267: Celeb Interiors, Budget-Friendly Design, and Making Your Home YOU

Summary

Podcast Summary: Pop Apologists - Episode 267: Celeb Interiors, Budget-Friendly Design, and Making Your Home YOU

Introduction

In Episode 267 of Pop Apologists, released on April 2, 2025, hosts Lauren and Courtney delve into the world of celebrity interiors, budget-friendly design tips, and the art of personalizing one's living space. This engaging episode features a special guest, Olivia Snow from Mother's Daughter Design, who shares her expertise on interior design, the nuances of working with clients, and insights into creating spaces that reflect individual personalities.

Celebrity Interiors

Lauren and Courtney kick off the episode by exploring various celebrity homes, dissecting their unique styles, and discussing what makes each space stand out.

1. Emma Chamberlain's Home

   • Description: Built in 1955 with cedar shake shingles, Emma Chamberlain's home embodies a blend of northern California hippie modern, Topanga Canyon Birkenstock Bohemia, and Adirondack charm.
   • Insights: Olivia praises Emma's strong sense of self and her ability to infuse youthful energy without compromising sophistication.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [10:17]: “Emma has such a strong point of view, a real superpower, that shapes her home's aesthetic beautifully.”

2. Gigi Hadid's Home

   • Description: Gigi Hadid's residence combines vibrant rainbows, eclectic art pieces, and a mix of old and new elements, creating a lively and personalized space.
   • Insights: Olivia critiques the overly vibrant and competing elements in Gigi's home, suggesting that while individual pieces are stunning, the overall cohesion can feel overwhelming.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [14:02]: “Everything is competing with each other. The sectional is gorgeous on its own, but with all the art pieces, it becomes too much to focus on.”

3. Kim Kardashian's Home

   • Description: Kim Kardashian's abode is characterized by its minimalist, monochromatic palette, resembling a pristine museum or gallery.
   • Insights: Olivia points out the lack of personal "proof of life" in Kim's home, emphasizing that while it's aesthetically pleasing, it feels sterile and lacks warmth.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [26:24]: “The home feels like a museum. I miss seeing the personality and lived-in charm.”

4. Gwyneth Paltrow's Home

   • Description: Located in Montecito and the Hamptons, Gwyneth Paltrow's home serves as a wellness campus with serene, contemporary finishes that blend traditional and modern styles.
   • Insights: Olivia admires how Gwyneth’s home balances functionality with luxury, incorporating personal touches that reflect her lifestyle and well-being focus.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [29:06]: “Every room has a specific function, serving every facet of her life seamlessly.”

Interview with Olivia Snow

Olivia Snow provides a deep dive into her design philosophy, her journey in the interior design industry, and the story behind Mother's Daughter Design.

• Background and Inspiration

  • Raised by a mother and grandmother who were both interior designers, Olivia initially resisted following in their footsteps but eventually embraced her heritage.
  • Notable Quote:
    Olivia Snow [34:17]: “I grew up around design, visiting showrooms and construction sites. It was in my DNA.”

• Design Philosophy

  • Olivia emphasizes creating spaces that reflect the client's personality rather than imposing her own style.
  • She advocates for timeless design elements that can evolve with the client's changing tastes.
  • Notable Quote:
    Olivia Snow [45:26]: “Be true to yourself and the character of the home. Protect the uniqueness and integrity of every space.”

• Mother's Daughter Design

  • The name reflects Olivia's commitment to continuing her family's legacy while forging her own path.
  • Olivia discusses the challenges and rewards of starting her business, especially during personal hardships.
  • Notable Quote:
    Olivia Snow [34:17]: “My grandmother was my hero. She ran one of the largest interior design businesses in the West during the 60s and 80s.”

Listener Questions and Answers

Engaging with the audience, Lauren and Courtney present a series of listener-submitted questions, which Olivia addresses with practical advice and professional insights.

1. Best Areas to Save Money in a House that Needs a Lot of Work

   • Advice: Prioritize structural renovations over cosmetic upgrades. Focus on essential areas like paint and bathrooms before investing in new furniture.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [40:48]: “Do the renovations before you worry about buying a new couch. Get the bones right first.”

2. Creating a Timeless Home

   • Advice: Avoid making design decisions out of fear. Choose elements that resonate deeply with you and stand the test of time, such as classic European styles.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [43:03]: “Anything you have a visceral reaction to and love will grow with you over time.”

3. Choosing and Using Wallpaper

   • Advice: Utilize wallpaper in areas that don’t face daily wear, like powder rooms or ceilings. It adds personality and charm without overwhelming the space.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [46:14]: “Wallpaper is super fun. It’s a great way to add personality and charm.”

4. Balancing Splurges and Savings in Furniture

   • Advice: Identify priority pieces that require investment, like a comfortable sectional, and save on less critical items. Explore secondhand options for unique finds that add character.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [47:34]: “Priority is key. Invest in what matters most to you and save elsewhere.”

5. Lighting Choices

   • Advice: Focus on Kelvin ratings to achieve the desired warmth. Avoid overly clinical lighting by selecting bulbs with lower Kelvin numbers (2700-3000K) for a cozy atmosphere.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [57:25]: “Kelvins matter. 2700 to 3000K provides warm, glowy lighting that feels inviting.”

6. Decorating Small Spaces

   • Advice: Utilize multifunctional furniture and create distinct zones within the space. Incorporate storage solutions that add both functionality and style.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [55:28]: “Find pieces that double as storage and help define different areas within your home.”

7. Finding Your Own Style

   • Advice: Collect and study images that resonate with you. Identify common themes and elements that reflect your personality and preferences without confining yourself to specific categories.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [55:29]: “Start collecting images you enjoy, study them, and piece together what your distinct style is.”

8. Assessing Furniture Quality

   • Advice: Pay attention to construction details like wood frames and cushion materials. Invest in quality where it matters, such as in dining tables and main seating, and save on accessories.
   • Notable Quote:
     Olivia Snow [66:01]: “Look for solid wood frames and high-quality foam cushions. These details make a significant difference in durability and comfort.”

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Olivia Snow sharing how listeners can connect with her through Mother's Daughter Design on Instagram and her Substack, where she offers resources and showcases projects. Lauren and Courtney express their gratitude for Olivia's insights and encourage listeners to explore her design services, whether through full-service projects or hourly consultations.

Notable Quote:
Lauren [76:28]: “Start collecting the things you love now and live with them. It makes the transition to your forever home seamless and enriched.”

This episode of Pop Apologists offers a blend of celebrity home analysis, professional design advice, and practical solutions for listeners striving to create beautiful, personalized, and budget-friendly living spaces.

Transcript

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[Lauren]

You guys. This is such a fun episode. We sit down with Olivia from Mother's Daughter Design, the designer who helped me with the Brooklyn space that Kagan and I are renting. And it is just such a fun episode. We get into celebrity interiors, we chat through all of your Q and A. There is just so much about working with a designer that I think people maybe think it's way more expensive than it is, that it's completely out of reach.

[Courtney]

I love Olivia's approach so much. I think it's so beautiful the way that it's all about finding what you love and like making that come to life versus just overlaying her style on top of your apartment or your space.

[Lauren]

Exactly. Yeah. She really just helps you kind of like hone in on what is going to make your space special because you live in it and it really tells a story. So such a fun episode. First we go through celebrity interiors, then we chat about Mother's Daughter design and then we do most of the episode. It's just answering your questions. It's so great. Listen to the end because there's just so many special nuggets and just a note. Disclaimer. This episode is not sponsored. I paid Olivia her full fee, but I just felt like it would just be so fun to have her come on and chat celebrity interiors. And when I threw out the question on Instagram, everyone was like, we want this. Also, if you want to see pictures, we have photos posted on Instagram right now. Go to our sub stack where you can see a bunch of photos and you can see the furniture pieces we pulled. And as well, I highly recommend watching this episode. You can watch it on YouTube, you can watch it on Spotify because we're going to have a lot of visuals of These celebrity interiors we're talking about, as well as the photos from our photo shoot. Okay. And with that, enjoy the episode. Well, well, well. Today is such an exciting episode of Pop Apologists, because we are joined by none other than Olivia Snow of Mother's Daughter Design. Olivia, we are so excited to have you. Thank you for coming on the pod, for having me.

[Olivia Snow]

This whole weekend has been so fun.

[Lauren]

Oh, it's been here.

[Olivia Snow]

Excited to chat.

[Courtney]

I. I just remember when Lauren was beginning her process of, like, you know, furnishing her Brooklyn spot, she said, I feel so bad this Olivia girl does not know me, but I am being a total nightmare or something along those lines.

[Lauren]

That's true, I think.

[Courtney]

And are you okay?

[Olivia Snow]

Like, I'm actually great. And I think any client that is inclined to text me and be like, I'm so sorry, this feels like a lot is actually a great client. It's self aware. Like, a lot of people telling you that that's kind of an issue. But no, Lauren is wonderful. Self aware, A pleasure to work with. It's been really, really, really great. So. Yeah. So fun.

[Lauren]

I. So when I was like, when we got the unit, I just knew I wanted an expert to help me. I knew, like, I have to know my strengths in life, and one of them is not like design. It's really not like, I feel like one of the common mistakes a lot of people make is truly actually thinking that they are good at it, when maybe they just. They know a space they love. But doing it yourself is really difficult. And I kind of had this lesson with my wedding when I had someone help me style that and do the. Did the full design. Like, I had so many bad ideas, and I really needed to be safe for myself. And so anyway, I was so excited because Courtney's space is so stunning. And I was like, I need to move quickly. We have this lease for a little over a year. I don't want to spend four months figuring this out. I want to just work really quickly with a professional and get it done. And anyway, you were just a miracle worker. We got it all done in basically, like, what, six weeks?

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. I mean, I think you reached out to me, like, what, the end of October, and we had you moved in, like, mid December?

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

So fast. And obviously, you know, I feel like I have to speak on behalf of the entire design community when I say, like, fast turnarounds aren't always realistic. But I think you knew yourself and you knew what you needed. And I think when you reach out to a designer and you're clear with expectations. Like I was able to pull stuff that we could get in time and things happen and make all that work. But it was such a fun quick and I love the quick projects. I think they're so great and the turnaround's fun and I mean, a lot of the projects I signed up for like three years long, oh my gosh, like a six week one is so great.

[Lauren]

But it was get that immediate gratification.

[Courtney]

I just have to say, as someone who has, you know, yet to maybe have the, the space to need your services.

[Olivia Snow]

Right.

[Courtney]

My, my 450 square feet. It's, it's a humble abode. You know, it's not necessarily ready for you and you know, but as someone who's just enjoyed your work via Lauren and you know, Courtney's spaces, you are just so talented and I think you are just, you just give the spaces such a unique warmth and you really pull in like the personalization from each person that you're working with. And I've seen that literally with both Lauren and Courtney when they're different styles and it's so also different. That's maybe some other designers that like exist in our world right now and just like ones that feel like kind of everywhere. And I feel like just like the stuff that you are able to curate and the looks and feels and you know, just like the general spaces that you put together are just really spectacular.

[Olivia Snow]

Thank you. That's so great. I mean, I love figuring out my clients style. I don't think any of the homes I design reflect me and I don't think they should reflect me. I think when you look at Lauren's face, it feels like Lauren. When you look at Courtney's face, it really does feel like Courtney.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

So great.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

And then beyond that, my other projects as well, I think they're just, it's such a wide variety of work and every client presents different challenges and taste and. Yeah, it's so much fun. Yeah, I love it.

[Lauren]

Well, so this was a fun little story in the design process. I kind of gave you my initial inspo and I was like, I like Maison Trouvail, that design house. I love, like organic. I love, I don't know, just calming, serene. Okay.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes.

[Lauren]

But I don't want it to feel like beige millennial. Boring.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

And then you came back with options and they were beautiful. And then I was like, okay, but what if we went funky and weird and you're like, I love this idea, let's do an iteration. And you came back with all these very cool things. And I'm like, oh, wait, I'm actually not funky or weird or co. Like, let's go back to comic serene.

[Olivia Snow]

It was actually really funny. So, yeah, initially, I felt like I grasped it very quickly. I mean, the designer that you referenced designed Hailey Bieber's office. Right. Like, very neutral, California organic, and it actually really suits you. Thank you. And so we kind of went down that journey. But, yeah, you were like, wait, maybe show me this with a little bit more color and a little bit of this. And it was like, the redirect back to who you really were was, like, perfect. And I think it's also fun because you had never worked with a designer.

[Courtney]

Right.

[Olivia Snow]

You'd never really spent time curating a space. So not only were we designing this space, but you were also really figuring out and honing in what your personal interior style is, which oftentimes is close to the way you dress every day. But it isn't an obvious translation. You do kind of have to go through a little bit of a discovery process to figure it out. And oftentimes showing people things that they don't like is more useful information than showing them things that they do.

[Lauren]

It's so interesting.

[Courtney]

I love that.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

I think it kind of goes without saying. Yeah.

[Lauren]

But I feel like what's cool about it is. And I just have to make this disclaimer. This episode is in no way sponsored. And I'm not. I don't know, I'm, like, ready for the, you know, the dm. I'm not saying this is a flex. Okay. But I did pay Olivia's full fee. Like, there's no any weird side dealings happening here.

[Olivia Snow]

I really wanted to get on the podcast.

[Lauren]

Yeah, exactly. You did all that just. Just for this very episode? No, but I think what the value add there is, like, it's not like you're doing one design for everyone. You really can come and say, this is what I really like, and you can bring any type of idea to life, and it's.

[Courtney]

It's just really special.

[Lauren]

So it's a. It's a true talent.

[Olivia Snow]

It's fun. It's really, really what I love. And I think I have such an appreciation for just about every style and just about anything. I'm like, I can see the little bits and pieces of. Of everyone that I love, and it's about making them. Yeah. Create the space that feels like them, the most like them.

[Lauren]

And I feel like the best way to kind of discuss spaces that feel like people. Okay. That Live in them, especially on pop apologists, is to get into some celebrity interiors.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes.

[Courtney]

Lauren and I have discussed celebrities interiors before that we are no stranger to that conversation. And we've. We've had some swift judgments, but we're also novices when it to this, so it's going to be really great for us to have an expert on the podcast to, you know, hopefully validate some of the things that we.

[Olivia Snow]

I think there will be, like, a negative. There will definitely be some validation, but who knows? Who knows if I'll have a different. Let's get into. Let's do it.

[Lauren]

Okay. Let's do it. Okay. So you sent over Emma Chamberlain's home.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes.

[Lauren]

I mean, it's so special. I'll just read a little bit about it. It was built in 1955. It's clad in cedar shakes, shingles. The structure reads like an alien hybrid of northern California hippie modern in Topanga Canyon. Birkenstock Bohem with a dash of Adirondack charm. Okay. I feel like this home, every detail is so cool. All of a sudden, I'm like, wait, actually, maybe I need to get a lot cooler and have, like, niftier vibes and style. It's very you, Chandler.

[Courtney]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Lauren]

I appreciate that.

[Courtney]

I think that. What? Really? Well, first of all, I have to tell everyone that when her arc digest came out, I was extremely triggered. Well, yeah, because once again, I. I don't know, is she, like, 10 years younger than me or something?

[Lauren]

She's, like, 21 in this.

[Courtney]

Yeah, exactly. And, yeah, and I think seeing someone's perf design created home who was literally, you know, 10 years younger than me. It was triggering to me, you know.

[Lauren]

And it still is.

[Courtney]

It's. It still definitely is. So I'm going to do my best to put those feelings aside. But I think what I do love about this home is that it feels very youthful, and there are so many youthful elements to it, but it also feels like well done and like there's nothing immature about it, but it is just youthful, and it feels like there's an energy to it.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes. I think the youthfulness is an interesting thing for me to talk about, mainly just because she was 21 at the time she filmed this.

[Lauren]

Right, right.

[Olivia Snow]

And I think more commonly, we have bad examples of, like, young celebrity interiors than we do young celebrity good interiors, if that makes sense. So I think for her, I mean, that is kind of her superpower is she actually has, like, a really strong sense of self and a point of view and an Opinion. And I think that always is going to start as the best foundation project. I mean, you look at 21. I mean, most celebrity interiors. I mean, you guys have mentioned Taylor Swift's on the podcast. I think she had a lot of money very young. And that's what a home can look like when you have a lot of money very young.

[Lauren]

Oh, my gosh.

[Olivia Snow]

It cannot exciting and you can be a little bit misguided. But I think Emma has such a strong point of view, Alani.

[Lauren]

I almost feel like her choices go to show, like what a talent she is, because you really have to have that distinctive perspective and taste level to achieve what she has achieved.

[Olivia Snow]

And I don't think she was scared of anything. I think she wanted to play. I think, I mean, in her ad tour, she really talks about. She's like, I wanted to pull stuff from every era that I love. I wanted this to feel. I mean, it doesn't feel like she moved into that home and everything got delivered on the same day. It feels like she really collected things over time, which is such a special way to live. And every home, every room in the home has almost a different vibe, which is so cool.

[Courtney]

Like, I love the kitchen. I think the kitchen is maybe one of my favorites.

[Olivia Snow]

The kitchen is gorgeous. I mean, the simplicity of like the green cabinets with the slab. I mean, the whole home has so much warm. It has these like gorgeous amber wood stained beams. The outside is really craftsman. It's such a mix of styles. And then she went through and she found like these really punchy slabs. Actually, her. The way she talks about the slabs is so fun. And talking about how she's like, I like the ones that feel almost edible. Like, she's like, I wanted this. And I think she's someone that as she was designing when she had a visceral reaction to something, she's like, it's going in my home. I love it. I'm gonna do it. And I don't think she was thinking, am I gonna love this when I'm 50? She was like, this is my vibe. Now I'm going for it. It was true to herself. And yeah, she has great taste. Yeah, I think it's really fun and so playful.

[Lauren]

I mean, there's beautiful for everyone listening. You can watch this on YouTube, you can watch it on Spotify, anywhere. You can get video on your podcast. You should be able to see on the screen images what we're talking about.

[Courtney]

But I just love like the ear.

[Lauren]

Of corn by the pool. Like, they're like the little what called side tables.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. So she said she got one as a gift, and then she was like, I bought three more and then found a pineapple. Like, just little stuff like, that is so special. I mean, she really kind of describes the home as like, summer camp for her and her friends.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Like, she wants to host there. She wants to entertain. She likes that. It felt cabiny and in the woods, but it's still in la. It suits her. It also just doesn't feel stuffy. She is one. Like, she is so young. She does have friends over. She's not married. Right. Living life. And it is a great home for entertaining. And it's like, it's the perfect backdrop for her every day. Yeah.

[Courtney]

I think we should, though, now move to another younger celebrity. I think we should talk about, you know, this home because it has also a lot of energy.

[Olivia Snow]

Okay. I think.

[Courtney]

And I think words that I just used to describe Emma Chamberlain's I think could also be used to describe this home, but in a very different way. I think we just need to talk about Gigi Hadid.

[Olivia Snow]

Let's do it.

[Courtney]

Because this was maybe one of the first times where I saw an Architectural Digest, and I was just like, am I on a different planet than everyone else in the world? Because this is horrendous.

[Lauren]

So everyone. Gigi bought her home in December 2018, her second, in the same building she already owned in. She reportedly combined two units and spent all of 2019 renovating. She said, once I got to a place where I could buy my first apartment and have more of a creative handprint on it. That was also the time in my fashion style where I was just like it. I get to wake up every day and express myself, and it's not for the opinion of others. She also added, and I think I've gotten there and expressing myself in my living spaces. I think she's. She is certainly expressing herself.

[Olivia Snow]

That's what I was gonna say. I think she's achieved that. She got the thought right. Right. Like, do what you love. Don't worry about other people's opinions. Who cares if it's polarizing? It's your home is for you. But I think also she was young when she did it. I think she, like, went out and she was like, what if we had rainbows and art and, like, all of these different elements.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

And there's so much about her home that actually, I think if you picked it up and put it in a different context, I might actually like it.

[Courtney]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

But I think you don't really know what to look at.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

Everything is competing with each other. And I mean, that sectional is actually really special, like the mismatched fabrics and everything. If you pick that up and put it in another home, it could be amazing.

[Courtney]

Well, it's from that really nice designer.

[Olivia Snow]

I. I mean, it designs the fabric. Yeah, it's. It's so special. And if you were to put it in different context, I think it would be great. But when I'm looking at the section, I'm also looking at, like, five funky pieces of art. And, like, what, Like a giant pencil. Like, I don't even know what giant pencil is in there.

[Lauren]

Yeah, but there's.

[Olivia Snow]

It's too much to look at, and it's too much to compete with. And I think when you want to have a really special moment and you want to have art, I think, let that exist, let that be the moment, and then let everything around it complement it without competing with it, like, competition. And there's so much col, and there's so many ideas. I don't know. It's kind of a lot.

[Lauren]

That was actually one of the notes that my designer for my wedding gave me was I wanted to have, like, super. Like, super intense string lights above the table. And she was just like, you just. People's eyes need some sort of, like, rest, and it's gonna be just, like, way too much stimulation. And again, that's where it's like, you need someone reining you in and kind of telling you when your ideas maybe aren't, like, the best. Like, can we discuss this? When does multicolored painted bow tie pastas work for display and cabinetry?

[Olivia Snow]

So it's actually something that I saw in the 90s in my best Friend's Child's Gonna say. And I hadn't seen it since, and I didn't think I was gonna see it again, but I saw it there. And, you know, part of me is like, you know, is there. Was there some nostalgic. Was it she wanting her, you know, whatever? I mean, the pasta and the in the cupboards is definitely something I wanted to leave behind in the 90s, but I think good for her kind of bringing it back.

[Lauren]

She's nostalgic.

[Olivia Snow]

The nostalgic. Yeah.

[Courtney]

I've sat with this material for a while. We've talked about it many. But this time, you know, there's a new read that's coming to me, and it all kind of gives, like, Disney set, like, the set of, like, some funky Disney show.

[Olivia Snow]

You have no idea. This is actually a term I Use a lot.

[Lauren]

Oh, really?

[Olivia Snow]

Okay. I mean, we grew up with Disney Channel, right? Like, that's our generation.

[Lauren]

Lizzie McGuire's house.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes. It's like. But when I was 10, that's what I wanted. I wanted Hannah Montana's room. I wanted color. I mean, I remember and it was always like funky and there was like a weird attic vibe and like splashy art and like a graphic sign and. Yeah.

[Courtney]

I mean, if the giant pencil pen is not giving Disney Channel, like, backdrop, I don't know what it is.

[Olivia Snow]

And might I say it's even a little more Nickelodeon than Disney Channel.

[Courtney]

Yes. Honestly.

[Olivia Snow]

True. Yeah.

[Courtney]

I just think, like, it's a kaleidoscope. Something that Lauren and I talk about a lot is just that, like, money does not equal taste.

[Olivia Snow]

No.

[Lauren]

And I actually think this, this reminds me of Emma Roberts house that you also sent.

[Olivia Snow]

Oh, my gosh. Yes.

[Lauren]

I think Emma Roberts house is a very. Can we, can we proceed? Yeah, let's proceed. And also, everyone, disclaimer. We are fully self aware that we are criticizing homes we can't afford when it comes to like, I know, at least for myself, I can't afford GGG's house. I'm gonna proceed though, to make a few critiques and that I think is highly relatable for most people. Okay. But I think that the concept of like, you don't need a ton of honestly money or a huge house to have a stunning space. Her house is this very, like, how would you describe it?

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, she self describes it as she wanted a storybook dollhouse. Right. Like, I think this was post relationship for her. She was moving out with her. Clearly she leaned into a lot of feminine energy. The designers that she worked with, Pearson Ward, are some of my very favorite designers out there. It's like a friend duo team and they curate some of the most spectacular spaces. I mean, one of my favorite things about anything they work on is it doesn't have a timestamp. It doesn't feel trend. It feels like this could have happened in the 50s. This could have happened. It really melds and it does all of that. But I think Emma Roberts is a really perfect example of breaking the rules and doing what she wants. And I mean, even in her cute tour, there's so many times where she says, you know, a lot of people might get sick of fringe and tassels, but she's like, I love it. Like, I just want more of it.

[Courtney]

And it works.

[Olivia Snow]

It's the energy that works for her because it's so, so, so true. To her, she wanted certain things. I also love her collection. Everything in her home feels significant and special to her. And it's quirky, and she. She's really in on it.

[Lauren]

I also just feel like I'm looking at this and, like, it's stunning, but I feel like. And I'm sure it all was very expensive.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

But I feel like this could be done. This exact. Like, this look could be easily done by just someone who's, like, resourceful. Gonna put the time in to find cool stuff, go to, like, thrift markets, go to cool vintage stores. Like, piece stuff together from estate sales. Like, this kind of aesthetic, I think, can be achieved in a much more, like. I don't know. Do you get what I'm saying? A little bit more.

[Courtney]

Like, it's just approachable to, like, source.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

It's more accessible. It's a small home.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

You could. Honestly, this home could be, like, an affordable home in, you know, a. Not la.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

And so I just think it's, like seeing, like.

[Courtney]

Oh.

[Lauren]

Living with a level of beauty and taste. I think it's available to anyone who's really willing, like, put in the effort.

[Courtney]

You know, I think that, like, what you're reacting to is that, like, a lot of the things that you see in this, like, are stuff we've seen before and, like, a. In a. In a familial way, like, in the shapes of, like, some of her, like, furniture. It doesn't all feel like she got it at, like, some crazy showroom in.

[Olivia Snow]

Soho, you know, and she didn't. And she calls out at one point, there's a light fixture that she's like, I've actually had different versions of this light fixture in all my homes. And she's like, I love it. It comes with me. I can't get enough of it. It's something where she's taken bits and pieces of things. I mean, she has her timeout chair from when she was little in her living room.

[Lauren]

So cool.

[Olivia Snow]

It truly is collected. And I think it's a REM reminder to, like, bring things along with you as it goes, pick up stuff you love along the way, and then add it to this really beautiful story you get to tell in your home.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Lauren]

She says in the Arc Digest feature, she says that the fireplace used to be mirrored and foggy, and she thought it was chic until someone told her it wasn't. And she was. She goes, I immediately decided we needed to fix the fireplace. And I just love that because that's where I come from. Like, I'm not Emma Chamberlain. I feel like at 34, I'm still figuring out my point of view. I just. And I'm still kind of like, you know, testing the waters. So I just, I can relate to the indecisiveness and, like, I actually just need people to tell me what's cool.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

And I think she also got started on the home by herself. And it was again, one of those situations where she was like, I got this far, but I really needed someone to help me round it out, bring it together. And that's where she brought in Pearson Ward. And they did such a beautiful job. I mean, this home is right up my alley.

[Lauren]

I love it.

[Courtney]

It also feels so. Just very cozy, which I think is the most important factor in my opinion.

[Olivia Snow]

Unpretentious place to tell secrets. Like, just comfy, cozy. I mean, gorgeous. Yeah.

[Courtney]

I look at her living room and I know exactly where I want to, like, tuck my feet in her couch.

[Olivia Snow]

Exactly.

[Courtney]

And yeah.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

So love it.

[Olivia Snow]

Warm.

[Courtney]

Good job, Emma.

[Lauren]

If you're looking to get more protein in your life and you want to do it in a gorgeous way where the taste is delicious and you actually look forward to the protein shake or the protein drink, look no further than the brand Clean Simple Eats. It's our protein bible for pop apologists.

[Courtney]

The simply vanilla literally tastes so good. It tastes like ice cream when it's blended with just water or milk. It's perfect.

[Lauren]

Add a little peanut butter, it'll taste like the best dessert. I also, of course, everyone knows I'm obsessed with the clear protein. I have one to two cans a day. It bumps my protein up by 20 or 40 grams. It is just the easiest way to grab some extra protein from the fridge and not mess up my kitchen. Clean Simple Eats is truly the brand to go to for all of your protein needs.

[Courtney]

Everyone go to cleansimpleats.com and use code pop apologist for 10 off your order.

[Lauren]

Cleansimpleats.com use co pop apologist. Grab a bag of the chocolate brownie batter protein powder and I swear it will taste like a Wendy's frosty. It tastes like a dessert. Okay. But it's good for you. Clean, grass fed protein.

[Courtney]

Lauren, you know how we've been on a dead run for like the last week? Well, let me just tell you that thank God I had early bird to, you know, help me unwind. After the craziest seven days, I took a full gummy and was able to literally knock out in the best way possible.

[Lauren]

They're so effective at just Making your brain melt away all of a sudden. Like the rush of an internal monologue. All your anxiety, all the stuff you're stressing about, it just kind of gets muted and it just kind of like mushes away and you can truly fall asleep. It's incredible.

[Courtney]

They're simply perfect. I love taking a half. If I'm going to, you know, unwind and watch a show, a full one is maybe more. When I'm just looking to, you know, fully go to sleep, sleep. And they do a perfect job every single time.

[Lauren]

I will say a single bottle will last me a really long time because a half does wonders. I usually only take a half. I highly Recommend going to earlybirdcbd.com using code pop20 for 20 off Kendall Jenner's LA house.

[Olivia Snow]

Love it. It's so good. I mean, I think of all the Kardashians, hands down, my favorite, I think she really, really, really nailed it. First, she found kind of like a small, more charming space, especially scale wise, compared which I. I like intimate spaces. I like divided spaces. I think I'm kind of over the blown out open floor plan concept completely. I think people are looking for small spaces and like keeping rooms off of a kitchen and kind of that. And she definitely has that vibe. Love the Spanish style. It's so beautiful and it's really calming and neutral. But the details are where she really put her stamp on the helmet.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, there's so many things that are so, so, so signature to her. I mean, the sectional alone that she had hand painted, like memories from her childhood. It's a perfect example of telling your story through your home and making it feel so special to you.

[Lauren]

Yeah, well, that's what I mean. That's one of the things I loved about working with you is you were like, okay, now I need to know you. Like, you should know a lot about me. It was like, it's almost like therapeutic ensemble or just like we arrived and I didn't say this, but we arrived at like, I would call it like a moody farm girl apartment in New York City. And I am very delusional and I think I belong on a farm and I should be, you know, kind of like, yeah, I should be on a farm at all times.

[Olivia Snow]

So you would be.

[Courtney]

You would. You're very suited for a. Yeah, I'm.

[Olivia Snow]

Looking at this right now and I get it. I think fantasies of the prairie. But we're in New York.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

But it's like, it's not convenient at this time.

[Olivia Snow]

No.

[Lauren]

And so I Can't have a green couch. You know what I mean? That reminds me of the land.

[Courtney]

The land, yes.

[Lauren]

Anyway, we did arrive at kind of like a space that is very specific to my history. And I just think that. Yeah, that's one of the. I guess one of the great things about working with you is making things so specific that they feel really special. And her home. Back to Kendall, I guess. Her home. What's cool about it, too, is, like, she brings in some really unexpected items, like the pop art. I don't know those artists. I'm not cool enough. But, like, those pieces that are, like, electronic, they really lend cool vibes to the space.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah, it definitely feels youthful. I mean, she has a neon sign, I think, but that there's also so much tradition. Her kitchen is this, like, almost fun green teal cabinetry, but then she has this pot rack with pendants in the middle that's covered in, like, antique French copper pots that are hung. So she. She toes this line of, like, old and new and punchy and calm. And she really. It's a very balanced, harmonious home. Super inviting. I love it.

[Lauren]

I also think it's, like, fairly unpretentious for, like, probably the home she could splash out on.

[Olivia Snow]

Oh, absolutely.

[Lauren]

And I just. I think there's something. I don't know. I think she is. What? Chen.

[Courtney]

Oh, I was just gonna say I feel like it's such a departure from her other sister's style.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes, yes.

[Courtney]

That, like sprawling, super neutral homes, like, you know, a sprawling, open floor plan, you know, house that is, like, all white, essentially. Or if you literally look at Kim, I actually think that it's. It's quite brave of her to be the younger sibling who's like, actually, I'm gonna do my home completely different.

[Olivia Snow]

And I also think next in line to her would actually be Chris's new home. Like, I think there's more of a through line between those two homes. But I still would pick Kendall's time and time again.

[Lauren]

Yeah, I mean, I. I will say I think it's a miss that we don't have, like, huge jars of Oreos and different types of cereal. So that's the one thing I was missing.

[Olivia Snow]

I'm not seeing too so much excess. You know, every corner. There's not 3,000 Oreos that are refreshed every week. The dining table is. Isn't 40ft long. And the kitchen is. It's like a modest sized kitchen. It function and it suits her age. I mean, she's.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Alone. Right, right.

[Lauren]

It's Just, just so interesting that she's kind of. I think her vibe is a little like, like you guys, it's enough like she just turned.

[Olivia Snow]

She's just a horse girl.

[Lauren]

She's just understood, I mean, casual farm.

[Courtney]

And I'm ready for her painting room kind of. Well, like she's just into a lot of like, I feel like la woo woo stuff. Like isn't, isn't her backyard like optimized for like a sound bath or something?

[Olivia Snow]

Yes, I think she has this and I think the paint room was something else before. I mean that is, that is where the luxury comes into me from. Like, yes, make rooms for your hobbies.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

That is the celebrity part of this that I think we're using.

[Courtney]

So fun. Like the paint room's annoying's annoying.

[Lauren]

I don't know, it's just like, wow, must be really great feet. Kendall Jenner's friend. Like, basically you go over to her house and it's a color me mine, you know, with wine.

[Olivia Snow]

So funny.

[Courtney]

I'm so curious. Like, what do you think about Kim's home?

[Olivia Snow]

I think the first time we saw Kim's home, it felt really cool. Yeah, I think it feels really cool. But I wonder, I more so wonder. I mean I, I have a almost two year old daughter. I want to know. Like, I know the kids rooms have toys and she's always like, there is stuff, there is stuff in my house. But I think it would be so like everything's cream. Yeah, everything's cream. At some point it's almost like too calm and it's too strained and like where's the proof of life? Totally is my question.

[Courtney]

It's like a museum.

[Olivia Snow]

It is a museum. It feels like a gallery. I want to see proof of life. I'm like, where's the art on the walls? Where's this? Where's the comfy co. And everything's pristine. I mean there's nothing on her countertops. It's almost too simple that it doesn't feel livable.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

And I think in an ideal world, your house like feels like you. And I don't feel like it feels like Kim. It just, I mean, maybe it does because she's just like always in like monochromatic or like Kimmy.

[Olivia Snow]

I miss Kimmy with like the mirrored glass.

[Courtney]

Like the personality is missing.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. I don't think there is as much personality to it. And I think for me, personality is what makes a home special and memorable. And I think, you know, Kim's home is obviously filled with like really nice Special things. Right. But I also feel like it's really duplicatable. Like.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

I think anyone could recreate that. You could just pick all cream everything, and you would get a pretty similar result.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Again, it's like proof of life. Like, show me that you live here. Yeah.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Where? Like, where's that?

[Courtney]

Totally.

[Lauren]

Let's move on to a house that's decidedly more livable. Okay. With many more details, much more to feast the eyes upon, which is the abode of the one and only Gwyneth Paltrow.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, her real estate portfolio. I mean, we're talking about Montecito, right?

[Lauren]

We're talking about Montecito.

[Olivia Snow]

But there's also the Hampton. I mean, there's not. There's not a property I wouldn't take. And I don't know if I would ever leave.

[Courtney]

Do you know that we were up in the Hamptons? I was with Courtney. Lauren wasn't there. And we walked into, like, a wine store and Blythe Danner, her mother.

[Lauren]

I didn't know.

[Courtney]

I thought we. I. I know I told you this.

[Lauren]

Oh, my. I wasn't listening.

[Courtney]

Sounds all right. But anyway, we walk into this wine store. Blythe Danner is in there buying a bottle of wine. We're in, like, Amagansett.

[Lauren]

You never told me this.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes.

[Courtney]

No.

[Lauren]

You didn't.

[Olivia Snow]

Okay, well, tell me everything.

[Courtney]

I need to tell you now.

[Olivia Snow]

What? What did you feel?

[Courtney]

What's crazy is that. That basically why I'm bringing this up is that, like, she was talking to the Y in person. She checked out, and I was just like, follow her.

[Olivia Snow]

My.

[Courtney]

My instinct was like, get in your car. Turn the car on. Follow her.

[Lauren]

You didn't, though.

[Courtney]

We did not. We did not. Well, we were with other friends, and it was like, maybe if it was just Courtney and I, we would have been, like, full psycho.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

But I was like, the house is so close. I could go to this house. Like, it felt like my temple was close by. And I was like, this is not my time to go there.

[Olivia Snow]

But, like, I wanted.

[Courtney]

You're in her.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes. It's so special. Yeah. I love Hampton City House. The Montecito home is. Is beyond. It's. I mean, it's a wellness campus. It is like, the guest house alone is so gorgeous. I mean, the spa in the basement, the.

[Courtney]

The templestic. Is that a word? I don't know. The spa is a temple.

[Olivia Snow]

It's definitely a word that I think we all understand. I think it's truly so special. I think Gwyneth does Such a good job of neutral and easy, but mixing in really contemporary finishes, like, it does. It does feel both traditional and modern and like this really great mix. And her color palette feels so true to her.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, there's not a room in her home where you can't imagine her living. And, like, also something about her room is almost every room has a specific operation to it. Right. Like, the home is truly designed to serve every facet of her life the way her kitchen is. I mean, she kept her, you know, dining table in her kitchen close and close by. It's a pretty modest kitchen, but it's so special. And, you know, the plates she picked up overseas and just like, little things like that.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

And then, of course, the spa in the basement, it tells the full story. It paints the picture. And so, I mean, on brand, to say the least.

[Courtney]

I love how in her kitchen she has a fireplace because she, like, had a fireplace in her kitchen when she lived in the uk. And she just talks about how cozy it was to have that. And, like, you know, one day, hopefully, you know, if I. If I get lucky enough, I can build a dream home. And just like, bringing in all of, like, these, like, little tiny nostalgic features, it just. I don't know, it's so special, so cool.

[Olivia Snow]

And if you've ever been even to her goop stores, I feel like she carries a lot of the same finishes and colors that she lives with every day into that. So it's a really. It's a really good execution. Her boyfriend breakfast happened in that kitchen.

[Courtney]

I know.

[Olivia Snow]

It's so fun to see all the little sneak peeks. And then of course, the spa, I mean, down in the basement, the Craftsman tile. It's so gorgeous and serene.

[Lauren]

Yeah, it's really pretty. And there's a part of it that is, like, maybe it sounds laughable, but a little, like, understated. Like, it's all monochromatic. Like, it's just. It's not. I don't know, there's just something about it that's like. It just feels right. And it doesn't feel like it's like.

[Courtney]

Forced or like you didn't overdo it. Yeah, she doesn't. Over mini fridge with eucalyptus towels that you need to see. Like, there's just, like a little bit of light. I mean, it's gorgeous and luxurious and expensive, but it's not massive.

[Lauren]

It doesn't, like, run the course of the property. It's just.

[Courtney]

It's humble.

[Lauren]

It's a humble.

[Courtney]

It's a humble basement.

[Olivia Snow]

Spa A humble about. I think also what you might be touching on is she picks really special finishes, but unlike a Gigi. He did. Or some of these others where they have, like, these really obvious wow moments. Hers are a little bit more soft and subtle and a little bit more neutral.

[Lauren]

I think it's not all marble.

[Olivia Snow]

It doesn't feel overdone. It's a little bit understated.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

And. And I think. I think that plays well with having all of these amazingly nice features that not everyone's ever going to have. But I think the relaxed feeling that it conveys, even though it's kind of over the top at the same time. She balanced it really well.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

And her designer, Bridget Roman, acted. I mean, phenomenal job. Her work's amazing, too. So I think also, like, the pairings of, like, their celebrities and their designers is also very interesting. Like, they work with.

[Courtney]

Yeah. I don't know anything about.

[Olivia Snow]

It's a fun. It's a fun thing to tap into and then to see. And also see if they went to the designer for the designer's look or if the designer really distilled their look. Because I think there's a lot of, like, rinse and repeat with some designers. Right. Like, you. You can find a designer to seek out their look.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Or you can find the designer that's gonna help you convey the home inside of you, I guess, if that makes sense. Which is kind of interesting, like, the way that they all pair up. I mean, Emma Chamberlain, even with her designer, in the article, it says, like, you know, there was a huge, like, generational difference. Like, Emma was referencing things that the designer was like. I don't understand that, but let's figure this out. And I think a lot of continue to work together over and over again, which is fun, too.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

So, yeah.

[Lauren]

I also loved how she talked about how, like, the. Bridget had to kind of. There was, like, tense conversations over the chandelier in the formal dining. And I just think that is also where, like, having maybe. And it's not. It doesn't have to be, like, a hired designer. It can be your friend who loves design.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

Who you're like, can you help me elevate my space? Can I bounce ideas off of you? Like, it doesn't have to be someone that, you know, you don't have to have a designer. But I think having a. A third party who can maybe, like, say, no. Let's, like, introduce something that's kind of interesting here, adds a little more depth, is a little more unexpected. It just I don't know. It was very helpful for.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. I think designers oftentimes serve as more of like, the true north guide.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Like, I think so much of the time people will set out on a project, and I actually think, like, the issue people run into is they ask for so many opinions. You're asking a friend, what do you think about this? You're asking your neighbor, your friends, talking you out of marble. Like, there's so much going on. And I feel like more often than not as a designer, I'm actually telling my clients, no, remember the vision. Like, remember what you wanted. I'm actually helping them just, like, stay on track more so. And then giving them the vote of confidence of them knowing that this really is going to work out, it's all going to come together. Rather than, you know, pushing them in a direction they don't want to go, it's more about, like, really keeping them as close to possible of what they actually want as opposed to, like, letting them listen to every single opinion.

[Courtney]

Well, I think that's such a good way to look at it. Like, because, like, Lauren's house looks different than Courtney's house. Like, my friend's house looks different than mine. House, apartment. And anyway, like, it's just. Yeah. Like, I think that that's, like, the beauty of it and that.

[Olivia Snow]

Sure.

[Courtney]

And that if you are going to too many people asking for different opinions, you're just going to get like.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, I tell almost everyone at a certain point, I'm like, you've got to put your blinders on. Yeah, let's put the blinders on. Let's, like, do what you want to do. Let's stay focused, let's keep on. Because it does get hard. And when you're in the design process, you are looking at design, you're paying more attention than you ever have before. And it's making you question things because you're like, well, I like that. Should I be doing that? I like this. Should I be doing that? I think it's the same thing with fashion. Like, the more you start paying attention to it, the more you kind of can have an identity crisis. I think as a designer, really is my job to distill who they are and execute that vision.

[Courtney]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lauren]

And you saw me, you thought, agrarian woman.

[Courtney]

I'm like, she. It's not convenient at this time for her to be on the farm, but.

[Lauren]

She wishes she could be woman of the land.

[Courtney]

Exactly. Okay. Also, Olivia, tell us a little bit more about mother's daughter design and like, the the story behind it, yes.

[Olivia Snow]

So I've been in business for a couple of years now. I went off on my own when I had my daughter. But the kind of origin of my business is actually I was raised by a mom who was an interior designer, and my grandmother was actually interior designer. So it was something I grew up around. And if you would have asked me as a kid if I wanted to do it, and I was asked all the time, absolutely not really. I had zero interest in it. I think I was just hell bent on paving my own way. And I kind of resisted any possibility. I loved my mother, but I was also like, I'm my own person, I want to do my own thing. But I grew up around it. And I mean, I grew up going to showrooms and palling around, and I was on construction sites I probably shouldn't have been on. And it was something in my DNA and a really, really creative family and grew up in really special homes. Right. Like, I grew up with women who were so different from each other, but their homes reflected them. I mean, when I think about my mother and my grandmother in their homes and in their spaces, I think that was the greatest education for me of all. As I saw people that were not focused on trend and really designed true to themselves. And I mean, I saw the client relationships and all of that, I saw a lot of hard parts of the business, but it really felt like a masterclass in it. And then, you know, graduated high school and kind of wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And then in my early 20s, I just kind of couldn't help it. Like, honestly, I tried to avoid it. I kept finding myself in visual roles and all roads just kind of led back to it. And I was like, okay, I guess I'll go to school, get like some technical skills, got the technical skills, dropped out, started working and got an amazing job with the design firm. And actually Courtney was one of my very first clients there, which was so incredible, kind of, kind of amazing. And I even felt like designing with Courtney for that first little bit. And the other clients that I had was such, such a great education and all of that, and it was interesting. So as I was entering my career, it was also kind of like a volatile time in my life. At the time, both my grandmother, my mother, my grandmother passed away and my mom was sick with cancer. So I was starting my career and losing the two most influential people in my life at the same time. At the time, I had no intention of ever going off on my own. I was so Green. I was so fresh, and I was just starting my career, but as I kind of progressed, it just became more and more obvious to me that at some point, someday, I wanted to do it the way they did. I mean, they didn't work together. They had their own businesses. And that's something, as a mother, that I wanted for myself. And as I was thinking of a business name, I think so much of the time, and it's great. Do designers name their businesses after themselves? And I think that's the story, but my story feels so rooted in that little bit of family history and kind of the way that I was raised. And, yeah, I mean, my grandmother truly was always my hero. I mean, she was running her own business in the 1960s before you could even get a business loan as a woman.

[Lauren]

Incredible.

[Olivia Snow]

Wow. And really, really such a success. I mean, you know, through the 60s, through the 80s, she was running one of the largest interior design businesses in the West.

[Courtney]

Wow.

[Olivia Snow]

Her career was pretty. Pretty special. And I mean, by the time I came around, she was retired, but she was such a storyteller, and she just would, you know, fill me in. And, yeah, it was really, really formative and special, Special childhood. And I feel like there's so much that they taught me that has just been distilled into me. And I think the most important thing is they had their own style, but they were so good at translating individual style. I mean, they would look at me and my siblings and they would call out, you know, things that spoke to my brother, things that spoke to me. And I think it gave me this really well rounded perspective of design to where I could appreciate a lot of different styles. And I understood the way that it was, and I saw beauty in it. And I. I mean, everything they did was kind of, kind of amazing. The way they wanted their home to feel, the way they welcomed guests, like the music, the candles, the pillows, and it just felt like them smells like all. I think it's such a immersive experience when it's done well. And I feel so lucky that that's the way I was raised. And it makes sense.

[Lauren]

Such a cool story and such a meaningful, impactful brand story. I think I would love to get to our questions from our listeners because I know that they have so many from you, and honestly. But I would like to lead off with, like, what were those smells? What were those, like, moments of invitation that people would have when they would come into, like, your mom's or your grandma's home? Because I feel like I want someone to be like, oh, you know, when I went to Lawrence.

[Courtney]

Truly, everyone wants to have that unique, like, lasting impression on somebody.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. I think it honestly comes from an awareness of what your point of view is in the world and the way you want to make people feel. But yeah, I mean, candles lit, food, music, the way that the pillows are. And again, it's, it's this really personal, storied home. And I think it's almost like a rare quality. Right. Like to walk into a home and it feels like an immersive experience. But I think it comes from just having that strong point of view and sharing it. And I think that when there's stuff to look out and there's photos out and there's memories and it's, it tells your story. I mean, I think the true mark of a beautiful home is if someone would walk in and you weren't there, what could they take away? And I always want people like a stranger to walk into your home and have a good sense of who you are. I think that's the ticket.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Like they don't know you, but they could walk around your home. And your home kind of tells the story.

[Lauren]

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[Courtney]

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[Lauren]

Let's get to the official listener questions. The first listener question. Best areas to save money in a house that needs a lot of work.

[Olivia Snow]

Oh my gosh. I think this is the hardest thing when you're starting out on a home. And I mean, maybe you just bought it and you're going to be there for a while, but you want to get in there and you know, you need to make changes right away and you might be limited with your budget. Budget. I think there's a lot of smart things that you can do if you need to do renovations. I'm always going to say do the renovations before you worry about buying a new couch. Just like get in there, get the bones, get the stuff. That's going to be a pain to deal with later on. I think so many people get excited by couches and beds and things, which trust me, like I get excited by new furniture. But I really think getting in there first and you know, even if it's a fresh coat of paint or redoing a bathroom, I think prioritize that stuff first. And then within that, when you're making decisions, there's clever ways that you can save money and be responsible. I'm a sucker for a beautiful tile, but I'm smart enough to know that when I'm picking tile, if I need to save money or I need to be a little bit more aware of budget, picking a tile that has a corresponding trim piece is actually going to save you money because there's not a.

[Courtney]

Little bit more about that. What does that mean?

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, this is where like construction kind of comes into it. But I mean that saves you on labor costs because the way that they have to cut and miter and things, it just takes up more time. So if you're mindful with some of those types of selections, it can make a huge difference. I mean, mean, inset versus overlay cabinetry is like a 20% savings and then within, you know, so inset's more expensive. Overlay is going to be a little bit less expensive. But there's ways you can make overlay cabinetry by like tightening seams. There's little tricks that actually can save you a lot of money. There's great things that are super affordable light fixtures. Nothing has to be expensive. Yeah. And I think everyone really should try to be as open minded towards secondhand items as possible. There's so many amazing light fixtures that you can get secondhand furniture. People buy tile and things on Facebook Marketplace people will have extra. So I think if you're a little bit scrappy, and then if you take the time to even ask your subcontractors, tell me how I can make your labor less interesting and then go from there, that's a really great place to start.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Because then hopefully you aren't falling in love with something that you're going to. You know, I always say sometimes you have to, like, kill your darlings. You'd have to kill too many darlings.

[Lauren]

Yeah, right. I would love to know I'm not built a home, but I imagine that the terror I would feel because it's like you're investing so much, but then you're like, in 20, we gotta redo all of it. And I actually don't really want to feel that way. Is there any way to like, to truly have a timeless home?

[Olivia Snow]

I think one. Anytime you're making any sort of a decision from a place of fear when it comes to design is a bad headspace to be in. I think so many people are so worried about what they're going to think of something in 25 years that they end up with the most neutral place that just lacks character and lacks a little bit of charm. So I think first off, pay attention to what you've always loved. I think you. Everyone starts out with kind of like a mood board. Right. Like we're going to put that together and, you know, collect your images, but then really study your images and figure out what it is in those images that you love. And then think about for how long you've loved it. Right. Think about what feels really true to you. I think anything that you have a visceral reaction to and you love is something you are going to love in 25 years. And I also think in 25 years, things wear out for sure. Like, there are inevitable things that are going to need to be replaced. You're going to want to refresh your home, but do it for the you now that's going to love it and build it as you go and then cross that bridge when you get there. I'm not saying, you know, know, you're everyone redo your home in 25 years. But I think you'll be surprised with your home in 25 years. If you really picked things that you love, I think that they'll grow with you. But of course, in 25 years, you know, there might be a paint color. You're like, I think I'm ready to. To Change that. So it just, it, it can go so many ways.

[Lauren]

Maybe, maybe, maybe more. What I'm speaking to is like the, like this might all look dated. Like the all white kitchen look. Like, is that all going to look dated in seven years? You know, like, what, what are we on the cusp of?

[Olivia Snow]

I think design is really interesting right now. I think we're seeing a lot of minimalist spaces, a lot of maximalist spaces. And I think, like, the never ending question is, what's never going to go out of trend? And for me, the answer is always, look at Europe. Look at, you know, these really historical homes and silhouettes that are never going to go out of style. I mean, that stuff truly stands the test of time.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

I think honestly, a white kitchen is never going to go out of style. There's always going to be a version of a white kitchen that people love. I think, again, you know, pay attention to what stands the test of time, but also what feels true to you.

[Lauren]

I feel like one of my favorite design quotes that someone said to me was, and it reminds me of a food quote, which is like the Alice Waters one, which is like, if you start with great ingredients, you can just create simple food that tastes like what it is. And if, like a home, if you don't try to turn your, like, alpine cabin into a, I don't know, a white marble McMansion, like, if you just keep the bones authentic to the region and the materials authentic to the region, like, it's going to have much more longevity than if you try to make something what it's not.

[Olivia Snow]

Oh, absolutely. And it's the same thing that goes for your personal style. It's really like, hone in on who you are and it is going to stand the test of time.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Be true to yourself. Be true to the character of the home. I think the only thing that really makes me sad and that I do think people will regret is like, just whitewashing homes and going in and just ripping out character. I think really be mindful as you're making some of those decisions and protect some of that, like, uniqueness and integrity that's in every space, because every space has it.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Especially if you're renovating an old home or, you know, you're building new, think about the little details that are going to add that, like, special character and.

[Courtney]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. People are very nervous about wallpaper. Wallpaper is all over these questions. How to pick a good wallpaper. Should wallpaper be in the bathrooms where people are showering? I feel like You. We didn't grow up with wallpaper, but I first saw wallpaper in Courtney's, like, veno that you helped with, that you obviously oversaw. And it was my first time where I was like, wait, I love wallpaper. So, anyway, talk to us about wallpaper.

[Olivia Snow]

How to choose it. So I grew up with wallpaper. Most rooms in my childhood home were wallpaper, and I love it. There are a lot of people like me that grew up with wallpaper that are repelled by, I think, you know, right off the bat which camp you fall into. I think there's people that love it, and there's people that really dislike it. I think it actually is a more polarizing thing. And then there's some people that might be a little curious about it. And to them, I say, like, yes, put it in a powder bathroom, the place you aren't in every day. I think wallpaper is super fun. I think it's intimidating, Right. Because you have to install it. It is more of a commitment than paint. But I think that it's exciting. I think it is such a great way to add personality, to infuse a little bit of charm and character. I mean, I love it in kids rooms. I love it in bedrooms. I love it in kitchen. I love it on a ceiling. Like, really just about anywhere.

[Courtney]

I feel like, too. It's like, it's a risk, but then, like, I feel like, the reward of it. Like, when it works well, it feels like. I don't know, it just feels more adventurous, you know? Like, if somebody does wallpaper in their home and they do it well, I'm like, oh, you have great taste. Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes.

[Courtney]

Versus someone who has a great home that doesn't have wallpaper.

[Olivia Snow]

It's a really great. You went for it moment.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

Like, it's like she went for it, and it's a commitment. And I mean, I really. I really love it. I think that it adds. It adds so much.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

Okay, next question. Question. What do you think? And we kind of lightly touched on this, but anything, like, rapid fire, like, what do you think? You don't need to pay through the nose for this. And people, like, can sometimes fall into the trap of paying through the nose for, like, do you splurge always on the couch, and then you always save on, you know, you get the end tables from Amazon. I don't know.

[Olivia Snow]

I think this is a conversation of priority. Right. Like, when we were working on your space, it's very obvious from the jump that the sectional was something that we were going to spend on because that was your priority. You wanted it to be extremely comfortable.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

And it almost took precedent over. Over everything about everything else.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

So I think priority is a huge part of that. I think if you're someone that wants a really great comfortable, I mean, upholstery is kind of a great place to do it. If you want something new, you want something that's going to sit well, that's a great place to splurge. But just about across the board. Like, I really think you can find versions of things that suit your budget. I mean, even down to cabinet hardware. A cabinet knob can cost 150 or it can cost 10.

[Courtney]

Right.

[Olivia Snow]

And oftentimes there's really not that much of a difference if you're doing the right finish.

[Courtney]

Right.

[Olivia Snow]

Again. Furniture, I mean, I love finding things vintage. I love secondhand. Again, I think sometimes when everything is new in a home, it can feel a little bit one note. So I think find places where you can spend and save, but really think about what your priorities are and what, what's going to be the most important thing to you. Whether it's, you know, we sit at our dining table for hours and hours.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

And I need these chairs to be the most comfortable thing. Okay. So maybe we're finding the new chair and we're going and we're sitting in it and we're figuring out out what's best for you. But I think it is, it's just a conversation and priority and there's always a high and low version of just about everything.

[Courtney]

Yeah. Yeah. What about rugs?

[Olivia Snow]

Oh my gosh. Rugs. Rugs are such a great question. And rugs can be extremely expensive and they can be extremely cheap. So I think a couple things that I would watch for with rugs is what the contents are first. And I think anything hand knotted is going to be exponentially better quality than something that is like screen printed a lot. Rugs are like printed and then they have just like a little bit of a. I don't even know what it is, but I think anything hand knotted is automatically going to elevate the space. And oftentimes hand knotted rugs aren't super expensive. Love anything wool. Etsy is an amazing resource for vintage rugs and the price point is actually really, really reasonable. I think it's a great place for people to take a look and kind of see what's out there.

[Courtney]

Okay.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

Love it.

[Lauren]

Yeah. Because I guess, I mean, with buying stuff for your home on Etsy or Facebook Marketplace, like the resale value on a Lot of this stuff is so much lower, obviously, than what you pay retail. So that is like a good way, I think too. I mean, it's an obvious point to make, but just to drive home. It's like you can save money by finding things that other people are selling that they've already had in their home that have character, that have like, you know, that feel lived in.

[Olivia Snow]

I can't even tell you the things I found at a ste. It's so much fun. And again, and the hunt is part of it. The hunt's part of it. Obviously it is time consuming. I mean, not everyone has the time to go and search for everything. So I'll be real, like, there are plenty of times where it is just so much easier to just buy the new thing. But I think if you're up to kind of play it is a game, like, if you want to play the game, go for it. You will find amazing things, things, and your home is going to look actually richer in the end with these, like, cheaper secondhand things. It's not all one note. Right. It's not all brand new.

[Lauren]

And someone said, how do I not decorate, like, everything we see on Instagram? And I think that's where to start is like, maybe just don't buy what's available online, you know, entirely.

[Courtney]

Like, I did well, but I actually. Well, I think it's knowing where to go online, like knowing where to look online. I think that, like, something I struggle with is vintage stuff in New York can be very expensive. There can a lot of times not be a ton of cost savings. Unless you're going. Going to like true thrift stores.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

Like, I think maybe I'm just not in a place in my life yet where I'm ready to like splash out a ton on vintage furniture yet because I don't feel like I'm in my forever place. And so anyway, sometimes when you're like, maybe if you live in a bigger city, I feel like some of the, like, in person vintage places can still be quite overpriced. But I like this tip because I think going online, knowing where to look online for secondhand furniture is actually so key to like still getting some of those cost savings.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. And I think most people that are listing on things on Facebook Marketplace are like ready to negotiate, totally want it off their hands. They're ready to let it go. And speaking to you, Lauren, I mean, we didn't do any vintage in your home, but I think the thing that we were really mindful of is the mix. The mix of textures and materiality. So if you are someone who isn't up for the vintage, I think it's just paying attention and adding interest, making sure that, you know, we have different wood finishes and different textures and different fabrics and things like that. Cuz that tells a great story too.

[Lauren]

Different art, like depth to the pieces.

[Olivia Snow]

You actually do have vintage art in your home.

[Courtney]

I was going to say your house definitely doesn't feel like everything's brand new.

[Olivia Snow]

No.

[Courtney]

Like it feels clean.

[Lauren]

But that's Olivia's magic.

[Courtney]

Right.

[Lauren]

You know, because 100% I didn't even give that directive. But she, she made that happen.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

So that it, you know, it felt, it feels like there are some traits that are collected.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

I think, I think what people are wanting to avoid is like I bought this all in, in a month. You know, I bought all of this in the last six months. You know, like it's all feels like very of the moment or brand new.

[Olivia Snow]

And that might be one of the tricks that I think a designer is able to do. Right. Like we're moving people in on one day and oftentimes like we did buy it all within the last six months and we are putting it all in the house on the same day and it technically is all new. Even if it's not new, it's new to them. And that is something that I think designers are really good at, is making it feel like a really storied piece where we didn't just get online one day and get everything totally right.

[Courtney]

It wasn't like one. One shopping cart away from.

[Olivia Snow]

Yes, exactly. What is that nice? Wouldn't that be nice?

[Courtney]

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[Olivia Snow]

Oh my gosh, for sure. I think being a renter is a really great time to like be experimental and like try different things. But also I think sometimes when you're a little bit limited is when you get the most creative. Creative. I think you're able to like really think of your space, make it work. I mean, you said you're in a pretty small space.

[Courtney]

Very small space.

[Olivia Snow]

I'm not in my forever home either. Right. And it's something where I might not want to invest a ton of energy into it, but I want to make it feel like myself. I tell renters, I think there's like this paralysis that oftentimes people have if they're renting or they're not in like their version of forever of a forever home where they're like, I'll just wait. I'll just, I'll just wait. And I really don't believe in that. I don't want people to save anything for best or like for the future. Start collecting the things that you love now and live with it and use it. I think so many people, like buy china and then they only save it for the holidays. I'd like eat off of your china.

[Courtney]

Right.

[Olivia Snow]

Have so much fun with it. I mean, buy the pillow that excites you. Buy the thing. I mean, and oftentimes, I mean, maybe larger pieces don't always work where you go. But like, if you found nightstands that you fell in love with, those can come with you. Table can come with you. Buy the pieces that excite you and you'll actually be better for it when you get to that forever place. Because you're already going to have this like great collection to build and you'll have already been.

[Courtney]

Yeah, like building your t and experimenting. One more question, one follow up question. What about for super small spaces? Like, what do you think is a common mistake people make when they live in super small spaces? Because I can feel like all of a sudden very overcrowded by all of my things because this is just like a small place. And so I guess, like, how do you have a really gorgeous, artful, designed space that's only 450 square feet?

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah, I mean, I think that is definitely probably one of the most challenging things to tackle. And you do want distinguished Spaces, like, I'm sure you guys want your kitchen to feel like a kitchen. And if you have a little dining space making that feel like its own thing, I think it's really finding the pieces that are going to double as a couple different things. Like if you can find a really great storage cabinet that might divide the kitchen from the living room, and it's also serving as storage, but it gives that little break and separation. Stuff like that makes a huge difference. But you do have to get creative and you have to get fun. And I don't know, I think it can be great.

[Lauren]

I have a question. Someone says, how do I find my own style?

[Olivia Snow]

That's a great question.

[Courtney]

Just a big.

[Lauren]

A big one.

[Olivia Snow]

A big one. Just crack this open for us. Here you go. Just. I'll just tell you right now how to do. Do it again. I think I kind of, like, talked a little bit about this, but this comes back to the mood board thing of it all. I think we get on Pinterest, we can get on Instagram, and I think it can be really overwhelming, and it all kind of starts to look the same. So I think what I tell everyone to do is start collecting images. And I think people get nervous about the images they collect because they're like, I like this, but I don't like everything in it. And I actually think that's better than if you like everything in an image. I think what you want to do is you want to pull a bunch of stuff that you enjoy and then actually study it. I mean, it might be just a chair that's in a photo that you love. So you're going to focus on that chair. It might be a pink color that you love. And then you're going to take all of that and you're going to kind of piece it together and you're going to look at all the things that you love from these different spaces and you're going to start to see what your distinct style is. And I think a lot of times people feel like they need to categorize their style. They're like, I'm, you know, mid century modern, or I'm modern farmhouse, or like these. These fruits. Exactly.

[Lauren]

Very different than modern farmhouse. Okay.

[Olivia Snow]

It's actually a new genre. It's a different MF genre. Moody City Farm girl. Yeah, exactly. So I think, like, you start to, like, piece together this version and then you get to build off of it. And I don't think you need to put yourself into a camp. I think juxtaposition is always going to Make a more interesting space. And I think there will be details and little things that you start to notice that become the through line for you. Maybe you're seeing a lot of blues or pinks or maybe you're like. All the lights that I love are brass.

[Courtney]

Okay.

[Olivia Snow]

I like brass. So that's kind of the way that.

[Courtney]

I recommend starting quick lighting. Quick question. Do you, like, hate it when you walk into a space that is just all super white light?

[Olivia Snow]

Yes. Yeah. Any lighting that feels clinical really, really.

[Lauren]

Recently, let's just solve this problem. What's the lighting shade everyone needs to buy?

[Olivia Snow]

So I think, and this is something that, like, took me a long time to really nail down because there's watts and lumens and Kelvins and all of this. Really the thing to make attention to is kelvins.

[Courtney]

Okay?

[Olivia Snow]

Like Kelvin. That is the thing to look at. Like 60 watts versus 40 watts is not going to make the ultimate difference. Kelvins is what matter. And it's. It's like a scale. So it starts at 2700 being the warmest, all the way up to like, I think 5,000 being like, you are in an insane asylum. Like, you. You are like, you're not. Okay. I really love like 2700 and 3000. And I would pick, I mean, buy all your light bulbs the same note if you can.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

And that's going to give you like warm, glowy lighting.

[Courtney]

Do you ever do humor lighting? Have you ever done that color smart lighting. But it can be warm. Can be.

[Olivia Snow]

Have. You know, I, I don't think I've done that.

[Courtney]

I asked just because Ben is my fiance, is very into hue lining in the sense of, like, making everything the same shade of like yellow and sometimes select lights. But anyway, it's just, it's. It's very interesting. Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, they make all the light bulbs now where you can like, pick any color that comes out of them. And it's not, it's not really something that I like your vibe. I think actually those are the conversations, you guys, when I am meeting with couples, the husbands, there are like three things we always talk about, and they are always one, wanting, like smart light bulbs.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

Like the TV matters the most. Things like that. And typically, I'm just, you know, if they want the smart light bulbs, I let them do it, but they're not for me. So that's kind of the way, kind of the way that I stand and I. Yeah. Oh, my gosh, you should hear these men talk about LEDs.

[Courtney]

Yeah. It is crazy.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. It's so fun.

[Lauren]

I will say you're a smart light bulb. So they just function as like, convenience, like, and it's super.

[Courtney]

Oh, yeah, ours is yellow. Like, we. Yeah, we're, we're on the same team here. Okay. Because I'm also big, like yellow.

[Olivia Snow]

Imagining, like.

[Courtney]

No, not fluorescent.

[Lauren]

No.

[Courtney]

Like, if I'm being honest, he does.

[Olivia Snow]

Like, start doing a lot with your small space.

[Courtney]

We're doing a little. We're literally, we're just trying to find variation wherever we can.

[Olivia Snow]

Exactly.

[Courtney]

Some days it's blue, some days it's red. We definitely prefer yellow lighting.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

What are inexpensive ways to update a bedroom or kitchen?

[Olivia Snow]

Oh, that is so interesting. I mean, obviously a bedroom, there's really easy, low lift stuff. I think I am so energized. If I get a new pillow on my bed or like I swap out my duvet or my bedding or even lamp in a bedroom are going to make a huge difference. So it's really those top layers that are super easy. And then kitchens swapping out hardware can make the biggest difference in the world. And it's this really low lift thing that you can do. I mean, most, if you guys are moving into like a builder home that is, you know, not even semi custom. Right. Like just going up. Most people go in and they're like, okay, how do I put my stamp on this? It's brand new, but I want to make it my own. I mean, swapping out the hardware makes a huge difference because typically in those homes you're seeing brushed nickel finishes.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Kind of like the entry level finish. It's inexpensive. Just about every man grabs it from Home Depot and puts it on the cabinets. But I think like, switching to like those warmer polished nickel tones or brass tones can add a little bit of warmth, charm, personality, stuff like that. And I mean, lighting pendants in a kitchen, easy to swap out. They make a huge difference.

[Lauren]

Yeah.

[Courtney]

Literally, like the lighting alone, I feel like if fixing the light and getting like IKEA has some like, great light fixtures. Like, I don't know, this is a design episode. I don't want to give people IKEA advice if that's maybe not.

[Olivia Snow]

I will buy it. You don't want to co sign it from anywhere? As long as I like it.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Lauren]

So great.

[Olivia Snow]

IKEA is great with me.

[Lauren]

Yeah, yeah. No, and so the space we're, we are renting in Brooklyn and this, you know, all these rental, especially these new units, they all have very cheap finishes. Like, it's not the beautiful stone kitchen. It's like very standard but now I'm thinking, oh, like, maybe I should swap out some hardware, like, just to give it some, like, little.

[Olivia Snow]

Little extra.

[Courtney]

It just needs to feel less cookie cutter for sure.

[Olivia Snow]

I also think when you add those special little details, those things that might feel a little cookie cutter become background noise.

[Courtney]

Yes, exactly.

[Olivia Snow]

They're honest. They become the last thing you're looking at because you're noticing like, a sweet knob or charming detail or a special light. And once you put in your personal possessions, truly, like, it is just like the canvas underneath what makes it special.

[Courtney]

A sweet knob is the cutest thing I've ever heard. And I'm literally, I'm on my way to home dep after this. Better a cuter store. Sweeter knobs, cute.

[Olivia Snow]

And I don't know if cute is a compliment to everyone. It is my. It is my word of choice.

[Courtney]

I love it.

[Olivia Snow]

And the tinier the details detail, the more excited I get. So.

[Lauren]

Yeah, okay, wait, sorry. I know you're going to be an expert at this one, so I have to ask you.

[Olivia Snow]

It.

[Lauren]

Someone says, I love traditional and romantic arches. Husband loves modern and harsh lines. Help me.

[Courtney]

Oh, gosh.

[Olivia Snow]

I feel like you need to tell your story. This person is me. So my running joke about my husband, I love him so much. He is wonderful. And truly, actually, I don't think he has much of an opinion when it comes to interiors. I think, like, I actually, I know I just get to kind of drive and he just kind of follows. But he should be so lucky. My husband could. He would live in a villain's headquarters. Like, I'm telling you, he wants concrete floors, black walls. Like, he will drive. We will be driving, you know, down whatever street in Utah and he'll see, like, a new Starbucks that has gone up. And you know how they build them. They're all, like, very contemporary and harsh and modern. And he's like, well, that's sick. I love this so much. And I just want to live in my version of like, the storybook Cotswold's cottage that's, like, layered with florals. There's tassels. And by the of myself as a grandmother one day in my home and my grandkids come and I'm sitting in my, like, worn in chair with, like, fabric all around me and. And my sweet husband, he'll be there with me, but we. We really don't align when it comes to interiors, unfortunately. It sounds like this person has to compromise, whereas I just kind of like am steamrolling a little bit. And he loves it. He loves me for it. I truly think most couples are rarely aligned fully when it comes to interiors. And I think they start out the project pretty nervous about their differences. But when they hire a designer, we're really good at finding middle ground, and there's typically a place for all of it. I think we can create a home that feels equal parts contemporary and masculine, but can also feel sweet and charming and feminine. I think we can do that. It's all about the mix, and I think it tells the family story in an even better way. It's really about, like, sitting down, finding the common ground, you know, picking a couple pieces that will give him what he wants and striking the balance and having conversations. And, you know, there's always things that are a yes for a wife and a no for a husband or partners or whoever it is. But typically, we can almost always land on something that everybody feels really good about. And then also within your home, depending upon the size of your home, you will have spaces that can speak to you. I kind of joke, like, everyone needs a headquarters in their home. They need the space that feels like them, whether it's, you know, his office or maybe you have a room that's kind of your spot.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

And we lean in in those areas, and then in all the common spaces, try to find a lot of middle ground. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

[Lauren]

I love it. Olivia, what do you think is trending now, but people will regret in five years?

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, it is hard to say because I think trend can be really fun. I think we like to participate in trends. I think a conversation to have around trends and. And I can't remember who exactly came up with this. This thing, but think of your home as something like if you were to turn it up upside down and everything that can fall would be something. A place to take a risk with a trend. So, like, hard finishes, if you're kind of like wanting to be trend averse, I would say like anything that is attached to the house structurally, maybe avoid that, but have fun, have play with pillows and different things for trend, like buy the trendy chair, do the trendy thing, feel like it, and it isn't going to feel like you're in a marriage. So I will say, like, don't be so scared of trends. Don't feel like you need to be completely trend. Just be mindful about how you do it and the way that you do it. I think Target is a great place to buy the trendy item.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

But it's all about the execution. It's all about the Details the quality level and yeah it's hard. It's also like do we really know? Can we really. Is there really a lens that we look through where we know what we're going to regret in five years?

[Lauren]

We don't question what are online retailers that are really good quality for the price?

[Olivia Snow]

Oh that actually is a really great question. It's interesting the way that a lot of these vendors work is most online retailers that you guys are probably shopping at are sourcing from like the same wholesaler. Like a lot of these things are going to be available across like 100 websites. So you'll see a lot of them there. I think really you can find, I find things just about anywhere. Like I will order things from, you know if it's the right fit from like a more high end retailer from a Crate and Barrel all the way down to like Etsy. So I think it's about searching for like the keyword of what you're looking for and then finding options. I also love like Google lensing. Things like if you see something that you love and it's out of your price, price point, put it in Google lens and like see what comes up. This similar and that could be a great place to source. I think things to pay attention to are some of like the little quality giveaways that are kind of useful. I think like paying attention to cushion content or what's the dimensions of something for. It's so hard to just like pigeonhole this because there's so many different types of fills.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

But things that have like an actual like high quality foam on the inside are gonna like sit a little bit better.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

And um, if a piece of furniture actually has like a true wood frame that can make a huge difference in the way that the chair sits and things like that.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Paying attention to dimensions is smart. I mean kind of know where you land on a couch if you're someone that's a little bit taller, you might want like a deeper seat. I really feel like you can find great things just about anywhere.

[Lauren]

I want a master class in like how to assess quality like across the board in food, in objects in my home. Cuz I just feel like having an eye for quality and what makes something special and what will, what will arrive and not look good. That is just like half the bag battle, you know. I mean you don't trust yourself like me.

[Courtney]

Well I think too it's hard when like when you can buy something expensive that actually is city quality, you know.

[Lauren]

I feel like that was a big revelation I had when I finally could afford more expensive things, I was like, some of this stuff, it's the same as the $200 dress.

[Olivia Snow]

It absolutely is. That's why I'm saying, like, I don't want to point you in one direction or the other. I mean, if you're buying a dining table, is it 100% wood or is it like a rubber wood finish with a veneer? And I think a table is somewhere where you might want solid wood. You're going to be eating food on it. There's going to be drinks and beverage and spills, and you might write on it. And it. The finish has to be able to be up to the task. But then there's places where a veneer might serve you really well. On a side table that isn't going to get a lot of action. So it really is just kind of about doing some research, reading reviews, and kind of playing with all of that. Yeah, Well, I wish I had like a magic place. I'm like, everybody, here's the secret. Go here.

[Lauren]

That's kind of nice. It's like there's. There's good stuff kind of everywhere. There's also stuff to avoid. And you have to learn to like, you know, use your eye to really be discerning.

[Olivia Snow]

And you will make mistakes.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Like, you absolutely will order something that you, you know, regret you might return it. And that's okay. It's all part of the process and it's informing you kind of in the long, long end of how things work.

[Courtney]

Yeah. Well, and I think too, just to go back to what you're saying about like the solid wood table, like, maybe that's a place where it's like, okay, I'll buy this secondhand if it's solid wood, you know, like that's maybe where you can like, give and take with price stuff.

[Lauren]

The one thing I will say like that I'm so happy I worked with a designer for is. Sorry, kind of like a little bit of a left turn. But it's in the sectional purchase. Because I don't think I could have gotten that sectional on my own. Like, I had to be. Cuz it's not just like a storefront, Right?

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. So that sectional can, I mean, someone could go in and custom order that through a retailer that has like the dealership to sell that upholstery. But I do think there's a lot of benefit to working with a designer because, I mean, you weren't able to sit in it before we bought it, custom ordered it. We Shipped it to you. But designers, you know, we go to market, we meet with these vendors, we understand the quality. And actually where you ordered it from, it was, it's hand made in the US Completely custom. Like the springs are, you know, hand assembled. There's hand ties on. It's, it's really like another level of quality that designers can really speak to. And we're, we're actually really good because we're around furniture all the time at kind of knowing what's, what's good quality, what isn't.

[Lauren]

And I think, I think that's where if you do have the budget or maybe you're like, hey, there are some key pieces I do want to order through a designer because I want the bed or I want this sectional to be perfect. So I just need to hire this person for these one off purchases. It's where it could make a huge difference because we bought the Pottery Barn dream sectional for our place in Puerto Rico. And it has been a Nightmare. It was $8,000. We fucking hate it. And to share more.

[Courtney]

Why?

[Lauren]

Because it's hard. I can feel the frame, like on my, on my frame. I can feel the frame of the couch. It's just, it's not cushiony enough. Yeah, it's just been awful. And like the couch we got with you was not that much, much more. And like, it is so different quality wise. That's where I just think there's sometimes when you're like, okay, I should just try to find someone who can help me source some super high quality stuff for these key pieces.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah. I think the other thing that really came in handy working with you is the logistics end of everything. Right. Like, you weren't in town. There wasn't a place where we could receive all this. And designers are also really good at figuring out. I, I joke all the time. I'm like, I think my job is 98% logistics. Like 2% actually, like the beautiful. So it's figuring out how we're going to get all of this together, how we're going to get it shipped, where it's going to get delivered to, how who's going to get it into your house, how it's going to be assembled, and then making sure that it's going to fit and that it's going to feel great and speak to the quality. And then when things go wrong, because I mean, things go wrong. I mean, things arrived damaged or broken. Like, we're really good at navigating that process and getting everything squared away. Yeah.

[Lauren]

And also, I mean, I Just feel like knowing. Knowing what size to order, like you said, like, knowing it's going to fit. Even when the couch first got there, because we had a cheap Wayfarer one there for a minute just to tide us over, that I sold on Facebook Marketplace. And anyway, when the couch first got there, I'm like, whoa, this thing is way too big. And it's green, and it's like, you know, I just. It took me a moment, and Olivia was, like, so helpful. She was like, it's gonna be a little bit of, like, a shock, but you're gonna, like, love it. Just, like, give it a second.

[Olivia Snow]

For sure. I think when you have lived in a space and you make changes to a space and something new arrives, there is that, like, moment of this is new. It's different. I need to adapt to it. And those are the moments where, like, we do sometimes talk people off a little bit. You were really on a cliff. You were just kind of like, this is different than what it was for the whatever month it was with that temporary sectional. I mean, but now living with the sectional, it's beyond amazing.

[Lauren]

It's beyond amazing.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, seat, like, the entertaining possibilities, all of that.

[Lauren]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

There. It's beautiful.

[Courtney]

It's so perfect.

[Lauren]

Oh, well, thank you.

[Courtney]

Another, like, rapid fire question. What are your favorite paint colors to use?

[Olivia Snow]

Okay, this. People are not going to love this answer. I think there's a lot of really great, like, if whites is probably what they're asking for. I am someone. I don't love to give out paint colors because I really want people to test them. I want to skip that step. They want me to say, like, you're going to paint everything. Swiss coffee, and that's going to be perfect. But every home is completely different. I can't tell you the amount of times I put a color up on a wall and it feels really yellow or it feels really white or too white, or you really need to test it and try it out. I think if you were to just, like, Google best white paint colors, you're going to get a great place to start and start with that list and test those and then kind of figure out what you need to do. If there's a color that you love, you can turn up and down the volume of the color. So if you want it to be a little bit warmer, maybe you take that color to, like, 125% interesting, and they can make you that customer mix. But really my answer is test colors. Like, find the list of colors that you can Google just about anything you can say, like, great green exterior colors, and then you're gonna go get five cans of those. You're gonna put them up on the wall. It's worth the extra step. It really is, because I'm sure people just Google it. They put it up, and they're like, yeah, my kid. My home looks like butter. Like, this is not white. So I don't know. Not, like, a fun answer, but the real advice.

[Lauren]

Yeah, that's what people do.

[Courtney]

Yeah. Test it out.

[Lauren]

Last fun question. Have you ever had a client and they're like, I want to live in a villain's headquarters, and, Olivia, I need you to help me do it. Like, I just want to know if have you ever had to design a space that was just so not your style?

[Olivia Snow]

Oh, my gosh. I mean, I say this completely honestly. I don't think there is a client's home that I've done that I would say I would move in tomorrow.

[Lauren]

That you would move into tomorrow. Okay.

[Olivia Snow]

Because it actually speaks to, like, my design philosophy.

[Courtney]

Right.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, my home is for me, and my clients homes are for them.

[Courtney]

I love that. I think, like, that speaks to also, like, you being good at your job and, like, being able to get what they want for sure.

[Olivia Snow]

And I think if you look that, you know, the work that I've done, every project is extremely different. I mean, I've done homes that are extremely colorful or extremely neutral. I've done, like, some bachelor pads, and I mean. I mean, I've done funny things. Like, one time, it was really important. This guy was, like, a single man living on his own, and he wanted a sofa that reclined. And, like, we found a gorgeous sofa that reclined, and we made it work. And, like, we could do all of that. So I really. I. I think it's fun. I love. Love figuring USB chargers. There was a beautifully specifically placed drink table that, like, did the thing.

[Courtney]

But we found.

[Olivia Snow]

I mean, really, like, I love the challenge. I love the excitement of being like, I'm gonna figure out this person's style and, you know, make it feel like them make it their own. It's so fun. And, yeah, I mean, I've had clients bring, you know, really interesting art to me and different things that they want to display. I mean, it's the same thing as Emma Roberts with her dollar collection on display. Do I have a doll collection? No. Do I want a doll collection? No. But it adds, like, so much time, and I think, as a designer, like, what a fun challenge.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

For people.

[Lauren]

Yeah. Well, you did it for this moody farm girl. So thank you.

[Olivia Snow]

It was the best.

[Lauren]

Wow, guys, this has been so fun. Thank you so much, Olivia, for having me. Really quick, we need to share.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

So, Olivia, you. We worked entirely by voice memo. Like, we didn't. We never even met over zoom because I've been very hectically busy. And so we didn't even meet. We just like sent a bunch of voice memos, reviewed stuff. Do not need to, like, you don't have to be, you know, Utah based to work with you. Where can people find you? What's the process?

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah, so I'm on Instagram websites coming. So at Mother's Daughter Design, you can find me. Based in Salt Lake. So we love our local projects, but we actually work, I mean, projects in California, Florida, New York, kind of all over the place, which is so fun. I think we can get a lot done, like remotely. And I know this was a question some people asked, but I think a lot of people feel like a designer is just out of reach. Like, they're like, I can't reach. Reach out. There's so many amazing resources, like beyond me for designers. You can pay for hourly consultations with like the top designers in the world, like through the expert. And if there's a designer you're a fan of, like, send them a message. They might offer hourly consulting or maybe they do take on a mix of projects. So, yeah, beyond Me. I think design is really like something that everyone can have a touch of and experience and it's worth it.

[Lauren]

Yeah. And even you, you had like a menu and it was like, okay, do you want me to just help you with the items? Then you purchase it and kind of take. Take it from there. Do you want me to purchase it but you handle installation or do you want this done for you and you walk into your done home and I was like, if you can help me with purchasing, but then I'll do installation, that'll be great. So I like pick the middle option. So there's just ways to like get the help you need without being Kendall Jenner, you know, for sure.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah, we offer like everything from like full service, turnkey design experience where we're building new homes, all the way down to consultation. And I love the mix too. Right. Like some projects I'm signing up for three years and some like a six weeks turnaround. And I like, like the mix of pace. I think that it's great.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

And could someone pay you just like for an hour of your time to look at their mood board?

[Olivia Snow]

For sure. Yes. Absolutely.

[Lauren]

So cool.

[Courtney]

Yeah.

[Olivia Snow]

Love it. Love. I love to help people. Saying yes is. Is fun.

[Lauren]

Yeah. You guys go follow Olivia Snow at Mother Zar Design. Is that a real name? Olivia Snow?

[Olivia Snow]

It is a real name.

[Lauren]

That's so cool.

[Olivia Snow]

Oh, thanks.

[Lauren]

Anyway, it's just like.

[Courtney]

And your maiden name is Goodfellow, right?

[Olivia Snow]

Maiden name Goodfellow. Hello. Yes. Married, last name is Snow.

[Lauren]

Olivia.

[Courtney]

It's such a good name.

[Lauren]

It's very storybook. Perfect for your cottage life.

[Courtney]

Yes.

[Olivia Snow]

One day.

[Lauren]

One day.

[Olivia Snow]

Yeah.

[Lauren]

Okay, you guys, mother's daughter design on Instagram. We're gonna have a lot of actually right now. Also, go check out our sub stack because we're gonna have everything we sourced and purchased for the Brooklyn moody farm girl apartment you can find there on our substack article. And then we have all the photos posted. So it's just been so, so fun. Thank you so much, Olivia.

[Olivia Snow]

It's been a treat. Love working with you.

[Lauren]

Bye, guys.

[Courtney]

Bye.

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[Olivia Snow]

Very cool.

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[Olivia Snow]

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[Olivia Snow]

Never.