Latest / Pretty In Pink Again / Episode 61: Why Your Home Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It as Your Kids Grow) with Designer Ellen Piccolo

Transcript

Episode 61: Why Your Home Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It as Your Kids Grow) with Designer Ellen Piccolo · Pretty In Pink Again

• 0:00
  I'm Christina and I'm t and this is the Pretty and Pink again podcast where motherhood meets rediscovery.
• 0:16
  Welcome back to Pretty and Pink again, where we rediscover ourselves through motherhood.
• 0:21
  Sometimes rediscovery starts with our environment.
• 0:24
  And today we're joined by Ellen Piccolo, founder of the Homemaker, a Connecticut based designer known for homes that feel beautiful, layered and livable.
• 0:32
  She helps families with everything from full renovations to partial design plans, and connects clients with contractors and trades to bring real life function to life.
• 0:43
  Today we are going deeper than the aesthetics.
• 0:45
  We are talking about systems, seasons.
• 0:48
  We are talking about creating a home that supports your life that you're actually living.
• 0:52
  Welcome Ellen.
• 0:53
  Thank you.
• 0:54
  Thank you for having me.
• 0:55
  Thank you for being here today.
• 0:56
  Yes, I'm excited.
• 0:57
  Thank you so much.
• 0:58
  We are so excited for you to be here, not just for our listeners, but for us personally.
• 1:02
  Consider you've walked into a construction zone of mayhem.
• 1:06
  Mm-hmm.
• 1:06
  I am so excited'cause I'm always complaining about the like, shit show that I feel like my house is for so many reasons, like not it's, I think I've shed a lot of the care of the aesthetics.
• 1:18
  Like Yeah.
• 1:18
  Which is like usually would keep me up at night.
• 1:21
  Yeah.
• 1:21
  And I feel like since becoming a mom, I'm like, I want things to look nice, but I want them to be functional while looking nice.
• 1:29
  Yes.
• 1:29
  If it's not functional, I don't want it.
• 1:31
  You know?
• 1:31
  Well, I want both, so.
• 1:32
  Yeah.
• 1:33
  Well, I want, I want want both.
• 1:33
  I want both.
• 1:33
  And I think, but I think sometimes you need somebody to guide you through that because it's a very hard place to be in where you want things to look beautiful.
• 1:42
  You wanna appreciate your home.
• 1:44
  But you need things to work for you and not work against you, you know?
• 1:48
  Absolutely.
• 1:48
  I mean, I think that is the crux of good design, marrying form and function.
• 1:52
  You want things that are gonna work for you and the people living in the home, but you want them to be beautiful.
• 1:57
  Mm-hmm.
• 1:58
  Right?
• 1:58
  Yeah.
• 1:58
  Like, have you ever gone on a vacation with your kids and spent so much money on that vacation and you're like, you didn't even appreciate this.
• 2:04
  You, you, I feel like those words come from my mouth all the time.
• 2:07
  Not just about vacation.
• 2:07
  You like, we spent all this money and like you were bad and this and that.
• 2:12
  Like sometimes I feel that same way about my home.
• 2:15
  Like we got our floors redone three days later there's like scuffs in them, or we got this new couch and they like, drank a red Gatorade and s spilled all over it.
• 2:23
  Yeah.
• 2:23
  And then I'm like, forget it.
• 2:24
  What am I even doing here?
• 2:25
  What am I doing?
• 2:26
  You know?
• 2:26
  Yes.
• 2:27
  Like, what are we doing here?
• 2:28
  Yeah.
• 2:28
  I think that's so common.
• 2:29
  You know?
• 2:30
  So common.
• 2:30
  Yeah.
• 2:30
  So especially with kids, you're here Yes.
• 2:33
  And you're going to help shed light.
• 2:35
  I'll all walk through all of it.
• 2:38
  Absolutely.
• 2:39
  All right.
• 2:40
  So you are the homemaker.
• 2:42
  Yes.
• 2:42
  Where did you come up with that name?
• 2:43
  Tell us a little bit about your backstory.
• 2:45
  So I love a good play on words.
• 2:46
  Mm-hmm.
• 2:47
  So I thought right before I started up my business, I was at home with my kids.
• 2:52
  So I thought it would be sort of fun like a homemaker turned to homemaker.
• 2:56
  Love it.
• 2:56
  Love it.
• 2:56
  I thought it would just be cute and a little bit unique and, and stand out.
• 3:00
  My path to design was certainly not linear.
• 3:03
  I loved design from the time I was a young kid.
• 3:05
  I was the girl, like always rearranging her room or spending all my extra money on like her dollhouse.
• 3:11
  I think one of my biggest design inspirations came when I was a kid from my best friend's mother.
• 3:16
  So my best friend I met when I was seven, when her family moved into the neighborhood and her home was beautiful.
• 3:23
  Her mother has impeccable taste, and I think it was the first time that I realized, certainly subconsciously when I was a kid, but more consciously now that.
• 3:33
  Design is much more than about just pretty things.
• 3:36
  Mm-hmm.
• 3:36
  It's about the way it makes you feel.
• 3:38
  Mm-hmm.
• 3:38
  So feeling warm and cozy and inviting and safe and happy in her home were things that I think I really took with me.
• 3:48
  Throughout my childhood and into adulthood and into this business, which I think is, is really important.
• 3:54
  I think it's why design is such an important thing.
• 3:57
  We spend so much time in our homes, so we want them to make us feel happy.
• 4:00
  And same with our workplaces too.
• 4:02
  So fast forward, I went to college, I went to Yukon.
• 4:06
  Oh, Yun.
• 4:08
  Yeah.
• 4:08
  When did you graduate?
• 4:09
  In 2001.
• 4:11
  So I went to Yukon and I actually majored in social work, which is another passion of mine, and I pursued that post-college for a number of years.
• 4:19
  I actually worked for the Department of Children and Families for many years.
• 4:22
  So very different from what I am doing now.
• 4:25
  And as you can imagine, I got a little bit burnt out, uh, from that.
• 4:28
  So I sort of did a 180.
• 4:30
  I was living in New York at the time and I started working for a fashion company doing marketing.
• 4:36
  And then when my husband and I moved back to Connecticut, I also did some marketing and sales for CVS radio up here.
• 4:43
  But all the time I was decorating our apartment in the city, uh, decorating of course our first home up here.
• 4:48
  And I had friends and family who would approach me with design questions or come help me decorate this part of my home and sort of encouraged me to get into the business.
• 4:58
  And then I had my first daughter in 2014.
• 5:01
  So I stayed home with her for a bit.
• 5:04
  And then in 2015 we moved to our now home in West Hartford, which is a 1927 Georgian revival.
• 5:12
  Beautiful, cool, hundred year old that vibe.
• 5:14
  And I am, I love old houses.
• 5:16
  I we need to have AAL party next year, year for Well, you know what's funny, when we moved into the house in 2015, I said to my husband, I was like.
• 5:23
  In 2026, our house number is 99.
• 5:26
  So I said, I'm gonna have a party for the house.
• 5:28
  99 turns.
• 5:29
  99.
• 5:29
  Wow.
• 5:30
  And I'm gonna have a 1927 theme and yeah.
• 5:33
  Love it.
• 5:33
  So that, that I'm planning that as we speak.
• 5:34
  That's so cool.
• 5:35
  Yes.
• 5:36
  Yeah.
• 5:36
  That's so cool.
• 5:37
  So, I love old houses.
• 5:38
  I'm very passionate about them, the preservation of old houses.
• 5:41
  And I loved our house because so much of the original character was still intact.
• 5:45
  Mm-hmm.
• 5:45
  It needed a lot of work, which I welcomed of course, to make it my own.
• 5:49
  So at that time, I'd actually started an Instagram account, this old CT house where I documented what I was doing to the house.
• 5:56
  I wanted some before and afters.
• 5:58
  So it was just sort of like a fun little.
• 6:01
  Side project that I had.
• 6:02
  Mm-hmm.
• 6:03
  Um, and then I met a friend through a mom's group who introduced me to a woman who was starting a design firm or who had just started a design firm.
• 6:10
  So I actually went to work for her for a few years and it was really invaluable experience because it taught me not only just more about design, but about all the business of design.
• 6:21
  You know, there's so much that goes on behind the scenes in terms of planning and ordering and, receiving and just so much to make these rooms beautiful.
• 6:31
  Mm-hmm.
• 6:31
  Um, so it taught me a lot about that at that time, as I'm sure.
• 6:37
  So many moms can relate.
• 6:38
  I felt a big push and pull of my kids were still really young.
• 6:42
  I had a, another child at the time too, so I had two little ones and they were toddlers and I just felt like they really needed me at home.
• 6:50
  So I put a pause on the design career and I stayed home with them for a few years, which I have zero regrets about.
• 6:58
  It was the best decision.
• 6:59
  And I really just devoted my time to them.
• 7:02
  I continued to sort of decorate my house and help out other people.
• 7:06
  And then I started thinking about how I wanted to get back into the design world when I did come back.
• 7:12
  And one thing that stood out to me when I did full scale design was that there were a lot of clients who would say,, I really wanted designers help.
• 7:21
  I need the expertise and I, I want someone to show me how to do things.
• 7:26
  I'm really intimidated by this process.
• 7:28
  Mm-hmm.
• 7:28
  And I, I'm feeling a lot of pressure that I need to order everything right away, or this is gonna be very expensive and it's just not in my budget.
• 7:35
  Or I, I wanna do some of this on my own.
• 7:37
  So that's sort of how the homemaker was born.
• 7:40
  I wanted to create something that was gonna be accessible to a wider range of people that wouldn't feel quite as intimidating.
• 7:47
  So we offer a few packages through the company, but really the bread and butter, sort of how the company started was through our partial scale package, which in the beginning is a lot like a full scale design would be.
• 8:00
  So, we'll come out, we'll do a consult at your home and we'll, you know, take a look at the space or spaces that you want help with.
• 8:07
  We talked to you, of course, about your design aesthetic, but a lot about how you want the rooms to function, what's important to you, what you need.
• 8:15
  And then based on that, we create a design plan.
• 8:18
  So it's generally about six weeks, and then we'll come back and do a presentation.
• 8:22
  So we'll lay everything out, everything that we picked from furnishings to rugs and window treatments.
• 8:27
  And then on top of that, we put in their tradespeople.
• 8:30
  So I always recommend people, you know, if I'm saying to wallpaper room, I'll put a wallpaper installer or painters, electricians, whatever you need to sort of execute that plan.
• 8:40
  Um, I mean, that alone is invaluable.
• 8:42
  Yeah.
• 8:43
  You know, how often like having vetted people Yes, yes, yes.
• 8:45
  Trusted people working in your home that have done this before, that have worked with you before.
• 8:50
  Yes.
• 8:50
  You know, absolutely.
• 8:51
  Yeah.
• 8:51
  Word of mouth is the most, most powerful thing.
• 8:54
  Mm-hmm.
• 8:54
  Um, so clients really love that.
• 8:57
  There is no pressure to use the people that I recommend, but sometimes even if they have their own people, they might, wanna call somebody else and just sort of compare their timeline and pricing.
• 9:05
  So it, they find it really helpful.
• 9:07
  And then I include some trade incentives in there.
• 9:10
  So if clients do wanna order through me, they're welcome to do that.
• 9:12
  Most do take advantage where, um, I'm offered, I'm able to offer them a little bit better pricing on a lot of the items in their design plan.
• 9:20
  So at the presentation we go over everything.
• 9:23
  I'll present a mood board, um, sometimes furniture layouts and renderings and then following.
• 9:29
  And I'll bring samples along too'cause it's important to see all those things in person.
• 9:33
  And then following the design presentation, I will email that design plan to the client.
• 9:38
  So everything in there is linkable.
• 9:40
  Mm-hmm.
• 9:40
  So if they wanna do every single piece of it on their own, they can take that plan, they can do it the next day, they can do it a year from now.
• 9:47
  Um, whenever they're comfortable.
• 9:50
  I have clients do it all different ways.
• 9:52
  Some will be like, okay, when are we starting?
• 9:54
  Let's go tomorrow and I want you to help me with this.
• 9:55
  And I have other clients, um, a lot of clients who will say.
• 9:59
  I'm gonna do the majority of this now, or some of the bigger pieces now, and then maybe wait six months or a year and sort of save up for something else, or, you know, wait till this certain thing happens and then install the wallpaper into that room.
• 10:11
  And then I have other clients who sort of sit with it for a little while and maybe six months or a year down the road will call me or email me and say, Hey, I'm ready to do this.
• 10:19
  So you're like a consultant in a way too.
• 10:21
  Yeah.
• 10:21
  Yeah, yeah.
• 10:22
  Like you're, yes, you're the designer, but like, it sounds like people like play off of you.
• 10:27
  Like what do you think of this?
• 10:28
  If they already have an established sense of style or taste or flow.
• 10:32
  Yeah.
• 10:32
  Yeah.
• 10:32
  Yeah.
• 10:33
  Definitely.
• 10:33
  So talk us through then, like if you meet somebody mm-hmm.
• 10:37
  Do you, you have to kind of put your own personal taste back a little bit and Yeah.
• 10:42
  Sort of figure out what is their style?
• 10:44
  Sure.
• 10:44
  So you can play off of them.
• 10:46
  Sure.
• 10:46
  What if somebody says to you, I don't really know what I'm doing here.
• 10:50
  Where do you start that?
• 10:51
  And I'm sure a lot of people know where to start.
• 10:53
  Yeah.
• 10:53
  A lot of people feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start.
• 10:56
  So I always recommend picking one space first.
• 11:00
  So not doing, you know, 12 at a time because that's overwhelming for anybody.
• 11:04
  Picking the space that's most important to them, that's most used at first and first.
• 11:08
  And what would that typical, is there like a top five most used space that people like to start with?
• 11:13
  Typically I would say kitchens, living rooms, mud rooms are probably the biggest.
• 11:20
  I think those are the rooms that you spend the most time in.
• 11:23
  Okay.
• 11:23
  Or where you entertain that people see the most.
• 11:25
  Yeah.
• 11:25
  Bedrooms, not so much kids' bedrooms, but primary bedrooms tend to take more of a backseat just because.
• 11:31
  It's like tucked away upstairs.
• 11:33
  Yeah.
• 11:34
  Yeah.
• 11:34
  You just, you see it.
• 11:35
  Yes.
• 11:35
  Although, I will say it's an underrated room to do.
• 11:38
  Say I, you spend so much time in your primary bedroom.
• 11:42
  Was gonna say, I think that's so easy to tuck it away, I think we're worried sometimes about like the aesthetics of what everything looks like.
• 11:48
  And you, you're like, oh, let me do a room that.
• 11:51
  No one uses.
• 11:52
  Like we, when we went have been kind of slowly renovating our house and designing our house and we have a living room and a family room.
• 12:00
  Mm-hmm.
• 12:00
  And we like threw a bunch of stuff in the family room.
• 12:03
  It came together.
• 12:04
  It's like where we hang out and we didn't put a lot of pressure on it.
• 12:06
  The living room is off the foyer.
• 12:08
  It's something that you see when you first come in the house.
• 12:11
  Yeah.
• 12:11
  And we were like.
• 12:12
  Stumped on what to do there and where if we should spend and invest money in there.
• 12:17
  And then we kind of came to the the conclusion that that's not where we even spend time.
• 12:21
  Right.
• 12:21
  It's more for aesthetics.
• 12:23
  Yeah.
• 12:23
  And you would rather put the money into places that we actually spend the time.
• 12:27
  Yeah.
• 12:27
  But it's, but sometimes it's hard to battle that, Yes.
• 12:30
  So is that something that you guide people on?
• 12:32
  I do.
• 12:33
  Yeah.
• 12:33
  Yeah.
• 12:33
  And I can sort of give them tips or tricks to maybe how to enhance a room, like your living room per se, to make it sort of presentable when you walk in.
• 12:42
  But yeah, I would, I would always advise people to really focus on the rooms that they live in, that they spend the most time in.
• 12:48
  That's good advice, because that's what's gonna make them happy.
• 12:49
  Yeah.
• 12:49
  That's very, very good advice.
• 12:52
  So let's talk a little bit about some of these buzzy words.
• 12:55
  Yeah.
• 12:55
  People keep talking about like function in systems mm-hmm.
• 12:58
  And life systems and, you know, everybody likes a hack.
• 13:01
  Yes.
• 13:02
  What is something that you find that you are imple like systems that you're implementing in people's homes that are working, or maybe that, like how do you kind of create that sys or blend the system in with the, beautiful aesthetics of home design.
• 13:15
  Design?
• 13:16
  Function in a room is really how the, that room serves your needs.
• 13:21
  Mm-hmm.
• 13:21
  So we create systems to enhance that function.
• 13:25
  I think a lot of it comes down to organization and things having their place.
• 13:29
  So that cleanup is easier so that you're not getting a lot of clutter.
• 13:34
  I think when things are organized, you just feel less stressed.
• 13:37
  And a lot of this is gonna be dependent on the client and what their needs are.
• 13:40
  So if you have someone who's like a huge.
• 13:43
  Chef, you're gonna want like a drawer that has a lot of room for spices, and if someone's a baker, you're gonna wanna have maybe a designated place to have them make pastries or to store their cookie sheet.
• 13:54
  So a lot of it's really dependent on the lifestyle of the client.
• 13:58
  But I think putting systems in place where things can be organized but concealed a lot.
• 14:03
  So, like in kitchens now, you know, within the last several years, appliance garages have been mm-hmm.
• 14:08
  Become huge.
• 14:08
  So Nice.
• 14:08
  And I think they're wonderful.
• 14:10
  Yeah.
• 14:10
  Yeah.
• 14:10
  I mean, there's so many things that we need and use every day.
• 14:13
  The crockpot and the air fryer and the toaster.
• 14:16
  Aesthetically or not that pleasing.
• 14:18
  Yeah.
• 14:18
  But of course they have to be there.
• 14:20
  You know, that's, those are the functional pieces and when you can put'em behind a beautiful piece of cabinetry, there's your marriage of form and function.
• 14:27
  It's, and you don't have to go back to the pantry and take it out.
• 14:29
  'cause like Right.
• 14:30
  You know, some of those things, there was a pain for them to be and to be stored.
• 14:34
  Yes.
• 14:34
  But then you're like, if you're always having to go into storage to get the things that you actually use, it's not realistic.
• 14:39
  Right.
• 14:39
  Exactly.
• 14:40
  Yeah.
• 14:40
  Yeah.
• 14:41
  You know, something I get a lot is toy storage, whether it's for little kids or as they get bigger Right.
• 14:47
  'cause a toy room or a playroom down in the basement.
• 14:50
  Yes.
• 14:51
  When you have little kids.
• 14:52
  Yeah.
• 14:53
  Like you wanna cook dinner while your kids are playing.
• 14:55
  Yeah.
• 14:56
  Pretty close by.
• 14:57
  Yeah.
• 14:57
  When you have a playroom that's like in the basement where I feel like a lot of moms put.
• 15:01
  The playroom we're like, oh, we'll stick it downstairs in the basement.
• 15:03
  Yeah.
• 15:03
  My kids never wanna go down there without me.
• 15:06
  Yes.
• 15:06
  You can't, multitask or do two things at once.
• 15:08
  Yeah.
• 15:09
  Yeah.
• 15:09
  I think when they're really little too, to your point, it's not safe.
• 15:12
  You can't have them just like rolling around in the basement.
• 15:14
  I think it's great when they're older.
• 15:17
  Yeah., I think it's wonderful to have a different floor for them to play on.
• 15:20
  Right.
• 15:20
  But when they're young, yeah.
• 15:21
  You need to be close by.
• 15:23
  So creating these systems, buying a pretty sideboard and then in that sideboard having, maybe the changing pad is in there that you put up on top of it, and that you can hide that when you have company or you can put it away when you're done using it.
• 15:34
  Or putting baskets and bins in there with labels, to put toys away and to have it really accessible.
• 15:40
  Lower cabinets where kids can reach in there and put things away.
• 15:43
  And I think labeling things even with pictures and not with words when they're really little.
• 15:48
  Teaches them to clean up, to take responsibility, teaches them that there's a place for things.
• 15:53
  You know, that's where some of those systems are really created.
• 15:57
  Perhaps putting a game table, or some type of table in the family room where not only can they do homework or play games, but that's where you have your snacks.
• 16:05
  I don't want you eating on the couch.
• 16:06
  We're going to eat on, the game table or in the kitchen or wherever it may be.
• 16:10
  So that way you can have some of the nicer things and you put these systems in place where they sort of learn responsibility and how to take care of things.
• 16:18
  And again, it's sort of meets that form, right.
• 16:22
  And function.
• 16:22
  Right.
• 16:22
  So it's, it's not just a no, like, it's a okay, this is where you go, yes.
• 16:27
  You have access to this.
• 16:28
  Yeah.
• 16:28
  Yeah.
• 16:28
  So they don't just feel like they can't use any of the spaces.
• 16:31
  Right.
• 16:32
  And again, it's dependent on families.
• 16:33
  There's some families who are like, you know, they can eat every meal on the couch.
• 16:36
  Mm-hmm.
• 16:36
  And some families who are like, my kids are not allowed to step into the other room with a drink in their hand.
• 16:41
  So it really depends on what you're comfortable with.
• 16:43
  But I think.
• 16:44
  When you have different options and you can put different systems in place, it just definitely makes it easier and more aesthetically pleasing.
• 16:52
  I do love a, a basement or a third floor when they're older to have space.
• 16:56
  And it doesn't have to be some like beautiful finished space.
• 16:59
  I mean, when I was a kid, some of my best memories are playing in like my musty basement or my friends, like same gross basement actually building like houses and offices, just to have some pri Yeah, some privacy and just some space of your own.
• 17:12
  Like a creative Yeah, exactly.
• 17:13
  Area.
• 17:14
  Yeah.
• 17:14
  Right.
• 17:14
  Yeah.
• 17:15
  Our main place is the counters the kitchen.
• 17:18
  That's the arts and craft zone.
• 17:20
  That's where everybody makes slime.
• 17:21
  That's where everybody eats.
• 17:22
  That's where everybody does homework.
• 17:24
  That becomes the hub.
• 17:25
  That is like the hub.
• 17:27
  Yeah, the hub.
• 17:27
  And that's the hub for so many people.
• 17:29
  And I have so many clients who will say, I want a really big island.
• 17:32
  'cause this is where we gather.
• 17:33
  Or I want a really big eating area or a table in there because this is where we do everything.
• 17:37
  Not just cook and eat, but we talk, we read the newspaper, we have coffee, we do homework.
• 17:42
  Like it's, it's all here.
• 17:43
  And then building, cabinetry, that if you do, you know, you do arts and crafts in the kitchen, like making sure you have enough cabinet space for that or somewhere close by where you can easily access it.
• 17:54
  That's why I think it's important too, when you have kids, of course you reassess, but when you move into a new home, to take a pause for a moment before you start doing a lot of work to really see, how do I live in here?
• 18:05
  Mm-hmm.
• 18:05
  Like how do I move?
• 18:07
  Where are things easiest, you know, to access or whatever it might be.
• 18:11
  And just give yourself a moment to get to know the house and Yeah.
• 18:14
  And what your lifestyle is before you make a lot of big decisions.
• 18:18
  Right.
• 18:19
  I think that's really, really good advice.
• 18:19
  I advice think that's great advice.
• 18:20
  Like when we moved into this house, the first thing we did was my husband moved into the office.
• 18:24
  He was so excited to have an office on the first level.
• 18:27
  And now years in, he's like, I wish I had put my office like upstairs in one of the bedrooms That wasn't prime real estate.
• 18:35
  Right.
• 18:35
  You know, like first floor is a prime real estate and then upstairs is kind of like, eh, where we sleep a little more quiet.
• 18:43
  So yes, to your point, maybe if we had waited a little bit and lived in the house for a couple of months, we would've been like, oh, actually the kids are always going in here, or we're always going in here away.
• 18:51
  Right.
• 18:52
  Or, you know, this would've been a cool like bar billiards room or whatever.
• 18:56
  Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 18:57
  And sometimes those things happen and you can't help.
• 18:59
  Sometimes at that point that is what worked best and two years later it's not because your life changes some and then you can shift accordingly.
• 19:07
  Back to the systems.
• 19:08
  Yes.
• 19:08
  Because I do think that this is like very hot for our listeners.
• 19:12
  Yeah.
• 19:12
  What are systems that you think every family needs I think every family could really benefit from some type of drop zone.
• 19:19
  Yes.
• 19:19
  So whether that's a mud room or a part of their entry, part of the garage, part of converting like a porch that they have somewhere where all the coats live.
• 19:30
  The shoes live, the backpack, the sports equipment.
• 19:33
  Mail where the ma I was gonna say Yep.
• 19:35
  Where the mail goes, you took the words outta my mouth.
• 19:37
  And that can be as simple as like a consult table in your front entry, where this is where we put the mail, you know, this and this drawer is where the bills are and this drawer.
• 19:45
  Right.
• 19:45
  And it doesn't move from this spot until it is paid.
• 19:48
  Right, right.
• 19:49
  Yeah, exactly.
• 19:50
  So everybody, I, everybody needs that, whether you have kids or not.
• 19:54
  Mm-hmm.
• 19:54
  I mean, you need a place to sort of.
• 19:57
  Drop your things when you come in and have them organized.
• 20:00
  Because otherwise, as you know, it can just be like a cluttered, chaotic mess of like backpacks and shoes and a trail of coats and mm-hmm.
• 20:09
  Mail and everything else.
• 20:10
  So I think having, um, designated place to be able to hang things you know, if you're lucky enough to have a mudroom to have designated cubbies for each person or shared cubbies.
• 20:23
  I think when kids are really young, putting hooks, you can, you know, they have command hooks that are cute now that you can put ones that are lower down on level, they can actually, you know, hang their own coats up and get used to that system.
• 20:35
  Drawers are wonderful baskets if you're not gonna do drawers for shoes, for mittens, for that kind of thing.
• 20:41
  So everything sort of has their place, but they look pretty.
• 20:45
  And I think mud rooms or little entry areas can be some of the most fun rooms in the house because they're small.
• 20:50
  You can have fun with wallpaper and color.
• 20:53
  Putting a pretty bench in there with beautiful fabric on top is, can be functional too for people to put their shoes on or get ready to, you know, go play in the snow or whatever the case may be.
• 21:03
  Mm-hmm.
• 21:03
  I know that's a, that's a great point.
• 21:05
  I, I feel like we have at our house, like everybody comes into the garage.
• 21:09
  Yeah.
• 21:09
  So we have like a drop zone for the people that live in this home.
• 21:12
  Yeah.
• 21:13
  But then when I have a guest come over, yeah.
• 21:15
  I feel like I don't have.
• 21:16
  Like a good flow for a guest,'cause a guest would come through the front door.
• 21:21
  Right.
• 21:21
  So what would you say, like to p piggyback off of like a drop zone for a guest?
• 21:26
  What would you say for them?
• 21:27
  Yeah, so I think it depends on your house.
• 21:29
  For example, in my house, we use the mudroom all the time.
• 21:31
  That's in the back of the house.
• 21:32
  But to your point, when we have guests, they come through the front and we have probably your, probably a lot of homes Right?
• 21:38
  Similar people that live in the house usually come through the garage.
• 21:41
  Right?
• 21:41
  Right.
• 21:41
  Um, so we have two closets in our front entry and one, I always keep a little extra room and space in for when guests come over so that they can hang up their coats or put their purse there or whatever they wanna do.
• 21:52
  So I think just having like a designated area that's a little bit more convenient and close mm-hmm.
• 21:57
  Um, for when, when guests come.
• 21:58
  Makes sense.
• 21:59
  I mean, some people know you well and come in and just go straight back to the mudroom and drop their stuff.
• 22:03
  Sure, sure.
• 22:03
  So it, it, it depends.
• 22:05
  But having I think two separate areas for that can be nice because you're often entering into like opposite sides of the house.
• 22:11
  Yeah.
• 22:11
  Okay.
• 22:11
  That's a good tip.
• 22:12
  There's a lot of scenarios of how people come into a house, right?
• 22:16
  Like, you can build, which is wonderful.
• 22:17
  Mm-hmm.
• 22:18
  But I also think that gets tricky because to your point, you don't get to live in the house first to really kind of see how everything is flowing and, and all of that.
• 22:26
  So I'm, I always hear people that are like designing a house, be like, oh, in hindsight I wish I could go back.
• 22:31
  Right?
• 22:31
  Yes.
• 22:31
  But then sometimes you renovate a house, like even us.
• 22:37
  Mm-hmm.
• 22:37
  We renovated a lot before we even had kids.
• 22:40
  Mm-hmm.
• 22:41
  And now we have kids and.
• 22:44
  Sometimes nothing is wrong with the house.
• 22:46
  It just doesn't fit your new lifestyle.
• 22:49
  Right.
• 22:49
  Or what's going on right now.
• 22:50
  And we were all talking about how all of our kids are different ages and how you go through the ages and you need different things.
• 22:58
  Yeah.
• 22:58
  When your kids are little, you might need this room for this purpose.
• 23:01
  When they get a little bit older, maybe it serves a different purpose.
• 23:04
  Things are always changing.
• 23:06
  Yeah.
• 23:06
  And time flies, right?
• 23:08
  Yes.
• 23:08
  But it's a huge investment and so much time and energy to like organize and get these functions and systems in place to just go to the next phase and now that no longer works for you.
• 23:19
  Mm-hmm.
• 23:20
  So.
• 23:21
  I think my first question is how would you know it's time for like a refresh of the systems versus a full renovation?
• 23:29
  Right.
• 23:29
  Because sometimes that's kind of where I'm at right now, where it's like sometimes rooms just need help.
• 23:34
  Mm-hmm.
• 23:34
  And then some things need a full, like this is not working.
• 23:38
  Like we need to rebuild from the ground up.
• 23:40
  Right.
• 23:41
  Like during COVID in 2020, I was like, we need a new house.
• 23:44
  Yeah.
• 23:44
  This is because you're in the rest of the world.
• 23:46
  Exactly.
• 23:47
  I feel like everybody was in their house and like they just found out what was wrong with it, not what was right with it.
• 23:51
  You know?
• 23:52
  Exactly.
• 23:53
  Like there's so many good things about it, but we're like, this has gotta go, this has gotta go.
• 23:56
  The whole thing's gotta go.
• 23:57
  Yeah.
• 23:57
  Yeah.
• 23:58
  I mean, I think it depends on how well it.
• 24:00
  Functioning for you.
• 24:02
  So, if it's just a matter of we don't have as many toys anymore, let's move some of these out.
• 24:06
  Maybe that's a smaller thing.
• 24:08
  But if it's a matter of, we, we just have very different needs right now, you might need to do a bigger scale renovation.
• 24:15
  Some of that's gonna be depend on your kids' age, and just sort of where you are.
• 24:19
  Maybe you started working from home when you weren't doing that before.
• 24:21
  Maybe just different things in the house need to be tweaked.
• 24:24
  And I think it just sort of depends on how you are feeling.
• 24:26
  And if you're feeling like, oh, well if I make a couple little changes here, it would be fine.
• 24:29
  Or am I really just tired of this?
• 24:32
  Or if it's just completely not working for me anymore.
• 24:35
  I think what I was saying before with the toy storage and putting it in a pretty piece of furniture.
• 24:38
  I think when you.
• 24:40
  When you do stuff like that and you're planning more for the long term and not just like, oh, I need this like utilitarian, like toy chest for right now.
• 24:47
  Like you said, these phases are so fleeting, it feels like forever when you're in them, but they are fleeting.
• 24:53
  So then you turn around and you're like, oh my gosh, like my family room looks like a playroom and I don't wanna live this way anymore.
• 24:59
  And I think from the beginning, if you are sort of a little bit more methodical with like, I want pretty pieces that are going to be functional, then you're not gonna maybe have as much overwhelm down the road because it'll be more sort of moving the things out that don't serve you, but still having those pretty pieces serve you in different ways so that, sideboard that housed all the toys can now hold house the kids' games and you can make a little bar on top for when you entertain people.
• 25:24
  Mm-hmm.
• 25:24
  That kind of thing.
• 25:26
  I can like envision that.
• 25:28
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 25:29
  What rooms do you think stop functioning first?
• 25:34
  Obviously playrooms in certain capacities, although I do think as your kids get older, then they morph into more of, you know, to and team rooms hanging out.
• 25:43
  The hangout rooms hanging room, right?
• 25:44
  Yeah.
• 25:44
  Yeah.
• 25:44
  But when they're little, you're, you generally have just like a lot more of just like the arts and crafts table and little toys around, whereas when they get older it's maybe more seating and putting a TV in there and that kind of thing.
• 25:55
  Right.
• 25:55
  That could be repurposing.
• 25:56
  Yeah.
• 25:56
  Yeah.
• 25:57
  Um, it sounds like when the room is not multifunctional Yeah.
• 26:00
  Maybe.
• 26:01
  You can outgrow it sooner, but when you make, when you create a room to have like multifunctions, like it could be like a family game room.
• 26:08
  Yeah.
• 26:08
  And also like your drink set up or the hangout room.
• 26:11
  Yeah.
• 26:12
  Because most rooms serve multiple purposes and not just like the dress up doll playroom Yes.
• 26:17
  That you're gonna phase out of in a few years.
• 26:19
  Exactly.
• 26:19
  And then it's exactly gonna turn into something else.
• 26:21
  Yep.
• 26:22
  I think another thing that a lot of people do when their kids are really young, especially in West Harper, where you have a lot of these old homes that are not open concept, is that instead of having a dining room, they will convert that into some type of play area, right?
• 26:33
  Yeah.
• 26:34
  Which I think is a great idea.
• 26:35
  Um, it keeps the kids close and realistically, you're probably not hosting a million dinner parties right.
• 26:40
  When your kids are young.
• 26:42
  So something like that certainly can change, but that can be something fun and to look forward to, like, wow, we're gonna now transition them to, you know, a playroom to the basement or make a nook in their room mm-hmm.
• 26:53
  For, you know, their toys and whatnot.
• 26:54
  I know.
• 26:54
  And we get to decorat, my kids hang out in their now.
• 26:57
  Yeah.
• 26:58
  Are your kids at that age now where they like, kind of go to their own, they like retreat to their bedroom?
• 27:02
  Yeah.
• 27:03
  Yeah.
• 27:03
  I'm like, what is this all about?
• 27:04
  I know know's like it this weird age where they like, the privacy of just being in their room.
• 27:09
  Yeah.
• 27:09
  Where it's, I, it's good and it's bad, it's got its pros and cons.
• 27:12
  Yeah.
• 27:13
  But I think that's like any phase, you know, when they're little it's like, oh my God.
• 27:17
  Like I just can't wait for all the toys to be gone and just like, ugh, I just want all this out of my space.
• 27:21
  And then they get to a point where they're just hanging out in their rooms and you're like, wait, I want them to come back down and like, let's play something down here.
• 27:28
  So, you know, it's trying to embrace some of that while it's going on is always helpful.
• 27:33
  So this house has like good bones.
• 27:37
  I always say like, it has good bones.
• 27:38
  Yeah.
• 27:38
  I feel like a lot of people say that about their homes, like it's got good bones.
• 27:41
  Like we're not important moving.
• 27:43
  We're staying.
• 27:43
  Yes.
• 27:44
  But we get so stuck on what to do next.
• 27:47
  I'm like, okay, maybe we paint first.
• 27:50
  But if we paint this room, then we have to paint like six or seven rooms, you know?
• 27:54
  Yes.
• 27:54
  And then, all right, then we need a new rug.
• 27:57
  And then maybe we'll need a new couch, and then we need to redo our built-ins.
• 28:01
  And then everything just like stops.
• 28:03
  Yeah.
• 28:03
  Yes.
• 28:04
  So how do you take somebody like through that face so it feels like bite size.
• 28:08
  Yeah.
• 28:09
  So I mean, that's super common.
• 28:10
  I, I mean, I even personally, I experience that all the time.
• 28:13
  Everything is snowballing.
• 28:14
  My husband's like, what is going on?
• 28:16
  Yeah.
• 28:16
  One thing leads to another and another, and another.
• 28:19
  I would say, sort of what I said in the beginning, focus on one room at a time.
• 28:22
  The one that's, that's priority to you.
• 28:24
  When I do design, 99% of the time I am starting with a textile.
• 28:30
  So I'm starting either with the fabric on the windows, the wallpaper on the walls, some type of color, and everything from there is a jumping off point.
• 28:39
  So starting with that and then, then, and that's something that's already there or something that you're bringing in.
• 28:44
  Something that I'm bringing in.
• 28:45
  So this is inspiration, what could already be there.
• 28:47
  You know, if a client's like, I love these window treatments.
• 28:49
  I've planned colors and part of a room around a piece of artwork that was really special to a client.
• 28:54
  Okay.
• 28:54
  But it was one thing that you play off of that you start with.
• 28:57
  Yeah.
• 28:57
  So typically that thing is some type of textile, something with pattern and and color.
• 29:01
  And from there we sort of decide what the colors are gonna be.
• 29:04
  We pull them out of that fabric or that wallpaper or whatever it is.
• 29:08
  And that's sort of the basis of your room.
• 29:10
  And then you can pick a rug,'cause your rug's really gonna ground the space.
• 29:13
  And then based on all that, you sort of go on.
• 29:16
  The layout of the room, you know, what makes most sense in terms of what you need and the size of the room and the shape of the room.
• 29:23
  And then you can put your, your furnishings and sort of, obviously the last bits of it are the styling, the artwork and the coffee table books and all of that.
• 29:31
  I always pretty much start with the fabric or the wallpaper.
• 29:36
  That's the stuff that really layers a room.
• 29:38
  Mm-hmm.
• 29:38
  That makes it feel unique and cozy and curated and just really special.
• 29:45
  And I think you can piggyback everything off of there.
• 29:48
  So I guess I would say if you're feeling overwhelmed.
• 29:50
  Try to, decide what colors really speak to you, and then pick a fabric, whether it's for the windows or perhaps it's for your sofa or wherever it's for.
• 30:00
  And either base it around that or a wallpaper or a color that you're doing on the walls and go from there with filling in the rest.
• 30:07
  Do you have a favorite, like go-to color that people love and that you love for likes?
• 30:13
  Hallways, questions and like foyers and I, I mean, not specific rooms, but like rooms that get you to other rooms, you know?
• 30:19
  Right, so I love color, so I'm not gonna say, well, I, I mean my go-to White is simply white from Benjamin Moore, but I'm not gonna say, oh, just do it on Simply White.
• 30:27
  Yeah.
• 30:27
  I love color and I think it is what makes a home just so beautiful and cozy and warm.
• 30:34
  It's hard to say a specific color.
• 30:35
  I will say my favorite color is green for everything in life and design and beyond.
• 30:40
  I love, I love green.
• 30:41
  There are so many shades of it.
• 30:42
  I think Green reads is a neutral, it goes with everything.
• 30:46
  Most of my clients gravitate towards green and blues.
• 30:49
  Yes.
• 30:49
  Which are beautiful together.
• 30:51
  And I think they work with so much, so it's hard to say specifically.
• 30:55
  I think greens, blues are beautiful colors that can read really neutral and you can do, you can play with so many fun colors with them.
• 31:03
  I also think it's, you can mix a simply white with a green or blue if you, you, and there you go.
• 31:07
  Yeah.
• 31:07
  If you're bashful like me and do the hallway in that, there you go.
• 31:10
  Or if, you know, you can always paint just your trim, you know, that's beautiful.
• 31:14
  Or you can put wallpaper or paint just on the ceiling and not on the walls.
• 31:18
  And that just gives that beautiful.
• 31:21
  Pop and that unique look, that really makes it stand apart from just a, a white room.
• 31:27
  I think if you do white walls, you really wanna have some fun with your artwork.
• 31:30
  Or pick really like rich fabric on your windows or on your chairs or, or your sofa.
• 31:35
  I think incorporating that pattern and color is really what sets apart really well designed for.
• 31:41
  I know.
• 31:42
  Why do you think people are afraid of color?
• 31:44
  It's our generation I think came because we were like the millennial gray and the neutrals and all that.
• 31:50
  Yes.
• 31:50
  And I do think, we've talked about this so many times how there's this nostalgic pull to go back to the homes that we grew up in.
• 31:57
  Yeah.
• 31:57
  Which were like wallpapered and a lot of texture.
• 31:59
  Yeah.
• 31:59
  And a lot of color.
• 32:00
  And I think we're missing all of that.
• 32:02
  But I think it was a safe choice for a while.
• 32:04
  Safe.
• 32:04
  And I think a lot of us, I'm sure a lot of our generation didn't build yet.
• 32:08
  I think that a lot.
• 32:09
  Mm-hmm.
• 32:10
  I feel like my parents like built their house.
• 32:12
  Yeah.
• 32:12
  And so we didn't, when we were ho home searching, like we, we were kind of walking into someone else's creation.
• 32:18
  And so you're just like, make it all neutral so that we, it kind of like takes the personality out so that you can add it back.
• 32:24
  Yeah.
• 32:25
  But then it's hard to add it back and you don't know where to start and how to do all that.
• 32:29
  Yeah.
• 32:29
  But it is, it's more the safe choice to go all neutral.
• 32:33
  I imagine.
• 32:33
  The color.
• 32:34
  I think it's so be, I do think it's beautiful.
• 32:37
  It's beautiful.
• 32:37
  Yeah.
• 32:37
  I think it feels safe, but then it.
• 32:40
  It's just not as fun.
• 32:41
  No.
• 32:41
  And it might not feel like, to your point, just your personality.
• 32:44
  Nothing, it just a good, it feels like a reflection of you.
• 32:46
  Nothing.
• 32:46
  Exactly.
• 32:47
  Yeah.
• 32:47
  Yes.
• 32:48
  I think we were definitely grew up in that trend of like, making everything gray and very neutral.
• 32:54
  And we're coming through the other side of that now where people are embracing color.
• 32:58
  Yeah.
• 32:58
  And wallpaper again.
• 32:59
  And those are things that have been around forever.
• 33:01
  Forever, for hundreds of years.
• 33:03
  You know, people are, oh, wallpaper's so trendy.
• 33:04
  It's not, no, it's like, that was around in like the 17 hundreds.
• 33:08
  Presidents had those on their walls.
• 33:10
  I love, love wallpaper mean.
• 33:11
  It's been around, I'm obsessed with wallpaper.
• 33:13
  Almost.
• 33:14
  My entire house is wallpapered.
• 33:15
  I love it.
• 33:15
  I heard a designer recently say, if I could wallpaper my face, I would.
• 33:18
  And I feel like that really speaks to me.
• 33:20
  Like I love.
• 33:21
  Wallpaper.
• 33:22
  I think there is no single thing you can do to a room that'll transform it like wallpaper will.
• 33:26
  And it feels like you actually have to do less when you wallpaper a room.
• 33:29
  Yes.
• 33:30
  Yes.
• 33:30
  'cause then I feel like if you're, again, it's a whole sign.
• 33:33
  Yeah.
• 33:33
  Back to starting from everything being white, you feel like you need so much and as soon as wallpaper goes up, you feel like you need less.
• 33:40
  Yes.
• 33:40
  You probably need less pieces and less decor because it's there.
• 33:44
  'cause it's artwork, right?
• 33:44
  It's, yeah.
• 33:45
  It just adds so much color and dimension and texture, which is so important in design.
• 33:50
  And I think people are often afraid of wallpaper.
• 33:53
  And I think once they get it up, they're like, oh my gosh, why do this?
• 33:55
  It's probably like addictive.
• 33:56
  It is.
• 33:57
  Well, yeah, I can speak for myself.
• 33:58
  It's definitely addictive.
• 33:59
  Um, do you think that that's a bang for your buck thing?
• 34:02
  I think it just makes such a statement.
• 34:04
  So as opposed to painting your walls a neutral color, you walk in and you see wallpaper and that's a statement and it's a great jumping off point and it's a great way to add color.
• 34:13
  I just think you do get more bang for your buck because you're walking into a space where you're like, wow, this is incredible.
• 34:18
  Mm-hmm.
• 34:18
  This is unique.
• 34:19
  This is so rich and beautiful.
• 34:22
  Much more than just paint would do.
• 34:25
  Not that there's anything wrong with paint.
• 34:26
  Yeah.
• 34:26
  You know, I paint is great too.
• 34:28
  Um, I know we have some cool paint jobs in our house that look like wallpaper.
• 34:32
  They were a stencil.
• 34:33
  Okay.
• 34:33
  And then in my bedroom they did stripes, uhhuh, and they painted it the same color.
• 34:38
  But Matt Sat, and Matt sat, and Matt sat, there's just a subtle pattern, so it looks like there's stripes on my wall.
• 34:44
  Yeah.
• 34:44
  But there's, but they're not.
• 34:46
  Yeah.
• 34:46
  But it's, but it's the same color.
• 34:47
  It's just two different finishes.
• 34:48
  Yeah.
• 34:49
  Yeah.
• 34:49
  You can have a lot of fun with paint.
• 34:51
  Like I, but I feel like I was looking for a wallpaper that looked like that, so they're like, oh, we'll create it with paint.
• 34:56
  That's, you know, cool.
• 34:57
  Yeah.
• 34:57
  That's a great tip.
• 34:58
  Yeah.
• 34:58
  Yeah.
• 34:59
  Paint can be a lot of fun.
• 35:00
  Or doing like, high gloss on, you know, trim and ceilings, even just doing like a lacquered room.
• 35:04
  Mm-hmm.
• 35:05
  I mean, paint can be so much fun.
• 35:07
  But don't be afraid of wallpaper.
• 35:08
  I, I think so many people are like, oh my gosh, like, I'm making this commitment.
• 35:11
  I'm gonna have to have this forever.
• 35:12
  And I think.
• 35:13
  Once it goes up, you want it forever.
• 35:15
  Mm-hmm.
• 35:15
  Yeah.
• 35:15
  Um, but even if you don't, the wallpapers today are different than those of the past.
• 35:19
  They're a lot easier to down and, yeah.
• 35:22
  And to get rid of if you want to.
• 35:24
  That's a great, the wallpaper in this room is from Serena Lily.
• 35:27
  Yes, I remember it.
• 35:28
  And it's peel and stick.
• 35:29
  Oh, this is peel and stick.
• 35:30
  It's peel and stick.
• 35:31
  And have, have you felt like it's held up?
• 35:33
  I have because I hear mixed, mixed things.
• 35:35
  Yeah.
• 35:35
  I have, I mean, I have like feral and ball wallpaper and a down bathroom downstairs And when I scrubbed the walls in there to clean them,'cause it's a bathroom, like it comes off it was a bathroom.
• 35:45
  Yeah.
• 35:45
  Yeah.
• 35:45
  Like, it needs to be clean, you know, the walls needs to be cleaned, of course.
• 35:49
  You know.
• 35:49
  But I feel like this has been, this has held up great.
• 35:52
  That's great.
• 35:52
  Yeah.
• 35:53
  Peel and stick can be a great option.
• 35:55
  I would say the, the couple things to just be aware of with peel and stick are that number one, I don't know if you did this yourself, but it's.
• 36:02
  People think that it's, oh, it's peel and stick.
• 36:04
  I can just easily put it up myself.
• 36:05
  And it's, it's not the easiest, especially when you get a pattern or something, adjust it.
• 36:09
  No, we had, we had a professional do it.
• 36:11
  Right.
• 36:11
  And it took him forever to match up the patterns.
• 36:14
  Yes.
• 36:15
  Because I know with traditional wallpaper, you have a little wiggle room where you can like, scooch the patterns, right?
• 36:20
  Just like together glue.
• 36:20
  Before it's glue, before it dries, right?
• 36:21
  Yeah, yeah, wallpaper hanging is an art form.
• 36:24
  I don't recommend anyone but a professional to do it.
• 36:27
  So I sometimes I do think with peel and stick, especially if it's a pattern that people are like, oh, I'll save money'cause I'm just gonna install it myself.
• 36:33
  And like most things it becomes more of a project than you bargain for.
• 36:38
  So if you're doing it just for that reason, I would say, continue to look at traditional wallpaper too.
• 36:44
  I do think it's a great option too, for like.
• 36:46
  Built-ins or things that maybe you don't wanna commit to forever.
• 36:49
  But putting some really fun wallpaper on the back of built-ins that's peel and stick.
• 36:53
  'cause that would be a little bit easier to do on your own.
• 36:55
  And then you can change it up down the road if you want to.
• 36:57
  That's tip.
• 36:57
  That's a cool, that is a great tip.
• 36:59
  So we live in a world where like people get a lot of inspiration from like Pinterest and social media.
• 37:05
  Mm-hmm.
• 37:06
  Yeah.
• 37:06
  But I feel like sometimes I end up just copying somebody else's home.
• 37:09
  Yeah.
• 37:09
  And but then I don't really, like, I'm not just inspired and then I, it's matching my own personal style.
• 37:17
  How do you help blend those two?
• 37:19
  So people are getting, you know, inspired by ideas and like looking to things, you know?
• 37:23
  Mm-hmm.
• 37:23
  But it's still like their own personal spin.
• 37:26
  So I think finding out what's important to people, not only what functions for them, but what colors do you gravitate towards?
• 37:31
  Is there a piece of like artwork that's really special to you?
• 37:34
  If you could do one thing in this room, what would it be?
• 37:36
  Or what would it look like?
• 37:38
  And sort of taking those pieces, finding out more about their personality and the way that they live.
• 37:42
  And then certainly, I love Pinterest.
• 37:44
  I, I'm, I'm obsessed with Pinterest.
• 37:46
  It still is so inspirational to me, and I think if you're taking bits and pieces of certain rooms and making them work for yourself, that's great.
• 37:54
  But to your point, it's important to put your own spin on it.
• 37:58
  It's also so house specific to your point.
• 38:01
  Yes.
• 38:01
  Like, you started saying that you have this beautiful old, like Georgian colonial, and you can kind of play off of that when you, when your house already has a personality.
• 38:12
  Yes.
• 38:12
  I think to me it's easier to be like, okay, now I'm looking for Georgian inspired, and you can go onto Google and go onto Pinterest and find these beautiful images.
• 38:23
  I struggle with the house being.
• 38:27
  A blank slate like we talked about.
• 38:29
  Mm-hmm.
• 38:29
  And then a lot of the style currently does not fit my home.
• 38:32
  Yeah.
• 38:33
  It, the style now of homes is like black windows.
• 38:36
  Mm-hmm.
• 38:37
  And it's a little bit more open space and wide oak plank flooring.
• 38:41
  Mm-hmm.
• 38:41
  And so when you're looking at furniture and style, re looking at that and you're like, that would look awful in my house.
• 38:47
  Yes.
• 38:47
  You know, and then I get, then I go paralyzed and I'm like, I don't know where to go then because if this is the current style and it doesn't fit with my house, where do you go to, you know, for inspiration?
• 38:57
  I think that's such an important point.
• 38:59
  Yeah.
• 38:59
  I think that's such an important point.
• 39:01
  I think a lot of times people get caught up in trends and trends.
• 39:04
  Yeah.
• 39:04
  Yes.
• 39:05
  And you need to beware, just like you would with fashion or anything else.
• 39:09
  You have to do what fits for you and yes.
• 39:11
  To your home.
• 39:12
  I couldn't agree with that more.
• 39:14
  Nothing irks me more than someone who moves into a hundred or 200 year old home and makes it completely modern.
• 39:19
  Right.
• 39:19
  Or vice versa.
• 39:20
  You move into a mid-century home and you're trying to, to make it, a hundred year old home, making it something it's not.
• 39:25
  Right.
• 39:25
  It's never gonna fit.
• 39:26
  It's not gonna work.
• 39:27
  It's always gonna look slightly out of place.
• 39:29
  So yes, I think knowing not only what fits you, but fit your home is super important.
• 39:34
  And then you can go on and get inspiration.
• 39:36
  Yeah.
• 39:36
  For, whenever your house is built or the type of home it is to maybe garner some ideas of things that would work best in that space.
• 39:43
  But I think that's a trap that a lot of people fall into.
• 39:46
  I saw it on Instagram or this designer said this is the thing to do in 2026, so this is what I need to do and I would.
• 39:53
  Highly advise you unless you really, truly love it and it really truly fits in your home, think very carefully about it, because also with trends, just like in anything, even outside of design, they're very fleeting.
• 40:06
  Mm-hmm.
• 40:06
  The things that stick are the classics.
• 40:08
  Yeah.
• 40:08
  You know, my design is heavily, rooted in tradition and traditional pieces.
• 40:13
  I think those are the pieces that are, are timeless, that no matter what you do, they're going to.
• 40:19
  To withstand the years and the trends.
• 40:21
  Mm-hmm.
• 40:22
  Um, even when you look back at movies from like when we grew up in like the nineties, when you see the houses that are very traditionally decorated, like father of the bride.
• 40:30
  Yeah.
• 40:30
  Who doesn't love the father of the bride house.
• 40:32
  Love everybody loves still watch that movie today and be like.
• 40:35
  Wow, this is really pretty.
• 40:36
  Looks great.
• 40:36
  Like I would do a lot of what they have here.
• 40:38
  Yes.
• 40:38
  I think'cause it's very rooted in tradition.
• 40:41
  Right.
• 40:41
  And those classic pieces, that's like the JFK and the Carolyn Bessette show that was out.
• 40:45
  Yeah.
• 40:45
  I'm like, this could have very well taken place last week, the way she was dressed because she was dressed in such like a timeless classic.
• 40:53
  Classic piece.
• 40:53
  Yeah.
• 40:53
  Yeah.
• 40:54
  It to show how important that is and that's maybe where you should invest.
• 40:58
  Yes.
• 40:58
  I also wanted to talk to you a little bit because I feel like with designers, and especially now with everything being online and you can online shop, right?
• 41:05
  Yeah.
• 41:06
  And you have Pinterest.
• 41:07
  Yes.
• 41:07
  And you have Instagram and you have all these aesthetic places to go and, and kind of garner inspiration and, and then you kind of thi think you can do it yourself.
• 41:15
  Yeah.
• 41:15
  Right?
• 41:16
  Yeah.
• 41:16
  Because you're like.
• 41:17
  I should able to AI and AI and all these things, and you should be able like, and I can order from Serena and Lily and I can order from our house or Amazon.
• 41:25
  Or Amazon or Wayfair or wherever, and you're like, I can put this together.
• 41:29
  And I think that truly takes a gifted person to be able to do that really well yourself.
• 41:35
  And I think that design, in my mind, I think it's almost like why do you need a travel agent in this day and age?
• 41:42
  And it's like, you probably don't.
• 41:44
  Mm-hmm.
• 41:44
  But you're better off a lot of the times, like using someone who's an expert like that.
• 41:49
  Yeah.
• 41:49
  To get the best like bang for your buck and maybe some extras, like you're saying, some bonuses and stuff like that.
• 41:56
  So maybe talk to us about like the importance of that and.
• 42:00
  Yeah.
• 42:00
  I think when it comes to color and pattern mixing and texture, there's a balance between it all.
• 42:06
  And I think that's a lot of times why people turn to designers.
• 42:09
  'cause it's like, I know I like all this, but I don't like it all together.
• 42:12
  Like, what's not, not working here?
• 42:13
  Yeah.
• 42:14
  Like this is not all fitting together.
• 42:15
  So I think that's where having the expertise of a designer mm-hmm.
• 42:19
  Really helps.
• 42:20
  Because, you know, we can let you know, okay, this pattern works with this, this can be layered here, this scale-wise, fits this corner.
• 42:28
  You need some height where this one you don't.
• 42:31
  All of that is really, really important.
• 42:33
  And I think that sometimes what people struggle with is just knowing how to make it all work together.
• 42:39
  Yes.
• 42:40
  I think that that's what it's, yeah.
• 42:41
  I think that's what a, a designer is really good at doing.
• 42:45
  I also think that.
• 42:47
  Like many things in life, people don't realize how long it takes to source things and to find things and to know the best places to go or to know, you know, what couch is gonna hold up or is this wallpaper good in a bathroom or, you know, whatever it may be.
• 43:01
  It's time consuming to, to do all that.
• 43:04
  And a lot of people don't have the time.
• 43:06
  And then I think what happens is they start and they get overwhelmed.
• 43:09
  Get you're, get pair life, and then you're like, and stop whatever.
• 43:10
  I'm not doing it.
• 43:11
  I'll put this on the back burner and then Yeah.
• 43:14
  Of gets like, like a vicious cycle and then you get sick of it again, and then you're back on Pinterest.
• 43:18
  So.
• 43:19
  Yeah, I think that's what you hire designers for.
• 43:21
  So I think a lot of it is intimidating when you think about an interior designer, well, it sounds expensive.
• 43:26
  It sounds expensive.
• 43:27
  Mm-hmm.
• 43:28
  But it's one of those things where in the long run, you, I'm assuming,'cause we've all been there where it's like you order a piece and you wait for it.
• 43:34
  Yeah.
• 43:34
  And then you have to maybe partially assemble it and then you get it in and you're like.
• 43:39
  This doesn't work, you know?
• 43:40
  Yeah, yeah.
• 43:41
  And it's like, so how many of those, like mistakes quote unquote, happen, right?
• 43:46
  Where you're like, this doesn't even work and I just spent all this money, or this isn't really even what I wanted.
• 43:51
  And you don't feel like anything's coming together and or you're trying to thi do things too fast.
• 43:56
  You know?
• 43:56
  We all get impatient, right?
• 43:57
  I, I've made mistakes like this before too, where I'm like, I'm not gonna wait for that one rug.
• 44:01
  I'll just order this other one.
• 44:01
  Right?
• 44:02
  And then you get it and you're like, I don't even really love this, but I'm just gonna design the whole room around it.
• 44:06
  And then you put this room that you spent all this money, and you're just like, and you're like, why did I design it around this like, rug that wasn't, I've been there.
• 44:12
  I have truly been there.
• 44:14
  Yeah.
• 44:14
  I think everyone has it at one time or another.
• 44:16
  So I, that's where it helps too, to have someone come in and say, take your time.
• 44:20
  Like, this piece is really important.
• 44:22
  Wait for it.
• 44:23
  Or Let's find something that'll work.
• 44:25
  Mm-hmm.
• 44:25
  That'll really be perfect, for what you need.
• 44:28
  And then we'll, we'll base things around that.
• 44:30
  And that might be.
• 44:31
  Maybe one of the splurge pieces too.
• 44:34
  Yeah.
• 44:34
  It might be.
• 44:34
  Yeah.
• 44:35
  And then some of the other things could be like a safe piece.
• 44:38
  What are some of the splurge things mm-hmm.
• 44:40
  That you think occur time and time again that you would say to somebody like, this is where you spend the money, money on.
• 44:45
  Yeah.
• 44:45
  Yeah.
• 44:45
  So I'm gonna go back to textiles.
• 44:48
  Window treatments, wallpaper fabric on furniture sometimes.
• 44:52
  Definitely performance fabrics.
• 44:54
  Yeah.
• 44:54
  Um, not that they're always a splurge, but highly recommend performance fabric.
• 44:58
  Even if you don't have children.
• 44:59
  We all spill and make messes.
• 45:01
  Yeah.
• 45:01
  And they're just wonderful to have.
• 45:03
  And then depending on the room, I mean, if you're looking for a sofa, it doesn't necessarily have to be a splurge, but I would invest some money in that.
• 45:09
  You want something that's gonna last and not sort of fall apart.
• 45:13
  And then a lot of other pieces outside of that you can save more on.
• 45:16
  And when I say save too, I don't even mean like you have to buy it through Wayfair.
• 45:20
  One of my favorite things to do is antique Yeah.
• 45:22
  And find vintage pieces.
• 45:24
  Yeah.
• 45:24
  And so many of those pieces are much more well made than the pieces we get to.
• 45:28
  Mm-hmm.
• 45:29
  So, and there are just so much more affordable, but you have good bones down now in your room.
• 45:32
  You have like the right colors, you have the right fabrics to anchor it in.
• 45:36
  Yeah.
• 45:37
  Yeah.
• 45:37
  So when you're going out and looking for these pieces, they're not just like a mishmash, hodgepodge of something.
• 45:42
  Right.
• 45:42
  It's easier to sort of blend things and make things work.
• 45:45
  I mean, having pieces that are wood, darker pieces, especially if you're doing like greens and blues, you need things to sort of anchor a space.
• 45:53
  Mm-hmm.
• 45:54
  Rugs are a place where I sometimes will say to splurge.
• 45:57
  A lot of times, I will say not, it really depends on the room.
• 46:00
  You're of course not putting like a$5,000 rug in your toddler's room or in a playroom or a mudroom.
• 46:08
  I would say one area to invest in a rug would be a runner.
• 46:11
  Mm-hmm.
• 46:12
  Certainly after you have kids mm-hmm.
• 46:13
  I think it becomes a safety thing more than anything else.
• 46:16
  Stairs are really slippery.
• 46:17
  There are a lot of falls.
• 46:18
  So to have a runner is a functional thing.
• 46:20
  It also adds so much.
• 46:21
  I mean, typically you're putting those in your entry.
• 46:23
  Mm-hmm.
• 46:24
  So that's the first entry point to your home where people see, and there's so many beautiful runners again, that can incorporate great color and pattern.
• 46:33
  Runners get a lot of use, so you want ones that are going to hold up and not fall apart.
• 46:37
  What about upholstery?
• 46:39
  In my kitchen, we got rid of a kitchen table.
• 46:41
  Mm-hmm.
• 46:41
  And we have like four chairs, like how it's set up in the office with like a little table.
• 46:45
  Yeah.
• 46:45
  One of those four chairs is now brown and the other ones are gray leopard pri because it's like the one that's closest to like the island.
• 46:53
  Right.
• 46:53
  And the kitchen just like wipe their hands on it.
• 46:55
  Yeah.
• 46:56
  If you invest in some nice custom pieces, but you have young children, how do you protect some of these pieces?
• 47:02
  Performance, fabric.
• 47:03
  Yeah.
• 47:03
  Performance, fabric.
• 47:04
  Performance.
• 47:04
  Performance.
• 47:04
  Yeah.
• 47:05
  And performance Fabric has come such a long way.
• 47:07
  20 years ago it was like you could get, you know, the colors of the rainbow and maybe a stripe for fun, but now every company offers them.
• 47:14
  There are so many patterns, so many prints.
• 47:17
  You can easily incorporate them in.
• 47:19
  And they are like magic.
• 47:20
  I mean, you can rub chocolate into a performance fabric and then wipe it out.
• 47:23
  And even a lot of it's ready made too.
• 47:26
  Like it's Oh, yeah.
• 47:26
  On some of the ready made pieces.
• 47:28
  Yes.
• 47:28
  Which I feel like has, even since I've moved into my house.
• 47:30
  Yes.
• 47:31
  It's come a long way where it's like, this says performance fabric.
• 47:34
  Yes.
• 47:34
  And it might not be a huge investment piece, and you're like, oh, it's a bench or something.
• 47:38
  And you're like, absolutely.
• 47:38
  Wow, this, this has come such a long way.
• 47:41
  Yes.
• 47:41
  I'm even surprised now when I look and it doesn't say performance.
• 47:44
  Yeah.
• 47:44
  Why wouldn't they do that in a performance?
• 47:46
  There's also really pretty like vinyls and faux leathers that are obviously completely wipeable, and some of them are textured too.
• 47:52
  That can be really pretty, especially in kitchens.
• 47:54
  Dining chairs, that kind of thing.
• 47:55
  But yeah, I wanted to go back to what we were talking about, about the good bones.
• 48:00
  Right.
• 48:00
  Because I think that that is also something where somebody might not have great bones of their house.
• 48:06
  Mm-hmm.
• 48:06
  Right?
• 48:06
  Or maybe it's not great bones to their aesthetic.
• 48:09
  Yeah.
• 48:10
  For me, our foyer tile, for example, it's something that we like walked in.
• 48:15
  It's not my style.
• 48:16
  Yeah.
• 48:16
  I would never have picked it.
• 48:18
  It's more trendy probably from the nineties or whenever it was put in.
• 48:22
  Yep.
• 48:22
  And it's more of like a beige marble.
• 48:24
  Yeah.
• 48:24
  And it's doesn't have any sort of like classical vibes to it.
• 48:28
  It completely sets the tone of my entire house because the everything's off the foyer.
• 48:33
  Right.
• 48:34
  And for me, I'm like, I go to pick a runner, for example, and I don't like the tile, so I don't wanna pick something that goes sort of what we were talking about before.
• 48:43
  Yeah.
• 48:43
  Are those things that are there no bandaids for something like that?
• 48:47
  Or is it just like you get rid of really something that bugs you?
• 48:51
  Or are there mm-hmm.
• 48:52
  Are there kind of bandaids in the design world that would help with something like that?
• 48:56
  Perhaps sometimes there's a bandaid where, you know, in certain rooms you could put a big area rug in there to cover a lot of it.
• 49:02
  I think the bottom line is if it really bothers you.
• 49:04
  Mm-hmm.
• 49:05
  And if it's something that's affecting a lot of the other rooms in the house, I think the best thing to do is to change it.
• 49:10
  Yeah.
• 49:11
  Yeah.
• 49:11
  To change it.
• 49:11
  Yeah.
• 49:11
  Yeah.
• 49:12
  As much as,'cause sort of like what we were saying before too, it's like.
• 49:15
  Okay.
• 49:15
  I don't really wanna invest in ripping this all up.
• 49:17
  But then you end up picking the runner that you don't like quite as much because it goes with that, right?
• 49:21
  It snowball.
• 49:21
  It snowball the wrong way.
• 49:22
  And then you can only do a certain color in this room because you're bound to this floor that you don't even like.
• 49:27
  So as hard as it is sometimes you just maybe have to bite the bullet and spend the extra money, do that.
• 49:33
  And I think you'd be so much happier that kind of goes back, even if it takes longer to decorate those other spaces.
• 49:37
  'cause then you're like, now I love it.
• 49:39
  Now I'm gonna do it the way I really want.
• 49:40
  Wanna do it Now you have the good bones.
• 49:42
  Right?
• 49:42
  So when you're helping somebody replace something like that, yeah.
• 49:45
  What, what would be a traditional, like safe but classic thing to put in?
• 49:51
  To replace when you're thinking of floors I mean, hardwood, obviously.
• 49:55
  Yeah, hardwood.
• 49:56
  There are some really pretty tiles.
• 49:57
  I mean, doing like a black and white check tile mm-hmm.
• 50:00
  Is really classic.
• 50:01
  I mean, it again, depends on sort of like the home and what you're looking for.
• 50:05
  That would be, I mean, I would say in your house, hardwood in general.
• 50:07
  Hardwood in general is beautiful.
• 50:09
  It's safe, it's timeless, it's easy.
• 50:11
  Yeah.
• 50:11
  Yeah.
• 50:11
  Easy to match.
• 50:12
  It sounds like now our conversation is sort of segueing into doing some of these larger projects Yes.
• 50:17
  That require also a contractor to come into play along with you as the designer.
• 50:22
  Yes.
• 50:23
  So how would you help coach somebody to pick the right contractor?
• 50:27
  Because I think we've all been there, like, you know, word of mouth is obviously the gold standard.
• 50:31
  Mm-hmm.
• 50:31
  At least for me, like, oh, you like it, I love it.
• 50:33
  You know?
• 50:33
  Mm-hmm.
• 50:33
  You know, if you had a good experience at your home, you trust this person.
• 50:36
  But sometimes we get a lot of quotes.
• 50:39
  The highest one isn't always the best one, the lowest one sometimes actually is the best.
• 50:43
  You never know, right?
• 50:44
  Right.
• 50:44
  What would you tell somebody that's like looking to start?
• 50:47
  Yeah.
• 50:47
  So aside from word of mouth, I think now with social media it's a really great resource.
• 50:52
  You know, going on like your local neighbors and friends pages or looking up Google reviews, is very helpful that people will give a lot of feedback, positive or negative, about how a contractor is.
• 51:03
  So I think that's another sort of word of mouth, um, but maybe not as direct.
• 51:08
  I think when you meet with a contractor, a lot of times you get a feeling of.
• 51:12
  How reliable they might be, how trustworthy they might be, if they're understanding your aesthetic and what you want, what their timeline looks like.
• 51:20
  I think in general, in life, you sort of pay for what you get.
• 51:22
  So it doesn't mean the most expensive is always going to be the best, but I'd be leery of the person who comes in a lot lower than the others.
• 51:29
  That's good.
• 51:29
  Sort of, of why are we there?
• 51:30
  And also looking at the fine print, they could be coming in a lot lower because they're not including the tile and the price, whereas the other contractor is including the tile and he's including the expensive tile that you want, so really sort of reading the fine print and understanding why the price is less.
• 51:46
  Of course we all wanna pay less and it's not to say that the, again, the highest bid is always the best, but I do think a lot of times you pay for what you get.
• 51:55
  So I think you have to feel comfortable, they have to have a good understanding of what you want.
• 51:59
  And I would definitely try to do some research if it's not from a designer or people who have used them just online or wherever you can to find out more about their company and how reliable they are.
• 52:10
  When we have experts on, it's kind of become a little tradition to do like a lightning round of just like quick answers for things.
• 52:18
  So we're gonna do a lightning round, like design.
• 52:21
  Okay.
• 52:21
  Inspired.
• 52:21
  I love it.
• 52:22
  Right.
• 52:22
  So we kind of talked about this, but white sofa with kids.
• 52:27
  Yes.
• 52:27
  As long as it's performance.
• 52:28
  Yes.
• 52:28
  Although, I will say there's so many beautiful colors and patterns for sofas.
• 52:31
  Now if you can have some fun.
• 52:32
  Have fun, love it.
• 52:33
  But yes, as long as it's performance.
• 52:36
  Okay.
• 52:36
  Open shelving.
• 52:40
  So I guess my quick answer would be no.
• 52:43
  I think that open shelving can be pretty and work in certain spaces.
• 52:47
  If I were to pick between that and a built-in, I would always pick the built-in.
• 52:51
  Mm-hmm.
• 52:51
  I think the built-ins a little bit more classic and I think it gives you some of that concealed storage at the bottom along with an area to display things at the top.
• 53:00
  Okay.
• 53:00
  I'll say so like a blend.
• 53:02
  I too, I say some of the pieces because I don't have a lot of open shelving.
• 53:05
  Like I'm thinking more of like on the wall, like instead of cabinets.
• 53:08
  Yes.
• 53:09
  Even in terms of furniture, the pieces I struggle more with have no storage, where you're like, what do I do with this?
• 53:16
  Right.
• 53:16
  You know what I mean?
• 53:16
  Like there's, this doesn't serve any other purpose for me.
• 53:18
  Right.
• 53:18
  You can only display so many books and picture frames.
• 53:22
  Yes.
• 53:22
  Right.
• 53:22
  Exactly.
• 53:23
  Exactly.
• 53:23
  So that's even good to think of when you're just even buying pieces of like, are there drawers?
• 53:27
  Are there cabinets?
• 53:28
  Is there anything else in here that can, that this can work for?
• 53:31
  Yeah.
• 53:32
  Back to your point about like.
• 53:33
  Stashing things away, it's more functional.
• 53:35
  Yes.
• 53:36
  So that's, that's a great one.
• 53:36
  And I think open shelving in kitchens too.
• 53:38
  I know that was a big thing for a while.
• 53:41
  Yeah.
• 53:41
  Um, and again, it can look pretty in certain situations, but I think sometimes it's not as functional.
• 53:46
  People are like, oh, well that's where I'm gonna keep my everyday dishes, but it's not Yeah.
• 53:49
  If you have the same dishes.
• 53:51
  Right.
• 53:51
  Right.
• 53:51
  And you can line'em up pretty all the time.
• 53:54
  Yeah.
• 53:54
  And it, you just end up putting things up there that, you know, are like tchotchkes things, and you still have to other, and then you still need to store the other things, and then you're probably outta space.
• 54:04
  Right.
• 54:04
  So I guess the next one is built-ins.
• 54:07
  Are they worth it?
• 54:08
  Yes.
• 54:09
  Yes.
• 54:09
  I think built-ins are worth it.
• 54:10
  Okay.
• 54:10
  I think they're beautiful.
• 54:11
  I think they serve great fun from a functional standpoint.
• 54:15
  Yep.
• 54:15
  And it's also a great place where you can display, pictures Yeah.
• 54:19
  And artwork and books and, and things that are special to you.
• 54:22
  Um, you can paint them really fun colors.
• 54:25
  You can wallpaper the back of'em, like I said.
• 54:26
  Yeah.
• 54:26
  And really customize them.
• 54:27
  But I think it's such a.
• 54:29
  Way to customize a space and make it look really sophisticated.
• 54:32
  I love that.
• 54:33
  So the next one is, is gonna be most overrated trend right now.
• 54:39
  I'm curious to hear this.
• 54:40
  Gonna say I'm on the edge of my, I don't wanna step on any, she's say she's gonna say black windows.
• 54:44
  No, I'm just kidding.
• 54:46
  Uh, not, they are not my favorite.
• 54:48
  I think that whole sort of going with that whole barnhouse, that's aesthetic, that like farmhouse, modern farmhouse in bits and pieces, I think it's fine.
• 54:56
  Just in general, sort of like shiplap everywhere.
• 54:59
  Yeah.
• 54:59
  Okay.
• 54:59
  Or um, just sort of like the barn doors.
• 55:03
  Okay.
• 55:03
  I think, again, that really depends on your house and that doesn't fit into a lot of aesthetics.
• 55:08
  I think that became a big trend in a lot of people just.
• 55:11
  Did it when it didn't necessarily fit.
• 55:13
  Shiplap in some situations.
• 55:15
  It can be a classic piece, but barn doors and the darker windows that we're seeing now are not necessarily a classic piece.
• 55:20
  And I think something that people tire of, I know people have done it who I'm like, oh, I sort of wish I didn't do that.
• 55:24
  Or I'm sick of it already, so.
• 55:25
  Right.
• 55:25
  It's gonna be a redo in a couple of years thing.
• 55:27
  Yeah.
• 55:28
  Yeah.
• 55:28
  But back to what I was saying before, when it comes to trends, do what makes you happy and what fits you, your lifestyle and your home.
• 55:35
  Most underrated upgrade.
• 55:38
  I'd probably say'cause there's a lot of great ones, but underrated, I might say like a closet organizer.
• 55:43
  Oh, getting organizers for your closets.
• 55:45
  I think it's something that I haven't personally done where I'm like, I'm not spending the money on that.
• 55:49
  But the minute you do that, and you have, um, whether it's in a bedroom or a kid's bedroom where you can, stick all their, like squishies and tchotchkes and stuffed animals, like having space for certain things, homes for certain things, ugh.
• 56:01
  So yeah, making like cleanup easier, it just creates.
• 56:05
  Less clutter and more pretty spaces.
• 56:08
  It's not like a glamorous thing.
• 56:09
  Like it's not, it's not glamorous.
• 56:10
  It's like you're, it's something where you're like, ugh.
• 56:12
  Like, okay.
• 56:12
  'cause it's an investment and it takes a lot of planning.
• 56:16
  Yeah.
• 56:16
  Yeah.
• 56:16
  But it's probably something that if you have it, you're like, Ugh.
• 56:19
  You're like, how did I live without it?
• 56:20
  Yes.
• 56:20
  Like just having a home for everything just seems amazing.
• 56:24
  I mean, it can be glamorous if you're doing like a walk-in closet and you're making that a really fun place.
• 56:28
  But yes, I, I think generally it's something that, it's hard to bite the bullet on, but I think it's worth it.
• 56:33
  Okay.
• 56:33
  I think another one, I would say this is becoming a little less underrated, but are the framed TVs.
• 56:38
  Mm-hmm.
• 56:38
  They're my favorite.
• 56:39
  I love that.
• 56:40
  Yes.
• 56:41
  And especially with like hanging a TV above a fireplace, it's, and having, electronics concealed it is.
• 56:47
  The greatest.
• 56:48
  I was thinking like if that was a frame tv, we would have like a beautiful piece of artwork in here.
• 56:52
  Yeah, yeah.
• 56:53
  Like artwork.
• 56:54
  It's back to your point of being like functional, but aesthetic.
• 56:57
  Yes.
• 56:58
  And it really fits all of those.
• 56:59
  Yes.
• 56:59
  And I think people think they're not great picture quality and whatever, and mean, I'm not like the guru on that, but I've always been very happy with ours.
• 57:06
  I, it's also going in the direction of like, that's where it's like that took off.
• 57:10
  Yes.
• 57:10
  And so I'm sure there that technology's only gonna get better advancing and better advancing.
• 57:13
  Exactly.
• 57:14
  They're the best.
• 57:14
  That's really cool.
• 57:15
  That was a good one.
• 57:16
  I think we asked you this in the beginning, but it was one system that every family needs.
• 57:21
  I would say like an entry, like the entry, drop zone, zone, something.
• 57:24
  Yeah.
• 57:24
  Great.
• 57:24
  Yeah.
• 57:25
  Someone to store all this stuff.
• 57:26
  Great.
• 57:26
  Great point.
• 57:27
  Favorite paint color right now?
• 57:29
  Ooh.
• 57:32
  I love Pharaoh and Ball.
• 57:33
  I love their colors.
• 57:34
  Yeah, colors.
• 57:35
  I would say it's hard to pick a favorite.
• 57:38
  Their, their greens and blues are really pretty.
• 57:40
  I love light blue, um, for white.
• 57:43
  I love pointing.
• 57:44
  They're green.
• 57:45
  French gray is one that I've used a couple times.
• 57:48
  I love that.
• 57:48
  Like, like a, it's more of a green.
• 57:50
  It's a green.
• 57:50
  I've seen that.
• 57:51
  I mean, it's got gray under tongue.
• 57:52
  It's of like a dark, it's a earthy.
• 57:54
  Yes, yes.
• 57:55
  It's faro and yeah.
• 57:56
  That's Faro and it's beautiful.
• 57:57
  I just actually saw somebody, they painted all of the trim.
• 58:01
  Yes.
• 58:01
  With that.
• 58:01
  It's so pretty, which I often tell people to do is paint your trim with the walls.
• 58:04
  That's beautiful.
• 58:05
  Mm-hmm.
• 58:05
  Yeah.
• 58:06
  I love that.
• 58:06
  Um, yeah, they're great.
• 58:07
  Our last one is a sectional or just a regular sofa.
• 58:13
  So I think, you know, this is dependent on the room and the family.
• 58:16
  I have some families who are like, I definitely want a sectional.
• 58:18
  I like it being really cozy and some rooms work better with a sectional.
• 58:22
  But I would say in general, I would opt for the couch and chairs or two couches.
• 58:27
  Okay.
• 58:27
  And chairs.
• 58:28
  I think it's more classic.
• 58:29
  Mm-hmm.
• 58:30
  I think it's a little less intrusive sometimes and things being cut off.
• 58:33
  And I think you get just as much if not more seating.
• 58:37
  That's interesting.
• 58:38
  'cause you know, oftentimes people don't wanna sit in like that corner of a sectional.
• 58:41
  Right.
• 58:41
  Um, so you end up gaining a little bit more seating.
• 58:44
  That's interesting.
• 58:45
  You do.
• 58:45
  That's so funny because me and my husband love the corner seat.
• 58:48
  We usually some people do.
• 58:49
  Yes.
• 58:49
  And then it's like I'm on one corner and he's on the other.
• 58:52
  Yes.
• 58:52
  Like, I think I'm thinking more in terms of like when you have people over.
• 58:55
  Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 58:56
  Generally like Oh sure.
• 58:58
  It's also awkward, if you're having more acquaintances over like I feel a sectional is so Right.
• 59:03
  Kind of a little bit closer.
• 59:05
  It's very intimate.
• 59:06
  It's like you're invited into bed.
• 59:07
  Yes.
• 59:09
  It feels like that.
• 59:10
  Yeah, totally.
• 59:10
  Totally.
• 59:10
  So it's a little bit more formal.
• 59:11
  Totally.
• 59:11
  But to your point, I have clients who are like, I want that corner.
• 59:14
  Like, we all snuggle up and watch movies, so we'll totally do that.
• 59:16
  Yeah.
• 59:16
  I'm not at all opposed to a sexual, I think they can be great in spaces, but I would opt if I had to for a couch and chairs.
• 59:22
  I like, I feel like you're coming on this podcast has gotten me to think very traditional, timeless.
• 59:29
  Yes.
• 59:29
  Yes.
• 59:29
  I really think sometimes that social media and all of the images that just flood our brains all day, it's Sure.
• 59:36
  It's like you think it's a good thing, but I think it really causes a lot of decision fatigue for us.
• 59:41
  Like it's too much.
• 59:42
  Yeah.
• 59:43
  Yeah.
• 59:43
  And so I think going back and being like either having someone to help guide you through it Yeah.
• 59:48
  Or really to just help you eliminate the noise of the trends and to just be like, let me focus on my home and my style and blend it together.
• 59:57
  Absolutely.
• 59:58
  I think that would probably make a lot of people happier, Because I think what happens too is like the keeping up with the Joneses, The design trend changes, and then you feel then your house is out of date, right?
• 1:00:08
  And so now you just spent all this time and money, and now you feel like it's all a waste and you have to restart again.
• 1:00:14
  And so you're better off.
• 1:00:16
  Investing and working with someone, it's the opposite.
• 1:00:18
  When you're doing trends, you're investing that money and generally something you're gonna tire of or it's gonna be out of style outta style in a few years.
• 1:00:25
  If you're investing in the classics, those will always stay in style.
• 1:00:29
  But mixed pieces, I love putting modern pieces in a traditional room.
• 1:00:32
  I think when every single piece is traditional, then it can start, start to feel stuffy.
• 1:00:36
  Like grandma's house.
• 1:00:36
  Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 1:00:37
  But putting like a nice piece of modern art or getting some like great mid-century pieces in there.
• 1:00:42
  Yeah.
• 1:00:42
  That's what makes it fun and gives it personality and adds that great juxtaposition.
• 1:00:46
  Yeah.
• 1:00:47
  Yeah.
• 1:00:47
  That's great.
• 1:00:47
  I love that love.
• 1:00:48
  Very helpful.
• 1:00:49
  Yeah.
• 1:00:50
  So we close all of our episodes with our pink spotlight, as you know.
• 1:00:54
  Yes.
• 1:00:54
  T and I share a person, place, think, tip product, anything that is making our life a little bit better this week.
• 1:01:01
  Okay.
• 1:01:01
  And then for our guest, The floor is yours.
• 1:01:04
  Whatever you kind of wanna leave the audience with as a little tip or something that you're loving right now.
• 1:01:09
  Okay.
• 1:01:09
  So you can keep it home-based or design-based if you want to.
• 1:01:12
  Or it could be like a lip gloss that you're loving, like whatever you wanna share.
• 1:01:15
  Okay.
• 1:01:16
  Okay.
• 1:01:16
  So kind of back to organization.
• 1:01:19
  I talk about this word like being paralyzed.
• 1:01:21
  That is literally something that I feel like happens to me.
• 1:01:23
  Yeah.
• 1:01:24
  Like when I have too much going on, I am paralyzed and I do nothing.
• 1:01:28
  Yes.
• 1:01:28
  When I'm overwhelmed.
• 1:01:29
  Yep.
• 1:01:29
  So in terms of my own time management, I am so shitty at it.
• 1:01:34
  And so I started to brain dump into Chachi, bt the day of and be like, these are all the things that I need to do today.
• 1:01:43
  Yeah.
• 1:01:44
  Help me organize my day.
• 1:01:45
  I have this time where I have childcare.
• 1:01:48
  This is how my morning is going, this is when I have the kids back.
• 1:01:52
  So maybe this is time, I can't do that.
• 1:01:54
  And.
• 1:01:54
  It has helped me organize my day, and I've been doing it for several weeks now.
• 1:01:59
  I don't do it every single day, but on the days, especially where I wake up and my mind is flooded and I'm like, I have so many little things, it's usually the little things that I'm like, I have all these little things and then I end up doing none of them because I don't even know how to fit it in.
• 1:02:13
  And so I say like, make me a schedule.
• 1:02:16
  Knowing that like I need time to have a little bit of, to decompress.
• 1:02:20
  I need to eat, I need to do Right.
• 1:02:21
  You have childcare at time.
• 1:02:22
  Have childcare coming At this time it's, there's usually a 15 minute transition period.
• 1:02:27
  Like I literally brain dump, I talk into it.
• 1:02:29
  That's like one of my tips for using AI is like, talk into it.
• 1:02:33
  Yes.
• 1:02:33
  Just like you're almost like it's an assistant running after you, like chasing you with a notepad.
• 1:02:38
  Like that's how I treat it.
• 1:02:39
  And then it gives me a schedule for the day.
• 1:02:42
  And it's been so much easier for me to deal with like my own time management and my own list of things that need to get done.
• 1:02:50
  And it's love.
• 1:02:50
  That's great.
• 1:02:51
  I'm like the queen of lists.
• 1:02:52
  I have a list on my love.
• 1:02:53
  Every morning I wake up and I Yep.
• 1:02:54
  But that's nice with but at, that's really nice.
• 1:02:56
  'cause sometimes I often put on my list.
• 1:02:58
  Eight to 10, this is what I'm doing.
• 1:03:00
  You know, like so that really organized, but then if you run over right then said, she goes right back in and says, make an addend.
• 1:03:06
  I'll say, I didn't get to do this, like redo the rest.
• 1:03:08
  Or even like yesterday I didn't get to eight and B, right.
• 1:03:12
  So like now we need to fit it in today or yesterday was too rushed.
• 1:03:15
  Like I felt like I left the day scrambled.
• 1:03:18
  You know, like I wanna be a little bit more like relaxed when I love this.
• 1:03:21
  The day is over.
• 1:03:22
  Help me organize it.
• 1:03:23
  It is so helpful.
• 1:03:25
  Like you could probably translate that to design too.
• 1:03:27
  I wanna redo a room, or I wanna do X, Y and ZZ.
• 1:03:29
  Gimme a timeline out.
• 1:03:31
  Yeah.
• 1:03:31
  Yeah.
• 1:03:32
  I love that.
• 1:03:32
  I can be a great to, wait, I have one other thing to add to that.
• 1:03:35
  Yeah.
• 1:03:35
  So on chat before you would copy and put it into your notes page?
• 1:03:39
  Yeah.
• 1:03:39
  There's actually a playback option and you can listen back to it.
• 1:03:43
  And you can speed the volume up from, instead of just like at a one.
• 1:03:46
  Okay.
• 1:03:46
  You can speed it up to like 1.5 and it'll.
• 1:03:49
  Play back your day to you.
• 1:03:50
  So if you brain dumping in, if you don't wanna like sit there and read through it all, okay, I only had enough time to talk in and now I'm like making my coffee, then you just like listen to it back.
• 1:04:00
  It's almost like your assistant multitasking, talking back to you now.
• 1:04:04
  I love that.
• 1:04:04
  I love that.
• 1:04:04
  I've done that using, I've actually done that.
• 1:04:07
  I love the playback feature.
• 1:04:08
  Yeah.
• 1:04:08
  Chat.
• 1:04:08
  Yeah.
• 1:04:08
  I didn't know, I didn't start using that until kind of recently.
• 1:04:11
  Mm-hmm.
• 1:04:11
  And I've been using it when I'm doing my makeup or when I'm doing getting ready and I'm like, I'm, I'm, I'm anxious about what's going on today.
• 1:04:18
  I have a full plate.
• 1:04:19
  I know I have all these things that I need to do, but I also know that getting ready helps me feel productive for the day.
• 1:04:25
  Yes, yes.
• 1:04:25
  And I need to invest.
• 1:04:26
  That 15 minutes, but I'll, I'll use it where I'm like, okay, I have an interview today.
• 1:04:31
  Yeah.
• 1:04:32
  Play the notes back to me.
• 1:04:33
  Right, exactly.
• 1:04:33
  I have, you know, like, yes.
• 1:04:35
  Play the schedule back for me today so that I'm like mentally getting into the zone.
• 1:04:39
  Yeah.
• 1:04:39
  But also doing something for myself, you know?
• 1:04:41
  Yeah.
• 1:04:42
  Yeah.
• 1:04:42
  I love the playback.
• 1:04:43
  That's a great, yeah, I know.
• 1:04:45
  I love it.
• 1:04:45
  There's something very calming sometimes about like sitting and doing your makeup and like also listening to something at the same time.
• 1:04:52
  Yes.
• 1:04:52
  I don't know.
• 1:04:52
  It reminds me when I was in college and we would like chi chat.
• 1:04:55
  Yeah.
• 1:04:55
  Listen to music and.
• 1:04:57
  Yeah.
• 1:04:57
  Doing our makeup.
• 1:04:58
  Yes.
• 1:04:59
  Yes.
• 1:04:59
  Listening to a podcast while you're doing this.
• 1:05:01
  Yes.
• 1:05:02
  Yes.
• 1:05:02
  What about you t.
• 1:05:03
  What are you have today?
• 1:05:04
  Okay.
• 1:05:04
  I have a product today.
• 1:05:05
  I haven't shared a product in a while, so I'm sharing these pants.
• 1:05:08
  So cute.
• 1:05:08
  These are the, um, wrinkle-free silk pants from Reformation.
• 1:05:12
  Ooh.
• 1:05:12
  They are a little bit of a splurge, but they do not wrinkle.
• 1:05:15
  I wear them all the time.
• 1:05:16
  I've worn them on this podcast several times.
• 1:05:18
  I have them in navy blue and I have them in black.
• 1:05:21
  Mm-hmm.
• 1:05:21
  And then I have them in cream.
• 1:05:22
  The cream has a drawstring.
• 1:05:23
  The other two that I have are just like an elastic.
• 1:05:25
  Okay.
• 1:05:26
  But these like silk satiny pants, I feel like are such a nice piece, so pretty to pair with, a denim jacket, a big chunky sweater.
• 1:05:34
  Yeah.
• 1:05:34
  Like, I did like a.
• 1:05:35
  White tube top with them in the summertime.
• 1:05:38
  I heel, I wore them in Italy with sneakers like yeah.
• 1:05:40
  They are an investment in my wardrobe I wore them I think at Christmas with like a mean classic.
• 1:05:45
  I was gonna say, you could dress down.
• 1:05:47
  They're very elegant.
• 1:05:48
  Hand wrinkling is insane.
• 1:05:49
  Yeah, that's huge.
• 1:05:50
  They don't wrinkle.
• 1:05:51
  It's like that's like the performance.
• 1:05:53
  Exactly.
• 1:05:54
  Yes.
• 1:05:54
  Of clothing.
• 1:05:55
  For clothing.
• 1:05:56
  Exactly.
• 1:05:57
  It's the best.
• 1:05:57
  I I love them.
• 1:05:58
  When you don't have that have to steam something like it is un unreal.
• 1:06:01
  Yeah.
• 1:06:01
  It's life changing.
• 1:06:02
  Get your time.
• 1:06:03
  Like I have clothes hanging in the laundry room right now that need to be ironed.
• 1:06:07
  I'm like.
• 1:06:07
  Yeah, they might as well go to the grave like I might as well just send them to go help.
• 1:06:12
  What am I gonna do with this now?
• 1:06:13
  Don't ever iron.
• 1:06:14
  Yeah.
• 1:06:15
  No, not for me.
• 1:06:16
  Steam iron steaming is a little bit better than ironing, but they all just are sort of awful.
• 1:06:21
  These stuff, this stuff needs to be pressed.
• 1:06:22
  Like the steamer isn't gonna make a dent in that room.
• 1:06:25
  Yeah, yeah.
• 1:06:26
  No, um, okay, so a couple things come to mind with this.
• 1:06:30
  One would be Etsy.
• 1:06:33
  Ooh.
• 1:06:33
  Etsy is my go-to for, Ooh, Etsy.
• 1:06:36
  Rugs for rugs.
• 1:06:37
  Rugs.
• 1:06:38
  Good thing.
• 1:06:39
  So really?
• 1:06:39
  Ooh.
• 1:06:40
  Turkish rugs especially.
• 1:06:42
  So they're all so reasonably priced because they're shipping straight from mm-hmm.
• 1:06:47
  Turkey or Pakistan.
• 1:06:48
  Mm-hmm.
• 1:06:48
  It sounds like you're going right to the vendor.
• 1:06:49
  You're going right to the source.
• 1:06:51
  They are, A lot of times they're vintage and antique, which I love.
• 1:06:55
  They do have ones that are newer now that look that same way where you can customize the size and stuff everyone ships quickly.
• 1:07:02
  They are in amazing condition.
• 1:07:05
  They are beautiful.
• 1:07:07
  I would not recommend this, but I even started doing this a couple times.
• 1:07:09
  I have two dogs, one's older, but really his whole life has loved to leave his marking on things.
• 1:07:14
  Um, so I've taken some of the smaller ones as, yeah.
• 1:07:17
  Thrown them in the wash.
• 1:07:19
  Again, I'm not saying you should, but they actually have washed and been fine.
• 1:07:22
  Wow.
• 1:07:22
  They are just beautiful.
• 1:07:23
  You can get them at such great prices.
• 1:07:25
  Another thing I love to get on Etsy are pillows, like more like designer pillows.
• 1:07:30
  I was gonna just, that was gonna be my, I was gonna just jump in and tell you my, so rather than like, yeah.
• 1:07:35
  Going out to Tebow or Schumacher or whoever and getting fabric.
• 1:07:39
  Many of those, if you search up those patterns or, or prints, you can find them.
• 1:07:43
  And you can customize your size and do you wanna weld and do you want it to be on the back of the front and much more reasonably priced.
• 1:07:50
  And if you were gonna go and buy the fabric and then, um, you have made by, you know, also what I did recently, I needed my whole, my sectional in my.
• 1:07:57
  A family room had all winter pillows from the season.
• 1:08:00
  And I was like, okay, it's been a while since we've refreshed these.
• 1:08:03
  Yes.
• 1:08:04
  We have a huge sectional, so we need like eight pillows.
• 1:08:06
  Right.
• 1:08:06
  And you're like, I want some patterns that overlay And they're different sizes and all of these things.
• 1:08:10
  Yep.
• 1:08:11
  I went on Etsy.
• 1:08:12
  Yeah.
• 1:08:12
  And I found a bundle which styled all of these different patterns and sizes together.
• 1:08:18
  Oh, that's amazing.
• 1:08:19
  And I was like, oh, it did it for you.
• 1:08:20
  It did it for me.
• 1:08:21
  And it think it does all the work.
• 1:08:22
  It came and I was like.
• 1:08:23
  Oh my God, it looks like someone did this.
• 1:08:25
  That's amazing.
• 1:08:26
  It literally looks like a designer came in and picked all these pillows.
• 1:08:29
  I love that.
• 1:08:29
  Because it was together as a bundle and I never would've thought about Etsy.
• 1:08:32
  But when I went to search, Etsy came up.
• 1:08:34
  I said, there has to be like a pillow bundle.
• 1:08:37
  And Etsy came up that I did know about that I, they covers the whole covers, but you can also get them as pillows but if you have the pillows already and you just need to recover, it was a lot cheaper to do it that way to just buy the covers.
• 1:08:48
  'cause I was like, oh, I have a million pillows.
• 1:08:50
  Yep.
• 1:08:50
  And I'm sure I have all these sizes.
• 1:08:52
  And I literally went and I found them and I said, oh, this one fits.
• 1:08:55
  But you could, if you were starting from scratch, they would give you the inserts too.
• 1:08:59
  But I, and hot tip with the inserts, you always buy.
• 1:09:02
  Bigger, a size up from what you Yep.
• 1:09:04
  What you do.
• 1:09:05
  Can you, the same thing.
• 1:09:06
  Look, um, se for outdoor furniture, if you wanna recover outdoor furniture, do they have, do have, they have, um, places that will like completely customize things.
• 1:09:15
  So if you wanted something for outside, you could go to a specific vendor on there you can give them the measurements and they'll custom make something for you.
• 1:09:22
  I'm sure they have ready-made ones too.
• 1:09:24
  Mm-hmm.
• 1:09:24
  I mean, Etsy literally has everything.
• 1:09:26
  Everything.
• 1:09:27
  That's awesome.
• 1:09:27
  Um, one of the things I love are printed lampshades.
• 1:09:29
  Um, and that's a great way where you can take sort of a high low piece, take a lamp that maybe you get from home goods and you put a beautiful printed lampshade on it and just adds that extra layer.
• 1:09:39
  And a lot of places are doing it now, so you can get'em from like Ballard.
• 1:09:41
  The place I usually go to is the Shade Shop.
• 1:09:43
  They are definitely, a bit pricier, a lot more expensive, but they are, they're beautifully made.
• 1:09:47
  But Etsy, cruel Mountain Designs is one place I've used on there for lampshades.
• 1:09:52
  They have lots of those on there, and you can customize them or you can get readymade.
• 1:09:55
  So Etsy is like.
• 1:09:57
  Love, love.
• 1:09:57
  You can tell you're very passionate about like fines.
• 1:10:00
  Good.
• 1:10:00
  Find I'm, oh my gosh, I could do a whole podcast or sound like antiquing just, and like the thrill of the hunt just lit up when you started talking about these fines on ET like you like a deal too too.
• 1:10:11
  Yes.
• 1:10:11
  I, of course.
• 1:10:13
  And I think there anything that makes anything easier.
• 1:10:15
  So like if you have a great experience with a vendor from Etsy and then you're like, you know what, like I actually need pillows for like our bedroom too.
• 1:10:23
  Yeah.
• 1:10:23
  And then you go and you're like, now you know, it's like, I think having that information and being like, this worked and like now I know if I'm going to do something similar and you have it right?
• 1:10:33
  Yes.
• 1:10:33
  You're like, it's less decision fatigue for next time.
• 1:10:36
  So to be like, you know.
• 1:10:37
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 1:10:37
  That's helpful.
• 1:10:38
  You almost feel like you're like shopping small business again.
• 1:10:40
  Like local, okay, this is my event.
• 1:10:42
  And you're, that is the nice thing about Etsy.
• 1:10:44
  You're shopping.
• 1:10:45
  A lot of small businesses.
• 1:10:46
  All small businesses.
• 1:10:47
  Really.
• 1:10:47
  Which is great.
• 1:10:48
  Yeah.
• 1:10:48
  I've seen in Pinterest, man, let's bring those Pinterest back.
• 1:10:51
  And they've been around for a while.
• 1:10:52
  Sometimes left on faded for me.
• 1:10:54
  Neither one first been left on though, in terms of like, theyre, they are, I feel like they've gotten flooded, at least from me with Amazon, through Instagram and like some of these like maybe more random pop off sites.
• 1:11:06
  Yes.
• 1:11:06
  You know, but they're not, this is, again, this is local small businesses.
• 1:11:10
  They're working to, they're willing to work with you one-on-one.
• 1:11:13
  Yeah.
• 1:11:14
  Talk back and forth.
• 1:11:14
  Definitely.
• 1:11:15
  Can send pictures to them.
• 1:11:16
  This is my space, these are my measurements.
• 1:11:19
  Quick ship, like my, the pillow covers came from New York.
• 1:11:21
  Came right over.
• 1:11:23
  Come so fast.
• 1:11:23
  Like the quality was insane.
• 1:11:24
  I'm insane.
• 1:11:25
  Oh, I'm sick.
• 1:11:25
  I'm gonna do, when I go out I'm gonna redo my outside.
• 1:11:28
  Like the Yeah.
• 1:11:29
  The pool covers or the um, yeah.
• 1:11:31
  Outdoor fabrics seems like a little bit of like a z Yeah.
• 1:11:34
  And I was like, maybe, maybe I'll just get some outdoor rugs or pillows or something.
• 1:11:38
  Maybe I'll do it through there.
• 1:11:39
  Yeah, yeah.
• 1:11:39
  I definitely do that.
• 1:11:40
  The good.
• 1:11:41
  Yeah.
• 1:11:41
  Yeah.
• 1:11:41
  And they're rugs outside of Turkish rugs.
• 1:11:43
  I have other rugs I've gotten from there that are, I love it.
• 1:11:45
  Just, they're amazing.
• 1:11:47
  I had a client who wanted this Serena lily rug.
• 1:11:50
  Right.
• 1:11:50
  Really bad.
• 1:11:51
  Yeah.
• 1:11:51
  And it was very expensive.
• 1:11:52
  I literally found the identical one on Etsy.
• 1:11:54
  Wow.
• 1:11:54
  It's probably who they used to make, their rugs.
• 1:11:56
  So, that's my plug for Etsy.
• 1:11:59
  Great.
• 1:11:59
  And then I would say the other, spotlight I would say is just when it, in terms of lighting, lighting makes such a big difference in a room.
• 1:12:06
  Mm-hmm.
• 1:12:06
  I would say a dimmers are great to have in rooms.
• 1:12:09
  Yes.
• 1:12:09
  They are such an easy upgrade to do that.
• 1:12:12
  Perhaps you could do yourself, but not a lot to hire an electrician and have them install dimmers and then just look for vintage lighting in any vintage shopping you can do.
• 1:12:20
  We're really lucky in New England, specifically Connecticut, there are.
• 1:12:23
  So do you have a favorite vintage shop?
• 1:12:25
  I have a million.
• 1:12:26
  I would say around here in this area, of course the two big antique stores, so, antiques on the Farmington and Collinsville Antiques are, yeah.
• 1:12:34
  Amazing.
• 1:12:35
  And you could do a lot of good digging.
• 1:12:36
  I found a lot of great things at both places.
• 1:12:39
  Old Village Antiques and Avon.
• 1:12:40
  Steve and Dan own it.
• 1:12:41
  They're wonderful.
• 1:12:42
  They always just have the most curated, beautiful, classic traditional pieces.
• 1:12:47
  And then in West Hartford, I would say, revival Home.
• 1:12:50
  Yep.
• 1:12:50
  So Good.
• 1:12:51
  Is wonderful.
• 1:12:51
  Yeah.
• 1:12:51
  He has a good mix of like new old vintage.
• 1:12:55
  And Refill Vintage, which is almost right across from Revival Home.
• 1:12:58
  It's all mid-century.
• 1:12:59
  And they have just such great unique pieces.
• 1:13:02
  A lot of great lighting and really cool furniture and accessories that you can mix with all that traditional stuff.
• 1:13:07
  It's awesome.
• 1:13:07
  And your clients, I'm sure get to have some of these like cool things that you have, I'm sure you have some things stored that you pick up along the way.
• 1:13:15
  Yes, definitely.
• 1:13:15
  That you definitely, I'm sing a little too, that's like the pro and ha of being a designer.
• 1:13:18
  I'll find something cute and be like, if I can't use it, I'll use it for our clients, so.
• 1:13:21
  Right, right.
• 1:13:22
  You have some, you have all these projects in mind.
• 1:13:24
  Yeah, yeah.
• 1:13:25
  It so, so it's great'cause we also offer piecemeal services too, where we can go in and just do a few things and styling.
• 1:13:32
  So whether you Yeah.
• 1:13:33
  Have been our client or.
• 1:13:35
  You just have a room that you want styled.
• 1:13:37
  It is super important.
• 1:13:38
  Yeah.
• 1:13:38
  So those are the fun times where I get to go to like antique stores.
• 1:13:41
  Amazing.
• 1:13:41
  And put unique pieces in.
• 1:13:42
  Amazing.
• 1:13:42
  Okay.
• 1:13:42
  So can you tell our listeners if they want to work with you mm-hmm.
• 1:13:46
  Where to find you, how do you, and then find you online too, just for some inspiration too, if they're not local.
• 1:13:52
  My website is the homemaker ct.com.
• 1:13:55
  So on there you will see all the different packages.
• 1:13:58
  We have full scale, partial scale, that piecemeal package I talked about.
• 1:14:03
  And then on Instagram, I am at the Homemaker Design Co.
• 1:14:06
  Perfect.
• 1:14:07
  I also have a Facebook page.
• 1:14:08
  I don't think Facebook is so much of a thing anymore, but, I'm definitely active on Instagram and I get to showcase work and my wonderful clients.
• 1:14:18
  No, and stay on Facebook because I use Facebook Marketplace a lot too.
• 1:14:21
  Oh.
• 1:14:21
  That's the only reason I think I have Facebook.
• 1:14:23
  Sometimes you're like sourcing and get like getting rid of things.
• 1:14:24
  'cause also when you like are bringing somebody new pieces into your house Yeah.
• 1:14:28
  You wanna get rid of, rid of, get rid of some pieces.
• 1:14:29
  It's a great way to, Yeah.
• 1:14:31
  I get rid of, I love marketplace.
• 1:14:32
  If it's something in, something's gotta go.
• 1:14:34
  Yeah.
• 1:14:34
  Yes.
• 1:14:35
  Exactly.
• 1:14:35
  Exactly.
• 1:14:36
  So yeah.
• 1:14:37
  This is so helpful.
• 1:14:38
  Thank you.
• 1:14:39
  Thank you.
• 1:14:39
  Thank you.
• 1:14:39
  Your time.
• 1:14:39
  Thank for having me was awesome.
• 1:14:41
  I appreciate it.
• 1:14:41
  This was, this was fun.
• 1:14:42
  All right guys, we will see you next week.
• 1:14:44
  Thank you for tuning in.
• 1:14:45
  Bye bye.
• 1:14:46
  Bye.