How to Decorate

Scott Kravet is referred to as the Indiana Jones of the Fabric World. As the Executive Creative Director of Kravet Fabrics, it is his job to travel the world and find the best textile to make the dreams of others come true. Today he joins the show to talk about his family business and passion for fabrics, what he puts in his own personal house, fabric care, and trends in the fabric world.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Trials and Triumphs including roofs, roses, rugs, benches and baby proofing.

How Scott and his team travel all over the world to source out the best textiles.

The wide array of textiles Scott works within the material, design and time period.

The different lines that are in the Kravet line, and how the designer collaborations came to be.

The family story of their passion for fabrics and the vision for generations to come.

Scott’s role of overseeing a team of 45 people at Kravet.

How Scott feels about digital printing, the pros, and the cons, and how it has improved over the years.

A glimpse into the process of knowing how the colors will react to get the effect you want.

A better understanding of getting what you pay for in fabric.

The artwork, textiles, fabrics, and colors Scott uses in his own personal home.

The digital catalog system Scott works with to keep track of hundreds of designs in their projects.

Where Kravet’s mills are all over the world.

Important insider information about rub tests and a performance finish.

What things we should look for in fabric, including the option of slipcovers.

What styles and colors Scott sees trending in the fabric world, and which are fading out.

The elements of scale, color, and motif when working with antique fabric.

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Interior Designer Kate Singer joins the show to talk about her experiences with showhome designs, what she loves to mix to keep classic and traditional design style fresh, creating a sanctuary no matter where you are, and why loving colors (and neutrals!) may be something woven into our DNA.

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This week we talk to the ladies of Pappas Miron, Tatyana and Alexandra, childhood friends and designers that have worked together since 2003. They talk with us about their contemporary and warm styles that mix together to create timeless and comfortable spaces.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

More about Tatyana and Alexandra’s updated traditional and modern eclectic style.

Where their love of contemporary furniture comes from.

How someone that loves a contemporary space can inject more warmth into their space.

The challenges they are solving on a regular basis regarding weird layouts and smaller spaces in New York.

Their creative use of closets, bins, and blanket boxes to provide even more storage for those with children.

The way they encourage their clients to incorporate their warm personal style.

What their individual homes look like, and how they each use texture and mood.

Dark doesn’t always have to be sad and depressing.

Tatyana and Alexandra’s advice for going over the top in a great way with pattern.

The reason they favor curvilinear furniture pieces in their rooms.

Their use of deep rich jewel tone colors for accents, and why we shouldn’t be afraid to embrace the dark.

What really goes into upholstering a room.

The favorite rooms they have ever done!

The upsides of having a partner in design, and yes they do consult each other in their own personal projects.

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This week, we have mother-daughter design duo Ann and Elizabeth Pyne from McMillen Interior Design and Decoration, the oldest interior design firm in the country. They share why we should be fearless in design, the idea behind each room having a thesis, and a glimpse into what it is like to work as a mother-daughter dynamic. They also tell us about the three most important things to think about design wise when purchasing or renting a place, and rules for decorating with an infant.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Why we should be fearless and courageous in our career paths.

An example of what they mean by each room having a thesis.

The differences in Ann and Elizabeth’s design style, and how they complement each other’s range of style to create a fantastic finished product.

You have to deal with the space first, and the client second.

What elements are classic and won’t go out of style, and what Ann and Elizabeth have seen stand the test of time.

Their own individual spaces, and Ann’s description of her 8 totally separate rooms.

McMillen’s reign of over 90 years as a trusted and established interior design firm.

Why we shouldn’t be intimidated by auctions, and how to navigate them in a confident manner.

The give and take Ann and Elizabeth have with their clients and artwork, and how they plan for new and fresh art ideas in a space.

The three most important qualities of any place to live: light, proportions and layout.

You do not have to have expensive things to make your place beautiful, and the Stark rug that changed it all for Ann.

Why we shouldn’t discount the unifying power of a beautiful rug, and some powerful “rug rules” in design.

Decorating with an infant - it can be done!

The classic approaches to design, and why we should invest in pieces that stand the test of time.

How to keep up with the evolution of lighting.

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Renowned interior designer Alexa Hampton has done it all — TV, books, magazines, you name it and Alexa has been featured there. Today, she joins the show to talk about growing up with her  designer father Mark Hampton, the inspiration behind her two books, Decorating in Detail and Language of Interior Design, her recent travels for an upcoming furniture collection, and why there is no room for snobbery in design.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

What has been Alexa’s biggest challenges over the many different collections she has created and titles she juggles.

Alexa’s habit of drawing on a photograph as a low tech and practical way that gave her a “Eureka” moment.

Her father’s designation between a decorator and a designer.

People may not realize how much they really can put in a room.

Alexa’s self-described “rookie mistake” when redoing her bedroom, and the lesson learned in bouncing back after a misstep.

More about Alexa’s trips to Vietnam to check out prototypes for her new furniture collection, and going to Ireland with a group from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art.

How publishing books in the world of decorating is more different than it has ever been.

The point of views from her books The Language of Interior Design and Decorating in Detail.

Design is no place for snobbery, and there is always more to learn, discover and see.

How the fee can grow, but the markup will be scrutinized.

The balance between having a trademark look, and being open to adapting based on the client’s needs.

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This week on the show, we've got design duo Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham of the design firm Tilton Fenwick. This pattern powerhouse is known for mixing prints and the bold color palettes they work into their clients' homes. In addition to their wallpaper and fabric lines, they're moms, masters of collaboration, and big Ballard fans!

What You'll Hear on the Show:

Why their partnership makes their designs strongerHow Anne and Suysel met and what sparked their initial creative projectsWe talk about their fabric collections for Duralee and what inspires their printsAnne and Suysel tell us about their most recent Duralee collection, inspired by a trip to PortugalWe talk about the design process of their patternsWhy surprising color palettes are their favorite way to refresh vintage printsWhy using a textile collection book can help you if you're intimidated by the volume of fabrics at a design centerHow they mix patterns together and why fabrics are a great place to startWe talk about their own homes and how often they're changing things aroundWhat they learned about their fabric collections and how it changed the direction of their second collectionThe most expensive fabric they've ever used in a project and why they try to keep fabrics 

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Interior designer Jenny Wolf  draws from her clients' personalities when designing a space, and we love the way her spaces feel organic and collected. On the show, we talk editing, collecting, Jenny's new shop, and how to work with a designer on a budget.

What You'll Hear on This Show:

We talk editing and how important it is to your home -- just like in your closetWhy Jenny thinks it's important to be honest with her clients about the pieces they already haveHow her two girls affect her decorating styleJenny tells us about her latest project -- a store in Pound Ridge, New YorkWhat we can expect in her new store and why the project has been serendipitous We talk about decorating her girls' rooms

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As the host of the podcast A Well-Designed Business, LuAnn Nigara is a wealth of knowledge about the business of running and interior design studio, so we wanted to share that valuable information with you! LuAnn is passionate about entrepreneurship and coaching interior designers through the challenges of running their own business. If you're an interior designer with your own shop, this is the episode for you!

What You'll Hear on This Show:

What led LuAnn to starting her podcast, A Well-Designed BusinessWhat separates the most successful interior designers from the rest of the packPillars of running a successful interior design businessWe talk about systems and why you should iron them outWe talk about billing and the challenges of explaining your fee structure

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We kick off today’s episode with some talk about our favorite Super Bowl hosting tips, tricks, and recipes. Then, we are joined by the incredible architect Gil Schafer. Gil shares his love of embracing tradition and memory, why we should pursue our ideas with rigor and clarity, and the importance of moving past our comfort zone. We also talk with Gil about simple design using beautiful materials, collaboration, his work with Miles Redd, and how he makes new places feel as though they have a history.

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Nicki Clendening is known for her eclectic style and ability to incorporate vintage and thrift store treasures into her design projects. Today, she talks about how to weave in old with the new, what she looks for when shopping at flea markets and antique stores, the opening of her design studio Scout Design and online store Beetle, and why blue painters tape should be your best friend. We will also hear some Trials and Triumphs, and get Nicki’s feedback on how to bring a small space together.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Trials and triumphs including new cookbooks, missing plants, cool performance rugs and more

How Nicki’s dreams progressed from being Indiana Jones to working and living in New York, making money doing exactly what she loves to do

What shopping for a client looks like, and if Nicki has ever had buyers remorse

More about Nicki’s design studio, Scout Design

Where she likes to go to shop for both herself and Beetle, and how she finds one of a kind pieces to add to her collection

The inspiration her mom had on her in terms of art, creativity and fashion and her family’s love of global travel and collecting special items from all around the world

Her top picks for flea markets, and the importance of building great relationships with vendors

Functionality is key, along with using the space appropriately based on what your typical activities are (entertaining, reading, pets, etc)

How she came up with her online store, Beetle, and curates what is on the site

A glimpse into her own apartment, right at the top of Central Park

Why we shouldn’t be afraid to paint the ceiling

All about the mix of new and old, whether you own your home or you are renting

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