How to Decorate

Welcome back to How to Decorate! Today, we are joined by returning guest and Chicago-based interior designer Alexandra Kaehler. She recently published her highly anticipated debut book, A Welcome Home: Inviting Interiors, which features eight stunning homes designed for young families. Alexandra shares the behind-the-scenes process of writing her book, designing for her bold sister, and why every room doesn't need to serve every function.

Quick Decorating Takeaways:

Embrace Patterned Upholstery: A patterned sofa or sectional acts as natural camouflage for spills, making it perfect for families with kids or dogs. Patterned upholstery can also serve as the central statement piece in a small room that might otherwise feel flat.

You Don't Always Need Drapery: Sometimes skipping window treatments altogether allows strong architecture and beautiful windows to shine. This edit can prevent a room from feeling overly stuffy or sweet.

Ground Sweet Patterns with Bold Colors: If you use a delicate or sweet wallpaper, pair it with a bold, unexpected color—like an eggplant leather banquette—to keep the space from feeling too juvenile or formal.

Balance Heirloom Dining Sets: A full matching antique dining set (table, chairs, buffet, and corner cabinet) can quickly feel stuffy. Counterbalance the formality by wrapping the room in a vibrant, tropical mural wallpaper to inject lightheartedness.

Design for Your Reality: If you don't actually cook or entertain large crowds, don't design a massive open-concept chef's kitchen. Build the house for how your family actually lives, even if that means a closed-off galley kitchen with polished marble and an antique oil painting hung over the sink.

Protect the "Destination" Room: Dedicate at least one cozy room, like a formal living room with a fireplace, to be completely TV-free. This creates a designated destination for gathering, reading, and conversation.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

01:02 Alexandra discusses the two-year waiting process of publishing her first book and the joy of returning to design storytelling.

10:10 Designing her sister's house: Navigating a "more is more" aesthetic and fully committing to a pattern-drenched primary bedroom.

21:47 The 1920s Arts and Crafts bungalow project featuring whimsical saturated colors, a purple banquette, and a bold yellow butler's pantry.

35:49 Designing a closed-off, aesthetic-driven galley kitchen for a family that unapologetically does not cook.

46:30 Alexandra's own home renovations, the importance of floor-to-ceiling windows, and why she loves a formal living room.

54:24 The clever, double-sided hidden TV Alexandra's husband requested for their kitchen and screened porch.

01:02:05 Why Alexandra specifically chose to design her book without a fussy dust jacket.

Also Mentioned:

Book: A Welcome Home: Inviting Interiors by Alexandra Kaehler

Instagram: @alexkaehlerdesign

Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and please leave us a review.

Happy decorating!
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Welcome to How to Decorate from Ballard Designs! While the team takes a short summer break, they are re-sharing a handful of their all-time favorite podcast episodes. Today, Caroline, Taryn, and Liz sit down with American interior designer David Jimenez to discuss his path to living in Paris and his Rizzoli book, Parisian by Design: Interiors by David Jimenez. David shares the secrets behind effortless Parisian style, the art of layering, and how to create deeply personal spaces filled with joy and memories.

Quick Decorating Takeaways:

Embrace Antiques for Continuity: The French are known for holding onto the pieces they buy and passing them down through their families. Bringing familiar, story-filled antiques into a new home offers a comforting and reassuring atmosphere.

Curate a "Salon Style" Gallery Wall: To replicate the gallery walls seen in the Louvre Museum, start hanging artwork on thin metal rods right under your room's ceiling molding.

Mix Finishes Fearlessly: Do not feel constrained by strict design rules regarding matching wood or metal finishes. Mixing dark and light woods, or nickel and brass, brings energy and vital contrast to a room.

Leverage Large-Scale Pieces: Create dramatic "highs and lows" in your spaces by mixing oversized items with smaller ones. A large piece of art or a tall secretary desk provides visual surprise and hierarchy.

Utilize Decorative Screens: Room dividers can introduce subtle layers of texture and color, or serve a highly practical purpose like masking an unattractive view outside a window without blocking the natural sunlight.

Anchor with Black: Black serves as an excellent underlying punctuation mark in a room. Using black lampshades is a reliable way to add contrast and prevent a space from feeling too monotonous.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

00:00 An introduction to the summer "best of" series and a warm welcome to guest David Jimenez.

04:52 David’s career journey, starting as a Gap salesperson and leading to his relocation to reinvent a historic French brand.

08:37 The beauty of investing in antiques and the reassurance of bringing familiar furniture into new spaces.

13:55 How to casually layer your decor over the course of a relaxing afternoon.

16:27 Tips for constructing a Louvre-inspired gallery wall with high placements and metal rods.

20:20 Why breaking traditional design rules about wood and metal finishes breathes life into a room.

23:02 Using scale and oversized pieces to create necessary visual drama.

25:37 Practical and aesthetic applications for decorative folding screens.

29:02 The inspiration behind David's favored 7cm-wide black and white striped curtains from the Marché Saint-Pierre.

32:25 Why black lampshades and pops of dual-tone colors help ground a space.

34:29 How observing master designers like Madeleine Castaing can influence your own design choices.

37:23 Exploring the second half of David’s book, featuring an insider’s guide to Parisian artisans and shopping destinations.

41:01 The crucial etiquette for shopping at French flea markets, starting with a polite greeting.

44:07 Finding bold color inspiration within historic French museums and former homes.

51:29 Details on where to purchase Parisian by Design and where to follow David's work online.

Also Mentioned:

Book: Parisian by Design: Interiors by David Jimenez

Marché Saint-Pierre (Paris fabric market)

David Jimenez's website: davidjimenezstudio.com

David's Instagram: @davidjimenezstudio

Send your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net

Parisian by Design: Interiors by David Jimenez For a closer look at the stunning interiors discussed in today's episode, this visual overview highlights the elegant photography and practical styling advice found inside David Jimenez's book.
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Welcome back to How to Decorate from Ballard Designs! While the team takes a short summer break, we are sharing some of our best and most beloved conversations from the archives. Today, we are re-airing our all-time most listened-to episode, and it is all about furniture shopping.

Buying furniture is a big decision that can easily feel overwhelming, with countless options, price points, and potential mistakes. Caroline, Taryn, and Liz sit down to discuss how to approach furniture as a long-term investment and share practical tips on construction and fabrics so you never regret a purchase again!

Quick Decorating Takeaways:

Know Your Space and Lifestyle: Before looking at styles, assess how you actually live. Are you eating snacks on the couch, hosting dinner parties, or accommodating pets? Knowing these details dictates what kind of fabric and cushion style you will need.

Test Drive Your Fabric: Fabric is often the most crucial element in determining a sofa's longevity. Order a full yard of your fabric swatch, wrap it around your favorite chair or dog bed, spill coffee on it, and see how well it cleans up before you commit.

Understand Construction Basics: Look for kiln-dried wood frames to prevent the frame from cracking. While eight-way hand-tied springs used to be the gold standard, modern suspension technology offers fantastic durability and comfort as well.

Avoid the "Showroom" Look: Do not buy a perfectly matched furniture set if you want a collected feel. Give your space personality by mixing leg styles (e.g., skirts versus exposed legs), arm shapes, and wood tones.

Create a Room Plan First: Do not shop in a vacuum! Map out your room on graph paper or use painter's tape on the floor to understand how pieces will actually fit, flow, and scale with your ceiling height.

Keep Swatches Handy: Stash your essential fabric and paint swatches, along with room measurements, in your car's glove box. You never know when you will spot the perfect piece while out shopping.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

00:34 Intro to our summer "best of" series and why this is our most popular episode.

01:44 Trials and triumphs: new babies, basement offices, hardware decisions, and carbon monoxide scares.

25:41 Why buying a sofa starts with knowing yourself and testing out seats in a store.

35:18 The nitty-gritty of sofa construction, from kiln-dried wood to spring types.

46:39 The importance of choosing the right fabric and how to effectively "test drive" it.

52:40 Observing where your guests naturally gravitate to optimize your room's seating layout.

56:57 Dealing with long furniture lead times and why you shouldn't settle.

01:01:54 Dining room strategies: picking wipeable fabrics and indestructible quartz or porcelain tables.

01:07:21 How to effectively partner with a store's sales associate to find your perfect match.

01:11:32 Designing a collected room without getting stuck in a "matchy-matchy" trap.

01:16:04 Tips for budgeting your furniture layout piece-by-piece and pacing your purchases.

01:22:10 How to scale pieces correctly using tape, cardboard, and line drawings.

01:28:56 The furniture purchases the hosts regret most—and their all-time favorite statement pieces.

Also Mentioned:

Shop Ballard Designs

Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and please leave us a review.

Happy decorating!
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We are thrilled to bring you this special installment of our summer "best of" series! While the team takes a short summer break, we are reliving some of our absolute favorite episodes. Today, we are joined by Ballard Designs' own in-house bedding and bath expert, Amy Jordan. With nine years at the company, Amy is the creative force behind the perfectly layered, catalog-worthy beds we all swoon over.

Amy sits down with Caroline, Taryn, and Liz to break down everything you need to know about creating a beautiful, comfortable nest. From thread counts and fabric types to the secrets of mixing textures and arranging pillows, this episode is a masterclass in achieving the perfect bed.

Quick Decorating Takeaways:

Know Your Bedding Materials: Percale acts like a crisp white button-up shirt and sleeps cooler, whereas sateen has a slight sheen and a tighter weave that sleeps warmer. Linen is highly breathable, becomes softer the more you wash it, and is incredibly durable—often lasting up to five years.

Avoid the "Blob" Effect: Don't just throw a single, solid duvet across the entire mattress. Break the bed up visually into thirds by folding the duvet down to expose a contrasting coverlet or quilt in the middle, leaving the fluffy duvet at the bottom.

Show Off the "Bell" of the Bed: When draping a quilt at the foot of the bed, pull the corners out into a triangle fold. This styling trick shows off how the fabric drapes and highlights decorative corner details, like a Greek key trim.

Double-Stuff for Fluff: The ultimate catalog styling secret for an ultra-plush bed is to double-stuff your duvet cover by putting two inserts inside it.

Size Up Your Sham Inserts: To make the flanges of a euro sham stand up perfectly and to reduce fabric wrinkles, purchase an insert that is two inches larger than the sham (e.g., a 28-inch insert for a 26-inch sham).

The Fluffing Trick: When placing your insert into a sham, shake it so all the fill settles to the bottom, then turn it upside down so that the fullest part sits at the top to support the flange.

Polyfill vs. Down: While down is luxurious, it can shift around inside the duvet cover. Polyfill is often better for maintaining its shape and structure without requiring constant fluffing.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

00:34 Intro to our summer series and welcoming bedding expert Amy Jordan

02:59 Breaking down materials: The differences between percale, sateen, and linen

09:15 Understanding the difference between coverlets, quilts, and duvet inserts

11:50 How to properly layer a bed to avoid the distracting "blob" look

14:06 Styling the "bell" of the bed for a beautiful, draped effect

18:40 Navigating pillow arrangements and the benefits of a long lumbar pillow

25:00 The challenge of deep mattresses and getting coverlets to tuck properly

28:00 Box springs, the hassle of bed skirts, and why fully upholstered beds are easier

33:26 Bedding strategies for kids' rooms, including the European duvet method

35:05 Choosing between down and polyfill inserts for your duvet

41:40 Caroline's exact bed-making routine, hospital corners, and sham insert sizing tricks

47:18 The catalog secret to achieving maximum fluff: Double-stuffing the duvet

55:09 The great debate: Who actually makes their bed every morning?

Also Mentioned:

Shop Ballard Designs Bedding

Please send in your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space! And of course, subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.

Happy decorating!
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Welcome to our summer "best of" series! While the team takes a short break, we are reliving some of our absolute favorite conversations from the archives. In this beloved episode, we sit down with Massachusetts-based designer Katie Rosenfeld. Katie is known for her happy, family-friendly, and approachable style, but it is her ability to blur the lines between classic and modern—with bits of "quirky" added for good measure—that makes her work truly stand out.

Katie joins the show to discuss her unwavering love for traditional design and why she believes "traditional with a twist" is an evergreen concept. She breaks down her philosophy on mixing patterns, why you should always opt for white bedding, and the importance of allowing for "imperfection" in your home to make it feel collected and lived-in rather than stiff and orchestrated.

Quick Decorating Takeaways:


Define "Traditional with a Twist": The "twist" isn't just about using new items; it's about juxtaposition. Pair formal elements with casual ones—for example, adding a casual seagrass or sisal rug to a very formal dining room with mural wallpaper helps dress down the formality.


The Case for Pattern-on-Pattern: Katie believes that pattern is a design staple. If you love pattern, don't be afraid to use it liberally. If you want to keep the room feeling fresh, she suggests swapping the traditional ratio: instead of doing the main pattern on the drapes, try using a bold floral on your upholstered sofa or chair.


Keep Big Pieces Neutral: To avoid dating your room too quickly, keep your foundational pieces (sofas, large armchairs) neutral in color. Save your bold gestures for items that can be easily swapped out, like textiles, lamps, and smaller decorative accents.


Embrace "Imperfection": When a room is too orchestrated or "just so," it feels uncomfortable and stiff. Katie argues that a little bit of imperfection—a slightly crooked piece of art or a mix of disparate items—is what creates a warm, comfortable, and charming home.


The Power of White Bedding: Even if your room is off-white, keep your bedding crisp white. It serves as a fresh, clean foundation that allows you to play with patterned sheets or throw pillows without the room feeling cluttered.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:


00:34 Intro: Why we’re re-airing this beloved archive episode


02:00 Traditional design: Defining "Traditional with a Twist"


05:00 Updating formal spaces with contemporary lighting and casual rugs


06:00 Why Katie loves florals and pattern-on-pattern layering


09:30 The "Granny Chic" debate and why timeless style doesn't need a label


12:00 The importance of tuning out social media trends to stay original


14:00 Katie’s design background and the influence of her Southern roots


22:00 A deep dive into Chintz: Cotton fabrics, saturated colors, and how to use them


26:00 Ruffles, trim, and needlepoint: Historic details having a moment


38:00 Maintaining a sense of imperfection to keep a home cozy


44:00 Creating "moments" versus "Epcot" (making disparate rooms coexist)


46:00 Decorating Dilemma: Solving "Zoom Gloom" in a dark blue/beige guest room


56:54 Where to find Katie and her web series

Also Mentioned:


Katie Rosenfeld & Company | Website


Follow Katie on Instagram: @KatieRosenfeld


Shop Ballard Designs

Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Happy decorating!
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