How To Decorate

We're huge fans of stylemaker, shop owner, and clothing designer Ann Mashburn, so we were thrilled when she stopped by for an episode of the podcast. She tells us about starting her and her husband's stores in Atlanta (which have now spread all over), raising 5 girls, decorating their homes and retails shops, and she shares some outfit ideas for holiday parties. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE: Ann tells us about how they started their shops Sid Mashburn and Ann MashburnShe tells us about her real life Devil Wears Prada experienceShe talks about how the interior design style of her stores reflects the style of their homesShe talks about her philosophy when it comes to buying furniture -- buying what you love and not necessarily things that 'go together'We talk about lots of pieces that used to be in their homes ended up in their storesShe tells us the story of the iconic horse painting in Sid's flagship Atlanta storesAnn talks about why each store they open has an inspiration board in itAnn and Sid's living

We've been waiting to get color expert Maria Killam on the podcast ever since we heard about her October color workshop here in Atlanta. She captivated us on day one of her workshop, and afterwards, we sat down to talk paint, color, undertones, and timeless interior design. This is an episode you won't want to miss! What You'll Hear on This Show: Maria gives us a rundown of paint undertones and why they're importantWhat makes a decor choice timelessWe talk about paint swatches, why you need big ones, and how fan decks are madeWe ask how you know which paint color to shoot for?We talk about why choosing a paint color should be an easy choiceWhat's the difference between a 'clean' versus a 'dirty' color?Why mixing your own custom color isn't necessarily the best strategyWe talk about choosing exterior paint colors and why you should approach them differentlyWe talk about choosing colors in adjacent roomsWhy the right wallpaper can totally transform outdated fixtures and finishesWhy styling and decorating can s

Ever since we worked with interior designer Jonathan Savage on the 2016 Southern Style Now Showhouse, we've been itching to share his work with you. When he was in town for Discover ADAC, he sat down with us to share everything he's been up to, tips for renovating, and so much more. What You'll Hear on This Episode: Jonathan gives us a rundown of his first overseas designerWe talk about Jonathan and Suzanne Kasler's recent shopping trip in LondonWe talk about how style differs from coast to coast and even generation to generationJonathan shares the inspiration by his stairwell in the Kips Bay ShowhouseJonathan shares why showhouses are such great opportunity for designersJonathan plans to use pieces from Miles Redd's collection for an upcoming showhouseWe talk about updating family heirloomsWe talk about choosing appliances when you're doing a home renovationJonathan suggests talking to friends and family members before choosing appliancesWhy it's important to test drive appliances and fixtures before using

'Jack-of-all-trades' is the only way to describe this week's guest. He is a licensed landscape architect, a gardening expert, a flower arranging expert, host extraordinaire, celebrated decorator, and even a cookbook author. James Farmer does it all , so we were thrilled when we finally caught up with him at Discover ADAC to bring you this show. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE: James talks about how one of his earliest memories foreshadowed his life nowWe talk about pruning, hydrangeas, and crepe myrtlesWe talk about James' new house FarmdaleWe talk about James' interior design projects and why he finds himself working all over the countryJames shares his secret for building a new home that looks oldJames tells us about his latest antique findWe talk about china patterns and how many James hasJames spills his dinner party formula -- pork tenderloin, roasted vegetables, and biscuitsTaryn asks James for a suggestion for the centerpiece of a shower she's hostingWe talk about James' projects, his approach to lay

Our guest today on the How to Decorate podcast needs no introduction. If you've watched a decorating TV show in the last two decades, you most likely know Vern Yip -- from TLC's Trading Spaces, HGTV's Design Star and Bang for Your Buck. We love his book Design Wise: Your Smart Guide to a Beautiful Home, so we were thrilled to sit down with him and talk shop. What You'll Hear on This Show: Vern tells us his background, how he ended up living in Atlanta, and his path to becoming a designerHe tells us about his first design project for DisneyWe talk about how incredible Vern's book Design Wise is, especially as an instructional toolWhy designing is actually a lot simpler than you'd think and why Vern's book is so helpful in making it easyWe talk about value in furniture and why a deal isn't always the best choice and why a splurge isn't always smart eitherWhy space planning is the first crucial step before shoppingWhy embracing your personal style can save you moneyVern shares his favorite exercise for uncoveri

Before we even published our first episode of the How to Decorate podcast, we had today's guest on our list of designers we couldn't wait to interview. Here at Ballard, we've worked with interior designer William Peace on several projects including the time he styled three spreads for our catalog and designing the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival together. A few weeks of us, he joined us to talk style, getting into the design business, his work out west, and of course, we answered your decorating questions. What You’ll Hear on This Show: Bill tells us about how he started working out westWe ask Bill about his ‘style’ and how that lines up with his projects out westHe tells us about his decorating philosophy and how he translates that in his design projectsWe ask Bill about shopping regionally and whether he furnishes his spaces with local itemsBill uses a lot of locally sourced art, and he tells us about how he works those pieces into his roomsWe talk about collections, including Bill’s knife collectionsBill t

Our in house design expert, Miriam Leuthold, joins us to talk about the most common decorating question we get in our stores, on our blog, and in our reader emails. How do I layout my room? Miriam is a trained interior designer, so she's answering all of your questions, including traffic flow, focal points, spacing, and much more. What You'll Hear on This Episode: Before we get started, we talk about the 'life' of a Ballard product -- how it gets made, where our inspiration comes from, and how long it takesWe talk about building your room about a focal point, including what that focal point can beMiriam suggests starting with a rug and keeping all of your furniture pieces on the rugWe talk about focusing your seating around your TV versus a fireplaceWhat to do when you walk right into the living room through the front doorKaren tells us how she's solved this problem in her own 1920"s bungalowWhat to do if you have a really, really large living roomWhat to do when you don't have an architectural feature that

This week, we're talking with the 'First Lady of Ballad' Rebecca McKelvey. Since she's married to our president Ryan McKelvey, we thought she needed to stop by talk about how she owns two of every product we've ever made, the river cabin they're currently building, and a wealth of Ballard insight she has to share. Plus, trials and triumphs are back for another round! What You'll Hear on This Episode: The three of us share our trials and triumphs -- including several 'oops' momentsKaren's trial involves slipcovers and cowhide rugsMy trial involves several inches of water in our kitchenTaryn's trial and triumph involve a painting projectRebecca explains the curious nickname she calls her husband, our president Ryan McKelveyRebecca tells us about their home's style and how she approaches decorating her spaceRebecca talks about their 'no shoes' policy in the houseRebecca tells us about how she needed a bathroom cabinet, so Ryan designed our Miranda Corner CabinetWe start bribing Rebecca to help us get our produc

Once we photographed Virginia's house, we knew we had to get her on the podcast. She graciously invited us over to talk about her Atlanta bungalow and of course to answer your decorating questions. What You'll Hear on This Show: We all talk about the decorating compromises we've made in our homesTaryn tells us about her brown on brown den that she hatesWe talk about 'sit-abouts' and how silly they areKaren tells us about the leather-wrapped rockVirginia tells us about why she left architecture school to get into interior designWe talk about Virginia's style and how she blends traditional, southern style with the California cool she picked up while living on the west coastVirginia tells us about micro-sealing and how she plans to do this to her homeWe talk about the difference between her clients in California and her clients in AtlantaWe talk about contrast and why it's important to consider when you're furnishing your homeWe discuss whether it's a yay or a nay to paint antiquesWe talk about Virginia's geni

When we were in New York for Miles Redd's launch party, we got the chance to stop by the House Beautiful offices and have Editor in Chief Sophie Donelson on the podcast! She tells us what makes a home beautiful, what projects make it into the magazine, and we test her interior design knowledge! What You'll Hear on This Episode: We play a little pop quiz where I test Sophie, Taryn, and Karen's knowledge of design and interior designersWe talk about editors' letters and how Sophie writes hers. Does she wait until the last minute?We ask Sophie what in her mind makes a house beautiful?Why a house does and doesn't make it into the magazineWhat the House Beautiful team does to a home when they come to shoot itWe talk about how purple is making a comeback -- yes, purple!Sophie tells us what she thinks has changed about the way people decorate their homesWe talk about paint colors and how to pick them

We invited our exclusive artist Andrea Costa onto the podcast to talk to us about art, being an artist, and how she began her career as an interior designer. What You'll Hear on this Episode: Andrea starts by telling us how she began her career as an interior designer before transitioning into artShe talks to us about how she gets her inspiration for a new painting and her favorite size canvas to paintWe ask her about how she works with interior designers to create art for a specific roomShe tells us about decorating her new space and how often she mixes up her decorShe talks about why she loves to hang other people's artwork instead of her ownWe talk about the pros and cons of having a separate studio space rather than a studio in her basementAndrea tells us about how her music playlist impacts the look of her canvasAndrea coaches us on picking out a piece of art -- she suggests first choosing a budgetAndrea likes to start a room with her piece of art, then building a room about that pieceAndrea tells us ab

Celebrated New York decorator Miles Redd welcomed us to his home for this week’s episode of the podcast. With the launch of his new collection, we couldn’t resist the chance to talk with him about his inspiration for the pieces and how he envisions them living in people's homes. What You'll Hear on This Episode: We all share the best thing we’ve done to our homes, and also our biggest regret or mistakeHe talks about his home, and how he longs for wide open spacesHe shares how he went about designing the pieces for his collection, nearly all of them in his own homeHow his experience as the Creative Director for Oscar de la Renta helped inform his Ballard Designs collectionWe ask him about his favorite pieces in the collection — the dining table and the Kidney Accent TableWhy juxtaposition is so important in decoratingWe talk about drama, and why Miles doesn’t necessarily see his collection as being ‘dramatic’He tells us the story of how he custom built his Miles BookcaseWe talk about how his Fire Island home

If you love color, then this is an episode you can't miss. Interior designer Meg Braff injects vibrant hues into all of her spaces, but always in an elegant, tailored manner. She shares the process behind writing her new book, her love of color and pattern, her recent house renovation project, and gives us a little lamp shade lesson. What You'll Hear on this Episode: We all share our dream vacationsMeg tells us about how she realized she loved decorating -- it has to do with her dorm room at VanderbiltShe tells us about the process of writing her book which took three yearsShe gives us a lesson in mixing patterns -- where to use them and how to mix them togetherWe talk about her love of color and how even though she uses a lot of color, white is the main color in many of her spacesMeg reveals her favorite colorWe talk about her use of color -- using one really generously with teeny accents of something complementaryWe ask whether a house needs to have the same palette all the way throughHow a home's location

Our resident art expert Karen Fleenor stopped by the podcast to talk buying, hanging, and framing art! We talk about how to pick the perfect piece, how to size art over your furniture, framing options, cost, commissions, and gallery walls. What You'll Hear on This Episode: We all talk about our best art moment in our homes -- where we got them, how we hung them, and why we love them so muchKaren tells us about her background in the art world and how she started working with Ballard DesignsHow do you know if it's the right piece for your home and for your spaceWhy you should hang a piece of art over a piece of furniture with a contrasting styleWe talk about our exclusive artists and why it's perfectly fine to have art that isn't originalsTaryn asks us how she can update a piece of art that belonged to her husband's grandfatherWe talk about how to hang art -- including what height they should hang and how far apart pieces should beWe talk about small art -- hanging it with other pieces, on a small sliver of wa

Interior designer Maggie Griffin from Gainesville, Georgia decorates spaces much like her personality, warm, happy, and with classic Southern charm. We loved touring her house and couldn't resist the opportunity to get her on the podcast. If you aren't yet following her on Instagram, then you're gonna want to start. We talk about decorating with kids, how to build a gallery wall, the deal with decorating around the TV, and other decorating 'don'ts' like ceiling fans. What You'll Hear on This Episode: Maggie shares the unique way she built up her first clientsShe talks about how she and her husband love renovating and movingShe tells us about counseling James Farmer while he was building his house, FarmdaleWe talk about how she starts a room -- either a rug or a special keepsakeMaggie's always moving things, and she shares how art is the way she keeps things freshMaggie cleverly treats all of the TVs in her home, and she shares her best tips for decorating around themWe discuss the dreaded ceiling fan -- is

Atlanta interior designer Nancy Braithwaite stops by the podcast to talk about her signature style, her book Simplicity, how she trained her eye to see rather than just look, and of course she helps us answer your decorating questions. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE: -Nancy talks to us about her style, how she zeroed in on it, and what steps she takes creating it  -Nancy talks about seeing vs. looking  -Nancy compares dressing a room with dressing yourself, and why accessories sometimes take away from your design  -Why proportion and scale are crucial to creating a well designed room  -She tells us a story about being mesmerized at a decorators showhouse in New York and how it changed the ways she decorates  -We ask Nancy how we can train our eyes to see instead of look  -Nancy tells us about working with Deanne Levison, one of the top American antiques dealers in the country  -How Nancy and Deanne came to work together and their adventures at antique shows all over the country  -How to compose your room --

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to sit down with Jason & John, the Madcap Cottage Gents, at their home in High Point, North Carolina. They graciously invited us over for dinner, and before we dug into their spread, we discussed all of the gorgeous details in their home, their upcoming book Prints Charming, and much more. What You'll Hear on This Episode: Taryn shares her trial -- putting toilet bowl cleaner in her dishwasher!Her triumph was successfully getting her dog's drool off her car's leather interiorI share my newest go-to appetizer for entertainingKaren's triumph was getting some new goodies from Etsy for her summer vacationWe talk about Jason & John's upcoming book, Prints CharmingThe guys talk about why you should always talk to the antique dealer to hear the story of the pieceWe discuss many of the details in Jason and John's home -- like the way they hung art in their librarySo many pieces in their home have special details they've customized themselvesWe talk about creating seating areas --

This week, we're bringing you another interview from our time at High Point Market. Living on the Gulf Coast, interior designer Cindy Meador specializes in decorating and furnishing second homes. From 10,000 square foot houses to high rise beach condos, Cindy and her team have done it all, and she's sharing a lot of behind the scenes tidbits with us. What You'll Hear on This Episode: Taryn's trial and triumph was yardwork-related My trial was a disgusting rodent that was in our yard, and my triumph was the peony arrangements I got to do at our event at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Karen's triumph was doing a professional looking hydrangea arrangement for her friend's birthday Her trial was the string lights in her backyard falling down We ask Cindy how her work became featured in a cocktail book We talk about how style differs from region to region Cindy often will start working with a client on their second home, then later work on their primary residence We talk about designing a home for a cli

It took some persuasion, but we finally got our Senior Director of Merchandising Phil Lancaster, or "The Professor," on the podcast! Phil knows it all, teaches us some furniture history, tells us all about how furniture is made, what you need to look for, and generally schools us on the nitty gritty details of furniture and antiques. If you're wondering how to look for quality in your next furniture piece, this is the episode you need to listen to. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE: We start off with a furniture lesson on modern vs. contemporaryHow does modern differ from mid-century modern?What's going to make it from the furniture being created right now? How do we know what will last?There's a lot of innovation around lighting right now in new types of light bulbsWe discuss light bulbs and why the color they give off is so importantWhat's the difference between an antique and vintageWe talk about his 100 year old house, how he bought it from the original owners, and how he loves the huntHow important it is

Lisa Mende's room in the Traditional Home Southern Style Now Showhouse stopped us in our tracks, so we knew we had to get her on the podcast. Her spaces are bold, jubilant, and inviting, and we quickly learned that she herself is too. If you've ever had questions about paint, then this is an episode you have to listen to. We talk about choosing paint colors, paint finishes, fan decks, why you can't just look at the paint chip, and Lisa gives us all her favorite paint colors. What You'll Hear on This Episode: I talk about Tom Sheerer's book Tom Sheerer Decorates which I devoured over Memorial Day weekendTaryn talks about her leaky roof and how the dry cleaner got out the stain in her blue dress (which she discussed in the last episode)Lisa tells us all about her 'she shed' in the Traditional House showhouse in New OrleansWe talk about her guest house becoming the center of the party during the showhouse openingWe talk about showhouses, how designers are paired with sponsors, and why we love showhouses so much