We're big fans of interior designer, blogger, and author Erin Gates, so when we headed to our new Boston store at Natick Mall, we knew we had to sit down with this local stylemaker. She joined us for our first live podcast recording in the front window of our brand new store to talk about designing for families, her massive home renovation, and so much more.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE:

• We talk about what guys universally love and hate
• How one finished room can inspire a client to finish the whole house
• We talk about which room you should invest in and complete first
• She shares the topic of her new book, decorating for families and why you don't have to dumb down your decor just because you have kids and pets
• Why having a well-designed master bedroom is so important
• The misconceptions many people have about what they can and can't have in their home if they have families
• Why white is actually appropriate -- if you have bleach on hand!
• How much Erin's team has grown and how delighted they all are to have a new, organized office space
• The color they use in almost every project
• We talk about Taryn's color addiction
• Karen and Erin bond over their love of animal print
• Erin tells us all about the massive home renovation of her fixer upper
• Her next big project in her home renovation
• Her love of real estate and how she's always browsing houses
• We talk TVs -- what's too big and should you have one in your bedroom
• Erin gives everyone a rug lesson
• I share a story about a 'rug island'
• We talk about what you do when your friends asks for decor advice about a home purchase they've made
• Why it's fun to work on projects that are out of your comfort zone
• Where people can save in their budget, and where they should in vest most of their dollars

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