Loading summary
Transcript270 lines
- [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. And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.
- [00:13]
B
I'm Liz. I head of the creative team.
- [00:15]
C
We're your hosts.
- [00:16]
A
Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world. Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
- [00:25]
B
We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us@podcastallardesigns.net now, on with the show.
- [00:34]
A
Okay. Today we are thrilled to welcome Jessica Whitley, a CPA turned creative who swapped crunchy numbers for designing beautiful spaces as creative director of Jessica Whitley Studios in Athens, Georgia. She's known for her classic, cool, collected style, and her work spans both homes and hospitality. She's traveled all seven continents. She paints, she designs. And today she's here to talk about how we can bring a little bit of the world into our own homes. Jessica, welcome to the show.
- [00:57]
C
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
- [01:00]
A
Yes. I loved you. We're, we're thrilled to have you. I loved getting to look at your work because as I mentioned in the introduction, you've done a lot of traveling and you can really see that in the shapes and the textures and the colors that you've brought into your spaces. So I'm excited to dive into that a little bit. Yeah. And hear more about it. But before we do that, why don't you just tell our listeners a little bit about yourself and how you got into design.
- [01:26]
C
Oh. So I loved design since I was a little kid, so I started doing art workshops instead of sports. So I was that girl went into LSU from Louisiana thinking I was going to do interior design and art and worried about, you know, my dad really pushed to do business school, so I ended up going into accounting and finance and actually ended up loving it, but always did art and design on the side. But anyways did corporate accounting and finance for quite some time and met my ex husband. He moved to me. We were doing long distance, moved me to Athens, Georgia. So corporate accounting was not very prominent there. But I think it was very serendipitous because I got to do some really great business work and accounting. And then when I moved to Athens after I had kids, I took a pause and then a friend convinced me to do an art workshop with Gina Brown, which obviously she I think. I know y' all used to have some of her work, so she did a great two day workshop. And so I went to do that and just reinvigorated doing art again, which was really fun. And so I started doing some commissions of little children and people started asking me to do them. And it was a great kind of pivot moment for me because I was staying at home with a one year old and was able to do that while she would nap and whatnot. And it really just like took off. And so that's when I was able to kind of dive back into doing home projects for our family while doing art. So it was kind of very serendipitous that I moved to Athens, Georgia, and it kind of forced me to take a pause on the corporate career and
- [03:08]
A
do that well, and Athens, a really creative town, which most people may not know if, you know, if you're not familiar with it, but there's a lot of, you know, artists and.
- [03:17]
B
Music.
- [03:18]
A
Yeah, music and. Yeah, yeah.
- [03:20]
C
And then the food. Just all of it's just very artisan, which I love. And so it's fun to do that. And I worked with an interior designer on doing some homes for a while and then did a lake home. And I just said, you know, just try it and see. You know, it's a little intimidating at first because I think in my mind I was thinking I was going to start interior design and I wasn't, quote, unquote, interior designer. Right. And so doing it on my own was a little intimidating, but it really was something that I was proud of and gave me the confidence to do more.
- [03:52]
A
Said that your first project really was kind of like your house. You were working on your own house before you started working, like with someone else. So what was that like? What were some things that you did in that house that made you think, oh, I'm. I could. I could really do this?
- [04:07]
C
I mean, I think it was just seeing the end result truly, you know, And I think also me, I. I was. I guess maybe the analytical nerd side of me was, you know, I tested every fabric for kids and guests and all those things and just really dove into all those details. And then seeing how other people loved it and wanting to learn more about, like, how I did it was great. It was kind of like I was in my own little test kitchen, in a way.
- [04:33]
A
Yeah. So would you say your. That first house project was similar to what your style is now, or has it changed a lot?
- [04:41]
C
You know, there's similarities, but I think I also Love to, like, learn from my mistakes and pivot from that. I think it was a little bit more trendy for the time, and now I feel more leaning back to having more of a mix, but keeping it more traditional, so to speak. And I think I love now seeing. I know I probably was going on Pinterest and seeing every kitchen that, you know, was popular at the time, where now I love to look at each location and say, like, what does it want to be? You know, and feel more authentic. So that's probably where I've changed the most.
- [05:15]
A
Yeah. Yeah. What was.
- [05:17]
B
What was a project in that house that. That really kind of put you over the edge into loving?
- [05:25]
C
I love kitchens and bathrooms and function. I'm, like, a total function.
- [05:30]
A
Yeah.
- [05:30]
C
Obsessed, you know, like, just how a lot of architects, you know, they don't think through how you function or your kids or how you entertain. And so I think that's really what got me going, was it's not just how it looks, but how it actually functions, really is what really made me fall in love with design.
- [05:49]
B
Figuring out a flight pattern for a specific room, like, how it's going to be heavily used, is really kind of an interesting way to take a look at it.
- [05:57]
C
Yeah. Like, I'll always look at a refrigerator door and think about who's coming in that kitchen. You know, like, is it going to be where the kids are running in? Or, you know, is that where people are grabbing snacks? And so, yeah, it's. The whole patterns are interesting to me and fascinating.
- [06:11]
A
Yeah, well, it's. You know, most people think of interior design as a very aesthetic industry, and obviously it is, but it's not. You're not doing a good job if it's not functional. Right. And I think most designers do really prioritize function, even though they're wanting it to look pretty. And it does look pretty in the end, but if it doesn't work, then, like, what's the point?
- [06:36]
C
Right. And for each chapter, I mean, you know, during, you know, different phases, before I had kids, I designed something, and I thought, why did I put a pool table next to the kids? Now room, you know, just certain things that you don't think, but then as you get older, just it's interesting. And design thinking through, you know, whether it's as you get older in the space or you sell it, how does it work for someone else?
- [06:58]
A
Yeah. Tell us about travel. So you've traveled a lot, and you can see those influences in your client spaces. How, you know, what are some things that you've loved about the places you've traveled. And I guess, where have you gotten the most inspiration?
- [07:17]
C
I definitely think I've gotten most of my design inspiration from Europe. I think seeing how, you know, maybe it's in England and the Cotswolds, you know, how it just feels so authentic and you know how to use the spaces and let the land and the culture navigate the space. So with Rivet House, that was the hotel I did in Athens. It was very much, um. I. I pushed for it because not being from Athens, I saw their need to be a great boutique hotel. So I have a lot of babysitters that come in and their moms want a place to stay or whatnot, or alumni. And so I was like, we really need just a great boutique hotel with a great restaurant and bar. And so for that one, it was a very old dinner mill, very industrial graffiti everywhere. And, you know, I was talking to a lot of guys that wanted it to just be aloft, so to speak, which there's nothing wrong with that. They kept calling it the mill. And it's like, we gotta do something different. And so it was fun to watch that one because I think everyone expecting it to be so southern, you know, which I wanted to have that nod. But to your point about Athens, Athens is a little different than you expect. It's southern, but still has such that artistic vibe to it. So a lot of that I thought about Europe, Amsterdam, you know, how they've reinvented different buildings and then pulled in stuff like from Italy, I did this really great dried, full insulation over the bar and pulled in herbs and stuff. That would be what you'd see at the farmer's market or, you know, the chef would be using. And so I think whether it's in Europe or anywhere, I think it's fascinating to me to see how different countries use what they have more and really embrace that and incorporate it and give more of a grounding feeling. So I tried to do that a lot with Rivet House. And so a lot of that was definitely European based, but there's some Asian influence in terms of culture, in terms of just, you know, how to program it and whatnot. Our operator there, Steve Palmer with Indigo Road, he was so great. He just. He's a big believer in the different cultures as well, and let me kind of just steer it, which was so great. He thought the whole thing was going to be white and so dark green plaster and all these herbs. He's like, wow, I wasn't expecting this. This is great. So anyways, you know, I think it's interesting everywhere I travel, just kind of saying, like, how does this feel good? Like, what is it that makes it feel good? And not necessarily just replicating that to this space, but then bringing that to Athens and saying, okay, how do I use that to make it feel like Athens? If that makes sense.
- [10:02]
A
Yeah.
- [10:02]
B
Because it does feel like Athens. But there are definitely spaces, like the outdoor courtyard that feels so much more like an Italian courtyard, you know, with all of the brick and the cafe lights, and it just feels very. It feels very warm and cozy. Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't have that industrial vibe at all. So that's. That's an interesting way that you took the existing structure but brought in both your own experiences and, you know, multicultural experience to that, to the space.
- [10:38]
C
That one was a choosy.
- [10:41]
B
Yeah.
- [10:41]
C
Because the whole space was just so rough and industrial. And to your point, I really wanted it to feel like I was, you know, sitting in Europe getting a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. And, you know, I had to think through how does the lights, as the cars come up, you know, hit where the guests are going to be. And so really thinking through how to step through those elevations and grades. So light, filtration, sound, and the curves were really challenging in hospitality because of ADA and all that. Right. And at first they're starting to do the curves, and it started to look like, you know, it could be a fast food chain. I was like, no, it's gotta do all these things. And so it was fun being able to find, like, my residential designers and bring them in towards the end on those types of parts of the project to make it feel like it could be in Europe. And so it's special. That one. It's great because the locals are so proud of it, which is really so nice to see.
- [11:39]
B
Oh, that's. That's always a win.
- [11:41]
A
Yeah. When you.
- [11:42]
B
Community.
- [11:42]
C
Yeah.
- [11:42]
A
Plus, I mean, they're your neighbors, so.
- [11:45]
C
Yeah, well, they. They're like going and having their own date nights there in Athens. I'm like, oh, it just makes me so happy to see that. And so, you know, bringing that travel side for people that either can't travel because of whether it's financial or, you know, if Time. Yeah, time, whatever it is, you know, having that brought, I think is really nice. And that's what I love about travel. And, yeah, I can't turn it off when I'm traveling. I'm just always thinking about the design, which pros and cons to that.
- [12:10]
A
But yeah, when you're traveling, do you go seeking out design inspiration, like going to antique stores or, you know, specific things, or is it kind of finding you wherever you are?
- [12:19]
C
I think it's both. You know, I do love going to places I know I'll love the design, but also, like getting immersed in it. So, like Huff Farrington, they have great trips that I did and, you know, go to the farm, the flea market, and find my own things there. But also just going, walking, different hotels and seeing how it is, I think it's. It's nice to have both and learning from it.
- [12:42]
B
Yeah.
- [12:43]
A
What are your, like, top. What's been your top design trips or trips that you found the most design? I mean, you mentioned England, of course.
- [12:51]
C
Yeah.
- [12:51]
A
I think we all love that.
- [12:53]
C
I've loved. I found a lot of great stuff in London. I spent two days just going to antique stores and found these amazing dining chairs in a basement. And there was 12 of them, and they were still in their original fabrics. And the designer I was working with at the time when this project was like, we gotta recover them. And I loved the way they looked. And so it was so fun to just do those types. Found some great commodes there. Obviously, can be challenging, like when you're traveling. And how do you get those things back if you're only having one piece or whatnot? But England's definitely one. St. Bart's Audley. I found some really great pieces there. And so they have just some very interesting shops. So I've gotten a lot of cool stuff from there as well that I used in more of a modern home. Mallorca, Spain. Some amazing pottery and whatnot. So I love when I'm traveling, collecting smaller things. So I think one mistake I've made is buying too big of things. Right. And I know that's something you ever asking about is sometimes you will pick up something because you're so inspired at that space, and then you get home and you're like, what was I thinking? Like, this doesn't fit the house, you know? Yeah.
- [14:09]
A
Yeah.
- [14:09]
C
So trying to, like, find the smaller pieces that you can either frame or do something with it. It's always nice to.
- [14:16]
A
Yeah.
- [14:16]
C
Figure out how to fold it into your house.
- [14:18]
A
What is that? The advice you give someone who's planning a big trip and wanting to, like, focus on small pieces or.
- [14:25]
C
I. It depends. I think if you're going with a group or, you know, you're going to get enough that you can get on a container, you know, and buy those big pieces, I think, you know, Your sizes, then you can go for the bigger pieces. One thing I have learned is if I find some great art, take it off the stretcher, you know, put in a tube and bring it back versus thinking through how to ship it, where you're preserving that, because framers can easily restretch them.
- [14:53]
A
Yep.
- [14:54]
C
And do it well. But, yeah, there's other things that definitely smaller pieces that, you know are more neutral colors or, you know, it's just a color you love or you have a special space for it. But I also think it's nice to buy things that, you know, may just be for Christmas. You know, like, Deanna is amazing at Christmas time, and so I've purchased stuff there that I pull out at that time, and it's just nice little reminder of that trip alone.
- [15:20]
A
Like, for your own Christmas. Yeah. I was. I was thinking as Christmas gifts.
- [15:24]
C
Well, yeah, but just for, like, my own decor.
- [15:26]
A
Yeah.
- [15:26]
C
There's just some great stuff I found even, you know, some teacups, and so I have those that just pull up at Christmas time. So it's fun to have it from that way, too.
- [15:35]
A
I love. I love textiles and pottery because you can always fit those in a. In a suitcase. You know, textiles or easy pottery. It does get heavy, but you can put it in a bag and carry it on the plane.
- [15:47]
C
Yeah.
- [15:48]
A
So I like, you know, you mentioned Mallorca, and I feel like it's something that's so distinct about a different place. Right. Like, they all have very specific aesthetics of how their pottery or ceramics look. In each.
- [16:03]
B
Yeah. In each region.
- [16:05]
A
Yeah.
- [16:05]
B
No, I think that's great. Like, it's so simple to just grab a bowl and then wrap a sweater around it and pack it back in your bag.
- [16:14]
A
Or bubble wrap.
- [16:16]
C
Yeah. Right.
- [16:18]
A
I mean, everybody's got bubble wrap.
- [16:19]
B
Everybody's got bubble wrap. You know, or I actually like getting, like, kitchen wares. Like, I. I recently went and visited a friend and got a really cute butter knife. And it sounds so silly, but it reminds me of my trip with my friends. And so, like, it's something small that I use every day.
- [16:38]
A
Yeah.
- [16:38]
B
That. That reminds me of that trip in that moment. That was it. It ends up becoming really special.
- [16:43]
C
I know. And that's awesome because then you think about it every time you're cooking, you know, which is nice. I've gotten less into the mixed, you know, utensils or whatever, and thinking more of those things. Or do you put it in a shadow box and you frame it? You know, certain things like that it's fun.
- [16:58]
A
Yeah. And that is art. You're. You're so right. Like, it's easy for the person. You know, if you're at an art gallery or something, they'll be able to take it off the stretcher or if it's a photograph, putting it in a tube. I mean, those are really easy to carry on with you. And light, which is nice. Yeah, right?
- [17:15]
C
Yeah.
- [17:16]
B
They're not going to get lost.
- [17:17]
C
That's right.
- [17:18]
A
What about, you know, bringing home ideas from your trip and incorporating into your home, you know, someone maybe some tips on how to take elements or things to look for that you can work into your space, and then how do you do it in a way that's not going to feel random? You know, I think maybe we could all think of an example of, like, someone went on a trip to Tuscany and they came home and want their house to be, like, all Tuscan.
- [17:47]
C
Right.
- [17:47]
A
You live in a subdivision. And, like, how do you do that in a way that feels natural and authentic?
- [17:54]
C
I think it definitely takes time. It's even like when I was going through my closet one day and I had a friend with me, she's like, you definitely bought that on vacation, Jessica. And it's the same thing with stuff that you buy for your house. And so, you know, I think definitely asking yourself, okay, am I going to really use this while you're there? It's really hard. Right. But I think always having more of a curated collection of accessories definitely helps. And that layered look, I think also helps. And so I still do, you know, I'll have a inexpensive little vase next to something that doesn't even, you know, have to be expensive. But I bought somewhere that if you mix them correctly, I think it. It goes well. And to your point, the smaller pieces, whether it's books, vases, those types of things, small objects are nice. And then I've even taken some small little, like, objects and then just again, like, framed them. So really thinking through gallery walls is always fun. I think the challenge with that is being patient with holding onto those pieces until you know what wall you want them on.
- [19:04]
A
Yeah.
- [19:04]
C
But you can also frame it now and put it, you know, on a table and then think through how do you put it on a bigger formatted piece later. But, yeah, I think just kind of sticking through, like, is this me? And does it look like my home, but also remind me of this place? I am. Yeah, I've experienced. I also love scents. So there is some of my favorite hotels had amazing scents, and so I love to bring those home with me. And so one of my favorite is Eden Rock and St. Bart's. And so I always have that at my house. And when I'm just kind of in a mood, I spray that around the house, and it's just like it's Eden Rock, you know, so that one's always fun to me. And I think you always get attached to that smell sometimes. And that's an easy way to take things home, too.
- [19:50]
A
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I. I definitely felt like in your work, there was maybe textures and color palettes that had a very, I guess, global feel. And I don't even really know what that means necessarily, but talk to us about that. You know, maybe how your travels has informed the types of spaces that you're designing for clients.
- [20:15]
C
I think, to me, I'm a nature girl, so I love being outside, and so I think a lot of my travel is based on that. And even when I, you know, went to France and painted, I think about, like, the pigments that are in the earth and how that really is that grounding feeling. And I used to think, oh, I really want neutrals as white. Right. But it's really not, if you think about it. Like, I pulled some really great moss greens and, like, burnt siennas and all these things into this one project, and everyone thought it looked so neutral and white. But it's bringing in those colors that you see in stone.
- [20:55]
A
Right.
- [20:58]
C
If you. You know, if you're traveling, you see these people doing, like, the woven hats and the. The linen clothing, like, whatever it is, and how do you think about. How do you make that into your home? So, for instance, like, with. With Rivet House, it's an old denim mill, and we didn't want it to be all denim. Right. But we did bleach.
- [21:19]
A
That sound opportunity to me. Yeah, Right.
- [21:22]
C
But we did headboard. But then, you know, thinking about, like, the locals and other places and how, you know, they use what they have. So we bleached the denim for the drapes. And so to me, it's really thinking about how to just. When you're traveling and everyone's doing something with their hands. Yeah, it's kind of. How do you do that? Like, incorporate that where things look not so perfect? Like, I have a guy working on my plaster at my house yesterday, and he's like, it's not perfect. I'm like, actually, I really love that it's not perfect, because I can tell someone did it. And I think that's where my travel is. Definitely folds into it is. It feels more lived in, relaxed. You don't have to fix every pillow all the time.
- [22:02]
A
Yeah. Your spaces are very edited, though. Like, you know, there aren't necessarily a lot of elements in the room, but there are, you know, there's like a couple really big gestures. So is that. Do you feel like that comes from your artistic background? Is that just, you know, I guess. Where does that come from? What is the sort of special mix that you.
- [22:29]
C
It's definitely a game, right. Like, you have to constantly play with it. For instance, right now, as I was saying earlier, I moved and I have this one sofa that is deeper because my kids wanted something deeper, but it just was too many pillows. And literally last night I just took all the pillows off and it had like, almost like a 90s moment back in it. I was like, this makes so much more sense. But I was. But it just takes a while to see what makes sense or not. And sometimes I even look at my photos, I'm like, is it too minimal? You know, but it gives that quiet. So it's kind of like the void and things, you know, if you want to have a mix of having. Letting your eyes still wonder without being too busy.
- [23:14]
A
Yeah.
- [23:15]
C
Photographing a room, even just on your phone to look at it, I think helps to see like, okay, what's standing out and then taking that out. And then maybe you come back to it and you say, okay, it's still missing something. But I definitely think using a phone or something just to photograph and look to see how it works definitely helps for sure.
- [23:32]
A
Yeah. It flattens things on your phone in a way that makes it easier to sort of.
- [23:40]
B
Right. See what's working and what's not working.
- [23:42]
A
Yeah. Like kind of self critique, I guess. Yeah.
- [23:46]
C
Yeah. It puts it in that two dimensional, which can be helpful. But maybe that's too artistic of a way to describe it, but yeah, well,
- [23:53]
A
I mean, you know, you can look at it, draw it into someone, you know, kind of examine it, I guess, in a way that's hard to do in person.
- [24:04]
C
But I think there's spaces, like, for me, you know, I have certain rooms that are just covered in books and I'll use, you know, a ton of coffee table books and just make it into a little side table or something. So I think having things that are feel intentional and kind of put together and then allowing other spaces to breathe and just playing with that and kind of just trusting yourself, I think that's part of it is making it feel, again, collected but not too much stuff everywhere.
- [24:33]
A
Yeah.
- [24:33]
C
Having small kids probably helps too. You can Have. They're constantly moving everything.
- [24:37]
A
True. You can't leave it around because it'll walk off or break. Okay. You have mentioned a couple times that you've recently moved. So I'm curious about moving because I am always intrigued by how especially designers, because I just think designers have a very specific way of looking at things, and how do they do their own homes? And, you know, is it challenging to take pieces that I'm sure you chose for a very specific space, move it into a new space, and then did they work? Did they not work? Like, what. What are some things that have surprised you about the moving process?
- [25:15]
C
Yeah, it's been interesting, but it's been fun. It's been a new kind of. I love a challenge. So definitely there's things I took, and I was actually giving this advice to one of my neighbors the other day is there was things I wasn't ready to let go of, like, a certain chair, and I was like, I have to bring this chair, and I never could find its perfect spot. But I'm glad I took it, because otherwise I think I would have wish I took it. And you know what I mean? Like, I needed to work through it in a way, but scale's important to think through in terms of if the stuff's gonna fit. I hate having a bunch of boxes, so I didn't want to take things that I knew we were just gonna sit in a box, you know? So there's definitely been a lot of art that I got attached to that I've collected, and I have. If it didn't work, I was at least able to then, you know, give it to another client or something so they could use it and have purpose. A lot of my, again, books are so important to me, and the smaller art, I've been excited to be able to, like, really reuse it. This house has been fun. It's a lot more edgy, if I would have to say. I mean, for me, it's edgy, but it feels kind of like a throwback to Louisiana. So I had a ton of art that was in different places, and I made my whole foyer just this big art gallery.
- [26:35]
A
Wow.
- [26:36]
C
And so there's, like, very old traditional art with abstracts, some with pink, some not. And it just really worked, and it's funky. And then paired it with, you know, a great piece that was supposed to be in a hotel project that, again, it's not my traditional look, but it's somehow, like, just having a little bit more color but still keeping these darker colors, the muted colors. It's really worked well together. So it's been fun to see how to take big scale art and little stuff, like just work it together. But it's a lot more patience. And I think for me, I used to entertain a ton, so I'd have to, like, hurry and do my house. But then I find myself redoing stuff. So just kind of sitting in it and seeing how we live in. It's been nice.
- [27:23]
A
Yeah.
- [27:23]
C
You know.
- [27:23]
A
How about floor plans?
- [27:25]
C
Floor plans are tricky.
- [27:26]
A
Did you. Did you map it out before and knew exactly where everything was gonna go or have you moved things around?
- [27:31]
C
I moved things around a lot. It's funny, it's. One of my architects asked if I do project creep, and I was like, what is that? He's like, you know, you just keep adding. I'm like, yeah, and I'm a designer. That's what we do. Right. Like, you know, we always kind of want to do something else. But yeah, I mean, there's definitely rooms. I was hoping it was gonna be a guest room, and right now it's the kids playroom. Right. And one day it'll be something else. Ironically, there's one room. I kind of redid everything around this fireplace, and then the fireplace didn't work. And I literally did the whole seating arrangement and everything around this room.
- [28:03]
A
Oh, no.
- [28:04]
C
But I was like, you know what? It's fine.
- [28:06]
A
Get some candles.
- [28:07]
C
Yeah.
- [28:08]
A
Stick them in there on a bed, on a remote.
- [28:11]
C
But you know, certain parts are kind of funky and it bothers me. And I'm like, you know what? It actually works out better than you think. I was intentional on moving a few things to this house. They didn't have pool, but the powder room, you had to go through the kitchen and through the living room to get to the powder room where everyone would go when they were in the pool. I was like, oh, my gosh. This is going to be a nightmare. Oh, my gosh.
- [28:36]
B
Yeah. No, that's a drip. Yeah. I just see so many drips.
- [28:39]
A
Right.
- [28:39]
B
The whole house.
- [28:40]
C
Right. So I ended up just moving the powder room, which wasn't a big left or expense, but I was so glad I did that. This one, I definitely had to move some walls, but I kept the structure the same. So again, the laundry room was weird and so I just had to move some stuff. But I kept my old rugs and some of them had to get cut down. But it was nice to have and my kids like it. And it's fun to take pieces, but make it its own thing versus moving Everything. And it just feels like you've plopped everything from one house to another.
- [29:15]
B
But it's really nice to give something a new life. Like all of that artwork, you probably walked past it so many times in your previous home. And to reframe it, you know, either literally or, you know, just by putting it next to something new gives. Gives it a whole new life.
- [29:32]
C
Yeah. No, it's totally true. Yeah. Like, I mean, one of the pieces was in my daughter's bathroom, so I never saw it. And now it's one of the first things I see, and I love it. So, yeah, it's nice to, you know, kind of have this pile of stuff, and you're like, oh, let's figure out this one room. I think it's important to kind of stick to focusing on one room at a time, you know, because I think it can get overwhelming.
- [29:53]
A
Yeah.
- [29:53]
C
And.
- [29:55]
A
And if you are always sort of scattering around your resources, then you're never going to see that real impactful change.
- [30:04]
C
Right.
- [30:05]
A
Like, if you're buying a piece for the bedroom and then the living room and the dining room and sort of spreading things out, you're never getting that, like, oh, I redid this one room, and it's exactly how I want it.
- [30:16]
C
Right.
- [30:16]
A
And this feels great.
- [30:17]
C
Yeah. It's so true. And don't be afraid to just move some stuff around. And my kids will come in, and they're like, why did you redo the living room today? And I'm like, I just wanted to see if it was going to work this way, and it didn't, so I moved it back. But that's part of the fun of it, you know? And I think it's hard when you're moving into new homes. You think you want it all figured out right away, but it's. It's nice to kind of see how it all works out and you live in it and what it wants to be.
- [30:43]
A
What are your favorite things to change in a new house? Like, when you've, you know, maybe you're not, like, doing a full renovation, but just things to.
- [30:53]
C
I'm big on bathrooms, so this house, they had just redid the bathroom, but it was funky. You had to go through the closet to get to the bathroom. And I'm a bath girl, so there's only a shower. So I was like, I have to rip it out and making my own. But that's where I relax at the end of the day. So, like that. And the kitchen to me. So the kitchen already. They had redid it, but the island was a little small. I don't think they cooked a lot, which was totally fine. And I'm big into cooking. So I took out the main island and made this beautiful hand uncurved walnut island. So I like to make it where it doesn't just feel like. It feels more curated. So those are the things, the spaces that just need a little bit more of it not to feel like it's.
- [31:39]
A
Yeah.
- [31:39]
C
What you'd expect.
- [31:40]
A
Yeah.
- [31:41]
C
So kitchens. Kitchens and bathrooms are big ones for me.
- [31:48]
A
Yeah.
- [31:48]
C
And again, just function, laundry room, where things go.
- [31:52]
A
Yeah.
- [31:52]
B
So it's not. It's not about the elements that are in the room as much as it is the function of the room for you.
- [31:59]
A
Yeah.
- [31:59]
C
Yeah.
- [32:00]
A
Well, that's fair. I mean, if it's not going to work, then. Yeah, it's, um.
- [32:06]
B
Yeah, then you're. It's pointless to begin with.
- [32:08]
C
Yeah, right.
- [32:10]
A
Yeah.
- [32:10]
B
You're gonna be moving out shortly anyway because it drives you crazy.
- [32:13]
C
I know, right?
- [32:14]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [32:16]
C
And just thinking through it, like I had the last time I was in, we didn't think through the home. Everyone came through the side door. And so the first thing I saw was my laundry room. And so after a year and a half, I was like, well, now I need to make it really pretty, you know? And so when I moved to this house, I was like, I don't want to have everyone go through the side door. And so that was a big one for me. It was just thinking through where people go, how, you know, the entrance into it and what's the first impression?
- [32:46]
A
How do you. How do you get people to go to the door you want them to go to? Like, is that a landscaping issue? Is that parking issue? Is that just you telling your friends, like, what is.
- [32:57]
C
I think it can be anything, honestly. Landscape architect called it identity crisis. Where do you go? Which is so true. And so I think through landscaping, parking, you know, even where does UPS go? I mean, it's such boring stuff, but just. It's been interesting watching how that works. But landscaping definitely makes a huge difference, you know, and then the lighting. But I definitely think, you know, landscaping around areas that if you want to have that side door for you, but make it where it feels more private. Definitely helps.
- [33:30]
A
Yeah. You mentioned, you know, we talked about in the beginning how you started in corporate finance. How has that influenced your business? I bet that's a really nice background to have as a designer.
- [33:41]
C
It is. I mean, sometimes it's annoying because I get into the Excel spreadsheets again, and then I'm like, why did I do this? But it is good. I mean, I think I love a budget as hard as it is. You know, I want to just blow it half the time. But it's been great for me in terms of just building the businesses. You know, it's, it's. And it's fun to see. Okay. You know, have those moments that are the wow moments that you splurge on and then once you have that feeling and people have that wow moment they don't really notice. If you value engineer certain things, you know, they've had that moment. I think that's really important. And you know you're always going to have to put money into your house again. So making sure, you know, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Right. Maybe not buy the most expensive sofa because it may fall apart from a little while. But yeah, the business side's been fun and especially with the hotel side because it's. It's tricky for business to be in but it's been very helpful.
- [34:45]
B
Once you were talking about so many of the details that you were thinking about, you know, like how the lights of the. Of the cars are going to hit a certain way, like you'd get. It seems like you get really into those kind of nitty gritty and I. All I could think about was like, oh, I would love to have you as my cpa. Like you're going into like. Because there's, because there's like such like detail oriented in, in both practices but totally different sides of, of your mind. Which I think is really fantastic that you've been able to me.
- [35:17]
C
It's kind of scary up there. No, I'm just kidding. But there's times where what do you do? But you know, even when we had my husband I. We bought the reserve at Lake Kiwi and when we got into that one of my biggest things was we didn't have a great house wine. So I worked with the Mandavi's and I did the label for it and wanted something that was sulfate free and painted the label. And I love just figuring out like okay, like what is something that can enhance either your home life or hospitality and have a fun kind of spin off project and collaborate with people. So it's just fun to me. I like to. It's the problem solving kind of thing I guess in it. So it's fun.
- [35:53]
A
You mentioned before that sometimes when you splurge on a couple items then you can value your other ones. So talk to us about some places where you Think it makes sense to, you know, spend less.
- [36:06]
C
You.
- [36:06]
A
You did mention a sofa, but elaborate
- [36:09]
C
on that a little bit.
- [36:09]
A
Like, where are some places that our listeners can not feel bad about maybe cutting back or saving in their budget?
- [36:18]
C
Definitely a laundry room. I mean, I've had the prettiest laundry room. Did the whole, you know, dog washing station, and it just was such a waste. I mean, it was so pretty, like, it photographed so well, but it just took up too much space. It was so much money. And to me, isn't it the place that you just want everything to just be able to lay out and not worry about it? You know, I think we really obsess over laundry rooms. And I've done it, so I'm not judging bathrooms, like secondary bathrooms. I think you can, you know, use your natural stones and your, you know, powder room, your master bath, kitchen, and do a great ceramic, you know, in your secondary bathrooms. And if it's a great pattern and great color, you know, no one really notices it.
- [37:06]
A
So splurge on a good stone in your kitchen, in your primary bath.
- [37:09]
C
Yes.
- [37:09]
A
But then other places use something more
- [37:11]
C
variable and like your powder room. I think it's worth having a wow moment if you can.
- [37:14]
A
Well, and it's less, you know, like, it's smaller, so it's less footprint, less amount.
- [37:19]
C
And another great tip, if you're actually building is buying whole slabs, but really utilizing them, having them cut where they can use them for multiple bathrooms. Same with tiles for floor. I mean, we did that at the private house. We had travertine everywhere, but we cut it in different ways. So we bought it, you know, in bulk, so it was less expensive, but cut it into different patterns. Smart. And so obviously you have to think through the labor of the cutting it and all of those things, but I think, you know, trying to use some of the same materials but kind of using them different ways is definitely helpful. Decorative lighting, I think it's important to have really great pieces, but not too many for me. Anyways, I appreciate having, you know, I don't want to see three different hanging chandeliers or pendants at once necessarily that are competing with each other. So, you know, have some really great pieces where it matters, but then, you know, just find some great cans or, you know, task lighting. I think that's a really important one. Another example is, like, my sister, she was worried about. I had some lighting for my stairs that were these little tiny lights, and they're beautiful, but I mean, it was thousands of dollars, and I did it when my kids Were really young, and she was talking, I was like, becca, don't spend the money. Like, it's just not worth it. Like, just have great dimmers, you know, I think.
- [38:40]
B
Yeah, right.
- [38:41]
C
Having dim, everything dim is great, and it makes everything look much better. Trying to think where else to splurge. Definitely. Outdoor lighting to me is important too. You know, like up lighting or just all of it and how it's lit. And another thing that was a fun way to dress up my new home was I did a lot of different pencil moldings and trim work that was very inexpensive and then just painted it all the same color, and it just elevated your typical drywall and was very inexpensive. So it added, like, a lot of wow moment without spinning a lot.
- [39:23]
B
I'm very excited about this. Step one.
- [39:25]
A
Yes.
- [39:27]
B
We haven't had one in a while, so I'm really excited.
- [39:29]
C
Yeah.
- [39:30]
B
So, listeners, send us your dilemmas.
- [39:33]
A
I know we need some more. They don't have to be long. They can be short. They can be, like, easy questions. Yeah. This one is from Jenna. Do you want me to read it, Liz?
- [39:44]
B
Either way.
- [39:45]
C
Do you want me to read it?
- [39:46]
A
Yeah. I don't know. Yeah, you read it.
- [39:48]
B
All right. I got my glasses on. Okay, let's go. Hi. I just found and binged your podcast and absolutely love it. I'd be so grateful for your design help. Of course. We're here for you. I have a decorating dilemma with some 2000s cutouts in my hallway. I'm not sure how to decorate them and what I want them to feel intentional. I have a pretty neutral palette, black cream, deep moss green, and deep chocolate brown throughout my home, with accents of rattan, warm wood, walnut wood, and both metals, gold and silver. I'm a lover of antiques and vintage, but with a modern touch. I think you're gonna be great at that.
- [40:28]
C
This is so good.
- [40:30]
B
The wall next to the two cutouts has two pieces of framed artwork of St. Lucia, where my husband and I got married, and one of the strawberry hot springs in Steamboat where we took our first vacation. I really only like to use artwork that's meaningful to me. These are two spaces that I see every single day while walking through our back garage door. And I want them to look intentional but not cluttered. Everything I try just seems to feel like too much. So I just have two fake plants currently as filler that I hate. So thanks in advance from Jenna. So, yeah. So this is a main entry off the garage. It's kind of a narrow and long hallway that has an alcove at one end and an alcove on the side. And.
- [41:26]
A
Yes. And when you say alcove, it's like. It's like one of those niches with the can light above it that. I don't know, I guess someone thought you were going to put. Put like a sculpture in or something.
- [41:38]
C
And what I've noticed, one of them has a can light and one doesn't.
- [41:42]
B
Right.
- [41:42]
A
Yeah, good point.
- [41:43]
B
So then there's that.
- [41:44]
A
Yeah. Yeah. These are. These are real conundrums to me, because I'm like.
- [41:51]
B
And yeah. Because unless you have a specific sculpture or a specific item that you want to highlight in that area, and it's
- [41:57]
A
got to be tall and skinny.
- [41:59]
B
Right.
- [42:00]
A
Otherwise, you know. Yeah, okay.
- [42:02]
B
Okay.
- [42:03]
C
Help out. You know, I first got excited when I saw the light, and then I realized only one has a light. But, you know, one thing that is fun to do, and y' all can tell me if you think this is a terrible idea, is stack two framed pieces of art in each one and have really great framing. I've done that in some bookshelves where I was tired of. I had so many bookshelves, and I wanted something, and it turned out really great. But think through, you know, something that's more curated. Like, she said she loves collecting art, so maybe those are some great pieces that are stacked, you know, two on each side. I mean, she could do sculptures if she finds. I think the hardest part is just the height of them. Where do you find that? I mean, there may be a space, but if just looking at this plant alone, it's gotta be substantial.
- [42:54]
A
Yeah. Because it's tall and skinny, but not very wide. I mean, it's not very wide, so.
- [42:58]
C
Right. But looking at this bottom right photo, I think where she's got her photo of St. Lucia and was it Steenberg? Maybe she places those, you know, in these niches in another and then do a larger piece of art there. And so it really feels curated.
- [43:18]
B
Yeah.
- [43:18]
C
But you don't want anything on the ground, really, because it's so tight up a space.
- [43:22]
B
Yeah. I love the idea of putting those.
- [43:24]
A
The.
- [43:24]
B
The artwork in the alcove because she has some. The pretty wide matting on them. So if she needs to do a smaller frame to fit those. Those alcoves proportionately, it would still. It would still work. And then, Janet, you just need to go on more vacations.
- [43:42]
A
Yeah.
- [43:43]
B
Get more personal artwork from. From all of your new vacations.
- [43:47]
C
That's right.
- [43:49]
A
I. Okay. I had two ideas. One, I felt like she needs a lot more Art. I love the idea of the art in the niches, but I feel like these. These photographs look lonely. Yeah. Like, you know, maybe. And. And this could be a real long term project, but, you know, sort of almost like papering the entire thing in art. Not literally, but, you know, like she could stack these two on top of each other and then look. Put like one big thing next to it or. Yes. Move them into the alcove and put like one where the paintings are and then do a grouping of things on the wall with this. It looks like a wall washer or like a sconce thing.
- [44:32]
C
Yeah, it does.
- [44:35]
A
And because to me, the black frame on the white wall and the photographs, it feels a little bit jarring. It's a little harsh just because, I don't know, it's. They're kind of like the only thing to look at in here. And I would. I wish it was like more drama.
- [44:56]
C
Right. Especially since she said she doesn't do a ton of color even. I don't know if she. If she'd care or not. But even kind of changing the saturation and the colors of the photos to make it feel more of like an artisan print. Like, so it's almost like on a piece of paper print and just add that and like kind of mix it in with other art. I really like that idea.
- [45:15]
A
Yeah.
- [45:16]
C
Just really covering the whole space.
- [45:18]
B
Well, also kind of thinking about how this is a very separate hallway. It's definitely leading to your garage, to your car, to either to the outdoors, or it's bringing you back into your home. It's kind of a portal.
- [45:33]
C
Right.
- [45:34]
B
And there's a lot that could be done with that. Even if it's just. Yeah. I mean, even if it's just a neutral color that's maybe a shade or
- [45:46]
C
two darker or
- [45:50]
B
just something to set it off. And then you have this kind of visual cue that like, I'm back home or, you know, I'm ready to head
- [46:00]
C
out into the world.
- [46:01]
B
Like, it's. But it's definitely a portal.
- [46:04]
C
I agree.
- [46:04]
A
The other thing I was thinking is what if. What if she put books in them? Like, could she mount some shelves in here and like, just stuff them with books? I don't know.
- [46:17]
C
I agree.
- [46:18]
A
Yeah. Like, it could be kind of an interesting bookshelf. I mean, that's the only. Other than the stacked art, which I do love that idea. Yeah. I don't. I. It's hard to know what to do with this, but. Yeah. You'd have to measure to see if the actual Niche is deep enough for a book, because it might not be deep enough, but I don't know, it could be.
- [46:41]
C
I mean, to me, it wants to be a bookshelf.
- [46:44]
A
Yeah. Yeah.
- [46:45]
B
Okay, one more. One more thing. What if one of. She only keeps one of the niches.
- [46:52]
A
Yeah.
- [46:52]
B
And then. And then fills one of them with, you know, drywall and then puts a fantastic mirror.
- [47:01]
A
Yeah, Yeah. I like that. I'm more on board with the niche at the end of the hall instead of the one on the side.
- [47:08]
C
I agree.
- [47:09]
B
Yeah.
- [47:09]
C
Because this one just throws off the space.
- [47:11]
B
To me, it just looks so odd, a little random.
- [47:15]
A
And I. If this were my house, this would become a surface for junk.
- [47:20]
C
Right.
- [47:21]
A
You know, I picture my kids putting, like, little.
- [47:25]
C
The catch all.
- [47:26]
A
Yeah. Like. Yeah. Whatever the heck they come home with from, like, a goodie bag. And it just. And, you know, they always have, like, random little things, and it's gonna end up in that niche, and then it going to get junky.
- [47:38]
C
I agree.
- [47:39]
B
All right, so, Jenna, we've given you a few different options. Yes.
- [47:43]
A
Good luck.
- [47:44]
C
Yeah. And if she does the shelf, she could just paint them to match the wall. So it just kind of feels. That should be an easy one to do. Just a simple wooden.
- [47:53]
A
Yeah, yeah, I agree.
- [47:56]
B
Well, I'm excited to see what she does with this space because it definitely is something that can be very transformative.
- [48:04]
C
I agree. I like the idea of the portal. It's nice when you're coming in and out to have good memories, good feelings.
- [48:10]
A
Yeah, yeah.
- [48:11]
C
What inspires you to get in, come home, all the things.
- [48:14]
A
And maybe a runner. Yeah, runner will help add some more, warm it up, and give it more of a coziness. Even if it's like a simple sisal runner or something. That always helps a lot.
- [48:28]
B
Oh, well. Exciting. Send us pictures, Jenna.
- [48:30]
C
Yes, we want to send.
- [48:31]
A
They
- [48:33]
C
are hard.
- [48:34]
A
Yes. Oh, my gosh. They are. Yeah, they are that. I feel like that's something that we don't do anymore, and that's great.
- [48:42]
C
It's true. I have some I got stuck with, and I ended up in.
- [48:45]
A
What did you do with them?
- [48:46]
C
They were very traditional with dishes. And then I ended up. There's some plumbing that was in this wall, so I ended up making plaster niches, and I did some old antique. They're in my kitchen. Copper pots and pans and then some white books and then just a little plant. But it took a minute.
- [49:04]
A
Yeah.
- [49:04]
C
I mean, it was a process, but it was nice because now it just feels like they have their little moment you know, so you tried some things
- [49:10]
A
that didn't work, and then you finally found the.
- [49:12]
C
Right. It had some cool, like, vases, but, yeah, it just took a minute. I was like, it wants to be kitchen pots. You know, it's in a kitchen. So it just took a minute.
- [49:20]
A
But, yeah, I like that. And that's great advice. It's okay to try some things and then not be right.
- [49:25]
C
And then.
- [49:26]
A
Yeah, evolve.
- [49:27]
C
Yeah. And if you hate to just take it out instead of just looking at it.
- [49:30]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [49:32]
C
Sometimes you need it just to be blank for a minute and see what to do, which is hard. Restraint's difficult.
- [49:37]
A
That's true, I find. Yeah. Restraint and, like, editing, they're kind of the same, but extremely difficult to do. Right. Yeah. Well, Jessica, thank you so much for coming chatting with us. Can you tell everyone where they can find you, follow you and see your work?
- [49:53]
C
Yes, it's Jessica Whitley Studio, and so Instagram is Jessica Whitley Studio, and same with website. So I look forward to sharing more projects and who knows what next. So you know all the fun things.
- [50:04]
A
So well, thanks for driving down and chatting with us. Of course.
- [50:08]
C
Thank you so much for having me.
- [50:11]
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, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space. And of course, be sure to follow us on social media. Ballardesigns.
- [50:26]
B
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.
- [50:33]
A
Until next time, happy decorating.