This week starts a 5 episode series of re-released interviews from the archives.  First up is our interview with organizational guru, Peter Walsh, which we aired almost exactly three years ago in April, 2016.   I first saw Peter on Oprah's show and I still cut out the articles he writes for O Magazine.   What I loved about him then is that he helped people get organized from the inside-out and in a soulful way.  I mean, that's totally Oprah, right?   Now, I love him even more because he's so kind and approachable in real life.  Or, at least, on the phone.  One of these days, I'll meet him in person and have him autograph a to-do list or a storage bin or something.  Anyway, maybe you know him from the two TV shows where he's been front and center:  Extreme Clutter and Clean Sweep.  Or maybe you've read one of his many books, my favorite being "Does this Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?"  Peter is very entertaining and highly quotable, dropping wisdom bombs all over the place.  If you haven't been in his orbit until now, you're in for some great advice.  And, I figured, with the warm weather just starting to come around,  you might be in the mood for some Spring Cleaning.  And this episode is the best place to get started!  

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I have a repeat guest on the show this week!  Once again, I'm interviewing author Joanna Thornhill because she's just come out with a new book and I'm giving it my full and sincere endorsement!  It's called "My Bedroom Is An Office, and Other Interior Design Dilemmas).  I'm gonna tell you all about what makes this book so useful once I've got Joanna on the line.  But for now, I'll just say that during our conversation, we cover things like choosing the right white (cuz you know there are about 50 million paint choices out there), when creating a feature wall is actually ok, how to mix up different styles, the first thing you should do when you walk into your new home And the answer to the question, "how will I know when I'm done?"  Let's jump in

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

My guest this week is author Ingrid Fetell Lee.  She's just written a book called "Joyful:  The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness."  And let me tell, you, I read it a few months ago and I can't stop thinking about it!  It's not an interior design book and yet it has given me so many ideas and so much inspiration for continuing to create a home I love.  Ingrid followed her curiosity for 10 years before putting pen to paper.  She wanted to figure out why certain objects or environments illicit a spontaneous, immediate feeling of joy and why.  And I think you can relate to this because I assume that one of the main reasons you listen to this podcast is because, just like me, you do a crazy happy dance when you find the perfect score at an antiques show, or a new artist whose work you can afford, or some new fabric or color you can bring home with you... I think you'll find Ingrid's line of questioning really interesting.  Why do these things make us feel the way we do and why does it matter?  On top of that, is our love of things completely materialistic or is there some important good that can come from our purchases.  Ingrid makes me feel like I'm some kind of reporter on NPR because of how deep we go into sociology, psychology and design... and because of how smart she is.  So I hope you get a lot out of this interview because I sure did!  Here we go.  

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

So this week's episode is not as much directly related to interior design as they usually are.  But, it's still ultimately about how our environments and the atmosphere we create is connected to a life well lived.  My guest is Kate Richards of the blog, Drinking With Chickens.  Now, if you already follow Kate, you know she's a ton of fun and that her home and, more importantly, her backyard are well worth taking a look at for their design appeal.  She hosts some amazing outdoor parties, complete with pet chickens for entertainment, and her photos are both funny and beautiful.  So you'll get plenty of visual inspiration if you take a look at the show notes page this week.  But for this interview, we mostly talk about the lifestyle Kate has created for herself, her husband and their friends who come over, which probably happens all the time.  She is a great reminder that the reason why style matters is ultimately for the pure joy it gives us and those we love.  So... here we go.  

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

Today is for all of you who are thinking about hiring someone to help you furnish or decorate your home.  You might be considering a full on, top to bottom, in person interior designer, or someone who simply works with you online to give you some ideas and sources that you then implement yourself, or someone like me and some of my past guests who act as consultants to help give shape to your own vision.  In any of these cases, I thought it would be helpful to know what to look for when hiring someone because you're going to be plunking down some cash before you get the service.  So let's minimize the chances of disappointment!  My guest this week is Abbie Naber of A Naber Design and she's giving us her tips in how to best work with someone else, especially if you don't share the same language around style.  We then talk about her own home, which is outstanding, and her goal of seamless living between the outside and inside, which you really want to take advantage of if you live in Southern California.  And given the fact that as I record this, I'm in the dead cold of winter in New England, that sounds pretty great to me right now.  

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

My guest this week is Anthony D’Argenzio. He launched his art direction company Zio & Sons in New York City before moving to Hudson, NY where he’s now the owner of This Old Hudson, a work and living space open for photo shoots and travelers wishing to stay in a beautifully styled setting while visiting the Hudson Valley region. I talk with him about the renovation of the property, the aesthetic he’s created there and how he goes about mixing and layering texture, style and materials in a space. If you haven’t seen photos of This Old Hudson, you can do so on the Little Yellow Couch website. And believe me, you’re going to want to know what we’re referring to as we talk about his incredible kitchens!

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

My guest today is author Shannon Ables.  Her newest book is called "Living The Simply Luxurious Life: Making Your Everydays Extraordinary and Discovering Your Best Self."  She covers a lot of ground in this book, talking about aspects of our lives such as money, our health, our careers.... and we don't have time to talk abou it all!  So in our conversation, we start with the big picture, talking about where luxury, true luxury, comes from and how to attain it.  And then, we zero in on the home, especially our kitchens, our rituals and finding the perfect pieces to furnish them.  Shannon is so warm and easy to talk with, I know you're going to love her.

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

This week's interview is jam packed with information and inspiration.  I'm talking with Steve Schrenk, a sculptor and media director for Polycor, the largest natural stone quarrier in North America.  We cover a lot of ground, starting with Steve's training as a sculptor and then he teaches us about the different kinds of stone you might want to consider using in your own home, how to use stone as a design element, where to find it, what kinds of quarries it comes from and the environmental impact of extraction.  I'm pretty sure that at least half of you are going to want to start a kitchen renovation after this.  We wrap up with two of his favorite sources of inspiration, one of whom is an interior designer and the other is an installation you can  visit when in you're in New York City.  

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

In this behind the scenes episode, I talk about the necessity of putting your true self out there so that you can achieve a life you love.  I then talk with designer Megan Pflug about how she recently did this and how it's changed her life.  We tie it all into making your home work for you as you challenge yourself and take risks.

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

My guest this week is Philadelphia based interior designer, Michelle Gage.   We talk about her obsession with floor plans, her time working at Anthropologie and her latest project, her dining room.  We actually talk a lot about this room because not only is it fabulous to look at, Michelle wrote about the costs associated with doing a makeover of this scale.  And I thought that it was so refreshing to hear honest talk about money.  Toward the end, Michelle also says a few things that I think make for great mantras when needing a little design inspiration.  Let me know if you can tell what I'm referring to!  Ok, let's go.   

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