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How to Decorate: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ballard Designs
We want to teach you how to decorate! We'll help you unleash your inner decorator with interviews from interior designers, sharing the trials and triumphs from our own homes, and answering your burning decorating questions.
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- 3 days ago50 min
Ep. 486: Alton Laday & Olivia Westbrook
Alton LaDay and Olivia Westbrooks join the podcast to discuss Alton’s new book, In the House: Celebrating America's Leading Black Interior Designers. The book profiles 33 of America's most talented black interior designers, tracing both contemporary talent and historical pioneers. Alton, a veteran marketing director and PR firm owner, was inspired to write the book during the 2020 lockdown to highlight positive success stories within the design community. Olivia, an interior designer and host of Hallmark’s Home is Where the Heart Is, is one of the featured designers in the book. Key Takeaways from the Episode: Focusing on the Individual: When selecting the 33 designers, Alton required them to have nationally published work but prioritized their personalities and personal stories. To emphasize the people behind the designs, every designer in the book receives a full-page headshot. A Vast Array of Styles: The designers in the book are intentionally not listed alphabetically. This layout mixes up the design styles—from traditional to modern, neutral to colorful—to keep the reader engaged and demonstrate that black designers are not a monolith. Unconventional Paths to Design: Many of the featured designers discovered interior design as a second career, transitioning from corporate roles or law. One designer was a highly successful attorney on track to become a partner before leaving to go back to design school. Finding Inspiration Early: Olivia discovered her passion for design as a child by watching Christopher Lowell on the Discovery Channel in the 1990s. Her mother enrolled her in a weekend intensive program at the Art Institute of Houston, eventually leading Olivia to earn a degree in interior design from LSU. Historical Pioneers: The book also touches on the history of black designers, such as Harold Curtis Brown. Brown is considered the first documented black interior designer, known for his work on the Saratoga Club and Hotel Navarro in the early 20th century, though it is believed he later had to pass as white to continue his career in the 1930s. Inspiring Future Generations: Olivia notes that the book serves as a vital historical record and a tool to show future generations what is possible. By showcasing such diverse talent, the book keeps the door open for aspiring designers and normalizes the presence of black designers in top national publications and show houses. Personal Triumphs: Alton shares the inspiring story of Tiffany Brooks, a featured designer who has balanced a highly successful career with severe health challenges, including a kidney and pancreas transplant after being diagnosed with diabetes at age six. Also Mentioned in This Episode: In the House: Celebrating America's Leading Black Interior Designers is available at major outlets and Phaidon.com. Follow Olivia Westbrooks on Instagram at @oliviawestbrooksinteriors or visit oliviawestbrooks.com. Watch Olivia on Hallmark Plus's Home is Where the Heart Is. See Olivia's living room project on the Ballard Designs House Tour series on YouTube. Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago1h 9m
Ep. 485: Ben Pentreath's New Book
British architect and interior designer Ben Pentreath returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, A Year at the Parsonage, co-authored with his husband, Charlie McCormick. The book functions as a deeply personal visual diary of the 15 years the couple spent living in an 1820 Regency house in Dorset, England. Rather than staging polished lifestyle scenes, Ben and Charlie photographed the book themselves, capturing authentic daily moments, the evolving interiors, and the passage of seasons in Charlie's beloved garden. Ben initially rented the Dorset parsonage in a rundown state, complete with black mold—a condition he prefers, as it allows for updates without feeling guilty about tearing out a previous landlord’s expensive renovations. Nestled in an unspoiled estate village owned by the Williams family for nearly 300 years, the home began with neutral pale gray and white walls due to a lack of time and budget. Over the years, the home's palette shifted drastically: The dining room was painted "Victoria Plum," a 1960s purple inspired by David Hicks that looked magical by candlelight but made guests look ill during the day. It was later painted bright sky blue and eventually wallpapered for a Morris & Co. photoshoot. The kitchen transitioned from white to Farrow & Ball's burnt orange "Wet Sand," then to a high-gloss bright yellow that felt like living inside an egg yolk, before finally returning to white. While Ben stresses that architectural and structural decisions should be thoroughly planned, he believes interior decoration is easily overthought. Embrace Change: Repainting a room is an inexpensive and fast way to completely shift a home's energy. Physical Inspiration: To avoid losing digital inspiration, Ben prints out his phone screenshots, cuts off the social media logos, writes notes on the back, and pins them to his office wall to discover his personal style over time. The Soul of a Room: A room's true character comes from its people, pets, and the practical comfort of daily life, not from perfectly color-matched piping. When the Williams family decided to sell the Dorset estate, Ben and Charlie embraced the change and moved to Scotland. They purchased a mid-18th-century home called Westness on Rousay, an Orkney island with only 200 residents. The unspoiled property features a ten-acre garden where Charlie is currently clearing an overgrown Victorian walled space to cultivate vegetables. Have you ever experimented with a bold paint color that looked vastly different in the daylight than you originally intended? Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago1h 4m
Ep. 484: Scott Sottile | Ferguson & Shamamian
Scott J. Sottile, a partner at the prestigious residential architecture firm Ferguson & Shamamian, joins the podcast to discuss his firm’s new book, Transformations. Published by Rizzoli and written by Guy Trebay, the book highlights 15 distinct projects spanning from subtle restorations to radical rebuilds across the United States. Scott shares his deep passion for traditional architecture, which was cemented during his time studying Thomas Jefferson’s historic designs at the University of Virginia. He explains how to preserve the historical integrity of an old home while ensuring it functions seamlessly for modern, multi-generational living. The Mark of Great Architecture: A successful historical renovation should look completely effortless and timeless, leaving no heavy-handed imprint of the current architect. The goal is to make it look as though the modern updates have always been there. Keep Buildings Alive: Historic buildings should not be "mothballed" or turned into untouched museums; they survive best when they remain active, useful, and adapted for contemporary life. Designing for Reality: Before renovating, homeowners must separate their aspirational lifestyle from their actual daily routine. Do not dedicate vast resources to massive entertaining spaces or chef-level kitchens if you only host twice a year and primarily order takeout. Scale and Intimacy: When dealing with large rooms, create small, intimate seating arrangements—like a pair of chairs by a fireplace or a cozy bay window—so the space feels comfortable for intimate conversations, not just a crowd of twenty-four. Finding a True Builder: Seek out a "builder" who understands the art and craft of construction, rather than just a "contractor" who pushes paperwork. Ask to tour projects they completed five to ten years ago to see how their hidden weatherproofing, finishes, and exterior technologies have actually held up against the elements. Elevating Historic Details: To achieve a historic look without an unlimited budget, focus on substantial millwork. Skip standard big-box trims and visit a local lumber yard for thicker, more shapely door casings, bases, and cornices inspired by historic pattern books. Additionally, major window manufacturers often have specific historical lines featuring traditional putty-stop profiles that add immediate gravitas. Also Mentioned: Transformations by Ferguson & Shamamian Architects. Follow on Instagram: @fergusonshamamian. Historic architecture resources: The White Pine Series, pattern books by Asher Benjamin, and the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) via the Library of Congress. Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago55 min
Ep. 483: Annie Meyers-Shyer & This Oak House
Former Harper's Bazaar editor and Chanel executive Annie Meyers-Shyer joins the podcast! Annie became an "accidental influencer" after launching her Instagram account, @thisoakhouse, to document the renovation of the home she and her husband purchased from her mother-in-law. Now, she's sharing her thorough research, design tips, and beautiful editorial photography in her debut book, This Oak House. Annie chats with Caroline and Liz about how her fashion background translates to interiors, her most agonizing design decisions, and why you should absolutely video your walls before the drywall goes up. Prep with Purpose: Before meeting with her architect or designer, Annie would send a short bulleted list of functional needs (e.g., "plug in a drawer for a hair dryer") alongside a highly curated Pinterest board to establish a clear visual and written narrative. The Magic (and Torture) of Paint: Paint was one of the hardest decisions for Annie. To get an accurate read on a paint sample, paint it onto the actual material of the wall (like beadboard vs. plaster), remove any blue painter's tape that might cast a colored shadow, and pull up pink floor coverings like Ram board. Cohesive Finishes: To keep her home feeling connected, Annie selected a short list of materials—like wood floors and marble—and simply rinsed and repeated them throughout the house. Working with a Designer: Be completely honest about what kind of client you are going to be. If you want to be deep in the weeds and highly collaborative, tell them upfront so you can ensure your working styles are a match. Also, never underestimate the value of hiring kind people. Record Your Walls: Before the drywall goes up, walk through your home and take a video on your phone. Knowing exactly where the electrical and plumbing are hiding behind the walls will save you massive headaches if you ever need to make changes later. The Case for the Formal Living Room: Annie purposely designed her living room to be a TV-free, adult-focused space. While her kids are allowed in the room, it brings her joy to have one space in the house that stays exactly how she left it. The Nancy Meyers Connection: Annie's mother is legendary filmmaker Nancy Meyers, known for her coveted movie sets. Annie notes that the magic of those movie homes is deeply tied to the complex characters, the wardrobe, and the story being told, which is a great reminder that your own home should tell the story of the people living inside it. Follow Annie on Instagram: @thisoakhouse Pick up her new book, This Oak House, available on September 15th. Try the hot fudge recipe included in her book Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 8, 202651 min
Ep. 482: Entertaining with a Side of Chaos with India Hicks
We are thrilled to welcome back writer, designer, entrepreneur, and former model India Hicks to the podcast! As the daughter of legendary British interior designer David Hicks, India grew up surrounded by formal theatrical design, but her 30 years living in the Bahamas have distinctly softened her approach. She joins us to discuss her fourth book, Entertaining with a Side of Chaos, which serves as part memoir and part tablescaping guide. Embrace the Unexpected: Rather than stressing over a flawless evening, prioritize gathering, putting phones down, and fostering meaningful conversations. India once moved a fully set dining table for 30 people into a breezy lane at the last minute simply to escape the summer heat. Invest in Folding Furniture: To maintain flexibility in where you host, India highly recommends using inexpensive folding tables and folding bamboo chairs. This allows you to easily move your party to a new location on a whim. Forage and Improvise: When traditional floral centerpieces aren't an option, look to what you have in abundance. A basketful of tomatoes or a line of reclaimed glass jars acting as bud vases can create a dramatic and beautiful tablescape. Curate the Conversation: Using assigned seating isn't about stuffy hierarchy; it shows you have thoughtfully considered your guests. It saves everyone the awkwardness of finding a seat and allows the host to pair people who will spark fascinating discussions. Build the Table Foundation: Start your tablescape with the tablecloth to set the tone. If using an ugly folding table, cut a bolt of plain fabric to the floor to hide the legs, then layer your decorative tablecloth or runner on top. Mix and Match: Your crockery and glassware do not need to perfectly match. A collection of chipped blue-and-white plates sourced individually from antique stores brings wonderful character to a meal. Read her new book: Entertaining with a Side of Chaos. Follow her on Instagram: @indiahicksstyle. Subscribe to her weekly Substack newsletter. Shop her table linens collection with Pomegranate. What is the most chaotic moment you have ever experienced while hosting a dinner party? Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 1, 202654 min
Ep. 481: Meg Braff, Gracious Interiors
Welcome back interior designer Meg Braff to the podcast! Meg first joined the show in 2017 to discuss her first book, The Decorated Home, and now she returns to celebrate her second book, Gracious Interiors, published by Rizzoli. Growing up in Mississippi, Meg watched her mother and grandmother host beautiful, thoughtful parties, and she has carried that effortless Southern hospitality into her design firm. She sits down with Caroline, Taryn, and Liz to discuss how she optimizes floor plans for hosting, why every guest room needs wallpaper, and her favorite tricks for making formal antiques feel approachable. Design for Entertaining: Meg begins every project by analyzing the floor plan to maximize how a family lives and hosts. She looks for ways to provide multiple dining options, like a small setup for six indoors or a long table for thirty outdoors, and uses elements like pergolas and outdoor fireplaces to extend the entertaining season. The "Dress Rehearsal" Trick: A great host makes entertaining look effortless so guests never feel like an inconvenience. Meg recommends setting your table the day before to ensure you have the right counts for flatware and vases, and turning on your playlist an hour early. This allows you to be fully dressed and enjoying a cocktail right before the doorbell rings. Thoughtful Guest Rooms: Wallpapering a guest room is an easy way to make visitors feel expected and special. Elevate the stay by clearing out the medicine cabinet, stocking it with nice toiletries, and leaving out a water carafe, a small plate of fruit, and a note with the Wi-Fi password. Demystifying Wallpaper: Meg—who launched her own expansive fabric and wallpaper line 18 years ago—loves bold patterns, but notes that even a simple grasscloth adds necessary warmth, depth, and texture to a room lacking architectural details. She also encourages hanging artwork directly over wallpaper, provided the pieces relate to each other in scale. Mixing Antiques & Textures: To keep formal antiques from feeling stodgy or unapproachable, Meg mixes in mid-century pieces, like brass and glass coffee tables. She also uses woven materials, like French rattan chairs, bamboo altar tables, or jute rugs, to visually lighten a room and make it feel younger. Go-To Accessories: Meg frequently layers her rooms with vintage brass, nautilus shells, colored or clear glass hurricanes for romantic lighting, and robust collections of books to make spaces feel truly lived-in. Also Mentioned: Follow Meg on Instagram: @megbraffdesigns Visit her shop in West Palm Beach on Georgia Avenue Books by Meg Braff: Gracious Interiors and The Decorated Home Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Aug 25, 202645 min
Ep. 480: Trials and Triumphs
Welcome to How to Decorate! It has been quite a while since our last Trials and Triumphs episode, but Caroline, Taryn, and Liz are back with plenty of personal decorating updates. Between full basement renovations, bold reupholstery projects, and a very exciting upcoming video series, the hosts have been incredibly busy getting their homes in tip-top shape. Plus, learn why you should always provide your upholsterer with a detailed spec sheet—and why you might want to leave sewing box pleats to the professionals. Taryn's Trials & Triumphs: Guest Room Swap: Taryn officially transformed her downstairs primary bedroom into a guest room, painting the bed a beautiful muted green and bringing in some fresh floral pillows from Ballard Designs. She also finally brought up her old black picture frames from the basement to add contrast to the space. Basement Progress: The basement walls are finally closed in with drywall. Taryn and her husband created another guest bedroom (shopping the basement for leftover furniture and adding a queen mattress) and finished a bathroom complete with a tiled standing shower. Home Gym: Taryn finally got a dedicated workout room in the basement, requesting foam flooring, mirrors, box fans for air circulation, and a TV to check her lifting form. New Art & Wallpaper: Taryn hung a gallery wall on the back stairwell featuring a new briny, acidic green mixed-media floral painting from AK Hardman. She also installed a botanical grid Sanderson wallpaper in her breakfast room, making the window-filled space feel like a beautiful greenhouse. Taryn's Trial: Feeling confident after pulling her sewing machine out, Taryn spent eight hours attempting to sew her own box-pleat cushion covers for her dining chairs using a purple lilac gingham and maroon piping. It was a total disaster, looking more like a kindergarten drawing or a Catholic school skirt. Liz's Trials & Triumphs: House Tour Prep: The team is filming 10th-anniversary house tours for YouTube. The filming deadline gave Liz the kick in the pants she needed to finally tackle lingering projects. She replaced the original "boob lights" in the laundry room, swapped out a rusty bathroom vanity, and scrubbed and repainted her front security door. Pillow Perfection: Liz utilized Ballard Designs' free in-house design services to help coordinate and select all the pillows for her primary bedroom. Liz's Trial: Prepping to send her son Finn across the country for art school. They are clearing out old boxes—including one labeled "pre-move" from six years ago—and preparing for dorm life. She plans to eventually completely renovate his bedroom and bathroom, but is holding off until the dust settles from the college move. Caroline's Trials & Triumphs: Coffee Table Swap: Caroline decided against reupholstering a broken storage ottoman and instead purchased the Sabine coffee table from the Ballard outlet. She loves having a hard surface for entertaining snacks and a bottom shelf for styling design books. Chartreuse Bedding: Influenced by Taryn's love of the color, Caroline added the new wavy-patterned Violet bedding in chartreuse to her dark blue bedroom. Lamp Love: After borrowing a Sutton Tortoise mini glass lamp for the video shoot, Caroline loved it so much she bought it, pairing it with a ticking stripe brown shade to perfectly illuminate a corner of her kitchen counter. Caroline's Trial: Caroline took a TV room ottoman to be reupholstered in a hot pink Rebecca Atwood performance fabric. Because the performance fabric looked identical on both sides, the upholsterer accidentally sewed it inside out. They fixed it quickly, but Caroline (and Taryn) advise always making a detailed spec sheet with fabric swatches to avoid confusion when dropping off furniture. Also Mentioned in This Episode: Be on the lookout for the How to Decorate 10th-anniversary YouTube house tours coming soon. Ballard Designs' Free Design Services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Aug 18, 20261h 15m
Ep. 479: Designing Homes that Evolve with Anne Hulcher Tollett
We are thrilled to welcome Richmond, Virginia-based interior designer Anne Hulcher Tollett to the podcast! As the founder and principal designer of Hanover Avenue, Anne’s work has been featured in House Beautiful, Veranda, The Wall Street Journal, and Architectural Digest. She is known for designing spaces that feel deeply personal, honoring both the historic architecture of a home and the unique lifestyles of the families who live in them. Anne sits down with Caroline and Liz to talk about how she uncovers her clients' true personal style—even retiring fabrics after using them to prevent cookie-cutter designs. She shares her secrets for choosing long-term furniture investments with "good lines" that seamlessly move from house to house, how to break out of the Pinterest algorithm trap, and why you should look to your own closet for home color palette inspiration. Quick Decorating Takeaways: Reveal the Client's Aesthetic, Don't Impose Yours: Anne views her job as revealing her clients' personal style rather than leaving her own design stamp on a home. To ensure a custom, couture feel for every family, her firm intentionally retires fabrics once they've been used in a project. Break the Pinterest and Instagram Algorithm: Relying too heavily on social media can trap you in a "cookie-cutter" design loop because the algorithm feeds you more of what you've already looked at. To find fresh inspiration, look to fashion designers, historic home tours, local show houses, or museum exhibits instead. Invest in "Good Lines": When building a furniture collection that evolves with you, prioritize pieces with beautiful, timeless silhouettes and classic lines. A high-quality piece of furniture with good lines will naturally pair beautifully with other styles and can easily transition from your first small apartment to a larger family home. Look to Your Wardrobe for Color Palettes: If you're struggling to find a home color scheme, look at what you love to wear. Your closet naturally holds the tones, textures, and patterns you feel most confident and comfortable around. Lower Your Artwork: A common mistake is hanging art too high up on the wall. Bring your artwork down closer to eye level or anchor it closer to your furniture to create a more intimate and cohesive arrangement. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: 00:34 Welcome to Anne Hulcher Tollett of Hanover Avenue 01:34 Why Anne loves working across varied design styles to avoid feeling bored 02:00 The methodology behind uncovering a client's aesthetic and why she retires fabrics 05:00 Breaking free from the social media algorithm trap to find authentic design inspiration 10:00 Pulling imagery and grouping ideas onto a physical or digital board to find common threads 15:00 Scale, traffic flow, and arranging furniture at comfortable, conversational heights 22:00 Why one good piece of furniture will always go with another good piece of furniture 27:00 Buying for longevity: Navigating small apartments, first sofas, and prioritizing beautiful lines 35:00 How to translate your personal wardrobe style into your interior design palette 42:00 Managing complex family dynamics and designing spaces that adapt to kids and lifestyle changes 48:00 Lighting lessons: Dealing with fixtures that look pretty but don't emit enough light 55:00 Hanging artwork at the correct visual height to anchor a room 01:00:00 Decorating Dilemma: Solving layout challenges, awkward dimensions, and hiding cords for off-the-wall floating furniture Also Mentioned: Hanover Avenue | Website Follow Anne on Instagram: @hanoveravenue Shop Ballard Designs Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Happy decorating! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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