← How to Decorate
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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.
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B
And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.
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C
I'm Liz. I head up the creative team.
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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.
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B
Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
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C
We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us@podcastallardesigns.net now on with the show.
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A
Today we are excited to welcome interior designer Sarah Hillary to the show. Her Richmond, Virginia firm blends function and one of a kind decorative pieces to create story driven rooms across the southeast. She's been named a next wave designer by House Beautiful, has been featured in publications like Veranda, the Wall Street Journal, and Southern Living. And today we're going to talk about transitional design, holiday decorating and more. Sarah, welcome to the show.
- [00:57]
B
Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.
- [01:00]
A
Thank you for joining us. And I know Liz and I, Taryn's not here today, but Liz and I are just loved pouring through your portfolio and what really struck me about your, your rooms is that you do such a beautiful job combining antiques and kind of special pieces with more clean lined, you know, real edited rooms. And it creates this real timeless space that it's just really unique but feels like it, it, it could be, it have been for many decade. So I really love that about your, your work.
- [01:40]
B
Thank you. Yeah, I, you know, we try to make every project unique and tell the homeowner's story, but I think, you know, somebody said, oh, you're all your projects look alike. And I remember going really? I feel like they're all so different. But I guess there's like a thread of, I would say that edited sort of balance between old and new that kind of runs through everything.
- [02:06]
C
Yeah. You know, your work starts off feeling very traditional, but then you're throwing twists in there and there's a term that you use, transitional, which is a design style that I think is really fantastic. But do you think that you could explain it to our listeners so that they can have a better understanding of where traditional starts and then where transitional picks up?
- [02:32]
B
Sure. So, you know, I think this can be approached from different viewpoints depending on each designer and person's perspective. But for mine, I have a deep love of history and as I mentioned, that storytelling for the clients. And so if we can provide a space that tells the start to sort of today or the finish, it's not really finished. But where we are in that story, that's part of that transition.
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A
Right.
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B
We're not stuck in one period of time. And so it's. It kind of boils down to a little bit of an eclectic mix sometimes. But a lot of my spaces, while layered, aren't overly, you know, busy visually. And I think that that is due to, as you mentioned, the edited quality, you know, and so it's like it's peeling back the layers of the onion and leaving your favorite pieces there so that there's room for life to happen. And so that creates. There's, like, this antique pieces. There's maybe something that's a little bit more modern in my spaces, and that's not always furniture. It could be moldings, it could be art. But it. It's not all, you know, 1920s style or not all art deco. And that's what makes it transitional, is that it can span kind of through the decades and provide kind of an enduring and lasting style that, you know, ultimately, if the client loves it, then it's always enduring, but that it can be enduring to other audiences.
- [04:16]
A
Visually, yeah, I saw a lot of, like, clean line, especially in upholstery. It seemed like that is an area of maybe the design that you err on. You know, a tapered arm, tuxedo arm, straight lines, you know, something that's more clean. And I was curious what, in your mind makes that push and pull of, like, a clean line sofa or upholstery piece with an antique so compelling?
- [04:46]
B
You know, there is. I love detail, but if you have an overabundance of details, then it gets to be that nothing feels special. And so, you know, sometimes just a simple track arm or a rolled arm can feel very at ease when paired with something that maybe is super organic next to it. And so that's where those clean lines, you know, there's like this push and pull. I think, because I have this art background, and there's. One of my favorite art words is chiaroscuro. You know, the positive and negative space. It's the same with line weights and shapes. And so if you kind of create this friction that's not overpowering but complementary in a room, then everything starts to feel harmonious and work together. And so I think that's why you see some very simple shapes mixed in my spaces. Again, something sometimes maybe more complex or you can Start to appreciate the form of each piece or the trim or the light within its own right when there's space around to really sit back and observe it.
- [06:12]
A
The other thing that I was noting was just the color palette, and I was curious how you think about color. You know, timelessness is so obvious, is obviously sort of a priority, right? You want to design a space that is going to, you know, be around for a while and that your clients can really live with and take even to the next house. And I was curious how you think about color. I often feel like color can be really specific to a certain time. So how do you. You know, there's. There's always those colors that, like, you think of, and you're like, oh, yeah, that was that time. So how do you. How do you pick colors that are gonna live outside of that? Or is that even something you. You. You think about? You know, I don't.
- [06:58]
B
I don't think about color as specific times. I'm certainly avocado green kind of is reminiscent, and Williamsburg blue is, you know, the 80s. But I don't think about it that way because I think what made those colors indicative of the certain decades is the overabundance of them. And, you know, if you are creating a space for your client and it's true to them, it shouldn't look like their neighbor's house at all. And. And so I think. And I don't know in today's world if you were as much in jeopardy of going down that road, because we have things like social media and Instagram that show so many styles. And so I think everybody has access to so much more to help define what their personal taste and style is. So in terms of color, no, I don't think about it in terms of, oh, that color feels very 1990. And I think about it as what feels right for our client. And what. What does that space functionally supposed to do and what color promotes that and. And creates that. That right mood for what's happening in there? And then I think it's also how you apply it, right? So if you wanted to use little floral patterns that were indicative of the 80s in the same scale, then that probably would. But if you mix it with something totally and, you know, orange or something that wasn't part of that stigma, then it doesn't feel the same anymore.
- [08:45]
C
Looping back to styles, you know, we talk.
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A
You.
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C
You mentioned that we have access to so many different styles and so many different things to see on Instagram and Pinterest for our listeners that are looking to find their own style. Do you have any advice on how to find their style or pick two and start mixing or ways to kind of figure. Figure all that out? Because it's. It can be overwhelming.
- [09:14]
B
It can, um. You know, I. I would say do what I do. You know, even within our office, we have giant pinup boards. And when we're working on a space, I put everything that I want to see in a space, and I pin it all up, and then I step back, and that's where I. You know, it's like peeling that onion I mentioned. We start pulling things apart and saying, you know what? That doesn't work. This is too much. This feels harmonious over here, and this is a juxtaposition. And so when you start peeling back the layers, you get to the essence of what's really important in that space. And I think that's the best way to sort of define your style is what can you live with? And before you run out to the store and go buy a bunch of stuff.
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A
Live.
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B
Live with it for a little while, you know, in terms of imagery and make sure that, you know, tomorrow when you wake up, you still like it. Or hire a designer who. Who, you know, can really tailor that for you. But I. I think it's about being smart and not impulsive.
- [10:15]
A
So when you're doing that exercise, are you pinning up, like, inspiration images, fabrics, or, like, products that you're going to. All of it.
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B
Like, right now, you know, it's got. It's got wood samples on our board. We're working on a project. It's got magazine tear outs, it's got wallpaper, it's got trim, it's got textures. You know, it's. We've got everything pinned up because it's. It's. Sometimes you need that imagery to say, remember, this is. This is the look we're going for. This is the mood, this is the feel. And then these are the literal pieces that kind of pull that together. And then you have to. Then I fold the fabrics, right? It's like, okay, here's a big piece, a big memo. But if it's going to be representative on a small pillow or something, we'll fold it to be really little and step back and say, okay, proportionately, how does that now feel? Because that changes how everything feels is, you know, how much color there is represented.
- [11:16]
A
Sure. Oh, that makes so much sense. Like, you're. If you've got a big sort of, like, bold pattern and it's all up on your board and it Takes up, you know, two thirds of the board, but then it's only gonna be a pillow. You're sort of drowning that.
- [11:30]
B
Yeah, that's right. And sometimes that bold pattern, maybe you still love it, but it feels like it's too much. And so you. Then you can say, you know what? We are gonna make it just that pillow. It's not gonna be the drapery, you know, it's not gonna be the wallpaper. So it's. It's just about being logical and methodical as you go through, but it. You know, and. And creating that feel. You'll also see probably in some of my spaces I love, like, monochromatic spaces. And so in that way, you can get away with mixing patterns kind of more liberally than when you're mixing color and pattern.
- [12:10]
A
Yeah.
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B
Because it becomes about texture and scale and. And tones and. And that whole room, like, if it's all monochromatic and you've got all these parts and pieces, it still somehow feels harmonious and relaxing.
- [12:27]
A
Yeah.
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C
That's actually a great way to start. You know, that's some way. That's. That's how I start an outfit sometimes. Right.
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B
I wish I applied this to my wardrobe.
- [12:39]
C
But I think about that when. When I think of, you know, friends that I've talked to who have a whole color palette that they absolutely love, and they don't know how to bring the whole thing in. But starting off with one color and starting off with something monochromatic and then kind of peppering a color in every.
- [12:58]
B
Now and again changes everything.
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C
Layering jewelry, it's like. Yeah. Adding some colorful shoes. So. Yeah.
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A
When you. I love that idea about the monochromatic. And that makes sense what you're saying, especially when you're mixing styles. Like, it pulls it all together a little bit. I'm curious how you think about a monochromatic room connecting to other rooms.
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B
Sure.
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A
Are you going to do the same monochromatic color in the adjacent rooms? Do you mix it up room to room, and then how do you blend from one to the next?
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B
No, if. If you have. I think the house would fall flat, quite honestly. And, you know, and. And you don't want your dining room to feel the same as your living room, to feel the same as your kitchen. You know, that it would just. I think it would be like you're sleeping through the house, at least for me. I don't know. It depends on the client. But I think it's. It's about value and weight of color. So if. Let's say we Do a blue room. Everybody seems to love blue and green these days. The room directly across from it does not need to be blue. It just needs to be tonally equal in weight visually. And that tone helps unite everything. And then the other thing we do is sometimes we'll say to a client, and fairly often, actually, we would love for you to be able to take a chair from one room and put it in another chair and not look like it's the odd man out. So there should be a thread that unites each space. And it doesn't need to be large. It could be something as small as, like, the little welt on the, you know, back of a side chair. But there should be some sort of thread that runs and connects the neighboring spaces so that you can move things around in your house. Because, you know, I don't. Well, I'm. I guess I'm a creative background, so I move things in my house all the time. I can't stand for things not to, you know, be live and in motion, but for the client, for our clients, too, because let's say you're doing a dining room. Well, your everyday dining room, you probably aren't going to sit a table for 12 or 14 up every day, but you want to be able to grab chairs for when that happens and still have that room feel important and planned and not junky. And so you have to be able to pull extra chairs from the living room. And so I. Side chairs, maybe from your kitchen table and have them all work together. And so we think about those things and make sure that, okay, maybe it's not the same color, but when it's in here, it all. It all works. And it. And it's harmonious.
- [15:41]
A
It's a great point you make about the rooms not matching. I love also, you know, what you're saying about a thread. But I am curious. Like, you know, now, open floor plans are so pervasive, and obviously there are a lot of reasons why. Right. Like there's some convenience and we like the connection and all that stuff. But I do feel like that open floor plan has made it more common to where that's kind of. If someone's furnishing their own home, they kind of feel like they have to have the same color in all of those connecting spaces. So I'm curious. You're making a face. Explain. Explain how you think about rooms, you know, like, why, why. Why you don't love that approach.
- [16:33]
B
I. Well, again, it's. It's like a painting. When you're doing a painting I've got one behind me. If you can. If you're watching the. The color dances around the painting, and that's what keeps it exciting and keeps your interest so that, you know, you keep looking for certain things within it. If it was all one color or. Or just, let's say, two colors, at some point you stop looking and. And it stops getting interesting, and then you get bored, and then it's not timeless anymore. And so you have to have variety, and it doesn't have to be much. We have a living room we did for a young couple here, and they wanted blue and green, and I wanted to put this lampshade in there with orange trim on it. And they said, absolutely not. Well, guess what? We ended up putting the lampshade with the orange trim on the end because it needed it. You just have to add that little disruption that, like, makes it interesting. Like, huh. I wouldn't have thought about that. But it really works, and it's really fun in here and that. It doesn't have to be trim. It could be art. It could be a pillow. It could be, you know, it doesn't have to be big. It could be a fun little china dish or accessory. But the color needs to vary, and I think in these open floor plans, it doesn't. You know, if you're scared to have the upholstery be different, start putting color on the ceiling and defining space that way. Or paint the cabinetry a different color or make the light. You know, it doesn't have lights, don't have to be brass, silver, and gold. You know, there's different colors out there, and you can. I paint them all the time when they're not the color I want them to be. So, you know, start thinking of other places to put the color that make it exciting if you're not willing to put it in, you know, in bold ways.
- [18:36]
A
There was a fabulous room in your portfolio that I wanted to ask about. You have this gorgeous dining room, very traditional dining table, and you painted the chairs hot pink.
- [18:50]
B
Yes.
- [18:51]
A
And. And. And I think this is also a great example of what you're talking about, where you've kind of. You do kind of have two colors. There's sort of a teal and a pink, but that you've sort of applied them in different ways. So in the dining room, it's on the ceiling and, like, you know, in some little accents. And then in the living room, it's more bold. It's. There's, like, more bold pink with, like, a lighter blue. And in the in the breakfast room, you've got these, like turquoise drapes. So they're sort of like similar colors, con complimentary colors, but they're in different amounts and different, I guess, tones in different rooms. And so maybe just tell our, our listeners about that project a little bit and where the pink chairs came from. Sure.
- [19:34]
B
Fabulous.
- [19:35]
A
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- [20:06]
B
This client came to me. They had seen a show house I'd done with a pink kitchen. And they came to me and they said, man, we really like that color. And they lived on the river here in Virginia, and their house was boxy and you couldn't see the river until you got to the very back. So speaking of open concepts, we literally took down every wall on the first floor and it is all open, so that when you came in, the whole back of the house was glass, but you had no idea. So we decided to try to pull off the water theme and the flow idea because at the beginning of every project, not only every storytelling, but we were also like, how does. How is this going to feel? What is it reminiscing? And so we played with the idea of the water. So in that space, because it's open concept, and we did take down all the walls so you could look outside. We tried to define the space through rugs and lighting. And in that dining room, those chairs were a family piece and they would love to have held onto them, but they said they didn't care. And for someone who loves history, I was like, why don't we just paint them? And quite honestly, I have done three projects for this client since I guess we're on our fourth. And those pink chairs are still so popular. Everybody loves them. And, you know, it's simple, right? It's taking something that's old. It was going to get passed down to, you know, I don't even think her children wanted them at the time. So, you know, if it's going to be goodwilled. And it felt like very stylized and.
- [21:57]
C
And ornate.
- [21:58]
B
Yeah, I felt like painting.
- [21:59]
A
It's like a Queen Anne chair.
- [22:02]
C
And they are Barbie pink now. They are amazing.
- [22:05]
B
Yeah, they're awesome. But. And then the ceiling. So we define that ceiling by lacquering it. And, you know, the idea there was the lacquer was playing off the. The sparkle in the water and the reflectivity. And then I don't know if you can see in the image, but there's also a mirrored wall, the one wall that backs up to the staircase. You thing is trying to highlight the water.
- [22:31]
C
Yeah, I love that because there you talk about these different things and they're all a little bit taboo, right? Like a mirrored wall and hot pink chairs. And, you know, that's. It's really amazing how you pull them all off and they still feel very sophisticated and traditional at the same time, which is really, really amazing.
- [22:56]
B
Thank you.
- [22:57]
A
Recording this a little bit early, but we're getting into the holiday season and Liz and I both noticed that you have some beautiful holiday decor on your Instagram. So we wanted to talk a little bit about holiday decorating because I am always curious about how people approach decorating. There's so many ways you can decorate for Christmas. I mean, I think the red and green is traditional, you know what people think of. But there are lots of different ways to add festive elements into your home. So I'm curious what you do and, you know, kind of how you think or whether you think about holiday decorating when you're working with your clients or. And you know how you might suggest they add festive elements in while working with the. The scheme you've come up with.
- [23:43]
B
So, admittedly, I don't holiday decorate for clients, but I do do it for myself. It takes a lot of work because I probably should have told you all this, but I do a different theme every year. So one day my attic really is going to fall in onto the bedrooms below. So I reinvent the wheel every year, so to speak, on what the theme is. And so I share that usually in blogs and things like that. And hopefully clients can pick up on it and readers can then take those elements and spread it to their house. And I don't mind giving suggestions. And when we're designing a house, we make sure that we ask, are you going to decorate? Do you like wreaths? Do you like garland? Where do you like to put your tree? So that we have electrical where it needs to be and space for those elements during the holiday season. But in terms of the themes, you know, I think, yeah, red and green, I've done that. I've also done pink, I've done blue. This year it's pineapples. So it's just you. It's a great, fun way to be creative, and it's just for a very short amount of time. And you can have so much fun doing it. You know, Ballard themselves has a great plethora of, like, accessories and tableware that you can mix and match to create different feels. I have a lot of china, more than I ever should. Luckily, my mother does, too. And so I'll borrow things for whatever the theme is that year or take it upon myself for why I need a whole nother set. But, you know, tableware is an easy place to do it. The banister. You know, you can vary that to some degree by what accessories you hang on it. I love real greenery, and so I just don't think there's anything better than that pine smell. So. Mixing it with pink ribbon. Last year, we did the nutcracker. So I had hot pink velvet ribbon and fuchsia running through my. My house. Unfortunately, I don't think I photographed it, but it was for my family and friends, and. And it was great. It was fun. We had little nutcrackers on the table, and, you know, everybody came as a theme. It's. It's just there's so many ways to do it.
- [26:11]
A
Okay, okay, pause. We need to unpack here. Yeah, we got a lot to discuss. So, first off, when do you come up with a theme? Second of all, what are. Are there things in your house that you're repeating, reusing every year, but just sort of reusing differently, or are you getting, like, all new gear every year? Like, I want to know all of the. All of the details and how you pull this off.
- [26:36]
B
Well, I try to. I have. I've been in this house for over 10 years, so I do try to maintain some things. Like, traditionally, our stockings don't really change. The greenery is traditionally.
- [26:51]
A
That means sometimes they do change.
- [26:52]
B
Yes, I do have a couple.
- [26:54]
A
You have multiple sets of stocking. That's fabulous. Well, yeah.
- [26:58]
B
I mean, it depends who you ask, right? I always. You know, I love clients that have the needlepoint stockings that, you know, their grandmother or their mother made. I think that's amazing. I never had the time for that, and I didn't have a mom who did that, so, you know, I don't have that to. To display every year. So I have the decorating theme, and I hope my kids will bring that forward. But I do certain things. There is a historic home in Richmond. It's at the Maymont house here, and they do a Victorian Christmas, and it was my favorite activity as A kid to go drink wassel and tour the house decorated for Christmas. And I remember they had Christmas cards strung on ribbon across the server in the hallway. And that was apparently a very common theme in the Victorian ages. So I do the same thing across my fireplace. So I take ribbon and I string it across the mantel, and I save them all. So I'm not cutting new ribbon every year. I've got a box, and every piece is rolled up in that Tupperware container so I can pull it out and say which color works with my theme this year. And then we hang all of our cards that we get from our friends and family, and it's in a space we see every day, and it just brings us such joy. And that's something that kind of happens no matter what the theme is. The fresh greenery on the banister that you mentioned that we do. I have faux eucalyptus that I save, like sprigs, and I do mix that in with the fresh greenery because I like to put it up as early as humanly possible to enjoy it because it is a decent amount of work, and that keeps it looking fresh until the, you know, wee ages. And then I have multiple trees. My kids each get a tree in their room for the holidays. We started with little baby ones. They've migrated to bigger ones, and they're all themed from candy to sports to, you know, whatever it is they want. I like them to have that creativity themselves. So those things. I'll recycle the faux elements and I try to save the ribbons, but the decor itself. Yeah, that changes. I have some swans from the nutcracker theme that I'm like, I wonder how that's going to come back into play, you know, But I save them.
- [29:29]
A
So. So you might, like, take something that you used in a previous year and then work it into the theme.
- [29:33]
B
Yes.
- [29:34]
A
Years later.
- [29:35]
B
Yes. I don't know how until, like, I'm in it, but that's just part of it.
- [29:40]
C
So how early are you planning?
- [29:42]
B
Oh, I start. I start in the summer, definitely, because if you wait till last minute and you have to pull off a new theme gets hairy. It's just too much going on.
- [29:51]
C
You just start gathering items for that.
- [29:54]
B
I don't know if I like. I don't necessarily gather the items. I just create the plan so that I know I already have a good idea what my centerpieces are going to look like right now. Got some ideas for what the tree is going to look like. And, you know, it's just knowing what you're Doing is half the battle. You can find things as long as you have the plan in place. It's like design, right? When you work a plan, it. It's. The chances of it succeeding are 10 times more likely than just winging it. And so there's an element of surprise, you know, in. In the last minute hustle and bustle and just the fun of it. But it's pretty well planned.
- [30:37]
C
So what is your vision right now for pineapples? And how is that coming into your centerpiece?
- [30:43]
B
Oh, lordy. Okay, I don't. So I was on a recent trip to Bermuda, and I was reading all about the connection between Bermuda and Virginia over the years, and I was fascinated by this because I didn't know I'm a history buff and I was clueless. So then, anyway, I was like, how do we do something that's like, tropical? And we've already done Vegas vacation as a theme, so. So I was trying to think of something that would be a little different. We kicked around the idea of Malika Liki Maca and doing Hawaiian shirts, which I think we're still going to incorporate that. So I'm still sort of fine tuning the exact tie. But we have found through, you know, the wild web of Pinterest, et cetera, ideas for incorporating pineapples and fresh fruit that would have been representative of some of the colonial story that tie Bermuda and Virginia together during that exploratory period.
- [31:50]
A
And then.
- [31:54]
B
I mean, some of it's probably cheesy. I don't know what to say. It's just going to be fun. We're home this year. We try to travel every other year, and I just wanted it to be exciting and something the kids would really enjoy. But there will not be blow ups and probably no flamingos. I draw a line somewhere.
- [32:14]
A
So what? Okay. I love the theme idea. For someone that maybe isn't prepared for that level. What would you suggest as sort of like, in the same way that your own home, client homes are a mix of traditional and transitional, more contemporary. How do you. How do you feel? Like that can work in, like, the same style, can work in holiday decorating. Like, you know, whether that's unusual color palettes. I love how you said you did pink or, you know, sort of unexpected touches.
- [32:50]
B
So I have a collection of silver bud vases, and those are very traditional, and I'll pull those out and I'll put, you know, maybe glass mercury ball ornaments on them that are colorful or different, you know, florals that are not expected red and green. But maybe you know, maybe it's just going to Trader Joe's and seeing what kind of crazy color you can find at that time of year. There's easy ways to do it that don't involve a whole lot. And I think. Yeah. You know, mixing up the ribbons. If you're doing a banister, you can type traditional bells on it or you can tie, you know, the nutcracker ornaments that I did last year, you know, it doesn't have to be overdone. And sometimes a little goes a long way. And as I was describing the pineapples, no fear. When you walk in my house this year for the holidays, you're not going to see pineapples everywhere. It's just going to be hints of it throughout because it has to be manageable. I still have a business to run. Three children and dogs. You know, it's just. We can't make it Disney World. That would be above my abilities. Insanity.
- [34:09]
C
No, I'm sure just based off of what I've seen you do for previous holidays and your current work, I'm sure it's going to be the most tasteful.
- [34:19]
B
Thank you. Most people are like, you're going to what? We did a Christmas carol theme one year, and so we pared everything down, and I didn't bring out all the ornaments, and we put candles on the tree and did green velvet ribbons, and we do a friend dinner, and that's themed. And so everybody had to come in, you know, their best Dickens costume and attire, and we served Turducken, and, you know, you know, it's just fabulous.
- [34:51]
A
I love that.
- [34:52]
B
There's so many ways to have fun. Who was Scrooge? My husband was Scrooge in the nightgown. It was great.
- [35:02]
A
That's so cute.
- [35:04]
B
I say that to say, you know, that the. The theme doesn't have to be all in your house. It can be in the, you know, in the crowd that's there, too.
- [35:14]
A
Yeah. Well, I love that you. You took that, like, Dickens sort of vibe, but, like, you could have done, you know, Christmas carol themed ornaments, but instead you did just candles. That is. So that's what tar. That's what Liz is talking about, where it's the most elegant version of the theme.
- [35:34]
B
Thank you.
- [35:34]
A
Because that is a totally different vibe than, like, you know, Christmas carol ornaments, which also could be super fun, but.
- [35:41]
B
Yes. Yes.
- [35:41]
A
Yeah. I love. I love what you were saying about the. The Christmas cards on the mantel. Such a cute idea. And I always love. I don't know, I feel like there are Christmas Card people. And then they're not Christmas card people. No judgment to the not Christmas card people. But I am a Christmas card person. I am. Love them. Love looking at them. Love looking at the previous years. It's the only time of year I get mail that I actually want. Yeah. And so I love the idea about stringing them from the mantle. That's super cute. And there's a, A, I think from a Southern living, where we. It's your house, right? This is your. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're. And you can kind of see. So we'll share. We'll share that in the, in the episode. But it's really pretty. Well, what other, like, fun. What about Thanksgiving? You said, you mentioned or you mentioned that you love to decorate a table. So what are some hosting sort of, you know, tips or things you do when you're having a big crowd that make it easy to pull off hosting during a busy season?
- [36:51]
B
Well, Thanksgiving is about friends and family, so it should not be as stressful. I think it is for some families, and I totally respect that. But I think everything about it should be about connecting and enjoying each other and not all this stuff. So at Thanksgiving, it's usually pared down. I still have. I don't host too many Thanksgivings because we're so blessed to have family that is alive. And so we travel a lot. But when I have, I mix the china, and so it's not so formal, it's much more relaxed. And I mix the patterns that I think mixing the patterns keeps it from being overly formal and too precious to enjoy, but kind of approaching it the same way as I do Christmas parties, I pre plan questions and I make everybody answer a question ahead of time so that there's easy, safe conversations that happen and you maybe learn something about someone next to you trying to make those, you know, forge that conversation and, and just make those memories, you know, the laughs that happen from the stories that are told, all of that happens in a relaxed environment. And so. So I think Thanksgiving should be simple. I have pumpkins, some that are glass, some that are made by my children in art class, and we group them together and create a collection just like I do for clients and, you know, collections. We sort of. If you pull it all together, it looks really fun. So I don't. So I don't have to go quite as crazy at Thanksgiving, to be honest. It's. It's. It's supposed to be simple. It's like the calm before the storm.
- [38:43]
A
Okay, explain the question. You say you pre plan questions. Does that mean that, that you, the people, the guest, know the questions in advance?
- [38:51]
B
Yes. I love. This is like my favorite thing when I'm hosting any kind of dinner party, whether it's friends, family, etc.
- [38:58]
A
If I text the question, is it written on card? Like how does one convey the question?
- [39:02]
B
Everybody and I have it sent, have them send it in, and I'm the only one who knows.
- [39:08]
A
Wait, they have to send it in? What do you mean?
- [39:10]
B
They email me back.
- [39:11]
A
Oh, okay, okay, okay.
- [39:12]
B
So send it in to me. Yeah, they email me back. And I'll do different things. I'll make name cards that are one of their answers because it's usually not one question, it's usually 10. And then I pick and choose. So if the answers for one of the questions are just like not very exciting, I don't think it's going to be very thought provoking. I'll ignore it and go to the ones that are. I'll do quizzes and you have to guess who said what so that if you get all the points, you've been a prize or you get the, like, honor of winning and knowing the people at the table the most.
- [39:51]
A
So is it a card on the place. Place card?
- [39:53]
B
Sometimes I do. Yeah. So if you do place cards. So one of my questions, one year, and this was not for Thanksgiving, this was for Christmas, was if you could be any, any, any name or what's a name you wish you had been? Wait, I'm trying to remember. Hold on. I've done several. I've done what is, what's, what do you wish your name was? If you could name a boat, what would it be? And those become the place card holders. You know, it's just, you just have fun with it. And then you have to find a. You have remember what you wrote down. That's sometimes half the battle for our ages, for running so fast. Like, what did I write down? I don't know. I answered that at like midnight because I had to do it.
- [40:40]
A
Okay, so if I answered like duck, Duck, Goose, I don't know where that.
- [40:44]
B
Then it would say duck, Duck, Goose.
- [40:46]
A
Then my name card would say Duck, Duck, Goose. And so I'd have to be like, okay, that was the.
- [40:49]
B
Okay, got it. You get to.
- [40:51]
A
Okay, that is a good boat name. That's cute. I've never heard that before, but that's fun. Well, so your place cards always have answers to questions on them?
- [41:06]
B
Not always. We mix it up because if I did the same thing every year, it just wouldn't be that Exciting. But there's always questions and whether if it's a cocktail party, we might make it a quiz and you have to go around and meet people that you've never met before. If it's an intimate dinner, then the chances of you knowing the people are higher. So the questions are different and it's more of a written conversation or longer ask, I'll ask question and we'll go around and talk about it and tell the stories behind it and why.
- [41:38]
A
Oh my gosh, Sarah, this is so smart. You need to write a whole blog post about this. I could ask you follow up questions for the next 20 minutes.
- [41:46]
B
It's fun and it's, you know, it, it takes a little bit of time and it, I think I've gotten a lot of feedback that it's one of their, my friends and families, you know, more memorable times.
- [41:58]
A
Oh, I'm sure anytime they get a dinner invite from you, it's a, it's a guaranteed yes. Because they're like, we try. We really try. Yeah. Yeah, that's a great idea. I love that. And then what about, do you get the kids involved in that? In the guessing as in the quizzing?
- [42:14]
B
I guess as well for family events. Yes. Admittedly when it's my friends and then we will tell the kids that they have to go to my parents house.
- [42:29]
A
It's a grown up only dinner.
- [42:30]
C
Yeah.
- [42:31]
B
So you know, they do get involved on some level, but that's usually for just the more casual, not for the formal dinners that we do.
- [42:39]
A
Okay, so like Christmas Eve dinner.
- [42:41]
B
Yeah.
- [42:42]
A
There's no quiz. This is more for like a holiday dinner party.
- [42:45]
B
That's correct. Yes.
- [42:46]
A
Got it.
- [42:46]
B
Not every, not every event can be planned that, that well. I, you know, if I had more time maybe, but I don't. To be realistic, I feel like I'm doing well to pull off one do.
- [43:00]
A
Does your family help you do the decorating? The theme, the thematic, you know, the thematic decorating?
- [43:05]
B
My kids, absolutely. They've been begging to set up for Christmas, you know, since a month ago. And I was like, guys, let's do Halloween first. You know, we've got a few things before then they get really into it and they love to help me, I think, I don't know. Hopefully that's a sign that what I'm doing will be carried forward and they'll enjoy that spirit. And when they leave me, sadly. But they do, they get involved. They are awesome helpers. All I have to do is talk about let's decorate for something. And they're Usually like I'll drop everything I've got going on. I can't wait. Let me go in that attic and dig it all out for you.
- [43:47]
A
Incredible. Wait, paint a picture for us. Is it a multi day experience?
- [43:50]
B
Oh yeah, yeah.
- [43:51]
A
Are okay. Do you have any traditions while you're decorating, like hot cocoa or carols or anything to make it fun? Obviously they think it's fun, so I'm curious what it is about.
- [44:00]
B
The decoration is fun. I've done different things. I don't have like one set in stone thing. A lot of times we'll do hot chocolate because it's usually pretty chilly here in Virginia. By that time my kids will do like. We did a Grinch theme, I guess. Was it two years ago? I can't remember. Anyway, they all got Grinch costumes to wear, so we were, you know, all dressed in green. So that's our exciting to them. Oh, it is, it is. And we have real green, a lot of green. But we put on music or we'll put on like a Christmas movie in the background. I wish I could say I light the fire every time because I love that part. But we have real wood burning fireplaces and sometimes it's just not quite the right time. It's a bit of a headache, but it does take a while. I usually am doing the greenery myself. I'm. Because I love live greens. That's the multi day. You gotta soak it. Then I spray it with the like Endura spray from, you know, the hardware store. And then we water the tree with, you know, all the miracle grow. One year we had pine cones growing on the tree. By the end I was like, man, this thing's never dying. So we do a lot.
- [45:11]
A
How long do you soak your greenery for?
- [45:13]
B
So you buy the greenery usually just overnight? Yeah, I try. I mean it's. If I'm really busy, sometimes I'll forget, but usually it's just overnight. And then I lay it out in the, the, the garland out in the driveway and spray it and leave that for a few hours. I mean, and, and it dries like so well.
- [45:29]
A
Not dry. Yeah, okay.
- [45:33]
B
Yeah, I need to try that.
- [45:34]
A
I've never soak. I've seen people do that on Instagram, of course, but I've never done it. I feel like that is something.
- [45:41]
B
You know, I'll be honest, I don't know if it actually is doing anything, but I'm so scared to like skip it and have it all die on me one year that I guess I'm Superstitious in that way. I'm superstitious about my decorations, but not about sports.
- [45:57]
C
Fair.
- [45:57]
A
It's priorities.
- [45:58]
B
Priorities.
- [45:59]
C
And then you're adding Miracle Gro to the water that you put the tree in.
- [46:04]
B
Oh, yes, definitely. I've never heard that.
- [46:05]
C
Oh, brilliant.
- [46:07]
B
If you have a live tree, you've got. There's different versions of it out there, but Miracle Gro is the one that's, I guess, probably most notable. But you just add a little bit, every ingredient, you know, every time you water it. And man, it keeps it alive. Smelling good. You don't have to deal with all the needles dropping.
- [46:26]
A
Genius. I've never done this.
- [46:27]
B
I mean, I can't claim it. It's out there.
- [46:29]
A
Yeah.
- [46:32]
B
This is not something.
- [46:32]
A
I mean, duh, it seems like a no brainer, but I've never thought. I've never thought to do that.
- [46:36]
B
Yeah. You know, it's like taking care of your upholstery and things in your house. You know, if you're smart about it, it'll endure.
- [46:45]
A
Now, your tree is that same ornaments every year or are they only to the theme that you've established?
- [46:52]
B
I have, like, I pull from the same collection. I don't buy special ornaments, but I might pick and choose from the collection I have. Okay. So actually on the. I think I did. My daughter gets a silver bell for every year, so I think I put her bells on the scrooge tree when that year. I have a huge collection of glass balls that were my mom's and they had the mercury lining and so they're aged. Those usually come out every year in some fashion. So the decorative elements I also have. My husband's from New Orleans, so we have probably more saints ornaments than you could stick at, but those come out some years, not all years. So it just depends on what the theme is.
- [47:45]
A
Yeah, I love that. Okay, wait, final question from me. Liz might have some extras, but where do you get your ribbon? You mentioned having a big tub of ribbon, and I find it so hard to find ribbon. That is good.
- [47:58]
B
That is why you start early.
- [47:59]
C
Yeah.
- [48:00]
A
Okay. So where are you shopping at? Are you going to Michael's? Are you shopping online?
- [48:04]
B
I, you know, Etsy has really been probably my favorite provider of ribbon. You all actually have had some really nice, thick wired ribbons in the past too. But you have to. I. I have to order a decent amount of it when you're changing your theme up. So it just depends. And like, I've done plaid kind of traditional themes some years and so finding that.
- [48:28]
A
Right.
- [48:28]
B
Like tartan plaid that you want, you've got to buy in bulk and so it takes a little bit of digging. I've also done Amazon where you can like buy and return if it's not quite right. You have a hobby lobby and a Michaels here that I've been to. I haven't bought most of them from there though. Etsy provides like I've got hand dipped silk ribbons and velvet with frayed edges and just depending on how, what the theme is and how relaxed it is, how formal it is. You know, it just got silk ribbon, I've got cotton ribbon, I got grosgrain in every size.
- [49:06]
A
So.
- [49:09]
C
How many yards are you buying at one at one time?
- [49:12]
B
Well, enough that if the theme you've got enough to do the banister? Well, I've got two sterile, so it's two banisters. The tree, the wreath, the front of the house, you know, takes several yards.
- [49:26]
A
Oh, probably 20 to 30, I would think, at least.
- [49:28]
B
Yeah, there's, there used to be like wholesale, you know, floral distributors that I could get it from, but it just seems to have like gone by the wayside. So I look for the big spools that have like, you know, 30 yards on them, but they're harder and harder to find.
- [49:45]
A
Well, I love hearing about all of your themes because that is so fun and unusual but so exciting and I can't wait to check them out on Instagram later, later this season. So we'll all have our eyes out for the, the pineapple theme.
- [50:00]
B
I know I've got to find palm plants and trees, so wish me luck. And as it gets colder, I don't know how that's going to be pulled off yet.
- [50:11]
A
Well, we'll, we'll be, we'll have an eye out. Sarah, thank you so much for joining us. Can you tell everyone where they can find you, follow you and see your work?
- [50:18]
B
Yes, absolutely. So our business website is sarah hillary.com and it's s A R A H I L l l e r-y.com and then Instagram is sarahillery interior design. It's a mouthful but it's straightforward. So thank you so much for having me.
- [50:37]
A
This was really fun and happy holidays.
- [50:39]
B
Thank you. Same to you.
- [50:43]
A
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.
- [50:50]
B
Email your question podcast at ballarddesigns. Net so we can help you with your space.
- [50:54]
A
And of course be sure to follow us on social media at Ballard designs.
- [50:58]
C
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.
- [51:04]
A
Until next time, happy decorating.