How to Decorate

By Ballard DesignsBusiness Arts Design

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on Design
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Typical duration
60 min
per episode

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How to Decorate episodes

March 03, 2020Ep. 130: designer Lauren Lowe
Lauren Lowe of Lauren Elaine Interiors in Atlanta joins the show to talk about her unique perspective from moving from the world of commercial design to residential. Lauren discusses her style which highlights the classic and adds a timeless Southern twist. She also talks with us about her new home, rules of thumb for creating seating a room with a limited layout, and her use of both masculine and feminine textiles.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
More about Lauren’s new home including a sneak peek of some of her personal favorite choices for decor.
Why she sold an open concept home for a major fixer upper that was half the square footage.
What didn’t make the cut including gaudy and the quirky, and how we can know what looks good as old and antique, and what we may want to part with.
What she liked about the house structurally, and what things she changed.
How the right paint color can make a big difference, and why you want to pay attention to painting the crown, door and ceiling.
What the learning curve was like for Lauren to go from commercial to residential, and ways her commercial background has helped her residential projects.
How to get seating in a room that has a limited layout.
Why the silhouette and style of a sofa can make a big impact.
Yes, it’s possible to have a beautiful home even with active kids and a playroom filled with toys, and in fact it’s even more important to have a beautiful house when you have children.
Lauren walks through how she picks textiles and explains how we can make different patterns work together seamlessly.
How to have success using prints that are both masculine and feminine.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Atlanta Home and Lifestyles
@laurenelaineinteriors
Lauren Elaine Interiors

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1 hr 2 min
February 25, 2020Ep. 129: design duo Lathem Gordon and Cate Dunning
Design duo Lathem Gordon and Cate Dunning from GordonDunning join the show this week to talk about their Atlanta based boutique interior design firm. GordonDunning was recently named House Beautiful’s Next Wave Designers, and we totally understand why. Lathem and Cate works with their clients to honor the story of the house, and this team has a knack for creating beauty in working both with the new and old. Lathem and Cate also chat with us about not worrying if you’ll get tired of a decision, how to use sectionals properly, and why things need to actually be comfortable instead of just looking that way.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
Lathem and Cate are very simpatico, but they do share what they disagree on including lights, and toilet paper display!
What each of their go to’s are in terms of design and decor, and the inspiration behind them.
What it was like to be named as House Beautiful’s Next Wave Designers.
What things we should be hanging on to for antique purposes, and what relics we may be better off parting with.
How their company GordingDunning works with clients to tell the story of the home, and weave it in with how they want their present and future to look.
Ways that we can bring the spirit of an old home into a new house.
A few examples of projects in their portfolio where the style ranged from playful and cheerful, mature and refined, to classic and southern.
Let’s not make decisions based on fear that we will get sick of it! We are more likely to like our choices for a longer term when we finish it completely instead of stopping midway.
What frames can make a house look more textured and charming, and how to bring proportion and scale into your frame choices.
Things don’t need to look comfortable, they need to be comfortable.

Mentioned In This Episode:
House Beautiful
Lux Magazine
Gordon Dunning
@gordondunning
Decorating Dilemma
Good for you for taking a risk, first of all! Your plan sounds like a good one, but it’s not the only option. There are multiple ways to tackle, and it really comes down to your budget and which one works best for you. We like the French Door idea towards the living room, and love your idea of closing the off arch to close off your office. You could do built in bookcases on the wall, and do something with the mill work to make the offset french door make sense. Since there is a lot of height, there’s an opportunity.

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1 hr 8 min
February 18, 2020Ep. 128: floral expert Scott Shepherd
Scott Shepherd has worked in the floral industry for 27 years, and as the host of the very popular podcast The Flower Podcast, he is the go to guy on all things floral. He shares his expertise to talk with us about how we can tell if a flower is fresh, what goes behind the cost of flowers, how we can utilize our local farmer’s markets, and tricks and tips to keep our flowers fresher and more beautiful for even longer!
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
Trials and triumphs on a romantic rosemary hedge, Ninja air fryers and crispers, important dermatologist news, growing plants from seeds, and some drapery workarounds.
More about Scott’s podcast The Flower Podcast, and some of the super cool takeaways he has from interviewing people all over the world in the flower industry.
How social media has affected the flower industry, and what we now expect from our florals.
What it’s really like to work in a flower shop when you have high volume clients mixed with individual personalized orders.
How Scott and his team find flowers, and how he finds brokers and importers for rare yet important flowers such as autumn eucalyptus.
The most popular flowers and greenery for both high end and affordable weddings.
What really goes behind the cost of purchasing flowers from a florist, including transportation, inspection, and details you may not have thought of that adds to the expense.
A step by step method of what to do should we buy flowers from our local grocery store to keep them fresh and beautiful for as long as possible.
Why hydrangeas are Scott’s favorite flower, and the lowdown on how we should actually cut them.
Why we use floral film, and how to use it properly.
How we know what type of vase to use with our flowers.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Ninja Air Fryer
Floret
The Flower Podcast
Faith Flowers
Reeves
Syndicate Sales

Decorating Dilemma
If you are open to moving the tables, flanking them with matching lamps and botanicals with a large print on either side would add both symmetry and drama. If you paint the banister black, that could look fresh and modern!
______________________________________
You may want to move the console to where the TV is, and put the little leggy chair under the TV, push it all closer together and that way it opens it up for comfortable seating and opens up the options to make the room appear even bigger. Buy yourself those great chairs that you love, or at least start making a plan using our room planner tool!

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1 hr 18 min
February 11, 2020Ep. 127: Lighting Basics
This week, we switched it up to take a deep dive into lighting with Ballard lighting experts Valerie and Roger. They answer all our lighting questions including, how many light sources we actually need, the rules for wattage and color that can help us get the best brightness and not waste money, and why light fixtures are like the jewelry of a home. They also give their personal picks for the type of lighting that works best in a space, share rules for using shades and finding the right lamp height, and common mistakes we make that can make a huge difference in creating a simple yet beautiful mood in a room.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
Valerie handles the “pretty” part of lighting at Ballard, and Roger hands the technical.
How Valerie and Roger work together to make things both as functional and aesthetically pleasing as possible, and what a day in their work life looks like.
How we know if a room is under lit, and if there is a thing as too much lighting in a room.
The rules of thumb for hanging lights at different levels, and the most important rules of can lights.
Why we shouldn’t rely on one fixture such as a chandelier to be our main source of light.
The many different ways light bulbs can make or break a room, what exactly wattage is and how we are paying for it, and how to know which LED colors to pick.
Why Roger loves incandescent lighting, and how we can use the Kelvin temperature scale on the Ballard website to better understand which type of bulb to pick.
What a humming sound inside our bulbs means, and what we can do about it.
How to check to see if a light meets your “CBD” needs - Color, Brightness, and Dimmable.
Pleated, paper, and printed textures are in, so bring those shades on!
How to best match the lamp with the appropriate piece of furniture, and how to know what height and width works best for picking lamps.
What makes some lamps more expensive than others, and how to get the right deal when paying for a lamp.
If we should or should not put shades and chandeliers, and the rules surrounding it regarding functionality.
The true confessions of how often we really clean our ceiling fans.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Ballard Designs Lighting
YouTube.Com/BallardDesigns
Ep 122: Tom Scheerer

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1 hr 13 min
February 04, 2020Ep. 126: designer Kevin O’Gara
Design blogger Kevin O’Gara joins the show this week to discuss the inspiration and background behind his traditional yet youthful style. Kevin is a rising superstar in the world of design, and talks about his blog Thou Swell, the inspiration behind his new maze inspired rug collection, and what trends he is most excited. Kevin also talks with us about using contrast and color in both traditional and modern, how he took his design skill to his very own dorm room, and what it was like working with Suzanne Kasler.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
Trials and triumphs including water leaks (yes, a new one!), garbage disposals, and why you should leave it to the professionals to do the fixing. Also, a search for the perfect lamp, the Margot Slubby Velvet Quilt, and finding the right box that is both beautiful and functional.
Kevin has always found ways to turn things he is interested in into a business or entrepreneurial venture. He started his blog, Thou Swell, in high school, and mixed his interest in design, photography, and graphics.
Kevin’s design style is rooted in classics with a playful twist. He grew up with traditional design, but found balance between that and modern while spending time on Pinterest and blogs,
What it was like for Kevin to work in Suzanne Kasler’s office, and the biggest things he learned throughout his experience.
Some do’s and don’t of wallpaper that Kevin has learned, including accent walls and how to get over the feeling of intimidation when starting with a blank slate.
Kevin’s rug collection, and how the color choice was inspired by nature.
The Invitation Homes show house that has been one of Kevin’s favorite projects, where he got to be playful and step out of his comfort zone.
Why working on tiny spaces such as a dorm room has been one of Kevin’s most fun challenges and how they are a great creative experience.
Kevin’s biggest tip: focus on textiles and invest in comfortable bed linens and lots of throw pillows and blankets.
How Kevin’s blog name “Thou Swell” mirrors the traditional and modern aspects of his design.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Kevin O’Gara | @kevinfrancisdesign
Kevin Francis Design
Thou Swell
Double Gourd Lamp
Margot Slubby Quilt
Suzanne Kasler
Ep #115 with Tammy Connor

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1 hr 26 min
January 28, 2020Ep. 125: Carson and Thom are back!
Carson Kressley and Thom Filicia, Emmy winning style makers, designers, and stars of the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy join the show this week. These super fun and successful men answer some of our burning questions including who their design idols are, what has been the bargain of a lifetime, and the last time they got starstruck. Thom and Carson both give an update on what’s next for them professionally, and we chat about design and lifestyle at any budget!
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
Trials and triumphs about Staghorn ferns, old doors, a tricky IKEA bookcase and some heavy duty man cave organization
Thom Filicia Inc. is one of today’s most influential and respected interior design firms. Hear more about their projects including residential, hospitality, and commercial
Carson’s upcoming appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Couched on The Design Network
How we can let our interior design reflect our authentic story, and create a home that feels both personal and chic
Thom and Carson’s design idols, and the last book they each read
More about Thom’s Home Collection, featuring wall covering, furniture, drapery and much more
The story of how Thom modernized a family heirloom painting in his New York place
The best bargains of their lifetime, from cars to accessories and just how dedicated they are about getting that great deal

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1 hr 6 min
January 21, 2020Ep. 124: designer Jade Joyner
Athens based designer Jade Joyner joins the show this week to talk about Metal + Petal, the full service interior design firm that she and her husband own and operate. We hear the inspiration behind Jade’s use of bold yet tasteful patterns and textures, and why she believes sometimes less is more. Jade also gives her advice on where to splurge and where to save, why she loves a good console table, and designing living rooms and kitchens for big families.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
Where Jade developed an eye for the bold and sculptural pieces we see on her blog and social media
Jade’s use of unique silhouettes to create interest in a room
Jade’s work with the Alpha Phi sorority to renovate a historic home into a residence for the group of young women
Why Jade suggests carrying some aspect of a room’s color all throughout the house, whether it is in an accent piece, paint color, or accessory
Don’t be afraid to edit. Jade reminds us that often, less is more.
Some of Jade’s tips for using custom tables and sofas in living rooms, and why a great sofa that stands the test of time is one of her top items to splurge on.
Hear why Jade loves a beautiful console table, and quite frankly — we agree!
Our realization that ranches may be the next big dream home. They are spacious, more affordable, and offer things traditional houses may not.
What projects Jade has now, including the Golden Pantry Market where she works with local artisans based in Athens.
Behind the scenes of what really goes through a designer’s mind when their home is part of a photoshoot or magazine spread.

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1 hr 12 min
January 14, 2020Ep. 123: designer Brian Patrick Flynn
This week, Brian Patrick Flynn joins us to talk about his career path as a TV producer turned designer, now working on HGTV Dream Home and Urban Oasis. Brian combines his talents as a producer, writer, personality, and designer to create content, change lives, and bring a “it’s okay to not be perfect” vibe to design. Brian also talks with us about the TBS hit series Movie & a Makeover, his Icelandic getaway home, his own production company, Flynnside Out Productions, and his bucket list wedding in Antarctica.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
Brian’s first dream may have been to be an Art Director on MTV’s The Real World, but life had even bigger and better plans.
More about how Brian worked his way to HGTV Dream Home and Urban Oasis.
Brian’s Instagram is one of our favorites because of his beautiful production quality and storytelling on the photos and stories.
Brian shares the amazing story of getting married in Antarctica, including seals, glaciers, and almost an avalanche.
How Brian fell in love with Iceland so much that he decided to purchase space in a Historic Row Flat there, and why he loves the country so much.
Tips for making a room comfortable for both men and women, and embracing what Brian refers to as the “soft masculine” of design.
The first step to being perfect is deciding it’s perfectly okay to not be. When we embrace our uniqueness and flaws, we realize the character that makes our space beautiful.
Brian’s dream celebrity to work with - and we all agree.
Where Brian would splurge and be bold such as art and window treatments, and why he tends to stay classic when it comes to sofas.
Brian’s home in Georgia, and what it’s like to own a home in the mountains.
Why Brian loves a good piece of furniture used out of context, to keep things fresh and playful.

Mentioned In This Episode:
@bpatrickflynn
HGTV Dream Home | Urban Oasis
Flynnside Out Productions
Melanie Turner
Kacey Musgraves
Amy Osaba
House Hunters International
Tina Fey
Sally King Benedict

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1 hr 6 min
January 07, 2020Ep. 122: designer Tom Scheerer
This week, New York based designer Tom Scheerer joins the show to talk about his background practicing architectural and interior design since 1985. Tom talks about his new book, More Decorating, and the inspiration behind the projects that display his sophisticated yet relaxed style. We also discuss incorporating more light and air into design, areas that we are okay to splurge and save, and why showering with your plants may not be the worst idea yet.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
More about Tom’s books, More Decorating, which came out in September of 2019, and Tom Scheerer Decorates, 2013.
More about each of Tom’s six properties, and why each of them are special to him in their different ways.
How Tom gets a strong picture in his mind early on when taking on a new project.
Situations where Tom used found objects and works of art already existing inside the clients home.
We pick Tom’s brain on using big sconces, communal headboards, and matching dressers to the wall art.
Tom explains his own stylistic choices for his first New York apartment, and how it has differed from his other homes.
How Tom picks inexpensive items, including IKEA chairs, and where he prefers to work with objects that are fine and stand the test of time.
What Tom means when he says that he can sometimes like artists more than he likes work of art.
Why Tom loves using tulip tables, and some ways they can elevate a space to give it a sturdy softness.
The use of bold color in Tom’s Paris apartment, and ways that we can both use bold colors and have neutrals and beige work for us.
Tom’s getaway Bahamian home that was featured in such publications as Architectural Digest.

Mentioned In This Episode:
@tomscheerer
More Decorating
Tom Scheerer
Ballard Designs Wembley Chair
Ikea 365 glass

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1 hr 9 min
January 02, 2020 Ep. Bonus: designer Maggie Griffin answers dilemmas
Welcome to our special holiday bonus episode, to wrap up the year and answer all your remaining questions! Thank you so much for all the letters, inquiries, and fun over the past year and we look forward to answering even more questions in the New Year. We are joined by designer Maggie Griffin to help answer your questions, you may remember Maggie from a previous episode, and winning our special “Best Instagram To Follow” award. We answer questions from all types of dilemmas in this episode, including creating rooms that feel modern yet established, using upholstery to get more texture, how to spruce up a guest room, and tips to win when mixing contemporary with classic.
Mentioned In This Episode:
Ballard Designs
Maggie Griffin Design
@maggiegriffindesign
Tammy Connor
The Shade Room
Decorating Dilemma
Lisa.
Hi Lisa! It depends more on the feel you want to create for the room, but a leather ottoman is always a great place to start. It looks great and is easy to clean. You don’t want all bold patterns in the room, so make sure you balance out all the patterns and use different colors, shapes, and designs. There is nothing better than a velvet sofa, but a silk velvet sofa is hard to take care of and prevent stains!
Kerry.
Kerry, you may be able to tell how excited we are about your space due to our photoshopped plan for you that was already sent back! Next, a giant piece of art over the sofa would look great, and moving the secretary hutch will help fill the room and counterbalance the built-in and the fireplace with the TV on it. We think splitting the silhouette of your four children to flank the window will add some symmetry. A beautiful gray rug would cover the carpet and make it cozier. Maggie suggests adding a chandelier, maybe something modern or funky!
Becky.
Thank you Becky, and wow, what a nice space! So, an 8 foot wide sofa would give you plenty of room to walk around, and a console table with some lamps behind the sofa would be lovely. A chair in the corner to the right of the fireplace would give another nook to sit and read, or just enjoy a cup of coffee.
Lauren.
Maggie loves wallpaper, but thinks it could be so fun to paint the room one color. It would give you a soothing look that would match your table and chairs. She would put a cushion and some pillows in the window, and a big area rug to give the room some texture. We also suggest a bigger and more modern chandelier hung 32-34 inches from the table top for more romantic light. Three chairs on each side would give great seating options but also give you ample room on the sides. Check out Ballard’s acrylic shelves, and if you want plate inspiration check out Maggie’s Instagram.
Shawn.
A sofa with a taller back and large side table with floor to ceiling drapery would give this beautiful historical home what it needs! We recommend a new rug and even going a little riskier with the accessories and colors you use! The name of the game here is chunky lamps and big side tables. Painting your built in is not a deal breaker, but can be really fun. Check out the Kenneth Pleated Drum Shade Chandelier!
Julie.
We first wanted to give some suggestions about your drapery! The rod pocket is dating it a bit, and a ring would be easier to move back and forth. Maddie mentions that adding a bamboo shade behind the bed would be easy to open and close. To find a seamstress that you love, try fabric stores, a dry cleaner, or just good old word of mouth. We do feel as though the lamps are a bit small, and a rectangular shade can look great. A mirror on either side of the window would be beautiful and reflect light. In terms of color, off white or cream would give it a clean and cozy look.

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1 hr 25 min

About How to Decorate

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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…