Ep. 484: Scott Sottile | Ferguson & Shamamian

Scott J. Sottile, a partner at the prestigious residential architecture firm Ferguson & Shamamian, joins the podcast to discuss his firm’s new book, Transformations. Published by Rizzoli and written by Guy Trebay, the book highlights 15 distinct projects spanning from subtle restorations to radical rebuilds across the United States. Scott shares his deep passion for traditional architecture, which was cemented during his time studying Thomas Jefferson’s historic designs at the University of Virginia. He explains how to preserve the historical integrity of an old home while ensuring it functions seamlessly for modern, multi-generational living. The Mark of Great Architecture: A successful historical renovation should look completely effortless and timeless, leaving no heavy-handed imprint of the current architect. The goal is to make it look as though the modern updates have always been there. Keep Buildings Alive: Historic buildings should not be "mothballed" or turned into untouched museums; they survive best when they remain active, useful, and adapted for contemporary life. Designing for Reality: Before renovating, homeowners must separate their aspirational lifestyle from their actual daily routine. Do not dedicate vast resources to massive entertaining spaces or chef-level kitchens if you only host twice a year and primarily order takeout. Scale and Intimacy: When dealing with large rooms, create small, intimate seating arrangements—like a pair of chairs by a fireplace or a cozy bay window—so the space feels comfortable for intimate conversations, not just a crowd of twenty-four. Finding a True Builder: Seek out a "builder" who understands the art and craft of construction, rather than just a "contractor" who pushes paperwork. Ask to tour projects they completed five to ten years ago to see how their hidden weatherproofing, finishes, and exterior technologies have actually held up against the elements. Elevating Historic Details: To achieve a historic look without an unlimited budget, focus on substantial millwork. Skip standard big-box trims and visit a local lumber yard for thicker, more shapely door casings, bases, and cornices inspired by historic pattern books. Additionally, major window manufacturers often have specific historical lines featuring traditional putty-stop profiles that add immediate gravitas. Also Mentioned: Transformations by Ferguson & Shamamian Architects. Follow on Instagram: @fergusonshamamian. Historic architecture resources: The White Pine Series, pattern books by Asher Benjamin, and the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) via the Library of Congress. Please send in your decorating dilemmas to [email protected] so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Harper's Bazaar editor and Chanel executive Annie Meyers-Shyer joins the podcast! Annie became an "accidental influencer" after launching her Instagram account, @thisoakhouse, to document the renovation of her family home. Now, she's sharing her thorough research, design tips, and beautiful editorial photography in her debut book, This Oak House. Annie chats with Caroline and Liz about how her fashion background translates to interiors, her most agonizing design decisions, and why you should absolutely video your walls before the drywall goes up. Prep with Purpose: Before meeting with her architect or designer, Annie would send a short bulleted list of functional needs (e.g., "plug in a drawer for a hair dryer") alongside a highly curated Pinterest board to establish a clear visual and written narrative. The Magic (and Torture) of Paint: Paint was one of the hardest decisions for Annie. To get an accurate read on a paint sample, paint it onto the actual material of the wall (like beadboard vs. plaster), remove any blue painter's tape that might cast a colored shadow, and pull up pink floor coverings like Ram board. Cohesive Finishes: To keep her home feeling connected, Annie selected a short list of materials—like wood floors and marble—and simply rinsed and repeated them throughout the house. Working with a Designer: Be completely honest about what kind of client you are going to be. If you want to be deep in the weeds and highly collaborative, tell them upfront so you can ensure your working styles are a match. Also, never underestimate the value of hiring kind people. Record Your Walls: Before the drywall goes up, walk through your home and take a video on your phone. Knowing exactly where the electrical and plumbing are hiding behind the walls will save you massive headaches if you ever need to make changes later. The Case for the Formal Living Room: Annie purposely designed her living room to be a TV-free, adult-focused space. While her kids are allowed in the room, it brings her joy to have one space in the house that stays exactly how she left it. The Nancy Meyers Connection: Annie's mother is legendary filmmaker Nancy Meyers, known for her coveted movie sets. Annie notes that the magic of those movie homes is deeply tied to the complex characters, the wardrobe, and the story being told, which is a great reminder that your own home should tell the story of the people living inside it. Follow Annie on Instagram: @thisoakhouse Pick up her new book, This Oak House, available on September 15th. Try the hot fudge recipe included in her book Please send in your decorating dilemmas to [email protected] so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are thrilled to welcome back writer, designer, entrepreneur, and former model India Hicks to the podcast! As the daughter of legendary British interior designer David Hicks, India grew up surrounded by formal theatrical design, but her 30 years living in the Bahamas have distinctly softened her approach. She joins us to discuss her fourth book, Entertaining with a Side of Chaos, which serves as part memoir and part tablescaping guide. Embrace the Unexpected: Rather than stressing over a flawless evening, prioritize gathering, putting phones down, and fostering meaningful conversations. India once moved a fully set dining table for 30 people into a breezy lane at the last minute simply to escape the summer heat. Invest in Folding Furniture: To maintain flexibility in where you host, India highly recommends using inexpensive folding tables and folding bamboo chairs. This allows you to easily move your party to a new location on a whim. Forage and Improvise: When traditional floral centerpieces aren't an option, look to what you have in abundance. A basketful of tomatoes or a line of reclaimed glass jars acting as bud vases can create a dramatic and beautiful tablescape. Curate the Conversation: Using assigned seating isn't about stuffy hierarchy; it shows you have thoughtfully considered your guests. It saves everyone the awkwardness of finding a seat and allows the host to pair people who will spark fascinating discussions. Build the Table Foundation: Start your tablescape with the tablecloth to set the tone. If using an ugly folding table, cut a bolt of plain fabric to the floor to hide the legs, then layer your decorative tablecloth or runner on top. Mix and Match: Your crockery and glassware do not need to perfectly match. A collection of chipped blue-and-white plates sourced individually from antique stores brings wonderful character to a meal. Read her new book: Entertaining with a Side of Chaos. Follow her on Instagram: @indiahicksstyle. Subscribe to her weekly Substack newsletter. Shop her table linens collection with Pomegranate. What is the most chaotic moment you have ever experienced while hosting a dinner party? Please send in your decorating dilemmas to [email protected] so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back interior designer Meg Braff to the podcast! Meg first joined the show in 2017 to discuss her first book, The Decorated Home, and now she returns to celebrate her second book, Gracious Interiors, published by Rizzoli. Growing up in Mississippi, Meg watched her mother and grandmother host beautiful, thoughtful parties, and she has carried that effortless Southern hospitality into her design firm. She sits down with Caroline, Taryn, and Liz to discuss how she optimizes floor plans for hosting, why every guest room needs wallpaper, and her favorite tricks for making formal antiques feel approachable. Design for Entertaining: Meg begins every project by analyzing the floor plan to maximize how a family lives and hosts. She looks for ways to provide multiple dining options, like a small setup for six indoors or a long table for thirty outdoors, and uses elements like pergolas and outdoor fireplaces to extend the entertaining season. The "Dress Rehearsal" Trick: A great host makes entertaining look effortless so guests never feel like an inconvenience. Meg recommends setting your table the day before to ensure you have the right counts for flatware and vases, and turning on your playlist an hour early. This allows you to be fully dressed and enjoying a cocktail right before the doorbell rings. Thoughtful Guest Rooms: Wallpapering a guest room is an easy way to make visitors feel expected and special. Elevate the stay by clearing out the medicine cabinet, stocking it with nice toiletries, and leaving out a water carafe, a small plate of fruit, and a note with the Wi-Fi password. Demystifying Wallpaper: Meg—who launched her own expansive fabric and wallpaper line 18 years ago—loves bold patterns, but notes that even a simple grasscloth adds necessary warmth, depth, and texture to a room lacking architectural details. She also encourages hanging artwork directly over wallpaper, provided the pieces relate to each other in scale. Mixing Antiques & Textures: To keep formal antiques from feeling stodgy or unapproachable, Meg mixes in mid-century pieces, like brass and glass coffee tables. She also uses woven materials, like French rattan chairs, bamboo altar tables, or jute rugs, to visually lighten a room and make it feel younger. Go-To Accessories: Meg frequently layers her rooms with vintage brass, nautilus shells, colored or clear glass hurricanes for romantic lighting, and robust collections of books to make spaces feel truly lived-in. Also Mentioned: Follow Meg on Instagram: @megbraffdesigns Visit her shop in West Palm Beach on Georgia Avenue Books by Meg Braff: Gracious Interiors and The Decorated Home Please send in your decorating dilemmas to [email protected] so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to How to Decorate! It has been quite a while since our last Trials and Triumphs episode, but Caroline, Taryn, and Liz are back with plenty of personal decorating updates. Between full basement renovations, bold reupholstery projects, and a very exciting upcoming video series, the hosts have been incredibly busy getting their homes in tip-top shape. Plus, learn why you should always provide your upholsterer with a detailed spec sheet—and why you might want to leave sewing box pleats to the professionals. Taryn's Trials & Triumphs: Guest Room Swap: Taryn officially transformed her downstairs primary bedroom into a guest room, painting the bed a beautiful muted green and bringing in some fresh floral pillows from Ballard Designs. She also finally brought up her old black picture frames from the basement to add contrast to the space. Basement Progress: The basement walls are finally closed in with drywall. Taryn and her husband created another guest bedroom (shopping the basement for leftover furniture and adding a queen mattress) and finished a bathroom complete with a tiled standing shower. Home Gym: Taryn finally got a dedicated workout room in the basement, requesting foam flooring, mirrors, box fans for air circulation, and a TV to check her lifting form. New Art & Wallpaper: Taryn hung a gallery wall on the back stairwell featuring a new briny, acidic green mixed-media floral painting from AK Hardman. She also installed a botanical grid Sanderson wallpaper in her breakfast room, making the window-filled space feel like a beautiful greenhouse. Taryn's Trial: Feeling confident after pulling her sewing machine out, Taryn spent eight hours attempting to sew her own box-pleat cushion covers for her dining chairs using a purple lilac gingham and maroon piping. It was a total disaster, looking more like a kindergarten drawing or a Catholic school skirt. Liz's Trials & Triumphs: House Tour Prep: The team is filming 10th-anniversary house tours for YouTube. The filming deadline gave Liz the kick in the pants she needed to finally tackle lingering projects. She replaced the original "boob lights" in the laundry room, swapped out a rusty bathroom vanity, and scrubbed and repainted her front security door. Pillow Perfection: Liz utilized Ballard Designs' free in-house design services to help coordinate and select all the pillows for her primary bedroom. Liz's Trial: Prepping to send her son Finn across the country for art school. They are clearing out old boxes—including one labeled "pre-move" from six years ago—and preparing for dorm life. She plans to eventually completely renovate his bedroom and bathroom, but is holding off until the dust settles from the college move. Caroline's Trials & Triumphs: Coffee Table Swap: Caroline decided against reupholstering a broken storage ottoman and instead purchased the Sabine coffee table from the Ballard outlet. She loves having a hard surface for entertaining snacks and a bottom shelf for styling design books. Chartreuse Bedding: Influenced by Taryn's love of the color, Caroline added the new wavy-patterned Violet bedding in chartreuse to her dark blue bedroom. Lamp Love: After borrowing a Sutton Tortoise mini glass lamp for the video shoot, Caroline loved it so much she bought it, pairing it with a ticking stripe brown shade to perfectly illuminate a corner of her kitchen counter. Caroline's Trial: Caroline took a TV room ottoman to be reupholstered in a hot pink Rebecca Atwood performance fabric. Because the performance fabric looked identical on both sides, the upholsterer accidentally sewed it inside out. They fixed it quickly, but Caroline (and Taryn) advise always making a detailed spec sheet with fabric swatches to avoid confusion when dropping off furniture. Also Mentioned in This Episode: Be on the lookout for the How to Decorate 10th-anniversary YouTube house tours coming soon. Ballard Designs' Free Design Services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are thrilled to welcome Richmond, Virginia-based interior designer Anne Hulcher Tollett to the podcast! As the founder and principal designer of Hanover Avenue, Anne’s work has been featured in House Beautiful, Veranda, The Wall Street Journal, and Architectural Digest. She is known for designing spaces that feel deeply personal, honoring both the historic architecture of a home and the unique lifestyles of the families who live in them. Anne sits down with Caroline and Liz to talk about how she uncovers her clients' true personal style—even retiring fabrics after using them to prevent cookie-cutter designs. She shares her secrets for choosing long-term furniture investments with "good lines" that seamlessly move from house to house, how to break out of the Pinterest algorithm trap, and why you should look to your own closet for home color palette inspiration. Quick Decorating Takeaways: Reveal the Client's Aesthetic, Don't Impose Yours: Anne views her job as revealing her clients' personal style rather than leaving her own design stamp on a home. To ensure a custom, couture feel for every family, her firm intentionally retires fabrics once they've been used in a project. Break the Pinterest and Instagram Algorithm: Relying too heavily on social media can trap you in a "cookie-cutter" design loop because the algorithm feeds you more of what you've already looked at. To find fresh inspiration, look to fashion designers, historic home tours, local show houses, or museum exhibits instead. Invest in "Good Lines": When building a furniture collection that evolves with you, prioritize pieces with beautiful, timeless silhouettes and classic lines. A high-quality piece of furniture with good lines will naturally pair beautifully with other styles and can easily transition from your first small apartment to a larger family home. Look to Your Wardrobe for Color Palettes: If you're struggling to find a home color scheme, look at what you love to wear. Your closet naturally holds the tones, textures, and patterns you feel most confident and comfortable around. Lower Your Artwork: A common mistake is hanging art too high up on the wall. Bring your artwork down closer to eye level or anchor it closer to your furniture to create a more intimate and cohesive arrangement. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: 00:34 Welcome to Anne Hulcher Tollett of Hanover Avenue 01:34 Why Anne loves working across varied design styles to avoid feeling bored 02:00 The methodology behind uncovering a client's aesthetic and why she retires fabrics 05:00 Breaking free from the social media algorithm trap to find authentic design inspiration 10:00 Pulling imagery and grouping ideas onto a physical or digital board to find common threads 15:00 Scale, traffic flow, and arranging furniture at comfortable, conversational heights 22:00 Why one good piece of furniture will always go with another good piece of furniture 27:00 Buying for longevity: Navigating small apartments, first sofas, and prioritizing beautiful lines 35:00 How to translate your personal wardrobe style into your interior design palette 42:00 Managing complex family dynamics and designing spaces that adapt to kids and lifestyle changes 48:00 Lighting lessons: Dealing with fixtures that look pretty but don't emit enough light 55:00 Hanging artwork at the correct visual height to anchor a room 01:00:00 Decorating Dilemma: Solving layout challenges, awkward dimensions, and hiding cords for off-the-wall floating furniture Also Mentioned: Hanover Avenue | Website Follow Anne on Instagram: @hanoveravenue Shop Ballard Designs Please send in your decorating dilemmas to [email protected] so we can help you with your space! Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Happy decorating! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to How to Decorate! Today, Taryn, and Liz are joined by Lauren Wodicka, the founder and principal designer of LBW Studio based in Loudoun County, Virginia. Lauren shares her fascinating career evolution from a classically trained fine artist and gallery owner to a sought-after interior designer. We explore how she applies the principles of oil painting to interior design, the importance of knowing "when to stop," and how to intentionally collect antiques that give a room a lived-in soul. Quick Decorating Takeaways: Treat Rooms Like Paintings: Apply fine art principles like tone, composition, and focal points when arranging furniture and decor. The Power of the Edit: Just like an artist must know when to stop painting to avoid overworking a canvas, a decorator must know when to stop adding objects to maintain a room's intended feeling. Embrace the "Lived-In" Look: Do not fear using natural materials like marble; pieces that get dinged and damaged over time add incredible history and charm, much like ancient Italian palazzos. Invest Wisely: Dedicate your budget to long-lasting statement pieces like beautiful lighting fixtures, antique mirrors, and solid dining tables. You can save money on easily swappable items like lamps, ready-made pillows, or heavily used kitchen chairs. Master the Gallery Wall: When hanging multiple pieces of art, keep your spacing uniform by using a standard three-inch gap between frames to create a sense of visual organization. Go Big in Small Spaces: Powder rooms and small foyers are perfect jewel boxes for bold mural wallpapers, giving you maximum visual impact without a massive square-footage cost. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: 00:34 Lauren’s background as a fine artist, studying in Florence, and opening an art gallery in Old Town Alexandria. 08:17 How formal training in oil painting directly translates into creating balanced interior design floor plans. 12:12 Tips for editing a room to ensure spaces feel full yet purposefully restrained. 17:28 How to pull design inspiration out of clients who aren't quite sure what their style is. 20:57 Adding longevity and character to your home by mixing fresh new pieces with crusty, gilded antiques. 26:01 Finding affordable antique art and the rules for styling large gallery walls. 30:33 Deciding between a large gallery wall and a mural wallpaper, especially in challenging two-story foyers. 34:25 Why your home should reflect your current season of life, even if that means basketballs and cleats rolling around the entryway. 41:14 Identifying which pieces are worth the investment and which pieces you should save on. 45:18 Simple ways to switch up your decor seasonally, like color-coordinating books, swapping lampshades, or introducing new custom pillows. 52:10 A heartwarming story about Lauren’s son asking to learn how to oil paint with her in the studio. Also Mentioned: Lauren's Studio: LBW Studio Instagram: @lbwstudio Send your decorating dilemmas to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected] 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected] 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected] 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices