Gallery walls are a big component to Parisian design and one David has adopted; he likes to lay pieces out on the ground first before hanging.
David doesn’t limit himself by watching all wood or metal tones; it’s okay to mix and match.
Scale is very important to anchor or pull focus in a room.
David uses room dividers and screens not only for privacy but also to add a layer of color or texture.
Black and white stripes are very classic Parisian and curtains are a good way to add them to a space.
David loves to use black in a room for punctuation but especially for a lampshade.
David discusses some of his favorite French designers and how they have influenced him.
The second half of David’s book gives an insider’s guide to navigating the Parisian streets.
Certain colors are specific to Paris and hold cultural and historical significance.
David’s intention with his work is to use his expertise as a catalyst to design a space that reflects you.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Find all of the show notes on our blog, howtodecorate.com/podcast

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Ep. 268: Creative Ways to Change Your Aesthetic with Amanda Brooke Interiors Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

We are joined today by Houston-based designer Amanda Holliday. Amanda opened her firm, Amanda Brooke Interiors, in 2019 after working commercial and residential design for many years. Her approach is a balance of contemporary and vintage, architectural and organic, and she is an expert in experiential storytelling through your space. Amanda shares with us all of her tips, tricks, and creative ways to change your aesthetic.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Where can you start when you are getting sick of your home?
What are your options for changing your aesthetic if you can’t change things structurally?
What swaps make the biggest impact in changing a room?
How plaster can be used to transform a space.
Why Amanda likes to break the rules when it comes to artwork and accessories.
How does Amanda like to style bookcases?
Some of Amanda’s tips to revitalize and repurpose furniture.
How to use accent lighting to completely revamp a room.
The many nuances of and versatility of lampshades.
Options for changing out fabrics.
Amanda’s instant tips if your room is feeling too dark and heavy.
What if a room is not feeling layered enough?
How to freshen up non-modern and antique pieces.
How to scale a room up.
Why Amanda challenges everyone to create their OWN artwork for their space.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Find all of the show notes on our blog, howtodecorate.com/podcast

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Ep. 267: What Sets a Room Apart with Lorraine Enwright Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

Today we welcome award-winning designer Lorraine Enwright. Lorraine was the lead designer of the 2021 Serenbe Showhouse, and she also recently won Bath of the Year from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. We chat with Lorraine about what sets a room apart to achieve a designer look. We discuss the main differences in using a designer vs. going at it alone, why focal points are so important, and why Lorraine says the last 5% is the most important part of the room design.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What are the main differences between those rooms done by a designer vs. a homeowner?
What resources does a designer have at their disposal?
Where do you begin the discovery process for a client that doesn’t know what they want?
How can someone understand scale and spatial relationships?
Why an emotional and instinctual connection to a style is important to pay attention to.
The details and last layers in the space are what really complete a room.
Where do people often go wrong with their details without using a designer?
Why odd numbers and asymmetry work best in design.
How often should you rotate or repurpose pieces, if at all?
Are there any times when you can ignore scale?
Every room has to have its focal point(s).
If you want to be bold or add drama, how do you know where to do it?
How to make an oversized room feel cozy.
How to work with the windows and lighting your space has.

Decorating Dilemma:

Hi “T. Schwartz”,

Normally I would suggest Roman shades, but with kids, you might want to think about roller shades. You can use really any fabric you like to customize, so they work really well and look great. You could also consider indoor shutters. If you’re wanting a uniform look from the outside of the house, both shutters or roller shades are a great choice. If you really want to do Roman shades, I would recommend having the backs of them look similar from the outside. I love woven shades for that reason. If you don’t want to worry about the chords from Roman shades you could always motorize them; especially if you’re using an installer.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Find all of the show notes on our blog, howtodecorate.com/podcast

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