Podcast Summary: How to Decorate – Ep. 428: Trials and Triumphs

Date: August 26, 2025
Hosts: Caroline (Marketing Team), Taryn (Product Designer), Liz (Head of Creative)
Theme: The ups and downs of home decoration—hosts candidly share their own “trials and triumphs” with home projects, product upgrades, and design dilemmas.

Episode Overview

This episode is a fan-favorite format: the “Trials and Triumphs” roundtable. Caroline, Taryn, and Liz talk transparently about design and maintenance wins (triumphs) and setbacks (trials) in their own homes. The tone is relaxed and humorous, focusing on making listeners feel less alone in life’s little household headaches and joyful upgrades.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spirit of “Trials and Triumphs”

• The hosts stress that everyone’s home is a work in progress, even those in the industry.
• “We’re here to make people feel like, when that thing breaks in their house, they’re not alone ... Or that feeling of satisfaction when they finally do a room.” – Taryn (01:26)
• Liz echoes this: “No, no, no, no. It’s real here, too. My home is not perfect in the least. That’s what’s great about trials and triumphs.” (01:42)

2. Liz’s Triumph: Bedroom Makeover with a “Big Girl Bed”

Timestamp: [02:55 – 13:46]

• Liz finally upgrades from a 20-year-old IKEA bed to a luxurious Ballard Designs upholstered headboard (Catherine headboard in Freya Multi fabric).
  • Description: Tall, linen, printed pattern (succulents vs. coral debate among the hosts).
    • “I got our Ballard Catherine headboard, classic upholstered in Freya Multi. This is a good one ... a beautiful linen with a print that looks like watercolor succulents and agaves.” – Liz (03:25)
  • The headboard comes from a store sample, purchased at a Ballard Designs floor model sale.
  • Liz uses shape and color talk to discuss how such a statement piece influences bedding and other accessories (“You upgrade one thing, everything snowballs ...” [05:35]).
  • She also upgrades to an adjustable bed, which her husband falls asleep on in the store; she jokes about aging: "As we season, we really need to take care of our bodies.” (06:53)

Notable Practical Tip:

• Matching energetic fabrics allow for flexibility: “The nice thing about it, with lots of colors, is you can take it anywhere.” – Caroline (09:55)
• Consulting designer books (Elaine Griffin) to check on scale and proportions for beds.

Trial:

• Trees in her yard now drop limbs into the neighbor’s property, prompting possible tree removal after arborist consultation. Cost and loss of a shady backyard canopy are stressors.

  • “There are big old trees in our backyard that really make a shady canopy, which is really nice in Atlanta.” – Liz (14:41)
  • Considering future plans for gardening and new trees.

3. Taryn’s Rollercoaster of Home Maintenance

Timestamp: [17:47 – 31:39]

Trials

• A parade of breakdowns:
  • Cordless Roman shade stops retracting (saves the day with a just-in-time warranty).
  • Ice machine stops, freezer light malfunctions (not a simple bulb—expensive, “not communicating to the board” [20:09]).
  • Basement lighting outage; quickly remedied by an electrician discovering a hidden ground fault (GFCI) outlet, which was blocked by piles of pop-up tables.
    • “He literally was like, oh, ‘it’s not working?’ Click. Okay, done.” (21:08)
  • Dryer is squeaking and near the end of life; debate over Speed Queen vs. LG vs. Whirlpool continues.

Triumphs

• Proactive about repairs and not afraid to call in pros for things like the pool filter (though expensive) and light installation.

• Progress on living room upgrades: ordering 50+ fabric swatches (in berry and mauve tones) for reupholstering chairs and choosing drapery—lively discussion about matching with existing vibrant rugs and Chilean blanket.

  • “I want to get the pinky-something [color] ... but I don’t want to do a solid because the couches are solid.” – Taryn (28:40)
  • Weighs various Ballard fabrics (Francis, Marletta, performance fabrics).

• Transparency about challenges:

  • “I have said on many recent ones that our house has hit that whole point in time where things just have started going wrong.” (17:50)
  • The importance of persistence and maintenance as part of home ownership.

Notable Quote:

• “This is kind of like the dead of winter and the, you know, in the heat of the summer, you’re just inside looking at all these things.” – Liz (44:29)

4. Caroline’s Small “Zhuzh” Wins

Timestamp: [32:28 – 44:12]

• Refreshes her TV room with new pillows—especially loving the new “rue scalloped pillow in brown” and combinations of lavender, brown, and berry colors.

  • “Just some little zhuzhing I’ve been doing around the house ... I ordered some new pillows for my TV room.” (32:28)
  • “Let me send y’all the pictures because I was really pleased with how it turned out.” (35:48)

• Uses a layered, practical approach to improving the chaotic entry experience:

  • Cleans and organizes the entry closet.
  • Adds low hooks so her daughters can hang up backpacks themselves.
    • “Just walking in and seeing an empty closet ... with space. I donated old purses ... got rid of some old coats ... it has made such a difference in my daily life.” (38:51)

Mini-Trial:

• Hanging hooks herself when her husband didn’t do it quickly enough; a misplaced stud caused one hook to be unstable.

5. Unexpected “Trials” and Solution-Oriented Fix-It Stories

• Taryn’s children accidentally broke a custom mesh cabinet door (“Of course it was the expensive one …” [42:16]). Rescued by Atlanta furniture expert Alan Harp, who invisibly repairs it.
• Taryn refinishes her dining table herself, with remote guidance from Alan, and offers tips for listeners who want to try similar projects.

6. Plant and Outdoor Updates

• Caroline talks about trimming her beloved fiddle leaf fig tree, “Taylor,” attempting to propagate (not successfully yet).
• New IKEA outdoor cabinet for tidying up miscellaneous kid gear.
  • “We have so much outdoor bubble guns and shovels and chalk ... random things accumulate by the front door and it drives me crazy.” – Caroline (36:53)

7. Wall Treatments: Debates on Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper

Timestamp: [47:06 – 51:54]

• The hosts discuss the allure and possible pitfalls of peel-and-stick wallpaper as a quick, commitment-light design fix.
  • Liz offers a caution: a sample tore her drywall, but otherwise has found modern patterns and temp installation straightforward.
  • “The key to the bubbles ... get a shower squeegee. That’s like 12 inches of surface area.” – Liz (50:23)
• Caroline considers it for her entryway, especially since future renovations are planned.

Notable Quotes and Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 01:26 | Taryn | “We’re here to make people feel like, when that thing breaks in their house, they’re not alone ... Or that feeling of satisfaction when they finally do a room.” | | 03:25 | Liz | “I got our Ballard Catherine headboard, classic upholstered in Freya Multi. This is a good one ... linen with a watercolor print of succulents and agaves.” | | 09:55 | Caroline | “The nice thing about it, with lots of colors, is you can take it anywhere.” | | 12:45 | Liz | “It is a totally luxury upgrade ... and it’s also a storage upgrade because I’ve got it up higher. I can actually put suitcases underneath the bed.” | | 14:41 | Liz | “There are big old trees in our backyard that really make a shady canopy, which is really nice in Atlanta.” | | 20:09 | Taryn | “It’s not just a light bulb ... it’s a flat LED thing ... not communicating to the board, so you’re like, oh my God.” | | 21:08 | Taryn | “The electrician came and fixed it in one second ... the most embarrassing.” | | 28:40 | Taryn | “I want to get the pinky-something [color] ... but I don’t want to do a solid because the couches are solid.” | | 38:51 | Caroline | “Just walking in and seeing an empty closet ... with space. I donated old purses, got rid of some old coats ... it has made such a difference in my daily life.” | | 44:29 | Liz | “This is kind of like the dead of winter and the, you know, in the heat of the summer, you’re just inside looking at all these things.” | | 50:23 | Liz | “The key to the bubbles, at least for peel and stick, is to get a shower squeegee. That’s like 12 inches of surface area ...” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:55] Liz’s bedroom upgrade story
• [06:43] Liz’s first night with the new adjustable bed
• [14:05] Liz’s tree troubles
• [17:47] Taryn lists home repair headaches
• [20:09] Freezer light saga and technician visit
• [28:17] Choosing swatches for reupholstery and drapes
• [32:28] Caroline’s living room pillow refresh
• [38:51] Entry closet hack
• [47:06] Discussion on peel-and-stick wallpaper

Tone, Style, & Takeaways

• Tone: Engaging, honest, lighthearted, and practical—no design perfectionism here.
• Atmosphere: Confessional, supportive; hosts freely admit failures and celebrate small wins, inviting listeners to do the same.
• Practical Wisdom:
  • DIYers are never alone in their moments of “why did I start this?” or “does everyone else’s house secretly break constantly?” (Spoiler: they do!)
  • Small home wins—like new hooks, organized closets, or fresh pillow covers—can have outsized positive effects.
  • Don’t hesitate to call in the pros for gnarly repairs, and share resources (Alan Harp is a hero).
  • Sample, sample, sample: Never commit to a big fabric or wallpaper purchase without a look and touch first.

Summary in a Nutshell

Home design is an endless cycle of challenges and victories. This episode affirms that even experts face the same “first world problems” as everyone else: repair issues, home upgrades, design indecision, and the enduring impact of a freshly zhuzhed pillow. The hosts hope listeners will feel validated and inspired to tackle their next project—no matter how big or small, ugly or uplifting.

For listeners who crave practical, witty, and down-to-earth decorating conversations, this episode offers professional camaraderie, relatable stories, and actionable ideas for everyday household triumphs (and recoveries from household disasters).