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It all starts with an invisible idea. In today’s episode, we’re discussing the importance of showing up, having dreams and letting the universe do the rest. Our guest is Caroline Hipple, president of Norwalk Furniture, and she is sharing her amazing experience that started with opening one furniture store to managing hundreds of employees today. You will also hear how she manages to give them hope during different crises of the years and why giving back to the community is important.
Read MoreShay Geyer, designer and owner of IBB Design joins us in this week’s episode. IBB Design is a full-service fine furnishings boutique & design firm with a 90,000 sq. ft. showroom. Shay works on extensive residential and commercial projects around the country and is a Style Spotter Advisor at High Point Market. Style Spotters are home fashion leaders who showcase the top new styles of each High Point Market. They scour the Market to find their favorite products and top trends, these finds contribute to the two Style Reports that the HPMA produces. We discuss how the Style Spotters program has changed since 2013, what the role of a Style Spotter is today, and how to apply. Tune in for Spring Market trends and products Shay is most excited about!
Read MoreJill Seale, an artist, designer, and author, joins us in this week’s episode. We met Jill at a design event a couple of years ago, where she was one of the guest speakers. Her most recent work emphasizes marbling which has led her to incorporate textiles and a broader range of design to her work, such as botanicals, watercolors, and graphics. Stay tuned for this fascinating conversation with Jill!
Read MoreIn this episode, we talk about our recent trip to the High Point Furniture Market we attended June 5-8. This event is the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world, with over 10 million square feet and 2000 exhibitors. Combined, the two of us attended almost 50 markets! We break down the most popular trends, designs, and furniture featured at High Point Furniture Market and touch on our experience with fellow designers and share our predictions for how the October market will look. If you’re interested in how trends have progressed over the years, tune in to episodes 15, 51, 58, 64, and 68, where we fill you in on trends over the last four years. Our feet still hurt, but we are ready to share with you all that we experienced on THIS trip!
Read MoreThis week's episode continues our previous conversation about our favorite design furnishings, accessories and options from different retail and online stores. This is an important aspect of our business as we offer a Design for a Day Service where we sit down and pick out design options for clients, that includes a complete retail and online shopping list with items and links for them to purchase. For part 1, listen to Episode 105: Our Favorite Catalog and Online Items. Tune in to this episode to hear more.
Read MoreIn this week’s episode, we are joined by Yash Ranga, a Conscious Luxury Evangelist and Stakeholder Engagement Partner for Jaipur Rugs. We were honored to hear Yash speak recently at the Design Influencers Conferences and were blown away by everything we learned about rugs and especially the compassionate and uplifting initiatives Jaipur Rugs is taking on within the rug industry. At Jaipur Rugs, Yash provides a strategic vision of both skill and social development, engaging multiple and diverse stakeholders, curating an effective partnerships platform maximizing impact at scale. Jaipur Rugs is known worldwide for its inclusive value chain linking grassroots artisans with global markets.
Read MoreThe Spring High Point Market is almost upon us, and we are organizing our famous must-see list of manufacturers, speakers, and functions to attend in June. We thought it would be a perfect time to share with you our guest today, Lauren Clement, an award-winning, Charlotte-based Interior Designer who has a lot going on with the Market this year. Tune in as Lauren reveals the details behind the LN Shop; plus, she tells us the ins and outs of her business and talks about her collaborations with Benjamin Moore Paints, Charleston Forge and more.
Read MoreWe've been in business for 16 years and are fortunate to have acquired many wholesale furniture accounts, as well as having an arsenal of talented artisans that we purchase for both our residential and commercial projects. Although, there have been times that we turned to online sources or catalogs for specific items when our wholesale sources are out of stock or when a client has a specific or unique request. Today, we will be talking about our favorite catalogs and online stores with products you couldn't get anywhere else.
Read MoreAs we discussed in our last episode about renovating vs. buying, Joann and I have spent the better part of the previous ten years making selections for renovations and new builds. Finishing touches are a daunting task when you aren’t in the business, so we thought we’d share some of our wisdom by chatting with Stacy Wray, our rep extraordinaire at ProSource Wholesale Marietta, Georgia. Stacy talks about being brave when it comes to your flooring, adding tiles to the walls, and the challenges that manufacturers face during the pandemic.
Read MoreStay at home orders have left Kandrac and Kole swamped with an incredible amount of work this year designing remodels and new construction. We all know that many homeowners now place a high value on making their homes more beautiful and functional. However, for some homeowners, selling can be a much better option – tune into this episode to figure out which one is right for you.
Read MoreWe are happy to introduce Katerina Rothman to our show today. She is the founder of Beflax Linen which offers 100% pure linen bedding and home décor products for bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. Katerina talks about the importance and benefits of linen, how to choose a suitable fabric for your home, and styling tips using linen.
Read MoreThe Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is North America’s largest trade show dedicated to all aspects of kitchen and bath design. It’s how we see the latest products and innovations, as well as hearing from industry leaders. Since we could not attend, we reached out to our design colleagues to fill us in on trends and new introductions. Today we are lucky to have several industry friends who spoke to us to share their finds and new introductions from the show. Based on the technical problems this year's virtual event had, many of the items they are sharing were from Signature Kitchen Suites and Kohler, with a few others mixed in.
Read MoreFor our hundredth episode, we are so thrilled to have with us as a guest, Marlo Thomas. She is best remembered for her starring roles in television hits like That Girl and Free to Be... You and Me. She serves as the national outreach director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and has now launched a collaboration with Williams-Sonoma. In this episode, Marlo shares with us her tips for entertaining guests, how to mix and match pieces for a beautiful setup, and stories behind the pieces in her collection.
Read MoreAfter analyzing our podcast analytics to see which episodes are the biggest hits with our listeners, one of our top requests is to open our hearts and minds to all design-related questions and dilemmas you all have. And so, in this episode, we are answering great questions on brands, lighting, fixes, tips, and tricks that we received from our design enthusiast, vendors, manufacturers, and designer listeners. Tune in for an inside look at our current and past design projects to answer your pressing questions.
Read MoreThe infamous Robert Rufino, Style Director of House Beautiful Magazine, joins us for an exceptional episode of Inside Design. Robert opens the show explaining how Covid inspired him to reach out to designers and do something extraordinary for them. So, Robert started doing thirty-minute portfolio sessions; he gives designers the gift of time. Then, Robert speaks about why professional photography is so important. After shooting, the film needs to have a certain mystique. Plus, Robert explains why hiring a stylist is absolutely necessary and the importance of collaboration on any shoot.
Read MoreToday we give you ten tips on how to set business goals and achieve them. We are so glad that 2020 is over, and we have big aspirations for 2021. Hopefully, the vaccine will turn things around, and we can get back to normal. Because our 2020 goals were sidetracked, our 2021 goals are more critical than ever. One way to ensure you have a great chance of accomplishing your goals is by making them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound). Also, be sure to reevaluate what's working and what's not working throughout the year. Of course, don't be afraid to change something! Please tune in for the rest of our goal-setting tips.
Read MoreLet's put 2020 in our rearview mirror, shall we? Before we do, we thought we'd take some time to review the blessings, the fantastic projects, the podcasts, and the people we met along the way!
The most exciting thing that happened in 2020 was our rebranding - a labor of love to revamp our entire website and service offerings. Come March, we started to realize that all of our exciting international travel and industry events would be canceled. Luckily, we got loads of new work in January and March that kept us happy and busy working from home. We were also fortunate to complete the one room challenge on our podcast studio in May. Tune in as we review more 2020 highlights and speak about the importance of giving back during the 2020 holidays.
Read MoreAs many of you know who listen to our podcast on a regular basis that we are big fans of color and Sherwin Williams paints. We’ve been lucky to have recorded 3 episodes with Sue Wadden, the Director of Color Marketing where she shared the color forecast for 2019, 2020 and 2021. Most people don’t realize how much time, effort and man (and woman) power that goes into creating these forecasts.
What we are going to talk about today is the “science” behind paint, the applications and the many options available. We’ll try to keep it light and not make it sound like a science class!
Read MoreAs you know from listening to our podcast over the last three years, you know that we run a very successful interior design firm in Atlanta that is now over 15 years old. We have invested a substantial amount of time and money to continue our education over the years to keep improving our operations, sharpening our design skills and expanding our design knowledge as it pertains to trends, products and resources. We love to share our expertise and we are finally formalizing this effort which is what we are going to talk about today!
Read MoreAs the holiday season is upon us, Kelly and I are putting together gift ideas for our families, friends and our amazing team at Kandrac & Kole. We are also researching ways we can do something charitable to those in need. We’ve been very blessed this year and it is in our hearts to give back. We’ve given many interesting and thoughtful gifts through the years and will share those as well as some new ones for everyone on your list!
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