Style Matters

In our first episode of the last season of 2022, I share the main projects I've been working on behind the scenes during our podcast break in October.  They are a book proposal... it'll be all about my Slow Style framework for design.  I'm very excited about the possibility of getting this thing published!  Second, I talk about an upcoming, free masterclass I'll be teaching in November.  If you've ever been stuck in your design efforts, you'll want to sign up for that! To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

If your heart starts beating really fast at the site of a yard sale sign, estate sale notice or the prospect of a 3 day antiques fair, you're gonna love this episode.  My guest is pro thrifter Virginia Chamlee and author of the new book, "Big Thrift Energy: The Art and Thrill of Finding Vintage Treasures."  If you've ever been intimidated by picking through shelf after shelf of junk with the hope of finding a diamond in the rough, Virginia is the guide you've been longing for.  Her book is packed with insight on how to shop, how to discern if something is right for you, how to know how much to spend, and when to walk away.  We talk about all of that, plus talk about ways in which to mix all of your new found treasures together in your home in a cohesive way.  And if you're a veteran thrifter yourself, you're going to love connecting with someone who is as passionate as you are about the world of vintage!  Here's Virginia.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, s

Andrew Suvalsky's work is right up my aesthetic alley.  He leans towards maximalism, but he knows when to pull back.  And he's what I call a master of the mix, by which I mean he can take random, seemingly disconnected things and pull them together in a way that's completely unexpected, but also beautifully in communication with each other.  I'm talking colors, patterns, eras, styles, materials.... and it doesn't look like a big mess or a high end thrift store gone crazy.  If you want to learn how do this in your own home, I want you to study Andrew's work.  Really look at each room and think about why his compositions work.  And you can start on with this episode's show notes page on our website at littleyellowcouch.com.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

I just read a really important book.  It's called "Make Space For Happiness: How To Stop Attracting Clutter and Start Magnetizing the Life You Want."  Today I'm talking with the author and expert behind the very successful company, dClutteryfly, Tracy McCubbin.  How often do we get real with ourselves about why we're buying all this stuff in the first place? Why is shopping so powerful and what are the real holes in our lives that we're trying to fill?   Before you try another organization hack or tool or system, listen to this conversation and let Tracy's words of wisdom really sink in.   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

You can hear the pride in the voices of Scott Mast and Juan Goiricelaya, owners of the vintage furniture store, Circa Who.  Beyond selling furniture, they are curators, restorers and stewards of the fanciful Palm Beach aesthetic that's having quite a moment lately.  We talk about what goes into running a store full of vintage treasures, and their connection to a particular designer, Mario Lopez Torres.  Mr. Torres was the creator of the iconic furniture pieces that feature rattan animals and plants... I'm talking about rattan palm trees that hold light fixtures instead of coconuts, monkeys holding up tables like a waiter holds a tray above his head, and all kinds of birds doing all kinds of things.  I'm not sure rattan ever went out of style, but it's certainly having a revival, with no signs of it slowing down.  Scott and Juan have taken the legacy of Mario Lopez Torres and continued his work for the rest of us to enjoy.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free g

A few weeks ago I sent out a survey to listeners, mainly to ask 2 questions: what's your biggest challenge in terms of design, and what topics are you most interested in having me cover?  The answers came pouring in and I'm so grateful because it really helps me create the most relevant content for you.  In this episode I share the results of this survey and dive into some of the questions you left in the comment boxes.  Think of this as a Q&A session!  And if you want to ask more questions, you can always email me!   To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

I talk with Cynthia Zamaria, author of "House & Flower" about the many homes she's renovated and gardens she's revived along with her husband, and how those experiences have informed and responded to her own, personal growth.   She uses the word "ethos" when describing her design approach.  How does your own home manifest your beliefs and aspirations? To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

  Today, you're going to hear from a sculptor who talks so eloquently about his craft and why we need to surround ourselves with beauty and I felt honored to talk with someone who thinks so deeply about his work. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

 I'm talking with Rachel Robarge of the rental services company, June Homes.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

I was talking with designer Anne Hulcher Tollett on the Style Matters podcast about the importance of having objects in a room "in dialogue" with one another.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

What makes this conversation a little different is that Jessica specializes in helping first-time owners through the particular challenges they face.  I also just want to mention here, because it doesn't come up in our conversation, that Jessica has a free guide that kickstarts your living room.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Inspiration for a new design in our homes can come from anywhere.  One of the most playful examples I've heard of is taking your cues from a favorite cocktail.  On the Style Matters podcast, Rydhima Brar walks us through one of her moodboards for a Lavender Old Fashioned.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

In this interview, I  talk with Mona Ying Reeves. Not so much about her design firm or any of that other stuff at all.  Instead, we talk about her latest side project called Kickstart House.  It's an online community for people who are taking on the renovation journey themselves.  And she's passionate about helping people through it.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

My guest this week is sooooo good.  Sean Leffers is a designer working out of Los Angeles and his breadth of knowledge and the insight he has on why style matters and how to make your home sing is truly inspiring.  And he's warm and entertaining and all of those other good things you want from this show.  In our conversation, we talk about art, antiques, storytelling, creativity, disposable decor... we cover so much.  But I'm pretty sure Sean has more to share so I'm guessing we're going to have him on more than once.  Oh, and I haven't even mentioned how gorgeous is work is!  You've got to visit the show notes page for this episode at littleyellowcouch.com to see the photos! To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Michelle Rohrer-Lauer owns the design firm Michelle's Interiors in Chicago where she creates luxurious homes that meet her standards for sustainability, health, and wellbeing. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Chanae Richards is the design genius behind Oloro Interiors, and don't worry, we cover what that name means in the conversation!  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

 My guest today is Kellie Sirna, co-founder of Studio 11 Design, which specializes in specialty hotel design.  Kellie has led global projects across boutique and renowned nameplates such as Caesars Entertainment, Hyatt, Starwood, Thompson Hotels, and many more and she oversaw the recent launch of two new side projects within Studio 11 Design, one about branding and the other, Lou Verne, which specializes in art installations.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

In this episode, you're going to hear one of those stories where someone starts making something in their kitchen and turns it into a mini-empire.  These stories sometimes feel a little unbelievable in that...how many people have tried this thing, never to have it come to anything?  Chrissy Fitchl is the founder of Apotheke, a scent company making handmade soaps, lotions, and candles in her factory in Brooklyn. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

Peter Walsh is the author of many books and a TV personality who on several hit design shows.  He takes a soul-searching, tough-love approach to getting rid of our clutter so that we can live a more abundant life. In this episode we talk about the particular challenges of downsizing for ourselves and our elderly parents. To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).

If you've ever dreamed of what a perfect beach cottage, lake house or home in the woods would feel and look like, you're going to love this episode. I was delighted to see a book come out called "The Maine House" and it fulfilled all of my hopes and expectations for what beauty comes out of composing a home aligned with where it's situated. This conversation with Maura McEvoy, Basha Burwell and Kathleen Hackett, the women responsible for creating this stunning book, gave me such pleasure and I hope you'll feel the same.  To use the Slow Style approach in your home, start with this free guide on how to create a vision that sets you up for every design decision you'll need to make!Sign up here to receive the free guide (and lots of suppport along the way).