I spend a lot of time in my retreats and on this podcast talking about how to be creative.  And I'm a big proponent of an expanded definition of creativity to include creative thinking and problem solving so that we stop thinking of creativity as solely belong to artists and crafty people who emulate Martha Stewart.  My guest on the show today, architect Donald Rattner, takes us way beyond the who and what definitions of creativity and focuses on the where.  As in, where are we most creative and how can we set up our spaces to encourage the flow of creative thinking.  In particular, he argues that our homes are actually the spaces that are most conducive to creativity.  Way more than the kinds of utilitarian spaces where we've traditionally done our professional work.  Donald Rattner has done a ton of research, combing through academic journals, studies and experiments that support this idea of how our built environments affect our moods, our health and ultimately, our ability to be creative.   And he's gotten rid of all of the dry, academic lingo and given us a guide, with actionable steps we can take, to create a home that's primed for many more lightbulb moments.  Here we go.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

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.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This week I’m answering questions from the audience! All summer I offered free design & decor advice to anyone who wrote in. I loved all of the back & forth conversations we had about your homes. For this episode, I talk about a couple of big picture issues that came up over and over again. And then I dive into some specific questions that you can apply to your own situations. I hope this is helpful… let me know! To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is Ben Soleimani.  You may have come across his work through years of collaboration he's done with Restoration Hardware.  We talk about why they wanted him to elevate their rug collection to the highest quality it's known for today.  But Ben has recently moved on and has opened his own studio creating rugs and furniture to be sold direct to the public.  Ben's designs continue to be full of layered texture, color and a mix of references to the natural and built environments.  He's got a great analogy for us about how his brain is like a slide show to explain his creative process.  But I start by asking him about his background and his family business, the famed Mansour rug company.  Let's jump in.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Ok, this one is juicy.  Emily Henson is back on the show after writing her 4 book.  I often say, your home is your autobiography.  Or at least, it's your chance to create one.  A visual autobiography that reflects who you are, where you've been and your aspirations for who you want to become.  And this is where Emily and I start our conversation.  Emily is a stylist and author of 4 books, her most recent called "Be Bold: Interiors for the Brave of Heart."  And in it, she talks a lot about this idea of using your home as a canvas the way an artist might paint something that reflects both what she sees and how she comprehends the world around her.  We cover a lot of ground in this episode so let's just dig in.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest is Tracy Kinnally and she has the really interesting job of advising people on how to start and build private art collections.  Her clients are looking for both great monetary investments as well as the acquisition of some stellar pieces of culture to adorn their homes.  I thought it would be interesting to hear about her background, her work and her thoughts on why art is such an important piece of creating a meaningful home, no matter your budget.  And with that in mind, I want to take a minute to tell you about two articles I've written related to buying art that you can find on the show notes page of this episode.  One is my personal take on why art is such a critical component of any home, where to find it and how to get started.  It's called "How Not To Be Afraid Of Art Galleries."  And the second is a photo guide called "17 Ways To Hang Art," because once you get it home, you gotta know how it fits into the rest of your living space.  I share 17 examples of interesting ways to hang artwork that you may not have thought of before.  Just go to littleyellowcouch.com, click on "podcast," and then click this episode with Tracy Kinnally.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Creativity is elusive.  Where inspiration comes from is sometimes a mystery.  This week, artist Caroline Cecil take us through her creative proces and shares the story of the many jobs and many hats she's worn  before landing in her sweet spot as a designer, working for herself.  Since the opening of her eponymous textile and wallpaper company, she uses every aspect of her past lives. I love a good life story and Caroline's is so interesting!   I don't want to give away any more.  Let's get started.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Kim Gordon is a designer, an artist, a businesswoman, and best of all, she's incredibly intuitive when it comes to creating dream homes.  Not the kinds of dream homes that are filled with expensive luxury items.  But the kinds that really fulfill us in an emotional, creative and even spiritual way.  Kim doesn't shy away from honoring the mystical.  And what I mean by that is she connects our deepest desires with our intentions for our homes, and then, sort of magically, other areas of our lives get better.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

When Karen Grant was co-hosting the podcast with me, we both fell in love with Erica Tanov and her book, Design By Nature:  Creating Layered, Lived In Spaces, Inspired By the Natural World.  I knew this episode was one that I'd want to re-release and now is the perfect time because I'm excited to say that Erica has generously given me copies of her book to give everyone who comes to the Glamping Design Camp in Tulsa this October.  Since that retreat is all about using nature as inspiration in our homes, I'm using her book as a jumping off point for the entire premise of the retreat.  What I love about Erica is that she goes beyond just copying natural motifs in her designs.  While she does have some literal things like fern leaves in her wallpaper, she also looks to natural objects for abstract inspiration. Tree bark, seed pods, rippling water and even weeds are re-imagined as color palates, textures and patterns.  And that's what we're going to be working on during the Glamping Design Camp.  You can get the full picture of what to expect during the retreat weekend at littleyellowcouch.com.  It's truly going to be a spectacular weekend, with great conversation, individual attention to each of your homes, hands-on workshops, delicious food, and,of course, the opportunity to sleep in total luxury under the starts!  I hope you can join us!  In the mean time, you're going to be energized to start bringing nature into your home after spending a little time with Erica today!  So let's get started.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This interview with Melinda McCoy of House 214 Design was originally aired in Oct of 2016.  What we so appreciated about Melinda was her understanding that just saying "your home should tell your story," isn't clear enough.  What does telling your story mean and how does that show up in your home and design choices.  Since then, Melinda has created a course and membership site that you should definitely check out.  But her core principles remain the same, making this interview just as helpful today as it was 3 years ago.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This week I'm sharing our interview with Maxwell Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy and author of several books on home and design.  We recorded this interview in 2015 when he was on a tour for his most recent book, Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home.  Even though this was several years ago, it's still one of our best interviews ever and I think you're going to get a lot out of it.  In this re-release from our archives, Karen Grant is co-hosting with me and she just asked Maxwell to tell us about his overall approach to design and making a home.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

On this episode of On The Little Yellow Couch I talk about the power of connections. Not the networking kind. But the power of feeling truly connected. To each other. And to the deepest reserves of strength and optimism we all have somewhere inside us. To encourage you and I to have real conversations where you get to actually speak with me instead of just listening to me talk, I hope you’ll take me up on my offer of some free consultation this summer! I’ve had the absolute pleasure of meeting some of you in person at one of our Style Retreats. And even though not everyone can make it to these special weekends, we can at least talk via email. I encourage you to subscribe to the Little Yellow Couch newsletter and send me an email about a decor or design dilemma you’re facing. I’ll get back to you ASAP (hopefully within 24 hours!) and we can work it through together to a solution. I look forward to hearing from you!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

I am having two lovely friends back on the show with me today.  I call them "the Ashleys" for short because they are Ashely Daly and Ashley Palmer, co-owners of Retro Den Tulsa.  Today we talk about finding your true style by leaning in to who you are.  Let's get started.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is a designer who is local to where I live, which is in the Boston area.  We've now met at two design conferences and I feel so lucky to have met her in person!  She's a designer who really listens to her clients' frustrations and gives them a big bath of Calgon.  (If you don't get that reference, I want to know.  I want to know exactly how much older I am than you.  Just out of curiosity).  Anyway, Paige not only loves what she does, she truly loves her clients and her genuine desire to help them comes through loud and clear.   You'll see what I mean in a minute.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This week, pro stylist Becki Griffin talks with me about...well...style!  How she does it, what she uses, what she shops for and lessons she's learned on a photo shoot that can be used by all of us in our regular, every day homes.  She's been working in the interiors business for many years, styling covers and pages for magazines such as Country Living, as well as taking on her own clients for interior design.  Becki is super funny and easy to be with, which is a big plus for anyone who gets to hang out with her.  Which, by the way, could be you!  Becki is teaching the styling workshop during our Little Yellow Couch Style & Antiques Retreat that's happening in September at The Vintage Round Top in Round Top, TX!  As of this airing, early bird prices have just opened up so grab your spot so I can meet you in person!  But first, let's get on with my interview with Becki.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This week I'm talking with Paige Hull of The Vintage Round Top, a beautiful retreat space in the heart of antiquer's heaven in Round Top, TX.  Pagie and her husband Smoot have put a lot of love and soul into it, starting with a gut renovation of the first house, "No. 1450," and then adding another they call "Boho," and most recently two small cottages named after their children, The Pierce and The Eisley.   This magical place is where you can join me on the next Little Yellow Couch style retreat so be sure to check that out on the website, but today, I really wanted to give Paige the floor to share why and how she designs her homes with antiques.  If you're a true vintage lover, this episode will naturally resonate with you.  But if you skew more modern, I'm particularly excited for you to hear what Paige has to say.  Because I think she and Smoot have really nailed it when it comes to incorporating a few chipped and scarred pieces in the most clean-lined, minimalist of spaces.  Proving antiques really are for everyone.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This week it's just you and me!  I'm going to share my process when overhauling a room design and then walk you through some ways in which I get myself unstuck if I hit a roadblock.  It's all about creativity -- where it comes from and how to cultivate it.  We're talking about problem solving in a way that feels great!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week practices holistic design.  And by the end of the episode you'll know exactly what that means to Laurence Carr.  She has taken her classical ballet training, her life lived on many continents and her passion for sustainability and translated all of that into a thriving interior design studio.  Laurence introduces us to three elements that show up in almost everything she creates: space clearing, interior realignment and sensory design.  Let's dig in.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Brooke Milne is the travel blogger behind "Look It's Brooke!"  I met her at a conference in California and in getting to know her, and learn about her business, I realized she would be full of advice for us about traveling and how to incorporate your travels into your style at home.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is Melissa Coleman, otherwise known as The Faux Martha. I'm sure you know which Martha that refers to and we'll get to why Melissa chose that name.  But first, I'll tell you a little bit about her, in case you don't know.  Melissa is a cook, a baker and a writer.  I brought her on the show so we could talk about kitchens, one of the most used rooms in our homes, and one that can fill us with dread.  It's often cluttered with too much on the counters and piles of dirty dishes and it's where we constantly go when we want to stare at shelving filled with a bunch of stuff that we don't know what to do with when its time to get dinner on the table.   Melissa also has a great eye for design, which is really helpful when getting our kitchens to work for us.  Oh, and full disclosure here, my kitchen is far from perfect so I'm using her book, The Minimalist Kitchen, to get it on track.   I'll be sharing how it's going over the next few weeks and if you want to join me in a little personal challenge, I'd love to have some company as I clear out my cupboards, stock my pantry and start doing a little meal planning.   Ok, let's get started!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is the sought after interior designer, Nicole Gibbons.  You might recognize her from the Oprah Winfrey TV show "Home Made Simple."  Or maybe you've seen her as a guest on The Rachel Ray show, or in the pages of any number of design magazines.  She's done it all!  But her newest venture, which has basically taken over her life, is a paint company she calls "Clare."   I wanted to know what made Nicole drop everything else and pursue a product based company when she's always been in the service sector.  And, to tell us the story behind the brand.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest today is Anita Joyce of Cedar Hill Farmhouse, located in Round Top Texas, which you may recognize from the hugely famous antiques show that happens there twice a year.  Anita and I met several years ago at a conference where we talked about podcasting because we were both about a year or so into it and it was especially nice because there aren't a whole lot of us our there who have interior design focused shows.  Anyway, we're finally getting around to recording a conversation!  We start off with Anita sharing very honestly a really dark time in her life and how the creative act of decorating and homemaking helped her dig her way out.   Since then she's gone on to produce her blog, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, co-host the podcast, "Decorating Tips and Tricks," and write a beautiful book called "French Accents."  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Kicking off Season 12 of the Style Matters podcast is the full-of-life plant lover, Hilton Carter!  He's totally someone you want to hang out with as soon as you start talking with him.  And talk we do!  He's just come out with his first book called Wild At Home and it's all about how to bring plants into your home and work with your style.  We happened to both be at the Alt Summit conference in Palm Springs last month so we got to meet in person.  That doesn't always happen with my guests, so I was really happy it worked out for us.  Let's get started.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Great story.  Great designer.  One of  those who can really express how and why he does what he does.  This episode originally aired in January of 2017 and I continue to go to his portfolio over and over for my own inspiration and when I'm looking to learn something specific about design.   I think you're gonna love him as much as I do!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Jennifer Harrison lights up a room.  Or, in this case, she's lighting up our earbuds.  When we first met Jennifer, we were pulled into her undertow of happy energy and ended the interview on such a pure high that I knew I wanted to share it again for those of you who missed it the first time.  In this episode, Jennifer talks so beautifully about the design value of incorporating vintage, antique and flea market finds into your home.  She's the founder of the online shop Flea Market Fab, which you'll be jumping out of your skin to go check out as soon as this is over.  But best of all is probably toward the very end where, completely off the cuff, Jennifer paints a picture of how she pulls a room together, starting with a single piece and imagining all of the different furniture and accessories she'd use.  So good.  Here she is. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

One of my favorite books on design, and one that's had a lot of influence on how I think about helping clients with figuring out their aesthetic, is by Anne Sage and it's called Sage Living.  In this episode, which originally aired in 2016, we talk with Anne about her realization that her home could be a source of support as she was making a major life transition.  She talks candidly about her personal life and how her professional life has taken many different turns, with the ups and downs all of us can relate to.  I think you're going to get a lot out of this episode when it comes to connecting the dots between how you want to feel and how your home can foster your goals.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This is a re-release of our episode with designer Liz Kamarul, originally recorded in the summer of 2017.  We talk about her stunning home in Portland OR that she was leaving behind to spend several months traveling around the country 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.  I wanted to re-release this episode because I think 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.  Here we go.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This week starts a 5 episode series of re-released interviews from the archives.  First up is our interview with organizational guru, Peter Walsh, which we aired almost exactly three years ago in April, 2016.   I first saw Peter on Oprah's show and I still cut out the articles he writes for O Magazine.   What I loved about him then is that he helped people get organized from the inside-out and in a soulful way.  I mean, that's totally Oprah, right?   Now, I love him even more because he's so kind and approachable in real life.  Or, at least, on the phone.  One of these days, I'll meet him in person and have him autograph a to-do list or a storage bin or something.  Anyway, 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?"  Peter is very entertaining and highly quotable, dropping wisdom bombs all over the place.  If you haven't been in his orbit until now, you're in for some great advice.  And, I figured, with the warm weather just starting to come around,  you might be in the mood for some Spring Cleaning.  And this episode is the best place to get started!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

I have a repeat guest on the show this week!  Once again, I'm interviewing author Joanna Thornhill because she's just come out with a new book and I'm giving it my full and sincere endorsement!  It's called "My Bedroom Is An Office, and Other Interior Design Dilemmas).  I'm gonna tell you all about what makes this book so useful once I've got Joanna on the line.  But for now, I'll just say that 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?"  Let's jump in To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

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."  And let me tell, you, I read it a few months ago and I can't stop thinking about it!  It's not an interior design book and yet it has given me so many ideas and so much inspiration for continuing to create a home I love.  Ingrid followed her curiosity for 10 years before putting pen to paper.  She wanted to figure out why certain objects or environments illicit a spontaneous, immediate feeling of joy and why.  And I think you can relate to this because I assume that one of the main reasons you listen to this podcast is because, just like me, you do a crazy happy dance when you find the perfect score at an antiques show, or a new artist whose work you can afford, or some new fabric or color you can bring home with you... I think you'll find Ingrid's line of questioning really interesting.  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.  Ingrid makes me feel like I'm some kind of reporter on NPR because of how deep we go into sociology, psychology and design... and because of how smart she is.  So I hope you get a lot out of this interview because I sure did!  Here we go.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

So this week's episode is not as much directly related to interior design as they usually are.  But, it's still ultimately about how our environments and the atmosphere we create is connected to a life well lived.  My guest is Kate Richards of the blog, Drinking With Chickens.  Now, if you already follow Kate, you know she's a ton of fun and that her home and, more importantly, her backyard are well worth taking a look at for their design appeal.  She hosts some amazing outdoor parties, complete with pet chickens for entertainment, and her photos are both funny and beautiful.  So you'll get plenty of visual inspiration if you take a look at the show notes page this week.  But for this interview, we mostly talk about the lifestyle Kate has created for herself, her husband and their friends who come over, which probably happens all the time.  She is a great reminder that the reason why style matters is ultimately for the pure joy it gives us and those we love.  So... here we go.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Today is for all of you who are thinking about hiring someone to help you furnish or decorate your home.  You might be considering a full on, top to bottom, in person interior designer, or someone who simply works with you online to give you some ideas and sources that you then implement yourself, or someone like me and some of my past guests who act as consultants to help give shape to your own vision.  In any of these cases, I thought it would be helpful to know what to look for when hiring someone because you're going to be plunking down some cash before you get the service.  So 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 in how to best work with someone else, especially if you don't share the same language around style.  We then talk about her own home, which is outstanding, and her goal of seamless living between the outside and inside, which you really want to take advantage of if you live in Southern California.  And given the fact that as I record this, I'm in the dead cold of winter in New England, that sounds pretty great to me right now.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is Anthony D’Argenzio. He launched his art direction company Zio & Sons in New York City before moving to Hudson, NY where he’s now the owner of This Old Hudson, a work and living space open for photo shoots and travelers wishing to stay in a beautifully styled setting while visiting the Hudson Valley region. I talk with him about the renovation of the property, the aesthetic he’s created there and how he goes about mixing and layering texture, style and materials in a space. If you haven’t seen photos of This Old Hudson, you can do so on the Little Yellow Couch website. And believe me, you’re going to want to know what we’re referring to as we talk about his incredible kitchens! To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest today is author Shannon Ables.  Her newest book is called "Living The Simply Luxurious Life: Making Your Everydays Extraordinary and Discovering Your Best Self."  She covers a lot of ground in this book, talking about aspects of our lives such as money, our health, our careers.... and we don't have time to talk abou it all!  So in our conversation, 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. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This week's interview is jam packed with information and inspiration.  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, starting with Steve's training as a sculptor and then he teaches us about the different kinds of stone you might want to consider using in your own 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 that at least half of you are going to want to start a kitchen renovation after this.  We wrap up with two of his favorite sources of inspiration, one of whom is an interior designer and the other is an installation you can  visit when in you're in New York City.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

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. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is Philadelphia based interior designer, Michelle Gage.   We talk about her obsession with floor plans, her time working at Anthropologie and her latest project, her dining room.  We actually talk a lot about this room because 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!  Ok, let's go.    To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Many of you have probably seen Shavonda Gardner's home on Instagram, on her blog or from the One Room Challenge.  Her bold, eclectic style has had a big influence on those of us who follow her on social media.  But 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.  I think that's my favorite part of this interview.  But, of course, we also talk about lots of fun 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 alive.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

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.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Hey y’all. I thought we had wrapped up the Style Matters podcast for 2018 last week. But then I started reflecting on the year and writing down a few thoughts about the biggest transition I’ve faced with Little Yellow Couch. Namely, becoming the sole owner/creator/chief bottle washer. And it got me thinking about trying to pull back the curtain a bit more than usual and share some of what goes on behind the scenes as an entrepreneur. I’ve never done an episode like this one. It’s personal. And it’s just me. No guests and no filter. I hope you can connect to it. And I wish you the very best end to your year and that you start 2019 with fresh eyes and an open heart. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

So for this installment of OTLYC (On the Little Yellow Couch), I have a very special guest... Karen Grant, my former co-host of this podcast, and dear friend, is back in the studio!  And when I say studio, I mean my living room.  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! I'm also already looking ahead to 2019 and want you all to know that I'll be offering another Style Retreat in Feb!  If you didn't know about the last one or just want to get a feel for what it was like, you can go to littleyellowcouch.com and click on Retreat News where you can see photos and hear what the participants had to say about our weekend away.  Honestly, I wasn't planning on doing one again so soon, but it was such an amazing time that we didn't want to wait before offering another one.  I'll once again be teaming up with interior designer Megan Pflug to host this fabulous getaway at Woodhouse Lodge in the Catskills.  So, if you have people in your life who have no idea what to get you for the holidays, you might want to direct them over here to Little Yellow Couch so they can spoil you with the best present ever!  Ok, so enough about that.  It's time for the last episode of 2018, On The Little Yellow Couch!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

I have a lot of fun talking with my guest this week, Jewel Marlowe.  I've been dying to get to know her because I could tell from her style that she's someone who would probably make me laugh.  And she does not disappoint!  Jewel is the blogger behind Jeweled Interiors and also works as an interior designer.  She is a master of the mix, meaning she can take three objects that look like they have nothing in common and figure out how to make them all work in the same space using the magic of color, pattern and scale.  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!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guests this week are Sara & Rich Combs.  A few years ago, they transplanted themselves from the bustle of San Fransisco to the quiet of Joshua Tree, California. But in giving themselves time to slow down, they have left themselves open to experiencing an intense drama of living in close proximity to their natural environment. They are now the owners of three properties there, all of which can be rented out as creative retreat spaces.  Their book, “At Home in Joshua Tree: A Field Guide to Desert Living,” takes us through four lessons, or mantras, that they’ve incorporated into their work as designers since making the desert their home. In our conversation we talk about the mantras as well as the various environmental facts that have become entwined with their lifestyle and overall aesthetic.  I start by asking them how the decision to  move to Joshua Tree came about.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

This episode has a little bit of everything in it and that's because my guest, Liz Solms, is a multi-passionate person, to borrow a term from my friend, Desha Peacock.  She has built quite a rich and rewarding life for herself and I ask her about her career throughout our conversation.   I was interested in interviewing Liz because she has woven together food, hospitality and design in a way that we haven't talked about on the podcast before.  What I hope you come away with from this episode is the motivation to go look for creative inspiration from your travels, from sharing a beautiful meal with friends, 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.  Toward the end of the interview, we talk about her projects in Philadelphia and I had the absolute privilege of meeting Liz and staying in an apartment she designed while I was there. It's not just that it was beautifully designed.  Staying there was an experience in and of itself that has really made a lasting impact since my visit 3 months ago.   I have a lot of photos to share with you from this trip, so be sure to look for those on the show notes page of this episode at littleyellowcouch.com and I'll post some videos on Instagram and IGTV!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

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! To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

You might know Myquillyn Smith as “The Nester,” or as the author of “The Nesting Place,” her first book, and the name of her popular blog. She has long subscribed to the belief that “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful,” to which I say, Amen! Well, she’s just come out with her second book, “Cozy, Minimalist Home,” in which she promises that you can still have plenty of style, but with less stuff. You may already love how she writes, but once you hear her voice, you’ll instantly feel her warmth and generosity of spirit. We laugh a lot during this interview and I hope you’ll feel like you’re right here in the room with us! Myquillyn shares how she went from being a maximalist to a minimalist, but still kept her home from feeling slick, soul-less and cold. And, best of all, she gives us several of the guidelines she uses when making big decisions such as buying furniture, to small decisions, such as what to put on your mantel. So, after you get on board with the philosophy of embracing imperfection, get ready to make some decisions on how you want your home to serve you. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is artist and rug designer Wendy Morrison.  I first learned of Wendy's rugs through Sarah Akwisombe, who we interviewed awhile ago.  Sarah is fearless when it comes to design and she's always looking to stretch herself beyond whatever's currently trending.  And Wendy's rugs certainly do push us to be bold and go for what speaks to us, personally.  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 Wendy taking 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 that you can fully understand the impact that her rugs can have on a space.  So I highly encourage you to check out the photos on the show notes page.  Just go to the podcast section on the website, littleyellowcouch.com.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

If Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel had a baby, and pitched it to Netflix for a new TV series, you’d have a handle on this week’s epsiode.  If you're not following me, let me explain.  My guest is Alessandra Wood and she is going to give us the most interesting history lesson you've heard in a long time!  Her dissertation for her PhD was essentially about the influence mid-20th century department stores have had on our personal style choices, for our homes and our clothing (think consumer psychology behind advertising in Mad Men) and pair that with the highly fashionable world of B. Altman in New York, circa 1950 (where Midge Maisel works) and that’s the intersection where today’s conversation resides!  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.  It's a great conversation and I hope you'll find it as fascinating as I have!  We start out talking about Alessandra's rather high-tech role in the online design company, Modsy and by the end we hear how she has used her training as a historian in a most contemporary way.    To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).