How to Decorate

Ep. 414: 100 Ways to Feel at Home with Emma Kemper


Listen Later

Caroline and Liz sit down to chat with New York-based interior designer and author Emma Barrell Kemper, who shares insights from her new book, House Rules: 100 Ways to Feel at Home. Tune in to discover practical tips on creating mood boards, selecting paint colors, and future-proofing your home, along with advice on mixing metals for a timeless aesthetic. 

Emma also discusses key aspects of home design, like budgeting, assembling a shopping list, and choosing the right rugs and furniture. As always, the episode concludes with a listener's decorating dilemma, providing expert recommendations tailored to individual design challenges.


What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

  • 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
  • 00:34 Meet Emma Barrell Kember
  • 01:05 Emma's Book: House Rules
  • 03:51 Gathering Inspiration for Your Project
  • 08:47 Mood Boards vs. Scheming
  • 13:43 The Importance of Paint Schedules
  • 17:43 Common Paint Color Mistakes
  • 20:03 Using Paint to Accentuate or Camouflage
  • 24:17 The Power of the Color Wheel
  • 27:57 Preparing for a Decorating Project
  • 30:26 Handling Unexpected Costs
  • 31:18 Shopping Strategies: Rule of Thirds
  • 33:15 Finding the Right Items While Shopping
  • 34:15 Testing Fabrics and Swatches
  • 38:26 Avoiding Built-In Tech
  • 41:13 Future Proofing Your Home
  • 45:45 Finishing Touches for Your Space
  • 47:30 Decorating Dilemma: Kristen's Living Room
  • 54:46 Conclusion and Farewell

  • Also mentioned:

    • ⁠ballarddesigns.com⁠⁠⁠ | Shop Now
    • ⁠House Rules: 100 Ways to Feel at Home⁠ | Order Your Copy Now


      Please send in your decorating dilemmas + pictures so we can answer them on an upcoming episode (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) . And, of course, please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already in Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss a new episode.

      Happy Decorating!

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      How to DecorateBy Ballard Designs

      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4

      4.4

      801 ratings


      More shows like How to Decorate

      View all
      The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style by Shannon Ables

      The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style

      881 Listeners

      Affordable Interior Design by Uploft by Betsy Helmuth

      Affordable Interior Design by Uploft

      371 Listeners

      A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business Podcast by LuAnn Nigara

      A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

      767 Listeners

      Decorating Tips and Tricks by Bespoke FM

      Decorating Tips and Tricks

      807 Listeners

      Business of Home Podcast by Business of Home, Dennis Scully

      Business of Home Podcast

      424 Listeners

      The Great Indoors by Sophie Robinson and Kate Watson-Smyth: Interior Design Experts

      The Great Indoors

      400 Listeners

      The Everyday Style School by Jennifer Mackey Mary

      The Everyday Style School

      505 Listeners

      Dear Alice | Interior Design by Alice Lane

      Dear Alice | Interior Design

      1,492 Listeners

      A Beautiful Mess Podcast by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman

      A Beautiful Mess Podcast

      2,002 Listeners

      The Chairish Podcast by Chairish Inc.

      The Chairish Podcast

      234 Listeners

      Trade Tales by Business of Home, Kaitlin Petersen

      Trade Tales

      72 Listeners

      The Interior Collective by IDCO Studio

      The Interior Collective

      284 Listeners

      The Martha Stewart Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

      The Martha Stewart Podcast

      447 Listeners

      HER Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing by Heather Riggs - Stylist, Image Consultant & Color Analyst for Women

      HER Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing

      123 Listeners

      Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: A Fenimore Lane Production by Ariel Okin

      Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: A Fenimore Lane Production

      37 Listeners