Ep. 477: Alex Kaehler's new book, A Welcoming Home

Summary

Podcast Summary: How to Decorate — Ep. 477: Alex Kaehler's New Book, A Welcoming Home
August 4, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Ballard Designs team welcomes back Chicago interior designer Alexandra (Alex) Kaehler to discuss her debut book, A Welcoming Home: Inviting Interiors. The conversation dives into the process of creating the book, featuring eight vibrant homes for young families, and explores Alex’s layered and authentic approach to design. The hosts and Alex chat candidly about color, pattern, working with family, client relationships, and what truly makes a home inviting—highlighting that great interiors are meant for real living, not just for show.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Book: Process and Surprises

• Writing & Creating the Book

  • Alex describes the book as "another child," a project closely held and eagerly anticipated (01:17).
  • The most challenging part was the waiting period in publishing:

    "The part that's hard is the waiting… the publishing world has kind of this start to finish timeline where it just takes two years." — Alex, 01:53

  • She loved the photography and collaborative aspects, noting that shooting finished projects was less stressful and more rewarding than expected (03:51).
  • Alex’s sister’s house was previously published but included due to its strong story and design (04:26).

• On Writing

  • Alex had Hadley Keller write the book’s text, focusing on storytelling. Their process was conversational, rekindling the spirit of Alex’s earlier blog (06:01).
  • The tone is intentionally unfiltered and approachable, aiming for relatability:

    "I really wanted people to feel like it wasn’t like this magazine, perfect family that lived in this house. Like, anybody can have this house." — Alex, 07:23

Making Interiors Approachable

• Showing Real Families
  • Including families in photos was important to convey that beautiful, high-end interiors can still be lived in:

    "These people have three kids too… I wanted that to come through in the writing." — Alex, 07:23

  • The discussion turns lighthearted about kids inevitably invading every room (09:09).

Designing for Family: Working with Her Sister

• Alex shares her approach to mixing professionalism with familial closeness (11:37).
• Her sister was decisive, bold with color, and challenged Alex to move outside her comfort zone (13:22).
• Noteworthy Design Story:
  • The fully patterned primary bedroom, inspired by nostalgia and family ties:

    "If we're doing this, like, we are committing to this." — Alex’s sister, 16:03

  • The room uses a sewn dianthus chintz fabric everywhere, creating a unique, restful atmosphere (14:30-17:53).

Balancing Maximalism and Editing

• Even in colorful or maximalist spaces, Alex’s “edited” sensibility prevents rooms from feeling overwhelming:

  "There's a real quietness there and it’s not overdone.” — Caroline, 18:47

• She enjoys clients taking ownership and evolving their homes post-install, emphasizing homes should reflect the owners, not the designer (19:42).

Art, Heirlooms, and Personality

• The Arts and Crafts bungalow project showcases Alex’s approach to mixing meaningful heirlooms with bold colors and patterns (21:18).

• The importance of a singular, personality-packed piece: a purple leather banquette, which grounds and “amps up” the breakfast nook’s sweetness (24:27–25:40).

  “It pulled some of those colors out of the chintz, which… draws your eye up even more to that light fixture.” — Alex, 25:45

• She addresses challenges and joys of integrating entire family dining sets, creating balance through bold, whimsical elements to avoid stuffiness (29:01–29:42).

Patterned Sofas & Sectionals

• Alex advocates for patterned upholstery, especially in small spaces or kid-friendly homes:

  “It’s just inherently camouflage… it is less precious when it's a pattern.” — Alex, 32:13

• Fewer window treatments can strengthen a room’s focus and let architecture shine (33:25–34:42).

Designing for Real Life

• The Non-cooking Family’s House:
  • An elegant, traditional galley kitchen, designed purely for aesthetics instead of function, suits a family uninterested in cooking or entertaining (36:05–39:56):

    “She truly gets upset with him when he cooks eggs. She’s like, this is not a cooking kitchen.” — Alex, 36:15

• Encourages honesty about how clients actually live, not how they aspire to live (42:01–42:23).

Creating Purposeful Rooms

• Alex discusses her own homes—old and new—and how lived experience changed her approach:

  “Not every space has to do everything. I think the best design happens when you don’t try to make every space do every single thing.” — Alex, 52:14–53:37

• Specific Lessons:

  • The importance of mudrooms in Chicago (46:44).
  • Low-floor windows cultivate openness and garden views (50:31).

Technology & Modern Needs

• Clever solutions for integrating TVs without letting screens dominate:

  "We did...a TV [that raises] up out of the countertop and it's double-sided so that you can open the windows in the porch and have a TV in the porch and have a TV in the kitchen." — Alex, 54:50

• Importance of disconnecting and designing room functions intentionally (56:28).

Collaboration & Creative Process

• Alex reflects on indecision in her own home, seeking input from fellow designers and friends:

  “Power of collaboration is amazing... With myself, I was getting a little bit stuck on certain things.” — Alex, 60:10

• Ultimately happy with her choices, not dwelling on minor mistakes (61:33).

Book Design Details

• Alex insisted on a “jacketless” coffee table book:

  "If this is a book you're gonna use and read and interact with, the book jackets just get gross." — Alex, 62:05

---

Notable Quotes & Key Timestamps

• On Waiting in Publishing:
  "I got the book deal and then it was like, okay, now we're going to sit on our hands for two years." — Alex, 01:53

• On Making Houses Relatable:
  "I wanted to show...these people have kids too... so much more relatable." — Alex, 07:23

• On Patterned Bedrooms:
  "If we’re doing this, like, we are committing to this." — Alex’s sister, 16:03

• On Client Collaboration:
  "She really pushed me. Like, this was not—I would have pulled back. And I think it is so spectacular." — Alex, 16:06–17:43

• On Patterned Upholstery:
  "It's just inherently camouflage. …it is less precious when it's a pattern." — Alex, 32:13

• On Purposeful Living Spaces:
  "Not every room needs to do everything." — Alex, 53:37

• On Designing for Real Life, Not Aspirations:
  "Design for your life. And...be unapologetic about it. And if you don't cook, don't make the kitchen the centerpiece…" — Caroline, 42:01

• On Book Design:
  "If this is a book you're gonna use and read and interact with, the book jackets just get gross...I liked the lack of formality." — Alex, 62:05

---

Important Timestamps

• [01:17] — Alex discusses the emotional rollercoaster and timeline of writing her book.
• [04:26] — Inclusion of her sister’s already-published home and photographing her old house.
• [07:23] — Alex on the importance of showing real families in her projects.
• [14:30-17:53] — Deep dive into the all-patterned primary bedroom with her sister.
• [21:49] — Description of the Arts & Crafts home’s inspiration and process.
• [24:27–25:45] — The purple banquette story and using bold color as grounding.
• [29:01–29:42] — Integrating family heirlooms; overcoming the challenges of full dining sets.
• [32:13] — Patterned sofas: reasons and design logic.
• [36:05–39:56] — The story of the non-cooking family and their kitchen.
• [46:44] — Lessons from Alex’s own homes: mudrooms and planning for real family life.
• [50:31] — Importance of floor-to-ceiling windows.
• [52:14–53:37] — Not every room should serve every function: a manifesto on intentional design.
• [54:50] — TV hidden in cabinetry with a mechanical lift—balancing tech and design.
• [60:10] — Power of collaboration and getting expert advice as a designer designing her own home.
• [62:05] — Why the book doesn’t have a jacket.

---

Final Thoughts

This episode is an engaging, honest exploration of what makes homes truly welcoming and functional. Alex Kaehler encourages living authentically in your space, making bold but intentional choices, and letting rooms reflect their owners instead of an overly “designed” ideal. Whether it’s drapery or book jackets, the common thread is thoughtful editing and unapologetic personal style.

You can follow Alex at @alexkaehlerdesign and find her book, A Welcoming Home: Inviting Interiors, wherever books are sold.

Transcript

[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.

[B]

And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.

[C]

I'm Liz. I head of the creative team.

[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.

[D]

Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at

[B]

the end of each episode.

[C]

We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email [e-mail] now on with the show.

[A]

Today we are joined by a returning guest, Chicago interior designer Alexandra Kahler. You know her by her beautifully put together spaces and her finely tuned eye for editing. She founded her firm in 2011 and is joining us to discuss her highly anticipated debut book, A welcome Home Inviting Interiors. Featuring eight stunning homes designed for young families. The book is a masterclass in using playful prints, saturated colors, and clever solutions to create spaces that are authentic to the people who live in them. Welcome to the show. Alexandra Kahler. Yay.

[D]

Thank you so much for having me back.

[A]

Yes, thrilled to have you and loved getting to see the new book, A welcome Home. It's beautiful. And what an achievement to have your first book out.

[D]

Thanks. I feel very proud. It feels like I gave birth to another child and it's really fun to have it out in the world now because it was sort of something I had and I kept very close to the chest for a long time while I was working on it. And so now it's fun to be able to have other people enjoy it too.

[A]

Tell us about the process because you've had your design firm for 15 years now and you know, I think writing a book is such a milestone for many designers. But was there anything about it that surprised you? Was harder than you expected, was easier than you expected?

[D]

Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, the part that's hard is the waiting. It's just, it's a long process no matter how quickly you move. And I move pretty quickly and can get through a task or a to do list that's assigned to me fast. But the publishing world has kind of this start to finish timeline where it just takes two years and it's pretty hard to get around that. And so I was so excited. I felt like I had this body of work that I was ready to share and I got the book deal and then it was like, okay, now we're going to sit on our hands for two years. And that was hard for me. It was hard to. You know, I. I still was running my design business, and so I was, you know, trying to build my social following because a lot of my clients come from that, and I needed content, but I couldn't share all these projects that were in my book. I think that part was really challenging. But I love photographing projects when they're done. I think just find that to be such a special cherry on top, to be able to have some takeaway of this home that you've created. And shooting all these projects to put them in the book was really so fun and kind of easy. Although I feel like other designers might really not appreciate me saying that, because photo shoots are so much work, but they're just so fun, and it's a great sort of culmination of everything you've been doing. And, yeah, it was just. It was a fun, collaborative project for me, and I really got to exercise a different part of my brain and work with different people and learn something entirely new, like the world of creating a book. It's just all these skills and things that you just don't do unless you're doing a book. And I remember talking to an agent, and she's like, well, you have to put together a book proposal. And I was like, googling what a book proposal was. You know, this was like, three years ago. So ChatGPT was not there to support me. You.

[B]

You weren't able to say, hey, Gemini,

[D]

can you please write?

[A]

You get extra props for that then.

[D]

Thank you. Our kids will never know. But, yeah, it was just. It was fun. It was great to do something new, and I'm really proud of it.

[A]

It's. It's so beautiful. Oh, my gosh. I can totally understand having all this beautiful photography that you're dying to put out there and not able to. Did you photograph everything specifically for the book, or was there anything that you had photographed and just used for the book later?

[D]

So my sister's house is one of the book, one of the chapters in the book, and that I had already photographed, and it had been shared on House Beautiful. But it was such a strong project that it just felt crazy to do a book and not include. Had a great story, and she loves color and pattern. And. Yeah, I just. I wasn't sure about the idea of including something that had already been published, but my publisher was like, no, that one's definitely being included. And then everything else was shot for the book, including. So my Old house, which I don't live in anymore, is in the book. And I actually reshot it right before we moved for the book, which was really fun especially to see. Sort of like we lived there with our kids for six years. And how it changed over those six years was actually, like a really fun thing for me to be able to document myself and have photos from when we first finished it to when right before we moved out.

[A]

Okay, we're gonna have to get to that at the end, your new house, because you. If anyone has been following her on social, you know that she's been renovating so that. We'll get to that at the end because we don't want to miss talking about that. Okay. Oh, the other thing I was gonna ask is anyone who's followed you for a long time knows that you used to have a blog and that was sort of your, you know, something you started before opening your firm. Did that make it easier to write the book? Was it a. Was writing something that you got to sort of re enter after not blogging for a while or did that contribute at all?

[D]

So I didn't actually write the text of my book. Hadley Keller, who's amazingly talented writer, she wrote the text. What was fun and sort of reminiscent of the blog was just the storytelling aspect of it. And. And so basically what I would do with Hadley was she would get the photos and then we'd schedule a call and she would just be like, okay, talk to me about this project. Like, tell me everything. And. And that was just really fun because you get to sort of like, rehash what the design brief looked like. And, you know, it's just this opportunity to reflect. And I think that the blog was always kind of a place for that. Although I will say, once I started doing more like real interiors work, my blog kind of started fading into the background a little bit. And so I didn't get to do that type of, like, design reflection necessarily. So it was a little. I guess it was a little bit of a different experience, but fun to do it in a new way.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, she did a great job writing because it. It really does. I mean, it's from a first person perspective. She got your voice. It sounds. I love going through and getting the debrief on every scene, single project, and really kind of getting the ins and outs. It's a really fun read.

[D]

Thank you. When you do a coffee table book, you know that not everyone is gonna read it, but you want the people who do read it to feel like they're Getting something. And I knew it wasn't gonna be like a how to of any sort. And, you know, it's a very traditional monograph in the way that it's done. But I'm a pretty unfiltered, casual person. And Hadley really got that about me. And we were friends first. And so I think that helped that she knew my voice. She did a beautiful job of writing in it. And I really wanted people to feel like it wasn't like this magazine, perfect family that lived in this house. Like, anybody can have this house. And that's why it was so important to me to include pictures of the people, because I think that sometimes I found it even with my clients. They would be looking through magazines and they'd look at these houses and they'd be like, well, this is beautiful, but I have three kids. I can't live in a house like that. Or, like, I have two dogs. I can't live in a house like that. And so I wanted to show, like, no, these people have three kids too. And like, these people have two dogs also. And so I think it just made it so much more relatable. Like, yes, it's. They're high end, beautiful interiors, and they probably feel really precious when you're looking at just a photo. But then you see, like, oh, they're sitting, having coffee in their formal living room with their feet up on the table. So that was. I wanted that to come through in the writing. And I think Hadley just did a beautiful job.

[B]

And even seeing, like, the little kids on the staircase and stuff, it makes sense again, of just like, that whole people do live here. And that is the thing about a book usually, again, a home book, that sometimes you. You do lack who lives here.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so to your point, it can be very overwhelming. You're like, I assume this person is someone I'm making up in my head

[D]

versus, like, these are the people that,

[B]

like, love these spaces. Yeah.

[D]

And you think like, oh, they've. They say they've got little kids, but, like, their little kids probably aren't going in that room. Or like, their little kids are probably not climbing on the banister.

[A]

And.

[D]

And so you see that, like. No, that little kids, everybody's little kids are everywhere. You can't keep them in a cage as much as you might want to.

[B]

Yeah. As much as you say, don't touch it or go in that room.

[A]

They will.

[D]

Yeah, they will.

[B]

If the drape's silk, they will hide in it with chocolate hands. That is what they will do.

[D]

Yeah. There's like, they go like a, a beacon to them. The more, the more delicate it is.

[B]

I wanted to ask just about working for, like working with your sister to do her place, like, how did that go? Because I feel like that's a fun, but it would be hard, I think, to like. So I want to know how that went.

[D]

Yeah, it went great. We just had so much fun together. And she, she had such a distinct point of view going into the project. She was like, I, I want an old house. I want it to be quirky. I want it to have a ton of personality. And I love English interiors, but they get like, too muddy and serious for me. And I want it to feel a little bit more vibrant and a little bit more saturated. And more is more is more. And you're not allowed to paint a single wall white. And that was tough for me because I love a palate cleanser of a white wall. And I definitely love a big moment. And then I love to really pull back and let that big moment be the moment. And my sister wants a big moment everywhere. But I think she really sort of respected that it was my expertise and I very rarely pushed. And so when I did, she paid attention. And, you know, a lot of people are afraid of that much color. She is definitely not afraid. And, you know, I think my, my husband probably had the hardest time with it because he's like, oh my gosh, the two of you cannot be in a room together. You need to like, set meeting times. And like, that's when you're talking about this stuff. Because we'd like, get together for a family dinner and then like, sit in the corner with fabric samples.

[A]

Sounds fun to me. Sounds like a great time.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, I loved it. And yeah, we just, you know, I. I've worked with family a lot and the. I have a pretty strict way that I do it where I say to them, I'm going to treat you like client, and I want you to treat me like a professional. Because if we blur the lines too much, this is gonna just. We're not gonna enjoy it. And you know, I don't, I don't bill them for my own time, but like, they get billed for my employees time and you know, they, they're treated like a true client. They're taking up especially a project where I'm doing your whole house. Like you're taking up a slot in my calendar. And so that's always worked really well for me. I did my mom's house a few years ago. I've done a project for my dad, I actually enjoy working with family as long as everybody's on the same page that it's still a professional project.

[B]

So, like, after, at dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, after you guys sat in the corner, you're like, oh, here's that bill for the dollar.

[D]

Oh, me?

[B]

I'm joking. I'm joking with you.

[D]

That's why I don't bill my family for my time, because I will, like, sit and text you a million links at 10 o' clock at night, because I. Whereas I wouldn't do that with a client because that, you know. Boundaries.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Did you learn anything surprising about your sister in the process? We always talk about how design is such an intimate working relationship because you're, you know, in someone's home and in their life and you have to know them so well. And, you know, obviously you would have known so many things about your sister, but was there anything in the creative process that you were like, oh, okay.

[D]

She was a lot more decisive than I expected her to be.

[A]

She.

[D]

She really, like, once she locked in on something, she knew that that was what she wanted, and that's a pretty rare thing for clients. Um, so that was great. And. And I also really appreciated how much she challenged me. I mean, she, like, there were things that I pushed back on initially that she just said, no, it's not. That's not me. It's not what I want. And made me go back to the drawing board, and it turned out better because of that.

[C]

I want to talk about the decision in the primary bedroom.

[D]

Yeah, that was a wild one.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

For.

[C]

For our listeners, the primary bedroom is covered in a beautiful pattern that is pattern drenched on the bed, on the bench, on the chair, on the drapery, on the Romans, on the walls. Everywhere. It's everywhere. So who's. Whose initial idea was that and who, like, just added and then. And then. And then on that.

[D]

So her bedroom actually has a great story. So we, our grandparents growing up had Lee Jofa's Althea fabric, which is like a beautiful traditional chintz. They had that in their family room. And it was a room we spent a ton of time in growing up. And we all feel sort of nostalgia around it and attached to it. And I had a sofa in that fabric in my old house, and then my cousin did a chair in it in her living room. And my sister was like, I want to do it in my bedroom. And so our initial plan was this, like, really English pattern on pattern, like kind of cottagey feel paired with the Althea. And we went to Place the order. And it was on backorder for something crazy, like, 47 weeks. And she was so, again, so decisive. And she was like, you know what? I love that fabric, but if I ever have a little girl, I think I'd almost rather save that fabric and use it in her room and do something different in mine since it feels like things are not aligning. So we went back to the drawing board and she said, we call our grandparents Nana and Papa. She was like, nana and Papa's bedroom growing up was all in one pattern. Like, everything was all. And it was this, like, red and cream toile. And she was like, what if we did something like that? And she was really specific. She was like, I want a white ground. I want a small scale print. And I want it to be more than two colors. Like, unleashed me. Like, okay, now go show me.

[A]

What a great prompt, right?

[D]

Great. Yeah. And, like, specific enough, but not too specific. And so this was, you know, it was five years ago, and this was just as sewn was really getting this presence in the United States. And I showed her this. This dianthus chintz from sewn, and she completely fell in love with it. She was like, it's. It's perfect. It's everything I want. Um, and I remember going to place the order for, you know, a gazillion yards. And my rep was this, like, lovely woman who I ended up becoming good friends with over the years. But she was like, oh, okay. Like, she was even surprised by it. And I was like, oh, gosh, I hope that doesn't mean I'm making a mistake here. But, like, we're just gonn. And my. Again, my instinct was like, okay, we're going to do the drapes and we're going to do the walls. Let's do the bed in a solid. And my sister was like, no, if we're doing this, like, we are committing to this. And I was like, okay, well, if we're going to do it, let's do like a square headboard. And she was like, we're going to do this, like, really fancy scallop shape. And she really pushed me. Like, this was not. I would have pulled back. And I think it is so spectacular and it's so impactful. And yes, it would have been beautiful if we made those other choices, but it's so much stronger like this. And it's just, you know, not everybody could have a bedroom like that. Like, my husband is always like, I would never fall asleep if that was my room. Like, I just. It's like would like, you know, make me go blind.

[A]

Don't you think it kind of like goes away in a sense?

[D]

Yes.

[A]

You know, like it sort of becomes a neutral, as crazy as that is.

[D]

No, I totally agree. I always push people on that in bedrooms who feel like we need like simplicity to create calm. I think you can create calm in other ways if there's not all these fighting patterns and textures. But yeah, it's just a showstopper of a room. It's special. And you know, she found like that wing back chair that she's got in the corner in that same chintz. She found that in my grandparents storage room. And she's just got all these really meaningful pieces layered in. And what's funny is that I purposely shot her house, right. Not right when it was finished, but like pretty shortly after because she is a collector. And the amount of layers, things that have been added since I finished, since I shot it, I should say it's beautiful, but it's a lot.

[A]

It's so funny that you say that though, because flipping through the pages, you know, the chapter that is her home, it's not the way you're describing it. I'm sure listeners would think it would feel really over the top, but there's a real quietness and I think that's something that I. Yeah, there's a real quietness there and it's not overdone. Um, and it's, you know, there's still a lot of moments that don't where it doesn't, you know, you kind of have to look for the whimsy, I guess. You know, like you kind of talk in the book about the art feeling a little bit traditional, but also a little bit fanciful. So I'm, you know, your, your own design work does have a real edited, quality quality to it, which I've always loved. And that's still evident here in your sister's house even. She did kind of push you to go further.

[D]

Yeah, and I think my editing has kind of faded into the background for her as time has gone on, which is great. And I want clients, houses, whether they're my family or not, to be a reflection of them, not of me. And so in terms of photographing it and publishing it, it made sense that it was at this kind of edited AKD phase of things. And I love going over and seeing what she's added. And you know, every once in a while she'll run something past me. But usually like, she just chooses things she loves and I love that.

[C]

Okay, but because it is your sister. Do you ever just go through and be like, I'm just gonna restyle this.

[D]

Oh, yeah, tone it down a little bit. I went over to her house a few weeks ago to play mahjong, and I was like, your family room shelves look terrible. I'm taking it all out, and I'm redoing your shelves. And she was like, oh, I love that.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

And I just real. I was like, yeah, it just has collected stuff and, like, it. The scale is wrong, and I'm gonna just. It took me 20 minutes, and I just restyled the shops. So, yes, I'm still me. And, you know, she can always tell me, no.

[A]

You have that bond with a sister where you can tell them that.

[D]

Yes, yes, yes.

[A]

No, that is not a cute outfit on you.

[D]

Yeah. Yes, exactly.

[A]

I have a brother.

[B]

This.

[A]

This is all not anything we would ever discuss. I wish I had a sister like the three of you.

[D]

Well, sometimes, I don't know. I mean, I'm. I'm obsessed with my sisters. But there. There's a lot of. There's a lot of communication about each other's thoughts. You know, sometimes we could probably keep them to ourselves.

[B]

That's very true.

[A]

I would love to talk about the arts and crafts house because I loved that project, and in some ways, it almost felt more. More full on than your sisters. There were certain rooms that were just so, like, wonderfully saturated, you know? I loved that. Well, actually, start by just telling maybe our listeners about the house a little bit and sort of the, you know, the jumping off points. Okay.

[D]

So it was. It's a 1920s bungalow in the arts and crafts style. It's a very. A very Chicago, like, Midwestern style of architecture. And from a construction, renovation perspective, it really didn't need very much, but it was really kind of just this sad, flat house. And my client came to me, and she's from the south, and she was like, I want color and traditional shapes. And so my first step for people is always to ask them to collect inspiration, imagery. And it can be, you know, a paint color that you like or a whole room that you like or something you don't like. And she collected these images for me, and it was all over the place. Like, really, like, kind of funky, Jacqueline, like, French things. Things where I was just like, I. I thought we were going this totally different direction, and I really struggled. And some of it was, like, super, super, super traditional, like, very European heavy, like what you see in a castle. And I was having a really hard time pulling Common threads. And so we sat down together and basically what I realized is that she loves saturated color and she loves, like, whimsy. She didn't want it to feel serious, and she did, like, traditional, but she still wanted to feel fresh. And so that was kind of all I needed in terms of a brief.

[B]

And

[D]

we just got to work and it was. It is. It's saturated and pattern filled and whimsical and it doesn't feel formal or serious. And, you know, really the only construction we did was some light renovations in the kitchen, but they didn't want to take that full renovation on. And so we just kind of put some lipstick on it. And I think it just turned into such a cool, funky house. It just has so much personality. And we incorporated a ton of family heirlooms that they had, which I love when I have the opportunity to do that and inject those meaningful things. And, yeah, I just kind of love that it went from this house where, like, I didn't really know what they wanted. And then it turned into being like one of my favorite projects. And it has so much personality. Sometimes when you get kind of a diluted brief, you end up with a diluted end product. And this was not at all the case. I feel like we were really able to hone in on what. On what she wanted, what they wanted.

[A]

I mean, the Purple banquet was. I was just sort of a wow moment. You know, just to describe it for your listeners. Our listeners. It's a giant U shaped, what, pleather purple leather banquet. I mean, it sounds hideous, but it is.

[B]

Yeah. You didn't describe that Well, I mean, you described it, but you didn't.

[A]

I mean, you know, I'm trying to be hyperbolic because if you were to just describe it. Yeah, it's a U shaped like almost a grape yellow, but like in a great purple. But in a great. I mean, it's beautiful,

[C]

but it grounds the wallpaper that's happening behind it.

[A]

So fabulous.

[B]

A lattice.

[D]

Yeah, wallpaper.

[B]

Which again, the chintz shade.

[C]

Oh, my gosh. Such a good mix.

[D]

Chint shade is like everything, I think for that space. It was like if you look at the wallpaper and the chintz light fixture, you're like, oh, it's so sweet. And so we needed something to make it not feel sweet. And yes, the purple, it's called eggplant.

[A]

It is.

[B]

It's aubergine.

[A]

It is. No, it is.

[D]

Yeah, like, that just. It, like totally amps it up. You know, it feels playful and it doesn't feel serious. And it doesn't feel too sweet. And purple's a color I really struggle with. It's not something I'm generally drawn to. And when I think about this space, I don't think any other color would have worked. Like, pink or coral would have felt way too girly. And I think a blue would have felt way too serious. Like, it just. This just worked. And it pulled some of those colors out of the chintz, which I think just draws your eye up even more to that light fixture.

[A]

And.

[D]

And I think the other thing to note, and you don't necessarily get this from the book, is that this little breakfast nook where it lives is open to the kitchen completely. And the kitchen is, like, you know, it's white cabinets. The walls are wallpapered in a really subtle stripe, but it's a pretty neutral space. And so I love the idea of having this really bold moment that's kind of tucked away. Yeah.

[C]

Well, I love. There are other bold moments in this house, too, that. Yeah, there are a lot, but that I feel like our act as, like, grounding connections from room to room.

[D]

Yep, exactly what I wanted.

[C]

The bold yellow butler's pantry.

[A]

Fabulous. That had got. How many shades of yellow did you try to go through?

[C]

Seriously?

[D]

I'm. I am one. It was the very first one.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

My design assistant was like, I think this color is perfect. Huge flecks.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Yellow's so hard.

[C]

Turtle flecks.

[D]

Yellow's hard. But I think the key to this yellow was that it felt really rich without going into, like, an ochre. Like, it. It felt very truly yellow and. But not buttery and sweet. And. And to your point, Liz, like, it pulled from the dining room in this really beautiful way. It balanced the white kitchen. Cause it sits between the kitchen and the dining room. And so, yeah, you know, it's like you want some attachment to those spaces. And I think yellow is a color people are so scared of because it can be hard to live with. And it also can feel really dated. And this just felt fresh with the green countertop. It was just unexpected and funky and cool.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, props to your book designer, too, because they paired it in the most beautiful way with the wallpaper, showing just how it picks up from the gold in the peacock's feathers. It's just. Yeah, it's just everything. It's so good.

[D]

Thanks. It was fun. That's. I mean, you know, there's nothing better than when a client was. It just goes for it.

[A]

What an incredible. I love that wallpaper in the dining Room. And how it. You know, the. You mentioned that it's your client's grandmother or grandparents dining set. And it really adds a lightheartedness in there that I think so many people, like, wish they could use their grandparents, you know, their heirloom pieces, but struggle to come up with a way to make it feel not like it just. You picked it up and put it in there, and. And you just did that so beautifully.

[D]

Thanks. I think a dining set is really hard. I have people come to me all the time with a dining table. Love that. That's easy. No problem. You can integrate that into just about anything. Um, but the full set, the table, the chairs, the buffet, the corner cabinet. It's tough because I think it can feel stuffy really, really fast. Um, and so we went really strong in the other direction to balance that. Um, and this, like, you know, tropical, bold, saturated mural paper was just. It felt. It felt like the perfect counterbalance. Like, it couldn't feel stuffy with that on the walls. Right. Like, it's just.

[A]

It was. Oh.

[D]

Like, no matter what the furniture in that room was, it was not going stuffy. And I love that she had these pieces that were meaningful to her and wanted to incorporate them, and they'd been in her family for a long time. And we reupholstered the seats on the chairs, and we. We did add different end chairs, which felt important to sort of just bring in a little bit of softness, because I think when the chairs are all wood and the table's wood, and there's all these case goods that are wood, you need some softness there. But the pairing of colors, it's kind of like this mushroom with coral. And then the drapes are like a olive. So these are some. The coral, obviously, is pulled from the wallpaper, but that, like, kind of taupe and olive are really unexpected and kind of quiet, muddy colors that just balance the saturated paper a little bit so that it doesn't feel juvenile.

[A]

Was there any part of you that was going to try to talk her out of using every piece from in there? Was that ever in the conversation?

[D]

Yeah, I think I brought it up at one point, like, could we use the table in the buffet and put the chairs in the corner cabinet in storage? But she pretty quickly was like, no, I really want to use the whole thing. And, you know, had I felt like we were sacrificing the design, I may have pushed a little bit harder. But, like, at the end of the day, this is her house, and those are meaningful things to her. And I. I'm just not the person who's gonna come in and be like, nope, sorry. Like, I know it. I know you care, but I don't.

[A]

Well, and what a. Like, you know, it sort of led you to create this really, really unique space that no one else could replicate, which I think is really cool.

[D]

Yeah, I think so, too. And it. And it has personality, and it feels like hers. And she walks into it, and she's like, oh, this is like, my grandmother sat here and, you know, served Thanksgiving table off of this buffet. And, like, that's what a home should be.

[A]

Okay. I also loved that pink or. Well, red? Pink. Pinky. Floral sectional.

[D]

Oh, the best. It's my favorite piece of furniture.

[A]

And this is a real theme throughout the book in your work is patterned sofas and sectionals. So talk us through that, because I can imagine many a people would think that was very scary. And a lot of yardage and.

[D]

Yes, a lot of.

[A]

Yeah, a lot of commitment. So tell us why a pattern so far section was so great.

[D]

So, I mean, there's a few reasons. The first is that it's just inherently camouflage, right? So you spill something on a solid color, and, like, that's all you see. You spill something on a pattern, and it can kind of, like, blend in a little bit. And so that's a big selling point for people who have dogs or kids or, you know, or messy themselves on their furniture. Like, it is less precious when it's a pattern. So that's. First of all. Second of all, the places where I tend to do, like, this piece or the green floral sectional piece in my sister's house, those are both really small rooms where this sofa is, like, the moment. This is the main thing you see when you walk in. And there aren't many other pieces of furniture in the space. And so I think in that case, you want it to be strong. You want it to have, like, a bold sort of something to say. And otherwise, those small rooms can feel a little bit flat. And so, like, this room, not. There's nothing plaid about it. And all it is is this sofa and a small desk. There's no other furniture.

[A]

There's not even drapery, which I didn't even notice until. Yeah. Flipping back in.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that, you know, I think that opting out of drapery, I mean, I have a project that's in the book also, where we didn't do a single window treatment in the entire house, except for in the bedrooms. And that's coming from someone who loves drapery, But I just I think sometimes that edit, that choice to not add in another layer can be really strong and meaningful in the design.

[A]

Is that project without the window treatments? Is that something. Was that a client directive? Or is that something that you just felt like it didn't need it?

[D]

We kind of came to it together. Once we started talking about that as a component to the design, we both felt like, gosh, that just. It doesn't align with the aesthetic. First of all, it felt like. Kind of like. I hate to say this, because I don't actually think that drapery is stuffy, but in their house, it felt stuffy, and they have these really beautiful original windows. And it felt like it totally distracted from that and took away from the strong architecture of the house. And so it wasn't this decision of, like, we're not putting window treatments anywhere on the first floor, but as we would complete each room, we were just like this. It just doesn't need it.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

And, yeah, I mean, that is not something I do often, but, you know,

[A]

sometimes, I mean, you have tons of beautiful drapery in here, and, you know, I feel like every designer is, like, drapery. It's the best part. So it's funny to hear that, but. But I. I can see where it makes sense. Yeah.

[B]

It would also definitely compete with that gorgeous sofa, so.

[D]

Well, that's the thing, right? Like, had I done drapery in there, I think I probably.

[A]

I don't.

[D]

I don't think I would have done drapery in there, in that room, actually, because I think that drapes with those pink walls and that pink sofa, I think it would have felt really sweet. I think if I was going to do any window treatments in that space, I probably would have done, like, a woven of some sort of. But the light in there is so beautiful, and it's their office, and so they don't use it at night, so they don't need it for privacy. So it was kind of an easy space to say, like, let's let the windows shine. And you've got, you know, windows on all three sides of that space. And if you don't need it for privacy and you don't need it for esthetics, then it's an easy skip.

[A]

Can we talk about the house with the family that doesn't cook? Because that's the one with no window treatment. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Laughs Tell us about. I just thought that was a funny, you know, like, detail in there, and that was how I was classifying it.

[C]

No, I totally did as well, Caroline, because the line about how she yells at her husband when he makes eggs because she's like, this is not a functional kitchen. This is not a. This is not a cooking.

[D]

Cooking.

[C]

This could. Yes.

[A]

Yeah. That was so funny to hear listeners up for this house, because I feel like there's some context they're missing.

[D]

Oh, it's so good. So here's some important context. She's one of my best friends, and so I get to see kind of the inner workings of them. But basically, husband and wife are both high powered attorneys, lead super busy lives. They have three young kids, and they bought this beautiful, just like, amazing 1920s house with really amazing architecture and original details.

[B]

And.

[D]

And she has sort of like a funkier taste. It's definitely. She didn't want florals everywhere. She. She wanted color, but in sort of a refined, very intentional way. And when we went to renovate this house, we started having a conversation because it had a closed kitchen. And it actually, the previous kitchen wasn't really a galley kitchen, but it was closed to the rest of the house. And we were talking about, like, okay, we could blow out this wall in the. In between the kitchen and the dining room and then move the family room into what is right now the dining room to give you this sort of, like, modern floor plan. And she said, you know what? I don't want my kitchen open to the rest of the house. Kitchens are messy, and I don't want to be looking at that mess. And I want to do a really traditional galley kitchen. And the choices were made purely from an aesthetic perspective. So, like, polished marble, not the most functional, but, like, we wanted polished marble. And, you know, those La Cornue ranges for people who really cook are not always a hit. She didn't care. It was pretty. And. And it was actually really fun to do a kitchen like that, because usually when I'm doing kitchens, it's like, okay, you know, how many pots and pans do you have? And how can we maximize storage? And, you know, when you're cooking, where do you like to prep? Do you prep by the stove? Do you prep by the sink? Like, I mean, kitchens are incredibly time intensive and difficult to design because people send so much time in there versus this family who does not.

[A]

And.

[D]

And she does. Like, she truly gets upset with him when he cooks eggs. She's like, this is not a cooking kitchen. And then he comes back to me and he's like, alex, did you design me a kitchen that I'm not allowed to use? And I'm like, sorry, not my fault. But, yeah, it's unique. They're not entertainers, which is another thing where I think that, like, sometimes it's an aspirational thing for people where they're like, oh, we entertain. But then when I really kind of push them on, like, what entertaining looks like, looks like to them, it's like having another family over to watch a football game, you know, or, like, they're not throwing big formal dinner parties. These guys were just like, no, our house is not like the hangout house. This is. We don't have parties. That's just not our style. And. And it was really kind of great because it was like, all right, let's just design what works for the five of you. Like, we don't have to think about, you know, you're Hosting Thanksgiving for 35. Where's the table going to go? And, you know, like, it's. It's truly the five of you. And what works for the five of you? And their kids sit at the dining table and do their homework, and, you know, their oldest son goes into the sun room and does Legos. And, you know, it was. It's just. It was cool. It was a really unique designs experience for me, and I loved that they were really clear about what they wanted and what they didn't.

[C]

Well, it is a gorgeous kitchen, and we've been talking about kitchens a lot lately, so what stuck out to me was we. We just recently had a conversation about, you know, how could you have a sink not at the window? And you didn't put it at the window. You just put it in there and put a beautiful piece of art over it. And it's stunning.

[B]

Thanks.

[C]

It's a stunning, stunning kitchen.

[D]

I think that, you know, when you're doing a galley kitchen, you don't have as many walls that you're working with, and those. We have a big set of beautiful glass French doors that lead out to a courtyard. And we didn't want to sacrifice that. That felt like such an important architectural element for the space. And. And so we just put the sink off to the side. And again, like, it helps that they don't cook because we put an antique oil portrait over the sink. So, you know, we're not worried about that, but.

[A]

Okay. But they still do dishes.

[D]

I mean, kind of, but you gotta have.

[B]

You don't have to, Caroline. You don't have to.

[D]

I think there's some paper plate usage happening.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Some people love paper plates and disposable plates.

[D]

Yeah. I mean, we're in the Midwest, you know, like, there's not the sense of, like, formality that you guys have in the South.

[A]

I mean, even if it's melamine. Like, come on.

[D]

No, I'm kidding.

[B]

No. My mom, who's. Again. But she's not. She's from New England. But the point is, is, like, she loved. To this day, she'll come over and be like, do you want to get

[A]

out the paper plates?

[D]

And I'm like, no, I own plates.

[B]

They go in the dishwasher after.

[D]

What do you. These guys use? They have plates. I have plates.

[B]

They have plates.

[D]

They have plates. I chose them. They, you know, they're fought by China. They're real, they're ceramic. And, like, they. They need something to put their takeout on.

[A]

Yeah, that's what I mean. Like, there. Even if you aren't cooking, like, you gotta eat off something.

[D]

This is.

[A]

Although, you know what? I do. I love this. I loved this project for that reason, which is that design for your life. And. And don't be. And be unapologetic about it. And if you don't cook, don't make the kitchen the centerpiece of your design and your layout. And, like. And just be honest with yourself and your designer, obviously, about what you do.

[D]

That's what I was saying, like, about the entertaining thing is, I think it's such an aspirational thing for people where they, like, want to be an entertainer, even if they're not. And entertaining, like, that's a. When you're designing a house for entertaining, like, that is a very specific brief. You know, you're really, like. You're maximizing butts and seats, and you're maximizing how much your table extends, and that's going into every single design choice. And so if you don't have to account for that, that's a really different take on a project.

[A]

Okay, walk us through the rest of the house. Because there were definitely. It was. It had, like, a more modern. I would say, maybe not modern, but, like, streamlined, clean sort of aesthetic. And I mean, I love the. I guess, like, the TV room or the den with that green wall color. So, you know, maybe how did the. The. The choices flow into the rest of the house?

[D]

Yeah, so we did this house in stages, which I think can often be really challenging because you're sort of making decisions in a vacuum that will ultimately impact other spaces pretty significantly. And so it's not always my favorite way to design, but because she is a friend of mine, and we. It was very, like, collaborative, and. And she did have such a distinct ide. She wanted it didn't negatively impact us. And I actually think in a lot of ways, it made the design more interesting. And, you know, she definitely pushed me to pull back on my pattern and color inclinations, which was fun because she. It's not like she was saying, I want the whole house to be white and beige. We have a ton of color, but it's just really, really intentional. And I think that that can just make for such strong design. Like, the family room was one of the last rooms we did, actually, and it was like, okay, we've got this big. Her formal living room is all white, which is not in the book. But then there's a sun room, which is the Samberg blue tree wallpaper, which I think, on its own, could feel sort of girly, a little bit softer. But then you come into the dining room, and you've got these black leather chairs, which, again, on their own, could feel really masculine, but they're balanced with this. With this wallpaper. And so color drenching. The family room felt like such an obvious choice because it sort of created this flow through the first floor of there not being too much tension between the spaces. But they. They didn't match. You know, it felt like, okay, they all go together in some way. There's not like, you know, it's not like the dining room's got this, like, super formal, like, mural paper, and then all of a sudden, you're moving into, you know, I don't know exactly. But my point is that because the choices were more edited and a little bit more contemporary, it felt like every single choice was. Had to be really impactful, and I love the way it turned out. They were really just so fun to work with, and they love art, which is such a big thing for me, and that's also really fun. And they have really, really special pieces in their house that we sourced together. Some pieces that were family heirlooms for them, like that portrait in the sunroom. That's the homeowner's mom. And I think that as much as I love collecting in layers and when you have this really edited space, there's just something that can feel so elegant about it.

[A]

Can we talk about your house or your previous house? Because I do want to get at the end to your new house. Okay. So, yeah, you close the book with your now old house, and you kind of talk about how it did evolve over the course of the six or seven years you lived there. What was it about the old house that, you know, kind of moved into the new house and was There any sort of, like, directional change from one to the other?

[D]

Yeah, yeah, there definitely was. I mean, when we moved, we. So our old house, we got renovated, and our new house, we got renovated, but they both were old houses. And so you're sort of working in some existing confines, which I tend to like. And when we did our first house, we had one child, and obviously, I'd worked with clients who had more kids, but when they're yours, you see it a little bit differently. And, you know, like, we live in Chicago, and we experience all four seasons to their fullest extent. And I remember years and years ago, before I had any kids, I did a mudroom for a client that was gigantic. I mean, it was like. I think it was bigger than their kitchen. And I remember at the moment being like, this is so weird. Like, this is just so much valuable real estate now with three children who play sports. I'm like, oh, my gosh, can I convert my whole floor, my whole first floor into a mudroom? Like, I. Where are all of my gigantic hockey bags supposed to go? Because those are basically, like, additional people who live in my house, those hockey bags and, like, the muddy boots and the snowy boots and the, like, yesterday it's snowing, but today it's raining, and tomorrow it's going to be 75. And, like, it's just you. There is no mud room in the world that could be big enough for a Chicago family. And that is something I didn't fully appreciate. And so in my new house, I definitely was like, okay, we're going to really commit some real space to this. My architect from Alabama thought I was insane. He was like, this is really big, but, you know, things like that that are just, like, functional. But then also, rather than. There were more things that I loved about my old house that I wanted to bring into my new house. So I loved that our living room was kind of its own destination. It was separate from the rest of the house, and I found that we really used it because of that. And so we did the same thing here.

[A]

What do you think made it such a destination, and what was it a destination for?

[D]

So in my old house, it was the only fireplace that we had. So I think that was a huge thing. We would always go in there for a fire, and our screen porch also opened up to it. And so I think those two things really made it a space that we gravitated towards.

[C]

And.

[D]

But what I loved is that there wasn't a TV in there, and it was kind of separate from the rest of the chaos. And so we would have like friends over with all their kids. And after dinner the kids would play and like the adults would go and sit in the formal living room. And there was nothing formal about it, but like it was just separate. And. And then I also loved that like we could go in there with our kids and like there was no tv, you know, and it was just cozy and everyone would bring their books. And so now in our new house, it's not the only fireplace, but we do still use it in the same way. And I'm intentional about that. It doesn't happen quite as organically because there's not this singular pull. But like we finished a nerd. I'm like, okay, let's go in the living room because I want to use it. And then the other, probably the biggest thing was that our old house had windows that started at the floor. And I loved how that felt to live in. It felt like you were sort of like out in the garden and no matter what room you were in. And our old house had sort of low ceilings, but it never felt claustrophobic because the windows were low. And I really. It's not something I ever would have put into words that was important to me until I lived in it. And then I was like, oh, this

[C]

is,

[D]

this is a non negotiable for me. And so when we walked our architect through our old house as we were starting our new house, I said, if there's any way to do this in as many rooms as possible, I would like to. And he did it in pretty much every room for us. And I love it and I'm so glad that we were able to replicate it. Like you can even see, you're going to see all my mess behind me, but you know, my like bay windows go down to the floor and that feels small but really special.

[A]

And it sort of seems like a no brainer in some ways because you know, like a lot of times you can't even fit anything underneath a window with the. How the ledge is. So it's not like you're losing much. You can always put something in front of the window.

[D]

Yeah, right. Yes. And that's how I feel. And you know, I mean there are places like our old house, the. It was just a really symmetrical house. And in the powder room was a full floor to ceiling window right next to the toilet. It's like, all right. I mean, not ideal, like, but you keep that window treatment closed at all times and like it's fine. But I. Yeah. In most other spaces I think you can't go wrong.

[A]

Okay, back to the TV less living room. I. This is a hill I will die on maybe, but I feel like we've over TV'd our houses and now it's time to pull back some. I am, I am so glad to have a living room. And that was something I felt like I had to have in my. When we moved was a second living room for no tv. And I feel like people. It's kind of great. I don't know. So I'm glad you said that.

[D]

It's tough because this, again, kind of goes back to how you live. And I don't really watch any tv. And so for me, I'm like, oh, we need like one TV in the whole house. My husband who wants to watch golf, my kids who want to watch their stuff, they disagree with me. And I get that. But I don't want every room to serve the same purpose. You know, I want there to be a room that if you want to watch a movie, you're going to go in that room to watch a movie. And if you want to sit and read a book by the fire, you're going to go in that room and sit and read a book by the fire. I think that's how you really use your house. And it was something I talked to my husband a lot about through the process of, like, not every space has to do everything. And I think that when you're renovating or you're building and you have the opportunity to make those choices, you feel like, oh, well, we should fit everything into every space because we have an opportunity to customize it for ourselves. But I actually think the best design happens when you don't try to make every space do every single thing right. Like, you don't need, like, cozy seating in your dining room unless you have the space for it. Fine. But like, my personal preference is for a room to sort of have a purpose and then the next room to have a different purpose.

[A]

And

[D]

I do like a little bit more of a formal floor plan for that reason. And I find a lot of people who didn't want living rooms before are coming back and wanting them now, speaking

[A]

to every room, not needing to have every function. You know, when you do that, like, if you do try to fit every single function into a room, you don't necessarily make it the best for the thing that's the most important. Right. Like, if it's an office. Okay, well, if you make it also be a TV room and you want to be able to. I Don't know, maybe that's a bad example. But like then it's not a really great office. Like make it really good for the thing that's the most important instead of every room sort of, of so multifunctional that it's not great, you know?

[D]

Yeah, yeah, I, I agree. You know, like I would never want. I for me personally, I don't need like a TV while I'm cooking in the kitchen. I'm like, that's a great time to listen to music. But my husband is different and he's like, I really like to. And he does actually cook. So he gets to say. And he's like, I'd really like to be able to have like the golf on while I'm cooking.

[A]

So what do you do? Do you hide a tv? Is it open to your living room?

[D]

Oh, this is, this is a ridiculously specific scenario. So in our house there was. Our kitchen is a really non traditional kitchen. So there's no upper cabinets and two full walls are windows. And so what we. And it opens up into our screen porch. And so we did a cabinet that's kind of. Or I shouldn't say cabinet. Yeah, I guess it's cabinet cabinet with a countertop, just lower cabinets that open. There's windows all above it that look out into our porch. And so we did. Behind the cabinet is a TV and you press a button and it raises up out of the countertop and it's double sided so that you can open the windows in the porch and have a TV in the porch and have a TV in the kitchen.

[A]

Okay, that's specific.

[D]

Yeah, is very specific. But can you call to me? That was really smart but like a perfect example of not every room needing to do everything. But it felt really important to Spencer and I am a very accommodating wife.

[A]

Does he use it as much as you? As he thought he would?

[D]

Yes. And my kids use it even more. And like I will say I like we'll be sitting in the porch and it's raining and we'll turn on a movie in there. And I'm like, oh, this is amazing. So yeah, it's okay. Yeah, I mean, but I'm over teamed. I admit it. Yes, it was very clever. My husband came up with it. He's very proud of himself. It's cool. His party trick.

[A]

Love it.

[B]

Yeah. I think it's the connection part I think is what we're going for. It's like we're now too connected that we now need the space to unconnect So I think that's probably.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

To your point. Like, you want spaces that you're not tempted by, even, like, there's nothing to your point.

[D]

Well, and I'm. I'm a huge reader, and so I will always ask clients, like, if you're a reader, where do you like to read? Do you like to sit in a chair? Do you like to sit on a couch? Do you like to lay down? Do you like to look out a window? Do you like to look into a room? Like, it's really. You find once you start asking those questions, people experience their space based on what they're doing in very different ways. When I was doing my mom's house, she was like, I only read in a chair, and I want to face out a window, and I want an ottoman that's the same height as my chair. It's like, all right, got it. I love that, though. Had my marching orders. So I think, you know, asking those questions as a designer is so important because how I feel about designing your space might be really different than how someone else wants it.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Okay. When are we going to see the new house?

[D]

Oh, I don't know. Maybe. I, I, you know, I really don't know is the answer. I. I actually feel like the inside is pretty finished. I treated myself like a client, and I had presentations and sample bags, and I was pretty efficient in my decision making. Although all my designer friends would beg to differ because I had, like, tortured them asking their advice about it because I just needed, like, a sounding board. So the inside feels really pretty finished and layered and pretty happy with where it's at. We're doing a big. Not big, but we're doing an exterior project right now because it's a house built in 1929 or 1927, and it has a one car garage. So we're adding a garage right now. And so I keep thinking, like, I'd like the garage to be finished, and I would like my landscaping to grow in a little bit more before we shoot it. But again, living in Chicago, that might really be asking for too much because it could be, like, years before my landscaping grows into the point where I'm happy. So I don't know, hopefully, like, really long winded answer. Hopefully in the next year. That's my hope. I. I think that we're getting there.

[A]

What were the hardest parts that you needed your design friends to help you through?

[D]

Oh, my gosh. I was a nightmare. Um, I literally was, like, offering to pay random people on Instagram to give Me. Their opinion because I. I was not my best self. There were certain things that I was so decisive about, and then other things that I just like. Okay, so my. Our dining room is original to the house. It's this really beautiful oak and walnut paneling. I'm not. I don't think I would have necessarily chosen to have a wood panel dining room. It feels very heavy and serious and formal. But it was there, and it felt so special, and it was in beautiful condition. And I. It felt really important to me to design that room in a way that didn't feel serious because the architecture was so serious. And it's also a much larger room than I would ever choose to dedicate to a dining room. But again, it was existing. That was one where I was like, dming designers who I've never met, but I liked their taste and was like, any chance I could, like, pay you hourly to make this decision for me? And I really. That was. That was tough.

[A]

Wait, who was it? Can you tell us who it was? Who is it that you were like,

[D]

I need there, like, three different people. I'm so embarrassing. I like when I'm. When I'm stuck. I'm shameless. I'm like, lady on the corner. Can you just, like, quickly come inside and tell me what you think? And then I, like, just through this really small world story, met this designer who I had always loved and loved her work. And we met on an airplane going to the Bahamas, and our kids, like, hit it off, and we ended up becoming really good buddies. And I was literally sitting on the beach, like, sketching a floor plan, being like, but what do you think about this? Like, can you. What do you. And she ended up on the beach redrawing my living room. I came home, moved all the furniture, the way she drew it, and it was like, perfection. And I had been struggling with this floor plan so much. So I think that the power of collaboration is amazing. And I can be incredibly decisive with my clients. Like, I know exactly what I want, what I like with myself. I was getting a little bit stuck on certain things. And. And then the problem was that once I was stuck, it was, like, all I could think about. And, yeah, I mean, my. My poor friends. I've got a few, like, designer group chats that I'm a part of. And, like, I think it got to a point where the girls were all like, oh, it's Alex again. No, like, skip over this one. We already told her what rug she should do in there.

[A]

Are you happy with how it all Came together.

[D]

Yeah, I am. And I. I am not somebody who, like, focuses on mistakes. So, like, yes, there's things I would do differently, I think, in retrospect, but I'm okay with, like, the choice that I made, and I'm not gonna. I don't sit there, like, feeling tormented by mistakes.

[A]

Well, the book is incredible.

[D]

Thank you.

[A]

I also love when a designer makes me not have to decide if I'm ruining it by putting on a book jacket.

[D]

So I felt really strongly about this. I felt really.

[A]

Thank you for taking the choice away from us.

[D]

Yes. I. I felt like if this is a book you're gonna use and read and interact with, the book jackets just get gross and they get, like, ripped and they get bent and it looks messy. And so I really. I think it was. Amanda Lindroth had a book that came out that was this, like, this without a jacket. And I just fell in love with it. And I was like, this is, like, this feels like me. It's unfussy. And I liked the lack of formality. And so that was one of my. That was super important to me. And then I wanted a print, like some sort of print on the spine. Oh, and my little.

[A]

And I love the bookmark.

[D]

I know. My little ribbon.

[A]

It's such a pretty detailed.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

So you know, when you're working, when you're doing a book, there's a lot of things that the publisher is like, we're going to choose this. You are not going to, even as the designer. But, like, the general design of the exterior I was super involved with, which was really fun.

[A]

It's really beautiful. A welcome home, inviting interiors. Go order it on Amazon or wherever you buy books in your local bookstore. Alexandra, can you tell everyone where they can find you? Follow you, see your work?

[D]

Yes. Instagram is the best place. So at Alex Kaler, which is a pain spell. K A E H L E R Design. And I do lots of photos of work, but I also do lots of other unfiltered life stuff because I can't help myself. And, yeah, hopefully it's a fun place to be.

[A]

Thanks so much for joining us. That's our show.

[D]

Thanks for having me. It was so nice chatting with you guys.

[A]

And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog, how to decorate.

[D]

To send in a decorating dilemma, email

[B]

your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can

[D]

help you with your space.

[A]

And of course, be sure to follow us on social media at ballardesigns.

[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.

[A]

Until next time, happy decorating.