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- [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 up the creative team.
- [00:15]
Taryn
We're your hosts.
- [00:16]
Caroline
Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.
- [00:22]
Taryn
Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
- [00:25]
Liz
We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us@podcastallardesigns.net now, on with the show.
- [00:34]
Caroline
This week, we're delighted to welcome Utah based designer Caitlin Creer to the show. Since 2009, she's been helping her clients remodel and build their dream homes with purpose and intention. She's just released her debut book, Unintentional Home Creating Spaces for Living Beautifully. Caitlin, welcome to the show.
- [00:50]
Taryn
Thank you so much. I'm so excited to chat with you today.
- [00:53]
Caroline
You know, I used to read your blog way back in the day. I know you still have a blog. I'm just not, you know, following blogs as much as I used to. I'm more of an Instagram gal now. But, yeah, I remember you blogging from New York, and here you are, what, 10, 15 years later?
- [01:14]
Taryn
Yeah, 15, 16 years later. Wow, that's impressive. I don't know if I should be embarrassed or flattered that you were following that.
- [01:22]
Caroline
You know what? There was such an amazing blog community, and it's so fun to see how so many of those people have really turned it into a fully fledged business with books. And anyway, it's very fun.
- [01:38]
Taryn
Yeah, lots of opportunities.
- [01:40]
Caroline
Yes, yes. And of course, okay, you just released your debut book, An Intentional Home Creating Spaces for Living Beautifully. So that's what we're here to talk about. Congrats, by the way.
- [01:50]
Taryn
Oh, thank you. It was such a fun and really personally fulfilling project to work on. It kind of the book for me was kind of this nebulous thing. Like, of course, if you work in design and you have a, you know, kind of a collection of projects, it's kind of a fun thing that's out there on the horizon. And so when the opportunity came up, it felt the whole process felt a little intimidating, but I'm really glad that I was able to find the time to kind of put the effort in and create the book. And it really, actually, for me, sort of honed in on and solidified A lot of my, my design ethos and my mindset behind why we do and how we do what we do with our clients. And so it was great to work on and I think just really strengthened my vision for what I want to take in to that first meeting when we meet with the client.
- [02:38]
Caroline
I imagine in your design projects you're so attuned to like every single detail and it's, it's a very detail oriented job. But then the a book is a very like high level almost. You kind of have to have like a philosophical point of. So it's definitely a different gear to be in that.
- [02:53]
Taryn
Do. Do you tell them a different way? And luckily I had an amazing editor and publisher at Gmail Press that like managed a lot of those details for me because that is a, you know, I think the editing process and the writing process is very tedious. But they were able to kind of help, help make it seamless for me, which I'm so grateful for. And it was something that I think, you know, you think as a project based concept, right? Like a book is a project based concept. The work that we do with clients is project based. And so I kind of took the book on as like, okay, this is my project and it has, you know, a different client and different needs and different criteria than my other projects. But like, how do I utilize the system and the skills and the logistics that we use on our design project and kind of infuse that into the book so that it feels, I think, you know, both familiar to what we do and also felt more, more approachable for me, I think in, in just in terms of how to get through the project and get through the book step by step.
- [03:51]
Caroline
Yeah. When you were writing, where did you start? I imagine that's the hardest part, just getting those first words on the page.
- [03:57]
Taryn
Yeah, you know, it's interesting cause I. It's not unlike how we start with design, with a design project. You know, I think for me I had some general ideas of what direction I might want to take the book and the content. And it definitely morphed and evolved over, over the process and kind of, I think things started to solidify and sort of take on a current together. But a lot of times when we begin with design projects, we begin with sort of this high level idea. Like what's the vision? You know, looking at what are other design styles or what are other influences or inspiration that we, that we like. We like the way that, you know, this home we saw in a magazine or this, this space we saw in a book was designed and taking kind of inspiration from that. And so we, we did look at that. I looked at other books that I liked and what did I like about them? And that was down from like the formatting to the CA, to the vibe, to the style of just if I'm going to make a book, what, you know, how do I want to set that up? And there's so many decisions like a design project, there are so many really tiny minutia based decisions that you have to make when you're taking out a book. And so, you know, really kind of getting an overarching framework for the book was where we started. And then we just sort of honed in on that. I would say it was a big brainstorm process to begin with. And from day one though, I really wanted to leave the reader and kind of leave the book with this overarching idea of make your home your own and don't be afraid or hesitant or overwhelmed by figuring out what you like and putting the energy into, you know, creating something unique to you in your home. And there's a lot of ways that we do that with our clients organically, sort of things that are baked into our design processes that help us plan, pull that out with the clients and figure out where to put it in the home. But you know, I think in the day and age that we live, we're just bombarded with constant inspiration and influence. And there's a zillion images that flash across our screens and in front of us, you know, on a daily basis. And so there's so much stimulation and inspiration and I think being able to separate out what really feels true to you and also just what's personal to you as well. It's interesting when you work with so many different people in, in my role as a designer and you meet, you know, sometimes people come in really confident in knowing what they want or the styles that they like or what their tastes are or, or you different ideas that they have for their home. And sometimes people come in and they don't really know that. They maybe don't have that sort of clarity or, or strong opinions about that. And so we get to kind of get on their level wherever they are as, as the designer in that role and really I think work with them to distill that out of. Okay, well, you know, maybe you don't have clarity on this, but can we get clarity? Or what are things that you always come back to? Or what's something that's tried and true for you that you know that you like or what's something that's part of your life history or life story, and how can we use that as a. As a building block for what we do with this project? And so I think that it's really fun to get to work with the client in that way and get to understand them and know them on that personal level so that then you can start to find ways to sort of reiterate and integrate those ideas and those stories and those preferences within the design project in. In big and small ways. And. And so the book really touches a lot on that, on how we do that, on where that. Where that applies, on how that matters. And it's something that can feel real intimidating. I think, again, back to all that inspiration that we have. It can be overwhelming. And so when you can kind of pull back and take a step back and pull out what's true for you, I think in the end, you end up with a home that you really love that feels more signature, that feels more authentic. And that's really kind of the work that we try to do with our design projects.
- [07:54]
Caroline
You talk a lot about the intention in the opening chapter and running with, I guess, a vision that your client has, and that was. You kind of alluded to this just now, but I want you to expand on it. I manage it. It's even harder to do with someone who doesn't know what their vision is. So, like, what are the, I guess, like, prompts or questions you ask to try to get to, like, create the vision? You know, I imagine there's someone who's like, okay, I know I want to build a home, but, like, you could go anywhere with that, right?
- [08:23]
Liz
There's a level of deep reflection that goes in.
- [08:26]
Caroline
Yeah, yeah, yeah. How do you get that out of your client?
- [08:29]
Taryn
So the first chapter is. Is called Reflect. Like, that's the first chapter in the book. And I think reflection is such a huge part of it, I think, knowing, you know, I say in the book, and I talk about this with my client, like, who you are and where you come from and also where you want to go, right? Because I think a home, it's all things. It's past, present, and future. And so we really love to look at that holistically, that clients and say, great, you know, what about the past? Like, what's something about the home that you grew up in that you loved? Or, you know, for me, as a child, I really reflect on homes that I spent time in as a. As a. As a young child that left an impression on me. I think about my grandmother's home, and she had a very specific way of decorating. And, like, we didn't call it styling back. You know, they didn't call it styling back then, but she had a very specific way of styling things in her home and colors that she liked, and she really knew her own taste. And I think about friends, homes that I spent time in and how they left an impression on me. And I think we all have that right. We've all lived a life. We've all been places, we've all traveled. We've all had had places, whether it's. It could be a city that's inspiring you. It could be a specific hotel you stayed at. It could be a singular home you went to. It could be a book, you know, a book that you read as a child that had, you know, even nuances to the aesthetic. That is something that stayed with you. It's different for each person. But I think when we take the time to reflect, there are things that sort of feel native and familiar and. And things that we are drawn to personally, and those are the things that we love to dig deep and find with our clients so that we can pull those out and say, great. You know, we love that you took that trip to Morocco, and that really inspired you, and you want to lead on that to bring a color palette for your project. Or, you know, we love that you, you know, grew up going to Maine in the summer, and that's one of your, you know, most amazing childhood memories. And how can we incorporate that feeling of Maine and the vibe and, you know, what. What mean represents to you? How can we incorporate the best parts of that into your home? Or you just. Just all those different things, and, you know, I think we talk about that in the design sense, of course, that can apply to the way things look. It can apply to materials and colors and, you know, and an essence that we're trying to create in the space. But I think it also applies on a more macro level to the feeling that you want to create in your home. You know, what. What do you want to have happen? What do you want people to feel when they walk in? What kind of activities do you want to have your home set up for? Right? Are you guys loungers? Are, you know, is. Is the client a reader? Are they someone that loves to do art projects? Are they someone that loves to cook and entertain? Like, what are those values that. That represent the way that you live? And how do we actually create a space in a home that not only represents that visually, but actually supports that from a lifestyle component. Right. And, and that's not something that's necessarily visible, but it's very, very intentional. When you're designing a space with a client and you're looking and you're picking furniture pieces and you're looking at fabrics and know, where are people going to sit and how are they going to use this space and what are some of the functions and flow of this space. And you know, I, I love when clients do have really personal and idiosyncratic, like, things like that, that we're like, great, you guys are all chess players. Let's create, create a chess corner in your house. Or, you know, if it's a big family of readers or, you know, we had a client a couple years ago that she and her husband, their kids are all grown and they love to garden. It's like their activity that bonds them. They work in the garden every day together. And we created these magical sort of garden adjacent spaces for them. They had the most beautiful vegetable cutting garden in their home, but we really styled spaces both indoors and out that would make that just a highlight of the experience of visiting their home. And so it's really fun to dive into that with a client and, and get to create something really special for them that, you know, on a daily basis or on a regular basis as they're living in their home, they're going to value and they're going to use and it's going to really be sort of a backdrop for, you know, foundational experiences in that home. Like, I love it and I love, occasionally we'll get messages from clients, you know, and they'll send us their Easter table or, you know, the, the kids gathered around the fire on Christmas Eve, or, you know, we'll, I'll, get little glimpses into these moments in their home. And I love it so much because that's really what we're designing for. Like, yes, it's so fun to pick all the fabrics on the wallpaper and, and, you know, make it beautiful and memorable and get that perfect cover shot of the space. That's so gratifying and so fun as a designer. But knowing that the space is reaching its full potential from a lifestyle point of view is even more gratifying. And it, and it's really fun to see that come full circle.
- [13:14]
Caroline
Do you find that your clients are willing to be like, there's a certain element of, of being, of dreaming, right? And like almost creating a fantasy where you're like, oh, I, my life is hectic. So I want the serene space. But like, your life is hectic. So I guess, like, how hard is it to juggle the practical reality of your life with the sort of dream that you're hoping to create and like, bridge the gap between the two to where, like, potentially could have both?
- [13:46]
Taryn
That's a good question, because I think, you know, I, I grew up in the era of like, like form and function was the phrase that, like, I feel like is so, you know, inherent. And we still use that phrase all the time with our clients, like the form versus the function. And I'm more of a believer that you can have form plus function. I don't think it's always that you have to choose. And sometimes there are things that we do just for beauty sake or just for the aesthetic value of that 100%. Like there are things that we design that are just meant to be the visual moment or, you know, be that aspect of the house that just grabs your eye. But for the most part, we, in our projects, we're designing family homes. We're designing second homes that are vacation gathering spots for extended family. We're designing spaces that really have to work. Right. Like, a lot of our clients are really the big entertainer in their family. And that's part of the reason behind the project is that they want to have a gathering space and they want to be able to, you know, better meet the needs of their, their family or their kids or whoever, you know, whoever's using the space. They want to be able to better support the goals of the space, space, of, of the home and the space. And so the form and, and kind of how that goes is often secondary to. Great. But we have this higher list of needs that we need to make sure those boxes get checked first. Right. And we definitely have some ways in our process that we, we kind of start there. Like, we build from the ground up. And so oftentimes on a design project, we primarily do new builds and, and large scale renovations. So really we're able to start at square one and, and really build from there with our clients often. And so we usually have a meeting and we call it the functional audit. I don't, I, I made that up. I don't know if it, it's the right name, but, but we really go through each space in the house and we analyze with the client. Great, like, what's happening in this room? What kind of storage do we need here? And we actually have a very detailed list of questions that we ask in this meeting. Everything from, you know, where's the vacuum going to go to, you know, what, what kind of organization do you like for this type of thing to what's your routine for doing laundry? And if you don't have a routine, let's make one for you and let's design the laundry room so that it's supportive and has that ease of use. And so there's a lot of things that we do that really go into the structural components of the house first and foremost that make it work. Right. And you know, laundry rooms, kitchens, pantries, mud rooms, bathrooms are really the places where you. That really tends to matter the most because there's really functional, logistical, storage, routine based needs that happen in those spaces. Right. And so we really get nitty gritty with our clients to, you know, what's, you know, I mean, we'll, we'll ask them and they sometimes laugh like, well, like, well, what's your morning routine? You know, is there a coffee routine? Is there like a, a smoothie? Are they a smoothie family? And they do smoothies every morning. And how do we set up the space to support that? So it ends up being so specific to each client. But I think we start there is the point is that we start with those functional needs and really know what they are and have a clarity on what is going to work best for the space. So that when we go to do the actual creative, fun, aesthetic design, we already kind of have these building blocks in, in, in that like we already know, okay, we need to address these needs. We're not just going to design a beautiful space and then figure out if the needs are going to work. We start with the needs.
- [17:12]
Caroline
Oh my God. I feel like bathrooms are like the worst. Like, you, okay, you have an electric toothbrush. Where are you plugging that in? Is there a plug that like, is not out on the counter? Do you want it to be out on the counter? Probably not. And where are you putting it? I don't know. Whoever renovated my bathroom did not think about that. And it's very annoying.
- [17:33]
Taryn
Well, the funny thing is, is that, you know, if you are an aesthetically minded person who, you know, is, is interested in home design and, and you know, making your home beautiful and pleasant and visually appealing. A lot of the daily things that we live with are not that. Right? They are not like, they're not always visually appealing. Like we talk a lot with clients. Like, I think pantries are a great example that a lot of the food that we buy, the branding is not necessarily beautiful or aesthetically pleasing in your, you know, Your beautiful Cotswold inspired pantry. Or, you know, it's like, I don't want to call out any brands, but we always make sure in pantries that, like, we have that closed hidden storage. Because I don't want to see all the labels on the food cans or the cake mixes or the cereal boxes or things like that. Right. Like, there's things that we want to be able to thoughtfully, like, close the door on so that what we're seeing can bring that. That feeling of peace and serenity. Like you were saying, like, life is hectic enough. I think there's so many things you can do to just sort of, like, contain the chaos. Right. And that. I think that's the best we can do. So if we can be thoughtful about the storage, if we can be thoughtful about the routines, if we can be thoughtful of knowing, great. We know that you're gonna have 500 pairs of shoes by your back door every day after school. Because everyone, you know comes over. All the neighborhoods come over and. Or whatever. Like, we can actually plan a solution for that, you know, problem before you even move in. Right. Like, we can think ahead, and we can be intentional about how we're setting things up so that they will meet the needs of your life day in and day out.
- [19:04]
Liz
And I think that that alone comes through in your work so clearly, because so much about the spaces that you end up building are about function, and there's such clean and beautiful and functional spaces. You would never know that there were 50 neighbor kids in the house. But I love that you plan for that and build these dream spaces that not only speak to how people live, but kind of dream and shape the spaces that they want to be and who they want to be as families as. So I think that's really exciting.
- [19:47]
Taryn
I love that you said that, because we often say with our clients, we want our work to be both inspirational and aspirational. And. And I think that, like, you kind of touched on that with your comment. I think that. That it goes to that idea of, like, great, what's the reality of the life we're living? But also, what do we want to create space for? Right? If we want to create space for more family togetherness, if we want to create space, like, in my house, we've intentionally created space for snuggling on the couch. The guys still have little children at home, and they are snuggly children, and they always want to snuggle. And so we literally have multiple spaces in our home that are kind of the snuggling spaces, and they're comfortable seating, and there's a blanket nearby, and there's a lamp nearby. And. And, you know, then when one of my kids comes to me and they say, hey, Mom, I want to snuggle, you know, we're not far from a spot where I can just pull them onto my lap. And, you know, that may sound a little cheesy, but I think for the phase that I'm in with my family right now, that really is supportive of just those little moments of connection that we're able to have. And what. What different families need at different phases is totally different. You know, some people want. We've had families that were big puzzle families, and we've created these magical puzzle zones for them. Or, like I said, families that are readers or, you know, I mean, like, TV is a big part of life, let's be honest. Like, and so everyone's trying to hide their TVs in the design world, but, you know, gathering on the television or watching a movie together, if that's something that bonds your family, or, of course, eating and cooking together is a huge part of it. We have a client that we're working with right now, and their kids are kind of teenage, preteen age, and their kids actually all love to cook. And so we're designing this secondary pantry. And the secondary pantry is actually geared toward the kids. Like, we got feedback from the kids on how they wanted to use the space and what kind of things they like to make. And so we're able to sort of design that space so that it can be sort of the family cooking zone. And so I think that those, you know, those kind of opportunities to, you know, really, you know, just be specific with the design. I think a luxury of either renovating or building a custom home or, you know, whatever opportunities you have to make your space specific to you in big and small ways. You know, it is such a luxury if you can really take a step back and say, you know, what do I actually need? Or how would I actually use this space? You know, if it's a room in your house that maybe. I think a classic example is we've had clients that had formal living rooms that didn't get used as a formal living room. Right. It just was sort of a space in the house that had furniture in it. No one went in there. And sometimes we'll say to clients, well, great. What could we do with this space so that it would get used so that people would go in there? You know, do we modify it and make it A music room or, you know, is a reading room. Is a library a better use of this space? And let's not make it a formal living room. Let's make it a library that has seating in it. Or, you know, how do we, I think, make those adjustments or tweaks to our home so that they actually meet our needs and they actually support our needs? And I think that all goes back to the intention, and I think to be able to hone in on those intentions, you have to really get a clear understanding of, great. Who is my family? What are our actual needs in this home? Which ones are met and addressed and which ones are not? And what changes could we make for it to be better, to. For it to be more supportive, for it to, you know, live easier? And I don't know if you guys have experienced this, but, you know, I'm a designer, and I spent all day thinking about these things. But even in my own home, I'm sometimes just surprised when I make one small change, what a big impact it can have, right? Whether it's adding storage for something that we didn't have storage for before, or it's, you know, saying, oh, you know what? I would love to be able to do this. Great. You know, I'm going to modify the way that I'm using this room, and I'm going to add this piece of furniture or I'm going to get this tool or whatever. Whatever it may be. But, you know, even the small changes can make a big impact in the way that you live in a space daily. And so it just takes sort of that. That contemplation and reflection and understanding of how we're living in our homes to get to that place where we go, great, now I know what I need. How can I address those needs?
- [23:55]
Caroline
I've just, like, never understood the. Not the form, the like, why people don't like a formal living room. Because to me, it's just a living room that doesn't have a television, and it's still, like, super comfortable. I don't know. I love our t. Our living room that doesn't have the TV because I feel like it's quieter. It's in a really sunny spot, and we're in there as much as we're in front of in, like, the TV room. I feel like if you just make it super comfortable, you're going to want to go in there. Then again, my house is also much smaller than your pro, than your clients, so.
- [24:30]
Taryn
Well, we do homes, all sizes, but, you know, in my own home, we have a room like that that we don't have a tv. And we really debated should we put a TV in here? And we didn't. And I actually have never thought about it again, like, since we've. Because we do use the room all the time. My kids go in there and read, or that's where we go to have a conversation. And. And nowadays, you know, we don't have a TV in there, but the iPad will often end up in there with one of the kids, so it still can meet that need, you know, if we need it to. But. But yeah, it's.
- [24:56]
Caroline
Oh, my gosh, that's so cool.
- [24:57]
Taryn
I love formal rooms, too. Like, you know, so many people. I think the formal dining room is a room that's gotten a bad rap, too. And I actually love formal dining rooms. I love the process of setting a table. I love, you know, I love all those details. I love that special effort of, you know, making time and putting energy into a special celebration. Right. And so I'm. I'm old school that way. Like, I'm not saying camp. Like, I love all those specific rooms, even if sometimes people aren't necessarily on board with them in our modern age.
- [25:28]
Caroline
Yeah. Do you? Okay, I. This was actually some touches on something that I was curious about, because so many of your. The houses in your book are quite large, or at least they seem that way. You know, tall ceilings and. And I was curious because they are so vast, and I don't mean that in a bad way, but, like, they are so large, but they feel cozy. And so what is it like? How are you creating that warmth in there when sometimes that scale can feel like more, I guess, gives it like a. An echoiness and a. Like a emptiness, I think that sometimes doesn't. Isn't cozy. So how do you make the cozy?
- [26:13]
Taryn
Yeah, that's a great question. Well, I think in any space, I like to think in layers. And really how we do our design, like, our process specifically with furniture, but also with sort of when we do the hard finishes, is we think about the layers. So what are the foundational layers? And then what comes after that? And we really build upon it. And so, you know, if you look at any of the spaces that we've designed in any of the imagery in the book, you can actually start to pick apart those layers. Right? Like, there's, you know, there's the floors, the walls, the ceilings, the windows, like, all of those hard surfaces. And, you know, each of those is a layer, and. And sometimes they get special treatment and not Always. And. And I think in our sort of mindset of designing, sometimes one of those elements is the thing that gets the special treatment and is the highlight, and then the other elements kind of gather to support that. I always say, in our process, you need to decide who's going to be the star of the show and who's the supporting cast, right? So in a given room, like, maybe a light fixture is the star of the show. Maybe it's a pattern, a fun pattern chair. Maybe it's a great rug. Maybe it's the view out the window. Like, we have many projects that are in these beautiful, breathtaking, you know, nature inspiring locations. And sometimes the star of the show is. Is the view. It's what's. What you see outdoors. But I think within that, within those layers, both with the hard finishes that we get to those furnitures, you have opportunities to build in color, you have opportunities to build in. Texture is a huge thing that we look at. And so anything going back to the coziness, you know, is there texture in, you know, I mean, like, wood beams are a great example of texture in, you know, in. If that works for your space. Wall covering can be. Can be a textural element, you know, nubby throw blankets or the textures on the fabric so that you pick on your upholstery and your pillows and things like that can be texture. I love baskets. I'm a big basket. Girls. Back baskets bring in great texture. I love the warmth that they bring to a space and. And then back to color. Rugs are a great way to do color. Art is a great way to do color. You know, if you have plants or flowers in your space, again, great way to reincorporate color that you're using in the space. Pillows, fabrics, window coverings, all those things. And so we really look at it as. As, like almost like a conversation. And often I look at it as a recipe. I love to cook. I don't know if you guys are big chefs at home and like to cook, but I love to cook. I. I've always loved cooking, but I'm always modifying the recipe, right? So I love a recipe, but I'm gonna say, you know what? I love a little extra salt, or I love balsamic and lemon on anything and everything. And so I'm gonna add a little bit of that. And. But I think home design actually is the same way. Like, we can see something that inspires us, that we go, love this room, or I love these colors that they used, or I love how that was put together. But I always like to reflect back on, okay, great. But how am I going to modify that recipe to make it my own? Right? Like, how do I take that inspiration and then make it my own? And so I think with the layers and all that coziness, I think we're always modifying the recipe. If we say, great, we love the vibe of this space, but we want a little extra color or we want a little extra texture or we want, you know, extra warmth or whatever it is that we're bringing into the space. Like, what does the space need to feel balanced? And. And that, I think, in those big spaces really can add to the coziness. And never underestimate how much those finishing touches are going to add to your space. Like, I always tell people if I, you know, I have friends and neighbors who oftentimes I'm not their designer, but maybe they're working on a project, and because we have a relationship, they're, you know, they ask me feedback or suggestions or advice or things like that. And I always say, you know, let. If you can, let your designer, like, finish the details. Finish the details. Because I think those things, like accessories and window coverings and all those finishing touches are really what complete the circle. And I think when you go back to, well, how do we create the sense of hominess and comfort and. And coziness in these larger spaces? It's because we were able to go to the end of the road in building in those details. And so anyone working with a designer, you know, there's so much that goes into a project like that, and sometimes, you know, the budget is, like, great. You know, we got it to this level, and now we need to take a pause. I totally understand that, but I think the true value of the designer is. Is as much the last 20% of the project as it is the first 20% of the project. And so I think being able to complete out those spaces and complete the circle really allows you to execute the full vision of a space.
- [30:45]
Liz
That whole idea of altering the recipe, I think, is a really kind of just going back to that is the thinking about altering the recipe should be a great way to freshen up a lot of the trends that we're seeing, you know, as we get inundated with Instagram and Pinterest and all of our influences that we're seeing all the time. But I'm curious to see what in 2025 you're seeing as trends that people are leaning towards or, you know, what's happening in new builds or in interior designs.
- [31:18]
Taryn
Yeah. So I. One thing I love that I've seen about the last 18 months is really a return to color and layering in color in a space. And I think it feels really refreshing because I think for a long time we were in this era of sort of neutral everything. White, you know, white walls, white trim, white everything. And there's a place for that. We do that look in many of our projects. Like, there's times that I love that clean, crisp look, but I think people kind of really paired things back. Like, they just. Things weren't. They were very spare, they were very simple, they were very clean. And I love that. I. I love that for certain designs. But I think what. What started to happen a lot is that just everything looked the same, you know, and so you'd see. You'd see this image or that image, and they all just sort of looked like a cut and paste version of the last thing that you saw. Right. And so I love that people are using color again. And for us, using color has looked like doing fun colors on the trim, like the base and casing indoors. Like, that's a way that we often sort of creatively incorporate color in our projects. Is. Is really looking for sort of those unexpected ways, especially in, you know, rooms that sort of are their own thing. That's a contained space. Like an office is a great room to. To practice, you know, to do color on the walls or color on the trim. A children's room is a really fun space to do something more playful with color or even like a pantry or a powder room where, you know, you're not in that space constantly, but it's sort of a fun add on in. In the experience of the house. And so I love that people are using color, and we're seeing a lot of really earthy and kind of moody colors, so, like, really deeper, richer tones like ambers and olives and. And, you know, even sort of like burgundy colors and, you know, soft sort of coral colors, like yellow. Yellow has been like, I don't know anyone following fashion. And you're. You're seeing at home, too. Yellow is like the color of the moment. Yellow's been everywhere. And so it's fun to kind of see how people play with that and different creative ways that people use that. And I'm excited, you know, I. It makes it fun for me to think about that in our own projects. Like, great. How. How can we infuse color? How are we going to use color and. And really push ourselves to be a little more creative with that as well.
- [33:37]
Caroline
If you have kids, color is a must, and for two reasons. First of all, like, color and pattern is a stain, you know, camouflage, right? Like, things are gonna be a little bit more, you know, harder to pick up any mistakes that happens in color and pattern. But also because kids stuff is colorful. So if your room is all. If your space is all neutral, and then your kids come in and all of their things, like, all of their toys and everything are, you know, primary colors, then they just jump out at you even more. Whereas if you've got a little bit of color, then, like, it's not quite so disruptive to see all the, you know, to your eye.
- [34:22]
Caitlin Creer
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- [34:52]
Caroline
Yeah, I don't know. I think when I. When I started having kids, my approach to color in my house really changed because I kind of was thinking, like, I don't want my kid to grow up in a. In, like, this neutral space. Like, they need to see color. Like, it needs to be fun. You know what I mean? I don't know. Maybe that was just me.
- [35:10]
Taryn
Yeah, I love that. Yeah. And I think, you know, color is a way to express personality too. I feel like I could tell this story 10 times over because so often when we meet with clients and we're talking about their children's spaces and we'll say, great. You know, does your child, have they expressed any opinions about their room or colors that they want or, you know, things that they want to incorporate? And I literally, a hundred times over, we've had clients say, oh, we cannot let my child choose a color for their room. Like, oh, like, we, you know, because they would choose, you know, like, bright turquoise, or they would choose neon orange or, you know, whatever it may be. But we often will work with the client say, great, we're going to, like, pre curate some options for the child that are. That are sort of, like, parent approved. And then we can, you know, let them participate in the process. You know, it is really fun because I think you're right. I think kids naturally, like, are Drawn to color. Like, you think about opening that fresh box of crayons and, you know, and looking at all the colors in the box. And if you were like me as a kid, I always wanted the biggest box with all the, like, I. I needed all the colors in my box of crayons. Right. And I think I'm still that way as an adult. Like our, our library, our fabric library, which is like my adult version of my box of crayons now, is just packed full of, like, way too much stuff. But it's one of my favorite things to. To go to the showrooms and, you know, pick out those crayons, right? Those. Those samples that we're using and the colors and the patterns and the things that we then bring back with us and use them to create in our design projects. And so, you know, I think it's. It's fun to let yourself be a little bit whimsical with color. And even if you're someone that likes more toned down colors or more colors, like, color doesn't have to mean bright and intense and, you know, like, flash color can mean a lot of things. Right. But I think when we work on a home, we really kind of try to create a cohesive palette that, you know, there are colors that sort of are a current throughout the home, and it doesn't mean they're in every room, but it gives the home continuity. And so oftentimes we're looking at the house as a whole so that we can kind of create a color story and a. And a vibe and a vision for, like, what is the inspiration for the colors in this home and how can we pull from that and, you know, and kind of bring that all together in a way that feels harmonious from room to room. Right. So that each room is going to be a different idea, but at the end of the day, they. The idea of the house feels like it flows and it makes sense. And the different rooms are speaking to and referencing each other in a way that, that brings the home together.
- [37:48]
Caroline
There is lots of blues and greens in your. In your book that are.
- [37:56]
Liz
Just like.
- [37:56]
Caroline
Like earthier, more nuanced. Yeah, they're not, you know, bright blue, but, like, it's a. It's a livable. They. They can be livable shades of your favorite colors.
- [38:07]
Taryn
Yeah, well, I, I tend to really like nature inspired colors. Like, that's what I do. But it's funny because, you know, I think there's colors that I used to sort of shy away from being like, oh, that's not Like a nature color. And I think the more you travel to different places or, you know, you have different experiences, I've had to pause and stop sometimes, like, wait, that is a nature inspired color. Like, even though, you know, I, I move away from that color, like, it does exist in nature. Right. And so, yeah, I, but I do. I tend to, like, really, like natural and earthy colors and, you know, blues definitely are something that we, that we use a lot in our client work, but it's been really fun to branch out more, and a lot of the projects we're working on currently are a lot more adventurous and fun with color. And it's been, you know, it's. It's fun to challenge yourself as a designer, to sort of, you know, always be thinking outside whatever box you had mentally of, of challenging yourself creatively. And, and I think, you know, if you look at some of just like, historically and, and even presently, like, some of the designers like that are, you know, really celebrated or just doing really cool stuff or unique stuff, and you look at them, it's such an art of the mix. Right? And, and I think some of the most masterful designers really have this ability to mix things in creative and unexpected, but also really appealing and balanced ways. That just works. And maybe you wouldn't think it would work looking at all on a table, but in a, in a space, it works, you know, and, and I love, I love seeing the work of other designers and, and really looking at that, like, great, oh, how did they do that? Or I love how they threw in this unexpected element. Okay, great. Like, you know, what's a way we could do that in our own design work in. In our own application?
- [39:49]
Caroline
Yeah.
- [39:50]
Taryn
So what goes around comes around, I guess, always in design, right?
- [39:54]
Caroline
Yeah, I, I think in the. Was it in the introduction of the book you were talking about going to. Wait, was it Scotland? Wait, where was it?
- [40:03]
Taryn
Yeah, Ireland.
- [40:04]
Caroline
Ireland. That's what it was like. I know it was cold, and I know it was in, you know, near England. Yeah, so you were talking about like, the, the woods and the herringbones and all of that. Has that made its way into any of your. Any year of your projects?
- [40:23]
Taryn
Definitely. You know, I really love sort of the Ralph Lauren aesthetic. Like, a lot of the projects that we work on are very classic and historically inspired and, and have an sort of all American component to them. And so, you know, I think there's, there's opportunities in certain spaces in homes that we really love to bring in sort of those richer, deeper, more traditional colors. Um, you know, I actually just went on another trip this spring to Greece and Croatia and Italy and those. Those countries also have such a signature color palette and really inspiring. And some of them colors that I don't always use, you know, they're not like my go to colors. But it was really fun to think about. You know, I think for me, I'm thinking about, you know, Italy specifically. Of, like, in Italy, you see a lot of, like, rusts and reds and amber and ochre. You know, like, colors like that that really are sort of earthy, these earthy, saturated tones. And that's definitely something that we've been incorporating. Incorporating lately into our projects is more of sort of those earthy, rich colors, you know, and pairing them maybe with some other combos that maybe aren't the most expected pairings. But if you can. If you can bring them together cohesively, you know, you can really put any colors together if you're. If you can approach it creatively and figure out how to make them be friends with each other.
- [41:34]
Caroline
Okay, Side note, have you watched the Ralph Lauren documentary on.
- [41:38]
Taryn
Yes. Yes.
- [41:39]
Caroline
My gosh, wasn't it great, Liz? Have you watched it yet?
- [41:41]
Liz
I haven't watched it yet. It's on. It's on high on my list.
- [41:44]
Taryn
It's so fantastic.
- [41:45]
Caroline
I watched it the other night. Oh, it was so good. Anyway.
- [41:49]
Taryn
Amazing. Well, this is a total side note. Another. In another life, before I was a designer, I actually interviewed at Ralph Lauren, and I got to interview at their headquarters in New York in. In Ralph's office specifically. And. And it was such an. Such an influential experience just to go and. And look at how they create space. Like, I actually think Ralph Lauren is a masterful example of how they create this entire feeling and atmosphere and ambiance with how they do their marketing and their photography for their business. And I think that's so true of a home, too. Right? Like, Ralph Lauren tells the story. That's what everyone buys into, is he. He created this entire lifestyle behind his brand. And, you know, a home is not entirely unsimilar to that of, like, when you create a home and you're thoughtfully creating a home, you're reflecting the lifestyle and the story and, you know, and all these other implied aspects in the home. And so it's amazing if you. If you've ever been in, like, a big city, like, I love being in New York or Boston or, you know, big city, and you walk into, like, a Ralph Lauren store, and you're just entirely transported to a different place. And. And that's very much how their offices are in New York. Like, you're in this high rise office building and you step off the elevators on the Ralph Lauren floor, and you might as well be in a British country manor, because that's what it looks and feels like. It's pretty. It's pretty incredible. The power of design and how it can just, you know, transport you.
- [43:10]
Caroline
Yeah, yeah. And each of his houses, like, you know, his house in, like, out west, looks totally different than the one in Montauk, which looks totally different from the Bedford one. Like, that's so interesting to me because it's not like they all look the same because he has this signature sort of aesthetic. They all look like the place that they are.
- [43:30]
Taryn
Yeah.
- [43:31]
Caroline
Like they're supposed to reflect the place around there anyway. Very interesting.
- [43:34]
Taryn
Yeah, I love that. I think it goes back to, you know, again on that it's like the modifying the recipe. Right. Like, if you think of Ralph Lauren, there's things, you know, he loves linen, he loves leather. You know, there's. There's definitely like those ingredients that you see in the design and in the home space as well with Ralph Lauren designs that are those sort of hallmark ingredients that are just tied to the Ralph Lauren idea. But in those different homes, a lot of those elements are still present. They're just used in different ways or in different ratios to represent the specific location. And so again, it goes back to the idea of modifying the recipe, you know.
- [44:13]
Caroline
Yeah.
- [44:13]
Taryn
I always. We talk with clients, we talk about in the book that, like, what is the DNA of your home or what is the DNA of a space? Sort of like, what are those building blocks that they could be materials, they could be colors, they could be, you know, again, like, just the feel of the place. Like, you know, Cotswolds has been a big look the last couple years. Everyone wants, like, the Cotswolds home. Right. And so, you know, all you have to say is Cotswolds, or, you know, you can say south of France. You can say, you know, I mean, there's. There's places that you can literally just say the phrase. And it conjures up all these visions of different colors, materials, you know, and a feeling that you're trying to create in the space. And, you know, I think it's. It's, you know, when you know what that DNA is, if you can kind of hone in on K. Great. What's the DNA for my home? You know, it kind of helps you guide those choices along the way. And so that then the choices down the road actually get easier because you've already said, you know what? You know, we're using this element, and I don't have this in this room yet, so great. How am I going to bring it in? Or it actually makes the subsequent choices easier. I. I don't know if you guys ever watched years ago, Emily Henderson had this show on, I think it was on hgtv. But she would do these design diagnostics with. With people on the show, and she'd have this table of things, and then she'd have people pick things off the table and. And then she'd come back to them and. And talk through, you know, things they liked and items of clothing, like all these different things she used. Then she'd come back and then she'd tell them their style. And their style was always this, like, really obscure, fun mismatch. You know, like your style is like Adirondack Victorian, you know, nature, you know, whatever she'd come up with. But it was always so fun to kind of see how she would, like, create these vibes and styles that, like, weren't really a look, but. But the way that she would articulate them. You could totally envision what that look would then look like in a home. Right. It was a. It was an entire Persona for the home. And, you know, I think when you lean in to the idea, and I think Ralph Lauren, again, expert at this, so many designers, you know, when you have this idea and you're able to lean into the idea, what you can create with that, when you're committed to that vision is so fun from a design standpoint. It's really fun.
- [46:25]
Liz
I love that. That's kind of like style tarot reading.
- [46:30]
Taryn
Someone should do that.
- [46:32]
Caroline
Like reading your palm.
- [46:33]
Taryn
That's right. Yeah. I've seen designers out there that do design based on your horoscope. And actually, that's really just.
- [46:40]
Caroline
But that's so funny.
- [46:42]
Taryn
Yeah.
- [46:43]
Caroline
It was a delight to get to get a glimpse at your book and get to read through it. I know that our listeners would really enjoy it. Can you tell everyone where they can find you? Follow and of course, pick up your book?
- [46:56]
Taryn
Yes. Thank you so much. So my book is available on Amazon to order. The title of my book is An Intentional Home and it's easy to order on Amazon. I also sell it on my website. I have a shop in Salt Lake City where I live, and then also a website where we sell product and goods and some of my favorite things that we use in design projects. And it's foundation goods. Com so check it out on Amazon or foundationgoods.com and you can see more of my work on my website is. Which is CaitLincraireInteriors.com and also on Instagram, CaitLyncrare Interiors.
- [47:27]
Caroline
I did see a few Ballard pieces in the book.
- [47:30]
Taryn
We do. Yeah, we use a Ballard a lot, actually. I love Ballard, and like I was saying, it's all about the mix, right? And so always on the hunt for just what is the right piece. And one of the things I love about Ballard is there's always a little whimsy. Like, I feel like, you know, the feel. Like the design team at Ballard Designs is good about kind of taking a classic idea of a piece of furniture and then making it special. And I think we love that. That totally echoes back to sort of my design philosophy. And with my team, what we tried to do is sort of take something that feels familiar and make it a little special. Special. So Ballard definitely checks the box when we're looking for pieces for our project.
- [48:05]
Caroline
Thank you. That's so sweet. Yeah, we. You know what? It's all. It's all fun. Design should be fun.
- [48:09]
Taryn
So, yes, for sure.
- [48:10]
Caroline
Can't take it too seriously.
- [48:12]
Taryn
Definitely.
- [48:13]
Caroline
All right, well, Caitlin, thanks for joining the show, and congrats again on your book.
- [48:18]
Taryn
Thank you so much. Thanks so much for having me and for the lovely conversation.
- [48:24]
Caroline
And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help.
- [48:34]
Taryn
You with your space.
- [48:35]
Caroline
And, of course, be sure to follow us on social media. AlardeSigns.
- [48:38]
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.
- [48:45]
Caroline
Until next time, happy decorating.