How to Decorate

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 29 with artist Andrea Costa Aug 08, 2017

Show notes

We invited our exclusive artist Andrea Costa onto the podcast to talk to us about art, being an artist, and how she began her career as an interior designer.

What You'll Hear on this Episode:

Andrea starts by telling us how she began her career as an interior designer before transitioning into artShe talks to us about how she gets her inspiration for a new painting and her favorite size canvas to paintWe ask her about how she works with interior designers to create art for a specific roomShe tells us about decorating her new space and how often she mixes up her decorShe talks about why she loves to hang other people's artwork instead of her ownWe talk about the pros and cons of having a separate studio space rather than a studio in her basementAndrea tells us about how her music playlist impacts the look of her canvasAndrea coaches us on picking out a piece of art -- she suggests first choosing a budgetAndrea likes to start a room with her piece of art, then building a room about that pieceAndrea tells us about her first big art pieceWe ask her about gallery walls and how to put one togetherAndrea tells us how to mix different colors, styles, and sizes of art in one roomKaren talks about why she loves accessorizing her dining roomWe talk about feedback, seeing her pieces in real homes, and working with expectations for a commissionAndrea talks to us about how long it takes her to paint a piece and why painting abstract pieces takes so much longerAndrea gives us a lesson on paint mediums and why you might prefer working with one versus anotherWe talk about how she started working with Ballard and why she wanted to sell her prints through usWe talk about our Exclusive Artist program and why we love having this option for our customers

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Ep. 28 with Miles Redd, our newest design partner Aug 01, 2017

Show notes

Celebrated New York decorator Miles Redd welcomed us to his home for this week’s episode of the podcast. With the launch of his new collection, we couldn’t resist the chance to talk with him about his inspiration for the pieces and how he envisions them living in people's homes.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

We all share the best thing we’ve done to our homes, and also our biggest regret or mistakeHe talks about his home, and how he longs for wide open spacesHe shares how he went about designing the pieces for his collection, nearly all of them in his own homeHow his experience as the Creative Director for Oscar de la Renta helped inform his Ballard Designs collectionWe ask him about his favorite pieces in the collection — the dining table and the Kidney Accent TableWhy juxtaposition is so important in decoratingWe talk about drama, and why Miles doesn’t necessarily see his collection as being ‘dramatic’He tells us the story of how he custom built his Miles BookcaseWe talk about how his Fire Island home is all beigeWhat color would he pick if he could pick the 2018 Pantone Color of the Year

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Ep. 27 with designer Meg Braff Jul 25, 2017

Show notes

If you love color, then this is an episode you can't miss. Interior designer Meg Braff injects vibrant hues into all of her spaces, but always in an elegant, tailored manner. She shares the process behind writing her new book, her love of color and pattern, her recent house renovation project, and gives us a little lamp shade lesson.

What You'll Hear on this Episode:

We all share our dream vacationsMeg tells us about how she realized she loved decorating -- it has to do with her dorm room at VanderbiltShe tells us about the process of writing her book which took three yearsShe gives us a lesson in mixing patterns -- where to use them and how to mix them togetherWe talk about her love of color and how even though she uses a lot of color, white is the main color in many of her spacesMeg reveals her favorite colorWe talk about her use of color -- using one really generously with teeny accents of something complementaryWe ask whether a house needs to have the same palette all the way throughHow a home's location influences the color palette you should be working withWe talk about treating fabrics to make them more stain resistantHow she decorates her home with four boysHow often she redecorates her own homeTaryn mentions how often we've pulled her rooms as inspiration for building our seasonal roomsMeg talks about why she loves a dressing table so muchWhy editing is so crucial to creating a beautiful, comfortable homeOf course, we ask Meg about her decorating pet peeveMeg gives us a little lesson on using lampshades and lightingMeg tells us about her recent home renovationShe tells us about her wallpaper line and how it fell in her lap

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Ep. 26 Art 101 with Karen Fleenor Jul 18, 2017

Show notes

Our resident art expert Karen Fleenor stopped by the podcast to talk buying, hanging, and framing art! We talk about how to pick the perfect piece, how to size art over your furniture, framing options, cost, commissions, and gallery walls.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

We all talk about our best art moment in our homes -- where we got them, how we hung them, and why we love them so muchKaren tells us about her background in the art world and how she started working with Ballard DesignsHow do you know if it's the right piece for your home and for your spaceWhy you should hang a piece of art over a piece of furniture with a contrasting styleWe talk about our exclusive artists and why it's perfectly fine to have art that isn't originalsTaryn asks us how she can update a piece of art that belonged to her husband's grandfatherWe talk about how to hang art -- including what height they should hang and how far apart pieces should beWe talk about small art -- hanging it with other pieces, on a small sliver of wall, or hang it low over a piece of furnitureWe talk about framing and why it's so expensive (it basically comes down to materials and labor)What size piece should you get if you're hanging it over a piece of furniture

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Ep. 25 with designer Maggie Griffin Jul 11, 2017

Show notes

Interior designer Maggie Griffin from Gainesville, Georgia decorates spaces much like her personality, warm, happy, and with classic Southern charm. We loved touring her house and couldn't resist the opportunity to get her on the podcast. If you aren't yet following her on Instagram, then you're gonna want to start. We talk about decorating with kids, how to build a gallery wall, the deal with decorating around the TV, and other decorating 'don'ts' like ceiling fans.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

Maggie shares the unique way she built up her first clientsShe talks about how she and her husband love renovating and movingShe tells us about counseling James Farmer while he was building his house, FarmdaleWe talk about how she starts a room -- either a rug or a special keepsakeMaggie's always moving things, and she shares how art is the way she keeps things freshMaggie cleverly treats all of the TVs in her home, and she shares her best tips for decorating around themWe discuss the dreaded ceiling fan -- is she for or against the ceiling fan?She tells us about redecorating her husband's bachelor pad once they got marriedShe talks about decorating her sons nurseries and how to decorate your child's bedroom with pieces that will endureHow she manages all the kids toysShe talks us through laying out a room -- where to startMaggie gives us a lesson on wallpaper and shares her favorite white paint colorWe talk about building a gallery wall

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Ep. 24 with designer Nancy Braithwaite Jul 04, 2017

Show notes

Atlanta interior designer Nancy Braithwaite stops by the podcast to talk about her signature style, her book Simplicity, how she trained her eye to see rather than just look, and of course she helps us answer your decorating questions.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE:

-Nancy talks to us about her style, how she zeroed in on it, and what steps she takes creating it

-Nancy talks about seeing vs. looking

-Nancy compares dressing a room with dressing yourself, and why accessories sometimes take away from your design

-Why proportion and scale are crucial to creating a well designed room

-She tells us a story about being mesmerized at a decorators showhouse in New York and how it changed the ways she decorates

-We ask Nancy how we can train our eyes to see instead of look

-Nancy tells us about working with Deanne Levison, one of the top American antiques dealers in the country

-How Nancy and Deanne came to work together and their adventures at antique shows all over the country

-How to compose your room -- start with large pieces then add what makes those large pieces feel better

-We talk slipcovers, which ones Nancy likes, and why she uses them so often in her spaces

-She tells us about staining the floors in a recent project black and why it transformed the space

-We talk about how she helped her daughter decorate her home which was featured in Cottage Living

-How you can learn from the best by studying their work and learning to see rather than look

-We talk about when to stop

-Nancy talks about when she started to really understand her own style and aesthetic

-Why it's so important to just go for it -- try something and move things around if they don't work

-We discuss one of the pillar's of Nancy's style -- whimsy

-Nancy chimes in about where you should invest your decorating dollars

-When to use symmetry and when to use asymmetry

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Ep. 23 with the Madcap Cottage Gents, Part 2 Jun 27, 2017

Show notes

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to sit down with Jason & John, the Madcap Cottage Gents, at their home in High Point, North Carolina. They graciously invited us over for dinner, and before we dug into their spread, we discussed all of the gorgeous details in their home, their upcoming book Prints Charming, and much more.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

Taryn shares her trial -- putting toilet bowl cleaner in her dishwasher!Her triumph was successfully getting her dog's drool off her car's leather interiorI share my newest go-to appetizer for entertainingKaren's triumph was getting some new goodies from Etsy for her summer vacationWe talk about Jason & John's upcoming book, Prints CharmingThe guys talk about why you should always talk to the antique dealer to hear the story of the pieceWe discuss many of the details in Jason and John's home -- like the way they hung art in their librarySo many pieces in their home have special details they've customized themselvesWe talk about creating seating areas -- you can likely fit in more seating than you thinkWe talk about the lost art of entertaining and why you shouldn't stressLighting is so important -- you likely need more than you thinkWe talk about the challenges of rentingWe talk about why you should mix styles in your home

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Ep. 22 with designer Cindy Meador Jun 20, 2017

Show notes

This week, we're bringing you another interview from our time at High Point Market. Living on the Gulf Coast, interior designer Cindy Meador specializes in decorating and furnishing second homes. From 10,000 square foot houses to high rise beach condos, Cindy and her team have done it all, and she's sharing a lot of behind the scenes tidbits with us.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

Taryn's trial and triumph was yardwork-related
My trial was a disgusting rodent that was in our yard, and my triumph was the peony arrangements I got to do at our event at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
Karen's triumph was doing a professional looking hydrangea arrangement for her friend's birthday
Her trial was the string lights in her backyard falling down
We ask Cindy how her work became featured in a cocktail book
We talk about how style differs from region to region
Cindy often will start working with a client on their second home, then later work on their primary residence
We talk about designing a home for a client from the ground up
Cindy shares the entire process of installing a project
We talk about how she got into interior design and her advice for people getting into the business
We talk about her own personal style and how her style differs from her client work
We talk recliners and the fact that there are some good ones out there
We talk about market, what she's looking for, and what trends she's seeing
Cindy shares where she thinks people should invest their decorating dollars
She talks about where she starts her rooms

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Ep. 21 with "The Professor" Phil Lancaster Jun 13, 2017

Show notes

It took some persuasion, but we finally got our Senior Director of Merchandising Phil Lancaster, or "The Professor," on the podcast! Phil knows it all, teaches us some furniture history, tells us all about how furniture is made, what you need to look for, and generally schools us on the nitty gritty details of furniture and antiques. If you're wondering how to look for quality in your next furniture piece, this is the episode you need to listen to.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE:

We start off with a furniture lesson on modern vs. contemporaryHow does modern differ from mid-century modern?What's going to make it from the furniture being created right now? How do we know what will last?There's a lot of innovation around lighting right now in new types of light bulbsWe discuss light bulbs and why the color they give off is so importantWhat's the difference between an antique and vintageWe talk about his 100 year old house, how he bought it from the original owners, and how he loves the huntHow important it is to talk to antique dealers when you're out hunting for thingsWhat we look for when we're going on one of our big antique shopping tripsHow to shop for a wooden antique -- open the drawers, look at the back, examine the construction to know whether it's well-madeWe ask Phil about his favorite interior designer and artistWe talk about furniture styles, how the style Ballard is known for differs from Phil's own aesthetic, and the fact that good design is good designWe talk about why we use MDF to manufacture furniture and why you shouldn't assume something made from MDF is poor qualityTaryn tells us a story about a mahogany table she sent to a furniture show and why real wood isn't always betterWe talk about kiln dried wood -- if you remove the moisture from the wood, it's less likely to warpWe talk about teak and why you remove the moisture from teakWe dive into upholstery and the four main parts -- the frame, the suspension, the cushion, and the coverPhil jumps on his soapbox about the pitch of upholstery and why it's the most important quality about your furniture piece's comfortWe talk about what 8-way hand tied is and why you don't need it anymorePhil tells us about cushion construction and what's on the inside of your sofa

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Ep. 20 with designer Lisa Mende Jun 06, 2017

Show notes

Lisa Mende's room in the Traditional Home Southern Style Now Showhouse stopped us in our tracks, so we knew we had to get her on the podcast. Her spaces are bold, jubilant, and inviting, and we quickly learned that she herself is too. If you've ever had questions about paint, then this is an episode you have to listen to. We talk about choosing paint colors, paint finishes, fan decks, why you can't just look at the paint chip, and Lisa gives us all her favorite paint colors.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

I talk about Tom Sheerer's book Tom Sheerer Decorates which I devoured over Memorial Day weekendTaryn talks about her leaky roof and how the dry cleaner got out the stain in her blue dress (which she discussed in the last episode)Lisa tells us all about her 'she shed' in the Traditional House showhouse in New OrleansWe talk about her guest house becoming the center of the party during the showhouse openingWe talk about showhouses, how designers are paired with sponsors, and why we love showhouses so muchWhy 'the mix' is so importantShe tells us about the questionnaire she gives potential clientsWe talk about the importance of getting to know your own likes and dislikes before decorating your homeShe tells us about her new house and her plans for decorating itWhy she decorates her own house in stagesA great rule she has for splurging on a piece of furniture -- how can you use it three different waysWhy you might want to coordinate your dining room and living room upholsteryHow she's working around the 80's fireplace in her new houseWe talk about striped rugs and outdoor rugsWe talk about white paint colors, why they're complicated, and why they workI share how I picked Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace for my dark little craftsmanWe talk the pace of a room, and why it's an indicator of how much color you want in your spaceMy mom's recent paint mistakeWhy you can't just ask your neighbor the color they used for their houseWe talk paint finishes and why they're importantWe talk lacquer -- this is on Lisa's list of Don't DIYShe shares some of her drapery tricks for getting a designer look on a budget

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