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- [00:02]
A
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]
B
And I'm Taryn, and I'm a product designer.
- [00:13]
C
I'm Liz. I head of the creative team.
- [00:15]
A
We're your hosts. 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]
B
Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
- [00:25]
C
We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us@podcastallardesigns.net now, on with the show.
- [00:34]
A
All right, our guest today is west coast designer Kim Lapine. After renovating seven houses in seven years. More on that later. She launched her design firm, Kim lepine interiors, in 2020 and hasn't looked back. She mixes elevated materials and a casual feel to create rooms that are contemporary but easy to live in. Kim, welcome to the show.
- [00:55]
D
Great, ladies. Thank you so much.
- [00:58]
A
We gotta start with you renovating seven houses in seven years. I don't even know how that's possible.
- [01:03]
C
I'm exhausted.
- [01:04]
A
Yeah.
- [01:05]
D
So I know it's crazy.
- [01:08]
A
Obviously, that unlocked for you, so why don't we start there?
- [01:15]
D
Okay. Yeah. So there was no, like, there was no intentionality thinking we were gonna start renovating homes. That was not the plan. I was modeling full time. I was actually pursuing acting. And in the pursuit of acting, they were like, well, you're tall. Maybe you could get some, like, print jobs to support your acting classes. It's really expensive and just like to make some money in the meantime because it takes a long time to get started in the acting world, as I'm sure everyone would know that or just assume that because, you know, it's very competitive. And so I kind of, like, got pushed into it because I was apologically. And they're like, well, you're tall and really broad and not really, like, model vibes. Because, like, I'm not like a size zero. I'm a size six. But you can do commercial. Commercial modeling. And so I was like, okay, whatever I need to do to make money, I'll just do it. So I started modeling, and that lasted a decade. And I never got pushed into the acting thing. Like, I tried, but every time they'd be like, you're so tall. You're so tall. The guys are like 17 inches shorter than you. And it just wasn't working. So during this time, I still had this, like, love for Construction, because my dad's a gc, my brother's a gc, And I loved just making the spaces I was in look beautiful. And my husband and I got married in 2014. And even our first apartment, it was, like, full furnishings, changing out some of the lighting, changing the flooring, and it just seemed second nature to me, because my whole life, my parents would do that to their houses because it was like they couldn't get, you know, their dream home, but they would buy the ugliest house on that, like, the best street in the safest neighborhood with the best school systems, and they would just turn that house into, like, their dream house over time. But it took a long time for them to do that. But I was used to these personal home projects, so it wasn't that intimidating to me. And we lived in that apartment for a year. And then we bought our first home in Echo park, and we renovated, like, flooring and lighting and just, like, not crazy. We weren't doing full renovations the full seven years that came, like, in the fourth house. And then we had, like, four homes in a row that we were doing, like, math, the renovations. But it was a really good market, so there wasn't this fear of not getting our money, because we knew that if we sold, we were, like, already in the green California. The real estate market was crazy during this time. So we bought our first house in Echo park, did a few things, renovated some things, did some exterior set, and then we sold it a year later, bought a picture in Redondo beach, and realized Redondo is too much in the verge. So we held onto it, rented it out, bought a house in Silver Lake, did a few floors, did some lighting, did some furnishings, and we did that again. Silver Lake. Los Feliz. Los Feliz. Hollywood Hills. Hollywood Hills. Palos Verdes. Palos Verdes. Rolling Hills. And it was, like, all over the place. But it gave me this confidence. Like, the projects got bigger and bigger and more and more detailed, and I was so overwhelmed, the first two, three, four projects, because I just didn't know order of events. And I'd have to call my dad and brother constantly. They're asking for, like, rough in. It's like, what does that mean? What's a rough? And, like, it's a rough in, like, a valve. Okay. Okay. So I need to get the rough involves, like, just understanding, like, the order of events and the timeline and just not being so overwhelmed by the details. That got easier and easier and easier every time we. We did a new project. And so I Just became more confident. And I was kind of documenting it a little bit on social media, but I was mostly still modeling at that time. So my social was like, mostly my modeling jobs with Nike and Target and Old Navy, whoever I was working for at the time. But it. It kind of got easier and easier for me also to kind of like. Like, rebrand myself because I was still putting little bits out into the world. This is what I really want to do. And I never really loved modeling. It wasn't what I was pursuing. It wasn't really what I wanted to do. It was just something I got pushed into and felt like I had to do it because I had to dream of acting. And so anyways, I had my first child in 2020, and that was like, at the end of the Day, 7th Project, and the whole world shut down. Audition stopped. Everything was remote. And I'm like, literally filming myself in my bedroom while my daughter sleeps. I'm like, this freaking sucks. I don't. I didn't even like this to begin with. Like, why am I doing this? And people started asking me because they were like, I loved your last project because I got better and better too. You refine your style, you realize what your style is, you refine your style, and then you kind of go like, oh, if I could do this for someone else, like, this is how I would do it. And so you get better and better at just figuring out, like, who am I as a designer? But I never thought of myself as a designer because it was always a hobby. But then people started asking me to do their homes, and it just became a thing. Like, all of a sudden I was like, why am I not saying yes? Like, why am I so scared? And it was because I didn't feel like I had my systems and processes in place. Cause I never really put time and effort into that art because I didn't think this was actually going to turn into something. It was so organic. So it's just happened over time, which is how the best things happen. I'm so grateful that it did because I was truly not happy. And modeling can be such a toxic environment and so competitive. And I felt like I needed something to, like, pull me out of it, but I didn't know what it would be. People started asking, and I just was like, I'm so tired of feeling this way. This horrible feeling of not feeling fulfilled. Like, nothing could be harder than this feeling. So not knowing the business, not knowing contacts, not knowing the verbiage. Walking to LA showrooms where people are, like, looking at me, like, who are you? And I'm like, kim, thank you. And I'm doing someone's house in Manhattan Beach. Can you help me? Like, I just started putting myself out there, and that's, like, how it snowballed into something. Wow.
- [06:46]
A
Okay. So many places to go, but I.
- [06:50]
D
Feel like that was more than I bargained.
- [06:52]
A
No, not at all. No, it was great. I just. I have so many questions now, but I was curious. Like, you kind of mentioned that as you evolved, the projects were getting better and you felt like you were solidifying your, I guess, voice. So I was curious, like, maybe kind of talk through maybe how your style sort of evolved in that time and maybe how you sort of, I guess, isolated what it was that you liked from all the other, you know, sort of influences, for sure.
- [07:25]
D
So in the first, I would say, like, two to three projects. I feel like I was just doing, like, my version of fun, because I always feel like my style, even, like, my clothing style, the way that I present myself into the world, I'm, like, very casual and laid back, but I also like to, like, have fun accessories and fun details. And that's kind of the way I design as well, where I have, like, this foundational base layer of, like, clean, laid back design. But I like to layer in slowly the beautiful, delightful, fun details that make the room feel more special and unique than, like, another designer over here who might do the same thing in a different way. It's, like, still kind of modern, still kind of west coast casual, but it's maybe like, more coastal, and there's more grays and more blues and more literal West Coast. I kind of have that, like, base layer of, like, that laid back effortlessness where it's like, a lot of white oaks and a lot of, like, natural materials. But then I layer in a little bit more, like, punchy colors and fun details, vintage lighting, and that's. Those are the things I started to see, like, as a through line. As I was doing each project, I would, like, find myself on first dibs till four in the morning being like. My heart would be racing, and I'm like, what is Feeling passionate. I have passion for this. Like. Like, I didn't recognize it because I was like. So I'm like, I'm getting, like, so excited over these sconces. Like, I have to have this content. And so I just started to, like, recognize, like, the things that would excite me. And when I'd go to, like, flea market, I would see, like. Like, what is this? What is this style called? They'd be like, oh, it's Italian. 1940 Scots, like, 1940 Scott. And so I would, like, take note of the things that I love so much. And that is just what informed my style. Because in the beginning, it was more like quiet couch from RH because it's on Pinterest. And I'm going to do that with this CBQ rug, and then I'm going to do that with this. And I was. I was finding ways to make my house look cool, but it wasn't that much different from everyone else's homes out there. And I think it was because I wasn't comfortable. I didn't have enough experience to know, like, what the options were to me, like, how to customize a sofa. I didn't have a custom workroom. I didn't even know what that was in the first couple houses. But as I dug in and did my research and learned more and more and more, I realized, like, the world is my oyster. I just need to be passionate and curious. So I just started getting more curious and figuring out, like, well, if I wanted to be that sofa that had those. That arm detail and that base detail, okay, I can't find it on a big box store, but that no designer is probably buying all their stuff from big box stores anyway. So I started realizing, like, they're just doing a lot of custom stuff with their own custom fabrics. Like, I can do that, too. I just. I need to not be intimidated that I don't know what the verbiage is. I don't know how to talk to these people in the language that they understand. So I need to learn to speak their language. And it was. It was just through practice, trial and error, and not being afraid to look stupid that I learned what my style was. Because I love the details. Like, design for me is in the details. And I love designing custom furniture. I love designing custom millwork. I love using vintage lighting. And those are the three lines through all of my projects. But I didn't know what those things were even called. Like, millwork. I was like, well, what's that? What's a millwork like? Well, millwork is like wood joinery. You know, I'm like, joinery, wood speak plainly. People like, okay, it's wood. It's built in, dude. It was just. I. I was such a novice. And so I also would ask my dad and my brother a lot, like, what are they saying when they say that to me? And so they would help kind of like, translate. And so over time, it was just figuring out like how to speak the language of people in the industry. And I was like, oh, okay. So that is what, that is what I like, I just didn't know that that's what it was called. We were calling it two different things. And to be honest with you, I'm still learning so much. I've only been doing this for four and a half years, so I'm still client facing for four and a half years. I did it for myself for five, six years before that. But it's just learning, like it's learning and curiosity and realizing like, okay, vintage lighting is a big thing for me and if it's not vintage, it's vintage inspired or it has like that maybe an art deco shape to it. I love urban electric for that reason because they do a lot of like, like period inspired lighting, but in like a modern, fresh way. And so you start to learn the, the brands and the showrooms that kind of carry the products that you relate and resonate most with. And, and so for me, again, like, vintage lighting, more detailed millwork, like fun and delightful hardware details. And it's in like stone. Like I use like shown a lot in fun ways.
- [11:53]
A
And we were going to marble detail because you're so.
- [11:57]
D
Yes. Like, yeah, I mean, it's like so obvious to me that I don't say it because it's just part. But yeah, like the stonework, marble surrounds anywhere I can find a way to use marble in a fun way without it being too ornate. Because, like, I think the balance is also where I do. I think I do a good job with balancing like the masculine and the feminine, the details and then paring back and like knowing when to let something shine and then being like, this feels good, I'm going to stop here. Or like I throw the spaghetti at the walls and I'm like, too much. And then I start airing back. That's usually how every project goes, actually. More and more detailed. And then I hear back, kind of find that like that midpoint. And I just learned through trial and error. Honestly, it probably took me up until like that point where I started my business, 2020, to kind of realize like, what my design ethos was and like what that style was. Because that's when people started inquiring. They weren't inquiring the first few houses. And I think that it's because they were seeing I was getting like I was refining my style over that time. And then finally it seemed like, oh, there's a look that she does.
- [12:57]
C
You mentioned marble and stone and you use that in, I think just about every project and you go big and you go bold when you use stone and it's really absolutely gorgeous. But how are, what are some things that you're thinking about when you're selecting a stone and what are some tips that you can give us for, you know, looking for stone or how much stone to use in a space?
- [13:24]
D
When I'm trying to figure out, like, how to use the stone and what stone to use, it's always in collaboration with the client. So the client will be like, kim, I love that Caballeros project that you did in Rolling Hills. That feels like a little bit more con to me. And you seem to use like that black and white. So I'm like, oh, palette of Corcio. That's what we use. Like, yeah, I really like that because I'm not a big color person. So like what the client one is wanting is also dictating so much of how I'm sourcing the sound. But I do try and push them a little bit because most of the time people just don't know what they want. And until you show them some options, they might really love something that feels wild to them. But it's not wild. It's used all over Europe and it's been used for hundreds of years. And it's stand for testifying there. And it doesn't feel like you go to a patisserie or a cafe there they have like Levanto Rosso Burgundy marble and like onyx on the table and like all these crazy different looking marbles. But it doesn't look crazy, the natural material. And I think it's just like beautiful and it can be simplified if we do other simple elements in the room. And so it's just a lot of transparent conversations of saying like, okay, you seem like you're leaning a lot more towards projects that I use with like terracotta than pinks. Are you cool if I pull some like fun pink stone or do you want me to like, do that on the walls and then like more of a simple stuff. And if the conversations back and forth and they'll like, surprise me. Some people want me to just surprise them. And like I did recently did a bathroom that like really deep terracotta plaster in this pink, red and white stone. And it's for their little girls bathroom. Like, we want our girls to feel like they had this like dreamy, whimsical bath growing up. We want that to be their memory. So it's like, oh, like I have kids and all I ever Think about is, like, what they're going to picture growing up in our house. I want every little detail to be perfect. So in their memory, it's like, my mom created the most magical wonderland for us. And so I really put myself in the shoes of those parents, too. When I'm designing spaces of, like, really wanting to make sure that when my clients enter their homes, it feels magical and whimsical and it's a place they want to be. And sometimes the place they want to be does not have pink zone. It might have white and black zone, or they want to go, like, a little bit more bold. But if people are coming to me and asking me to design their home, usually because they're already on board with what they're seeing on social media, like, with what I'm putting out there. And they. They know that stone is something that I lean heavily into, and so they naturally are aligned with that. But really, it's just kind of like we have a really in depth questionnaire where we go through, like, what are your favorite colors? What are colors that you hate? What would you be really excited to have in your home? What would you be, like, disgusted by? Like, I like to have these really transparent conversations so that I know I'm not just sourcing things, like, because I like it. It has to be something that I know they're really into. And I'm constantly showing them samples, color palettes. We have meetings where I lay out, like, all these slabs in front of them, samples, and just say, like, show me, like, what you're really drawn to and. And show me what you're not. So it's not like I'm guessing and just like, oh, I'm really good at, you know, deciding what my clients want. It's. It's because they're showing me what they're drawn to. And then I lean really heavy into that and then find other things look a lot like that. But one thing I will say is that I try and have like, one star in any room, but not multiple stars like you. I think it gets really overwhelming and ornate and some people are maximalist and that works with them, and that's what the clients want for me. I like to have, like, a rock star and then, like, backup singers because otherwise it's. It's too much going on and I find it to be overstimulating and a little too busy. So a lot of the time the stone is the star and maybe the chandelier, and then everything else is like backup singers. This is. It's like, peaceful on the eyes. Like, I don't need to have crazy wallpaper in my office. This is my office. I have a really worn, calming plaster because that's what feels good to me. And then I have like my cool lights, my calm mill work, and then like a couple fun details, you know, and so it's just finding the balance between, like, who's the star and then who are the backup singers and not getting carried away.
- [17:19]
A
What do you. What are your favorite applications of music marble? Like, you mean? Obviously I think most people would think of a countertop, but you use them in all sorts of like, surprising ways. I mean, side tables or what. What are some ways that are sort of like your more go tos, I guess, for stone that people wouldn't think of.
- [17:38]
D
It's funny. Like, countertops are like, well, yes, of course a countertop. Like, I know a lot of people associate stone or countertops, but like, fireplace surrounds are the things that I like. Have a lot of fun signing. I will do deep dives for hours. On figuring out, like, what are the fun details I could throw into the surround and make it feel a little bit different than just like a typical fireplace with like, if we're doing like an art deco step so like steps out, steps out, steps out or steps in or whatever you want to say. We'll find like, well, what's another detail we can throw in there that we haven't really seen? And so then I'll do a deep dive into like, what are some like, shapes and reoccurring themes in art deco style that we could throw in here. So we're looking at like, like, like plank, like a circle in the corner. Circle in the corner. And then we're having channels go down from there and we're figuring out like, do we want it to be two toned or like two types of marble or one type of marble? And just having fun with making those details come to life. Like, there is no rhyme or reason with me. I'm a very casual person and I like to have fun and I want things to feel fun for my clients and like a surprise and a delight. So when I'm doing the design presentation, I get really excited about the, about thinking about what their reaction is going to be when I present this to them. And I want like, if it's cooler to do two types of stone than one, that's not harder for me to do that. I'm just calling that out on the plan and I'm just specifying two types of marble. And I think Sometimes it's just going that, like, extra mile, the extra step to make the design a little more interesting. And sometimes I actually think about this a lot. I'm like, why? People will say a lot. Like, you do a lot. Like, the detailing is, like, you do a lot of detailing in your projects. And I'm. It's, like, not that much. It's a lot of work, but it's also not that much more work than if you were just to do, like, a simple fireplace surround. It's just, like one or two more steps to kind of make it that much cooler, and the impact is tenfold. So I don't know. It's. It's the. The fireplace surrounds for me are really, really fun. And recently, like, or recently, I mean, we just presented it, but the house will be done in the spring. We have, like, three or four projects that will be finalized or finished in the spring. And. And we're doing these fun casing details around passageways. But we're not just, like, wrapping the passageway in the marble. We're also carrying it as a detail outside of the passageway to, like, have this fun shape. So it's just boxing in the passageway and just creating interest when you're going through, like, main areas of your house. This is the reoccurring thing through this house. So, like, all of the rectangular passageways have this fun marble detail, and it probably. I mean, the labor is the biggest thing, but it costs, like, it's four more slabs that we need to buy, and it's this huge impact in the house. So it's kind of like. Well, it's. It's worth some money if you really want to have, like, an impact in your home. So we're doing some fun casing details and trim details right now to work marble. And it's just like. But we have to, like, hear it back. We can't go crazy marble, because you want to look at that for the next 20 years. So we might be doing more of, like, a travertine or, like a commie, like, cream white marble, you know? So it's just figuring out, like, how do you want to live with this long term? And then let's do it.
- [20:35]
B
Hey, it's Taryn, your favorite host and designer at Ballard Designs. I'm excited to share with our awesome listener that more than 250 new designs are live on the website now. One of my favorite products I designed this season is the arena media console. It is this very super long console that works with any size tv. It comes in this gorgeous Dark walnut finish and these textured front and these beautiful little turned delicate legs. Mmm, it's so sweet. And not only is it just sweet, it's really versatile. It has two sets of cabinet doors as well as two drawers. So not only can you fit blankets, you could also fit small things like the remote, you know, the one that always seems to go missing. It's perfect. I'm really excited to finally share some of these wonderful, wonderful products with you. So please visit Ballardesigns.com backslash new to see all the new beautiful product that we've worked so hard on and we can't wait to share with all of you.
- [21:34]
A
Yeah, it seems like a lot of your. I, I loved your, your house tour on YouTube and it's. And it's been featured in, in print as well. But there are so many choices that you made in your own house that it almost seems like the architecture and the, the space itself is the main focus and the furnishings are sort of the accent to that, you know, like for example, the entryway in your house with the staircase. Is that how you're thinking about it or do you, is that sort of the end result of some other sort of thought process?
- [22:13]
D
So I'm so glad you said that because that's exactly how I think about every project. Like I was just telling my office manager, I'm like, I love F and E and I love the furnishings, but it takes so much time. I kind of want to like pass that along to someone else because like, while I kind of go and use these fun peer free fabrics, figure out a way to make this work because I want to have some control over it. But I also like, my love is the construction and my love are the permanent parts of the home because I think if you can nail that, you, you can do a really simple furnishings plan or a really ornate furnishings plan and the house will be stunning either way. So for me, the interior architecture is the design like and to me, lighting is part of the interior architecture because they are attached to the wall or the ceiling. And to me, even though, yes, you can remove them, I consider them like part of the permanent design. And so if you can nail that and you can get that right, you have such a point of view and you have such a, a strong foundation that you can, except for maybe like lazy wire or something like where like you can throw things in there, that wouldn't be my fave, but like you can, there's flexibility in how you would do the furnishings because it's such a Sean statement as is. So we focused a lot on that in my house where we would arch doorways that didn't have arch openings or we would take away arches because like that's going a little too crazy. They did a little too much over here. Or you know, it's finding. It's. It's trying to strike that balance between like super ornate but like we need to add some. Some fun here. And like we did. We do the same thing with our fireplace. Like we would. We demoed all the fireplaces and created like all new fireplace surrounds and architecture surrounding the fireplace. So like a built in bench that we plaid in onyx from like wall to wall because. Because it's so white. Thank you. It's so white and creamy and like in that room it feels really soft. I'm like, well, now we're getting on, reverging on boring. So like, what are we going to do to make this not boring? So onyx, that would be really fun, but not the backlit onyx. Because I just. I'm not a big fan of. To me, it feels like Hollywood hills bachelor bachelor pad. But like finding the ways to like add the jewelry and the accessories. Like I think of stone and lighting it, like the jewelry and jewelry, by the way, like a jewelry person. So it's just. It's like, where can I lean in and then where can I pull back? You know, hit the. Hit the brakes, hit the gas. And I do that throughout every project. Where I like the pink dining room and it was a normal ceiling. We barreled the ceiling. Oh, barrel Ceiling just feels more fun. Why wouldn't we? It's not that much more money. It's not that much more material. There's ways to make your house feel so interesting and cool for not that much effort. And so we tried to maximize in the interior architecture so that we could like relax a little bit on the furnishing. Because we did not spend a ton of money on the furnishing. We just couldn't. You just.
- [24:58]
A
Yeah.
- [24:58]
D
Money doesn't grow on tree.
- [25:02]
A
You do have such a paired back design, especially within the styling. I think that it works, but it works because the architecture is so strong and so thought out and in many cases old that you can kind of pull back a little bit in the furnishings. That makes total sense.
- [25:25]
D
Yeah. Thank you. I love that you see that because sometimes I don't know how to describe it, but it's nice to hear it like echoed back because that's how I want it to be. But I never know if it's like landing that way. So it's. I think that's the first time it's been like, described to me like that. And I. That's what I want. Like, that's what I intend for.
- [25:46]
B
I want you to talk about kind of lighting because it seems to be this passion of yours as well. Like, you talk about it a lot and how much you love lighting. So how about you talk us through how you handle lighting in different projects?
- [25:58]
D
Yeah, so that's actually one of the first things I talk to clients about when we have inquiry falls is that like lighting is, to me, it's like art. So instead of spending a lot of money on artwork at your house, like, I'm not going to be choosing any art for your house. Like, I'm not an art consultant, but I do know lighting and I think that we should maximize the lighting plan so that you are getting like certain types of lighting in different rooms. Because to me, if you have all overhead lighting and no decorative lighting, well, then you live in a spec house and it's very, like, flat. It feels very flat and it's unflattering and you don't know why it doesn't feel great. You just know that it doesn't feel great. But when you're in a house with sconce lighting and ended lighting and floor lamps that are like, shining over the top of the couch, like a little area for reading, you don't know if you're not into design and you don't really know how to define things. You just know that it feels good. There's. It's just the warmth, the glow, the way it makes you feel. And lighting has that effect on people. And once I really got into again after the third or fourth house and realizing what that through line is, people would always say, you do such great lighting. And I'm like, I do. I don't know. It just seemed like second nature to, why wouldn't we have a sconce on that wall? It feels like a fun moment to have light shining in that corner where otherwise it wouldn't be kind of like a dark, dreary corner. And so now I just, I think of it as art and I think of it as part of the budget where it's like art budget. And I'll call my clients, like, I'm not going to be specifying art for you if you want me to. I can connect you with a consultant that I trust and love. But I am going to be spending a lot of your budget on the lighting. Because if we don't have the lighting right, then we don't have anything right in life because it's the permanent pictures of the house that brings so much soul and life and character. And if you have lighting that you're like, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to go for that like the French 1940s look. But then you buy like the $200 knockoff version. Sometimes it will work because sometimes it could look really, really cool. And I totally like to be frugal when I can be. But then sometimes it, it kind of looks exactly like what it is and it's like you're trying to get the patina look, but you're actually got the spray painted gold look, you know, and it's like it's not quite hitting right. So I like to tell them like the vintage is the best if we can do vintage because it already has that patina, it already has that life. And there's just so much character and quality that comes with things from the past because things are just not made today the way they were made back then. And I try, I try and incorporate as much of that as possible also, you know, it's like more eco friendly, but like, it's not the driving force. But it is great that we're not just like new, new, new, new, new everything. But yeah, I mean, to answer your question, lighting is the biggest part of our project budget wise too. Like I, I'll tell them, like, at least this much money needs to go to lighting because this is going to make or break the project similarly to how the interior architecture is. Because if we have that right, then everything else can be flexible. Like I can do some big box purchases for furnishings if we have the foundation right. But if we don't have that right, then it's going to be a mess. So it's really one of my biggest priorities when it comes to budget and how I started the design training project.
- [29:06]
A
Okay. Something that really surprised me when looking at your portfolio. You are not a table lamp girl.
- [29:13]
D
Oh, yeah. I mean, it's not that I don't like them, I just don't like, I already have so much lighting everywhere on is someone like, do we need it? But no, I like them if, if I feel like I find the right one. But it's not that I'm against shrug. I've never thought about it.
- [29:29]
A
Even the shrug you just did tells us a lot. No, it's.
- [29:32]
B
You're a sconce lady.
- [29:33]
A
Yes, yes, you.
- [29:34]
D
I'm a scon.
- [29:35]
A
Scalable so you wanted all hard, you know, like, fix. Yeah, it wasn't really until maybe the second or third time going through your portfolio that I even noticed it because it's not as though there's like a hole. So it just, I finally, I. At one point I was just like, she, like, doesn't have any lamps. But yeah, anyway, so I just found that surprising.
- [29:59]
D
So cheap.
- [30:00]
A
But, but like you said, you, I guess you've added, you put so much care into maybe the ceiling fixtures and the sconces that it's not necessary. And I guess maybe it does sort of create more of that edited down look that you achieve. So anyway, it just, it kind of surprised me because I feel like many designers are like, the more lamps, the better. And.
- [30:27]
D
Okay, so I have a comment about this. So I totally like, when you said that, I was like, is that true? Do I not have. You're right. I have three kids under five cords. It's a disaster. I have two dogs that barrel through my house. And when I'm designing anyone's house, I'm like designing it from my perspective of like, what would I want and not want as the homeowner? And like, if the, if the table lamp is like five feet from the wall where it would be plugged in. Of course I know we have cordless lamps and stuff, but I just mean, like, some of the vintage ones that I really love have cord. And there's logistics to it where I'm like, that will be really inconvenient and then there's going to be like a power cord or there's going to be something in the way. Even though in the photo you won't see it, but for their everyday living, it will be there. So I think that is why, like, without realizing that's what I was doing, I think that is why, as I give it more thought, why I try and hardwire as much of the lighting as I can. But for this last project right now that I just presented like two weeks ago, I do have some vintage, like, floor lamps and table lamps. It's just funny that you just said that. I'm like, actually, it's because I'm thinking, like, you know what, it would be nice to layer in even more lighting. But this particular space, the sofa, is close to the wall because it's kind of like a formal sitting room and it's smaller. So you're not having like a cord running like five feet to get to the wall. Or like, logistically I'm like tripping hazards, little babies, kids, you Know, like that's. I think that's why. But that's a good point.
- [31:57]
A
It's not like missing, like I said, it's not like I. It took me several times to go through, but. But yeah. And Andrew, it does make me curious.
- [32:05]
C
To figure out, like what would be the perfect floor lamp or the perfect table lamp for you.
- [32:11]
D
I know. Well, it would have to probably at this point in my life and if I'm working for all of my clients, except for virtually. Except for two right now that have like young kids. And so I guess I'm. Yeah, I'm just always thinking about it from that perspective. But I guess it would have to be like cordless because like what. I guess.
- [32:28]
A
Or in the ground.
- [32:29]
D
A lot of these homes are doing full gut renovation. In the ground. A lot of them. Like we're doing full gut renovation and they're not always tearing up the floor. So then we're working with kind of what they have already, but we're gutting the materials, we're scraping it clean room to room. But like if we're doing a new build. Yes, like we could totally. But sometimes there's just logistics of like, hey, do we want to tear up the concrete below? When we're doing. You have to create a channel for electrical to get to that. You know, there's logistical things that keep it from being realistic. You guys have any link? Send them my way. Cordless. Right to the Gilliam Center. Cordless.
- [33:05]
A
I can't have you. The vintage ones. Vintage inspired ones.
- [33:09]
D
Maybe. I have a collab coming up where I'm going to create vintage inspired lamps that are cordless or rechargeable or something.
- [33:17]
B
Yeah, it is all the rage.
- [33:20]
D
Yeah, totally.
- [33:21]
A
Okay. You mentioned you have three kids, all quite young, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounded like you renovated your current house before you had kids, so.
- [33:36]
D
Yeah. Yeah, I had a newborn, but yeah.
- [33:39]
A
Okay. Okay.
- [33:40]
D
Okay.
- [33:41]
A
Well, before. Let's say before your kids were, you know, maybe interacting with the house very much. Yeah. They weren't doing a number on it. I was curious.
- [33:50]
D
Yeah.
- [33:51]
A
You. If that changed maybe things about your house that you were happy with or things that you would have redone. Just any kind of. I imagine there was a lot of design mistakes and learnings in the seven years, you know. No mistakes.
- [34:08]
D
Well, no, I just knew from the beginning. No, no, no. Yes. There's so many things. So I. So we bought the house that we currently live in in 2021 and we owned it for like six months before we started Any plans on it? So when or no. 2020? Yeah, 2021. And then we finished it middle of 2022. So it was like about a nine month process. But we got it the whole house, but we kept most of the structure the same. And my daughter was like six months old when we bought the house, like, and we moved in when she was. I don't even know, she was young. And then when I moved in, I found out two weeks after moving in, after it was complete that I was pregnant with Quinn. So I was like, wow, okay, well I didn't design this house to have three under three here. So that was hard. That was a hard couple of years because also like, I probably wouldn't have bought a two story house if I knew I was going to be like pregnant with twins and have newborn twins. It's just, I. Long story, but I had stairs before and I had an accident on the stairs. So like not a big fan of two story houses. So like that's one thing too. I kind of don't feel like you should do plaster in your house unless you have kids over a certain age that won't draw on the walls. Because my one and a half year old twins last year drew with marker and colored pencils all in the family room on the plaster wall. I'm not even talking Porto Le Fate's plaster, where it's like you can kind of fix it yourself because it's like, it's like not faux plaster, but it kind of is like a faux version. It's like real plaster that requires the plaster people to come out and it's not cheap. So like that's one thing. Like if clients are like, oh, I have like, oh, I'm pregnant. I'm like, okay, well plaster is beautiful, but maybe we do like a wal warm creamy alabaster paint until your kids can understand instruction. Because I can tell you you're not going to be happy. Like I almost, I might have cried. I, I think I might have cried at least one tear when I saw the walls. I was so like, yeah, you have no idea. But whatever. Like at the end of the day, my house is meant to be lived in. I don't design for like one off spaces to just be like museum. Like they're like a living in a museum where you can't touch or feel anything. I'm gonna have when we sell this house, because we're selling it. I don't know if you guys know that we're selling it in like six months because we're finishing Our forever home. For people listening. Because this is like our seventh forever home. But it's. I think it really is. But like we're. I'm done the design for the, the new home. I'm done almost everything. And we're about six to seven months out. But my twins will be three and a half when we move in. So I'm doing plus because I'm like, okay, now they know not to draw. They haven't done it in a long time. I feel good about it, but there's just certain things that are too costly to have to worry about. So if like you have little babies before that they can understand, like, yeah, no class or that's not a good thing. I would. I mean, sometimes you just can't really control the upstairs or not. It depends on where you live. A lot of the houses. You can't buy a one story house anywhere you go. But we have like wood floors in our primary bathroom. I give them baths three times a day. They love to get wet and they want to lotion up after. My floors have like oil stains on them because no one is caring for them the way I do. I have an integrated stone sink in my kitchen. When my twins are done with their spaghetti, they'll like go help me and put them in the sink. Now my calicutta Rosa, which is like a pinky marooni white marble, has stains and I have to get it treated all the time. So yeah, there are things that I would. I'm not doing an integrated stone sink in the next house because I need a ceramic sink that I can clean. And as much as it looks so beautiful and cool to take like a photo with like florals in them. Like what for that one photo? Like, no, I'm not dealing with this anymore. So there are just certain things that I've learned. Like I was a little too, like, naive because I didn't have kids. I didn't understand to the degree, like how they could destroy things. So very, very destructive. And so now I just learned like, okay, I'm gonna do like tile or stone flooring in my primary bathroom because they, my little kids are going to take baths for a long time, I think, like in that, you know, and it's in my bathroom.
- [38:22]
A
Yeah.
- [38:22]
D
So there's just like places that get a lot of, like a lot of wear and tear. I have to make sure that the wear and tear can stand up to them. So I am making those choices. And when people ask me, I love the wood parky with forest in your bathroom. Like I love them, too, but they're white oak, and they're clear matte. Because I wanted, like, light, like, really like, you, like, kind of like what you see behind me. Like, just untreated white oak wood. I love how pretty and airy it feels. But no, it absorbs oil. It absorbs lotion. And if they're like, they want to do my makeup in my bathroom, and if they're like, lipstick gets on the. It's hard to deal with. And I don't want my. I don't want to have to worry like that. I want to be present as a mom, too. I want to have fun with them and not be the mom. Was like, don't touch this, don't touch that. No, no. You know?
- [39:02]
A
Yeah.
- [39:03]
D
So I'm trying to set myself up for success in the next house. Although it is going to look so great. I'm like, don't watch that. Like, I. I know I am going to be like that, but I'm trying my best to learn my lessons. But, like, do I do wallpaper in their room? Part of me is like, well, three and a half.
- [39:19]
A
Get an extra roll. And you can always like, yeah, go right up over it.
- [39:26]
D
Totally. It's also kid to kid. So, like, my. My oldest never did one thing wrong. She was very obedient. She's like, really? So I just assumed they'd be the same.
- [39:35]
A
It's always those second and third kids.
- [39:38]
D
It's always those twins.
- [39:43]
A
Which.
- [39:43]
D
There's two of them, too. Yeah. Double trouble. Yeah.
- [39:46]
A
That's.
- [39:47]
B
And a hard age.
- [39:48]
A
Like you said, you're still in the.
- [39:49]
B
Thick of that, so.
- [39:51]
A
Yeah.
- [39:51]
D
Yeah.
- [39:52]
B
So you mentioned here and on your Instagram, you're talking a lot about your home you're working on. Can you share a little more about that with us?
- [40:00]
D
Yes. So we do, like, I had to mention the development projects that we do. So my. My custom client projects, and then my husband is in real estate and does investment, so we do development projects as well, where we will purchase a home, renovate it. Obviously, the budget is completely different because we have to be really, like, on budget under control there. So it's. It's a less layered version, like my client gnomes, because they're okay with spending on, like, the pure fray fabric. Like, we don't have that for a spec home. But we were looking at this house that we ended up buying for ourselves for a development project, and I just walked in, was like, this is unlike any house I've ever seen before. Like, it's one story. It's in this equestrian part of Palos Verde. So it's all horse trails, huge like eucalyptus trees, just beautiful. And the house is 180 degree view of the ocean, like unobstructed. And it, the reason it was, it was sitting on the market for a while and it seemed like a really good deal for a development project because it was like the square foot, what they were asking for. A square foot of the house was so reasonable. But people were intimidated by it because it had three kitchenettes, three little laundry. Like it had multiple of like these main space of the house because they had three generations living there. And it's so funny, it was a family, it was a friend of a family friend. And the great grandparents lived there. The grandparents and then the daughter lived there and she had her son in one wing of the house. And it's like 5,000 square feet but on one large lot. And it's all ranch style. So I just was like, oh, I want this house. Like this seems like a dream. And it's, it was such the right price and it didn't intimidate me because, oh, seven houses in seven years. I'm like, we know how to do this, let's do it. So I told my husband and we thought our current house would be like our ten year forever home. Like I didn't really think it would be forever forever because in the area that we live in, Paul's breath, it's a small little sliver, so there's like no yard. We knew it couldn't be our forever home, but we just didn't think after three years we would be moving. But this house is old. It's going to be totally different. I live in a Spanish house now. This house is ranch style. There's an hoa. So you have to keep it true to the ranch style. But it's going to be very like French countryside vibes because we're doing smooth stucco and like really beautiful like gas lanterns on the exterior of the house and the interior of the house there's a lot of your, like the European eclecticism that I like, like talk about so much. Just layering that vintage lighting in. We have a lot of beautiful like all plastered walls and ceiling, but we're doing some cool modern elements to bring in that like, like the old and the new. So like in the foyer right when you walk in, we have a big circular skylight with this big bull nose. So like this light in a circular like pat is coming down from the skylight above this foyer with this cool Rolling hill light, which is not vintage, but it kind of has like a art deco shape to it. And so we're doing a lot of, like, new and old lighting, but they kind of. They kind of relate to each other because they're like in the 1940s, 1930s vibe. Like a fresh take. Other, like, themes of the house where we're doing really fun stone, we have. There's four fireplaces. So we're doing like all very cool art deco style fireplaces, but like a slightly less ornate version. And then we're doing a lot of wallpaper in this house, which I've not done in previous homes. So two powder bathrooms that are going to be like murals. The whole bathroom is going to be like a big mural with these very crazy cipollino fabricated stone sinks. So, like, class, like, happy clashing happening. But I know I'm just, like saying a lot of details, but, like, I'm so excited. We'll see how it comes together. But it's more layered than what my current house is. But my current house is Spanish. And Spanish style homes are like plaster, soft curves and. And I lean into the architectural integrity of whatever home I buy. So that was Spanish. That made sense for this. This is like more ranch. And I feel like there's. You have a little more flexibility there because it doesn't have, like, one specific style. So I could kind of make it what I want, but I'm leaning into like the French Provence kind of vibes because, like, Italian French are right next to each other. They have, they. They go back and forth with, like, sharing detailing. You know, a lot of stone, a lot of parquet flooring, and then vintage lighting. That's like the through line through the house.
- [44:14]
A
And you said you're going to be moving in six months.
- [44:19]
D
Have been. It should be. We're saying March, but which means June. You know, I'm just. I'm accepting that that's the possibility, but I feel like we're on a good track. It's just like our doors and windows are like on a container. We're ready for them. But like, we're. Because they shipped from Italy. Because we, like, work with this. We do a whole wholesale situation with this family friends that own this window and door company. So anyways, we're just piecing it all together and it's my priority. But at the same time, I have my client projects that I have to prioritize even over my own home, because I'm getting paid for those. And we're on timelines for those so it's difficult. I honestly never want to do this again. It's, like, so stressful and so fun at the same time, because I want it to be perfect, because it represents my ideal style is what I would do in my home. And that's what people are going to look to and think, like, well, this is what she would do if no one stopped her. So there's pressure to make it look right, you know, and so I had so much. Like, there's so much in my brain just constantly going, like, is this the exact right choice? But at the end of the day, I just have to go, like, whatever. I love it. And there's no right. Yeah, it's just. I love a lot of things. There's a million ways this can unfold.
- [45:33]
A
Yeah, we always hear that from designers, that sometimes it's hard to do your own space because you can go anywhere. So how do you. How do you narrow down the options?
- [45:43]
D
Right or not? You know everything, but you know more than the average consumer because it's your job to know about the newest and coolest this and the best showrooms for this. And, you know, the different options for construction, like, oh, this type of overhead lighting that's trimless now. And, like, there's so many choices. But I think one of the things that I have to keep going back to is, like, if I love it, it's going to be fine. Like, I don't have to. I have to pull the trigger and just put the order in for so many things, and I have to stay on a timeline. And I try and do the same thing with my clients where I'm like, no more Pinterest. There's a million ways this powder bath can unfold, and they're all going to be beautiful. But you're going to be obsessed with the one we have right now in the design plan, and you'll be obsessed with the one that you find in seven months. But guess what, Naira? Seven months behind. But, like, an over budget and all these. We have to make choices and we have to move on. So I'm trying to take my own. My own advice because, like, the longer I take on things, we're paying two mortgages. Like, that's ridiculous and that's stupid. So I'm. I'm having to, like, just keep myself accountable. Like, nope, this is fine. Works are moving on. This is not, like, for debt. This is a house. At the end of the day, you know, it's not that.
- [46:51]
A
Are you someone who has planned out, like, the entire furniture Plan all the fabrics and soft goods. No. Okay. You're like, you're gonna do all the architecture, all the. Yeah. Yeah. For your. For your own house.
- [47:03]
D
Yeah.
- [47:04]
E
This episode is brought to you by JCPenney. Yes. JCPenney. And if you've been there recently, you know it's the place to go for jaw dropping looks at brag worthy prices. They've got something special for every style and budget. Not to mention rewards and deals that make finding those hidden gems even sweeter. If you already shop JCPenney, you're already in on the secret. But if not, it's time to ask. Wait, am I sleeping? JCPenney.shop jcpenney.com. yes, JCPenney.
- [47:33]
A
Yeah.
- [47:34]
D
This week is set aside for my FF&E.1 week is what I'm giving myself. I give myself like two months for client projects. Design is fully done. Everything is designed, like, to the T, construction wise. Lighting is all ordered. Again, like, that's the first thing I figure out. Like, that's how I start. It's like my jumping off point. And then I put the pieces together around that. It doesn't always go that way, but oftentimes it does. And so right now is like, okay, so I have like six months. That's about the time it takes to get custom furniture done. So I should probably submit and order the fabric. So that's what this week is for. Literally, in our development projects, I have until the end of August. I have to get all three of these projects wrapped up. Our own two development projects and my own FF&E. And I'm just like, why do you do this? Why? Well, it's just how it is. Like, there's too many other client projects and I have to focus. And we're launching two projects in September. You know, we have a pipeline, so I have to do what I have to do. And I'm just like, sleep is probably not going to happen for the next few weeks. So that's okay.
- [48:38]
A
What. What sort of fabric and furnishing choices will you make with the kids? Like any. Will you. Will you go different direction than what you've done in your house?
- [48:48]
D
Yes, yes, yes. So for my kids, okay, so right now I have. The twins have cribs, like wooden cribs. They're not going to be cribs at the new house because, like, we're slowly transitioning them out because they're going to be three and a half. I'm just. I'm trying to keep them contained because they do wreak havoc even on us. Like, we have them in a tent. Because if we don't have them in a tent, they get out of their cribs and then they run in different directions at night to just terrorize us. That's for fun. So we did that. We kept them in a crib. But now we have like these see through, ventable, you know, tents where they just like. Yeah, it's like a mosquito net almost. So in the new house, they're gonna have. They're gonna have their own beds. Like real little toddler beds. So I'm thinking, you know, I have this. I have this fantasy of like doing like this beautiful velvet Pierre Fray, a custom upholstered bed with fun base, blah, blah, blah. No, I don't think that's very smart. I think I'm gonna do like a Crate and Barrel bed. I think I'm going to do like a couple cute Crate and Barrel Jake Arnold collabs. They're so cute, so affordable, and I have a feeling that they're going to trash them. And then in three years, we're going to have to switch the beds out or, or 4 or 5. You know what I mean? But I'm trying to be able to. I need to have the high low. You know, at a certain point, you can't just spend any money on stuff. And it's an expensive project. So for the kids, I'm going to make it the cutest version of the big box versions that we can. So crate and barrel, CB2, something like that for their bed. And then I will do again. Their reading lights are vintage, their pendants are vintage. We're going to do like a really cute Nordic knot or something. Some fun slowly rug. I'm going to drench their room in color from pharaoh and ball. And I think I might even have the crown moldings, like painted on. So it's like a fun, folky vibe in their room. But no, on the furniture. I'm not. I don't have the. I don't have the bandwidth to design custom beds for them at this point. Hey, I don't even know if that would be like, let's see, 12, 13, 14 yards for a custom full bed. 300 a yard. No, thanks. So I'm doing CBT or like Creighton Brown. Honestly, Jake Arnold's collection is so cute. So I think I might be doing that.
- [50:53]
A
That's exciting. I mean, do you have fun with kids rooms? I feel like kids rooms. You can kind of like go a little quirky.
- [51:03]
D
Oh, yeah, you can. So I'm doing two Right now. And they're really, really fun to design. But if I go, like, if I throw all the spaghetti at the wall, like I was saying earlier, we're doing, like, a really fun wallpaper, really fun Roman shade, and then like, custom upholstered bed. But in the beginning, the client is always like, I want my kids to have the most special room ever. Okay, I got you. And I'll be like, okay, so this wallpaper is like, X amount per yard. Are you? Yes. I want it to be beautiful. Okay, great. And this fabric is, you know, it's like $200. Are you sure you want me? I want it to be special. I'm like, cool. So we're giving. We're kind of having this conversation one way, but then you're like, so your. Your son's room is going to cost $35,000 for the wallpaper. And then it's like, let's just paint it and let's do Crate and Barrel. I'm like, okay. So I love designing them, but oftentimes the FF and E gets slashed when the budget conversations start to happen with the gc. So that's why you see on my face when you ask me, like, do you love it? I'm like, I love it. If we could accomplish what the design is set out to accomplish, But I also am like, the parent too, that would be like, yeah, no, I'm ordering the chandelier for my dining room. Overpaying that much money for wallpaper that will get painted on from like. Like, I have too much of a realistic perspective on this because I have three little kids. So as much as I would love to do, like, a custom canopy bed in silk, and I would love to, it's not happening anytime soon. Maybe for a client that's just like, no budget and totally fine with redesigning. Two years, there are those people. So, yeah, when I have that client, I will be super stoked to do a kitchen. But they all end up looking cute no matter what. That's the thing. Like, you could make a farrow and ball color drenched room with shade store stripes. Like, we did that in our Manhattan beach project from last year. You know, shade store stripes, Roman shape, super cute table lamps. Okay. So I did do them in that project. And, like, we did this really cool Parma gray, like, colored everything, the trim, and it was so adorable and so cute and so much more affordable than the other option.
- [53:11]
C
So I have one more question. So your, like, your overall style is so, like, modern, organic, cool, and you have so many pieces that feel Trendy, but aren't trendy, and you balance that all so well. I wanted to see if you have any tips for us on how to design a space that feels on trend but not trendy.
- [53:39]
D
Yes. So I love this question. I. When people ask me, like, what are your favorite trends? Like, I just did. Do you guys know swipe on Instagram, the Instagram account where she does the Rolodex series? And she asked designers, like, favorite white paint, favorite. Okay. I just filmed a video last week with her about my Rolodex and it was like, favorite trend. And I just basically, what I said, my. My new favorite trend or idea of what's coming up is just doing you and collecting things over time, over a long period of time that you enjoy and love for no other reason than it just brings you delight. That is all that I ever want as a trend. Because this whole interest in Instagram world. Yes. While it's very helpful for my business and I like to use it as a business tool, I hate that everything beyond the saying everyone just is like, oh, I like that bathroom. So I'm going to find out where she used at Roman Play. Find out if there's a knockoff of that light. Find out. And they just copy and paste, copy and paste. While I understand that for, like, the average consumer who is not looking to hire designers, too much money, I support that totally. Like, you know, use it as inspiration, whatever. I hate that. Even I see, like, designers will do that and it's like copying and pasting. And I just don't think that trends have no longevity because there's too much money being spent in a short period of time to follow a trend. It's such a waste of money. And then you're going to want to redo your house in five years. And I don't want to set my clients up for that type of failure where they're like, oh, this was so cool. But now it's so outdated. It's so 2025 and we're in 2030 now. And I want to redo my house. So my whole thing is, like, the reason I feel like it might feel like, quote, unquote, trendy to some extent. But also you said, like, there is, like, a timeless nature to it. If I try and, like, lean on the. The, like through lines of, like, historical places that kind of just always feel beautiful and cool. So, like, we just went to Lake Como for vacation and, like, all the floors are parquet, tons of stone, and I'm like, I see, like, these are Cool. These were cool then, they're cool now because they are beautiful and timeless and they're integral the way they're. There's a lot of character and there's a lot of quality that's put into these things. So like I lean a lot on quality. I only use real material. So I'm not using the fake version of anything. Like something that looks like this. But it's not like I did an X video recently and I was like, I don't like like fake marble looking things or faux wood or veneers because they don't last. They're still not cheap. I mean they're still cost something. And then they just look like the fake version of that thing. They don't actually look real. So I think if you're, you're focusing on like quality and using the real materials, you can't go wrong. And then if you're also just utilizing things that give you joy and you enjoy and you love and like they delight you and they make you happy in your house, you can't go wrong because you're just trusting your gut. You're not looking outwardly to figure out what's cool. You're just going like, I love this, so that can't be wrong. Like love. That's not up to anybody else. That's just your opinion. And so the way I design is just like from my gut. Like I, I adore this. I don't think it's cool because Kelly wars are did something similar two years ago. I think it's cool because I saw it antique shop and it just looks cool to me. I don't know why. Just is it just feels that way. And if my client feels the same way, great. If they don't, then I'm like, we don't need to use it. I don't want you to do anything for me. Do it for yourself because this is where you're living. You have love your space. So it's just again, always have the having those transparent conversations of like every single thing we put in your house, you have to stand behind. Don't feel like I have to do it because it's a. Kim Lapine is designing my home and she only wants to do homes that feel like her. Well, that might be true because I only take products on at a time. I want it to be true to my personal esthetic as well. But it's got to be their version of me. You know, it has to work for them. So as long as they're not like looking outwardly to find the, like acceptance or making sure their friends like. It's like, does it feel good to you? Does it bring you joy? Do you love it? Then you can't go wrong. You know, it's never going to go out of style if you love it.
- [57:43]
C
I feel like there's a ballad in there somewhere. You know, it's your design mantra that love can't be wrong.
- [57:51]
D
Like a rock style. I'm gonna have chat Jimmy T. Make me a song and I'm putting it on my Instagram.
- [57:56]
A
That's gonna have to be the title of this episode. Love can't be Wrong.
- [57:59]
D
Yeah. Love can't be Wrong.
- [58:04]
A
Amazing.
- [58:05]
D
That's hilarious.
- [58:06]
A
Well, Kim, thank you so much. This is so fun. Your portfolio is gorgeous and it was just such a good pleasure to talk to you.
- [58:14]
D
You too. Thank you, ladies. So fun. Go to Houston Ghost by tomorrow.
- [58:19]
A
Can you tell everyone where they can find you and follow you?
- [58:23]
D
Yes. So my Instagram is imlopianinteriors and my website is kimapininteriors.com.
- [58:29]
A
Perfect.
- [58:29]
B
And you're a fun follow. You have lots of tips and tricks, so I can hear your opinions on everything. So it's good.
- [58:37]
D
Okay. Thank you. Yes, I hope so. I get a lot of. I get a lot of joy out of making those videos. So again, just do what you love. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks.
- [58:45]
A
Amazing. That's our show. And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to.
- [58:54]
B
Send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space.
- [59:00]
A
And of course, be sure to follow us on social media. AlardeSigns.
- [59:03]
C
Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcast so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback.
- [59:10]
A
Until next time, happy decorating.