I had a delightful conversation with my next guest, Lizzie McGraw. We talk about how she started and developed her popular boutique, Tumbleweed & Dandelion, in Venice Beach, California, and then went on to create interiors for many of her repeat clients. She’s recently come out with a beautiful book called "Creative Style," in which she shares her thought process on design, which prompted my interest in having her on the show. Visit the show notes pages for this episode at www.littleyellowcouch.com/podcast to see some wonderful pictures of Lizzies work and learn more about her design inspiration. Here’s Lizzie. 

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

When was the last time your table prompted you to think about big life questions? Do you have a candle holder that doesn’t just illuminate with a little flame but demands you become meditative when lit? This is how I think of the furniture designed and made by my two guests today. 
Angie West and Alberto Velez have joined forces to create a new furniture company called Refractory, where they bring together their creativity from concept to the final process of manufacturing at their foundry in Chicago. I wanted to have them on because I think for consumers, It is important to understand the skill, practice, discipline, and vision involved in making something from scratch with the hands of humans especially when we are overwhelmed with objects that are mass-produced and identical, their work, and their dedication and craftsmanship stands out as something we can all aspire to incorporate into our homes.  I have to say, you really do need to check out the show notes page for this episode to see photos of the collections we refer to. So if you’re driving, at the gym, or walking the dog, go to littleyellowcouch.com, and click on Podcast when you get home. You may even want to re-listen to this episode while you’re looking at these beautiful, meaningful pieces of art.

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

Bertille de Lestrade is an artist and on her Instagram account called Darling Toutim, she primarily shares her sculptural and mixed media pieces.  Her other instagram account is called Cette Maison Bleue, and that's where she showcases her paintings of private interiors... living rooms, bedrooms, etc. and that's why I wanted her to come on the show... to talk about the connection she makes between art and interior design.  But this conversation turned out to be a whole lot more than that.  Bertille has such a generous spirit about her.  We do talk about her work as an artist, of course, be we also talk about coming through to the other side of depression, developing self confidence, and finding beauty in the world, as well as putting beauty into it.  

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

There is a genuine warmth emanating from my guest, Marie Flanagan.  She's a designer in Houston, TX and she's just come out with her first book called The Beauty of Home.  Now, I gush a little bit about the book in the very beginning so let me just say here that I found Marie's chapters to each be a foundational lesson in design that clarifies so much of the intangible elements such as composition, character, palate, depth... and my conversation with her is like sitting in on several master classes rolled into one.  I think you're going to get a lot out of this episode and even more out of her book.  

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

Monica Leed is a pro organizer and author of the book, Simply Spaced.  In this episode we cover things such as how a good decluttering is growth for the soul, how getting organized is empowering, how to agree with your spouse or partner on what "neat and tidy" actually means, and why style is critical to staying organized. 

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

The first episode in this round of interviews from the archives is with Ariane Bethea, who just had a big feature in House Beautiful magazine.  In this episode, we talk about her work as an antiques and vintage dealer, her work designing for other people, and the work she's done in her own home.  She's a bold, maximalist, storyteller and she gives us the reasons why.  

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

Today, I'm talking with designer Aamir Khandwala.  From our conversation, I gathered that he has a gentle soul, sensitive to all aspects of a space, honoring both the history of design and the cultural essence of a country he's drawing from for a given project.  He speaks softly, so you have to listen closely.  But I think that's part of his charm.  You'll want to lean in to this one, soaking up everything he has to say. 

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

Get ready to think on a totally different plane because in this episode I talk with Susan Domelsmith Cabral of Clear Space, a modern feng shui practice for residential and commercial settings.  What you'll take away from this is the understanding that there's a lot going on inside our homes that we can't see.  And as a feng shui practitioner, it's Susan's job to use ancient tools that reveal the energy, balance, and focal points that may or may not be working in our homes.  We really just scratch the surface of what feng shui is all about, but she does leave us with some simple things we can implement right away.  If you're interested in learning more, go to our shownotes page for this episode at littleyellowcouch.com and click on the podcast section of our website.  In addition to getting more info about Susan and seeing photos of her work, she is also sharing a free downloadable energy map with you!  Ok, let's get started.  

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

This episode is a quiet one.  It's personal.  And I'm really happy to share this designer with you.  Her name is Christine Vroom and she works out of California and primarily does luxury design.  We talk about 2 of my favorite projects of hers, and you'll have to check the show note page for this episode at littleyellowcouch.com to see some of the stunning photos.  But Christine, generously, also opens up about depression, an eating disorder and mental health overall and how it affects both her personally, and how it has shaped her work with clients. 

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!

My guest today is Darcy Guttwein, author of "Hotels To Home: Living The Luxury Hotel Experience At Home."  But I don't think that title actually does the book justice.  Yes, we can steal some luxurious design ideas from fancy hotels, but Darcy goes so much further, excavating our deepest desires when it comes to what we really want our homes to do for us.  She's a traveler.  And so her backdrop for teaching herself, her kids and us, really valuable life lessons comes from her love of hotels.  She takes the experience of staying in a hotel to a level you've probably never thought of.  There are so many delightful gems in this episode, I think you're really gonna love it. 

Want to finally define your style? Grab your free worksheet and uncover your personal aesthetic!