How to Decorate

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 147: Dorm Room Decorating Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

We have two very exciting guests this week, Jennie Seward and Ann Mashburn. These two powerhouse designers just happened to have daughters that ended up rooming together as college freshmen and are now two peas in a very well decorated pod. Jennie and Ann talk with us about ways to maximize space in a small shared area, tips for making the most out of bed storage, and share a few of their favorite budget-friendly ideas for adding warmth and personality to a dorm.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Trials and triumphs about a broken femur, trip to Maine, a very heavy fountain, dripping faucets, and much more!
How Jennie and Ann’s daughters ended up rooming together, and how these two peas in a pod get along.
The difference between decorating a dorm room for a boy vs. a girl, and why the boys just may be happy with one loan Home Depot bucket.
How Pinterest has changed dorm room decorating, and where Jenny and Ann and their daughter’s collected ideas for inspiration.
All about the bed including bed skirts, maximizing storage, and reupholstered sidewalk headboard.
How to keep spaces separate for sleeping and studying, even if space is an issue.
Ideas to decorate the walls and not have them so bare without needing to spend too much money.
Tell your kids you will buy everything once, so they know to keep good care of what they have!
Our love for the touch kitchen faucet, and why it will change your life!

Mentioned In This Episode:

Jennie Seward | @jenniesewardco

Ann Mashburn | Sid Mashburn | @annmashburn

Casper Mattress

Ikea

Garnet Hill

Decorating Dilemma:

We agree that you should paint the brick and the green should be painted a nice off white. Changing your hardware could really modernize your kitchen, and you can check out Ballard’s hardware for some inspiration. Add some great lighting such as a fabulous light fixture over the island. You may not need stools for the counter, and this will add space for one long bench without having people bump into each other.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 146: Dining Room Basics Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

This week it’s all about the dining room, kitchen, and fun seating options with our in-house expert Sara Stephen. Sara guides us through ways that we can use our existing dining room and kitchen furniture to maximize space, support the flow of a room, and create a consistent yet not too matchy look. We talk with Sara about how to choose a dining room table, what trends she is seeing in the world of kitchen and dining decor, why banquettes and benches are so hot right now, and whether you really need to sit next to your loved one at a party.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

What to look for a dining room table including size, shape, function, clean up ability, and seating size.
Beautiful fabrics that are also easy to care for - they are out there! Sara explains which fabrics are great for families that have to deal with spills and messes way too often.
How to know which chairs go with which tables, and it’s okay to mix and match! We can also have host and hostess chairs that stand out to break up the pattern and make it feel like less of a set.
Place cards and seating orders can be fun if you are having a get together where the guests are feeling friendly and like leaving their dates for a few hours!
Good rules to go by when picking out legs and finishes for your dining room table.
Tips for picking out benches and banquettes for a narrow room, and how to pick dining benches that provide a great space but not too much like a conference room.
How to get the perfect bar stool height, surface, and swivel.
How Merchants at Ballard infuse their own personality and taste with the Ballard product line.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Ep #8 Stylist Natalie Nassar

Ep #84 Susan Ferrier

Ballard Designs Dining Room and Kitchen

Barstools and Counter Stools

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 145: designer Dana Wolter Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

In today’s episode, Birmingham, Alabama interior designer Dana Wolter joins the podcast to about how to create drama and edge in design, ways to use texture and layers to create softness, and the magic of drapery panels.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Trials and triumphs about the most traumatic power outage, new house plans, digital picture frames, adjusting to a longer working from home schedule, paint color testing, rose tips, and some fun basement renovation.
Dana’s goal is to give her clients something custom, unique, long-lasting, and special to them. When using trendy pieces, she tends to pick items that are a lower price point so it’s not a huge loss to move along from them every few years.
Dana gives some advice on creating drama and edge using different layers and textures.
Just because a space is neutral, doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of depth and layering.
When the architecture is strong, we need less drama in our design.
Coming from a large family, Dana understands first hand how important it is to create a space that is comfortable and able to expand with any family needs.
Dana’s take on how high up the wall art should go up to create balance and work with the scale of a room.
Why we just love sconces so much not only to fill the room with light but add an element of drama and art.
A pair of chaise lounge chairs in the living room can be a comfortable and inviting solution for more seating.

Mentioned In This Episode:

@danawolterinteriors

Dana Wolter Interiors

Traditional Home Spring 2020

Livable Home

Ballard Designs IG TV

William McClure

Skylight Digital Picture Frame

Decorating Dilemma:

Congrats on your new home and you are so close! We need to find a way to ground the space in the dining area, and a banquette would add some weight. Check out the Coventry one that we have at Ballard. Add some sconces! We love the art on the credenza, placing a beautiful bowl with some books could add layers to your already wonderful foundation. We have an acrylic bar cart that would vibe with your modern yet traditional look, and this would bring in another fun texture.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 144: designer Keita Turner Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

Our guest Keita Turner is a New York-based interior designer who talks with us about stepping out of your comfort zone, rules for hanging art, and ways you can find what works for you and blend it together in a seamlessly clean and interesting way.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Trials and triumphs featuring a beautiful painting with a floating frame, working without an office, the perfect place for a great houseplant, a water heater that won’t define us,
How effective command hooks and organizational trays can be to keep our spaces free and clear.
Keita shares how her background in mass-market fashion and high-pressure corporate work lead her to take classes and work for her mother in interior design.
How Keita’s mother’s style inspired her own, and ways that they are different in their personal approach.
How freelancing gave Keita the confidence to know that she could branch out on her own.
Keita’s motto: “don’t be afraid to do things that frighten you.”
Ways that we can mix things through travel and build a collection of pieces that are meaningful and beautiful to us personally.
The balance of nudging clients to go a certain design route and honoring their vision to courage their collection in a way that works for their ultimate goals.
The rules for hanging art, and what Keita continually sees people doing wrong!
What makes a great art handler, and why you may want to work with one.
How Keita is adapting to virtual presentations to still show the texture and composition of individual fabrics and swatches.
Keita's pillow collection Livvy and Neva, made from vintage textiles

Mentioned In This Episode:

Ballard Designs IG TV

Decorating Dilemma:

This is a good looking room, and you have done a great job of pulling it together thus far. The recliner and antique table can’t occupy that space, but we like the recliner so don’t want to see it go! You could find cabinets with doors that provide cord management. Adding some art and accessories with some black could add texture and depth, and the blue from the painting could also be used in a buffalo check pillow or another way to pop some color in. Some small tables could provide a place for drinks, and a nice floor lamp will add more lighting options. You have great style, so just a few final tweaks and you are good!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 143: antiques expert Tara Shaw May 26, 2020

Show notes

Antiques expert, designer, and author Tara Shaw joins the show to share her passion for antiques and how to decorate with them in our homes. She talks about sourcing antiques, steps for bringing beautiful pieces in our space, and the inspiration behind her new book Soul of the Home: Designing with Antiques.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Tara’s new book, Soul of the Home: Designing with Antiques ties in education about designing with antiques and explanations of how furniture that is both old and modern can work together. Take it from us, it will be the kind of book you want to bring out on a relaxing morning and savor with a cup of coffee.
Tara’s amazing story of how she made the transition from antique importer to working on Harry Connik Jr.’s home in Connecticut, and how the experience of “doing it afraid” opened the door to take on new clients.
How she went to school for education, worked in apparel, and ended up in antiques.
What an exponent is, and why personal carvings are so special when shopping for the right antique piece.
How Tara’s suggestion of purchasing one nice piece a year can really lead to an entire home of beautiful antiques after some time.
Tara’s real confessions on what she keeps for herself, and how she decides just what items she can’t live without personally.
Why Tara loves mid-century and how to effortlessly mix different styles of furniture.
Why she buys mid century and its a good thing to mix with antiquity so it doesn’t feel stale.
A glimpse into Tara’s process of shopping for antique items and bringing them home for her now sought after container parties.
Start with one room and an anchor piece. Take a minute to find your voice and be fearless to execute it.
How her love of canopy beds and hand forging them keeps artisans in New Orleans employed.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Tara Shaw

Soul of the Home

@tarashawdesign

Matthew Carter Interiors

Decorating Dilemma:

We love that you encompass exactly what talk about in this episode - you know what you like and you are fearless about it! This room screams pink and green to Tara, a Palm Beach look that is congruent with the Lily Pulitzer type fabric. It would also look more bespoke if you found trim that you could trim your draperies with, and use a drapery hook with pointy edge rings instead of a clip. Some art that can thread the colors in together would be great, and we love the pink chair.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 142: designer Sophie Donelson May 19, 2020

Show notes

We kick off this week talking about some possums and raccoons, flower power, and getting our storage until control. Then, we are joined with fabulous previous guest and design expert, speaker, consultant, and former editor of House Beautiful, Sophie Donelson. Sophie talks with us about her latest essay in the New York Times about why we don’t need our house to be perfect for Instagram, recommendations for picking out a paint color, and what life is like for Sophie in Montreal during this stay at home time.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Trials and triumphs about good ole neighbor Jim and his possums, labeling and storage containers, cottage cheese, and sentimental yard maintenance.
More about the English and French decorating in Montreal, and the amazing views Sophie sees in her community.
What are homes can do for us, and how we can have a loving and less combative conversation between ourselves and our homes.
What lead Sophie and her husband to Montreal, and the pros and cons of living in a big city.
The inspiration behind Sophie’s essay in The New York Times, “Self-Quarantine is No Time For An Instagram-ready Kitchen.”
We have more flexibility and bandwidth to make our home comfy for our own needs, and not so much for the sake of it being pleasing or impressive to others.
Sophie recommends experimenting with the design and flow of a room and reminds us we are not locked into one way of design in our homes.
Get your one little perfect corner and you can branch out from there. It’s never all going to be perfect.
The decision making behind her beautiful lavender walls.
Why having a designated playroom and sleep room has been a life and sanity saver.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Self-Quarantine is No Time For An Instagram-ready Kitchen

Big Books Small Talk

Justina Blakeney

Ikea Bunk Bed

Decorating Dilemma:

Caroline’s painter used oil because it’s harder and more durable than latex. You can get a beautiful finish with brushing, it is just labor-intensive. A semi-gloss will be easier to clean, and if you are getting it professionally done have them spray it and use oil. If you are capable, patient, and thorough enough to do it yourself - good for you!
Luckily this plan is easy to put into action! Sophie would recommend going to the hardware store to find some aluminum pails with some pebbles on the bottom. The rug is so important to make it feel homey and to collect the space together to make it feel one vibe. We love the natural charm of the ceiling and we wouldn’t change it! Sophie’s favorite trick for a bedside table is to use a bracket because it can fit your phone and a glass of water. Plants could help up the comfort level, and vintage rugs that don’t necessarily match could look great and also elevate the room.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 141: designer Suzanne Kasler May 12, 2020

Show notes

We kick off this week with some Trials and Triumphs about architects, puzzles, and house plans. Then, our beloved partner and award-winning interior designer Suzanne Kasler joins the show. Suzanne updates us on how she is personally dealing with way more time at home than usual, and the cool products and pieces we can expect from her new line with Ballard in terms of colors, textures, and accessories.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Some trials and triumphs on a new architecture endeavor, fancy house plans, puzzles, hoses, and a cool wardrobe idea for men.
Suzanne collects what she likes as she travels and visits new places. We can pull our design from what inspires us and makes us feel the most connected to our home instead of having strict boundaries or rules.
Suzanne explains why people are gravitating towards woven texture, and how to incorporate woven texture with other patterns and textiles in an elevated and timeless way.
Our new summer collection with Suzanne features the classic and tried and true pieces, but also new fabrics, bright patterns, and items that will create a splash of fun and liveliness.
Fashion and interior design can be very much interwoven, and some of Suzanne’s plaid pieces are inspired by the shirts from Christmas.
Of course, Suzanne is making the most of her stay at home time, and she gives us ideas on easy ways to make big changes while our resources may be limited.
Ideas on how we would use a divider screen in our house.
How we can mix brown furniture in a light and bright room without making it feel heavy.
Suzanne’s two favorite white paint colors, and how to know which one to choose for the specific function.
A few of the new colors in the collection such as mandarin orange, and more about the cyclical timeless colors like blush.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Ballard - Suzanne Kasler Collection

Link to Sweepstakes for $10k at Ballard and tour of Suzanne Kasler’s house

Benjamin Moore White Dove

Benjamin Moore Simply White

Decorating Dilemma:

You have so much space and natural light already, so congrats on that! A few suggestions of ours would be to paint the brick white and buy a fireplace screen. If you don’t use the fireplace then adding some white birch logs could look great. If you wanted to add a divider screen that matches the linen on the bed, that could be a solution to your window/bed issue. The room could be a great place to relax and watch TV, so making it comfortable and functional would give you options for a retreat or just a temporary escape! In the fall, Suzanne will be expanding her Mathes collection, so check back in for some chaise options that would look great. Also, we love your wood floors!

Suzanne recommends a neutral linen sofa, and you can add your color in through beautiful throws and pillows. That way you have a timeless couch, and you can change up your color scheme as you desire. The neutral linen sofa would also look great with the textures and tones in your room. We recommend moving the sofa so it is centered, and getting a bigger rug. Put the two end tables at each end of the sofa, and two lamps on them would bring an anchored feel to the room.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 140: designer Barrie Benson May 05, 2020

Show notes

Designer Barrie Benson joins the show to talk about how she creates spaces that are both super sophisticated and also lively and fun. She talks with us about how to start an art collection, why she thinks more Southern homes are embracing contemporary styles, and how to update that traditional chair with a modern fabric.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

How Barrie mixes fun and colorful with sophisticated and well thought out design.
Why it’s important to really know your taste when working with a designer, and it’s okay to embrace if your taste is different or eclectic!
Ways we can reinvent old family heirlooms or furniture and how just a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference.
It’s great to call a friend (or designer of course) to get a perspective and outside look at what you have going on in terms of your design.
Barrie has seen more Southerners mixing traditional and stately with new and lively lately.
Ways you can get involved in your local art community and get to really know your taste and palette for art.
The more you are passionate about your house, the more you are proud and connected to it.
How Barrie uses the 80/20 rule to plan out her rooms, but leave space for new and organic pieces.
What toile wallpaper is, and how we can use it in a fun way.
Barrie’s choice of performance fabric rugs that look great and also are durable and forgiving on wear and tear.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 139: designer Alexandra Kaehler Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

This week, Chicago designer Alexandra Kaehler chats with us about editing, when to know a room is finished, and how to make a meaningful antique feel chic. Alexandra also talks about her love of sourcing art, and how we can use art and wallpaper together in a way that works with the scale and intention of a room.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Trials and triumphs including the obvious of working at home with young children, painting projects, outdoor lighting, and some moss-some yardwork.
Alexandra talks about her own home being featured in Luxe Magazine, and how she went into it knowing that she had to take on her own space with the same detail oriented nature in which she works with her clients.
Ways in which we can use traditional pieces mixed with the modern and chic to create a beautifully edited space.
How Alexandra knows when the space she is working on is ready to be done, and why we can always go in and add more or change things around as time goes on.
Alexandra sees less edited collections when working with her younger clients, however, creating a tradition of collecting a certain thing over a long period of time can be fun and add to the meaning of the decor.
Ideas for taking an heirloom or antique and repurposing it make it feel chic and contemporary.
Tips for working with brown furniture to make it feel chic and not outdated, and incorporating multiple wood finishes in one room.
What to know when working with wallpaper according to the scale of the room.
Alexandra loves the “grandma look” but mixes it with contemporary to make it feel fresh and clean.
How Alexandra shops for her art and mixes it together in a room, and some suggestions on where to find great art that won’t break the bank.
Using pillows for color and pattern in a room is an inexpensive way to add fun and experiment with different looks.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Alexandra Kaehler

@alexkaehlerdesign

Decorating Dilemma:

By moving the sofa to a different area in the room you can open things up a lot. Alexandra envisions putting the sofa on the right side of the room up against the window and a pair of chairs on the other side with a bench for more seating. If you put your TV across from the couch, it will be off-center but will create a nice flow in the space. Adding some nice drapes could bring in more warmth and texture, and if you don’t use the blinds we suggest getting rid of them! It looks like your vibe is modern and simple so it could be an opportunity to add some color or black and white photography, but not pack the walls and overwhelm the already beautiful light space.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 138: Skye Kirby Westcott Ballard’s Senior VP of Merchandising and Design Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

We’ve been waiting to get her on for a while, and this week we sit down with Skye Kirby Westcott, Ballard’s Senior VP of Merchandising and Design. She talks with us about her impressive tenure in design industry and how she seamlessly blends different styles. Skye also shares where she finds inspiration for new products and what trends she is excited to see come (and go) in the future and at Ballard.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode

Skye is responsible for much of the vision of Ballard, and she pulls her inspiration from many things including her travels around the world. She has an extensive background in design and merchandising and a love of interior design.
Yes, it is possible to blend the eclectic and colorful with the modern and contemporary. Skye talks about the different styles within her homes in Atlanta, Connecticut, and even her “tree house” in LA.
Skye’s time as an exchange student in Sweden introduced her to how the culture took time and thought to decorate their home, and she soon fell in love with their design style and IKEA. She talks about working for IKEA and how it still inspires her today.
Skye gained a ton of experience from working on the team that developed the first Anthropologie store, and developed more skills while at Lillian August in New York.
We can learn a lot from asking customers about what they don’t like.
Tips for creating a card catalog of inspiration while traveling, and to have an eye out for art and design elements that you will forever appreciate from your travels.
What product design trends Skye is looking forward to going away.
Why Skye believes we should finish one room at a time to build our confidence and sense of accomplishment.
Skye discusses where Ballard is headed visually, including the influence of Scandavidian design.
Get excited for some color in upcoming Ballard bedding collections!

Mentioned In This Episode:

Skye Kirby Westcott

Vern Episode

@skykirbywestcott

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices