How to Decorate

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 59: designer Libby Langdon Sep 11, 2018

Show notes

Chances are you have seen our guest Libby Langdon’s work in all of your favorite magazines. Libby has been featured in House Beautiful, Traditional Homes, Better Homes and Gardens, and has been on HGTV and The Today Show. We talk with Libby about her trifecta of combining product design, client work, and media and injecting them all into everything she does. She also spills some secrets of behind the scenes screws of makeover TV shows, how she learned to install a house in one day. Libby believes that the way you feel about your home reflects every aspect of your life, and is here to teach us how to give our home a big hug with real life solutions and inspired decorations.

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Ep. 58: designer Kevin Isbell Aug 28, 2018

Show notes

Kevin Isbell joins us today for a round of Would You Rather? -- Decorating Edition. We also chat about adding texture and soul into a modern home, Kevin’s superpower of using strong color in subtle ways, decorating pet peeves, and his recent Nantucket cottage project featured in House Beautiful. It is apparent that Kevin loves what he does, and is deeply passionate about the craft behind design.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

Why a large enough rug is crucial for a well balanced feel within a roomKevin’s fondness for antique and vintage pieces that have a story to tell and that add texture and warmth to the roomWhy Kevin would never do away with accessories and little trinkets that we pick up along the way of experiences and travelThe little accessories that push home design from “nice” to the “wow” factorWhy even the ugliest of chairs have the possibility to be beautifulHow Kevin got into design, playing around with the late 80’s trends of color blockingHow a background in business and business management helps set you up for running a successful career in interior design. Kevin combined the desire from his parents for him to get a business background, and his own love of architecture and designThe difference of furnishing vs decorating a homeKevin’s cross country adventure from San Francisco to New York in 2001Kevin’s house in Nantucket recently featured in House Beautiful, and how he maintained the basic structure in the house while completely changing the decorFacts on Nantucket’s global industry that inspired Kevin’s choices when picking decor and accentsHow he combines his old-soul and craftsman mentality with modern day social media. Kevin’s time lapse videos on Instagram are works of art themselves, and give another personal touch to his projects.How Kevin revamped a timeless Greenwich, Connecticut home, and made it approachable and livable with the beauty of a showhomeThe balance of high, low and knowing when to invest compared to when to hold back and save moneyKevin’s use of strong color in a subtle ways and how he mixes several colors in one room, and how Kevin changes color usage depending on geographic location and settingThe real commitment needed to really go all in on a pop of color, and why accent rooms shouldn’t be just one colorful piece in a neutral roomKevin’s choice of Ballard’s Original Office Collection for his workspace

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Ep. 57: designer Liz Bauer Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

Elizabeth Bauer joins us today to share her story on how a passion for flea markets and shopping to repurpose led to a career design and a successful shop in the West Village of New York. She talks about the importance of “getting the bones right” of a home upon first moving in, how to make the most of small spaces, and decorating a seaside and vacation home in a playful and sophisticated way. We take listener questions on sprucing up long hallways, painting vs renovating, and why you shouldn’t be afraid to mix and match whites!

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

The story of how Elizabeth opened her store and started her business in Greenwich Village 2008How she decides what she picks when shopping to repurpose, and the trends she is looking for now when she hunts and gathersElizabeth’s featured work in House Beautiful in March 2017, featuring stunning de Gournay wallpaper, painted floors, high-gloss aqua lacquer, and French Bistro bar stoolsThe proper prep work to paint, why lacquer costs so much and Elizabeth’s choice of tone and color palette when painting wood floorsDesigning for clients with children, and the way Elizabeth’s own design has changed now that she has a family. Elizabeth believes in using (and enjoying) her furnitureElizabeth’s tips on how to put those ugly chair and couch arm covers to good useHow to embrace and work with having a large television in your homeHow to compromise design and style with the husband happiness factorThe opportunity to create a luxurious space in a small apartment or studio, and why Elizabeth believes a small space can create an amazing feel, whether it’s layered, bright and colorful or tranquil and simpleElizabeth’s home in Nantucket, and how she plays up the nautical and New England themeThe solution to matching whites, and why different whites isn’t something to fret over

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Ep. 56 with designer Katie Lydon Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

This week we are joined by the very talented Katie Lydon. Originally from London, Katie founded her downtown New York interior design firm in 2002. Katie has been featured in House Beautiful, Elle Decor, The New York Times, and Metropolitan Home. We talk with Katie about her love of color, her recent work with longtime client, author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin, and plans for the renovation of her home. We also speak with Katie about her favorite part of the design process, and ways to inject personality whether you are going for a contemporary, modern or classic look.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE:

How Katie got into the design fieldKatie’s work with longtime client Gretchen Rubin, featured in the April issue of House BeautifulHer love for Gretchen’s design confidence and bold yet elegant choicesThe return of purple in editorial, and how to use the color purple to create a certain mood in the homeThe similarities between her work in Gretchen’s home and an English countryside room in decor, molding, bookcases, and abundance of seatingSome practical tips and tricks of furniture arrangement, seating options and creating intimacy in a large spaceKatie’s editing and simplicity in both contemporary and traditional spaces, and her method of letting the people bring the majority of the character and personality into the spaceKatie’s plans to renovate her own home, including updating the loft with central AC, new kitchen area and mud roomHow to pick fixtures and finishes in your kitchen that will stand the test of time and last through trendsHow to cover the basics yet push the envelope when designing a home for a familyThe importance of living in a space before renovating itKatie’s design pet peeves, and why she may move tables at your home while you aren’t lookingThe differences between English design and American design, and where Katie draws her inspiration from within each of them

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Ep. 55: editor Tori Mellott Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

In this episode we are joined with Tori Mellott, Senior Design and Markets Editor for Traditional Home Magazine. We talk trends with Tori from her recent trip at High Point Market, her background and where her love of design emerged from, some fun behind the scenes stories from her career in magazines, the roles and responsibilities of a Markets Editor and why we all feel that it’s impossible to have too many chairs.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How Tori has had the energy and stamina to move (and decorate) 26 times.

A trends recap from Tori’s recent High Point Market Trip from all of the latest in designers and furniture manufacturers. Tori mentions the resurgence of canopy beds, traditional stylings, groovy 1970’s lighting, millennial pink, delicate silhouettes, and things just being pretty.

Tori’s love for auction shopping, specifically for occasional chairs for both herself and her loved ones.

Tori’s travel tips for roaming unencumbered.

The growing trend of bright yellow in home decor, and Tori’s closet.

The responsibilities and duties of a Markets Editor.

When Tori sees something that she wants, she waits on it. If she is still wanting it after one year, she knows it’s the real deal.

Why it’s important to know your audience when pitching a magazine editor.

Tori’s very own real life personal version of The Devil Wears Prada during an internship at NYU, and how it led to an internship at HomeStyle Magazine.

Caroline’s amazing memory when it comes to designer and pictorials.

Her personal side project of helping her sister decorate.

How to know when to splurge, and when to save, on interior design.

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Ep. 54: designer Philip Mitchell Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

This week we travel to New York to catch up with interior designer Philip Mitchell and his very cute dogs. Philip is based in New York and Toronto, and has been featured in Traditional Home, House and Home Magazine and Canada’s Style at Home Magazine. We talk with him about his beautiful captain’s house in Nova Scotia, his approach to restoration, fun and affordable ways to add texture and details, and the art of mixing historic with contemporary and modern comfort.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

How he and his husband ended up falling in love with Nova Scotia, and purchasing and restoring a 1795 captain’s house in a beautiful Seaside VillageHis love and respect for historic homes, and inspiration to maintain the integrity and sentiment of the original home during the restoration processHow they found an incredible contractor to renovate their home with an artisan yet liveable approach.The differences between current New York and Canada interior design trends and lifestylesA fun “this or that” word game where we put Philip to the test of some of his favorite things including textures, finishings, patterns, panel molding and storage optionsWhy you shouldn’t be afraid to reuse what you already have, and take your drapery with you when moving outIn interior design - if you love it, you can incorporate itPhilip’s attitude towards furniture and pieces is to not focus on perfection, but comfort and the beauty within the story.What Philip means when he says he is “big on appropriateness”How to have the big talk with your partner about painting the wood in a roomPhilip’s journey into interior design through growing up surrounded by women that appreciated a beautifully furnished home and environmentHis participation with the 2018 Kips Bay Show House to benefit the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club charityWhat Philip personally collects throughout his own travels and personal experiences

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Ep. 53 with designer Whitney Durham Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

We love seeing the way interior designers use our products in their client's spaces, and that's precisely how we found interior designer Whitney Durham. Plus, her home is featured in the Summer 2018 issue of Atlanta Magazine HOME. We talk to her about how she decorates with two rowdy boys at home, her love of original art, and the dreaded over-the-mantel television dilemma.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

Whitney tells us how she started her design businessWe talk about decorating with kidsWe talk rugs and rug pags and why indoor/outdoor rugs are a staple for spaces Whitney designs for her clientsWhy animal prints are a neutralHow Whitney likes to treat television in her own home and her clients' spacesWhy she typically chooses neutral paint colors in her roomsWhitney's love of art and why it's so important to a space

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Ep. 52: Miles Redd & David Kaihoi Jun 05, 2018

Show notes

This week we go to New York to catch up with Miles Redd, and his design partner in crime David Kaihoi. Miles has been featured in Vogue, W, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest and now he brings his one of a kind style to outdoor furniture at Ballard Designs. We talk with Miles and David about the inspiration behind the new collection, which offers beautifully designed quality pieces that look expensive and high end but are affordable and functional.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

Decorating should be fun, and not a source of stress or pressure.How Miles and David overcome a creative dry spell or artistic lull and get in touch with their inspirationThe importance of feasting your eyes on beautiful homes to gather ideas, even if it’s just on vacationWhat it’s like to see things again with wonder and newness from the fresh eye of childrenThe role of performance fabrics and durability in a home with kidsThe balance of giving their younger clients what they want between what is functional and makes the most senseTheir new self storing cushion chair in the outdoor furniture collection blends stunning aesthetic with practical usage.Their special dining room tables that feature options and versatilityThe colors and materials that they love enough to bring in to their new office,Their work with Housing Works and Design on a Dime to help people get back on their feet and feel comfortable in societyTheir special theme of color and wallpaper for the booth this year, and their inspiration behind itA quick and easy way to decorate using wall sculpturesHow Miles switches from designing for clients and interior design to product development and designMiles and David’s propensity for adding in ebony or chalky white furniture to add an elegant and high end touch

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Ep. 51 with designer Lauren DeLoach May 22, 2018

Show notes

Atlanta designer Lauren DeLoach caught our eye at the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Southeastern Designer Showhouse, so we were super excited to have her on today’s episode. She talks with us about why she loves brown furniture, why she uses a check in almost every room, tips on how to decorate bookshelves, and family-friendly design ideas.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE:

The room that she featured at the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Southeastern Designer Showhouse was one of the most coveted of the dayIdeas to create a balanced and yet lived in look for built-Ins and bookshelves, and what to do when the books you actually love to read don’t fit your color schemeHow the rule of three also applies to colorHer love for using brown furniture and antiques to add layers and history to a homeThe tricks a camera plays in photoshoots, and a sneak peek of what really happens behind the scenes of a shoot Lauren’s insider recommendations for having a kid-friendly yet beautifully decorated houseThe helpful way to add a pop of color and fun with buffalo and gingham checksThe general rule of thumb to measure your rug so you aren’t living on an empty rug islandHer favorite cream paint color and which paint finishes belong on which surfaces

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Ep. 50 with Suzanne Kasler May 08, 2018

Show notes

We hear what keeps award-winning interior designer Suzanne Kasler so busy, and the inspiration behind her new wicker Southport Collection. We talk about her love for pink, modern trends, guilty pleasures and much more.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

How Suzanne stays relevant in the industry and fresh in her approach through travel, shopping and educationThe more inspired you are, the more it seeps into your client workThe release of Suzanne’s new book Sophisticated Simplicity and her newsletter InspiredHow Suzanne picks certain projects to publish and her approach to photographing her book with designers, stylists and photographersHer go-to accessories for photoshoots and why she keeps them indigenous to the areaHow Suzanne uses lamp slips to create a look of proportion and layeringThe trends of darker walls and wall coverings is something Suzanne is now seeing in every room of the houseThe backstory of Suzanne’s Southport collection and how a daybed in a flea market in Paris was her muse in creating the collectionThe difference between wicker and rattan and why you should have a piece in your homeThe timeline of her purchases to when it is available for purchase as part of a collectionThe mix of pieces and styles that go into her Paris Apartment collection for Hickory Chair, and why Paris is one of her top choices of cities to shopWhy she is in the “thinking pink” zonePetite chairs and why Suzanne is always on the hunt for a great oneThe new flagship store opening in Atlanta is coming soon, so check the website for grand opening event details

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