Loading summary
Transcript115 lines
- [00:02]
Caroline
Welcome to how to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home. I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team.
- [00:11]
Taryn
And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.
- [00:13]
Liz
I'm Liz. I head of the creative team. We're your hosts.
- [00:17]
Caroline
Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.
- [00:23]
Taryn
Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
- [00:26]
Liz
We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us@podcastaldesigns.net now on with the show.
- [00:34]
Caroline
Our guest today is artist and tastemaker Josh Young. After studying and living In Milan for six years, he returned to the US and in 2017, he launched Josh Young Design House, where he began selling his art. His pieces have appeared in Architectural Digest, Al Decor, Vogue, Italia, House Beautiful, and more. And this month, he publishes his first book, Artful Home, an exploration of his art, his homes, and his process for pulling together a beautiful space. Josh, welcome to the show.
- [01:00]
Josh Young
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
- [01:02]
Caroline
I know. Well, I don't want to speak for Taryn and Liz, but I'm assuming they were as delighted to read this as I was because it was really kind of an unusual concept in a way to a book because you sort of have these five, I guess, sort of artistic principles, and you sort of describe them in the way that it relates to your artwork and your paintings that you do. But then you're sort of illustrating them with photos of your different homes, your apartment in Chicago and your house in Washington, your townhouse in Washington, D.C. and then your house in Northern Virginia. And so it was kind of an interesting way to show that there's this tie between art, regardless of medium. So I kind of loved seeing that. And I was curious maybe to start sort of how the process for the book began and where you kind of got your initial concept from, and then, you know, kind of went from there.
- [01:55]
Josh Young
Yeah, for sure. And thank you for that. For a lot of my career, there has been kind of an equal focus, both of my artwork and my homes and my interior spaces. And kind of like, to your point, there's a stylistic through line between all of that. The book itself was kind of conceived. I was in a really casual conversation with a friend of mine, Michelle Adams, and this was around, like, 2021. So right in the peak of the craziness, I think anyone who works within, like, the interior space or the art space, they know how crazy of a time that really was because everyone was home and everyone was either purchasing or sourcing things for their homes or things for the projects. And I was experiencing burnout, for sure. It seemed to be like every day. I was kind of like in this same rut of working on commissions, working on orders. And I was at a kind of like a crossroads where I knew I wanted to work on a project, a long term project that would challenge me creatively but would also be cathartic in a way. So in talking with my friend, she kind of suggested to me, like, why don't you do a book? And I think it was just the timing of when she said it. I trust her opinion so much. And I think for me too, as someone who's been fortunate enough to. Have you been able to use social media as like a huge platform for my career? I launched my studio in 2017. So, you know, the infancy of sharing one's work in that type of medium was still very like, new. And it was a huge part, not only getting my work out there, but really like introducing myself to people within the industry and to customers, consumers and clients that I still have today. But with that and with the content that comes from that, creating that imagery, you know, showing and kind of putting out my work, both whether it be on or off the canvas, you know, that can sometimes get diluted amongst all of the different spaces, albeit Pinterest or Instagram or, you know, whatnot. And again, I was fortunate to have my spaces and my work be recognizable to an extent. You know, some people would be like, oh, I recognize that that room, or I recognize your studio there. I didn't realize, like, that the two were in the same space or I didn't realize that you had, you know, whatever it may be. And I think because we live in that heavy, like, digital age, I kind of, for myself, I always say I said it to my literary age, I'm like, this book is first and foremost for me. I hope other people receive it and I hope other people love it. And I knew that that was another sign to me that I was doing it for all the right reasons. But for me, it was to really capture not only everything that I've created. Obviously there's, there's projects in the book that have yet to be seen, such as Sycamore House, which is a country property of ours. But for me, it was, it was, it was not only encapsulating all of that and allowing that to live in one tangible, you know, space for people to truly see the through line between my work on and off the canvas. But as I said to my agent, my editor at the time, I really also wanted it to be a book that people were allowed to not only dream amongst all of the imagery, but that there was actual. There was pieces of the book that people could then pull from and utilize within their own work. Right. That was like, crucial for me. And I was also adamant, like, I needed to write the book. The photography in the book needed to be a certain percentage of my own. I needed to art direct. I needed to, like, I really wanted this book. I could have, you know, easily found a writer. I could have easily, and trust me, with my schedule, it probably would have been a lot easier and my stress levels too. However, I wanted to, in a way, like, give back to all of those people that have been following me for all of these years and have supported my work and have welcomed my work into my home. And I get these types of questions all the time. Right to your point. The book is divided up into five chapters. There's palette, texture, form, nostalgia, layers. And those are really like key elements that I use when I've. I'm not only working again, both on and off the canvas, but in the process of kind of assessing how I wanted to break down this book and the story that I wanted to tell, I kind of took a step back and was analyzing, like, what. What is it that truly gives my own creative point of view a recognizable or identifiable touch point to who I am as an artist? So that's why we broke the book down into those chapters with the ultimate goal is to not only just display for me what I use to incorporate my projects, but to allow the reader to take a step back themselves, to see how it's applied in my own spaces and within my own work, and to allow them to really take a pause to see what it is that they use when they're sourcing, when they're putting together a room, or again, if they're an artist, like, what is it from a motif standpoint or a medium standpoint that they always seem to gravitate towards? So that was kind of the goal and I hope, I hope, I hope we achieved it. But again, there was a huge part of me that, sure, I wanted to put together a beautiful, dreamlike book for those to kind of escape. But at the same time, I also knew that I really wanted the book to have some substance and to informative too, at the same time, without being too instructional.
- [07:51]
Caroline
Had you ever, I guess, like, Were you already cognizant of the connection between the way you decorate your house and your art, or was that something that you kind of crystallized during the book process?
- [08:03]
Josh Young
I think that happened during the book process and I think that's why it's authentic in a way, because it just was organic. And I remember, I remember the conversation with my literary agent. Like I said, when we were really kind of like, we knew what we were going to showcase, but when it came down to, like, what, okay, what is the message that we're trying to convey? What is the story that we're trying to tell? And it was really just in casual conversation with her. And I was just like, you know, there's. There's certain things that I always seem to gravitate towards. Like again, when I'm sourcing something or when I'm, when I'm pulling something or when I'm painting something. And it's always these, like this weird attention to texture, to form, to a sense of nostalgia, to a sense. And. And as I was saying that, she's like, I think right, there's your chapters and you've kind of said it very like nonchalant and kind of off the cusp. So maybe we roll with this.
- [08:55]
Caroline
Well, it was, I loved, I liked how, I guess in a way abstract the chapters were, because, you know, your gorgeous spaces really make it tangible, but anyone could take that away and apply it to your point, to their own space. So there was a lot of takeaways in the book, which I obviously always am looking for.
- [09:18]
Josh Young
Thank you. Well, I love that that came through so well.
- [09:22]
Taryn
I want to get into kind of. I mean, we've talked about why the book and I really want to get into kind of your history because for me, I know personally, I love hearing about adventures and you had this six year, life altering living in Europe life. And so tell us kind of about that and how it really, again, molded you into who you are.
- [09:44]
Josh Young
Sure. It was definitely a crazy period, especially considering, you know, I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania in a very small town, did not have the opportunity to travel, period, not mention travel abroad. And the truth of the matter is When I was 18, 19, I met an Italian boy who was from Milan. I fell completely in love. And there was also a part of me that just wanted to explore Europe. It was something that even as a kid, it was a place that I always knew I wanted to somehow end up in. So the opportunity seemed to present itself.
- [10:23]
Taryn
How did you meet a guy from Milan in Pennsylvania would be my other Question.
- [10:29]
Josh Young
Sure. So I was actually in North Carolina. I was in North Carolina at the time and I was doing my freshman year of college studying Italian, oddly enough. And it was kind of a pairing of two universities. One was teaching English, one was teaching Italian type thing. And it was kind of like a cyber digital introduction to one another. And I mean that's another book. So I moved there and with the intent to only be there truly for like a summer. And of course to know me is to know like when I make my mind up, it's made. So I enrolled into an Italian university over there. Really like off the cusp, like called. My parents said, like, yeah, I think I'm kind of staying. And financially I kind of figured it out because universities over there are much more inexpensive than they are here in the States. Found an apartment, really just kind of like made my way there. I'm an only child, so I've always been really independent. And like I said, I don't really, I don't really need a lot of support, if you will, in order to get things done if I want it to be done. And although the relationship did not last, my experience in that city was such a keystone to not only like defining my overall point of view as an artist and as a creative, but it was a place of self discovery. I mean, 19, so young and it's such a formative time. But I think, I think one of the coolest things that come from it and I think it's still applied to my work. But you know, Milan is obviously such a historic and you know, fabled city. However, to visit and to live there is to know it is truly a modern cosmopolitan city, the most modern in Italy. It's kind of like their New York, if you will. So there is a pulse, there is a deep, there is a, A obviously a heavily, heavily focus and presence both in fashion and design. But how all of that, all of those modern and kind of vibrant elements are kind of intertwined and juxtaposed against the historic nature and the traditional qualities of that city. It kind of allowed me to view things in a different way, of how both kind of old world elements and like modern day techniques and approaches can kind of live within one. And we're talking like 2009. So I like this juxtaposition thing. You know, putting old like this was something very, very early on in my life that I kind of gravitated towards and kind of recognize as like from a stylistic standpoint, something that I really wanted to start focusing on. And again, kind of incorporating into how I approach anything on and off the canvas. And it was fun. I met a husband, so I'm with him. We've been together for 13 years, and so many of my friends are still there, too. And, again, it was just. It was a really cool, formative time in my life that I constantly reference. Like, I recently did a frame collection with framebridge, and all of the frames are named after streets we lived on, and somehow always seems to come back up.
- [13:36]
Caroline
Well, it's interesting because I do think in your interior style, definitely, you use so many classic pieces. Right. But there's something about the way you mix it together that does feel modern. And so maybe it's, you know, the palette and sort of the sculpturalness. And so it's definitely obvious how those two, you know, the modern and the, you know, or the new and the old kind of mix together. The way you do it is really beautiful.
- [14:05]
Josh Young
Yeah, I think. I mean, I. Thank you. And it's funny, right before you said that, I obviously, in my head, was like, well, that's because I have such a high focus on palette and form within this space. Right. Like, I can. I have a deep love of everything classical and traditional and antiques, and really just allowing that to live in a more modern space is just having a much more disciplined eye for that palette and that form when incorporating it, so it doesn't feel too stuffy or too heavily layered.
- [14:31]
Caroline
There was actually something you said in the book that I thought was so interesting. It was. You said, neutral interiors instantly shift the focus to form and composition. It was such a. It really nailed to me why it's so difficult to pull off a neutral space, because I think people see it, and it looks like it could be really easy to replicate, because whites and tans and browns and blacks. Right. But then you're kind of identifying the fact that when you don't have color, you really have to make every single thing, the shapes, the textures, the layers, absolutely perfect, because that's what you're looking at. And I just had never. I could have never articulated that or kind of come to that idea. And it was just a really great way of saying that.
- [15:20]
Josh Young
Thank you.
- [15:20]
Caroline
Have you always kind of had this, like, neutral bent in your spaces, you know, indoors?
- [15:27]
Josh Young
Yeah. And I think a lot of that came. There's, like, two things that I think stems from. I grew up with a mother in the late 90s who truly loved the neoclassical approach to design. So so much of our home was, you know, creams and ivories and raw woods. And, you know, patina. And it truly, like, you know, you've got male vibes. Was my home kind of growing up so very early on, like, just the serenity that. That provided. And I think the timeless nature was something that I appreciated. And of course, I mean, truly, I was, what, 12 at the time? 13 at the time. Even movies, like, something's got to give. Like, I remember I had on DVD and, like, completely redid my whole room in a neutral palette with some blues in there. Like. Yeah, well, and there's a reason, right? There's a. There is truly, like, a reason why those interiors are still applicable today, because the approach is still the same. And that's. It's really, again, like, honing into not only incorporating timeless and traditional and classic pieces, but it's about that mix of still keeping it fresh and still having a sense of youth and, you know, vibrancy with incorporating modern pieces. But that is a tricky dance with neutral spaces. Right. Like, they're known to be sterile. And sometimes it's valid. It can go one of two ways. And it can feel, at times, neutral spaces and neutral interiors can feel very impersonal and lack a sense of warmth. But I think it's truly, at least for me, that's. That's traditionally where it stems from, is it then shifts into a layering process where I'm so heavily focused on, especially when working within, like, a tone. On tone palette, the textures that are being incorporated. Right. And the forms that are. So that one's eye is not only just kind of set on into the overall palette of the space, but it allows the eye to kind of dance around from object to object. And within the layering process, that's truly where that warmth can still be at play, even in a neutral space.
- [17:44]
Liz
I loved your approach to layering and collecting as well. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about your approach to collecting things that you're looking for. Yeah. And just kind of expand. Expand on that. Like, because there is such a hint to classical. And then things that have a touch of nostalgia. I mean, there's a whole chapter about nostalgia which is just fantastic. But what are things that you're looking for and how do you approach collecting?
- [18:13]
Josh Young
Yeah, I mean, I think right out the gate, it's noteworthy. Like, I mean, my love of antiques runs so deep. I wrote in the book, but I grew up right out back of an auction house in Pennsylvania. And growing up, I mean, it was a weekly thing that we went there. Every Wednesday, we would get dinner there. My parents would and it was nothing fancy. It was truly like an old barn that people from upstate New York to New Jersey to Philadelphia would come, and they'd bring their knickknacks and they'd sell them. But I think at a young age, I understood kind of the art of collecting. And more than collecting, it was. It was the process of walking these halls just filled with objects and being in tune to, like, what is it that I connect with, Right. Like, why. Why? Said object is something that I would want to incorporate into my space, you know, and watching my parents do that, I was. I. It allowed me to understand that art form a little bit clearer. And, you know, in some, for me, especially, like, now, I mean, sure, there are. There are things that I will always, like, gravitate towards. Like, to know me is to know my love of portraiture. It's just something I, again, have loved since I was a kid. I collect it. Some may look at something, be like, ooh, like, he or she is so off putting. Like, and I love it. Like, there's something very cheeky and fun about classic portraiture. So that's something that I collect. But where I was going is sometimes things just speak to you. And I may not even necessarily have a place for it, or I may not have initially a specific use for something, but when an object or a piece of furniture or a piece of art speaks to me, it's just so loud, and I need it. And again, I think organically, because I'll. Because I am already connecting to it. And that's how intentional I am when filling my spaces. It will somehow organically still fit within said room. But, no, I'm a collector. My husband would say I'm a hoarder, but I am definitely a collector of things. Some beautiful, some not, but they are always things that I love. It's a fine line. And sometimes, like I said, people will come in and be like, why did you buy that? And it's like, there's really no explanation. I just have. I just connected to this, you know, set object and needed it.
- [20:35]
Caroline
Do you do, like, online auction stuff or are you like, I have to see it in person?
- [20:40]
Josh Young
I mean, I think. I think seeing things in person is preferable. However, it's not always practical, right? Like when we were putting together Sycamore House, just because of the timing of it, so much of the sourcing process was done online, and you kind of have to, like, roll the dice, and you don't always nail it. And there are definitely a few items that are still in the basement, because, you know, whether I didn't measure correctly or, you know, falsely advertised, it's tricky. But the convenience of it is great. And I think it allows you to kind of, like, process stuff a little bit better than maybe like, going into an auction in person or even just like, antiquing in person, having it presented to you. And I think, like, even just like the online format of having something presented to you in a clean background, it really, like, allows you to digest solely that specific piece versus it being layered amongst other things. So both.
- [21:36]
Caroline
Well, I love just the way you style your. Your homes. I mean, there were so many things where I was like, oh, gosh, like, I need to get out my silver bowl and, like, fill it with silver bowls. Everywhere, hurricanes, silver candlesticks, baskets. There were these, like. There were these sort of a short list of things that you're. Obviously, you have an affinity for and, you know, trays and stuff. And I kind of was, you know, zeroing in on that because I think for anyone who's listening who does want to maybe restyle their space, and it does kind of have that Nancy Myers vibe, just the way that you're, I guess, displaying the objects, and you might have, you know, a pair of hurricanes on a dining table or on a console or a single one on a coffee table. So it kind of shows how you can use certain things in lots of different ways and how versatile they are within your home. It just gave me a little short list. Go to live auctioneers and look.
- [22:33]
Josh Young
Yeah, I mean. Yeah. And I mean, your accurate observations of these is, like, right on. Right on the mark, those specific things. So, for example, hurricanes, silver bowls, you know, art deco trays, baskets. I. Oddly enough, I have a product collaboration, my first one, coming out this fall. And those are all things incorporated into that, because those are all things that I love and apply throughout my homes. And again, a lot of it is just things that I have noticed over the years that I gravitated towards, but they're also, like, tried and true from a styling standpoint. You know, there isn't a place that I can't. For example, the silver bowls and the silver trays. Like, I can't tell you how many coffee tables that I have with. With silver trays with antique photographs laying in them. I have no idea who these people are, but it's such a great conversation piece and such a fun little, you know, thing to layer onto your coffee table or silver bowls. You know, a popular thing, too, that we love to do is, like, during the holidays, what Other. Whatever ornaments we use on our tree, we always take one of each, you know, color or pattern or texture, and display them in that bowl in front of the tree. So it's kind of like a palette taste for what you see. But it's those specific items, again, that I. That I love and that I gravitate towards and that I style with. And then that also then helps, especially when starting a new room or approaching a new space with a blank slate. You know, the things that I already know that I'm going to want to include and the reasoning behind why I love them. And more than importantly than that, like, why they just work.
- [24:17]
Caroline
Will you talk about, you know, you talk about this in several places in the book, but will you kind of share with the listeners about, like, kind of, I guess, your internal monologue when you are putting together, like, contrasting shapes and textures, like, how are you. What are the questions you're asking yourself, you know? Or like, if you bought, like, a antique dining table, like, how are you going about picking the rest of the things in the room? Like, what are. What are you zeroing in on?
- [24:45]
Josh Young
Yeah, I think that's. That's a great question. For me. I always do this kind of, like, mental checklists as I'm filling, right. From a decorative standpoint, when I'm filling a space, I think a lot of that consists of the various periods that are represented already within the room. For example, if I have a very, like, I don't know, neoclassical dining table, again, just with my own personal preference and personal approach, maybe I want to offset that with more casual, modern chairs. It's. It's this dance that I always have kind of going into my head as far as textures are concerned, you know, very hyper aware of that as well. Making sure that there, you know, are moments within a space that are, I always say, like, tangible to the eye. Like, if you have something with, like, a rough surface or a heavily textured surface, you already kind of visually know what that's going to feel like, right? And that kind of, like, tintillates the senses already and then adding more lustrous qualities within the space, too. Again, just always having that visual dance and having that, I would say, like, that just that perfect amount of tension within a space where everything seems to be represented, everything seems to be complementary with one another. Right? More rectangular and square forms married with more round and heavily focused on curvature and fluidity. It's that. And again, I. It's not, you know, odd to think, like, as an artist, because that's truly what this is what I do day in, day out as I paint. So I really do approach the room in a very similar way that I approach the canvas, which is nothing more than your perimeters right here. And you somehow need to find that cohesive balance, peaceful, you know, nature within those parameters. And I approach. Like I said, I approach a room in a home in a very similar manner.
- [26:47]
Liz
I think one of the places where you strike a balance that I thought was really fun and amazing was in your dining room with your dining chairs that you had custom upholstered with a skirt. And.
- [27:02]
Josh Young
Yes.
- [27:03]
Liz
Okay. I encourage everyone to go look at these because they're the most beautiful skirts. I've never thought that a chair looks more like a debutante than these chairs. They're just so. They're so beautiful. But there's. But it's such a beautiful, white, crisp room. Dark wood table, dark wood chairs with these gorgeous skirts that just really elevate the whole room. It's really beautiful.
- [27:29]
Josh Young
Thank you. I appreciate that. And I think the focus of that was. And it kind of goes and ties back into what I was saying earlier is, you know, that room, its palette, it's very neutral. I really wanted that room to feel light and airy and allow the antique pieces within it to truly, like, have its moment and to speak and. But with that, like, because it is such a neutral palette, I needed to add some type of drama, some type of texture, some type of quality to the space. That felt fun. Right. And I think. I think. I think, too, like, just so much of design is that, like, unfortunately, sometimes there's such a sterile approach to design where, you know, there's such a hyper focus on having things so perfect and having things. I mean, those chairs themselves, like, they're done in a performance fabric because obviously, like, we eat in there. There's the. The table itself is truly. If you look at it, you may even see it, but it's all scratched up. There's nothing too pristine about it. But the form itself is. It's. It's what keeps it refined. Right. But where. Where I was going is there seems to be sometimes this feeling of making a space feel too much like a showroom that we sometimes forget to have fun with it. And I always want to have fun when putting my spaces together. And I always want those who are in there again to have fun, like calling out things or odd things that they see, like you probably still do within the book. Like, just something that I love to do is I'll. Some of the doors themselves. I love to Hang like portraiture and art on doors, and it's just sometimes it could seem a little off, but it'll catch your eye, and it's such a great conversation piece and.
- [29:11]
Liz
Yeah, well, I love that mix of, like, reverence and irreverence to these objects in the forms. And I feel like that comes through in your artwork as well, especially in your collage work, because you're taking these beautiful images or paintings or prints and, you know, crossing out people's eyes or, you know, just drawing all over it. And I. I think that's really fun. How did you find that approach?
- [29:39]
Josh Young
Sure. So that collection Bibliothec was kind of born out of my love of collecting. Collecting antique and vintage documents, kind of spanning from 16th century to 19th century, French, English, early American. I just have always loved, probably from time I was 13, have been kind of collecting those. And I love seeing the old handwriting, I love seeing the old etchings and, you know, again, kind of approach to take something once old and forgotten and kind of breathe new life into it. I started using that as the canvas and those pieces as kind of like the background for motifs and collages that were more abstract in nature and felt more modern. And again, just allowing the two worlds to kind of meet. And then the slashing of the eyes, which was kind of an early on thing of mine that kind of took off, if you will, when I was living in Milan in, like, 2011, 2012, and started really collecting, like, my first portrait art or even myself painting some of the portraits again to add a bit of juxtaposition to the piece and to kind of alter and shapeshift one's focus when looking at it. I just simply started slashing out their eyes and these vibrant colors. Again, I think it added, like, tension to it, but also, too, it allowed the viewer to shift their focus from, you know, when you look at a classic portrait, probably as you would someone, the first thing you look at is their eyes. And in order to eliminate that and put more focus on the other things, like their attire or their facial expression, that was kind of my way of. Of. Of creating that very simple altercation to. To allow that lets you sort of.
- [31:26]
Caroline
Imagine a new person. Like, it could be anyone now, you know, like, if you don't for sure see the eyes and, like, it could be anyone, which is kind of interesting.
- [31:36]
Josh Young
And what was cool, too, in creating that, because I did it to portraiture, I did it to. Again, it can be seen in my Bibliothec collection. So they're done on etchings of people. But the amount of times, obviously, that I was asked why, you know, for me was kind of, like, cool, like, this is coming through. The fact that this is, like, getting you to think. The fact that this is kind of making you question why it is I do this, or also to, like, creating your own narrative of maybe why I do it and why you, like, mission accomplished. That's awesome.
- [32:05]
Caroline
Can I ask you a practical question?
- [32:07]
Josh Young
Sure.
- [32:07]
Caroline
What is your take on polishing silver? Like, you have so much silver. And I'm like, okay, does he polish silver a lot? Is he just. He like the tarnished look? This is a constant challenge I have because I do have a lot of silver, but, like, sometimes I like it a little tarnished, but then sometimes I'm like, oh, I have to polish that. So I need to know your take.
- [32:27]
Josh Young
I think. I think, like, yes. I mean, in an ideal world, maybe the majority. Although I do. I do like a little bit of a tarnish and a little bit of patina on things. In an ideal world, it would all be polished. But that sometimes is not practical. So I always find that if I'm entertaining soon or if I'm going to be hosting something soon, like a holiday, that's when I'll bust it out and get them clean. But people, it's funny, like, this happens so many times with guests or friends or family that come to visit our spaces. They just have this perception that I always have things so pristine. And when they come in my homes, it's like, yeah, like, sometimes there's marks on the carpet. Like, again, every piece of fabric in our homes is performance. Because I do not live in a showroom, and I don't want people to come in to be too, you know, overly cautious of making a mark. I think people are always, like, so surprised at how I have scuffs on my walls. There's. Yeah, there's sometimes, like, piece of silver I haven't properly polished in over a year. You know, I think that's just real. So, again, like, I typically will polish stuff if I have something coming up, or I may need to practically use it. But there are plenty of times that things look a little rough and maybe need to be shined up.
- [33:47]
Taryn
Isn't that in the Martha Stewart Living or whatever, where she has, like, the calendar out from holidays? You know, and she talks about when she's pulling the turnips from the ground and I think polish and then she polishes her silver. There's like, a day before the holidays where the Silver gets polished, so you have to find.
- [34:02]
Josh Young
I wish, I wish and I wish my assistant, if she was up here, she'd laugh too. But I wish I was that regimented and that disciplined when it comes to stuff like that. I'm just not. That just will never be me. But I tip my hat to people that are like that. For sure.
- [34:18]
Caroline
There's just like nothing like a perfectly polished piece of silver. Like, the tone and like, oh, for sure it's beautiful. But then there's also something really beautiful about a tarnished piece of silver. But it's like, where is that line? Where there's a middle, where it's like, neither.
- [34:34]
Josh Young
Yes, maybe you can relate too. But there are often times where I'll see something and I know, like, I went to go grab it because I need to polish it, but I'm looking at it, like, kind of looks cool as is. Like, do I want to polish this or am I, like, going to lean in and embrace the. So, yeah, I don't know for me.
- [34:53]
Taryn
On that subject, I definitely. It depends how I'm using it. Caroline, to your point, it's kind of like there's times when I'm kind of using it more casually and I'm like, you know what? Patina's good. But when you are trying to dress up a table, all of a sudden it seems very like, well, you didn't try.
- [35:09]
Caroline
I feel like flatware is, like, different. Like, if you're going to use actually silver flatware and it can tarnish using it.
- [35:16]
Taryn
Yeah, I could see that.
- [35:17]
Caroline
It's like, I don't necessarily want to put it in my mouth.
- [35:21]
Liz
Ew.
- [35:22]
Caroline
Round. You know, I don't know, maybe that's just a hang up, but if it's like a candlestick, you're like, okay, whatever, it's fine. Yeah, you're not putting food on it.
- [35:32]
Taryn
Well, I wanted to talk again. We're such a fun little group of people, I think, in a sense, because Caroline's husband is like an artist and I do some art on the side. And then Liz's husband and is also an artist full time.
- [35:45]
Josh Young
Oh, wow.
- [35:45]
Taryn
So we all come from a place of. I mean, I don't know about our listener, but he or she's going to go along with us. I want to know more about kind of your studio space because you speak in the book about, you know, work starting on your. In your dining room table. And then, like, again, it just picking up so quickly that you really had to find more space. So how are you now working on Your art and how do you, like, what are the needs and the way you style and work through your kind of creative space that allows you to be so creative?
- [36:15]
Josh Young
Yeah, and I actually, I still have that dining room table and I incorporated into other pieces that kind of fit. So it has all of those like original paint splatters and markings. I'll always have it. But yeah, when I first started my studio, I mean again, there's, this is a bit of a background, but you know, I've been an artist all my life. I studied in Milan. It's something I always wanted to do. But of course, like many of us, you know, we're told that it can never be truly like a live. It can never be a profession or living. It's always got to be a side job. So after graduating I took, you know, numerous positions in corporate America and in the design industry. I was a textile designer in New York for a while. I then switched over into PR and worked in that. And when I, when I moved to Chicago in 2017, the company that I worked for had massive layoffs. And that was kind of the birth. My husband had asked me to do it, which he was right, but that was kind of the birth and the space for me to explore being a full time artist. And with that, I mean, there are sacrifices. I did not just like have a studio like that. So, you know, I was working. We were in a thousand square foot apartment right in downtown Chicago and I kind of makeshifted our dining table into my studio space and had to be obviously very restricted into the dimensions and the sizes that I was working, working on. But fast forward. And within four months the studio kind of took off. Again, thanks and help to not only social media, but so many people in the industry, specifically interior designers that were commissioning from me. And I was able to rent out a true studio space in the same building. We lived in this old art deco high rise and on the 18th floor was this available, the studio that was available. And that became my first space. So I went from this little tiny dining room into, I mean, I don't even know if it was 850 square feet, but it was mine and it had a door and it had multiple tables. And I could then expand on again not only what I was working on, but how much I was working on. And there was a comfort, and I still have it, I have it here in the townhouse. But there was a comfort of allowing myself to have that studio space within the same building as where I live, just because of the nature of How I love to work, which is a little unstructured. Like, if it was late at night and I got a second wind and I wanted to work or keep going on a collaboration, it wasn't like I had to hop in a car or a subway and, like, go 20 minutes. You know, I could just act on it impulsively. So when we moved to the townhouse here in dc, it was really important to me that when we found. I always wanted a historic townhome, but when we found one, that there would be space for the studio itself. And that's the first renovation we ever did, which was we completely gutted the entire ground floor of the townhouse to make into my studio space and, you know, kind of restored some of the architectural elements that match the upstairs. But there's a door, so at the end of the day, I can close that door. And it's like, this is my home now. And it's been great. I mean, fully. And being transparent. Like, there's always, like, an evolution to things and new chapters. And I think. I think within the next, you know, I've been. I've been fortunate enough to have the studio space where I lived. However, now at this point in my career, I think I'm ready to explore and to see what having a space elsewhere looks like. So I think within the next year or so, we're going to be here in dc. We're going to be looking for a true, like, traditional industrial style, like, studio space for myself.
- [39:59]
Caroline
Would you have, like, a shop, like your own display? Okay, you. You. Cause you would do that so beautifully.
- [40:06]
Josh Young
That's kind of the goal, is that in the front would act as almost like a gallery and a retail space, and in the back would be more of a space for me to truly work on everything. So we'll see.
- [40:16]
Taryn
Oh, yeah. And then any extra hoarding. I mean, collections that you do that.
- [40:21]
Josh Young
Just doesn't work out.
- [40:22]
Taryn
It's right in the front. No, that's really cool. Well, and honestly, that question came through while I was looking through your book, too, and I. Kind of similar to Caroline, where I was like, you're using all these beautiful bowls with your. With all your art supplies in them and different things that I was like. I mean, my art does not. I just. Anyway, I was like, I should really stylize that space more, because I bet it makes you happy versus, like, it does.
- [40:49]
Josh Young
And it's not like I spent a lot of money on some of it too. Right. But it's just being intentional with, like, again, I. I'VE always been that person where. Even if it's a soap dish in my bathroom in college, like, I was just always so intentional and keen into, like all of the little components that make up my life. Because I love to be surrounded by beautiful things and beautiful things does not always translate to expensive things. So again, it's just, it's just having that intentional kind of want to. Even with sloppy pastels to put them into. Yeah. Like a tarnished old beat up silver tray that maybe I did find at a Goodwill. Right. Like. But it's better than it being in some acrylic thing that maybe I even spent more money on. Yeah, that's just. And that's just the preference. That's. That's a preference thing for sure.
- [41:39]
Caroline
Okay, so you're telling us that it looks as beautiful day to day as it does and you didn't, you didn't judge it up just a little bit?
- [41:47]
Josh Young
Of course. I just, I wish I had the florals and the beautiful flowers and of course, a little bit more organization, if you will. However, that is something that people are surprised when visiting the studio spaces. It's for a studio. And I think that again, as practical as I like to be within my spaces, I am someone that's organized and I do like a bit of. Yeah, not too much chaos because enough chaos is happening up here that I need to kind of have a bit more of a serene and steady environment to go through life.
- [42:28]
Taryn
Yeah, I think that's most of us. Most of us can't do the cluttered desk. So true.
- [42:35]
Josh Young
Although just don't look at my desktop on my computer. That's a whole other story.
- [42:39]
Taryn
I agree. I think there is something about media or even all my digital organization that could.
- [42:45]
Josh Young
Doesn't apply. Doesn't apply.
- [42:47]
Taryn
We're going to turn that off and it's not there.
- [42:50]
Josh Young
You can shut it down so I can't see it. So we're good.
- [42:54]
Caroline
Okay, Liz, Taryn, final questions before we get to our dilemma.
- [42:58]
Taryn
I had one more and this will be an easy answer, I'm pretty sure. You're obviously always on the hunt for something beautiful. What are you always going to purchase no matter what? Antique store? What are you always on the hunt for that everyone knows you to always want?
- [43:12]
Josh Young
I think that leads into like always having space for something then. Right? I think there are three. Can I answer? Can I say three things that I always seem to gravitate towards?
- [43:21]
Taryn
I'm kidding.
- [43:22]
Josh Young
Of course I could answer one. But I think, I think one thing that I always love When I find our small, miniature, unique lamps, you see them on my mantels, you'll see them in my china cabinets, you'll see them on desk and secretaries. I just love those little moments as someone who loves lighting and creating a bit more of like dramatic lighting throughout the space. Like, they're just fun. They're cute and they're fun. A beautiful hurricane again, because it's so applicable whether I'm entertaining and I only use it for entertaining purposes, or if I'm using it for, on top of, like I said, a mantle or a dresser. Like, I just, I love having that, that sense of like candlelight being used within a space too. Actually, those would be the two, those are the two things that I, when I, when I see the right piece, I kind of go into my head like, oh, God, I hope this is inexpensive, because I know I want it.
- [44:17]
Taryn
Those are good. Thank you for sharing. All right, let's do this dilemma.
- [44:30]
Caroline
Okay. I'm going to read it and you'll take the lead and then we'll all discuss. All right. This is from Amanda and she says hello. I'm a longtime listener of the podcast. Love tuning in. Each week I get so much inspiration from the podcast and appreciate you sharing your real life trials and triumphs. Thanks, Amanda. That's so nice. I could hear. I could use your help with a trial of my own. I need some direction on a, on a refresh for my primary bedroom. We need to replace our duvet cover, which has led into a. If you give a mouse a cookie. So I could use your help. I've attached some pictures of the space. The bed, dressers and pink chair need to stay, but everything else is up for change. I'm planning to take down the plantation shutters and replace them with motorized roll up shades. I'd like to add new drapes, new bedding, new nightstands, and new lamps. The awful fan is number one on my list to switch out, but my husband is insisting on another fan. Do you have any suggestions for a color palette for the bedding and drapes? And a hero fabric that might help pull in some pink while updating the space. Any suggestions for nightstands that would offer storage and go with the dressers without matching? Should I do something different with a giant tv? Thanks for any insight and suggestions.
- [45:34]
Josh Young
So I mean, again, right before you said to the first thing that kind of jumped off to me and again, it's just kind of creating like structure and a jumping off point, which would be to do just that is to establish first and Foremost, like, what is. What is. What is the color palette that you want featured within a space? For me, my approach to color is always different than others. Obviously. I always like to incorporate color in a way that it almost acts as a neutral. Right. Like, I'll be very specific with whether it be, you know, of a green or a yellow, really honing in on that specific tone and then playing off of a tone on tone palette where that's incorporated in different textures or in different textiles, but really kind of like exploiting that and solely focusing on that specific color within then a neutral space. So, for example, like, for me, I would have. I would definitely maybe focus in on neutralizing the wall color or the bedding itself. And then to look. And if she's inclined to pink, maybe using that in some of the textiles, whether it be the pillows, the decorative pillows, some of the drapery within the space, and again, then honing in on whether it be for the end tables. Right. The right type of wood tone, or if she wanted to explore featuring, like, painted end tables, something that would be complementary of that color. But that's, again, I sometimes. And I do it myself, too, but when I approach a room and I think others do it as well, like, it can be very overwhelming, like, what is that starting point that can help structure and anchor my decision making? And for me, it is always. It's always first and foremost, like, what is the color palette of this room? And since I am someone that's always inclined to only feature a said color without mixing too much, what is that color? And from there, from a sourcing standpoint, how is that color going to be applied throughout the space? And it could be. It could be just that, like, it's the wall color, and maybe the other elements in the space, such as the bedding and the pillows, then become a bit more neutral, and you allow the walls to speak and complement the chair then in the corner.
- [47:42]
Caroline
So, okay, if she has this pink chair and she has this sort of pink painting. So, like, you would. You would. Seems like you would kind of roll with, like, pink as the color and then maybe incorporate it in. In other ways.
- [47:56]
Josh Young
Yeah, for sure. Like I said, if that. If that. If that's what she's gravitating towards and those are pieces that she's adamant on keeping, again, I would kind of hone in on the. The. The specific tone or the color of that pink. And then from there, you know, it could be even something as incorporating beautiful lampshades into the space. Or again, for me, too, I would Be honing in on what is it? What. What wall color am I utilizing? Right. I've always been someone, too, that loves to paint the ceiling, too, because I like to make especially a bedroom feel a little bit more encapsulating and embracing, but then also, too, to kind of hone in on how can that pink be utilized in the bedding itself? Or if you are using, let's say, like, neutral drapes or a neutral bedding. Like, what are some of those. What type of fabric and what type of textiles are you using with a neutral tone that has maybe pink undertones or a red cast that's, again, complementary to those? So it looks intentional. Right. Like, the room feels like it was intentionally put together specifically as it pertains to the color palette itself. So. Yeah.
- [49:08]
Caroline
So, okay, if she. She has these dressers that are sort of. They look sort of like a dark wood, mahogany kind of thing, do you. It seems like that's kind of like the only wood. I mean, I feel like maybe she needs to bring more of that in or, like, more wood tones. Like, maybe she does, like, a wooden lamp or a great nightstand. Yeah. So it's not the only, like, super or at least something dark, maybe, because it's the only, like, dark thing in the space. And then. And like, I guess what I'm trying to say is, like, taking what you're saying about the color, but then also repeating the wood tone that she feels like she needs to repeat for sure.
- [49:46]
Josh Young
And that can be even applied to some of the frames she has there on the wall. Right. Like, to your point, which is super accurate, it's allowing your eye kind of dance around the space. And when doing that with contrast or with doing that with certain wood tones, you kind of want that carry through to allow it. Again, it gives off a sense of intention behind a space when you're seeing a specific material or a specific color kind of being utilized throughout. For sure.
- [50:13]
Caroline
Okay. Amanda, you asked about the fan. Fan with a light kit is a hard. A hard one if you can. I would either. If your husband's insisting on the fan, then maybe. I don't know. What is everyone's take? I would say just do a fan with no light kit, and then just, like, do tons of lamps.
- [50:31]
Josh Young
The hard part is they're great, and we all know we just don't want to net it. Like, I can't tell you how many times I go to my parents house and they still have them. I'm like, you know what? I don't want them from my room. Per se. But this thing is amazing. So that's why it's always such a hard pill to swallow, because they're awesome. But I agree with. I agree with you. Maybe just there's a different style of a fan that you can incorporate that isn't so, like, you know, loud, per se, but it can still be practical and you. And used.
- [50:58]
Caroline
Agreed.
- [50:58]
Josh Young
Because they're great.
- [50:59]
Taryn
Agreed.
- [51:00]
Caroline
Feels so good.
- [51:01]
Josh Young
So good.
- [51:02]
Caroline
Yep. And then the other thing I was gonna just mention. Okay. She talks about the tv, and again, y'all tell me if you disagree. And you can be on Amanda's side, but there's something about the. How big the TV is on top of this skinny dresser that, like, proportionally feels like it might topple over at any moment. Almost like it just. It's. So obviously she wants to keep her dresser. Maybe there's a different place in the room. She could put the dresser, and then she could get something sort of wider and lower to put underneath the television. Or. Do you all think I'm being crazy? I mean, it's just a really. It's, like, wider than the dresser. It's on.
- [51:43]
Josh Young
Yeah, I think. I think for Amanda, like, again, if the. If there's an option to. To mount a TV to start with, to kind of allow that space to kind of be not so. So heavy visually, that would. That would be great. And, I mean, I think even if you needed to keep the TV that you have for whatever reason, that that would definitely be a great option, too. But to your point, I think playing with sc, Maybe something smaller, and if it's a possibility, we have those framed TVs. And honestly, I can't tell you. It sounds like a cliche, but we have people come over so many times, and they just don't even see it or recognize it as being a TV as an eyesore. And again, what a great way, because you can customize the frames and you can customize the type of wood tones that you use. Maybe there's another point, a jumping off point to incorporate, you know, said wood tone into the frame as well. So that would kind of be my take on that.
- [52:41]
Caroline
Yeah. Or maybe she could scooch. Yeah, I like the frame idea. Maybe she could scoot the dresser over and then put the tv, like, to the. To the side. And then she can use the dresser as, like, you know, she could put a mirror on it. She could put a beautiful lamp, you know, lean some art or something, and do something a little bit more decorative, but then have the TV just mounted on the wall. To the. To the side, like, off center or something?
- [53:07]
Josh Young
Yes.
- [53:08]
Caroline
Cause it also just. It's like two black boxes just on the wall, and it's kind of like your eye just goes straight there. You know what I'm saying? Liz, you're giving me a really weird face.
- [53:17]
Liz
No, I'm totally. I'm totally with you. Like, it needs to. It needs to be mounted on the wall, and things need to get lightened up a bit. But, yeah, it's all gonna come together.
- [53:28]
Josh Young
And just be mindful. And be mindful, too. Of again, no one loves the layer more than me. However, there is a fine dance and a fine balance between things being overly layered. And I think for me, too, like, kind of eliminating some of that visual noise that's behind there, which seems to be some shelving and some photographs, you know, maybe. Maybe those are applicable in other areas of the room to further lighten up that space so it's not so weighty. And even for me, too, I think, again, I'm always so careful with this because design is such a personal thing, but, like, for me, I think that I would question how much that bookcase there in the corner is truly needed and if that can be maybe even downsized more horizontally than vertically, just, again, allowing that to not feel so since I think visually, too, it kind of competes with the height of the two other items, maybe that. That gets kind of transitioned to something a little bit lower, horizontal. And then again, with that wall, maybe there's an opportunity for a piece of art to live there as well, to kind of cozy up that corner by that chair, maybe with a. With a. With a floor lamp for reading, since that seems to be like, a reading nook. A true reading nook.
- [54:44]
Caroline
Yeah. But I feel like her idea to find a hero fabric and then that incorporates the pink is a great strategy.
- [54:51]
Josh Young
Yeah. You always have to look. And I've always just been someone that's always been inclined to, like, traditional white batting. And then I love. I love playing with texture and pattern within the pillows. I just think it's, like, tried and true. Since you make it. You may get tired of it. It may feel too heavy for a space like that. That is such a formula that is just so, again, tried and true with when it comes to bedrooms. And it's also too, like, not as heavy of a commitment when you're trying to, you know, source and find that specific and special fabric for the space itself. Like, have fun with the pillows. Have fun with the drapery.
- [55:29]
Caroline
All right, Amanda, I hope we gave you some direction to go in.
- [55:32]
Josh Young
Likewise.
- [55:33]
Caroline
I hope that was helpful and thank you for listening. Taryn, Liz, any final thoughts?
- [55:38]
Taryn
You guys got it. That was good.
- [55:41]
Caroline
All right, well, okay, Josh, can you tell everyone where they can find you? Follow you, see your work?
- [55:46]
Josh Young
Sure. So you can find me on social media, specifically Instagram. It's at Jay Young Design House. My website is joshyoungdesignhouse.com that's where you can find the majority of my work and my collections that I sell. And my first book, Artful Home with Rizzoli, will be published on September 3rd. And it has been a labor of love for the past three years and I'm so truly excited for people to finally to get it. And again, the goal is for them to have some takeaways from the book as well. And thank you for having me.
- [56:19]
Caroline
Wait, one final question. Why did we not get your husband's ragu recipe that you mentioned in the book somewhere? And where can I find it? Book two. Oh, okay. You did emphasize first book. So he can cook.
- [56:32]
Josh Young
Well, that's one thing he's got over me for sure is his ability to cook. And very effortless. So that had to be showcased at some capacity within the book.
- [56:43]
Caroline
I was definitely craving that on like a fall night after reading about it.
- [56:47]
Josh Young
Perfect timing, right? We're leading right into the fall, so.
- [56:51]
Caroline
And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to.
- [56:56]
Taryn
Send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help.
- [57:02]
Caroline
You with your space. And of course, be sure to follow us on social media at Ballard Designs.
- [57:06]
Liz
Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback.
- [57:13]
Caroline
Until next time, happy decorating.