Style Matters

Windy Chien is an artist with several past lives which means she's one of those people you can relate to because her path in life hasn't been a straight line.  She's done many things, tried many things, had ups and downs, all before landing where she is today.  And speaking of straight lines, her medium as an artist has everything to do with lines... and more specifically, with the knots she creates out of those lines.  Windy Chen has just come out with a book, The Year Of Knots, detailing her 365 day long project where she challenged herself to learn and perfect one new knot a day and record her progress on Instagram.  I was blown away by the end result when I saw a video of her final art installation.  For more info on the Slow Style approach to creating a home you love, go to littleyellowcouch.com This episode was originally aired in 2019 and it's one of my all time favorite interviews!  Please leave a review of the podcast and let me know what you like about it and what you want to hear more of when we come back from summer break!

I’m really excited to introduce you to a new book written by my guests, Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov. It’s called "How To Live With Objects," and it’s a compilation of many things: their philosophy and approach to design; a primer that introduces us to history and context around specific objects and schools of design; and an inspirational coffee table book that showcases the homes of people who have really developed a very personal point of view, aesthetically. If you are passionate about interiors, you need this book in your library. Here’s my conversation with Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov, authors of "How to Live With Objects."

It is my great privilege to introduce you to my guest today. Newell Turner is a bit of a legend when it comes to design and journalism. He’s responsible for the formation of the entire Hearst magazine editorial division, heading up three big shelter publications: Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Veranda magazines. He’s just released a gorgeous new book called "Mexican: A Journey Through Design," which showcases not only his own photography but also his obvious love for his adopted country. The book is one you want to sink into and absorb the colors, textures, and exquisite details of various design eras throughout Mexico's history. But, if I do say so myself, this conversation with Newell is a pretty good companion piece because of how warm and candid he is. This has definitely been one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done. Let's get to it.

My guest today is Anjie Cho, designer and author of “Mindful Homes: Create Healing Living Spaces with Mindfulness and Feng Shui.” What makes Anjie and her book so helpful is that she explains the principles of this ancient Chinese approach to creating spaces in a way that we can use in our modern lives and contemporary homes. Even if you’re skeptical about alternative medicine (and Feng Shui is kind of like a diagnostic and curative plan for our homes), you’re going to get something out of this episode. And that’s because Anjie understands that not all of Feng Shui needs to be applied literally. Without spoiling it any further, let’s get started with Anjie.

This is such a delightful episode thanks to my guest, stylist Dee Campling. She’s just come out with a book called “Camper Heaven: Van Life on the Open Road.” And if you’re imagining hippies living in VW buses back in the 70s, you won’t believe how that lifestyle has evolved! Dee shares the many ways and reasons people are creating these homes on wheels, from decked-out ski chalet-style horse trailers to modest but beautiful, portable weekend vacation spots. But what’s so great is Dee’s enthusiasm for the whole endeavor. She’s so wonderful to talk with that you’re going to be inspired to buy a camper van by the end of this episode! Here’s Dee.

My guest today is Sara Hillery, a designer in Richmond, VA. One of her great talents, in my opinion, is her ability to mix the qualities of elegance, something that’s been a hallmark of southern homes for decades, with a feeling of energy. In other words, she is able to combine youthfulness with wisdom and grace, as well as a maximalist’s penchant for detail with the sensibilities of minimalism. You’ll have to go to the show notes page on our website to really see what I’m talking about after you hear the conversation!

We’ve had Ki Nassauer on the show before—a couple of times, actually—and that’s because she loves antiquing, thrifting, repurposing, and collecting anything vintage. And if you know me and my Slow Style approach to decorating our homes, you know that I think that every house and every room really needs to have at least one thing that’s from a different era than the one we’re living in. Ki has spent her career working in media all around filling our homes with antiques and is currently the editor-in-chief of the online magazine, Lived-In Style. I highly recommend you subscribe to it, by the way. What we're talking about today is her beautiful new book, which is also called Lived-in Style." Let’s get started.

My guest today is gallery owner and art advisor Liz Lidgett. She’s just as passionate as I am about getting more people to embrace their inner art collector. And we both think everyone has one of those inside us! But there are so many mental blocks to get over...what should I choose? Where can I find it? How much should I pay for it? How do you even conduct yourself in an art gallery? Liz has some great advice around all of these questions, starting with the most simple thing ever. Let’s hear from Liz.

What a wonderful conversation you’re about to hear with my guest, Kacie Cope. She’s a designer and now a shop owner in Pittsburgh with an obvious passion for home. And by “home” I mean the creation of experiences, not the walls themselves. We talk about how to afford buying things that are handmade, artisan designed, and well-crafted and how we can shift our thinking to uncover their actual value. And we also talk about the realities of budget constraints and taking our time with what we fill our homes with. She’s a great storyteller and I think you’re going to love her. Visit the episode show notes page to learn more about Kacie and see photos of her Here’s Kacie.

Hilton Carter is a very busy guy, he’s a stylist and matchmaker between plants, people, and their homes and he also owns a plant shop. He is constantly in the media as a plant expert and he’s just written his 4th book in as many years. If you’re new to plant care, go back and look through his other books. But if you’re ready to take your plants to the next level and really think of them as dynamic design elements, his latest book is for you. Today we talk about the impact your choice of pot or planter can have, as well as what you’re pairing the plant with and what it’s sitting on, all with an eye toward design, you can also visit the episode show notes pages to see wonderful pictures of Hilton work. Here’s Hilton.