How To Decorate

Today we welcome husband and wife team, John & Vivian Bencich. They are the founders of Square Feet Studio; an award-winning architect, planning, and design firm based in Atlanta. With Vivian’s background as an interior designer and John’s as an architect, they and their team specialize in smart, simple, and sustainable designs meant to last a long time. They have created beautiful and warm spaces throughout Atlanta including many popular restaurants like the iconic Kimball House. Listen in as they share tips on how to recreate our favorite restaurant ambiance in the home, the importance of numbers in planning, how to use a holistic approach to design, and more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How did Vivian and John get their starts? How John and Vivian take a holistic approach to design. A glimpse into how they create such a warm, intimate, and hospitable space like in the Kimball House. What tips & tricks do they have for narrowing down a style? What small yet important adjustments do professionals

Interior designer Gail Davis joins us today and gives us a glimpse into her unique journey and style. For 15 years, Gail has transformed her clients’ houses into homes using her eye for colors, textiles, and traditional styles. After leaving a career in fashion, Gail studied at the New York School of Interior Design and interned for two New York design powerhouses; Bunny Williams and David Kleinberg. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful, AD PRO, Domino, as well as many more publications. She also hosts her own podcast Design Perspectives. We discuss how Gail’s background in fashion heavily influences her design, how she creates spaces that are elegant but livable, as well as her love of layering, fabrics…and dogs! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How did Gail switch careers to become an interior designer? Why is the job of a designer much more logistical than creative? How supply chain and delayed lead times due to COVID are impacting designers. What is the biggest change in design Gail has see

Ep. 239: Designer Jasmine Roth We are so excited to welcome Jasmine Roth to the show. Jasmine is a designer, builder, and host of HGTV’s hit shows Hidden Potential and Help! I Wrecked My House. Her new book, House Story, gives an inside look behind the scenes of home renovation with tips, tricks, and step-by-step instructions. Not only does she have an incredible knack for making homes personal, functional, and beautiful, but Jasmine has walked through the fire of her own home renovations. Jasmine shares some of her many tips with us and walks us through how to simplify and demystify the home renovation process. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How did Jasmine get started in renovations? How does Jasmine’s book House Story help people find their specific design style? What important lifestyle questions like location and entertaining does Jasmine ask her clients? What are Jasmine’s tips on developing the right floor plan? Why can something simple like moving furniture completely change a room? How to c

Today we welcome Atlanta-based designers Will Huff and Heather Dewberry. They are the dynamic duo behind the boutique, residential interior design firm Huff-Dewberry, Inc. Their signature style brings together timeless beauty and modern comfort while reflecting the personality of their clients in their design. They have been featured in House Beautiful, Southern Home, and many more publications, including their recent cover feature in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. Heather and Will talk about what they’ve learned in their 20-year work partnership, how they use antiques in a fresh and modern way, their favorite colors and how to use them, and so much more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How did Will and Heather each get started in design? And how did they team up? What are the biggest strengths and weaknesses they see in each other? How are Heather and Will able to use antiques in a modern way for their projects? Wait. Is chocolate brown making a comeback?! What are Heather and Will’s g0-to colors and ho

We are so excited to welcome organization expert Sabrina Gardner to the show. She’s the founder of Salt by Sabrina; a company that specializes in custom-built acrylic drawers and organizers. Her innovative designs are made to simplify yet beautify your space. Sabrina gives us tips & tricks to get organized with ideas that are simple, attainable, and imperative to good design. We discuss why organization not only brings peace of mind but allows more time to do the things that we love. Her ideas are so approachable, you can get started today in just 5 minutes! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How did Sabrina get started in the organization space? Why is organization key to good design? How can we get started getting organized? Sabrina breaks down getting organized room by room including the mudroom, pantry, kitchen, bathroom, home office & workspace. Why does Sabrina love a good whiteboard? How to keep your bedroom an organized sanctuary. How to maintain the basement and garage. How to get organized in

In today’s episode, we are pleased to welcome Connecticut-based designer Chauncey Boothby of Chauncey Boothby Interiors. Chauncey has cultivated an aesthetic that’s classic yet contemporary. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including House Beautiful, Domino, New England Home Magazine, and The Wallstreet Journal. In 2018 she was named a House Beautiful Next Wave Designer. We talk about how Chauncey creates clean yet cheerful spaces, her love for antiques and vintage pieces, how to give rooms layers, her use of fabric for inspiration, and much more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: What is Chauncey’s background and how did she find a career in design? How Chauncey came to love antiques and vintage pieces. Why Chauncey doesn’t want a room to look like a catalog. How to get creative with old or existing pieces. What does Chauncey take into account when designing children’s rooms? How does Chauncey get all the color details to work together in a space? How does Chauncey like to customize

Our guest today is interior designer Jeremy Clark based out of Birmingham and Nashville. He is the founder of Jeremy D. Clark Studio; a full-service design studio specializing in luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality projects from coast to coast. His timeless style has been featured in Veranda, Southern Living, One Kings Lane, and a variety of lifestyle blogs and publications. We talk about his layered approach to colors and patterns, his love of painted floors, his tips for tablescapes, and more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How did Jeremy get started in design? Which designers have influenced Jeremy? How does Jeremy incorporate so many layers and colors while staying neutral? More about Jeremy’s Birmingham Showhouse project. When is a good time for a canopy bed? Jeremy walks us through the Nashville Condo project. Find ideas on Jeremy’s Shop section of his website. Jeremy’s tablescapes work in Veranda and his tips for decorating. What colors does Jeremy gravitate to? All about Jerem

Today’s guest is fabulous celebrity chef turned interior designer Travis London of Studio London Co. Travis has a unique style that fuses American design sensibilities with European glamor. His distinctive point of view on color and interiors has been recognized by media outlets including Architectural Digest, Domino, and more. This colorful episode is chock-full of quotes and wisdom from Travis about his love of dogs, how his different locales have influenced his design, why he believes in different glassware for every occasion, why he and his home always smell so good, and more. Travis is lifestyle! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How Travis likes to mix colors. Travis’s background from high school dropout to celebrity chef to interior designer and beyond! How has living in Europe influenced Travis’s style? Tips for how to make a room look BIG. How has Miami influenced his color choices? How does Travis recommend taking risks in design? What are a few of Travis’s favorite kitchen designing tips?

Our guest today is Southern California-based interior designer Naomi Coe. Naomi’s award-winning firm, Little Crown Interiors, specializes in designing nurseries and children’s rooms. Her book, Your Perfect Nursery, is a step-by-step approach to creating your dream nursery from both a practical and aesthetical approach. Naomi has been featured on Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight, as well as in publications like People, The Wallstreet Journal, and countless more. Naomi talks about the importance of walking into a nursery and feeling good, practical placements, safety tips, modern trends, and more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Trials & Triumphs on windows & doors, making decisions, furnace maintenance, making room for the Christmas Tree, AirBnB odors, shower curtains, tubs, and more! How did Naomi get started in nursery and kids’ room design? Naomi’s book, Your Perfect Nursery, was born from a challenge to find one resource. How does Naomi recommend starting the nursery design process? Naomi

This is the fourth and final episode of our Building a House series. If you haven’t already, be sure to listen to the first three episodes in the series. We are so grateful to put the “finishing touches” on the series with our guest host and interior designer Maggie Griffin. Maggie and her staff regularly help clients build and design primary residences and vacation homes from the ground up. She walks us through how to get started, realistic expectations, what parts of the home to invest in, and so many more of the questions you all have asked throughout the years! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How to get the process started. What goes on “the Google doc”? The timeline and order for style selections. A typical item that gets used as a focal piece to build around. Where is the best place to invest money? The kitchen is often the heart of the home; what’s important to consider? Why does Maggie recommend going to a showroom? Other rooms to focus on and invest in. What are pantry trends today? What

We are back for the third episode of our Building a House series! If you haven’t already, be sure to listen to the first two episodes in the series. Today we welcome to the show contractor Aaron Burgess of Freedom Construction. Aaron focuses primarily on high-end, custom homes in the resort town of Lake Oconee. Also with us again is interior designer and guest host Maggie Griffin. Aaron and Maggie talk about the collaboration process, navigating permits, the importance of walkthroughs, managing expectations, and so much more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How Aaron and Maggie first start working together on a custom home and the importance of having a good team. Where to look and how to hire a contractor. What should be the most important factor in choosing a contractor? How can the appearance and cleanliness of a jobsite be indicative of the quality of contracting work? Who typically handles permits and regulations for a build? What’s the next step after getting a permit for a build? Where are th

We continue our Building a House series by welcoming architect Kevin Clark to the show. Kevin is a veteran and senior principal at the Atlanta-based firm, Historical Concepts. Also with us again is interior designer and guest host Maggie Griffin. Kevin explains why choosing the right architect can be a lot like a marriage, the different reasons people use an architect, creating a dream home specific to how you live, the importance of collaboration, and so much more invaluable advice. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Trials and Triumphs on Christmas decorations, custom cabinets, redecorating an AirBnB, skipping out of Thanksgiving cooking, creating a greenhouse, landscaping plans, and more. Kevin walks us through his personal project in his Atlanta home. How to choose the right architect. The importance of walking through your daily routine and lifestyle when creating blueprints. How often do people use architects for a renovation? The different budget considerations and project level options of using

We are so excited to finally launch our new series, Building a House, that we’ve been talking about for many years! This is a multi-part series where we’ll welcome some amazing experts to help guide us through the entire process of building a brand new house. Joining us for the series is guest host Maggie Griffin. Maggie is an interior designer with a full-service firm in Georgia with a team of 10 working throughout the Southeast. She also has a retail component, Maggie Griffin at Home, and is working on a product line. Not only has Maggie recently done her own big personal project, but she regularly helps clients build homes from the ground up. Throughout the series, she’ll bring us some of her favorite experts, like an architect and contractor, while Maggie takes us through the interior design process. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Maggie walks us through her own personal project. How to find a building site or property depends on which market you are in. How to come up with a budget and how to fina

The holiday season is finally here! Today we’re talking all about decorating for the holidays with Ballard’s own Skye Westcott and Li Kurczewski. Skye is the SVP of Merchandising, Design, & Sourcing and Li is our Director of Decorative Accessories. Both are veterans in the industry and instrumental in curating Ballard’s holiday style every year. This episode will have you ready to pull out your holiday decorations and begin decking the halls! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Trials & Triumphs with a special guest, Karen! Li & Skye’s impressive career backgrounds and where they’ve intertwined. Skye believes in starting holiday decorating with tradition. How to layer holiday decorating and evolve the house aesthetic through the seasons. How to evoke emotion and hit all senses with decorating. The debate over real and faux trees… and why Skye and Li are leaning faux! The trends and color schemes for outdoor décor and lighting this season. What patterns are in for this season? What tree topper is every

Our guest today Emily C. Butler is a New York City-based interior designer. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful as well as multiple design books such as Elements Of Family Style written by one of our favorite podcast guests, Erin Gates. Emily’s signature style is beautifully grounded in tradition with a modern lightness. She has a particular flair for doing big designs in small spaces by bringing her big “Texas vibes”. We talk about how she does that, her use of color, her love of fabrics, and more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How did Emily get started in design? Emily describes her style and how her use of color stands out in NYC. How Emily manages to fit a lot of style into a small space. What are some tips for setting up a small space? Tips for the “drop zone” for keys, mail, etc. Emily loves to use wallpaper and fabrics in her designs. How Emily uses fun lighting like lamps and sconces in her design. Details of the Upper East Side Apartment designed for a family. What is Emily wor

Our guest today, designer Lauren Liess, has quite an impressive rap sheet. She began writing her blog, Pure Style Home, in 2008 and has since written the two best-selling design books Habitat and Down to Earth. Her new book, Feels Like Home, is hitting shelves this Fall. Her HGTV show, Best House on the Block, follows her and her husband as they design and renovate homes throughout the DC metro area. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful, Country Living, Traditional Home, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, and many more. We talk about how she manages her incredibly busy life, embracing the imperfect, her new book, lighting toys on fire, and much, much, more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: How Lauren’s design journey began. More about Lauren’s new book Feels Like Home. How does Lauren manage her very busy life and balance her work and family? What does Lauren do to bring out her calming aesthetic in her projects? Some tips & tricks for finding the “diamond in the rough” of houses. H

We are long overdue for our conversation with the amazing architect Roger Seifter. He’s a partner at the renowned firm Robert A.M Stern Architects (RAMSA) and has designed houses all over the world including in the US, UK, India, and Canada. His work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House & Garden, The New York Times, Lux, and many more. He recently co-authored the book HOUSES with his colleagues featuring projects and the design work from the firm. We talk all about his processes, projects in the book, adapting to different architectural styles, and more! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: All about the process of writing HOUSES and the projects in the book. Details about the incredible Las Olas project featured in the book. Roger’s advice about designing or landscaping when you can’t build from scratch. What is Roger’s process in building and designing a house? How much input does a client have in a project? How ornamentation is used in Mediterranean architecture. Why a geographic location

We are thrilled to welcome the talented and hilarious Mikel Welch this week. Mikel shares his colorful journey with us to becoming an interior designer and TV show host, going from offering free design on Craigslist to now working on The Drew Barrymore show and co-hosting Roku’s Murder House Flip. Mikel talks with us about how set design informed his perspective on home decor, the bold move he made with Steve Harvey that paid off, how he taught himself design, and the importance of knowing what you are working with before you commit to anything in design. Mikel also has great advice for spray painting, finding the right plants, and navigating thrift stores. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Mikel has always been bold and not afraid to jump in and say “yes”. Posting on Craigslist to help people decorate one room led to Mikel meeting a decorator on Dexter, which opened his mind to the wonderful world of set design. From Jerseylicious to The Steve Harvey Show to Design Star, what are some of Mikel’s takea

We are so thrilled to welcome renowned and veteran architect Peter Pennoyer to the show. Over the last 30 years, he has grown his business, Peter Pennoyer Architects, to a 50-person firm of architects, interior designers, and related professionals with projects completed all over the world. He has co-written seven (!!!) books including most recently the introduction for Rowdy Meadow: House - Land - Art available now. We talk in-depth about the house in the book, the many details involved, and Peter’s approach to this and every project. Also, be sure to take our survey at the end of the episode! What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Trials & Triumphs with a basement turned art studio, communicating with a builder and architect, hosting visitors, falling in love with a hallway, modern sconces, gardening fails, robot vacuums, and maternity leave! Background on the house and property in Peter’s new book Rowdy Meadow: House - Land - Art. Were all of the craftsmen on the house based locally in Cleveland? Peter giv

We are joined today by our first Australian guest ever! Melissa Penfold is Australia’s foremost authority on style and design, a bestselling author, columnist, editor, and journalist. She calls her book Living Well by Design the ultimate decorating book. Melissa talks about keeping design simple, functional, and uniquely you. We also discuss a lot of pointers from her book to help you create a style that makes you happy. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: What was Melissa’s process and selection for creating her book? Why Melissa doesn’t think design is “hard”. How to play up your home’s strengths. How to differentiate your house especially in a subdivision. What are Melissa’s g0-to design elements? How to shop for quality no matter your budget. Why having a variety of textures is so important. It’s important to use every room in your house; and make them all your happy place! How does design in Australia differ from design in the US? Decorating Dilemma Hi Emily, What would make the biggest differe