How to Decorate

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 88: designer Lisa Mende returns May 14, 2019

Show notes

Designer Lisa Mende returns to the show to talk with us about designing our rooms to the fullest of their potential, and truly creating the home of your dreams. She also shares more about the ins and outs of renovation, her blog The Design Connector, and why design dilemmas are really just opportunities for us to be creative.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

An update on her famous pink sofa, and who else in her household may love it even more than her.

Why functionality is just as important as design, and how Lisa helps her clients use every room to the fullest of their function.

The crazy story of her studio roof leaking, and how it ended up being a blessing in renovation.

Yes, you can both make your home feel like a hotel and have a billiard table in the middle of your living room.

More about her blog, The Design Connector, and how it connects us with the people, products, and places we need to know about in the home design world.

What she loves about her work with Ballard, and how it inspires us to have a reimagined and fresh new look.

The brilliant solution to outdoor couch cushions, and a few of Lisa’s favorites in the outdoor Ballard products including Miles Redd’s collection.

Lisa’s answer to Caroline’s painting question for the ceiling in her soon to be new home.

How to still use neutral colors in a rich way when you may be not ready to commit to a color.

Why design dilemmas are not anything to freak out over but instead are actually great ways for us to be creative problem solvers.

Where one can buy leather or fake leather by the yard.

Lisa’s rules for using either satin or eggshell finish.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Lisa Mende Design

@lisamendedesign

The Design Connector

Miles Redd’s Outdoor Collection

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Ep. 87: designer Holly Hollingsworth Phillips May 03, 2019

Show notes

Holly Hollingsworth Phillips is a designer and owner of The English Room in Charlotte, North Carolina. We love her bold, colorful, and elegant style and how she mixes tradition of the past with the modern style of today. She talks with us today about how The English Room began, the different projects she has done ranging from super modern to traditional, her love of color, patterns, and layering, and why it’s more than okay to break the rules.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Her work in the world of design from an early age, and how her mother inspired her to develop a passion for all things antique.Ways we can be confident about mixing it up with colors and patterns in our homes.Using art as an accent, and why what’s popular and trendy in the moment isn’t always right for us.How she loves to take antiques and make them modern with a playful twist.How Holly renovated her own home and even got to keep what’s known as “the naughty chair.”Advice on when to shop for antiques, and where to begin bringing them in the home.How she came to be the brand ambassador for Florence Broadhurst.Her opportunity in the fall to do a room in a showhouse as Florence Broadhurst using her new rug collection, furniture, fabric and wallpaper.Her personal use of “crazy” pattern and color.The importance of looking at measurements before you buy anything.How to balance finding great antiques with longevity, even though you know it may not be your forever home.Why a great sofa could (and should) last you several decades. It’s okay to change up your color, and realize it’s the layers and the mix that makes it interesting, rather than matching everything and achieving perfection.How Holly decides what spaces call for drapery vs. Roman shades, and her love of a blackout curtains.Why you may want to rethink painting your nursery yellow.

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Ep. 86: designer Amy Vermillion Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

Amy Vermillion joins the show to talk about her style that has been described as “comfortably elegant.” We talk about how good design can make your life easier, paint colors, an 80's house she brought into the 21st century, and her love of chandeliers.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

The renovation Amy has done again (and again!) from everything including the porch, office and master bedroom.The rule Amy uses when picking pieces that will be permanent and timeless. Her biggest design pet peeves, and why we should all just do what we love.The polarizing topics of gray, brown furniture, and a glimpse into the custom details she does for her clients.Amy’s love of a chandelier as decorative jewelry for the ceiling.Her description of a true 80’s house (but don’t knock a great wet bar in the den!)What is a scullery, and why would someone who entertains love one?How Amy gets to know her clients so she can design a space that functions for their lifestyleWe talk about the rising popularity of librariesWhat people are doing with their TV’s now that they are getting larger than ever.We talk paint colors and why it's so tricky to give someone a paint recommendationHow to address family photos to make them sleek and beautiful

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Ep. 85: designer Cheryl Luckett Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

Designer Cheryl Luckett joins the show today to talk about form, function, and why we should love a good antique. She shares her background story as a professional dietician turned blogger and talks about pairing multiple fabrics together, where to invest and where to save, and the details people most often overlook.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:Cheryl’s story of working in corporate America for 15 years as a dietician and what led her to a path of design.How to take an antique and make it work to add depth, history, and warmth to a home.More about Cheryl’s experience as a blogger and ways she loves communicating with her clients and followers.What are good pieces to invest in, and where you can save.How we pair two fabrics together, and examples of recent clients where she put it to the test.The details people often overlook, which can help you save time by knowing where your TV remote iThe importance of form and function when creating a cozy yet sleek aesthetic.When you should spend a whole night in your own guest quarters.The essentials of what to put in a guest bathroom and bedroom. Get that plunger ready!Why the smallest knick-knack can have a huge impression on creating a “lived in” feeling in a home.Our love of white towels and pillows with just the right amount of fluff.White towels.Why we should live with something a few days before we make a final verdict on whether we like it or not, or if it works for our home.

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Ep. 84: designer Susan Ferrier Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

Award-winning decorator Susan Ferrier joins the show today. Known for creating sensuous, atmospheric interiors, Susan created Susan Ferrier Interiors and co-authored the book Art of the House. She talks about how she lights a room while creating drama, creating an architectural rhythm and symmetry in a room, breaking rules, and being bold.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:Why Susan believes the people in the room need to be the pattern.Her creative and explorative use of texture, and strategy of creating shadow with light and darker tones.Her rule of thumb for having a way to read and drink wherever you sit in a room.The two reasons she loves banquettes.How she got into the business, and why she decided to start her own firm, Susan Ferrier Interiors.How she gets inspired by her projects and the ways she digs in to develop a relationship with the people behind every project.How she balances her clients’ with her own personal sense of style and expert quality of being what she refers to as a “visual mathematician”.Which design rules we should be following, and which ones are meant to be broken.The analogy of decorating our homes compared to dressing appropriately for our body type.How we can afford to raise the dynamic design in our kitchens.How Susan challenges the visual aspect of design by combining age with the sleek, modern, and shiny.Susan’s rule for using metals, and if she thinks it will go out of style anytime soon.What we can do to show those 1980’s homes some love and highlight the positive attributHow she lays out a room, and ways we can work with the view to best socialize the spaceHow to not have the price tag displayed on the back of a mirror or painting, and instead have a clean and consistent view.The foundation of creating a good interior for both very large spaces and smaller scale projects.

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Ep. 83: decorator Fran Keenan Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

Decorator Fran Keenan joins the show this week to discuss her transition from magazine editor at Cottage Living to working with clients, and where she fell in love with the idea of functional and beautiful living. She also talks about how her family influences her work and vice versa, her love of transformation, what colors she currently loves working with most, and the importance of staying true to the personal narrative of the client.

Fran’s background as an editor at Cottage Living, and how that influences her to this very day when working on a design project.What steps Fran took to launch her career as an interior designer, and how it went along with the time in her life where she wanted flexibility to spend time with her family.What Fran loves most about working with homeowners.More about the “alphabet” room, and ways Fran has succeeded from thinking outside of the box.How to not have a boring laundry room — drinks anyone?!Fran’s love of mixing functionality with style and warmth.Her use of earthy colors in a way that still feels fresh and energetic.Creative ways Fran pulls color throughout the house and creates a seamless transition throughout rooms.The rule of thumb when it comes to painting moving objects inside the house.A glimpse into the transformation of her own house, and the hilarious take her kids have on what type of houses she buys.How the design process works when Fran moves into a new house, and the lessons of reprocessing within each change.Mixing high and low. Where Fran splurges, and where she uses Ikea.The use of book shelf displays in a way that coincides with the best use of space.How to safeguard against common issues of creating a “Pretty House Prison”.Starting points for using textiles and patterns to bring both a modern sleekness and primitive warmth to the house.Storage solutions of hooks, baskets and hanging things!

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Ep. 82: stylist and editor Stacy Kunstel Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Stylist, writer, editor and producer Stacy Kunstel swings by to talk about the fun of adding colors, how she works with interior designers, where she finds inspiration as a stylist and why it call comes down to being different in design. She also discusses what’s new in style and what we can expect in a few years, along with her personal favorite trends.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Stacy’s attraction to big colors and patterns, and how she mixes it with the traditional.

Why tradition doesn’t have to be boring - it can be big, bright and graphic.

Color makes people happy!

How Stacy picked the colors in her product line that were both on trend and ones she loved that has stood the test of time.

Stacy’s encouragement to mix lacquer with natural wood.

More about her furniture line, and how it came to be.

Why it’s your personality and point of view that makes the space so special and a feature so interesting.

Why taking some time to sit and organize ideas and visions is a game changer.

What a “drink drop” table is, and why they are so important.

A glimpse into Stacy’s job, and the many skills she needs to have to do her job as a stylist.

Tips for folks on what to leave on their dining room table.

Stacy’s advice to stick to the wedding theme when decorating. Go for something old, new, borrowed and blue.

Stacy’s favorite publications to get style inspiration and ideas.

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Ep. 81: fabric expert Scott Kravet Mar 26, 2019

Show notes

Scott Kravet is referred to as the Indiana Jones of the Fabric World. As the Executive Creative Director of Kravet Fabrics, it is his job to travel the world and find the best textile to make the dreams of others come true. Today he joins the show to talk about his family business and passion for fabrics, what he puts in his own personal house, fabric care, and trends in the fabric world.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Trials and Triumphs including roofs, roses, rugs, benches and baby proofing.

How Scott and his team travel all over the world to source out the best textiles.

The wide array of textiles Scott works within the material, design and time period.

The different lines that are in the Kravet line, and how the designer collaborations came to be.

The family story of their passion for fabrics and the vision for generations to come.

Scott’s role of overseeing a team of 45 people at Kravet.

How Scott feels about digital printing, the pros, and the cons, and how it has improved over the years.

A glimpse into the process of knowing how the colors will react to get the effect you want.

A better understanding of getting what you pay for in fabric.

The artwork, textiles, fabrics, and colors Scott uses in his own personal home.

The digital catalog system Scott works with to keep track of hundreds of designs in their projects.

Where Kravet’s mills are all over the world.

Important insider information about rub tests and a performance finish.

What things we should look for in fabric, including the option of slipcovers.

What styles and colors Scott sees trending in the fabric world, and which are fading out.

The elements of scale, color, and motif when working with antique fabric.

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Ep. 80: designer Kate Singer Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

Interior Designer Kate Singer joins the show to talk about her experiences with showhome designs, what she loves to mix to keep classic and traditional design style fresh, creating a sanctuary no matter where you are, and why loving colors (and neutrals!) may be something woven into our DNA.

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Ep. 79: Pappas Miron Interior Design Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

This week we talk to the ladies of Pappas Miron, Tatyana and Alexandra, childhood friends and designers that have worked together since 2003. They talk with us about their contemporary and warm styles that mix together to create timeless and comfortable spaces.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

More about Tatyana and Alexandra’s updated traditional and modern eclectic style.

Where their love of contemporary furniture comes from.

How someone that loves a contemporary space can inject more warmth into their space.

The challenges they are solving on a regular basis regarding weird layouts and smaller spaces in New York.

Their creative use of closets, bins, and blanket boxes to provide even more storage for those with children.

The way they encourage their clients to incorporate their warm personal style.

What their individual homes look like, and how they each use texture and mood.

Dark doesn’t always have to be sad and depressing.

Tatyana and Alexandra’s advice for going over the top in a great way with pattern.

The reason they favor curvilinear furniture pieces in their rooms.

Their use of deep rich jewel tone colors for accents, and why we shouldn’t be afraid to embrace the dark.

What really goes into upholstering a room.

The favorite rooms they have ever done!

The upsides of having a partner in design, and yes they do consult each other in their own personal projects.

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