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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to how to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home. I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team.
- [00:11]
B
And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.
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C
I'm Liz. I head of the creative team.
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D
We're your hosts.
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A
Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks and tales from interior designers, stylists and other talents in the design world.
- [00:22]
B
Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
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C
We love answering your questions, so don't
- [00:27]
A
forget to email us@podcastallardesigns.net now on with the show.
- [00:34]
C
Today we're exploring the intersection between fine art and interior design. We're joined by a guest who truly treats every room she designs as a blank canvas because before she was designing homes across the country, she was a working fine artist. Lauren Wodeka is founder and principal designer of LBW Studio based in Loudoun County, Virginia. She began her career as a painter, exhibiting her work throughout Virginia and D.C. and today, Lauren designs deeply personal, lived in space spanning from historic Virginia estates to new builds in California. She's known for her incredibly hands on approach and her love of character over perfection. We're excited to have you here. Please welcome to the show. Lauren.
- [01:17]
D
Thank you so much. That was such a sweet intro and to be honest, I didn't know that you were going to say all that. I feel very touched. Thank you. I'm thrilled to be here.
- [01:26]
C
We are so excited to see your work and to get to explore your work and so. And such an incredible path to interior design.
- [01:38]
D
A long windy road, maybe.
- [01:40]
C
Yeah, tell us, tell us about it.
- [01:42]
A
Yes.
- [01:42]
D
But you know what? I have finally, I finally feel like early on I think I felt like loving art and loving interior design was maybe perceived as confusing to people. Like, are you an artist or are you an interior designer? When I realized that I was merging that direction and for me, I always loved both and I don't think I realized how important the two go hand in hand. And now I view art and design as my biggest advantage. I really feel like it's a huge win opposed to something I have to explain to people and often they cross over. I find myself in situations where I'm talking to a client and I have this vision and, and then they look at me and they say, well, we know who could paint that, you know, And I think, uh, oh, I just got myself in a jam. One more thing to do, you know, So I am proud That I have this strong art, fine art and art history background and think that it really helps when I'm putting together design plans for homeowners.
- [02:52]
B
Well, definitely start again with what your path was, so. And how you got here.
- [02:58]
D
So I was trained as a fine artist. I think the biggest, most impactful event that occurred was I studied in. I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and I was studying fine art. I was studying art history. I had very rigorous days during the week, and I was schlepping, you know, my toolbox and my portfolio and spending eight hours a day in these intense painting classes. I was put into the highest. I placed into the highest painting class, which was a huge honor. We were on the streets sketching the architecture, and tourists were taking photos of us as students. I don't think I realized all that I was absorbing that would later play into my wealth of design knowledge and how much that informs, you know, ideas I have now. That was the beginning of the merger between art and design, I think. When I moved to D.C. i was trying to find a job in a museum. I thought that that was logical. You know, the term starving artist is around for a reason. And I just thought, I've got to find a way to make it. I. I am not gonna call home and say, I can't make rent. I'm going to prove everyone wrong that you can make it as an artist. So I was entering shows. I joined art leagues. I found my way over to Old Town and fell in love. I decided that I wanted to open an art gallery. But art galleries can sometimes feel cold or. What's the word? Like, some people don't go in them. You know, they feel they might feel
- [04:50]
C
they can be intimidating.
- [04:51]
D
Intimidating is. That's the word I was looking for. So I decided that I wanted to go to auctions, pick up vintage furniture, start making it feel more like a retail store. I, just for fun, started painting antique pieces. And I wanted the painted furniture to look like a piece of history, not shabby chic and, you know, milk painting and all the things that have happened in the last 20 years, but really how they were painting furniture long before they were staining furniture. And I would collect historical books on painted furniture, and that took off. Designers started to find my shop. They loved the painted pieces. I was selling a ton of artwork. I was right on the main street in Old Town Alexandria. So people were coming in from all over the country buying my work. I have some fun stories about famous people that I didn't realize were well known that purchased my work. At the time. And that was my way in because I didn't know a soul when I moved to Northern Virginia. I was from Lynchburg, Virginia and just had lived in Italy. Came home, it was right after 9, 11. And I thought D.C. is a good place to start. So I had that storefront for seven years. And during that time I worked for other interior designers and really soaked everything up like a sponge. And they were my mentors and were still close friends and did a lot of wall murals for them. I worked in a show house at the design center in D.C. in my early 20s, painting beautiful branches on a wall and using Venetian plaster and painting on the ceiling. And I don't do any of that anymore because I'm old and my neck and my back hurt. But it was a great intro in. And when I would deliver antiques or paintings to clients homes in the area, it would naturally open up a conversation about, well, what, you know, what do you think I should do for the drapery or do you have a chair for right here or, you know, and it just started expanding from that. And I always loved design. If there had been a design program where I went to school, I would have jumped all over that too. I loved going to antique shows, I loved jumping on rug stacks as a kid and you know, shopping, you know, for home furnishings and drawing little floor plans. And so I think it was a natural evolution.
- [07:35]
B
Yeah. How have you found that kind of fine arts background to really influence the way you're choosing colors for clients or even looking at the floor plan? Has it really. How have you found that to be impactful?
- [07:47]
D
So my, I'm an oil painter. I, you know, I can, I can sketch, I can paint with watercolors, all of that. I used to do hundreds of interior renderings for other designers late at night when I was raising babies and needed to be here and just do like little short term projects. Even that probably gave me experience on floor plans and laying out a concept for a room. But I do feel like all of the formal training I received in painting, learning about tone, composition, lines, how your eye flows through the painting, if you want a focal point, where that focal point should be, how different colors play with one another and how they create a sense of feeling and what you're trying to achieve, you know, all of those things are exactly the same with interior design. And you know, if you want something that feels a little bit out of place, like everything, everything feels so consistent and you've got a lot of blues and greens or something, but then all of a Sudden, there's this sharp chartreuse color over in the corner, and then maybe you see a little fleck of it over on the other side. Those are the same things I try to create in people's rooms. And I think when you're thinking about the composition of the room, it's what. What is the overall feeling that you're trying to achieve for this client? Who are they? What do they love? How can you make this room feel like them? And then it's really looking at each object and how that plays a part of the space, just like a painting. And knowing when to stop.
- [09:42]
B
Mm, I like that.
- [09:45]
D
Not overdo it.
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B
I was gonna ask.
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C
Yeah.
- [09:49]
D
How do you stop? Well, one of the earliest pieces of advice I received from an art teacher when I was in. Maybe it was freshman year of high school. I mean, I was. I was painting when I was in middle school. All my old schools have work of mine in their main office or in the principal's office. But this one teacher, we were working on something figural, and I was just working on the underpainting, and she comes up behind me and she says, stop. And I looked at her like, I'm just laying out the plan for the painting. She said, it's actually beautiful the way it is. Like, best piece of advice is to know when to stop, when to put the paintbrush down, when you've achieved, like, that certain feeling you want and not to overwork it. And I think that that is a good tip for interior design, too.
- [10:43]
B
So kind of taking that and knowing that kind of when to stop, do you find clients understand the when to stop as well? Or do they ever feel like. You know what I mean? Like, do they understand that process?
- [10:59]
D
I think so. I think that the best projects are the projects where I really know the client, so I know what I want to put in their space. And I want them to feel like they can trust me fully because I do have their very best interest. And so if I want it to stop, then I try to push. I. I am very agreeable to a lot of things, and I am a great listener. I mean, that's my one job. But I do push when I, like, want to push on something, and I do make my voice clear, and so I hope they listen to me. You know, I know a lot of people think more is more is more, and I sometimes do too. But it's about the edit and about the restraint and knowing when to have a little bit of negative energy and when you know, and when to have something that is more intense, that you want to be loud. And that balance is what creates something really beautiful.
- [12:13]
C
Yeah, that's actually something I see a lot in when I got the chance to look at your work, is that your rooms do feel very full, but they also feel edited at the same time, which kind of gives them a beautifully traditional vibe to them. So what are some. What are some tips that you can give us to help edit things?
- [12:36]
D
I think it really depends on the type of person in the home. There are some clients that, that right away, I know are collectors and they are more as mores more. And they have great taste and have, you know, collected over time. And for a homeowner like that, it's about, you know, maybe using built ins to showcase some of their, like, little objects they've collected. But then maybe something else needs to be less busy. Like, do you want your art and your accessories to steal the show? Maybe then your upholstery or your drapery is a little bit more minimal. Maybe you use a limited color palette. Maybe you just have white linen drapery so that your art is the huge wow moment. Maybe someone doesn't like a lot of things. And you can tell sometimes right off the bat if a homeowner is not a collector, doesn't want to have a lot of little objects. They want, you know, a beautiful pattern on a chair and they want, you know, but they don't want a lot of things on the table. And so you treat it differently. And then your upholstery can be the wow factor or your wallpaper, you know, can. Can really shine.
- [14:04]
B
It feels like it. You're. You're saying it really is just that balance, like making sure there's resting spaces and also what you want.
- [14:12]
D
I mean, I have. I have several projects that I'm dying, dying, dying to shoot. This is the longest that I've ever gone without photographing my work. And it's really because I'm trying to complete entire homes that we've been working on for, you know, maybe two years. And like one we need. We need drapery in one room. And we are done. And I am dying to showcase this house. Cause she. The moment I met her, I. Well, I pull her emails to me were just so lovely. You know, sometimes you can tell over an email that it's gonna be a great relationship. And then I pulled up and her house was just a jewel box. I mean, just so beautiful from the curb that I thought, I can't wait to see what's in it. I want this house, you know, I just want to. I just need to interview her. So then I walked in, and from the moment I walked in, she gave me this big hug. We'd never met, and we were like instant friends. We hit it off great. And we're walking through the house, and I'm taking it all in, observing. And she's being very open with me, talking about what she likes and what she doesn't like. And I'm walking through thinking, she doesn't need me. This house is great, and I love all of her stuff. And then we started really talking, and I. And she said, well, what do you think? And I said, your dining room doesn't really match the rest of your house, but I can tell that a decorator did it. And she said, I did hire a designer. It was my first time. She's like, I shouldn't have said yes. Cause you're right. It's not me at all. And I said, it doesn't look like you. It's really beautiful, but it doesn't look like you. And I've only known you for one hour and absorbed the rest of your space. So we walked away with. We walked through the whole house and had a plan for the whole, you know, multiple spaces. Like, we needed to create another. Another bedroom for one of her sons. And we need, you know, a multi. You know, a big list. And then I got a call a week later, and she said, you know what? I don't even want that dining room anymore. I want to turn it into a family room. This house does not function the way my family needs it to function. And they were looking at buying other homes. And I said, don't. Your home is so beautiful. Like, bigger is not better. This is such a charming home. And so we ended up rearranging the rooms. We did a bunch of construction. That room is now a large family room. And it's so her. It's so me. I mean, and she just was so fun to work with because I took what. And I took from her sons and her husband, too, but I took her own style. And then I elevated it, and I. I gave her a whole nother level of what I knew she was looking for, but it was really just still her. And that's like.
- [17:01]
C
That's.
- [17:02]
D
I can't wait to photograph it, because it's really good. And it was a great relationship the whole way. So, anyways, other homes I go into, I can tell they aren't interested in a lot of things. Maybe we have to figure out what it is they should collect. But it's a different aesthetic, and that's fun, too. Yeah, it's fun trying to figure out how to define someone who doesn't know what their style is.
- [17:34]
B
I feel like that's how. How do you find yourself trying to pull that out of people? Because, like you said, I'm sure the strong personalities, you. You can, like, click on something and visually grab something. But yeah, if a person is in,
- [17:46]
D
sometimes homeowners, maybe they don't. They don't know how to get the look, but they know what they like, and they'll. They'll throw a bunch of images my way that they see on Instagram or on Pinterest. And that kind of gives me an overall concept of what they're trying to achieve based on the things that they are drawn to. But some homeowners, they don't do any of that, and they really just want me to come up with a plan. I ask a lot of questions, and I get to know them. I mean, this is a relationship, and we're going to be in it together for a long time. So, A, I want to like them, but B, I want to really know who they are. You know, we're gonna, you know, and part of that is the initial interview. Like, if I walk in there and we're not liking one another, we're not getting along, then I'm probably not your interior designer.
- [18:39]
C
Well, especially if you're doing their whole home and you're going to be working with them for two years.
- [18:44]
D
Yeah. And that's okay. You know, like, it has. I just recently took on a new project that I am, like, so excited about, and this was one of the first times I've ever just point blank said, I, I, I want to work on this project. Like, I, I can't tell you how much I want to work on this project. I'll do whatever you want. I want to be a part of this project, and I want to. I want all the ins and outs of it, you know? And I told her, like, we're, we're going to be close. I mean, I have a homeowner that just messaged me. I don't know, this was a year ago maybe, but she said, I need to buy a new car. What color car should I buy that looks good in the driveway? Like, in the city.
- [19:25]
B
Amazing.
- [19:26]
D
Oh, wow.
- [19:27]
C
It looks good in the driveway. That's fantastic. Yeah.
- [19:29]
D
I like when we have, like, a great friendship and we're building this home together, all parts of it, you know? So this new project that I'm getting ready to start on that, you know, we've sort of started. I'm just so excited about it. The family is so cool. I told them, like, we've got to become friends. I want you to share things with me. Where do you travel? You know, do you like to dress up or are you casual? Do you. Where do you like to travel? What do your kids like to do? What do you do as a family? You know, like, lots of different questions. What do you do on the weekend? Do you have a hobby? Do you cook? You know, I mean, lots of, lots of questions. And from there you can kind of start, like, if someone loves the outdoors and loves to go hiking and goes to national parks, they. You can bring some of that into the design plan.
- [20:33]
B
Now you say on your. On your website, you talk about the emphasis on creating spaces that are, you know, that have that longevity and have a lot of character. And you really have that, like, lived in. Say people would like to create that lived in. How could they go about kind of bringing that into their space?
- [20:55]
D
I don't know if it's from living in Italy or if it's probably a combination of first living in Italy and then secondly, my antique shop years ago and now. I mean, I still buy antiques all the time. I've had the car loaded three times in the past week with my living room over there. You don't want to see right now because it's going to different projects at the end of this week. And so this is just like a quick resting space for it. But I lived. When I moved to Florence, I lived in one of the upper floors of a palazzo with seven other girls that I had met from all over the country. And it was a beautiful building attached to Santo Spirito Church on the other side of the bridge in Florence. It had the most rickety old elevator that felt like a cage that I'd ever seen. It was. Everything was marble, but it was. And you went up to our level and the apartment was basically empty. But it had these huge windows that opened up onto the terrace that were all crusty. It had old marble floors that had so much stain on them, but they were these white veined floors that were just so beautiful. And we had to light the stove with a match. I mean, I slept on a cot in the attic with my roommate with my girlfriend for, you know, that season. But there was a stained glass window that you could look into the church and hear the organs playing. And that was where Michelangelo had. He had been secretly allowed to go in and study in the basement. The cadavers to learn the muscular structure of humans so that he could then create things like the David and you know, other famous pieces. So it just was so much history but it, and it was lived in. And you know, we, we are here and people talk about being worried about putting marble in because it's going to get dinged and damaged. And I just think. But I was in a palazzo that was from the late 1400s and it was beautiful still. So that. And then antiquing. I love old chippy, crusty or gilded, you know, smoky pitted mirrors and furniture with old marble tops. You know, I love all of that and then I love it all juxtaposed with something more new and clean. And I think that's a way to have a nice balance that feels fresh and new again while still paying tribute to the past. And I think that also gives a home a sense of place and creates a welcoming environment when you have a little bit of a mix and it doesn't feel all new. Even when homeowners want all new. I still try to make something feel a little old, you know, I think it's charming.
- [24:08]
B
Yeah. And what pieces will you like? What are you always craving or putting? What do you find yourself repeatedly like looking for antiquing wise that are great pieces to put in?
- [24:18]
D
I think a beautiful antique stained foyer chest of some sort. Like it could be English, it could be French, it could be early American. I think that's a great spot for something right when you walk in the door. Or maybe it's a new console with, you know, upholstered ottomans, but you've got some fabulous antique mirror hanging above. I used to buy antique picture frames just to put my art in because I loved that balance of a more contemporary painting with an older frame. I mean, I don't think your pillows should be old. I mean obviously, you know, there are certain things that should definitely be new. I think if you like to collect, you could start collecting pottery. That's something small, that's old. Some people like beautiful English inlaid boxes that you could put in a built in amongst all your books. That would be something fun to collect dishes that go up on. I clearly have a obsession. This room is filled with brown and white Staffordshire English dishes on the wall. I've always, I mean I've had them for 20 plus years. You can pick those up as you're, you know, poking around or antiquing or traveling over time.
- [25:41]
B
That's a good one.
- [25:43]
D
Yeah, I like that. Even if it's old candlesticks, you know, but I like that balance of new and old.
- [25:54]
C
All of those things that you mentioned are all manageable too. They're all relative. They can be relatively small and look great as groupings of like, items or mixed together.
- [26:06]
D
I think old mirrors is a good one because you can find those, like if you poke around, even if it's something small. Also, for someone who's trying to acquire artwork, you know, buying antique artwork can sometimes be a great way to not spend as much money and hunt and collect. You know, if you pop in little antique shops or even those like antique malls, sometimes you can find great, like I see behind you, great artwork behind you. And you can acquire a collection, you know, with not always spending top dollar or going to a gallery and feeling like you have to pay some sort of retail price for it.
- [26:52]
C
Do you have any tips on how we should be hanging our art in our homes?
- [26:59]
D
I like what you've done. I like the gallery wall.
- [27:02]
C
Thanks.
- [27:03]
B
Follow Liz.
- [27:04]
D
Follow Liz. You guys need to see a picture. I used to have a gallery wall of oil paintings all. I have a two story foyer and I at one point just started throwing artwork up there because I had too much art. And I thought, well, here's a two story wall, so I'll just stick a whole bunch of artwork on it. And it was like that for maybe 10 years. I just took it all down because I have a new plan, but.
- [27:29]
C
What's your new plan?
- [27:30]
D
I think that I just, I just bought. Well, I met with one of my antique print dealers that I've been working with for like 20 years, and I fell in love with this collection of French botanicals that are all like mostly green and white, like earthy tones. And I was craving some simplicity and something that felt organized and like a collection. I purchased 20 of these prints and I'm going to have them framed and they're going to hopefully go up that wall. And I think in such a large space that needs a little bit of organization that might feel really nice and balanced instead of, you know, all the different sizes of oil paintings and all the different colors I had up there before and I'll find some other home for all of those. I love stacking artwork, you know, like, that goes way back in history, you know, like taking two pieces if they're large or taking three and stacking them on top of a piece of furniture. I think that's a great look. And I have a rule, I think that artwork in general or objects that you hang on your wall should be spaced about three inches apart. And I find that I use that rule like time and time again. Sometimes it can be less or when you're working with a restriction on the wall, like a space restriction, or maybe the object is smaller and you don't want as much space and so you do two or one and a half or something. But in general, I feel like we end up hanging pieces about three inches apart. And when you're working on a gallery wall with all different sizes pieces, if your spacing is relatively similar or if you keep that 3 inch rule, it provides a little bit of organization.
- [29:32]
C
Yeah, no, that's, that's great advice. Because gallery walls can be really, can be really difficult and intimidating to put up.
- [29:40]
D
I know now I have someone who helps me. Well, I have for years. But you know, 20 years ago I would get myself in these binds. Like someone would say, oh, I have a whole bunch of artwork, will you hang it on my staircase? And I'd think, sure, no problem, I'll go hang it on their staircase. And then like two hours later I was like, I should have asked for help. Like, I'm just, I'm just, you know, sticking stuff, you know, hoping with my fingers crossed that this all goes well and it would. But now I try to give. Provide more of a method.
- [30:10]
B
Yes, yes. How do you know when to do kind of that big bespoke an art sort of, you know, like you're saying like a big wall full of art versus like a mural or a wallpaper. Is there any kind of way you decide between the two?
- [30:31]
D
In the case of my foyer, because it's two story, using a muraled wallpaper would be pretty difficult because of the height restriction. A lot of murals, maybe they come in two or three different height configurations, but a lot of them are not two story. So it would be, it would be like a custom job through Gracie or something to get a mural wallpaper all the way up. I also don't know in a two story space if wallpaper is always the answer. Sometimes just some lovely molding and providing sort of like a neutral center point to your home is nice and then maybe to the left is the living room and maybe you do do wallpaper, or to the right is something else where there's a mural. So sometimes a foyer can be nice if it's just clean and solid. Other times you've got to make a big statement in your foyer. And I think sometimes the house dictates it, sometimes it's the homeowner. I mean, this project I just started working on, I mean, we are going all in on the wallpaper on the foyer because the molding is so terrific. I mean, it is so outstanding that it needs a moment to shine. And I think the wallpaper helps provide a definition between the wall and all of this beautiful molding that needs to really, you know, be in all of its glory. And then we'll do something on the walls in both the other rooms, too. But that deserves some wallpaper. Sometimes a little jewel box space is a great spot for a muraled wallpaper in an entryway. And also if it's a small entryway, that means it's not as much wall, which means the cost on doing the mural wouldn't be as expensive.
- [32:27]
B
I feel like that's a lot of advice I've given to friends is like, the. If it's a small space that people are going to see, like, feels like it's going to cost money. So, like, put it where.
- [32:38]
D
Go for it.
- [32:39]
B
It can be really. Yeah, you're putting in the smallest amount for this and yet getting the most impact, for sure.
- [32:46]
D
I mean, I think that's why my foyer, even though it's neutral, it's like a shade of off white. I, over the years, have like, stacked the walls with things because I'm trying to, you know, add character, you know, but now I have a good plan. But, but other homes, I, I, if they have a smaller foyer, I would go big on something dramatic on the walls. Powder rooms are also an obvious place to go really wild. I mean, make, make it a jewel box and, and leave the door open.
- [33:17]
B
Mm.
- [33:19]
C
Yeah.
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B
I love a bathroom with wallpaper. I do.
- [33:22]
D
Yes. I'm so happy it's back. I mean, when I was, when I was doing a lot of murals and faux painting, faux finishes, striaing walls and all, striping walls, all that sort of stuff, wallpaper was not in fashion, and people were removing wallpaper. And I'm so glad that it's back. I think there's a time and place for everything, but I think a little wallpaper is nice.
- [33:50]
B
No, it definitely helps fill a room, for sure.
- [33:53]
D
I think you were asking a question earlier that was advice to. To people listening. I think it's how you want your home to feel and then making choices that help with that feeling. I had a sales rep come in years ago, and it was the biggest compliment to me because I want my home to feel well. She walked in and she's been here, you know, year after year, but she said, you know, Lauren, and I think that day, it was, like, messy. I don't I think I forgot she was coming and I wasn't dressed up, you know, and she popped in. She said, it doesn't matter. She said, you know, your home is one of my favorite homes. It is so welcoming. She's like, my room. I mean, my eye glides from, like, object to object across the room. You've, like, got this interesting mix of stuff. It doesn't feel overly busy or cluttered, but my eye just keeps flowing. And each item, when I stare at it is really interesting. And I can tell there's like, you collected it, you found it out. And that was the biggest compliment to me, because I want people, when they come in, to feel like this is a welcoming home, that it's not too precious. I, you know, I want. I mean, I. I get on my kids all the time about the basketballs in the foyer or the volleyball in the foyer and all the shoes that people have dropped as they run into play. But then I, the other day took a photo of the basketballs laying around. Cause I thought, he's gonna be a sophomore in high school next year. I only have a couple years. This is just a moment in time, and this is part of life, and I love it. You know, I'm gonna be really sad when those basketballs aren't rolling around my beautiful foyer, you know, So I think it's leaning into the spot in life you're at and making it feel the way you want it to feel, you know, and then leaning on a designer to do that, or collecting things that make you make you want to be at home. Home should be your most favorite spot. You know, I think that's the best
- [36:07]
C
advice of the day.
- [36:08]
D
Oh, that's great. That's nice. And I love that too.
- [36:13]
C
Like, thinking about, you know, that made me think about, like, can you reverse engineer the. The compliments you want to receive about your home? Like, thinking about how you want your home to feel and how you want others to feel in your home and how you want people to express that to you. Yes. I think that's a really kind of interesting way to think about it.
- [36:33]
D
Yes. Like, I've had homeowners say, I. I want low maintenance, or I've had. I just recently finished a project where he. In his heyday, he's retired now, but he. He worked very high up in the boutique hotel industry all over the world. And he would be on the road flying to different countries, like, you know, 270 days out of the year. And he said to me, now, I want this room. I Want my home to. I want it to delight. I want. I want it to spark, you know, interest. I want people. I want it to spark conversation. I want it to be fun and playful. You know, I don't want safe. I want to push boundaries. I want, you know, bold and exciting. So I thought, okay, well, like, the first thing I showed him was, like, not quite. You know, it was a little too safe. You know, he really pushed me. And people like that also have an interesting collection. They don't even realize, you know, like, I went down to his basement and found this beautiful antique Asian screen, which had this whole backstory. And he said, oh, you know, it was in all of our other homes all over the country, and it's kind of chippy now, and I don't know if it works in this house. And I thought, this works. I was like, I know someone who
- [38:06]
C
can touch this up.
- [38:07]
D
You don't need to go have this restored. I can pull out my paints and touch up these little chips. But this is a part of your story, and this is kind of interesting to other people. You might be tired of seeing it, but what if I put it in a new. In a new design plan and I went home, I started thinking about it, and then I showed him two pictures that were on the Internet, and he was like, you know what? You're exactly right.
- [38:30]
C
Right.
- [38:30]
D
It just needed a new life. Like, you know, it.
- [38:33]
C
It's.
- [38:33]
D
It's definitely a conversation starter. So you're right. I think it's like, what you want your home to say about you, you know, how you want to feel in it.
- [38:44]
B
Is there ways to achieve? Like, I know you're supposed to say, okay, this is how I live. Like, right. You're not going to say you cook if you don't cook, but say you want to stretch yourself. Do you think if you build it, they will come sort of situation where, like.
- [39:01]
D
Yes.
- [39:02]
C
Yes.
- [39:02]
B
Okay.
- [39:05]
D
I think. I think you have to be honest with yourself, and I think you have to be honest with your designer if you're asking them to put together, like, the very best version of your home for you.
- [39:14]
B
Yeah.
- [39:15]
D
The projects that. That flow like that are the ones that end up with the best result. Recently I have, you know, I would say recently, like, in the last handful of years, I have a lot of younger clients, and I don't know if that's because I'm getting older or if it's because since COVID I think there's been this real awakening to people wanting to build their home and wanting to do it right the first time and not, you know, buy furnishings that are the wrong scale or are temporary. They want to really invest in their home, and they are trying to, like, set up their future. And those are the times where I sometimes want to push them outside of their comfort zone of what they know right now because they're younger. But what I know, as their family grows, what things might be more lasting and when to do something youthful or fresh and when to really fall back on tradition and do something that's very classic, that is going to be lasting over time, especially with pieces that, you know, might end up being family heirlooms to their children one day. Those are things that you want to make sure that you, like, select carefully or, you know, have a plan that maybe the upholstery changes over the years. The rug definitely, probably will change, you know, after pets and kids and, you know, but certain things I push them to purchase because I know that. That they will last a very long time and be part of their family, you know, while their kids are growing up.
- [41:12]
C
So what are those investment pieces?
- [41:14]
D
And if you don't cook, but you want to cook, I think that you should have a n stove. You know, like, I'm dying to do my kitchen. You know, I've put together so many other kitchen plans. It's my turn.
- [41:25]
C
Yeah.
- [41:25]
D
What are those investment pieces? I think a. I think that a room needs great lighting. I think that if you can afford it, you should put in the very best, like the, you know, the most beautiful chandelier in your dining room or in your entry, a beautiful ceiling fixture. If you can, don't put in something temporary or something trendy. Just go for it and put in the one you really want, because that is going to last. It's not going to have the wear and tear that a seat cushion or a rug might have. And so let's face it, you're not
- [42:19]
C
getting up there and changing it.
- [42:20]
D
No. So I would push boundaries on that. You know, I mean, I would really same with a great mirror or. Or like a secretary, a dining room sideboard, even a dining room table, something in your entry. You know, I think those pieces can last through your lifetime and then go on to your kids and aren't gonna have the wear and tear that other pieces will. You know, like kitchen chairs, you know, they might take a beating with a young family, you know, buy something affordable, you know, that you can. You won't feel bad about one day changing something like a slip seat.
- [43:08]
B
Yeah.
- [43:08]
D
I mean, rugs are beautiful, but. And same With, I mean, certain upholsteries. Like nothing is completely kid proof and pet proof and spill proof and even when it says performance, Even when it's 100% wool, you know, all of those things over time, you know, 15 years later, it might not look so good. I do think a wool like an Ushak rug is a great investment. I mean, that is going to, you know, hold up a lot better than something synthetic.
- [43:45]
C
It brings more patina too.
- [43:47]
D
Yes.
- [43:47]
C
We're talking about the marble floors. That's like one of those things that's going to last through time because of its natural qualities. Yeah.
- [43:54]
D
Yes. I think that like lamps is something that are great to kind of like collect or change in and out or save on. You know, you can pick up a lamp at like a little thrift shop and then put a really cool shade on it. And you know, it's a great one of a kind piece and you don't have to spend a ton of money on it necessarily. What else? Pillows. You know, I always push my clients to invest in beautiful custom pillows. Once you've sat with one, you know the difference.
- [44:32]
A
But
- [44:34]
D
I also think like in a family room or in a playroom or something where it's going to get heavy usage, you know, buying something that's ready made that you know, is just kind of going to last this period of time and be fun and you can change them in and out and you know, that's a nice way to, to change things and also save money now.
- [44:56]
B
No, it's so good. So many of these. It just made me think of, we haven't done a trials and triumphs in a hot minute, but I just did the biggest swaparoo again of, you know, just rugs. Like, what if we put this in here and then we'll put this art in here and that will pull these two things together. But like we did a whole kind of slicing and dicing.
- [45:18]
D
I do it all the time.
- [45:19]
B
Yeah.
- [45:19]
D
Yeah.
- [45:19]
B
If you have pieces you love and my husband's always like, you can shop the basement as much as you want.
- [45:25]
D
So I mean, I have a huge storage unit that looks like a store for my, for my styling accessories, for antiques. When I see them, I mean, it's for all of my projects. I keep, I keep wanting to have like a little pop up event or something, but I just haven't gotten around to it. But I think it's great to change things. I have clients that now that we've finished their home, are like just dying to keep the conversation going and the Relationship going. And so now we've started doing, like, seasonal looks. Like, let's do a whole another set of custom pillows for spring, summer, and then a whole nother set for fall, winter. That way you can change the room just enough that, you know, kind of, like, spices it up again, you know, seasonally. And I'm excited to. And it's a different look, so I'm excited to install these new pillow for this gal. I think that there, you know, there are ways to, like, make little changes over time. I also love, like, if everything's formal, maybe the rug is not formal. Maybe the rug is a jute or seagrass or something to kind of play with that push and pull tension of formal versus casual.
- [46:46]
B
You know, what are some other pieces that you do in the seasonal look? I love this. Just so, like, people could emulate this.
- [46:53]
A
I love that.
- [46:53]
D
Oh, well, what's something else we could do?
- [46:56]
B
Do you do drapes? Like, will you change out drapes to match the new pillows or.
- [47:00]
D
I mean, I totally would. I haven't had someone ask me for seasonal drapery yet. Accessories.
- [47:07]
B
Okay.
- [47:07]
D
You know, I think that people who love to collect, I think they often have a basement storage room full of stuff, and. Or they have things like hiding under skirted tables or, you know, what are they?
- [47:23]
B
Hoarders? I'm just wondering. I feel like this might. This might be me. It's an eloquent way of saying you're hoarding.
- [47:33]
D
I try to say that I'm a collector, not a hoarder.
- [47:36]
B
It does sound nicer.
- [47:39]
D
Well, I also like to share. Like, I.
- [47:41]
B
If you're sharing. Yes.
- [47:43]
C
Okay.
- [47:43]
D
I. Yes, I have no problem. And this has happened more than once where a client will come over and like something in my house and wants it, and I know that it would look good in their home, and it inevitably ends up in their home, and then I have to change something here. And so I've had that happen a lot. I've even had, like, early on when I was doing photo shoots, I realized real quick that I, like, the first big photo shoot I did. I real quickly gathered things from my house just to help style accessories. And I just did it kind of like I said just in case and threw, like, threw this gorgeous garden stool in. I threw some coffee table books, just. Just kind of like, loaded the car on top of. You know, I always acquire a ton of flowers and that kind of stuff. But after the photo shoot was done, the homeowner said, well, I. I want all these things, you know, like, and I thought okay, that, that was in my foyer, but if you want it, that's fine. And then I was really flattered and I thought, okay, this is wonderful. Like, she wants it the exact way we documented it. This is fantastic. And then I left thinking, okay, lesson learned. From now on, I need to come with a lot of, you know, if it needs a lot of styling, with styling pieces and be ready for them to say, I want this whole package. And so anyway, so I like to share, but I. I think that it's easy to change your centerpiece or change what's on your tabletops in your built ins. If you have built ins that are a lot of neutral, leather bound books and you've got this whole brown vibe happening. Maybe in the summer you pull out a whole bunch of coffee table books and you rainbow order them over the shelves just to kind of change it up. I did that recently and now I love, you know, my bookshelves kind of have these like sections of color. You know, it feels. Feels brighter and more interesting. Pillows. What else? Flowers can really change a vibe. The plants you bring in the house, different throw blankets, different lampshades. I mean, lampshades are having a huge moment right now.
- [50:11]
C
Right?
- [50:11]
D
I mean, they always have such a great way, but I mean, now it's just like.
- [50:15]
B
I mean, I'm loving it. It's like, yeah, yeah.
- [50:19]
D
I'm staring at my lampshades behind me, realizing I need some crazy lampshades on these lamps. That would be like a great way to give a seasonal look. Like, maybe you've got one kind of like moody vibe and you go kind of dark teal or something. And then, you know, and then you have another season where you want like a little yellow patterned, you know, French fabric on it or something. What's the rug under? Your wallpaper? Your lemon wallpaper or lemon mural? Oh.
- [50:53]
B
Oh, yeah. You won't even guess it. This is, this is a. This is a lab for best. The way I describe the room I'm in. This is a mural I put in my dining room downstairs.
- [51:05]
D
Oh, it's really pretty.
- [51:06]
B
It's. This was my, like, let's try it. I like it. I need to paint over it. But everything in here is white and black. Like I. So I have this very fuzzy rug from 2010 that's super fuzzy black and white or a white with a black pattern on it. And I have black details all through the room. So I haven't figured out my plan. This is such a. So.
- [51:32]
D
Well, it's not a good experience. No, it's good. It feels like you're sitting in a garden room and yellow is having a huge moment right now too, and, and surprising to me. But I. I have a project, you know, we're installing soon that incorporated a lot of yellow and it's just such a happy color and it feels like, you know, feels like you're sitting in a garden right now.
- [51:53]
B
It does. I do like it. I do like it. I like my lemon tree my most. So I need to shift my computer to go. Oh, then my son. You can see. It's good. I have a lake down there. My son painted the lake for me.
- [52:06]
D
That's nice. Speaking. Speaking of sun, I have to, I have to put. I posted it in stor the other night, but I have to share. So. You know, I have been dying to get back to painting. Design has been so busy that in the last year or two I have not had studio time at all. And I've had great ideas forming, like, great, you know, a new concept that I really want to explore. I just haven't had any time. And I promised myself this summer at some point I would, I would try and dedicate a little bit of time. My son, who is full on basketball player and has never asked to pick up a paintbrush. The other night, it was a Friday night, I was home. He didn't go out with friends like, you know, like he could have. And he said, mom, I want to paint. And I said, oh, I thought he meant like his room, like the walls. And I was like, okay, okay. What do you want to paint? He said, like a painting. And then I told him the difference, like, do you want a watercolor? Like at the kitchen counter? He said, no, no, no, I want to go down to your easel and I want to paint a painting. And I thought, I am definitely taking him up on this. And so we went down to the studio, we cleaned it all up. I tried to teach him some basic principles of oil paints. We pulled out a canvas, he had a photo he had taken on his phone that we printed off. And I kind of gave him a quick little lesson about mixing colors and how, you know, the mediums that you use with oil and how it all works. And then I let him go to town and I, I knew that it might be like a once in a lifetime moment. And I just was so filled with joy that he had asked this of me, you know, because you don't get too many, like, moments with a teenage boy where they, you know, really want to know something that, you know, you know or want to learn. And so I set up the camera, like, on the corner and thought I'd. Documenting this moment just for my own heart for, like, later on. But it's such a cool video. It's so fun. I don't even know where I was going with this, but I now am going to get myself back in the studio.
- [54:20]
B
Good for you. You should.
- [54:21]
D
Loved it. Which is really nice. Yeah, it's good. I don't know when that's so exciting. Maybe I'll pretend to go on vacation and just go hide.
- [54:29]
B
It is kind of a vacation, right? Like a mental vacation.
- [54:35]
C
Yeah.
- [54:35]
D
Yeah, it is. You said earlier your. Your office is a lab, and I thought that was a great. A great statement because I do feel like my home is a laboratory. And I think other people should too. You know, it's. It's okay to, like, take risks, experiment.
- [54:53]
B
I'm okay with this room. Not done. Like, it's an old rug from a room. I was. It was one of my baby rooms that was chartreuse, black and white. Cause I had boys, so I thought it was cute at the time. I still think it's cute. But anyway, it was intense, but everything was soap. And so a bunch of these old frames in here are all black. It's all the things that, like, made their second home in here. And I've been okay with it. I've been like, very. Like, they're all beautiful things that I invested in that don't work anymore in those spaces. And I'm just.
- [55:25]
D
Yes.
- [55:26]
B
So I do. I sit in here and dream all the time. Like, do I paint all these angled ceilings, trim, or do I do a wall painting?
- [55:34]
D
Make it new again?
- [55:35]
B
I know so. And I love that I've left spaces for growth. I think is the. It's so hard looking at, you know, beautiful interiors all the time and just feeling like you're always behind.
- [55:47]
D
So I think that it's supposed to evolve. I mean, take those black frames and go have them lacquered like a beautiful new color or something.
- [55:54]
B
Yeah.
- [55:55]
D
And give them new life. But I think it's okay for things to evolve. I think that they're supposed to. You know, I don't think any single one of my projects, if I were to circle back in 40 years, that the room is going to look exactly as it did. We're just a jumping off point for, you know, creating all of that charm. And then. And then, you know, maybe we get a call to recollect some things, you
- [56:26]
B
know, years from now, just like us as humans. Always evolving.
- [56:31]
D
What do they say? A project is never done, even though we want to. Even though I rushed to the deadline to, like, try and rush. Not rush, but just super organized, super efficient so that it gets installed and accomplished, you know, in a, in a reasonable amount of time and people can start living, you know, with it.
- [56:52]
C
This has been such a treat to talk to you, Lauren.
- [56:55]
D
Thank you. I had so much fun. Thank you.
- [56:57]
C
It's been so fun. Can you let all of our listeners know where they can follow you and find you?
- [57:03]
D
Sure. On Instagram. I'm LBW Studio and my website is LBWStudio.com well, thank you so much for your time today.
- [57:12]
C
This was really great.
- [57:13]
D
Thank you. I'm so honored to do this with you. I had a lot of fun. Thank you. Thank you.
- [57:17]
B
Well, thank you and all listeners. Make sure you go check out her portfolio online and follow her because she's a great follower.
- [57:23]
C
So gorgeous.
- [57:24]
D
Thank you. You guys are so awesome.
- [57:28]
A
And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to
- [57:34]
B
send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space.
- [57:40]
A
And of course, be sure to follow us on the social media at ballardesigns.
- [57:43]
C
Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcast so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review.
- [57:48]
D
We'd love to hear your feedback.
- [57:50]
A
Until next time, happy decorating.