How to Decorate

We are thrilled to welcome Chicago-based interior designer Sarah Vaile to the podcast! Known for her bold use of color, fresh traditional style, and making classic spaces feel lively, Sarah has built an incredible coast-to-coast design firm. After pivoting from a corporate advertising career in her late 20s, she trained under industry icon Celerie Kemble before striking out on her own.

Sarah sits down with Caroline, Taryn, and Liz to tackle one of interior design's absolute trickiest topics: scale. She shares her brilliant real-world hacks for testing furniture volume before you buy, why she loves wall-to-wall "sofa drenching" in tight spaces, and how to layout a dual-purpose office and guest room to conquer the dreaded "zoom gloom."

Quick Decorating Takeaways:


Scale is All About Visual Volume: Scale isn't just about simple dimensions; it's the balance of shapes, pattern, and mass in a room. When mixing antique and modern pieces, keep an eye on mass—newer furniture skews much larger ("California scale"), which can easily swallow up older heirloom items.


Get Physical in Your Space: Don't rely solely on 2D digital layouts. To build confidence before hitting buy, physically map out a room using blue painter's tape on the floor, arrange empty cardboard boxes to test physical height, or tape a 1-to-1 paper cutout of a light fixture straight to the wall.


Try "Sofa Drenching" in Small Rooms: Don't automatically buy a tiny love seat just because a room is tight. Small spaces can actually handle a giant sofa wrapped wall-to-wall. By making the entire room about the seating, you create an incredibly cozy, enveloping, and high-drama jewel box.


Don't Get Stranded on "Rug Island": A common design trap is placing a floating area rug in the dead center of a room with all your furniture pushed completely off it. To bridge your hard floors with your texturing, ensure your seating "straddles" both worlds by keeping their front feet on the rug and their back feet off.


Banish the Zoom Gloom: Dark colors like navy blue can throw an unflattering, shadowed cast on your face during computer calls. When designing a home office space, look for bright, invigorating colors that act like a flattering backdrop—think pistachios, corals, or soft apricots.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:


00:34 Welcome to Sarah Vaile & an introduction to her style


02:22 Sarah's career pivot at 27, training at Parsons, and launching a firm during a recession


04:36 Business bank accounting tricks and going pro with a Virginia plantation project


06:00 Meeting an idol: How a hair salon appointment led to training under Celerie Kemble


08:53 Why scale is the single hardest part of design and accounting for project "breakage"


12:08 Moving past CAD: Using blue tape and physical mock-ups to save a layout


18:03 The vintage buying hack: Asking a person to stand in photos for sizing comparison


21:40 Dealing with post-holiday emptiness and shopping Ballard Designs' garland sales


27:13 Transitioning scales: Moving light fixtures from 10-foot ceilings down to 8 feet


30:21 Table lamps as the "mid-level jewels" that balance a room's high-low heights


31:04 Curtain guidelines: Maximizing drama with ceiling-mount hardware and massive art


37:18 How fabric patterns scale on furniture and what to avoid on tufted pieces


44:38 The magic of small rooms and why they are perfect for packing in big sofas


46:29 Rug guidelines: Double-rug zoning and custom on-site binding around a hearth


51:34 Decorating Dilemma: Solving a small, dark guest room/Zoom room from Virginia


56:40 Color trends and color seasons: The shift toward burnt oranges and terracotta

Also Mentioned:


Sarah Vaile Design | Website


Follow Sarah on Instagram: @SarahVaileDesign


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. 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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In this episode, Caroline, Taryn, and Liz talk with kitchen expert Cyndy Cantley, principal designer of Cantley & Company. Cyndy joins the show to share her wealth of knowledge on building bespoke, beautifully functional kitchens that stand the test of time, drawing from a legendary career that includes a Bon Appétit magazine cover feature early in her business.

The hosts pick Cyndy's brain about shifting kitchen trends—from the cringe-worthy pink laminates of the past to modern hyper-functional layouts—and get her top recommendations for cabinetry, countertop materials, and space planning.


Embrace the English Inset: To design a kitchen that looks gorgeous decades later, stick to timeless styles like simple English flush inset cabinetry. Limit your options rather than getting overwhelmed by hundreds of trendy door styles.


Prioritize Drawers Over Doors: Base cabinets with deep drawers are far superior to standard doors for storage because they eliminate the need to move items in the front to get to the back, making heavy pots and pans completely accessible.


The Case for Clear Islands: If space permits, aim for a clean kitchen island devoid of sinks, cooktops, or appliances. An uninterrupted surface creates an ideal multi-use environment for meal prep, serving, homework, and entertaining.


Design for Reality, Not a Dream: Avoid tailoring an expensive kitchen remodel around an idealized version of your lifestyle. If you only host formal dinners twice a year, don't sacrifice daily functionality for features meant only for entertaining.


The Magic of Real Stone: Don't let builders scare you away from natural marble. It's far more resilient than people think, ages with a beautiful European patina, and chips can easily be blended because it is solid rock.


00:34 – Introduction to kitchen expert Cyndy Cantley.


01:17 – Cyndy’s serendipitous start: Designing a show house kitchen that led to a project for award-winning chef Frank Stitt and a Bon Appétit cover.


03:24 – The history of kitchen design trends, from pink Corian and pickled wood to painted finishes.


06:04 – Falling in love with English inset cabinetry and keeping a portfolio timeless.


09:17 – The anatomy of a cabinet door: Rails, styles, and maintaining perfect proportions.


11:16 – Understanding the standard 4-inch toe kick and aligning it with major American appliances.


12:24 – The functionality of wide drawers vs. standard doors and pull-outs.


14:48 – Smart corner solutions: Why swing-out organizers beat old-school lazy Susans.


16:35 – High-value internal inserts worth your budget: Alphabetical spice drawers, dual cutlery organization, and tray dividers.


25:00 – Designing for pets: Incorporating custom dog bowl cubbies built with slab scraps.


28:39 – Smart alternative storage: Utilizing ceiling-height cabinets and 12-to-15-inch deep floor-to-ceiling dish cabinets.


30:36 – Appliance garages, coffee stations, and pocket door mechanics.


36:38 – The truth about microwave placement, microwave drawers, and hidden panel-ready fridges.


47:36 – Countertop deep-dive: Falling in love with marble, managing budgets, and color matching slabs.


55:34 – Choosing kitchen flooring: The warmth of wood vs. traditional cold tiles.


56:45 – Kitchen hardware layout tips: Mixing knobs, drop pulls, and custom backplates.


01:00:06 – Functional spatial rules: Why right-handed cooks should always place dishwashers on the left and trash pull-outs on the right.

Mentioned in This Episode


Cantley & Company: Cyndy's custom design studio specializing in bespoke cabinetry and space design.


Frank Stitt's Kitchen: The career-launching project featured on the cover of Bon Appétit.


Calacatta & Carrara Marble: The pros, cons, and budgeting realities of high-movement stones.

Instagram: @cantleytoulman

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In this episode, Caroline and Liz talk with artist and product designer Susan Hable. Susan is the co-founder of the Athens, Georgia-based design studio Hable Construction, which she runs with her sister, Katherine. Celebrating 27 years in business, Susan’s work spans lighting, furniture, fine art, textiles, and jewelry, all rooted in her bold, hand-painted patterns and joyful sense of color.

Susan joins the show to discuss her 20-plus-year partnership with lifestyle brand Garnet Hill, her artistic origins, her approach to building an intentional art collection, and the story behind her historic 1905 home.

Key Takeaways from the Episode


The Power of Small Patterns: While large expressions are artistic, small, tightly repeated patterns—like Hable Construction's iconic, best-selling "Beads" print—have a unique, calming effect that anchors a space. Small patterns add excellent grounding texture on everything from seat cushions to linens.


Trust the Emotional Value of Art: When collecting art, buy pieces that speak directly to your heart and make you feel a specific emotion, rather than shopping for what is trendy. If original art is out of your budget, high-quality prints, art books, and local school or community art auctions are excellent alternatives.


Design with Out-of-Print Inspiration: Rather than relying exclusively on the internet, Susan builds a personal library of physical books, estate sale finds, and historical reference materials to inform her custom textile patterns and landscape aesthetics.


Building a Historical Garden: For her 1905 home, Susan designed a garden mirroring traditional Victorian landscapes, prioritizing an organic mix of loose, "floppy" movements (like anemones and Gaura) bordered by clean, tight lines.

Episode Timeline


00:34 – Introduction to Susan Hable and Hable Construction.


01:54 – Susan's artistic childhood, early mentors, and grandmother's influence on her style.


06:17 – The accidental textile breakthrough after a trip to India that led to their first major retail order with Barneys.


09:35 – How a dream inspired the sisters to pivot to screen printing and scale production.


12:12 – The history of the signature "Beads" print and how it functions as design's "white shirt and jeans".


18:12 – Sourcing creative inspiration from physical books, libraries, and out-of-print collections.


34:56 – Moving from New York to Athens, Georgia, and renovating a historic 1905 home through the 2008 market shift.


42:13 – Susan's philosophy on collecting art, avoiding trends, and shopping without friend interference.


52:13 – Artists Susan loves, including Rose Wiley, David Shrigley, Leanne Shapton, and Martha Rich.


59:36 – Tips for collecting local art through local auctions and charity events.


01:02:24 – Designing the latest Garnet Hill collection: Portuguese linens, deconstructed tossed florals, and custom rickrack details.

Mentioned in This Episode


The "Beads" Print: Susan's number-one-selling organic linear-circular pattern utilized across multiple product categories.


Garnet Hill Latest Collection: Features an apparel debut, high-drape Portuguese linen duvets, shams, and pajama sets trimmed with custom pale yellow rickrack.


Susan's Art Show: Currently on display at the Spalding Nix Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia.


Susan's House Tour: Available to watch on the Ballard Designs YouTube channel.


Artists Mentioned: Rose Wiley, David Shrigley, Leanne Shapton, Martha Rich, Louise Belcourt, Christie Bush, and Otis Jones.

Where to Find Susan Hable


Instagram: @HableLand


Website: Hable Construction

Hable for Garnet Hill

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We are thrilled to welcome British interior designer Abigail Ahern to the podcast! Known for breaking all the traditional design rules, Abigail is famous for her signature moody palettes, her bold take on botanicals, and her wildly popular faux floral collection. In addition to her booming interior design business, she has an e-commerce site, five books, and a popular YouTube channel.

Abigail sits down with Caroline, Taryn, and Liz to discuss how she got her start working on the picture desk for Sir Terence Conran before her husband's job relocated them to Detroit, unexpectedly launching her hands-on interior design career. She shares her secrets for styling faux florals so they look incredibly authentic, why she will always champion a dark and moody room, and why lighting is the single most important element of any dinner party.

Quick Decorating Takeaways:


Don't Be Afraid of the Dark: Abigail dispels the common misconception that dark paint makes a room feel smaller. She embraces dark, moody palettes because the deep colors actually blur the edges of a room, creating a cozy, enveloping, and sophisticated space.


The Secret to Faux Florals: When styling her famous faux stems, Abigail approaches arrangements with an interior design mindset. She recommends mixing contrasting textures (like pairing a delicate rose with a hearty hydrangea), varying the heights of the stems in your vase, and bending them so they don't just stand straight up. You don't have to be super delicate with them—the goal is to make the arrangement feel wild, organic, and intriguing.


Lighting is Everything: For Abigail, the lighting at a dinner party is even more important than the menu. She recommends layering lights at different heights around the room and using tea light holders all over the house to create an inviting, multi-dimensional glow that makes everyone feel relaxed.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:


00:00 Welcome & Introduction to Abigail Ahern


01:30 How Abigail started her career in publishing for Sir Terence Conran


02:00 Moving to Detroit and diving into interior design without formal training


06:00 The inspiration behind her incredibly lifelike faux floral collection


12:00 Tips for bending, mixing, and styling faux stems to look wild and natural


20:00 Why Abigail loves dark, moody wall colors and how to pull them off confidently


30:00 The importance of layered lighting and varying light heights in a room


45:00 Entertaining tips and why hospitality-style lighting matters more than the food


59:00 Closing thoughts & where to find Abigail

Also Mentioned:


Abigail Ahern | Website


Follow Abigail on Instagram: @abigailahern


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. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.

Happy Decorating!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Caroline and Tayrn are thrilled to welcome Katie Tamony to the podcast! Katie spent a decade (2001 to 2011) as the Editor-in-Chief of Sunset Magazine, celebrating the seamless indoor-outdoor living of the West Coast. Today, she heads up marketing and trend forecasting for Monrovia, one of the country's premier plant nurseries.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, Monrovia grows over 4,000 varieties of plants—from trees and shrubs to perennials and exquisite edibles—across thousands of acres in the US. Katie joins us to discuss the fascinating world of plant breeding, the top landscape trends shaping our backyards, and why you shouldn't be afraid to aggressively prune your plants!

Quick Gardening Trends & Takeaways:


Patio Culture: More people are focusing their gardening efforts on patios and balconies. Instead of just the traditional "thriller, filler, spiller" container combinations, homeowners are embracing wellness and luxury by potting single, stunning statement plants with lush, broad leaves.


The "Easy Sunday" Garden: Think of a Nancy Meyers movie landscape. This highly tailored look relies on the luxurious, year-round structure of traditional boxwoods paired with classic flowering shrubs like hydrangeas, roses, and camellias. This trend limits color palettes (like all white or white-and-blue) and utilizes mass plantings of a few varieties rather than a chaotic mix.


The Modern Meadow: A blend of wild and refined, this trend is incredibly popular with younger homeowners. It focuses on biodiversity by mixing native grasses with pollinator-friendly perennials like salvia, lavender, and agastache to invite bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds into the yard.


Exquisite Edibles: Gardeners are looking beyond basic tomatoes and berries. Thanks to clever plant breeding, people are now growing exotic fruits like kiwis and figs in colder hardiness zones, or even planting compact apple trees in patio containers.


Look closely at the branching: When shopping for shrubs, check if the plant is evenly branched on all sides. Good branching indicates the plant was pruned frequently and properly cared for at the nursery, meaning it will hold its shape much better in your yard.


Buy plants with tight buds: We are often dazzled by fully blooming plants at the garden center, but you will get a much longer bloom time at home if you purchase a plant that is still tightly budded (like peonies, which should be bought when the "eye" is just coming up).


Don't be afraid to prune: Many gardeners are too timid, but aggressive pruning is incredibly healthy for your plants. Cutting back perennials, hydrangeas, and trees at the right time helps them return fuller and with more blooms.


Dig a wider hole, not a deeper one: When planting, dig a hole that is at least twice as wide as the plant's root ball. Ensure you aren't burying the plant too deep; the soil should just cover the root ball. Mix your native dirt with soil amendments, add a slow-release fertilizer into the hole, and always finish with a top layer of mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:


00:00 Welcome & Introduction


03:00 Katie’s background at Sunset Magazine and joining Monrovia


06:00 Monrovia’s 100-year history and the only annual plant they grow


09:00 The top four landscaping trends: Patio Culture, Easy Sunday Garden, Modern Meadow, and Exquisite Edibles


15:00 The history of founder Harry Rosedale and the iconic green Monrovia pots


20:00 Why branching matters and why you shouldn't be afraid to prune


25:00 The science of plant breeding, plant hunters like Dan Hinkley, and bringing fragrance back to roses


32:00 The debate between native plants, invasives, and cultivars


43:00 Nursery shopping tips and why fall is the best time to plant large shrubs


54:00 The Nitty Gritty White Rose and using unique shrubs for your indoor cutting garden

Also Mentioned in This Episode:


SunBelievable Sunflower: The only annual Monrovia grows! It stays compact and bushy, making it a perfect pot filler that produces up to 1,000 blooms from spring until the first frost.


Centennial Ruby Hydrangea: Monrovia's special 100th-anniversary release. It boasts a never-before-seen ruby color that ages to deep charcoal, with sturdy stems and thick leaves that hold blooms for 130 days.


Nitty Gritty White Rose: A compact rose popularized by designer James Farmer, who planted masses of them in containers around his pool for a stunning, bouquet-like effect.


Fatsia 'Camouflage': A beautiful statement plant with variegated foliage discovered by plant hunter Dan Hinkley.


Cutting Garden Shrubs: Step outside the box for your floral arrangements by clipping from shrubs like Leucadendron, compact Crape Myrtles, or Loropetalum.

Explore the Plant Finder Tool at Monrovia.com to find the perfect plants for your zip code.

Follow Monrovia on social media: @monroviaplants.

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