How to Decorate

Designing with Vibe and Layers with Corine Maggio California-based interior designer Corine Maggio joins the podcast to break down her strategy for adding warmth and character through strategic layering. The founder of Corine Maggio Design focuses her work on cabins, cottages, and historic homes, specializing in creating casual, deeply personal spaces that reflect the real lives of her clients. The Four Pillars: Corine bases every project on a careful balance of the client's style, their everyday lifestyle, the home's architectural style, and the budget. Visual Vocabulary: Rather than relying on design terminology like "modern," which means different things to different people, she requires clients to pull four to six inspiration images per room to establish a clear visual vibe. Sequential Sourcing: After establishing a space plan to serve as a shopping list, she sources the most substantial pieces first—like a living room sofa—since they carry the strictest requirements. From there, she pieces the room together like a puzzle, using smaller additions like lamps or chairs to continuously pull the room's style in the desired direction. The Rule of Contrast: Items sitting next to one another should always contrast in either color tone (light, medium, or dark), texture, or pattern scale to keep the room dynamic and prevent it from falling flat. Envelop the Room: Avoid plain white drywall by applying architectural texture to the walls and ceilings. Corine utilizes paneling, tongue and groove, beadboard, wainscoting, and wallpaper to make rooms feel cozy and complete. Embrace Patina: A home should not feel like a pristine showroom. Incorporating materials that age, scratch, and dent gracefully, like real marble, fosters a relaxed environment where families do not have to stress over spills or daily wear. Subtle Accessories: When hunting for accessories at estate sales, look for textured, neutral items like paper mache bowls, woven potato baskets, or antique brass boxes. These items add layered depth and utility without demanding too much visual attention or overpowering the room's main features. Design for Yourself: The most timeless, successful homes are created when owners stop worrying about trends or what their guests might think, and instead design exactly what they would want if no one else were ever going to see the space. You can keep up with Corine's work by following her on Instagram at @corinnemaggiodesign or by visiting corinnemaggiodesign.com, and you can shop her favorite versatile entryway storage piece, the Ballard Designs Nina Apothocary Cabinet. If you were to design a room purely for yourself with zero concern for trends or what guests might think, what is the first bold choice you would make? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

British architect and interior designer Ben Pentreath returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, A Year at the Parsonage, co-authored with his husband, Charlie McCormick. The book functions as a deeply personal visual diary of the 15 years the couple spent living in an 1820 Regency house in Dorset, England. Rather than staging polished lifestyle scenes, Ben and Charlie photographed the book themselves, capturing authentic daily moments, the evolving interiors, and the passage of seasons in Charlie's beloved garden. Ben initially rented the Dorset parsonage in a rundown state, complete with black mold—a condition he prefers, as it allows for updates without feeling guilty about tearing out a previous landlord’s expensive renovations. Nestled in an unspoiled estate village owned by the Williams family for nearly 300 years, the home began with neutral pale gray and white walls due to a lack of time and budget. Over the years, the home's palette shifted drastically: The dining room was painted "Victoria Plum," a 1960s purple inspired by David Hicks that looked magical by candlelight but made guests look ill during the day. It was later painted bright sky blue and eventually wallpapered for a Morris & Co. photoshoot. The kitchen transitioned from white to Farrow & Ball's burnt orange "Wet Sand," then to a high-gloss bright yellow that felt like living inside an egg yolk, before finally returning to white. While Ben stresses that architectural and structural decisions should be thoroughly planned, he believes interior decoration is easily overthought. Embrace Change: Repainting a room is an inexpensive and fast way to completely shift a home's energy. Physical Inspiration: To avoid losing digital inspiration, Ben prints out his phone screenshots, cuts off the social media logos, writes notes on the back, and pins them to his office wall to discover his personal style over time. The Soul of a Room: A room's true character comes from its people, pets, and the practical comfort of daily life, not from perfectly color-matched piping. When the Williams family decided to sell the Dorset estate, Ben and Charlie embraced the change and moved to Scotland. They purchased a mid-18th-century home called Westness on Rousay, an Orkney island with only 200 residents. The unspoiled property features a ten-acre garden where Charlie is currently clearing an overgrown Victorian walled space to cultivate vegetables. Have you ever experimented with a bold paint color that looked vastly different in the daylight than you originally intended? 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