Style Matters

Artist Katie Saro is our guest today and in this conversation, we get pretty deep into the reasons why our homes and personal styles are so essential to our happiness. We talk about finding the balance point between being consumers of pretty things and being mindful of how easy it is to loose ourselves in materialism. We also talk about the value of being bored, online alternatives to Craig's List and eBay, and the best ways to renovate without actually renovating.

Blogger Ashley Goldman is our guest this week. Her blog, The Gold Hive, is the real deal when you're looking for stories behind the step-by-step transformation of a home. We've been following her since her first participation in the One Room Challenge series because we love her style. And then she shot to blogger stardom by wowing everyone with her hand-painted mural in the most recent One Room Challenge.

Our guest today is Paige Rien, author of one of our absolute favorite books called, "Love The House You're In: 40 Ways to Improve Your Home And Change Your Life."  Before writing the book, Paige hosted the home renovation show, "Hidden Potential" on HGTV.   Her passion for helping all of us to develop confidence in our own, personal style is clear throughout this conversation and we know you're going to feel just as empowered as we do by the end. 

Whitney Leigh Morris is the blogger and stylist behind Tiny Canal Cottage, a 1920's Craftsman-style house by the Venice Beach Canals in Southern California.  We talk about how living in a small space has given her more time for taking care of the planet, her family and her community as well as challenging her to consume more responsibly.  Whether you live in a tiny cottage or a rambling estate, you are going to be inspired to take a look at how your home can foster the values you hold closest to you.

This week we’re chatting with Lorraine Aaron, founder of the online home goods shop, Curious Egg, based in Scotland. Lorraine wants to know the stories behind the objects people create that we then bring into our homes. And she has traveled extensively to find them for her shop. She talks about her passion for creating truly unique homes, through artwork, by displaying personal objects in interesting ways, and by treating our outdoor spaces as opportunities to surprise and delight us.

Austin Carrier and Alex Mutter-Rottmayer, own a design/build firm in Sonoma, CA, but we think their true calling is in designing interiors. As you're about to hear, they are all about playing with their small space, squeezing potential out of every square inch and inspiring us to layer story on top of story in our own spaces. You've got to go to the show notes page for this one... you're really going to want to see photos of all of the things we talk about with them.

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. January is all about CHANGE!

Nicole Cole of Vestige Home is a maker and interior designer based in Philadelphia. Her online shop is filled with her gorgeously crafted one-of-a-kind wooden housewares as well as carefully curated items from other designers and makers. Her interior design services also focus on this attention to craftsmanship and the idea of living well. We talk about creativity, caring for handmade items and why it is important to invest in them as well as her amazing new guest room / office space.

Bari Ackerman, better known as Bari J, the highly successful textile designer and artist, is pure joy to chat with. Her designs have been made into everything from rugs to stationery to wallpaper and pillows. And we were really interested in how someone forges that kind of career and we were completely enthralled with what she had to say. If you have any shred of self doubt about what you're pursuing, Bari's story will pull you out of the muck and into a place of purpose and determination!

This guest is one of our favorite designers and people of all time.   Justina Blakeney is the designer, artist and author behind the Jungalow.  She is the author of The New Bohemians : Cool and Collected Homes and her newest book The New Bohemians Handbook:  Come Home To Good Vibes.  We chat about her business, creativity, her books and what makes a home have a good vibe.  She will inspire you to begin 2018 with a home that supports who you want to become.

Over the past few seasons, we've been collecting little bits of wisdom from the stylists and designers we've had on the show and quoting them on Instagram. When looking at these quotes all together, we've noticed several different themes emerge. So for 2017, we're going to base each of our "On The LYC" episodes on a different theme related to creating a home you love. December is all about the HOLIDAYS!

Sarah Schier 's passion for entertaining is infectious.  After catering, blogging, and a stint on TV, she has now opened up an experiential shop called Salt House Market.   And has just launched a Holiday Hosting Guide, which features three different experiences: the Sit-Down Dinner, the Cocktail Party, and the Relaxed Brunch.  The guide goes beyond delicious recipes and also tells you how to plan, shop for, and time all the aspects of food prep.

We can't wait to introduce you to Alex Evjen of AVE Styles this week!  We met up with her at Haven Conference this past Spring in Atlanta and are so excited to have her on the podcast.  She is the Pinterest Queen, a fashion stylist and her gorgeous home is now being featured in magazines and all over the web.  Her keen design sense and her authenticity shine through in everything she does and we know you will love her has much as we do.  She also shares some amazing Pinterest tips with us.

Over the past few seasons, we've been collecting little bits of wisdom from the stylists and designers we've had on the show and quoting them on Instagram. When looking at these quotes all together, we've noticed several different themes emerge. So for 2017, we're going to base each of our "On The LYC" episodes on a different theme related to creating a home you love. November is all about LAYERING!

Our guest this week is Nicola Broughton, otherwise known as The Girl With The Green Sofa. Nicola quickly amassed a huge Instagram following for her dramatic interiors, but she also has a day job. She's a financial director for a bio-research company, so she throws herself into decorating whenever she needs a creative fix. We always enjoy interviewing people with fabulous style who DON'T do it for a living because they can often clearly articulate why decorating is so personally fulfilling.