Style Matters

We originally released this inerivew with designer Liz Kamarul in the summer of 2017.  We talk about her stunning home in Portland OR that she was leaving behind to spend several months traveling in an RV that she and her husband had just started to renovate.  Since then Liz has settled in New Orleans, working her style magic from there. Liz's "just do it" and "why not" approach to decorating is a good reminder to all of us to lighten up and let our homes be incubators for our creativity. 

This week starts a 5 episode series of re-released interviews from the archives.  First up is our interview with organizational guru, Peter Walsh. I first saw Peter on Oprah's show and I still cut out the articles he writes for O Magazine.   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?" 

Author Joanna Thornhill has just come out with a new book called "My Bedroom Is An Office, and Other Interior Design Dilemmas." 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?"

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." It's not an interior design book and yet it has gives us so many ideas and inspiration for creating a home you love.  She asks, 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? Let's go!

My guest is Kate Richards of the blog, Drinking With Chickens. She hosts some amazing outdoor parties, complete with pet chickens for entertainment, and her photos are both funny and beautiful. We talk about the lifestyle Kate has created for herself, her husband and their friends. Her reason why style matters is for the pure joy it gives us and those we love.

Today is for all of you who are thinking about hiring someone to help you furnish or decorate your home. If you're going to be plunking down some cash, 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 on how to best work with someone else, especially if you don't share the same language around style. 

https://littleyellowcouch.com/this-old-hudson

My guest today is author Shannon Ables.  Her newest book is called "Living The Simply Luxurious Life." She covers a lot of ground in this book but 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.

This wee 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 about the different kinds of stone you might want to consider using in your 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 at least half of you are going to want to start a kitchen renovation right after you hear this!

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.

My guest this week is Philadelphia based interior designer, Michelle Gage.   We talk a lot about her dining room.  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! 

Shavonda Gardner's bold, eclectic style has had a big influence on the interior design world. Today, we get to hear a more personal side of Shavonda. I love how she and Naomi have really taken their family values into consideration when choosing where and how they want to live.  We also talk about practical things like tile, wallpaper and color.  And, being a master gardener, she also gives us her top three house plants to start with if you're a beginner or just not having luck keeping those babies aliv

Angela Bunt is an interior designer in London, known for her ability to find the perfect colors for anyone's home.  She shares her secrets with us, along with a joyful description of her long career.  

I thought we had wrapped up the Style Matters podcast for 2018 last week. But then I started reflecting on the year and the biggest transition I’ve faced with Little Yellow Couch. Namely, becoming the sole owner and creator. And it got me thinking about pulling back the curtain a bit more than usual and sharing my experience as an entrepreneur. I’ve never done an episode like this one. It’s personal. No guests and no filter. I hope you can connect to it. And I wish you the very best New Year in 2019!

For this installment of OTLYC (On the Little Yellow Couch), I have a very special guest. Karen Grant, my former co-host is back in the studio!  Now, we're all in the thick of holiday season so Karen and I are going to be talking about holiday stuff. She’s doing something really creative out of town and I’m on a mission to embrace the pairing down of shopping, decorating and guilt. Ha! Yes! No more guilt when the expectations for the perfect holiday don’t yield the perfect holiday!