Style Matters

I have a lot of fun with my guest this week, Jewel Marlowe. she's the blogger behind Jeweled Interiors and a master of the "mix," figuring out how to make things with nothing in common all work together in the same space. And luckily she's able to share how she does this during the episode. Jewel has honed her talents over the 13 different homes that she's lived in as a military spouse. So if any of you can relate to that, this one's for you!

A few years ago, Sara & Rich Combs moved from the bustle of San Fransisco to the quiet of Joshua Tree, CA. In taking time to slow down, they left themselves open to experiencing the intense drama of living in close proximity to their natural environment. They now own three properties there and have just published their book, “At Home in Joshua Tree." We talk about all of the environmental factors that have become entwined with their lifestyle and overall aesthetic.  

My guest this week is Liz Solms, a truly mulit-passionate person. Liz has woven together food, hospitality and design in a way that we haven't talked about on the podcast before. I hope this episode motivates you to go look for creative inspiration from your travels, from a beautiful meal, or from taking the time to really notice the details in a historic building. Because our ideas for decorating our homes can't just come from retailers, they have to come from experiences.

Clear and critical thinking.  You don’t always get that when talking about the world of interiors. It’s not just about a pretty picture, folks. Creative and thoughtful design can’t be underestimated and there isn’t enough of it these days. Sophie Donelson, former Editor-In-Chief of House Beautiful brought her keen eye to the pages of this magazine in a way that we all will miss. Luckily I got to talk with her before she left to pursue other things. And I can’t wait to see what she’s up to next!

Myquillyn Smith is “The Nester,” and the author of “The Nesting Place.” She has long subscribed to the belief that “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful." In her second book, “Cozy, Minimalist Home,” she promises that you can still have plenty of style, but with less stuff. Myquillyn shares how she went from being a maximalist to a minimalist, but still kept her home from feeling slick, soul-less and cold. Get ready to make some decisions on how you want your home to serve you.

My guest this week is rug designer Wendy Morrison. Wendy shares how she got started with rugs, having no idea how they would change the direction of her life. She also explains a little bit about how rugs are made and then we wrap up with hertaking us through the symbolism she uses in her designs that give her rugs rich and layered narratives. This episode in particular really needs to be seen as well as heard so I highly encourage you to check out the photos on the show notes page: littleyellowcouch.com

My guest this week is Alessandra Wood. Her dissertation for her PhD was about the influence mid-20th century department stores have had on our personal style choices, for our homes and our clothing. We also touch on where we are today when it comes to interior design and how our style is a reflection of, and reaction to, broad cultural forces. We start out talking about her role in the online design company, Modsy and we hear how she has used her training as a historian in a most contemporary way.   

Does your home represent your soul and the life you’ve lived rather than a particular style category? Interior designer and author Miv Watts explores the homes of people who “decorate” in just this way. In her new book, “The Maverick Soul," Miv takes us through spaces that deeply reflect the creative lives of their owners. I have learned so much from talking with Miv. She can spark your creative imagination and commitment to being true to yourself like no one else.

My guest is Heather Bullard who does prop styling and art direction for a number of different magazines and brands. She talks with us about the importance of sometimes getting away from the very images she creates so that we can remain true to our own, individual tastes and not be quite so influenced by social media. She shares with us her own source of inspiration and how her style has evolved over the years.

Interview with Donna Garlough, Style Director for Joss & Main and author of the new book,  "Your Home, Your Style: How to Find Your Look and Create Rooms You Love." Donna is really good at breaking down some of the more "mysterious" aspects of creative design.  She does this by having you start with an inventory of sorts.  She refers to it as figuring out your design disposition. She then outlines the 5 things you'll need to consider for every style decision you make. Ok, let's get started.  

The Style Matters podcast:  Interview with artist, Angela Chrusciaki Blehm.  We talk about her artwork and stunning home.  She explains how she uses scale to create atmosphere and how she keeps her bright color palate looking sophisticated rather than childish.  

Interview with the founders of Hygee & West, Aimee Lagos and Christiana Coop.  They are a wallpaper company, one of my personal favorites, and recently, the've expanded into printing some of their wallpaper lines onto fabric AND they've just written their first book called, "Hygee & West Home: Design for a Cozy Life."  In this interview we get to hear about how wallpaper is made, what their own homes look like, and why they think wallpaper is such a powerful design choice.  

Today we're airing another conversation from our Little Yellow Couch, called "On The LYC." These episodes are where Zandra and I get to dig a little deeper into a topic that was brought up in our interviews with stylists and designers from recent shows. We offer some examples from our own lives where we're changing things up in our homes, and we also share one thing that each of us is currently obsessing over. July is all about Your Style, With Kids.

Erica Tanov is a fashion and homewares designer who finds her muse in nature. We talk with her about her new book, Design By Nature, in which she shares her creative process, from inspiration to a final product that is graceful, soulful and very beautiful. What we love most about Erica is her insight into the dark and messy side of nature, along with the sublime. Tree bark becomes multiple layers of monochromatic textures and weeds become a free form, wild mix of color and pattern.

Have you heard about the new interiors book called "Diary Of Your Home"? We talk with author Joanna Ahlberg about this resource she's created with her husband, Peter. It's part record book, part reference and directory, and part journal. And while it's meant to be used as a way to keep your home organized, it's so much more than that! The diary aspect of it will have you actively connecting what's meaningful in your life with how you use your home.