How to Decorate Ep. 459: Trials and Triumphs

Podcast: How to Decorate by Ballard Designs
Date: March 31, 2026
Hosts: Caroline (A, Marketing), Taryn (B, Product Designer), Liz (C, Head of Creative)

Episode Overview

This installment of the "Trials and Triumphs" series gives an intimate peek into the hosts’ home renovation journeys, showcasing the emotional highs and daunting realities of major DIY projects. From an avalanche of kitchen and bath plans, to hard-learned maintenance tips, to a full-on septic system saga, the Ballard Designs team shares honest anecdotes and actionable takeaways for anyone feeling the highs and lows of homeownership—and striving to create beautiful, healthy spaces.

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Liz's Massive Kitchen (and Bath) Renovation Update

[01:24 – 34:38]

• Motivation: Everything Broke!

  • After a spate of household mishaps, Liz launches into a full-scale kitchen renovation (“everything is breaking in January…this is the time to jump into the kitchen.” – C, 01:24).
  • Tapping into their own experience working with architects and designers, the hosts point out how different it feels being the client. (C, 02:03)

• Emotional Attachments & Decision Fatigue

  • Liz admits to becoming surprisingly emotional about practical details, especially the sink location.

    “I started getting very… personable about where’s my sink going? I got really, like, emotional.” (C, 02:25)

  • The placement of the sink even sparked push-pull discussions with both her family and her architect.

• Planning & Timelines

  • The initial expectation is 6-9 months for plans and city approvals, on top of another 6-9 months for actual work (C, 03:39).
  • Liz summarizes the perennial renovation challenge:

    “A life lesson is [it’s] never going to be like, ‘oh, right now it’s perfect.’” (B, 04:20)

  • Hot pink tape now marks out kitchen layouts and clearances everywhere (“it’s bananas,” C, 03:04).

• Scope Creep: Kitchen, Both Baths, and Maybe More

  • Plans have crept from kitchen-only to “gut both bathrooms” (C, 07:07).
  • Liz acknowledges:

    “There’s going to be creep all over the place, but it’s all about awareness.” (C, 07:32)

• Asbestos Flooring & Demolition Risks

  • The floor tiles are confirmed asbestos, complete with a “proudly” labeled box (“They were so proud,” C, 05:29).
  • Removal will require sealing off the house and specialized handling.

• Design Aesthetic: Honoring 1920s-30s with Modern Functionality

  • The primary inspiration is a “Duval kitchen” look with mushroom-colored cabinets, checkerboard floor, 1920s/30s sensibility, and a nod to modern needs.

    “The vibe of it being a 1920s and 1930s kitchen, but with modern sight lines and modern functionality.” (C, 09:14)

  • Discussion of materials: built-in dark wood hutch to stay, plus debate over a stone vs wood shelf for style and practicality (11:33–13:07).

• Color Dilemmas

  • Liz considers “malted milk” (Sherwin Williams) for pink/mauve lower cabinets matched with chunky subway tile (C, 14:25).
  • Conversation around the risks and rewards of bold paint colors and what makes a kitchen timeless vs. trendy (18:00–19:42).
  • Ideas for pops of red or emerald in accents or pantry color (A, 19:10, 34:08).

• Functionality Must-Haves

  • No upper cabinets on stove wall; 4” ledge on backsplash (C, 13:13; 13:56).
  • Built-in hutch, coffee station, maximized corners and pantry storage discussed (27:03–33:59).

• Space Planning and Accessibility

  • Using original architectural drawings, hot pink tape, and serious attention to traffic patterns and accessibility:

    “Having that 36 inch clearance at a door to make sure our friends that are in wheelchairs can get through... is so important.” (C, 28:01)

• Family Dynamics

  • Husband Steve mostly defers but has opinions on layout, especially the sink (“there is some push-pull,” C, 32:05).
  • Teenager gets the en suite bathroom; Liz opts for a guest-friendly bath.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • On renovation emotions:

    “There are gonna be things I’m going to be oddly attached to that the rest of my family or my architect is going to tell me to sit down…and I’ll… I’m open to that.” (C, 08:20)

  • On the process:

    “It’s gonna be fun. There’s gonna be a lot of tears. There’s gonna be a lot of joy. It’s gonna be crazy.” (C, 34:50)

2. Taryn’s Spring Cleaning and Bedroom Refresh

[34:57 – 43:44]

• House Maintenance as an Achievement

  • Taryn celebrates finally pressure washing her home:

    “For the first time since we built and finished in 2021, we had it pressure washed… it looked amazing.” (B, 35:44)

  • Her husband David is a classic “it’s fine until it’s not” type but is sold by before/after photos.

• Furniture Dominoes

  • Swapping and upgrading beds throughout the house: prepping a king for the main bedroom, a new white poster bed for an upstairs guest room.
  • Facebook Marketplace escapades, including a logistics snafu and a second trip for straps (B, 38:57).

• Bedroom Design: Fun with Wallpaper

  • Torn between a serene oak-leaf print and a folk-art “Folklore Tree” paper in vibrant greens and blues:

    “I feel like a white poster bed up against this, like very busy [paper], keep the white molding, keep the white Romans… making it a perfectly happy space.” (B, 41:15)

  • Practical commentary on room light and furniture to guide wallpaper color choice.

• Relatable Joy:

  • Power washing as a marker of adulthood:

    “You can tell my age because I’ve told everyone I know, ‘Did you look at my house? Power washed.’” (B, 43:05)

3. Caroline’s Plumbing & Sewer Catastrophe

[43:46 – 56:06]

• Signs of Trouble

  • Unexplained gurgling, slow drains, then water leaks into the crawl space.
  • Multiple plumbers called over several days, with unclear or unhelpful results (A, 44:15–45:54).

• The Hidden Septic Surprise

  • A recommended plumber, trying to install a “cleanout trap,” discovers a buried concrete tank:

    “They start digging... and eventually they hit a giant concrete box. They’re like, I think you might have a septic tank... We’ve been on city water and have been paying sewer for seven years.” (A, 47:00)

• Epic Septic Excavation

  • Heavy equipment used to excavate and ultimately service a never-before-maintained septic tank—unbeknownst to all past owners.
  • Yard and irreplaceable peonies get destroyed in the process.

• Lessons, Humor, and Recovery

  • The septic system is ultimately declared in good shape ("now that it's cleaned out, you shouldn't have a problem for 20 years," A, 49:54).
  • Now a “beautiful” green plastic access cap camouflages the yard.
  • Sharing a laugh about years’ worth of French press coffee grounds and other don't-put-this-down-the-drain lessons (A, 52:14; 52:33).
  • Makeshift workarounds for basic tasks while plumbing was down (“washing my face into a Tupperware,” A, 54:54).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • On finding the septic:

    “I don’t know how to feel about it. I’m like, that’s a big one, Caroline.” (C, 50:08)

  • On homeownership:

    “Now that I can run the dishwasher and do laundry... I can laugh about it now. I was crying for a while.” (A, 55:46)

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Liz, on the hot pink tape method:

  “It ended up with me and the architect’s plans and a whole bunch of hot pink tape. And I’ve taped everything off in my kitchen…” (C, 03:05)

• Taryn, on adult milestones:

  “You can tell my age because I’ve told everyone I know, ‘Did you look at my house? Power washed.’” (B, 43:05)

• Caroline, on crisis innovation:

  “Because we could run the water, but I couldn’t put the water down the drain. So I would put a huge Tupperware in our sink and then like, do the dishes, dump it.” (A, 54:36)

Listener Engagement

• Liz asks listeners for “success stories” about kitchen corner cabinet storage and pantries (C, 33:18–33:59).
• Caroline invites empathy and commiseration over plumbing disasters.
• Taryn requests feedback on which wallpaper to choose for her guest room.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Liz’s Renovation Update Begins: 01:24
• Kitchen Design & Materials Discussion: 09:00 – 22:41
• Architectural Plans & Family Dynamics: 23:02 – 33:11
• Corner Cabinet & Pantry Advice Request: 33:11 – 33:59
• Taryn’s Pressure Washing and Bedroom Refresh: 34:57 – 43:44
• Caroline’s Plumbing Saga: 43:46 – 56:06

Tone and Takeaways

The tone is candid, humorous, and deeply relatable. Each host recounts setbacks and victories with warmth and a willingness to laugh at themselves. Whether confronting asbestos, “scope creep,” surprise septic tanks, or power-washing pride, the episode ultimately affirms the “journey” of home improvement is as important as the destination—and that sharing our hard-won lessons makes all the difference.

For More

For advice, questions, or to weigh in on Liz’s design dilemmas, email podcast@ballarddesigns.net.

Until next time: "Happy decorating!"