May 20, 2025 • 30 mins
In this vibrant episode of Boulevard Beat, co-hosts Meghan Blum and Krissa Rossbund sit down with the ever-bold and delightfully maximalist interior designer Isabel Ladd. Known for her fearless use of color, pattern, and personality, Isabel opens up about her signature style, her Brazilian roots, and how she channels pure joy into every space she touches.
From discussing the art of layering and clashing with intention, to revealing the creative mindset behind her "Laddie Layering" approach, Isabel offers listeners a peek behind the curtain of her playful design philosophy. The episode dives into why embracing individuality in interiors is not only empowering but essential—and how rules in design are made to be broken, beautifully.
Meghan and Krissa chat with Isabel about what fuels her inspiration, the importance of storytelling in design, and how she uses interiors to spark emotion and connection. Whether you're a fellow designer, a style enthusiast, or someone seeking courage to go bold at home, this conversation is packed with wisdom, laughs, and takeaways to energize your own creative journey.
Street Style Takeaways:
• Maximalism = Storytelling
Design with meaning, not just more stuff.
• Clash with Intention
Mix bold patterns and colors—on purpose.
• Roots in Brazil, Style with Soul
Cultural influence fuels her fearless aesthetic.
• Break the Rules Beautifully
Forget trends—confidence is the best design tool.
• Make It Personal
Your home should look and feel like you.
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
From discussing the art of layering and clashing with intention, to revealing the creative mindset behind her "Laddie Layering" approach, Isabel offers listeners a peek behind the curtain of her playful design philosophy. The episode dives into why embracing individuality in interiors is not only empowering but essential—and how rules in design are made to be broken, beautifully.
Meghan and Krissa chat with Isabel about what fuels her inspiration, the importance of storytelling in design, and how she uses interiors to spark emotion and connection. Whether you're a fellow designer, a style enthusiast, or someone seeking courage to go bold at home, this conversation is packed with wisdom, laughs, and takeaways to energize your own creative journey.
Street Style Takeaways:
• Maximalism = Storytelling
Design with meaning, not just more stuff.
• Clash with Intention
Mix bold patterns and colors—on purpose.
• Roots in Brazil, Style with Soul
Cultural influence fuels her fearless aesthetic.
• Break the Rules Beautifully
Forget trends—confidence is the best design tool.
• Make It Personal
Your home should look and feel like you.
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to boulevard Beat, a podcast where life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor CHRISA.
Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses on
the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with taste makers,
and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style you
constrol one street at a time, boulevard Beat proves.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
The one you should take.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Today, we're diving into the world a fearless color, bold pattern,
and joyful design with a guest who truly lives and
breathes her aesthetic. I'm so excited to introduce you to
Isabelle Lattin. Isabelle is a Brazilian born Kentucky based Into
Your designer whose signature's Maximus Style has made waves across
the design world. She's known for a masterful blend of color,
(00:55):
pattern and personality that transforms every space into a celebration
of individuality. So whether you're design professional, a color lover,
or just curious about what it means to live boldly
in your space, you're in for such a treat.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Let's jump in, Hi, Isabelle. We are so excited to
have you. Thank you so happy to be here. We
have so much to talk with you about.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
And this is going to be fun for us because
your your whole design approach is so vivacious and fun
and bold, and I think that our listeners will love
to check out your website. So we like to start
each episode by having each of our guests tell us
about the street where they grew up.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
What is your story?
Speaker 4 (01:35):
I grew up on accounts for your Road, which is
a farm town area of Kentucky. So it was a
farm but my heart is like big city vibes, so
I was juxtaposing from the get go.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So you are a farm girl.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
That makes your story all the more interesting to be honest, right.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Yeah, I would just not go and play in the
barns unless it was to like move hay bales and
like redecorate it into a house.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Isabelle, let's dive right into it. Maximalism.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It is not for everyone, but it is for anyone
who dares to be different. When did you first know
that you wanted to approach design sort of outside the
norm because your style is not everybody's style.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yeah, so my first experience was this was my parents
were renovating our house and they wanted to paint all
of the walls white because, in their words, it goes
with everything. And I put my foot on I said, no,
my room is yellow, and I like things.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
To reflect my personality and to bring me joy.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
That's why I approach all of my spaces is I
want the spaces to be a reflection of who lives
there and what brings them joy and very unapologetically. So
I had the itch for creativity from the beginning when
I was like redecorating my room from a young age.
And then I went to fashion school in Los Angeles
(03:01):
and I thought I wanted to be a textile designer
because I always loved pattern, fabric, colors, pattern and pattern pattern.
And I went into fashion specifically with textiles because at
that time I saw fashion as my way of.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Putting my personal style on display.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
And it wasn't till after I was in the fashion
world did I even really know that interiors really existed
like more formally. And that all changed when I moved
from Los Angeles where I was doing fashion, to Kentucky
where I'm from, and I just always had a pretty house.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I have no formal training on it.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Actually everything I learned comes from like Google and the
School of Hard Knocks to figure out a problem and
interior design. So anyway, so I was just always experimenting
in my own house, and I would have play dates
at my house because I love to host, and really
it's because I love to show off my pretty things.
So my friends would always comment on how I have
(04:09):
such a pretty house and young children, and how like,
how do you do both? And I always say, because
I do not sacrifice style just because I had kids.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So I never watched for things like.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Oh, the sofa has to be performance style, or everything
around me has to be performance great, and the coffee
table can't have things on it because the kids are
going to break it. Instead, I would do what brings
me joy, which is this is my favorite fabric.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I do want to splash it all over a chair.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I will either put Scotch guard on it or I
will re upholster it. But I'm doing what I love
and what brings me joy. First.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think that's probably the better attitude to have about
life and living, because sometimes I think that we put
too much emphasis. I mean, none of us wants our
things to be damaged. Are ruined or things like that.
But I think sometimes we do our little stuffy and
strict about the environments based on an object, and perhaps
(05:09):
sometimes we shouldn't put that much value on our things.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
I agree with that so.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Much of choosing what you're going to put your value in, right,
because the other part is I do want to put
my value on things that I love, so I'm going
to splash it everywhere so loud.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
There's such a common.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Thread in my work of like doing what you love
and brings you joy. And I've had clients many times
in the past I might say something like, oh, well,
what if I don't love this wallpaper in ten years.
It's like, well, I don't even know if you're going
to still be married in ten years, you know, So
I don't know if you're still going to love this
in ten years, but you love it now. And I'm
(05:51):
not saying buy something for a fad or for a
trend that you're just going to to be happy with
for two years, but also don't get something that you
are starting to think about ten years down the road.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Do what you love and what brings you.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Joy now, because you don't know if you're still going
to be in the same house in ten years, if
you're still going to be married in ten years, if your.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Style will have evolved.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
It's sort of like waiting to fix your health up
before you move so the next homeowners will enjoy it
more than you ever exactly.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
That is huge, and I do that with myself oftentimes
because my house is such a celebration of pattern and
colar and I've got a yellow kitchen, I've got one
room that is white in.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
The whole house, and I do want to keep it
that way. I'm doing this for me, not for a
hypothetical next person, and that's what you should do.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
It should be for you and not for anybody else.
I love that, and I think, don't you also find
when you buy the things that really light you up
and bring you joy, you don't get tired of them.
They're almost the things you love ten years later, better
than in a house.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Yes, And to go off of that too.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
When I first decorated my house, it was over ten
years years ago. I was not an into your designer,
but I had this mentality of resale, so I looked
on Pinterest, and Pinterest told me to paint my cabinet's
white and to get this specific like gold tone of
hardware and like one statement in light over the kitchen
(07:17):
island like a pendant, and that was it. I was
doing everything for resale. Who this hypothetical and next client
would be. I have changed every single thing in my
house that I once chose to be safe and normal
to be what is such a reflection of my family? Actually,
let's be honest, it's me. The kids just all along. No,
(07:41):
but it's true, it's I do it for me. So yeah,
So everything I have replaced in over ten years was
because it did not bring me joy in the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I was doing it because I thought I was supposed
to do it well.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
And I think that just goes back to the emotion
that design brings and how it makes you feel, and
the emotions that come along with having that glass of
wine in that brightly bold room and the memories that
you have. But for some people, design also is supposed
to be a calming environment, and your style is definitely
(08:14):
a strong contrast to that. We want to know if
this fun and layered style of design drops a different
kind of personality in front of you. Tell me a
little bit about your client base. Who comes to you
for this bold and quirky formula.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Okay, I love this question so much because I want
to promote this, and what I'm promoting is that Isabelle
ad Interiors on.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Instagram is so loud. I wanted to stop. I want
my house to stop the scroll. I want all of
this stuff to be so over the top.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
However, my clients don't want to meet me at the
level fifteen that I am, So that's what I want
to promote, that it's not just a reflection of me.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
But I do leave my traces in every house that
I can.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Now before I would take on every job I was
starting out, I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I was a maximust. I didn't lean into all of
this pattern play.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
But every time I'm like interviewing a client, I'm making
sure that they know that if we're going to work together,
there will be pattern on pattern on pattern, but it
will be a reflection of them. So I just finished
a house in Gasparola Island in Florida. The client's favorite
color is blue, and every once in a while I
would like try to sneak in a grain. She would
(09:31):
respect and be open to that. And the house turned
out so beautiful and it is absolutely a reflection of
the client and absolutely a reflection of me at the
same time.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I love that, and it's that trust factor that you
get as you along the way you're design and teaching them.
And I know too as a designer, you have those
presentations and you set it out and you're like, this
is your living room and there's twenty fabrics and patterns,
and it's so overwhelming for the clients because they're like,
all of these go in one room. And I don't
take my designs quite as far as you do, obviously,
(10:04):
but it's so overwhelming to the clients too because they're
used to things just matching and coordinating. They have a
difficult time making sense when outliers are thrown into the scheme.
Take us through some of the spots where you find
those special pieces that will add that special layer of
impact into a space.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
So first, as a clent and I are meeting and
getting started, I've told them to look at my website,
look at my Instagram, and understand that I'm bringing in
a medley of patterns. If they don't like that, then
I might not be the designer for them. So it's
like I feel like those trust me more as opposed
to if I show them all of these patterns and
they're like, what am I supposed to do with it,
(10:45):
It's like, no, just look how it's already been done.
The patterns work together. But when I go into these presentations,
I love being so organized and so type A and
so to the point when I'm doing a presentation, I
don't show anybody additional options. I just show them what
they need to know. So I put it all on
(11:05):
a vision board. I'll start with canva, where they'll see
in one room, here's the wallpaper, here's this wallpaper. Here's
what's on the ceiling, Here's what's on the curtains, here's
all that. And then it looks so beautiful on the
vision board. And then I'm showing the samples in real
time in front of them, laying it out, and it
(11:25):
is so beautiful that it's not overwhelming. There's a design
sense that's like I'm keeping in mind either a tight
color palette or I'm keeping in mind, you know, really
juxtaposing the scale. Somethings are very big, somethings are small.
There's a geometric, there's a floral. There's five florals, and
here's how they all work, so they all work visually
when you see them on my presentation board, there's no overwhelm.
(11:49):
There would be overwhelmed if they came to my library
or my studio.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And saw me put all of that together. But in
a presentation it's like.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
There's some comfort there that they haven't under standing that
it's it's not overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I I can see that. Yes, yes, very good.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Some designers definitely are scared to use that fabric print
that has every color in the rainbow in it. Do
you have any hard nose that you actually ever would
say no to or are you open to designing with
any and all?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
No, I'm not open to designing with any and all.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Sometimes I don't know how to articulate it, but it's
like I just know when I'm going to love a
fabric a pattern and when I'm not. So when reps
come to me, I actually always profess if they don't
know me, I'm like, Okay, I'm going to go through
this book so quick that like I don't want to
(12:40):
spend time. I'm just really efficient with time and everything
that I don't want to listen to a whole explanation
of why this floral goes coordinate so well. With this geometric,
I can just flip through a book and I just
need the pattern to.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Sing to me.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
If it's like I need to be obsessed with a
fabric before or a wallpaper before bringing it into my
library because I have like a tight space. I'm really
into efficiency. I could see an animal.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Print and be like, that is not the specific animal
print that I like. No, I can see a floral.
The colors are not sharp, there's nothing like.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
I love things that are weird, and I need a
pattern to jump at me with something that is weird.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
And when I say weird, I mean like something that
is unexpected.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
So it might be a jolt of chartreuse or a
really interesting colorway that you just don't see often, just
something that brings that moment of like aha, surprise, wow, uniqueness.
Those are the patterns that I jump to. I am
not open to anything dainty or quiet or mediocre.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Every pattern has to sing to me, Isabelle.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
I love that you said that you you know when
the new collections are being presented to you that you
can flip through them and just say yes, yes, oh no,
Because I think a lot of times in this industry
so much is based on history, and we get a
lot of inventory, a lot of product presented to us
that's inspired by something. And look, I think it's fun
(14:13):
to hear about the history of patterns and colors and
architecture and all of those things. But I think when
you are talking about your own creativity, it's really about
what inspires you, not about what inspired somebody else.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
That is such a nice, polite way to say that,
and I want to start saying that to reps. It's
not I appreciate that there's a story here, but that's
like when we go to Paris and we go to
the presentations at the different showrooms, that's when we get
that history. But when I'm here at my office, this
is just my personality. I'm always like running a million
(14:47):
miles a minute. I wish that I was com coal collected,
but I am not. So I'm just like I can
say yes in two seconds, and it would drive me
crazy as a person to hear the romance of the
thing is, I'm not inspired by what inspired their trip
(15:07):
to Italy.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I'm inspired if I really like it.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Has to speak to you that way, and not just
to or the artist that created it.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Exactly Isabelle.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
The word timeless gets thrown around all the time in
design as well. I probably gravitate towards it in my
work and my design more often than not. Just having
that standing power, it can also work in your world
as well. I'm curious what does timeless mean to you.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
My work is not timeless in the sense that, yeah,
the design history people or whoever.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Say, oh, timeless, I want it to last forever. I
just want to love it. I don't want a.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Color or a sofa or wallpaper that fifty year old Isabelle.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Is going to love.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Gosh, right, then, I hope my style has evolved into
something else. So timeless is not just it's just not
a word in my vocabulary.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Passion is, but not timeless.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
We know that you boast a personal style right now
that's equally vivacious as your interiors. So how does your
approach to fashion affect your interiors or vice versa.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
And I didn't know that you went to fashion school,
so this is a fun question for us to hear
about how one affects the other.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Both are an expression of style and personality. You know,
you put on clothes and you express yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
For that moment.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
When you're out and about expressing yourself, but you express
yourself in your home to be constantly surrounded night and day.
You're enveloped by what you find beautiful and what inspires you.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And I just love showing off. I love to show off.
I'm such a show off and in my clothes and
in my home well.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
And I love that you just own that that you're
showing off both interiors and your fashion.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
That's the dap you both. Girls.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Here's another thing about both, And especially like with fashion,
showing up my home, I guess it's a privilege to
the people, to the few people.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
That come into my home, my my family and friends.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
When I show off my fashion going down the street,
going wherever, it like makes people's day. Like strangers stop
me and they and they will be like, oh my.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Gosh, can I take a picture? And it's not that
they're taking a picture of all me.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
But it's like they're just taking a picture of like
can I take a picture of those earrings? Or I've
got to show this skirt to my granddaughter. My fashion
literally makes people smile. And that is what I love
about wearing big, bold clothes.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's just to pick me up for other people.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I think that's so true, because you know, they say
that you should. And I think in our society we've
become a bit casual, maybe more than we should be
when it comes to fashion, and when we dress up,
not only does it make us feel good because we
look good and are put together, but it is also
a piece of respect for other people who are who
are looking at you, and that's that's everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
So I love that you have.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
This attitude of sort of entertaining people and through your fashion,
and it is joyful.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
I think I've stood next to you in many pictures.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Where I've got on my little black dress and here
comes the bell and chartreuse and fu shot Yes, and
it brings joy and it brings joyers.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
A few years ago, I read Marie Condo's book The
Magic of Tidening Up.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
My biggest takeaway from that book.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Is taking stuff out of your home that doesn't bring
you joy, bringing stuff in that does bring you joy.
So it was when I read that book that I
went through my closet and in it it says, if
you've got a dress that you have loved, but you
have not.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Worn it for years, you don't fit into it. Anymore.
It's not your style. You're wearing longer length snow whatever.
Then say to this dress.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
And I really believe in like wu woo energy things
like that, but like, just think about this dress and say,
I have loved wearing this dress.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I wore it ten years ago to this party. I
had so much fun.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Now bring the joy that you gave to me, bring
it to somebody else.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
And so that is how I started.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Getting rid of the things that had brought me joy
once upon a time, but we're not bringing me joy
right now. And I also stopped buying anything that like, oh,
because it was on sale, or because it's safe, or oh,
this navy T shirt will go with anything. I do
not buy things that go with anything, both in my
house and in fashion. I only bring things into my
(19:27):
space that bring me utter utter passion, and that does
not include anything that goes with anything.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
I just love your enthusiasm because that's just such a
different approach from everything we read and about investment pieces
and making sure that everything works with three other outfits
and all of that. So it's really fun to listen
to your approach, which is an outlook, which is completely
a pivot, huge pivot, from any of those ideologies.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
That we've been trained to. Yes.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
And here's another think that about the investment pieces. An
investment piece for me is something that I'm obsessed with
that I know I'm going to love forever. So so
many times, I'm always repeating clothes and I've had clothes
for such a long time. Why have I had clothes
for such a long time? Because they've brought me joy.
It brought me joy and it played into who I
am from a few years ago.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
So people are always saying like, oh, where is this?
Where is that from?
Speaker 4 (20:22):
And I'm like, well, this was from a thrift store,
or this was from my grandmother, so I can't send
you the link. Or this I wore it to a
prom and now I fit into it again. So my
point is those are investment pieces to me. It's not
because it was expensive. It's not because I invested in
this black, solid something that's going to go with everything.
It's because I invested in something that brought me so
(20:45):
much joy. That's why it's staying with me all of
these decades. Same thing with my house. I'm not investing
in one hundred thousand dollars living room renovation. If I
have bought peace is my entire life where the investment.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Was me, not the money. I love that. It's so
smart and so wise.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
You have committed to a very specific style and one
that's ever changing, though at the same time because you're
open minded to it all. Not everybody has developed their
personal style because frankly, they just don't know how to
do that, whether they work in the.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Design industry or not.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
So how would you guide someone who isn't quite sure
what their personal style is for either home or fashion?
Where do they start?
Speaker 4 (21:33):
I think you start by, for lack of a better word,
like meditating, taking off any judgment of what would other
people think.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
About my style, about my home, about.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
My fashion, taking that judgment out of your brain what
I should do, and also taking any preconceived notion of
what I have done in the past forever I've always
bought solids, I've always bought neutrals or whatever. And then
start looking inwards and then just thinking what brings me joy?
(22:06):
Do you find joy when you see a particular color,
do you find joy when you see a particular pattern,
or do you find joy when you see a solid.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Navy shift dress?
Speaker 4 (22:18):
So it's really about what is bringing you joy as
you're traveling, as you're walking around as what a menu
on a restaurant? Do you choose something off the menu
that is like weird and different.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Because you've never had it before?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Or do you go with the same trusted thing on
a menu because that's what gives you comfort and safety?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
But just doing that inward.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
And then really thinking, am I like this because I'm
supposed to be because society, family, friends, my environment has
said that I'm going to thrive if I'm safe, comfortable,
always knowing what's happening.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Or do I like that spontaneity? Does it thrill me
to do something that's different? But really, I.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Think it comes down to like chipping away harder at
your insides and really thinking like does this truly make
me happy?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Or am I doing this because I've been conditioned.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
As a designer, we're always kind of thinking about what
our next chapter is, How is our style going to evolve?
What does that look like? How do your aesthetics change
as the years go on? What's next for Isabelle Lad.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Isabelle Lad sometimes is having these moments because like maximalism
is having such a moment right now, like the days
of minimalists are out, and maximalist.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Is so who I am, and so Isabelle Lad. The
person is like, oh my gosh, am I trending right now?
Like I don't want to be trending.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
That's why I loved being a maximalist during a minimalist era.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
So I'm going to take this to therapy to be like,
now what do I do? Everyone is doing maximalism.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
I'm going to do the opposite because I'm just so
not like a follower. I love to be different. So
I'm having a moment with that, but I'm kidding aside.
I just want to do more and more and more
on a bigger level for the masses.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
And here's what I mean by that. I love into your.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Design and it's a luxury in so many ways, like
when I have a client and we're doing things that
are custom and you know, all of my energy is
like to these few projects.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
But I would love to.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Inspire the masses with things that they can buy themselves,
to bring touches of joy to their house when they
can't afford an into your designer. So next for me,
this is like my goal of like all goals will
be when I have a line at Target. I love
Target so much, and I want the masses to be
(24:57):
able to replace all of their right lamp shades with
thirty dollars forty dollars patterned lampshades. I want all of
the pillows to have trimps, to have a different pattern
on the front than on.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
The back, so you can switch around. That's what I want.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I want it to be joy for everyone, not just
those who can afford into your designer Target.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
We hope you're listening.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
We hope all of the corporate Target people are tuning
into this podcast.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
For sure.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
You've been talking this whole episode about pieces that bring
you joy, and that is a ribbon that ties through
everything you buy, everything you live with, everything you wear.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Tell us about something that you didn't love and you
may be tired of after a while, dying to know.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
That yes, yes, yes, so really I started to really
dive into like inner work and therapy and spirituality in
the last five years or so.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Once upon a Time Isabelle lad Warblack.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Once upon a Time Isabelle lad War Solids, And in
this so self discovery period that I've been through in
the last five to ten years or whatever, I've just
really been honing in to surrounding myself with everything that
brings me joy because yellow, right, you only live once,
and that meant taking an inventory of my closet, leading
(26:18):
out any solids grades page.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
You said I didn't bring me joy in my home.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
I was telling about how I've changed my white kitchen
cabinets to yellow, changing out everything that I had done
for say, for other people. For me, I mean, I
eat what I love, what brings me joy. So I
mean I will eat dessert first because I find that
more joyful than than not always look at the dessert
many first. I think it's just bringing joy out in
(26:43):
my life, in every part of my.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Life, Isabelle.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I know you've also started like to know it and
allowing your followers to get to know some of the
products you like. How are you loving that?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
I am loving that.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
I've also recently hired an in house PR person, Caroline,
who is managing all of these different facets of my
business that I just don't have time to do like
a deep dive into, So she is loving it.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
I can tell you that.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
But you know how I was telling you earlier that, like,
I have clothes that I have had for ten years,
because I loved it then and I love it now,
and so many people ask where did you get that?
And I cannot always tell them, Oh, here's a link.
So what Carolyn and I are doing now is we
go through my through my wardrobe. I put on great outfits.
It's so much about styling, and then Caroline is finding
(27:34):
all of these links a very similar product, and so
we're also doing things like I like to be funny.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
It's like very part of.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Like my brand, and so my LTK is very much
not like, oh this is the fit, this is the style.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Get ready with me.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
It is like how a maximalist does a white party,
Like what a maximal's wears to a white part, an
all white party.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I'd love to hear that tip that. So I get
invited to this party every year.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
And I like han Nick when someone like wear a
solid or wear white, I mean Pannick. So I wear
a dress with white in the background and then all
the florals, but it has white in the background.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
It's predominantly white. You follow the rules, You follow the rules.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Yeah, and then it was like this coat and then
I wore it with this coat that and it was
a farm rio dress. So it's like how you know
how far Mario.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Would go into an all white party. So it's like
things like that that's like funny.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Or here's another thing that I'll do on LTK is
if you want to match your wallpaper? And then it's
like a picture of me in a dress that looks
like it could have been wallpaper, and then eight other
examples of dresses that have traditional wallpaper design, right twall
or Shin WAZERI or whatever, damn misk. So that's how
I keep it funny and ted to interiors.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
That's an awesome personality and fun to share with others. Yeah, Isabelle,
We always kind of ended the episode as well with
similar questions.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
We'd love to know the beat that keeps you going?
The beat that keeps me.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Going is vivance that I have to take every day
so that I have a beat to stay focused.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Love a good supplement, yes, definitely love a supplement.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Yes. And finally, what does your perfect boulevard look like?
Speaker 4 (29:19):
My perfect boulevard looks like a stream of townhouses where
everyone is different.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
To allow me to experiment in all of them, I can't.
I'm a maximist. I couldn't just have one house on
a boulevard. I have to have like seven.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Well, I think that that sounds lovely because you know,
we don't want the same architecture style for every person,
and we don't want the same garden for every person,
and we don't want the same interiors for every person,
because we should all find the joy in our own
personal style. So Isabelle, thank you so much for giving
us your time. And this has been bold, fun, inspirational.
(29:58):
I feel like I want to go paint some thinks.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Char truth now. Well, thank you.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
This has been so fun and I just love yeah,
just sharing the passion and the joy in talking, talking, talking.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Boulevard Beat.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow along and leave
a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
so you never miss an episode, And of course, follow
your hosts on Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund,
and at Liz Legit. We'll be back next week as
we take a stroll down another boulevard
Welcome to boulevard Beat, a podcast where life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor CHRISA.
Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses on
the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with taste makers,
and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style you
constrol one street at a time, boulevard Beat proves.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
The one you should take.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Today, we're diving into the world a fearless color, bold pattern,
and joyful design with a guest who truly lives and
breathes her aesthetic. I'm so excited to introduce you to
Isabelle Lattin. Isabelle is a Brazilian born Kentucky based Into
Your designer whose signature's Maximus Style has made waves across
the design world. She's known for a masterful blend of color,
(00:55):
pattern and personality that transforms every space into a celebration
of individuality. So whether you're design professional, a color lover,
or just curious about what it means to live boldly
in your space, you're in for such a treat.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Let's jump in, Hi, Isabelle. We are so excited to
have you. Thank you so happy to be here. We
have so much to talk with you about.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
And this is going to be fun for us because
your your whole design approach is so vivacious and fun
and bold, and I think that our listeners will love
to check out your website. So we like to start
each episode by having each of our guests tell us
about the street where they grew up.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
What is your story?
Speaker 4 (01:35):
I grew up on accounts for your Road, which is
a farm town area of Kentucky. So it was a
farm but my heart is like big city vibes, so
I was juxtaposing from the get go.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So you are a farm girl.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
That makes your story all the more interesting to be honest, right.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Yeah, I would just not go and play in the
barns unless it was to like move hay bales and
like redecorate it into a house.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Isabelle, let's dive right into it. Maximalism.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It is not for everyone, but it is for anyone
who dares to be different. When did you first know
that you wanted to approach design sort of outside the
norm because your style is not everybody's style.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yeah, so my first experience was this was my parents
were renovating our house and they wanted to paint all
of the walls white because, in their words, it goes
with everything. And I put my foot on I said, no,
my room is yellow, and I like things.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
To reflect my personality and to bring me joy.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
That's why I approach all of my spaces is I
want the spaces to be a reflection of who lives
there and what brings them joy and very unapologetically. So
I had the itch for creativity from the beginning when
I was like redecorating my room from a young age.
And then I went to fashion school in Los Angeles
(03:01):
and I thought I wanted to be a textile designer
because I always loved pattern, fabric, colors, pattern and pattern pattern.
And I went into fashion specifically with textiles because at
that time I saw fashion as my way of.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Putting my personal style on display.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
And it wasn't till after I was in the fashion
world did I even really know that interiors really existed
like more formally. And that all changed when I moved
from Los Angeles where I was doing fashion, to Kentucky
where I'm from, and I just always had a pretty house.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I have no formal training on it.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Actually everything I learned comes from like Google and the
School of Hard Knocks to figure out a problem and
interior design. So anyway, so I was just always experimenting
in my own house, and I would have play dates
at my house because I love to host, and really
it's because I love to show off my pretty things.
So my friends would always comment on how I have
(04:09):
such a pretty house and young children, and how like,
how do you do both? And I always say, because
I do not sacrifice style just because I had kids.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So I never watched for things like.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Oh, the sofa has to be performance style, or everything
around me has to be performance great, and the coffee
table can't have things on it because the kids are
going to break it. Instead, I would do what brings
me joy, which is this is my favorite fabric.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I do want to splash it all over a chair.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I will either put Scotch guard on it or I
will re upholster it. But I'm doing what I love
and what brings me joy. First.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think that's probably the better attitude to have about
life and living, because sometimes I think that we put
too much emphasis. I mean, none of us wants our
things to be damaged. Are ruined or things like that.
But I think sometimes we do our little stuffy and
strict about the environments based on an object, and perhaps
(05:09):
sometimes we shouldn't put that much value on our things.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
I agree with that so.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Much of choosing what you're going to put your value in, right,
because the other part is I do want to put
my value on things that I love, so I'm going
to splash it everywhere so loud.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
There's such a common.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Thread in my work of like doing what you love
and brings you joy. And I've had clients many times
in the past I might say something like, oh, well,
what if I don't love this wallpaper in ten years.
It's like, well, I don't even know if you're going
to still be married in ten years, you know, So
I don't know if you're still going to love this
in ten years, but you love it now. And I'm
(05:51):
not saying buy something for a fad or for a
trend that you're just going to to be happy with
for two years, but also don't get something that you
are starting to think about ten years down the road.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Do what you love and what brings you.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Joy now, because you don't know if you're still going
to be in the same house in ten years, if
you're still going to be married in ten years, if your.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Style will have evolved.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
It's sort of like waiting to fix your health up
before you move so the next homeowners will enjoy it
more than you ever exactly.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
That is huge, and I do that with myself oftentimes
because my house is such a celebration of pattern and
colar and I've got a yellow kitchen, I've got one
room that is white in.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
The whole house, and I do want to keep it
that way. I'm doing this for me, not for a
hypothetical next person, and that's what you should do.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
It should be for you and not for anybody else.
I love that, and I think, don't you also find
when you buy the things that really light you up
and bring you joy, you don't get tired of them.
They're almost the things you love ten years later, better
than in a house.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Yes, And to go off of that too.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
When I first decorated my house, it was over ten
years years ago. I was not an into your designer,
but I had this mentality of resale, so I looked
on Pinterest, and Pinterest told me to paint my cabinet's
white and to get this specific like gold tone of
hardware and like one statement in light over the kitchen
(07:17):
island like a pendant, and that was it. I was
doing everything for resale. Who this hypothetical and next client
would be. I have changed every single thing in my
house that I once chose to be safe and normal
to be what is such a reflection of my family? Actually,
let's be honest, it's me. The kids just all along. No,
(07:41):
but it's true, it's I do it for me. So yeah,
So everything I have replaced in over ten years was
because it did not bring me joy in the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I was doing it because I thought I was supposed
to do it well.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
And I think that just goes back to the emotion
that design brings and how it makes you feel, and
the emotions that come along with having that glass of
wine in that brightly bold room and the memories that
you have. But for some people, design also is supposed
to be a calming environment, and your style is definitely
(08:14):
a strong contrast to that. We want to know if
this fun and layered style of design drops a different
kind of personality in front of you. Tell me a
little bit about your client base. Who comes to you
for this bold and quirky formula.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Okay, I love this question so much because I want
to promote this, and what I'm promoting is that Isabelle
ad Interiors on.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Instagram is so loud. I wanted to stop. I want
my house to stop the scroll. I want all of
this stuff to be so over the top.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
However, my clients don't want to meet me at the
level fifteen that I am, So that's what I want
to promote, that it's not just a reflection of me.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
But I do leave my traces in every house that
I can.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Now before I would take on every job I was
starting out, I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I was a maximust. I didn't lean into all of
this pattern play.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
But every time I'm like interviewing a client, I'm making
sure that they know that if we're going to work together,
there will be pattern on pattern on pattern, but it
will be a reflection of them. So I just finished
a house in Gasparola Island in Florida. The client's favorite
color is blue, and every once in a while I
would like try to sneak in a grain. She would
(09:31):
respect and be open to that. And the house turned
out so beautiful and it is absolutely a reflection of
the client and absolutely a reflection of me at the
same time.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I love that, and it's that trust factor that you
get as you along the way you're design and teaching them.
And I know too as a designer, you have those
presentations and you set it out and you're like, this
is your living room and there's twenty fabrics and patterns,
and it's so overwhelming for the clients because they're like,
all of these go in one room. And I don't
take my designs quite as far as you do, obviously,
(10:04):
but it's so overwhelming to the clients too because they're
used to things just matching and coordinating. They have a
difficult time making sense when outliers are thrown into the scheme.
Take us through some of the spots where you find
those special pieces that will add that special layer of
impact into a space.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
So first, as a clent and I are meeting and
getting started, I've told them to look at my website,
look at my Instagram, and understand that I'm bringing in
a medley of patterns. If they don't like that, then
I might not be the designer for them. So it's
like I feel like those trust me more as opposed
to if I show them all of these patterns and
they're like, what am I supposed to do with it,
(10:45):
It's like, no, just look how it's already been done.
The patterns work together. But when I go into these presentations,
I love being so organized and so type A and
so to the point when I'm doing a presentation, I
don't show anybody additional options. I just show them what
they need to know. So I put it all on
(11:05):
a vision board. I'll start with canva, where they'll see
in one room, here's the wallpaper, here's this wallpaper. Here's
what's on the ceiling, Here's what's on the curtains, here's
all that. And then it looks so beautiful on the
vision board. And then I'm showing the samples in real
time in front of them, laying it out, and it
(11:25):
is so beautiful that it's not overwhelming. There's a design
sense that's like I'm keeping in mind either a tight
color palette or I'm keeping in mind, you know, really
juxtaposing the scale. Somethings are very big, somethings are small.
There's a geometric, there's a floral. There's five florals, and
here's how they all work, so they all work visually
when you see them on my presentation board, there's no overwhelm.
(11:49):
There would be overwhelmed if they came to my library
or my studio.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And saw me put all of that together. But in
a presentation it's like.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
There's some comfort there that they haven't under standing that
it's it's not overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I I can see that. Yes, yes, very good.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Some designers definitely are scared to use that fabric print
that has every color in the rainbow in it. Do
you have any hard nose that you actually ever would
say no to or are you open to designing with
any and all?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
No, I'm not open to designing with any and all.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Sometimes I don't know how to articulate it, but it's
like I just know when I'm going to love a
fabric a pattern and when I'm not. So when reps
come to me, I actually always profess if they don't
know me, I'm like, Okay, I'm going to go through
this book so quick that like I don't want to
(12:40):
spend time. I'm just really efficient with time and everything
that I don't want to listen to a whole explanation
of why this floral goes coordinate so well. With this geometric,
I can just flip through a book and I just
need the pattern to.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Sing to me.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
If it's like I need to be obsessed with a
fabric before or a wallpaper before bringing it into my
library because I have like a tight space. I'm really
into efficiency. I could see an animal.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Print and be like, that is not the specific animal
print that I like. No, I can see a floral.
The colors are not sharp, there's nothing like.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
I love things that are weird, and I need a
pattern to jump at me with something that is weird.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
And when I say weird, I mean like something that
is unexpected.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
So it might be a jolt of chartreuse or a
really interesting colorway that you just don't see often, just
something that brings that moment of like aha, surprise, wow, uniqueness.
Those are the patterns that I jump to. I am
not open to anything dainty or quiet or mediocre.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Every pattern has to sing to me, Isabelle.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
I love that you said that you you know when
the new collections are being presented to you that you
can flip through them and just say yes, yes, oh no,
Because I think a lot of times in this industry
so much is based on history, and we get a
lot of inventory, a lot of product presented to us
that's inspired by something. And look, I think it's fun
(14:13):
to hear about the history of patterns and colors and
architecture and all of those things. But I think when
you are talking about your own creativity, it's really about
what inspires you, not about what inspired somebody else.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
That is such a nice, polite way to say that,
and I want to start saying that to reps. It's
not I appreciate that there's a story here, but that's
like when we go to Paris and we go to
the presentations at the different showrooms, that's when we get
that history. But when I'm here at my office, this
is just my personality. I'm always like running a million
(14:47):
miles a minute. I wish that I was com coal collected,
but I am not. So I'm just like I can
say yes in two seconds, and it would drive me
crazy as a person to hear the romance of the
thing is, I'm not inspired by what inspired their trip
(15:07):
to Italy.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I'm inspired if I really like it.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Has to speak to you that way, and not just
to or the artist that created it.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Exactly Isabelle.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
The word timeless gets thrown around all the time in
design as well. I probably gravitate towards it in my
work and my design more often than not. Just having
that standing power, it can also work in your world
as well. I'm curious what does timeless mean to you.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
My work is not timeless in the sense that, yeah,
the design history people or whoever.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Say, oh, timeless, I want it to last forever. I
just want to love it. I don't want a.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Color or a sofa or wallpaper that fifty year old Isabelle.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Is going to love.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Gosh, right, then, I hope my style has evolved into
something else. So timeless is not just it's just not
a word in my vocabulary.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Passion is, but not timeless.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
We know that you boast a personal style right now
that's equally vivacious as your interiors. So how does your
approach to fashion affect your interiors or vice versa.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
And I didn't know that you went to fashion school,
so this is a fun question for us to hear
about how one affects the other.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Both are an expression of style and personality. You know,
you put on clothes and you express yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
For that moment.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
When you're out and about expressing yourself, but you express
yourself in your home to be constantly surrounded night and day.
You're enveloped by what you find beautiful and what inspires you.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And I just love showing off. I love to show off.
I'm such a show off and in my clothes and
in my home well.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
And I love that you just own that that you're
showing off both interiors and your fashion.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
That's the dap you both. Girls.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Here's another thing about both, And especially like with fashion,
showing up my home, I guess it's a privilege to
the people, to the few people.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
That come into my home, my my family and friends.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
When I show off my fashion going down the street,
going wherever, it like makes people's day. Like strangers stop
me and they and they will be like, oh my.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Gosh, can I take a picture? And it's not that
they're taking a picture of all me.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
But it's like they're just taking a picture of like
can I take a picture of those earrings? Or I've
got to show this skirt to my granddaughter. My fashion
literally makes people smile. And that is what I love
about wearing big, bold clothes.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's just to pick me up for other people.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I think that's so true, because you know, they say
that you should. And I think in our society we've
become a bit casual, maybe more than we should be
when it comes to fashion, and when we dress up,
not only does it make us feel good because we
look good and are put together, but it is also
a piece of respect for other people who are who
are looking at you, and that's that's everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
So I love that you have.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
This attitude of sort of entertaining people and through your fashion,
and it is joyful.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
I think I've stood next to you in many pictures.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Where I've got on my little black dress and here
comes the bell and chartreuse and fu shot Yes, and
it brings joy and it brings joyers.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
A few years ago, I read Marie Condo's book The
Magic of Tidening Up.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
My biggest takeaway from that book.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Is taking stuff out of your home that doesn't bring
you joy, bringing stuff in that does bring you joy.
So it was when I read that book that I
went through my closet and in it it says, if
you've got a dress that you have loved, but you
have not.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Worn it for years, you don't fit into it. Anymore.
It's not your style. You're wearing longer length snow whatever.
Then say to this dress.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
And I really believe in like wu woo energy things
like that, but like, just think about this dress and say,
I have loved wearing this dress.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I wore it ten years ago to this party. I
had so much fun.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Now bring the joy that you gave to me, bring
it to somebody else.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
And so that is how I started.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Getting rid of the things that had brought me joy
once upon a time, but we're not bringing me joy
right now. And I also stopped buying anything that like, oh,
because it was on sale, or because it's safe, or oh,
this navy T shirt will go with anything. I do
not buy things that go with anything, both in my
house and in fashion. I only bring things into my
(19:27):
space that bring me utter utter passion, and that does
not include anything that goes with anything.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
I just love your enthusiasm because that's just such a
different approach from everything we read and about investment pieces
and making sure that everything works with three other outfits
and all of that. So it's really fun to listen
to your approach, which is an outlook, which is completely
a pivot, huge pivot, from any of those ideologies.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
That we've been trained to. Yes.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
And here's another think that about the investment pieces. An
investment piece for me is something that I'm obsessed with
that I know I'm going to love forever. So so
many times, I'm always repeating clothes and I've had clothes
for such a long time. Why have I had clothes
for such a long time? Because they've brought me joy.
It brought me joy and it played into who I
am from a few years ago.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
So people are always saying like, oh, where is this?
Where is that from?
Speaker 4 (20:22):
And I'm like, well, this was from a thrift store,
or this was from my grandmother, so I can't send
you the link. Or this I wore it to a
prom and now I fit into it again. So my
point is those are investment pieces to me. It's not
because it was expensive. It's not because I invested in
this black, solid something that's going to go with everything.
It's because I invested in something that brought me so
(20:45):
much joy. That's why it's staying with me all of
these decades. Same thing with my house. I'm not investing
in one hundred thousand dollars living room renovation. If I
have bought peace is my entire life where the investment.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Was me, not the money. I love that. It's so
smart and so wise.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
You have committed to a very specific style and one
that's ever changing, though at the same time because you're
open minded to it all. Not everybody has developed their
personal style because frankly, they just don't know how to
do that, whether they work in the.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Design industry or not.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
So how would you guide someone who isn't quite sure
what their personal style is for either home or fashion?
Where do they start?
Speaker 4 (21:33):
I think you start by, for lack of a better word,
like meditating, taking off any judgment of what would other
people think.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
About my style, about my home, about.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
My fashion, taking that judgment out of your brain what
I should do, and also taking any preconceived notion of
what I have done in the past forever I've always
bought solids, I've always bought neutrals or whatever. And then
start looking inwards and then just thinking what brings me joy?
(22:06):
Do you find joy when you see a particular color,
do you find joy when you see a particular pattern,
or do you find joy when you see a solid.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Navy shift dress?
Speaker 4 (22:18):
So it's really about what is bringing you joy as
you're traveling, as you're walking around as what a menu
on a restaurant? Do you choose something off the menu
that is like weird and different.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Because you've never had it before?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Or do you go with the same trusted thing on
a menu because that's what gives you comfort and safety?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
But just doing that inward.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
And then really thinking, am I like this because I'm
supposed to be because society, family, friends, my environment has
said that I'm going to thrive if I'm safe, comfortable,
always knowing what's happening.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Or do I like that spontaneity? Does it thrill me
to do something that's different? But really, I.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Think it comes down to like chipping away harder at
your insides and really thinking like does this truly make
me happy?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Or am I doing this because I've been conditioned.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
As a designer, we're always kind of thinking about what
our next chapter is, How is our style going to evolve?
What does that look like? How do your aesthetics change
as the years go on? What's next for Isabelle Lad.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Isabelle Lad sometimes is having these moments because like maximalism
is having such a moment right now, like the days
of minimalists are out, and maximalist.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Is so who I am, and so Isabelle Lad. The
person is like, oh my gosh, am I trending right now?
Like I don't want to be trending.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
That's why I loved being a maximalist during a minimalist era.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
So I'm going to take this to therapy to be like,
now what do I do? Everyone is doing maximalism.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
I'm going to do the opposite because I'm just so
not like a follower. I love to be different. So
I'm having a moment with that, but I'm kidding aside.
I just want to do more and more and more
on a bigger level for the masses.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
And here's what I mean by that. I love into your.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Design and it's a luxury in so many ways, like
when I have a client and we're doing things that
are custom and you know, all of my energy is
like to these few projects.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
But I would love to.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Inspire the masses with things that they can buy themselves,
to bring touches of joy to their house when they
can't afford an into your designer. So next for me,
this is like my goal of like all goals will
be when I have a line at Target. I love
Target so much, and I want the masses to be
(24:57):
able to replace all of their right lamp shades with
thirty dollars forty dollars patterned lampshades. I want all of
the pillows to have trimps, to have a different pattern
on the front than on.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
The back, so you can switch around. That's what I want.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I want it to be joy for everyone, not just
those who can afford into your designer Target.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
We hope you're listening.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
We hope all of the corporate Target people are tuning
into this podcast.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
For sure.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
You've been talking this whole episode about pieces that bring
you joy, and that is a ribbon that ties through
everything you buy, everything you live with, everything you wear.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Tell us about something that you didn't love and you
may be tired of after a while, dying to know.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
That yes, yes, yes, so really I started to really
dive into like inner work and therapy and spirituality in
the last five years or so.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Once upon a Time Isabelle lad Warblack.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Once upon a Time Isabelle lad War Solids, And in
this so self discovery period that I've been through in
the last five to ten years or whatever, I've just
really been honing in to surrounding myself with everything that
brings me joy because yellow, right, you only live once,
and that meant taking an inventory of my closet, leading
(26:18):
out any solids grades page.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
You said I didn't bring me joy in my home.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
I was telling about how I've changed my white kitchen
cabinets to yellow, changing out everything that I had done
for say, for other people. For me, I mean, I
eat what I love, what brings me joy. So I
mean I will eat dessert first because I find that
more joyful than than not always look at the dessert
many first. I think it's just bringing joy out in
(26:43):
my life, in every part of my.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Life, Isabelle.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I know you've also started like to know it and
allowing your followers to get to know some of the
products you like. How are you loving that?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
I am loving that.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
I've also recently hired an in house PR person, Caroline,
who is managing all of these different facets of my
business that I just don't have time to do like
a deep dive into, So she is loving it.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
I can tell you that.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
But you know how I was telling you earlier that, like,
I have clothes that I have had for ten years,
because I loved it then and I love it now,
and so many people ask where did you get that?
And I cannot always tell them, Oh, here's a link.
So what Carolyn and I are doing now is we
go through my through my wardrobe. I put on great outfits.
It's so much about styling, and then Caroline is finding
(27:34):
all of these links a very similar product, and so
we're also doing things like I like to be funny.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
It's like very part of.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Like my brand, and so my LTK is very much
not like, oh this is the fit, this is the style.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Get ready with me.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
It is like how a maximalist does a white party,
Like what a maximal's wears to a white part, an
all white party.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I'd love to hear that tip that. So I get
invited to this party every year.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
And I like han Nick when someone like wear a
solid or wear white, I mean Pannick. So I wear
a dress with white in the background and then all
the florals, but it has white in the background.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
It's predominantly white. You follow the rules, You follow the rules.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Yeah, and then it was like this coat and then
I wore it with this coat that and it was
a farm rio dress. So it's like how you know
how far Mario.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Would go into an all white party. So it's like
things like that that's like funny.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Or here's another thing that I'll do on LTK is
if you want to match your wallpaper? And then it's
like a picture of me in a dress that looks
like it could have been wallpaper, and then eight other
examples of dresses that have traditional wallpaper design, right twall
or Shin WAZERI or whatever, damn misk. So that's how
I keep it funny and ted to interiors.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
That's an awesome personality and fun to share with others. Yeah, Isabelle,
We always kind of ended the episode as well with
similar questions.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
We'd love to know the beat that keeps you going?
The beat that keeps me.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Going is vivance that I have to take every day
so that I have a beat to stay focused.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Love a good supplement, yes, definitely love a supplement.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Yes. And finally, what does your perfect boulevard look like?
Speaker 4 (29:19):
My perfect boulevard looks like a stream of townhouses where
everyone is different.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
To allow me to experiment in all of them, I can't.
I'm a maximist. I couldn't just have one house on
a boulevard. I have to have like seven.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Well, I think that that sounds lovely because you know,
we don't want the same architecture style for every person,
and we don't want the same garden for every person,
and we don't want the same interiors for every person,
because we should all find the joy in our own
personal style. So Isabelle, thank you so much for giving
us your time. And this has been bold, fun, inspirational.
(29:58):
I feel like I want to go paint some thinks.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Char truth now. Well, thank you.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
This has been so fun and I just love yeah,
just sharing the passion and the joy in talking, talking, talking.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Boulevard Beat.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow along and leave
a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
so you never miss an episode, And of course, follow
your hosts on Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund,
and at Liz Legit. We'll be back next week as
we take a stroll down another boulevard
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