Confessions of an Interior Designer

Episode: I Confess... I Painted the Town Red
Host: Caroline Turner
Guest: Megan J., Principal Designer, Megan J. Design
Date: January 21, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively and candid episode, host Caroline Turner sits down with Chicago-based designer Megan J. to pull back the curtain on the unpredictable, hilarious, and sometimes shocking side of luxury interior design. From career pivots to outlandish client copycats to paint disasters that nearly tank million-dollar projects, nothing is off-limits. The episode is jam-packed with personal stories, anonymous listener confessions, and honest discussion about the ups, downs, and every shade in between in the high-end interiors world.

Meet the Guest: Megan J. (00:01:06 – 00:13:15)

• Background: Fourth career, former pre-med student, fashion industry survivor, clinical social worker, fundraiser, and now thriving designer.

• Path to Interior Design:

  • Moved from fashion and social work into design following a pandemic-induced career rethink.
  • Megan’s psychology and nonprofit backgrounds unexpectedly primed her for client communication and managing tricky personalities.
  • “It's a lot of mirroring... Sometimes people don't actually understand what it is they're communicating until you say it back.” (Megan, 06:03)
  • Real estate connections and “style to sell” sessions snowballed into a steady client base.

• Early Design Education:

  • Completed the New York Institute of Art and Design’s certification (pandemic-era).
  • Confidence in color—“I've always loved color. I've always, like, color has always been really important to me.” (Megan, 08:46)
  • Emphasis on how foundational programs give designers confidence—even if not all skills are taught.

Megan's Vice: Genealogy and Wine (14:08 – 18:51)

• When unwinding, Megan confesses to getting “drunk and deep-diving into genealogy” (14:11), tracing her family tree for hours.
• Favorite party fact: She’s met up with genealogists in cemeteries and is plotting to secure Irish citizenship through ancestry.
• “You're even being productive when you're drunk—that’s impressive!” (Caroline, 14:53)
• Both hosts reflect on family heritage, culture, and how history is more meaningful through personal context than rote memorization.

Confession #1: The Copycat Client (19:05 – 27:59)

The Story (read by Caroline):

• A designer is thrilled to work with a stylish new client, until the client starts mimicking her look—first the bag, then the haircut, eventually her entire wardrobe and style down to unique, one-off vintage finds.
• The obsession peaks when the client's style completely shifts again—this time to mirror her soon-to-be sister-in-law.
• “She wants to skin you and wear you. Like, this is scary.” (Caroline, 21:19)
• The client never acknowledges the copying, leaving the designer feeling creeped out but trapped by professionalism.

Discussion & Insights:

• Both hosts debate how to address such social boundary-crossing. Megan says she would have had to call it out jokingly (“Do I need to start charging you for styling advice?”—25:05).
• Caroline connects the story to the social media era: “...People are deciding they like someone's aesthetic and they're just co-opting the entire thing.” (24:58)
• The phenomenon touches on identity, insecurity, and the increasingly blurred lines between admiration and imitation.

Notable Quote

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this is a bit much.”
— Megan J., 26:21

Penance

• Collective advice: “Just be normal. Why are you being such a freak?” (Caroline, 27:59)
• Megan expresses empathy: “I hope for her sake she finds her own path...and at least acknowledges it when she borrows from others.” (27:30)
• A suggestion: Time spent alone and maybe hiring a stylist—to find her own look rather than absorbing everyone else’s persona.

Confession #2: The Red House Disaster (29:30 – 41:55)

The Story (read by Caroline):

• A seasoned designer overseeing a historic estate project is horrified to receive a client text: “Why is our house red?”
• Due to a one-letter error in a color code, the entire house is being painted neon red instead of a deep green. Half the job is done with the wrong color, risking HOA fines and historic district violations.
• The designer pauses work immediately, takes responsibility, and proposes solutions.
• “Thank god for errors & omissions insurance!” (32:18)
• The clients are gracious; disaster is narrowly averted.

Discussion & Takeaways:

• The panic and helplessness designers feel when mistakes happen are universal.
• “Business owners, the only thing you can do is bring solutions—not just apologies.” (Megan, 33:34)

Notable Quote

"Bad shit happens, but the way you handle it is what matters...How you solve, how you move forward is what people remember—not the initial problem."
— Caroline Turner, 40:05

• Both hosts discuss the importance of setting realistic expectations with clients—that things will inevitably go wrong, and it’s the process of fixing it that builds trust.

Lighthearted Digression: HOAs and Lightbulbs

• Caroline jokes about lightbulb temperature as a neighborhood issue:
  “If I was HOA president, I'd make everyone use 2700 Kelvin.” (34:32)

Penance

• Reward for the designer: “You deserve a vacation—sans work phone.” (39:59)
• The lesson: Be upfront, communicate, and “wrap it up in a bow” for the client.

Personal & Industry Conversations (42:05 – 61:17)

Megan’s Wallpaper Collection (42:16 – 47:22)

• Launching a collection with French brand Isadore Le Roi inspired by New England coastal motifs, including panoramic murals and Nantucket basket weaves.
• Megan collaborated closely, sending real flowers as references and working with three artists.
• “You had a previous relationship, so there was already trust.” (Caroline, 47:07)
• The project will debut at Paris’s Deco Off.

Creativity, Color, and Challenging Conventions (49:40 – 55:13)

• Megan is known for her brave use of color and pattern mixing, though her base style is rooted in tradition.
• “I’m just a little bit braver when it comes to playing with colors and whimsy.” (Megan, 50:05)
• Caroline notes Megan’s work flips expectations through unexpected color and texture choices.
• Both agree that color sense and the drive to create unique spaces are innate qualities for designers.
• Trust between designer and client is crucial: “You hire me to push you—so when I do, remember this.” (Caroline, 53:53)

Megan’s Renovation and Reflections on Business Ownership (55:16 – 60:24)

• Megan’s favorite room in her own home is the attic bedroom: “I love a room that feels like a storybook.” (55:27)
• Both celebrate the joys and challenges of running a design firm, especially the satisfaction of business ownership and work/life integration.
• “It’s lit a fire under my ass, but in a good way.” (Megan, 56:50)
• Chicago's supportive design community is contrasted with the status-focused culture on the East Coast.

Final Reflections: What Made You Feel? (60:35 – 62:44)

• Megan shares a touching story: Her young daughter recently told her she wants to be “a mommy and a designer,” because she sees Megan doing both.
• “Not just that she said she wants to be a mommy… it’s the fact that she thinks she can do both.” (Megan, 61:15)
• Both reflect on generational shifts—in work, motherhood, and the importance of visible role models.

Key Takeaways

• The design world is full of unexpected challenges—what matters is how you respond.
• Personal style can be a surprisingly fraught territory—boundaries, flattery, and the pitfalls of imitation.
• Career pivots, especially from outside creative fields, bring valuable people skills and resilience.
• Brave design choices, especially with color and pattern, come from innate creative instincts (and sometimes, childhood tantrums over lava lamps).
• Building a business that fulfills both creative and analytic drives is uniquely satisfying, especially when you can see its positive impact on the next generation.

Notable Quotes

• On mirroring in client management:
  “Sometimes people don't even mean what they said until you say it back and they reanalyze it…”
  — Caroline Turner, 06:03

• On tricky clients:
  “She wants to skin you and wear you. Like, this is scary.”
  — Caroline Turner, 21:19

• On mistakes:
  “Bad shit happens, but the way you handle it is what matters.”
  — Caroline Turner, 40:05

• On innate creative vision:
  "It's totally a brain thing...I actually get chills when I feel like something really comes together."
  — Caroline Turner, 51:36

• On motherhood and career:
  "My daughter told me…she's gonna be a mommy and a designer. It's not just that she said she wants to be a mommy or designer. It's that she thinks she can do both."
  — Megan J., 61:15

Important Timestamps

• 00:01:06 – Megan’s winding career journey
• 08:40 – Transition to interior design during the pandemic
• 14:08 – Confession: Megan’s genealogy deep dives as a vice
• 19:05 – Confession #1: The copycat client
• 29:32 – Confession #2: The red house disaster
• 42:16 – Megan’s wallpaper collection: the creative process
• 49:40 – Challenging design conventions and talking color
• 55:16 – Owning an old home as a designer
• 56:29 – The highs and surprises of running a business
• 60:35 – What made Megan feel: parenting and role modeling

Where to Find Megan J.

• Instagram: @meganjdesign
• TikTok: @meganjdesign (not active, but the handle is there)

This entertaining and insightful episode is essential listening for anyone curious about the reality of luxury design, dealing with difficult clients, or following an unexpected creative calling. The stories are raw, real, and just a little bit outrageous—exactly as promised.