Ep. 380: Trials and Triumphs

Summary

Episode Summary: Ep. 380: Trials and Triumphs Release Date: September 24, 2024

Hosts: Caroline, Taryn, and Liz from the Ballard Designs team

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Introduction

In Episode 380 of How to Decorate, hosts Caroline, Taryn, and Liz delve into the trials and triumphs encountered in the realm of home decorating and maintenance. This episode is a blend of personal anecdotes, expert advice, and practical tips aimed at helping listeners navigate their own decorating journeys.

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1. Home Renovation Triumphs: Liz's Sister's Laundry Room Makeover

Liz kicks off the episode by sharing a recent success story about her sister's home renovation. The project involved transforming a mudroom into a functional laundry room and relocating the actual laundry facilities closer to the bedrooms.

• Color Selection: Liz describes the meticulous process of selecting the perfect shade of blue for the walls. Despite Liz's initial assertion that "these are all gray" (01:27), the team ultimately settled on a periwinkle blue complemented by navy trim.

  • "So we found the perfect kind of periwinkle blue that is like hydrangea perfect for her laundry room." (02:42) – Liz

• Tile Choice: The team emphasizes the importance of selecting the right tile, highlighting a beautiful chambray hexagonal tile with hand-painted white flowers that perfectly matched Liz's sister’s personality.

  • "It's like this beautiful, like, little chambray hexagonal tile with hand-painted little white flowers on it." (04:24) – Liz

• Project Timeline: Impressively, the renovation was completed within two to three weeks, showcasing efficient planning and execution.

  • "They were lickety spickity. They were like, done in two or three weeks." (04:32) – Liz

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2. Navigating House Safety: Fire Alarm Mishaps

The conversation shifts to a harrowing experience Liz and her partner faced with malfunctioning fire alarms in their home.

• Alarm Troubleshooting: Despite having hardwired fire alarms with battery backups, a sudden alarm at 5 AM caused panic, leading them to disconnect the system temporarily.

  • "At five in the morning the other day, they all went off and so full panic." (06:24) – Liz

• Fire Department Intervention: Concerned about a potential fire, they contacted the fire department, who conducted a thorough inspection but found no issues.

  • "They didn't find a Dangon thing. They, like, peeked up in the attic, they went down to the basement, like, all around." (08:05) – Liz

• Ongoing Issues: The alarms continued to malfunction the next morning, prompting Liz to seek a second opinion from another electrician.

  • "The next morning at 4. (09:11) – Liz

• Safety Lessons: This ordeal underscored the importance of having reliable fire safety systems and regularly maintaining them to prevent false alarms and ensure real emergencies are promptly addressed.

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3. Preventing Home Disasters: Taryn’s PSA on Toilet Valve

Taryn shares a critical piece of home maintenance advice stemming from a friend's unfortunate experience with a faulty toilet valve.

• Broken Plastic Valve Incident: A friend’s toilet valve broke, causing severe flooding and extensive damage to their home.

  • "A plastic valve, which it sounds like we can go into this like a PSA for anyone who doesn't know this and should invest in this." (18:20) – Taryn

• Preventive Measures: Taryn advises listeners to replace plastic valves with metal ones to prevent such disasters and emphasizes the importance of turning off the water supply when away for extended periods.

  • "All you have to do is tell your plumber to put in a metal one because the plastic one eventually snaps." (19:55) – Taryn

• Insurance and Recovery: The story highlights the challenges of dealing with insurance and the emotional toll of unexpected home repairs.

  • "She was like, they threw everything in boxes and it's unlabeled." (21:07) – Taryn

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4. Plant Care Updates: Caroline’s Fiddle Leaf Fig

Caroline updates listeners on her plant care journey, focusing on her thriving fiddle leaf fig named Taylor.

• Watering Routine: By implementing a strict watering schedule, Caroline has managed to revive her plant from signs of inconsistent watering.

  • "I've put my plant on a watering plan. I'm only allowed to water it four cups." (29:01) – Caroline

• Growth Challenges: The rapid growth of Taylor, now reaching 18 inches in six weeks, poses space challenges, prompting considerations for trimming or propagating.

  • "She's now touching my ceiling. She has literally grown like 18 inches in six weeks." (29:36) – Caroline

• Propagation Plans: The hosts discuss potential solutions, including propagating the plant or relocating it to allow for continued growth without compromising home aesthetics.

  • "Can I cut and propagate her? Can I put her in your greenhouse for a little while and let her grow in there?" (30:03) – Caroline

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5. New Collection Spotlight: Metallic Glass Orbs

The hosts introduce the latest addition to their fall collection: metallic glass orbs, also referred to as mercury glass.

• Product Design: Caroline describes the orbs as resembling little disco balls, praising their blend of texture, detail, and sleekness.

  • "I think they're like so simple... But this one I had to make an exception for." (34:20) – Caroline

• Styling Tips: The orbs are highlighted as versatile pieces that enhance modern décor, perfect for display on book stacks or as holiday centerpieces.

  • "They're a perfect blend of texture and detail and sleekness." (33:24) – Caroline

• Availability: Due to their popularity, Liz emphasizes the importance of purchasing promptly to avoid missing out.

  • "I went and bought them last weekend at the store, and they are even more fabulous in person than I expected." (32:59) – Caroline

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6. Travel and Ceramics: Tips on Packing and Shipping

The conversation transitions to the challenges of transporting delicate ceramics acquired during travels.

• Packing Techniques: Taryn shares her methods for safely carrying ceramics, including using bubble wrap and specialized packing materials to prevent damage.

  • "You just need to carry on for sure." (25:37) – Caroline

• Shipping vs. Carrying: Discussions revolve around the cost-effectiveness of checking additional luggage versus shipping items internationally.

  • "It's almost wildly cheaper to buy a suitcase and send it... If you think about shipping something right internationally." (25:37) – Taryn

• Personal Anecdotes: The hosts recount personal experiences of purchasing ceramics abroad and the subsequent efforts to transport them without breakage.

  • "I bought some bamboo handled little knives set... They look so much more special." (22:19) – Taryn

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7. Listener Engagement and Final Tips

As the episode wraps up, the hosts encourage listeners to engage with the podcast and share their own decorating dilemmas.

• Show Notes and Contact Information: Listeners are directed to the blog at howtodecorate.com for show notes and to submit questions via email at [e-mail].

  • "You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast." (38:34) – Caroline

• Social Media and Subscriptions: The hosts remind listeners to follow them on social media and subscribe to the podcast to stay updated on future episodes.

  • "Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode." (38:39) – Liz

• Final Thoughts: The episode concludes with a positive note, celebrating the triumphs shared and encouraging listeners to continue their decorating endeavors with confidence.

  • "Until next time, happy decorating." (38:55) – Caroline

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Notable Quotes

• "So we found the perfect kind of periwinkle blue that is like hydrangea perfect for her laundry room." (02:42) – Liz
• "At five in the morning the other day, they all went off and so full panic." (06:24) – Liz
• "All you have to do is tell your plumber to put in a metal one because the plastic one eventually snaps." (19:55) – Taryn
• "She's now touching my ceiling. She has literally grown like 18 inches in six weeks." (29:36) – Caroline
• "I went and bought them last weekend at the store, and they are even more fabulous in person than I expected." (32:59) – Caroline

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Conclusion

Episode 380 of How to Decorate offers a candid look into the real-life challenges and successes faced by homeowners and decorators. Through personal stories and expert advice, Caroline, Taryn, and Liz provide valuable insights that empower listeners to tackle their own decorating projects with creativity and resilience.

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Stay Connected:

• Blog: howtodecorate.com
• Email: [e-mail]
• Social Media: Follow Ballard Designs on your preferred platforms
• Subscription: Available on all major podcast platforms

Happy decorating!

Transcript

[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.

[Taryn]

And I'm Taryn, and I'm a product designer.

[Liz]

I'm Liz. I head up the creative team. We're your hosts.

[Caroline]

Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks, and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.

[Taryn]

Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.

[Liz]

We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email [e-mail] now, on with the show.

[Caroline]

All right, so we've got trials and triumphs for today. Excited to do it in person.

[Taryn]

Love a good trial triumph.

[Caroline]

We can just come in here and chit chat and wing it.

[Taryn]

Yeah, you guys are definitely. We already discussed them between. Yeah, like, between episodes. We discuss all the time. So I like when you keep a few nuggets from me.

[Liz]

Oh, no. Yeah, we always keep a little bit.

[Caroline]

And a little bit of secret, both sides. Liz has to start because we sort of were, like, tiptoeing around it. You were kind of telling us we were talking about it, but then we weren't. So the suspense is killing me.

[Liz]

Recently, my sister, she changed her laundry room to her mudroom and then found some extra space upstairs underneath the dormer to put the laundry room. So the laundry room will be closer to bedrooms.

[Taryn]

Okay, so that was the true purpose, was I want my laundry closer to my bedroom.

[Liz]

Right.

[Caroline]

That was the goal.

[Liz]

Okay. That was the goal. So she's like, okay, which one of these blues do you like? And I said, these are all gray. And so. And so we. We had a whole discussion about color, and we ended up, by the way.

[Taryn]

Liz is the queen of color. If anyone's like, that's why this is even funnier, is she knew, like, if I have a color question, I go to Liz.

[Liz]

Yeah. I'll make you a PowerPoint.

[Caroline]

It'll be great.

[Liz]

So, you know, we were all at her house for a barbecue. We ditched the barbecue. We ran to Home Depot. We grabbed, like, 50 swatches.

[Caroline]

All of the barbecue.

[Liz]

Oh, totally. Well, the contractors were coming the following one day.

[Taryn]

Oh, so all of you were like, no, no, you need to leave now.

[Liz]

We had to leave now.

[Taryn]

Amazing. Okay, continue.

[Liz]

So we run, we grab, like. And I seriously encourage everybody to just, like, run and get painted chip samples, like, on the fly, because grab a stack of 50 of them. Who cares? They're there for you to, like, really figure out the color that you need for your room and for what the lighting is looking like and really kind of what your dreams are for the room. So we leave with like a 3 inch stack of.

[Taryn]

I mean, you went deep.

[Caroline]

We went deep.

[Liz]

Well, because she had you there, so that's good.

[Taryn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Liz]

So, I mean, I was just cherry picking every kind of blue that I knew that she would love. And when she brought me into the room and she said, which blue do you like? She's like, I'm really kind of going for a hydrangea blue. And again, I said, these are all gray. And they were. So we bring all of these colors in. And so we found the perfect kind of periwinkle blue that is like hydrangea perfect for her laundry room. And then we picked a navy for the trim. She has one window in the back of the room that you look straight at. And so the trim of that is navy. Everything else is white. She's got built in cabinets, a little bench storage for all the backpacks and all that in this new mudroom. And it's fantastic. Yes, Caroline.

[Caroline]

So is the blue, the hydrangea blue, is it on walls only or is it also cabinetry?

[Liz]

It's on walls only. She opted for white cabinets. And then she has, like a gray and white checkerboard marble tile on the floor.

[Caroline]

Love it.

[Liz]

Super duper pretty. Super duper pretty. So then the next day I got a call and said, hey, can you meet me at the tile shop? I need to pick out tile for the laundry room. So I met her at the tile shop. I got there early, and, you know, because it's my sister, I'm like, yeah, all of this tile is nice, but this is the one that's you like. And it was. And it was like, perfectly her personality. It's like this beautiful, like, little chambray hexagonal tile with hand painted little white flowers on it. So pretty.

[Caroline]

That sounds very sweet for a laundry room.

[Taryn]

Yeah.

[Liz]

It's so precious. It's so nice. And so now both rooms are done. It's very exciting.

[Taryn]

I am impressed. How long did it take?

[Liz]

I mean, they were lickety spickity. They were like, done in two or three weeks.

[Caroline]

So. Okay, wait, when did she decide to do this project?

[Liz]

I think everything just kind of went really fast.

[Caroline]

Wow, that's amazing.

[Taryn]

Yeah, I would love for one. I feel like.

[Caroline]

I know. I feel like mine's like a six month planning situation.

[Liz]

Yeah, there may have been that kind of planning. You know beforehand and getting the contractor and getting everything lined up, but once it started it. It was done really fast.

[Caroline]

That's amazing.

[Liz]

So super happy.

[Taryn]

Like, yeah.

[Liz]

And it was so fun to pick out colors for my sister. Yeah.

[Taryn]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Oh, that was awesome.

[Taryn]

Because that's. You can be so honest. There's no, Like.

[Liz]

Oh, yeah.

[Taryn]

Amazing.

[Liz]

Oh, yeah.

[Taryn]

Okay. So that was a. That was your triumph.

[Liz]

That. Yeah. I'm feeling triumphant about that one.

[Taryn]

Very good.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Taryn]

Okay.

[Liz]

So my trial. So when we moved into our house, before we moved in, we had all of the wiring redone in our house.

[Caroline]

Yes.

[Liz]

Because as some listeners may remember, when we moved in, there was tape over the light switches because there was such faulty wiring. And there was original knob and tube from.

[Taryn]

David would just leave it. He would have left it.

[Caroline]

It's just our lights.

[Liz]

So many. So many people along the way.

[Taryn]

This is how it works now. We don't flick it on so many. Seriously, David. Yeah. He would do that. Yeah. You were wise and replaced it all.

[Caroline]

Okay.

[Liz]

Yeah. During that time before we moved in.

[Caroline]

We don't want to.

[Liz]

Grateful. Grateful. That didn't burn down. Well, so funny you mentioned that, uh, oh, fire involved. One of the things that we had done was we had all new fire alarms put in by our electrician. And they're all. They're all hardwired in.

[Taryn]

Right.

[Liz]

So it's awesome.

[Caroline]

You don't have to change batteries.

[Liz]

Yeah. But let me just tell you what. At five in the morning the other day, they all went off and so full panic. Full panic. Like, grab everybody. Like. Like trying to be like, what's going on? Like, where's the source? Like, do we need to just get out of here? There was no smoke. There was no fire. There was no fire. So we all hard.

[Taryn]

Wait, did you push Finn outside immediately? I feel like I'd be like, I don't see a fire. But you go, yeah, totally. Take a cat and go.

[Liz]

Totally. Like, save yourself through them on the porch.

[Taryn]

Like, wait, did you stay in the house?

[Caroline]

But for.

[Taryn]

I would have just left David in. I'd be like, oh, no.

[Liz]

Steve and I both were like, okay, let's figure this out. We both. We both just got some really good earplugs because we went to a concert recently. And so I invent. I'm at the age where, like, I invested in really, really good earplugs. Um, so I'm like, put them in. Go. And we're so, like, we're trying to figure out what to do. We cut the electricity off to the house at the breaker. Because they're all hardwired in.

[Taryn]

Yeah.

[Liz]

And that should have cut them off to reset them, and they didn't.

[Taryn]

And now you're woke, and then we're.

[Liz]

Realizing, like, how many of these do we have around the house? Like, we've never. Like, we just kind of took it for granted that they were done right. So then we didn't know what to do. Like, we're. We're like hitting a point where it's just like, you know, do we take them down? We did. Like, and what if there really is a fire? So we called the fire department.

[Taryn]

Yeah. You kind of feel like you got to.

[Liz]

They came. We asked that they didn't turn on any of the sirens for our neighbors because it was a Saturday morning, and.

[Caroline]

I was very, very neighborly of you.

[Liz]

Well, thank you. They're nice people, but. Yeah. So they came and they checked everything out. They brought a gas sensor because, you know, we've had issues with that in the past, too. Like, they. They brought, like, one of those heat sensors that they can find, essentially. They didn't find a Dangon thing. They, like, peeked up in the attic. They went down to the basement, like, all around. They didn't find anything. And these things are still going off like crazy. So we ended up just disconnecting them, going back to bed, waking up like, yeah, girl.

[Taryn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Liz]

Getting coffee a little bit later than normal, resetting ourselves. Plugged them back in, and they reset. We're like, okay. Like, maybe. Maybe there was just some kind of surge or glitch or whatever.

[Caroline]

Oh, no.

[Liz]

The next morning at 4.

[Taryn]

No, no.

[Liz]

Yeah, the next morning at 4.

[Caroline]

I'm so funny, but I do laugh.

[Liz]

It was crazy.

[Taryn]

Your neighbors too, Mother?

[Liz]

Well, my neighbors are now Airbnb now, so.

[Taryn]

Oh, yeah.

[Caroline]

They're only here for a bad review on Airbnb. Great pass. But the neighbor's fire alarm went up at 4 o'clock for an hour.

[Liz]

I mean, the worst one is, like, the one in the attic because we don't have, like, quick access. You have to get. Go down to the basement and get a ladder and get up through, like, this little crawl hole and then go up there. Right. So that's the worst of it. Yeah. So right now we are living detect list. We have one. We have one from the previous owner. It was probably the only one she had that is in the dining room that's battery operated, not wired in. Totally fine. So we have this one. So I text the electrician, and I'm like, okay, Tony, what would do this. And Tony, he's like, did you check? Did you change the batteries so they have backup batteries? And I'm like, okay, so my takeaway now is to go home.

[Taryn]

You still have to six months with.

[Caroline]

Like, like if your power is out. The, the.

[Liz]

Yeah, there's a battery backup.

[Taryn]

So mine will chirp. Mine are. Mine are wired in.

[Liz]

These were home.

[Taryn]

It's.

[Liz]

They're used to that.

[Taryn]

Yeah, but it chirps. Ears scream.

[Liz]

I'm used to a chirp. This was everyone to the streets? Yeah, this was everyone out. Wow, Interesting.

[Caroline]

So the electrician is basically saying that the backup battery needed to be replaced, but instead of chirping, it was just going off.

[Liz]

And it wasn't just. And it wasn't just the one with the battery going out, it was the entire system. I don't know if I trust any of this. Stay tuned.

[Caroline]

That seems really illogical that all the batteries would happen to need to be replaced at the exact same time at.

[Liz]

The exact same moment.

[Caroline]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Right.

[Taryn]

And they would also.

[Liz]

Or if one went under and then it triggered the others because there was a. Hmm. I. I don't know. I'm gonna have to report back to you. Tony just got back to me today.

[Taryn]

Dun, dun, dun. Oh, I love a good follow up story.

[Liz]

I will have to follow up. That is manic and also terrifying.

[Caroline]

Just in the middle of the night, Waking up in the middle of the night, you think, yeah. I mean, now you assume.

[Taryn]

I mean you can't. Yeah. And then you can't celebrate that.

[Caroline]

You assume that it's real.

[Taryn]

You have to.

[Caroline]

So you're like, oh, we gotta get out. But then anyways.

[Liz]

And let me just tell you that there's nothing like having three firemen come into your home to make you realize like how filthy you are. You don't have a plan. Oh, and how. And how filthy you are.

[Taryn]

Do you like how my brain went?

[Liz]

No, it's totally true too. It's like, oh, like that, like that pile of clothes needs to go. Like, you know, like, you know like how, like just seeing like you like.

[Caroline]

Can you get out?

[Liz]

Is that what you're saying? Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. But like, it's really like there's one thing when you have a guest that comes over and you're like, oh my gosh, it's the middle of the week or the end of the week. And this is. We're just living in our house. Right. And it's another thing when it's firemen and you're just like, you're Looking for all I'm looking for to install exit signs everywhere. It's so crazy. Yeah. But we had to come up with a game plan. What happens if this happens again? And it happened again the next morning.

[Taryn]

Yeah.

[Caroline]

Man, that is dramatic. Oh, I'm glad that it was.

[Liz]

Nobody wants that. Yeah, it was nothing. Well, I mean, it's not nothing for.

[Caroline]

Like a false alarm. False alarm. Yeah.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Taryn]

That is wild. I had a dream this weekend that I was hosting a baby shower for a high school friend. Again, none of this makes sense. Don't even try to follow. Right. Gotcha. That I didn't but couldn't remember who was having the baby. And I forgot about it till everyone showed up at my house and they drove into town for this and my house was a filthy mess and I was like. Had no food in my fridge and I was so distraught that I was not ready and prepared for this baby shower. So I can only.

[Caroline]

That is an adorable dream.

[Liz]

That really is.

[Taryn]

I was stressed that my entertaining self wasn't ready.

[Caroline]

Yeah, you're like.

[Liz]

But you know what? If anybody's skills are subpar. But if anybody could pull it off, Taryn, you could. Thank you.

[Taryn]

Speaking of like trauma anxiety. Anxiety. Not having a plan is where I.

[Caroline]

Was going with that.

[Liz]

Not having a plan.

[Taryn]

I did not have a.

[Caroline]

There's some sort of like deep, you know, something that you could.

[Taryn]

It's filth you could use. My house is always in a state of filth. I think that's what it is. I like feel like it's not, but it is. Like if you stop by right now, I'd be like, oops, sorry.

[Caroline]

Well, I mean, I think everyone thinks that way.

[Taryn]

What was in your dream? Like a Saturday morning? So the kids toys were from the front door to the back door. When you just let it, you know.

[Caroline]

Oh God, the weekends are.

[Taryn]

Yeah, you go rogue. You just let it go faster.

[Caroline]

Yeah, I feel like the weeks are not home enough to like really make.

[Taryn]

No, no, the dream, it was a full disaster. Yeah, it was like duplo. Down the front hallway, guys. Like it was. It was that deep and people were arriving. It was bad. Sorry I took away from the end of your trauma story. Okay, so that's. So we're waiting.

[Caroline]

Y.

[Liz]

We're waiting. We're waiting. I'm after this. I'm going to pick up a whole bunch of nine volts.

[Caroline]

Well, okay, so now I'm trying to decide because I would think that hardwiring all your fire alarms is a genius idea. But then this now doesn't seem all that great, but I suppose.

[Liz]

I don't know.

[Taryn]

That was what I think you got four years ago.

[Liz]

That for sure we do.

[Taryn]

Do you have another electrician? Like a second. Like a second point of view?

[Liz]

Actually, I do have the number of a different electrician because I did wake up my neighbor and he was walking his dog while we were all waiting outside.

[Taryn]

Yeah. Cause he was awake. Yeah. He was like, cool.

[Liz]

He was like, hey, is everything okay? And I'm like, yeah, maybe. Hey, you got an electrician?

[Caroline]

Yeah, we'll see.

[Taryn]

My story is sort of similar, so I'm gonna tell it. And this is as well, where it's not truly my story, but similar your c. Anyway, my husband and I were on vacation and my in laws were staying with my children at our home. So they. My in laws were staying in our home overnight, but they live in town, so they would, during the day just go back to their house and then they spend the night at our house with our children so they could go to school and everything. So on Wednesday night, which, mind you, they didn't tell any of this till we got back this weekend and they told us the story. But on Wednesday night, there is. They had a. There's a valve in a toilet upstairs that broke. A plastic valve, which it sounds like we can go into the. This is like a PSA for anyone who doesn't know this and should invest in this. But it broke, and instead of just kind of like dripping water, it, like shoots water. Like it shoots water out. And they had left their home, picked up our kids, gone home, fed our kids, put them to bed, slept at our house, all that. Dropped the kids off in the morning at school and they get back to their house and water is pouring out the front door. They can see it, like, pouring out the front door. And they're like, oh, wait, this is at their house. Their house. Not my house. Not my house. They get back to their house, they open the door, and the bathroom that this happened in is upstairs. And it's. And they weren't there all night and it just spewed water. So that bedroom collapsed onto their kitchen and, like, fully destroyed their downstairs area. They call surge. Surge. Surf pro. Surf pro. And they come, like an hour and a half and rip out everything. They are down to studs. Like, their bedroom's fine, but the rest of the house, because their bedroom's on the first floor and all the way to the right side, but the whole left side of the house fully destroyed. Like, the water just. It, like, sat I mean you know, like it just. And they're on a. I believe they're on a concrete slab. So they're like down to like a concrete slab because the hardwoods are all ruined. I feel absolutely awful now. Again, I didn't do that.

[Caroline]

They could never go on vacation again.

[Taryn]

But that's how if I were them and they didn't even tell us. So not only did they're dealing with this, they're then still picking up my kids from school, taking care of them all evening.

[Caroline]

I mean, well, they're like, we can't go home.

[Taryn]

They were like, we do need beds. So sadly even. I mean they've been sleeping at our house and we of course told them to. But they're looking for like rentals now because you don't know how long it's gonna be.

[Liz]

Right?

[Taryn]

Like it's not like a planned. Right. Like these are not like a planned. Yeah, thanks. So you're like, I got to find a contractor got to pick out. So this morning already I was like, I'll help you with any like design related things or you know, like we've done this recently. So like whatever you need, we can probably give you what we've priced out, you know. You know, it's three years old data. But a lot of that has to be relevant enough, right? So anyway, I feel so awful because they are, I mean.

[Caroline]

Oh my God.

[Taryn]

Yeah. So okay, so this is the psa. I suppose this has happened to two different friends. I found out once I was telling the story they're like, yeah, so there's a plastic valve that they used to put on toilets and they sometimes still do. And all you have to do is tell your plumber to put in a metal one because the plastic one eventually snaps and this happens. And unless you turn off the water to your house but they were gone overnight, like you're not going to even. You're not going to turn off your toilet for. Hey, going over for out for. No, you're not going to do that. If you're away for two weeks, you would turn off the water to your house.

[Liz]

Because like, you know, I don't even think about that.

[Taryn]

But what about their. We'd heard about an ice Somebody their ice machine like leaking when they're on vacation, ruined the whole floors. So I think that's where I got I. If we're gone like to me.

[Caroline]

Well ice machines are like notoriously terrible.

[Taryn]

Well great. I love mine though when it's working. Sorry. No, I have heard. But we turn it. But it does have an off. It has a very easy button off. So like, if we are literally leaving town, we just turn off the ice maker because. Yeah, we don't need to.

[Caroline]

I've just heard several people be like, oh yeah, we, you know, they had a beach house or a mountain house or something and they had a washing machine and like. Or if you like rent, you know, you have a house that you rent to people and anyway. Oh my Lord.

[Taryn]

Okay, so it's called a. What is it called? It's an angle stop. Is what it's called an angle stop. So. And my friend sent an image of the little piece and it is. So we can see it. Here, I'll show you. It's this little piece.

[Liz]

Oh, that's so terrible.

[Caroline]

Here we go.

[Taryn]

See that little. So there's a little plastic summit that eventually will wear out. So I've heard you can tell your plumber to come and like and change that out. So I don't know how much that would cost, but I imagine it's worth 100, $200 for them to come and like, it's just like a little washer thing that is. Isn't that so scary?

[Liz]

Wow.

[Taryn]

Yeah. So that was my.

[Liz]

So sorry.

[Taryn]

It didn't happen to me but because it's the people who take care of my children. I know. I feel. Yeah, I apologize. And what can I do to help you? Also, can you babysit tonight?

[Caroline]

You're like, we're never going.

[Taryn]

That was the photo she said from the. So just like. Anyway, so there you go. That is what snapped and flooded the whole. So they were having the actual insurance come today and tell them like. Because I was like, I don't. I don't know how that financially works. Like, cuz they kept the countertop, but they chucked even all the cabinets with the hardware on it. So like, you know, there's things like that. That.

[Liz]

Oh my gosh. Yeah.

[Taryn]

That you wouldn't think of when you're in a like. But she was like, they threw everything in boxes and it's unlabeled. I don't know what's in what. Like you don't, you know, like every.

[Caroline]

Yeah.

[Taryn]

I feel so bad.

[Caroline]

Oh my God.

[Taryn]

So that was my like trial which related kind of to yours where it was like another FYI like. Yeah, PSA here. But my triumph is I sent my fabric, the Ballard fabric off to become drape. Super pumped. They have not come back yet. I hope to see them soon. I will report back. My sister tried to have. She won free drapes Speaking of sisters, one free drapes. There was like some. I don't know, I don't know, something at church. Free drapes. Anyway, they were like, she has a 10 foot high living room. And she's like, hey, can I hang these? And I was like, no. And she's like, why? I got them for free. And I was like, no, you have 10 foot ceilings. That's gonna. It's not gonna work.

[Caroline]

Where's it shoot?

[Liz]

Are they like three feet shy?

[Taryn]

She really was like, are you sure? And I was like, I mean, you can add fabric to the bottom, but like. And anyway, so speaking of drapery, make sure you measure. That was my other note for the day. Um, but I just found so many beautiful ceramics and grease and I just, like, brought.

[Caroline]

Yeah, would you bring them in your lap?

[Taryn]

That was my triumph as well, guys. Oh, everything. I got these little white bowls to go with my Caroline ceramic bowls that you gave me years ago. You remember, when you were. Those are my favorite. So I got some more for entertaining. I got some bamboo handled like a little true piece of bamboo handle for like little knives set. And I got another bowl with the evil eye in it. But it's like got a green to it, so it matches my kitchen. And then the most exciting is I found these dark green, my favorite color matches my kitchen. Led little recharging lamps. They are darling. And so I bought two of those. They go with my cornflower blue stripe outside. I feel like they go perfectly with my teak and my white and blue. And anyway, so what's like, the shape of them?

[Caroline]

Are they like.

[Taryn]

Oh, it's what they look like. Very simple. It is. They are a large. If you took a nice low cereal bowl and put it upside down. Okay.

[Caroline]

Yeah, yeah. Like a mushroom shape.

[Taryn]

Sure. And then it just has a very simple pole and a very flat disc bottom. So they are very clean, but dipped in like a lacquer green. Like a shiny or metal green. Yeah. I'm so excited.

[Caroline]

Okay. What is your system for, like carrying things home? Order.

[Taryn]

Order is.

[Caroline]

But do you like.

[Liz]

But do you take an extra suitcase? I mean, because you. You.

[Taryn]

Yeah, I brought a husband.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Taryn]

I told him to pack nothing.

[Liz]

We're going to the beach anyway.

[Taryn]

It doesn't have to be a husband. I recommend a friend that doesn't really care for materialistic things.

[Caroline]

So do you check a bag?

[Taryn]

I did. I only checked my suitcase, which remained the same. It was all full of clothing. I brought an extra bag for David to carry as his second bag onto the plane. And that was my limit to how much you could purchase.

[Caroline]

So was it like a duffel bag? Was it a rolly suitcase? A duffel bag?

[Taryn]

I don't. Yeah, I'm not that aggressive. If I could pack lighter, I would love to do like a smaller rolly case inside a bigger one, you know, where you could. On the way back. But I'm not that great at packing. I really like a good outfit, as you might know about me. And so, like, I just stuff until my wardrobe, you know. But we did. We packed a whole lot back and I just thought the ceramics were so beautiful down there. And there's something about, you know, did you.

[Caroline]

What about like, bubble wrap? Like, how did you.

[Taryn]

Oh, bubble wrap. They rub, they eat, they bubble wrap. There was one little ceramic store that made. Because pomegranates are good luck and they're a very Grecian thing. And I think a lot of countries have the pomegranate as their symbol, but I didn't realize how much it was for them. And so I got these little bud vases that are all little pomegranates of different shades, glazes, two and everything.

[Caroline]

Okay, we're going to need pictures of all of these.

[Taryn]

I will.

[Caroline]

I have so many questions because we're going to Copenhagen at the end of the month and they have. Great. I've. Oh, my gosh. Okay, well, please tell me all of your everything. But I've seen like a bunch of really cute ceramic stores, so I'm like, I need to go do buy some pottery. But then it bears the question of, like, how do I get this home without breaking? So. Yeah, right.

[Taryn]

It has to be carried on for sure.

[Caroline]

I mean. Yeah, but then, like, you just need. I usually just have a carry on bag. Like, I usually don't check a bag, but now I'll have to check a bag and then have that anyway.

[Taryn]

Yes, I think it's worth. If you can fit the suitcase, it's easier just to check, especially if it's come, you know, I don't know the price, but if you think about shipping something right. Internationally, it's. It's almost wildly cheaper to buy a suitcase and. And send it.

[Caroline]

Right.

[Taryn]

At least via Delta. Excuse me, I'm. I. Yeah, my Atlanta Delta. David and I have discussed. Because I wanted this big rug and he's like, I mean, you could buy a suitcase and. And we could check it. And I was like, this feels aggressive. He's like, well, it's gonna be cheaper than shipping it. And I was like, well, or He.

[Caroline]

Or maybe I should just bring a much bigger suitcase and I put. Sorry, yeah, we don't see into this.

[Liz]

And do a suitcase.

[Taryn]

But we're gonna hear more about the packing cubes from Carolina.

[Liz]

Right? Because I was gonna say a neighbor.

[Caroline]

Of mine borrowed my packing cubes and lost.

[Taryn]

You let them borrow. I mean, mine are monogrammed. Cuz my friend. Yeah, my friend got them for me. They have my monogram on.

[Caroline]

Okay, I need some. Well, maybe it's time for me to up.

[Liz]

I have some cute leopard ones. They're really f. I love them.

[Taryn]

Oh, I. Well, Caroline, I mean, I didn't even know what a packing cube was till we started being.

[Caroline]

And this is like. This is like early days podcast.

[Taryn]

Oh, yeah. This was like one of her original og. I love striped chairs and I love packing cubes. Anyway, so I bought some good things and I'll share some photos. I just was so excited. Oh, I got some pillows that match my.

[Liz]

Seriously?

[Taryn]

Pillow covers is the better way to say that. I got some Suzani pillow. Oh, yeah, there was. Okay.

[Caroline]

We need. We need like a whole shopping haul.

[Taryn]

Yes.

[Caroline]

On your Instagram.

[Taryn]

Well, Greece is a lot of looking at old things and then a lot of eating.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Taryn]

And shopping. Like, you know, there's not. There's some hiking, but, like, it's. You're not there to hike.

[Caroline]

Right.

[Taryn]

You're there to go to a beach and like, be like, oh, God, this is amazing. And eat feta like I said, on the beach and just roll around in the sand. You're not. Yeah. So shopping is like, obviously part of that experience, so it was great. Anyway. Sounds terrible. Those are my wins. Okay, go ahead.

[Caroline]

Amazing. Well, mine are very uneventful in comparison to Yalls, but I'll be quick.

[Taryn]

There's only so much they can take on here.

[Liz]

So I probably should have.

[Caroline]

Gone first just so we could work up to the drama. But, you know, whatever.

[Taryn]

The drama peaks at the end. No, this is a good palate. Cleans are for people being like, why am I listening?

[Liz]

Roll out easy.

[Caroline]

So last time I talked about my fiddly fig dream.

[Liz]

Yes.

[Caroline]

Named Taylor that Blair named. And I think. I can't remember if we talked about in the show or if we just talked about it in a different conversation. There's three of us. I had new growth and I was very excited about it because I'm clearly not killing it. Right.

[Taryn]

Fantastic. Yeah.

[Caroline]

Except. Okay, two things. First off, there were some little, like, red dots on the new growth. So my light Googling told me that this is a sign that my tree had inconsistent watering. So, like, you would want give it too much water and then let it dry out too much and then give.

[Liz]

It too much water.

[Caroline]

And then it was something like the red splotches are caused by, oh my.

[Taryn]

God.

[Caroline]

The like sort of cells bursting in the thing because they fill up with too much water. Anyways, this is again, googling modernist over here. So I've put my plant on a watering plan. I'm only allowed to water it four cups, which I realized I was watering it like probably 8 or 12 cups. But according to the height and how much tree.

[Taryn]

I absolutely love everything that's coming out. She has calculated.

[Liz]

Right?

[Caroline]

Well, it said, okay, I just found this blog and it said if it's like four to eight feet, you water it four cups. If it's like. Anyways, so I water it once a week on Saturdays.

[Taryn]

Yes.

[Caroline]

I love this. And I water it 4 cups anyway. So that's my. We'll see how the red splotches. They can go away, apparently. Okay. As the leaves grow. But here's something that I didn't anticipate. So we only have eight foot ceilings, right. And I did buy like probably a six foot tree.

[Taryn]

Aw, homegirl's doing too good.

[Caroline]

She's doing too good. And she's now touching my ceiling. She has literally grown like 18 inches in six weeks. And so while I'm thrilled that she's doing well, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna have to start trimming you already. I just didn't. I knew that this might become a problem at some point. I just didn't think that it would become a problem this quickly. And so.

[Taryn]

Well, now she's gonna just become a sister.

[Caroline]

She can grow horizontally. Can I cut and propagate her?

[Taryn]

Yes.

[Caroline]

Can I. Can I put her in your greenhouse for a little while and let her grow in there? Okay.

[Taryn]

Yeah.

[Caroline]

All right, great.

[Taryn]

You got this. It is very. You don't even have to put her in the greenhouse. You literally just gotta. You gotta get her some roots and then shove her in some dirt. You'll be. I did. And if I did it, it means you can do. Okay, I would totally.

[Caroline]

So, yeah, I'm gonna have to like snip the top off, I think, and like, her side. Her arms. Her side branches.

[Taryn]

How many arms?

[Caroline]

She has two.

[Taryn]

Is it one on the.

[Caroline]

There's one on each side. Really? So she could grow horizontally. But yeah, I just didn't. I mean, that's amazing. I'm like, 18 inches is like that Whole.

[Taryn]

Yeah. You can see why we're all the new. It's crazy.

[Liz]

I mean, you just get such great light. Natural light in that room.

[Taryn]

Such great windows in there.

[Caroline]

So, anyway, so that's how fun. Good news and bad news. She's gonna have to get a haircut really quickly.

[Taryn]

But it's awesome.

[Caroline]

Yeah. So. But I did think the. The. I was realizing, like, I was filling up an entire pitcher, and then this thing said I needed to feed it, like, four cups.

[Taryn]

Was it not coming out the bottom?

[Caroline]

It was coming out the bottom, but at one point, I read something that said it should come out the bottom a little bit.

[Taryn]

Yeah.

[Caroline]

Anyway, so, girl, I am so proud of you.

[Taryn]

I still just kind of, like, go over to it. I said, how are you? And then I just kind of dump some. So I don't. I. It's hard for me to tell people, too, in a way. I'm like, you know, it looks kind of sad. They're like, what? I'm like, you know, she looks thirsty. Feeder.

[Caroline]

Well, this said that if my soil meter says it's four or below, I only check it once. I'm only allowed to check it once a week.

[Taryn]

On Saturday.

[Caroline]

On Saturday.

[Taryn]

I love this.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Caroline]

And if it's four, number four below, then I can water it. If it's not four, four is, like the lowest on the moist. That says, tell me you invited a dog. Dry, moist, wet. So then I can water it. So that's basically what I've been doing.

[Liz]

That is awesome.

[Taryn]

Amazing. Well, you're obviously doing a great job because she's thriving, so.

[Caroline]

Yeah. So I'll let you know. I'll keep y'all posted on Taylor and see if she's doing well. I mean, if her. If her trim goes well, it will. Okay, so then the next thing is also sort of related to our episode that we recorded with Valerie where we talked about the new items from our fall collection.

[Liz]

Right.

[Taryn]

What did you buy?

[Caroline]

I can't remember if we talked about these specifically. I think we did. But we launched these new things. We're calling them, I think, metallic glass orbs.

[Liz]

Right. And they're.

[Caroline]

But they're mercury glass. I don't know why we don't. Anyway, and initially, when our accessories merchant kind of showed us the concept, I was kind of like, huh? Like, okay, whatever. Then I saw them styled in some of our holiday photos for Christmas, and they look great. Oh, wow. These look fabulous. Like, really, really, really pretty. And I had to buy them because I was worried that they were going to sell out. So I went and bought them last weekend at the store, and they are even more fabulous in person than I expected.

[Liz]

I feel really.

[Caroline]

It's hard to kind of tell, but it basically looks like a little disco ball.

[Taryn]

It looks phenomenal in your space because you have such a good modern, like, between your art and everything, too, on that modern contest.

[Liz]

And just sitting on top of some books. That's really great.

[Taryn]

I mean, every stack of books needs something on top, so it does feel very appropriate.

[Caroline]

They're a perfect blend of texture and detail and sleekness.

[Taryn]

Is that your husband taking the photo?

[Caroline]

No, that's me. Thanks.

[Taryn]

It's a photo of it. It looked like there was red hair on top.

[Caroline]

It wasn't.

[Taryn]

I just hit your hand?

[Caroline]

No, that's me. My hair was just in a ponytail.

[Liz]

Okay. So don't use it to check yourself out.

[Caroline]

All right.

[Taryn]

So not that. Okay.

[Liz]

No. The crackle is so pretty on. Those are pretty.

[Taryn]

I'm. I think you've actually just sold me, and I need. I need to get off this recording and go first, because those are.

[Caroline]

I was. I was worried they were gonna sell out, so I was like, I have to go ahead and buy them, because if not, it is gorgeous.

[Liz]

Right.

[Caroline]

Okay. And then at Christmas time, I'm gonna put, like, a little. Some greenery underneath. Yeah. Put a wreath under it.

[Taryn]

Oh, my gosh. Easy peasy.

[Caroline]

So that's the little one, and it's probably six inches.

[Taryn]

Well, that's a perfect grapefruit.

[Caroline]

Yeah, it's a great. Yes, exactly. And then the. The bigger one is like eight. And the bigger one, I kind of. I was thinking maybe I should get two big ones. Like, maybe I should switch.

[Taryn]

Anyways, so you got one.

[Liz]

You like symmetry?

[Caroline]

Yeah. They're too big. I'm sorry. That's the big one.

[Taryn]

So. So right now you have purchased one big one little one little.

[Caroline]

Yes.

[Taryn]

And you're thinking about getting a second. Okay.

[Caroline]

I don't know that I would put them next to each other. Maybe I would at Christmas. Like it. It'd be gorgeous. Centerpiece, you know, like, two has a centerpiece with, like, greenery around it or.

[Liz]

Something and candlelight flickering off of it.

[Caroline]

And we have gold. I did silver. I kind of love how the silver looks like a disco ball.

[Liz]

I do love that we have a gold one, too.

[Caroline]

The gold's pretty. That's really pretty.

[Taryn]

I'm like.

[Caroline]

I have a lot of gold already, so I kind of felt like, oh, maybe I found. I love it anyways, so this is just. I just think they're like so simple. And I'm not usually a sit about fan. I don't typically like accessories that serve no purpose. Like, I like a stack of books. I like a vase. I like, you know, a piece of art or something that's like a candle. I like to style accessories that are like, not just there that are gonna do something. They're gonna do something. But this one I had to make an exception for. So anyway, they're really, really fun. So I just was really happy with how it turned out.

[Taryn]

Amazing. And everyone's gonna love that image that you've given just because it also has your little holder for your little.

[Caroline]

Oh, yes, my. My diffuser.

[Liz]

Yes.

[Caroline]

Yeah, your adorable diffuser you discussed with the diffuser tray that I. Yeah, see, that I love so much.

[Taryn]

So anyway, in your wavy little tray, I have a tray I made in. In high school that looks is. Has like a wavy top on it.

[Caroline]

Oh, nice.

[Liz]

Nice.

[Taryn]

That looks just like that.

[Caroline]

You had no idea you were so ahead of your time.

[Taryn]

I'm very, very tr.

[Caroline]

Well, okay. This is another thing though that I do love is like a tray for a candle and a match holder.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Caroline]

There's something about tray. I don't know why, but it just makes it look so much more special.

[Taryn]

It really does.

[Caroline]

So it's a pretty small tray. It's probably what, like seven by nine or something?

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Caroline]

Anyway, so precious. That's all.

[Liz]

I have hit a few estate sales recently, just kind of inspired by our conversations here, and bought a whole snap ton of silver trays.

[Taryn]

Nice. Are you thriving now?

[Liz]

I'm loving it.

[Caroline]

Was this like the Josh one? I feel like he had so many.

[Liz]

He had so many really, really fantastic pieces that then he made utilitarian for everyday purposes and.

[Taryn]

Oh, yeah, yeah. But you can put.

[Liz]

And then I found myself in a state sale and I bought them all.

[Caroline]

Amazing.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Taryn]

I did find the little district in Athens that's all like antiques. And it was so fun just to like again see the old, like what they have and their antiques and like even their mid century furniture, you know, just stylistically anyway. And they had tons of trays too. I couldn't fit.

[Caroline]

I feel like that would be harder to pack.

[Taryn]

I mean, you know, could I, if I really needed to, could always carry it like you. Yeah, I know.

[Caroline]

And I still think about you carrying that. That. What was the. The croc. The big croc.

[Taryn]

Yeah.

[Caroline]

Was it Michigan or somewhere?

[Taryn]

Minnesota.

[Caroline]

Minnesota. Okay.

[Taryn]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. If I find something good, I'll carry it. You know I will. So anyway, so.

[Caroline]

Yeah, those are my trials and triumphs.

[Taryn]

Not awesome.

[Caroline]

No. No. What? No floods, no fires.

[Taryn]

Just fantastic.

[Liz]

Yeah. Good for you.

[Caroline]

Yeah.

[Taryn]

Yeah. Congratulations.

[Liz]

Way to survive the summer.

[Caroline]

Well, you know, I had. We had our lightning strike several years ago. That was rough enough drama for me, so.

[Liz]

Yeah, that was crazy.

[Caroline]

I earned a few years of.

[Liz]

Of calm.

[Caroline]

Yeah.

[Taryn]

And I had the fire in the backyard, so I also feel like we've shared nice trials on here.

[Caroline]

And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to.

[Taryn]

Send in a decorating dilemma. Email your questions to podcast ballard designs.net so we can help you with your space.

[Caroline]

And of course, be sure to follow us on social media at Ballard Designs.

[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.

[Caroline]

Until next time, happy decorating.