Designer Barrie Benson joins the show to talk about how she creates spaces that are both super sophisticated and also lively and fun. She talks with us about how to start an art collection, why she thinks more Southern homes are embracing contemporary styles, and how to update that traditional chair with a modern fabric.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

How Barrie mixes fun and colorful with sophisticated and well thought out design.

Why it’s important to really know your taste when working with a designer, and it’s okay to embrace if your taste is different or eclectic!

Ways we can reinvent old family heirlooms or furniture and how just a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference.

It’s great to call a friend (or designer of course) to get a perspective and outside look at what you have going on in terms of your design.

Barrie has seen more Southerners mixing traditional and stately with new and lively lately.

Ways you can get involved in your local art community and get to really know your taste and palette for art.

The more you are passionate about your house, the more you are proud and connected to it.

How Barrie uses the 80/20 rule to plan out her rooms, but leave space for new and organic pieces.

What toile wallpaper is, and how we can use it in a fun way.

Barrie’s choice of performance fabric rugs that look great and also are durable and forgiving on wear and tear.


Mentioned In This Episode:
Barrie Benson
@barriebenson
Soco Gallery
Sheila Bridges
SONY

Ep. 140: designer Barrie Benson

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. Brought to you from the Ballard Designs team.

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Business

Investing

Careers

Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

Atlanta-based interior designer Minhnuyet Hardy joins us this week to discuss common interior design mistakes and how to avoid them. Minhnuyet shares her expertise on proper rug sizing and orientation, as well as drapery width, hardware placement, and lining importance. She gives some great tips for measuring spaces and hanging artwork at the ideal height, pesky furniture delivery challenges, accessorizing with trays, and grouping small items.
Follow along with this week's decorating dilemma here on the How to Decorate Blog.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Common rug size mistakes and how to properly size and orient rugs.

Custom rug options for unique spaces.

Drapery hardware placement and width considerations.

Hanging drapery too low or not having it wide enough.

Proper artwork hanging height and placement tips.

Furniture delivery challenges in tight spaces.

Why the tallest person in the house shouldn’t be the one hanging artwork.

Accessorizing with trays and grouping small items.

Also Mentioned:

Ballard Designs

Minhnuyet Hardy 


Watch the Full Episode - Ballard Designs YouTube 


Minhnuyet Hardy Interiors

@minhnuyethardyinteriors

Decorating Dilemma: 
Hi Amy Lynn! Thank you so much for your question - this is a great question. Here are some suggestions:
First, painting the mantel trim the same color as the wall will help create a cohesive backdrop that draws the eye to your artwork. We would stack larger art pieces on the mantel that lean against the wall, layering smaller pieces in front. A large mirror with art displayed in front would also look very striking. Additionally, placing some birch logs inside the fireplace will add visual interest year-round. You could also consider stringing battery-operated twinkle lights during the holidays for a festive touch. We hope these ideas help highlight your beautiful original fireplace mantel! Also, be sure to check out our Essential Stocking Holder, it will be sleek and is great for kids!

Ep. 357: Common Design Mistakes with Minhnuyet Hardy

We head to Tinseltown this week for a fun history lesson in LA design with accomplished author, Annie Kelly. Annie shares insights from her new book "City of Dreams: Los Angeles Interiors," offering a sweeping photographic survey of the city's most striking historic and contemporary homes. She discusses the inspiration behind the book and her longtime creative partnership with photographer Tim Street-Porter and shares a glimpse inside some of LA's most breathtaking modernist gems as well as historically significant homes. Annie also traces the evolution of the city's architecture from the early influence of the film industry to the innovative mid-century structures still inspiring interiors today.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

The inspiration behind Annie’s book, City of Dreams: Los Angeles Interiors. 


How the topography and terrain of LA helps foster different and often quite eccentric design choices. 

More about the influence of the film industry and influx of architects and artists after WWII on past and present design in LA. 

Annie shares more about how she chose the homes featured in the book to be more about interesting and captivating stories rather than just celebrities. 

Mid-century modern architecture in LA. 

More about Annie’s venetian-gothic home. 

Outdoor living and garden spaces that expanded entertaining areas. 

The evolution of LA's architecture from the grid pattern of flatlands to hillside communities. 

Renowned LA design stores and the characters behind them. 

Restoring iconic Case Study Houses for a new generation to appreciate. 

What is next for Annie and Tim? A sneak peek into a very exciting upcoming project. 


Ballard Designs 
City of Dreams: Los Angeles Interiors 
@anniehkelly 
@timstreetporter

Ep. 356: Los Angeles Interiors with Annie Kelly

‘Tis the season for all things outdoors! This week, we welcome Kelly Petrino and Amy Jordan from Ballard’s merchandising team for their expert advice on mixing and matching outdoor furniture and accessories to create beautiful and comfortable outdoor space. They talk about cushions, pillows, rugs, lighting, and planters to complete the look, along with sharing some great tips for incorporating different materials, styles, and textures to define your outdoor space.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Considerations for using outdoor fabrics like Sunbrella that are stain-resistant and fade-proof.

Ideas for incorporating outdoor rugs to define spaces and add texture.

Factors to consider when choosing outdoor sofas and seating, like cushion fill and frame materials.

What should you look for when it comes to outdoor sofas and seating?

Kelly and Amy's perspectives on the pros and cons of mixing collections versus opting for a coordinated set.

Entertaining essentials such as outdoor safe drinkware, candles, romantic outdoor lighting, and lovely lamps.

Mosquito-repelling drapery panels? Yes, please!

Reasons to think about furniture layout in relation to your daily and entertaining needs beyond just aesthetics.

Tips for defining spaces with planters.

Also Mentioned:
Ballard Designs

Ep. 355: Outdoor Decorating Spotlight

This week, we address frequent home decor challenges through the creative lens of designer Colleen Simonds. Colleen's playful portfolio spaces have been published in top outlets and she offers practical tips for navigating choices, layouts, color selection, art sourcing, window treatments, and establishing focal points. Colleen gives us some great strategies for transforming common pain points into imaginative designs tailored to one's lifestyle, including approaches for maximalism, small spaces, and connected rooms.
Follow along with this week's decorating dilemma here.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

What are some of the most common pain points when it comes to decorating and design?

How to fix pain points in layout, color, lighting, and scale.

Tips for finding your focal point and then creating supporting characters around it.

Sometimes it’s just about time and patience to fix your pain points, so take a deep breath!

How to activate a small space rather than trying to make it look bigger.

Why art tends to be a pain point, and how to find your personal art that feels collected rather than all over the place.

Suggestions for simpler window treatments like woven wood shades.

Editing a space with clean lines and limited pieces rather than overcrowding a space.

Also Mentioned:

Colleen Simonds

Colleen Simonds IG

Decorating Dilemma: 
Thanks for writing in, Kim! First, what a charming space! And your art and decor already feel very well collected. Colleen’s first suggestion would be wallpaper. You may consider a lighter-toned grass cloth to add warmth and texture. Or, if you want a pattern, a vertical wallpaper pattern can be a great way to lengthen the room and add some pop of color. A round table with a leaf can also open things up but still serve as a way to keep the flow between the rooms.

Ep. 354: Common Decorating Pain Points with Colleen Simonds

It’s all about developing your personal decorating style this week with Nashville interior designer Eric Ross. Eric has over 20 years of professional experience and has left his mark on homes in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and beyond. His work and eponymous design firm has been featured in publications like Luxe Magazine, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle and Country Living, and his book Enduring Southern Homes was released in 2019. 
We talk to Eric about tapping into your personal style, staying true to yourself as trends come and go, and how to turn your personal style into a furniture and design plan that works for your lifestyle. 
Follow along with this week's decorating dilemma here.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

Tips for developing your own personal style in design. 

Eric talks about the inspiration behind his book, Enduring Southern Homes. 


How Eric works with clients who want that traditional touch, and the ways he gets to their heart. 

Tools for tapping into your personal style, such as Pinterest. 

It’s not always about throwing away things! It’s about finding the right way to use or display them. 

The importance of considering how a room will be used when selecting fabrics. 

The true gift of a designer is to find similarity amongst your things and to make your collection make sense. 

What if your personal style clashes with others in the home? 

Elegance doesn’t always have to mean formal! 

Eric’s rules for working with curtains, neutrals and prints. 

Yes, Eric has imagined himself throwing parties at your house! He explains how to create a true visual to tell your design story and make a plan that works for you. 

Also Mentioned:

Eric Ross Interiors 

Eric Ross IG 

Decorating Dilemma: 
Hi Karah,
Thank you so much for writing in!
So, first, in true Eric fashion, it’s about more than just the chandelier. He starts off on the topic of scale, and suggests you add wainscoting on the second story to create consistency in geometry with the windows, and to bring down the ceiling height visually. This will also add texture to the walls.
Next, Eric notes that the current chandelier does not have enough visual heft, so he recommends a heavier, barrel-style chandelier that would provide better proportions for the space. Eric suggests hanging the new chandelier between 66-72 inches from the floor to achieve the desired lighting effect while maintaining a relationship between the fixture and dining table.
Hope this helps, and happy decorating!

Ep. 140: designer Barrie Benson

Download our free app to listen on your phone