April 29, 2025 • 46 mins
In this episode of Boulevard Beat, we take a deep dive into one of the most elusive yet aspirational ideals in the world of interiors: timeless design. What does it really mean for a space to be timeless? And is it even possible in an industry built on change?
We kick things off by unpacking the word “timeless” itself—how it’s used in design, what it connotes, and what it doesn’t. From there, we spotlight iconic pieces that have stood the test of time—think the Barcelona daybed, Eames lounge chair and ottoman, the tulip table—and explore why these modern classics continue to earn their place in both historical and contemporary interiors.
We also get personal: sharing stories about those once-loved pieces that got stashed away… and the thrill of bringing them back into rotation. On the flip side, we talk about our forever favorites—the investment pieces that still feel fresh and meaningful, no matter how the trends evolve.
Budget and longevity are inextricably linked, so we examine what makes a piece truly worth investing in and how timelessness can (and should) be part of that equation. Meghan shares how often clients bring up the word timeless, how she navigates the pull between fleeting trends and enduring style, and how to avoid making choices that will feel passé in just a few years.
We touch on the design elements that have flooded recent Pinterest boards and Instagram feeds—white marble, black-framed windows, shiplap, reeded cabinetry, and lacquered blue libraries—and ask: when does a trend still have legs, and when has it run its course?
Then comes a lightning round of timeless design elements. Each of us brings a list of our own “design constants,” from blue and white to bouclé, built-ins to brass, stripes to scale. We go back and forth sharing why each made the cut—and what to watch out for to keep them feeling current, not tired.
Street style takeaways:
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
We kick things off by unpacking the word “timeless” itself—how it’s used in design, what it connotes, and what it doesn’t. From there, we spotlight iconic pieces that have stood the test of time—think the Barcelona daybed, Eames lounge chair and ottoman, the tulip table—and explore why these modern classics continue to earn their place in both historical and contemporary interiors.
We also get personal: sharing stories about those once-loved pieces that got stashed away… and the thrill of bringing them back into rotation. On the flip side, we talk about our forever favorites—the investment pieces that still feel fresh and meaningful, no matter how the trends evolve.
Budget and longevity are inextricably linked, so we examine what makes a piece truly worth investing in and how timelessness can (and should) be part of that equation. Meghan shares how often clients bring up the word timeless, how she navigates the pull between fleeting trends and enduring style, and how to avoid making choices that will feel passé in just a few years.
We touch on the design elements that have flooded recent Pinterest boards and Instagram feeds—white marble, black-framed windows, shiplap, reeded cabinetry, and lacquered blue libraries—and ask: when does a trend still have legs, and when has it run its course?
Then comes a lightning round of timeless design elements. Each of us brings a list of our own “design constants,” from blue and white to bouclé, built-ins to brass, stripes to scale. We go back and forth sharing why each made the cut—and what to watch out for to keep them feeling current, not tired.
Street style takeaways:
- Why some materials, like marble and mohair, naturally lend themselves to timelessness
- What it means when a “timeless” piece starts to feel dated
- How to successfully adapt classic designs over time
- Tips for curating spaces that can evolve with your taste
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 we're 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 the
(00:30):
one you should take.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Megan, I'm so excited that we are here today talking
about the subject that we've been talking about for a
very long time, and that's timelessness. It's a subject that
comes up quite a bit in the design world, so
we decided to devote an entire episode to it.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Chris, I'm so excited to talk about it today too.
I think it tugs at both of our hearts of
just how we live our lives and our designs that
we do. And you know, honestly, it's a question I
get all of the time. It's when I start a
new project with clients. The homeowners are always asking what's
a trend that's always going to be in They want
to still have something that's going to be timeless, and
(01:13):
so I think it's just a really relevant conversation to have.
So I'm excited to have it today.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
When we talk about words of the design industry, I
think there's a lot of confusion because people.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Interchange words a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Everybody has their own interpretations and definitions. So let's talk
about what timelessness means. What does it mean to you,
and how do you articulate that to your clients?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Ash I think, to me, timelessness is effortless style. It's classic.
It comes with confidence that's not always easy. You know,
in fashion, the style icons of Persian woman and we
all want to be here, and so how do you
create that in your home? And I think it's creating
that effortless style, And to me, it's done by staying
relevant with just really beautiful materials and that's in the
(01:59):
bones of the art architecture, beautiful mill work. And then
it goes into more sustainable materials, real materials, the real
actual hardwood and the marble and the items like that,
and then getting into more soft goods that are classic
the chesterfield, different types of fabrics and materials that just
are timeless and look good year after year. Ultimately it's
(02:20):
the goal to create an environment that could exist harmoniously
in any decade and we'll never look outdated.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So when I think about definitions, I know that when
it comes to the word timelessness or timeless, it's oftentimes
interchanged with classic and then sometimes traditional, and I do
think that they are pretty different words, something that is
classic and timeless. Sometimes they're the same, but sometimes they're not.
(02:46):
I think of a plaid plad is classic. I think
it's meant to be here forever, but it's not always timeless.
I just remember growing up in the nineties when the
palette djoure was the Navy, the Hunter or Forrest.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Green and the Burgundy.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I think a lot of people who are listening to
this podcast can remember those days.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I think of a.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Plaid that comes in those colors, and that definitely wouldn't
be timeless. It wouldn't be relevant today. But you put
flat in a different palette and all of a sudden
it becomes youthful and modern and something that is more relevant.
So what timelessness means to me is oftentimes about the
simplicity of form and can be adapted and can evolve
(03:33):
over time. Because pieces that are timeless don't necessarily mean
that they're in vogue all the time. What it means
is that they have longevity over a long period of time,
or that's what it means to me.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So maybe you have a piece that you.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Buy, let's say a wing chair, and you have it
out for ten years, fifteen years, and then it needs
a rest, it needs to be put away, or it
needs to be reimagined. And you know, I think a
lot of it when it comes to furniture anyway, is
definitely about silhouette and pattern too, and then how it's
reimagined or readapted.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I think that's so true, just that timelessness isn't always
in style. Even antiques can go in out of vogue.
Is there piece that you bought early on and put
away for a while and now woven into your design again?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Oh gosh, so many things that I bought when I
began my love for antiques. There were things in the
beginning that I thought that I had to have, but
I loved them that I thought that I had to
have them too. One example, I made a visit to
Boston in my mid twenties and I thought I had
(04:42):
to have and I still love a pair of Staffordshire dogs.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I thought they were just.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Great and they were very English and they definitely represented
my trip to Boston, and I had them out for
a long time, and then I did put them away.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They didn't have the same presence.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Anymore, and they looked a little dated or old, because
they are dated and old. But I think that they
will come out again, because as you reimagine pieces, it's
you know, how is it presented?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And maybe the Staffordshire.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Dogs on their own were great at one point, but
maybe I bring them back out into a collection where
everything's the same color, and all of a sudden they
make this modern appearance that's.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
A little more special and impactful.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Than just the pair of them living on their own.
So that's sort of my first antique memory. I can
think of that something that's definitely timeless but has gone
on pause.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
For a while.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
What about you, well, and frankly, sometimes you just get
tired of something. So you've maybe looked at those dogs
for too many years and it was time to put
them away.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Sometimes you go shopping.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
And just yes, cleanse the house.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
That is true. What about is there anything that you've bought?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Oh definitely, I have so many different collections of things,
but I think one of them that come to mine,
just because I've recently brought it out, is rugs. You know,
I've always bought really classic rugs, good staples, and I've
bought pretty good quality of rugs, which I do think
has stained power when you I know, it's hard on
(06:15):
the stomach sometimes to spend the money, but when you
buy good hand knotted rugs, they're not going to wear out.
You're not going to wear them from just your traffic
patterns and things like that. And I have a couple
that are vintage antique, which I just absolutely love because
of the romance of it, the story that they come with,
and the colors change and they can just change your room.
(06:37):
The one that I just most recently brought back out,
I used it early on in one of my homes
and I loved it then, but I got tired of
it and I wanted to add different colors, and so
I transition to a different style. And I think when
you buy classic rugs, they have ultimate stay in power.
For sure.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
This is probably going to come up several times in
this conversation, but you said quality and quality in and
of itself means timeless because it means that it can
last a long time, it can physically last a long time,
and it's not destined for the graveyard of design relics
that is the landfill. And I think that buying quality
(07:17):
pieces allows you to give them many different chapters of
life when they may go on pause for a while,
but if it's a good form, if it's a great silhouette,
it's a great rug, then it can make another appearance
and still be usable.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Craftsmanship is everything, it's essential in classic designs, so it's
important to pay attention to those fine details and that
it's made with precision joinery and different things as well.
And I think it's hard not to talk about budget
just because you were talking about more expensive things, and
sometimes that's hard to do to buy the more expensive
thing at the time knowing that it will have the
(07:53):
stay in power that we're talking about. But let's talk
about the hallmarks of investment pieces.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Well, quality and craftsmanship.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Those come first and foremost, because again, without them, something
isn't going.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
To wear well. It's going to break, it's going to
be damaged.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
And sometimes you can have a piece repaired and it's
worth this then, but then sometimes it's not, and so
the old adage of it looks too good to be true,
And I mean, sometimes you can find a bargain, but
you should expect to pay a.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Certain amount of money for certain things. And I imagine
for your clients.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I know in this business there's always a little bit
of sticker shock, and there's so much education that comes
with just understanding what things.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Cost, definitely, and it's knowing that they you can continue
to use them or you can repurpose them in different ways.
And I think you know, as we talk about that,
there are ways to still use classic pieces. And maybe
it's thrifting. And some of my favorite pieces are ones
that I've thrifted, and it just when it has a
good silhouette and the scale of the piece of the
(08:53):
furniture is good, it's going to be something that still
looks good years and years down the line. I think
it's the idea of prioritizing quality over quantity, and you know,
having more of a plan versus just buying a whole
bunch of stuff to finish the room.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I think if you're going to buy investment pieces, one
of the hallmarks is certainly to buy investment pieces that
matter and what I mean by that is it's easy
to go antiquing and thrifting, and I feel like I
made this mistake, and I feel like it's a very
common one.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
You may not be able to afford the big thing.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You can just afford a little thing, and so you
buy that little thing. The problem is you bring that
little object home and it doesn't really deliver any impact
because it's small.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
It's not seen.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
If it's something that can be a collection, you have
to buy ten more. And so if I could do
it all over again hindsight, of course it's twenty twenty,
I would advise people save your dollars and make the investments.
And sometimes it's not even just about dollars either. Sometimes
it's about space. By investment pieces that are of a
(10:03):
certain size so they can really bring impact into a
room or a lifestyle. You know another little thing that
I treasure to this day because I use it daily,
not for its original intention, but I bought this beautiful
pillbox in New York.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It's silver and it's engraved.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
It's stunning, and I put extra earing backs in it
because you know, they drop and they you lose them.
I don't know where they go, but they get lost,
and that's what I use it for, and I see
it every day. It's on my vanity with all of
my other little get ready in the morning treasures.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
But I probably spend more.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Money on it than what I should have, considering it's
maybe two inches by three inches and only I see
it and nobody else does. And it doesn't have to
be about things that everybody sees. But I just think
that when it comes to design, maybe waiting for the
pieces that are larger in scale or.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Volume, I think that is so very important. I never
believe that small equals greatness. You've got to scale it,
You've got to get it bigger. Small spaces actually feel
grander when you put bigger pieces in them. And I
know that sounds so wrong and it just is so
contradicting of what you think would happen. But scale is
the most important thing of getting that larger, and that
(11:23):
helps make spaces feel more timeless and more classic.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
So I think those are the two hallmarks that I
would say for investment pieces, craftsmanship, quality and you know,
just buying pieces of a certain scale.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And i'd also say real materials, only you know, just.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Like, oh, that's a good one.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
They only get better with age.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Well, and you can't recreate that.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I think time is the best factory when it comes
to creating that matina.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
You really can't get it any other way, okay, Megan.
So I'm just curious.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Is timeless a word that you hear a lot from
clients regarding what they want your interiors to be? Because
I know you said at the beginning of the conversation they.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Asked somewhat about trends.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
How do you address clients wanting every hot trend that
they see because there are a lot of them out there,
and now, because of social media, you can scroll through
twenty trends in twenty seconds. So how do you address
that and avoid having your homeowners make mistakes that could
feel outdated in a few years.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
And I'm going to just.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Ask one more question before you answer with that, because
for designers, you all always want to keep busy, of course,
and I know that you have long standing relationship with
some of your clients and you want to go back
and imagine something different in their spaces too, So what's
sort of the right balance of how you address that.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
It definitely is a balance and is as I mentioned earlier,
it's A word that does get thrown around a lot
when we start a project is wanting a timeless space.
And I think it's just because you know, people are busy,
they are have all their kid activities, their social events,
They're trying to prioritize their own mental and physical health
and having that special time too, and ultimately they want
(13:10):
their house to have that stay in power that will
look good for a very very long time. And so
designing a space that has timeless interiors is important. But
yet you do want to do some of those more
edgy things and the more trendy things that you see,
and I love doing that. You know, I have two
projects right now that have the beautiful dark green offices,
(13:33):
and you can do that, I think, But it goes
back to having the foundation really important, that the bones
of those built ins are just really beautifully designed, that
they're not going to be intricate in something that's trendy.
Maybe you do get tired of that green in ten years,
but then it's time just to paint it and make
give it a whole new look. And a code of
(13:53):
paint ten years later can transform the space. But because
the bones are so good with the architecture, and the
it's going to still look amazing and it's going to
give you a fresh new perspective that you love. So
I think it's making sure that the core pieces have
that timeless look and that you maybe use some of
(14:14):
the more trendy things in other areas or it's wallpaper
in a certain area or different colors around, but that
your core pieces have that timeless look.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
And the biggest core piece, of course, is the architecture itself.
And I think that's when people can get into big
trouble because you know, we've all seen the house and
it's like, oh, okay, that was built in twenty sixteen,
and you know exactly when it was built because there
was an architectural trend. And I always get a little
(14:48):
afraid of diving into those too much or signing up
for those architectural trends too much, because those can be
more difficult to change out and far more costly.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Definitely are Yeah, that makes it much harder, or it
makes you want to move and then somebody else gets
to enjoy that house that hasn't had that style before too. So, Chris,
there are so many elements that are timeless. But I
have to know is there one that you just can't
quite get behind. And on the flip side, what's an
example of a classic that you just can't live without?
Speaker 2 (15:20):
The black and white checkerboard floor. I mean, this is
not new, this has been a design element.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
For centuries, over a century. For sure. It's just not
my thing. It's just too graphic for me.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I think it's because oftentimes, not always, but oftentimes you
see a black and white checkerboard floor and a floyer
and it kind of just scares me. It's like black white,
there's sort of nothing to soften it in between, and
it's too much of a graphic welcome, a graphic hello,
too early on in the journey of touring a home,
(15:54):
and so I can appreciate that. Of course, I see
so much great design that incorporates them, but it is
not my thing. It's not something that I would ever
specify in my own home.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's just not for me.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Oh boy, CHRISA, I'm not going to agree with you
on that one. I love a good checkerboard floor when
you go in. I think it's so classic. I love
too because you can reinterpret how they're used and the
scale of the tiles. I think that kind of can
help make it look more modern or not dated, because
when you look back on, like, you know, in the nineties,
the twelve by twelve, well, I wouldn't do that in
(16:29):
a four year right now. I would do the bigger
twenty fours by twenty fours. But I'm a bold girl.
I love some bold pattern and I think that just
has the wow factor for sure in an entry way.
So I'll agree to disagree with you on that one.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
That's it's all good and classic that I can't live without.
I am going to go to the category of fabric
for this one, and I'm going.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
To stay tall.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I just I think it's so so pretty and it's
special because again you want to jump in to see
what the depictions are of twall.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
I think twall.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Certainly goes in and out of fashion. It can be
used in different doses. There's nothing that I love more
than a in an older home, a top floor bedroom
or guest bedroom that has twall that is sort of
floor to ceiling that's on every angle under the eves
(17:28):
of the ceiling, and twall is my can't live with that.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
That's beautiful. You know. I love nothing better than a
drenched room in one material. It's just very classic at
heart for sure.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
How about you something that you can't live about?
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Oh gosh, there's so many goods. I'm truly a sucker
for blue and white. I think it can belong in
every home. And I know some might disagree with that
as well too. When you think of like just a
beautiful modern room with your EAMs chair and just really
clean lines everything, there's nothing better than a blue and
(18:02):
white garden stool next to that Eames chair, or a
big beautiful potted plant that has the blue and white
on it, and you put a beautiful plant in there,
and just I think it gives that room depth and interest.
It really does add some depth into the space. But
I love how it pairs with all colors, the pops
of pinks and corals, and it can be used seasonally,
(18:25):
just beautifully and blue mixing with black. I know people
think like, well, how does that work? And it just
it works so cohesively and it's just as a beautiful look.
So that's my guilty pleasure in the classic world.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Well, regarding blue and white, I will agree to agree
with you on that one, because yes, I feel the
same way. It's it's such a classic timeless combination, and
I think it's.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
A neutral too.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I agree it can be used as a neutral because
it does pair well. It pairs so nicely with so
many other colors. You know, you mentioned something, You mentioned
the Eames chair, and I think it's worth a little
conversation about pieces that are iconic too. And I don't
know so much if this applies to traditional design, because
(19:17):
traditional design, I don't know if there is one piece
from one maker that everybody had to have, where when
you talk about the modern classics, the Barcelona day bed
or the Eames chair that everybody covets, a tool of table,
the Lake Kabusier chair, those are really iconic pieces that
designers have to work with. They have to incorporate them
(19:40):
with other things that may or may not be of
the same level of modernity. So can you kind of
maybe talk about how you would incorporate those sorts of
iconic pieces into an interior when maybe the homeowner doesn't
love everything modern, they just lo that piece because they
(20:01):
love the shape of that.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
How does that work?
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Well, I think it's just really important not to focus
on one particular period or style. It's the blend of
styles that I think really creates timelessness. It's the tension
between all those pieces in the space that blend makes
it stand the test of time. And I think there's
nothing better than incorporating iconic pieces. I think it gives
a little unexpected style into the space. And I think
(20:27):
that's truly why rooms work and have staying power, is
when they mix all those different periods of time. No
one wants a matching room.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
It's the best of many eras, not just one.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
That's what I oftentimes say at traditional home because that's
what it is. And I think a good example of
that is the mix of classic architecture with artwork that
is so modern.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
There's something about the visual push pull.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
It's really exciting because it sparks interest. It just gives
a visual richness, I think to an interior that doesn't
happen when things are too perfect and things are too
much the same.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
I mean one of my favorite interiors is, you know,
just like a room that has really ornate, beautiful millwork
that's just plain and simple white, and then you put
a bold, more modern piece of artwork on it. Again,
that tension just really has that visual interest and you
can appreciate it for all the different reasons.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
So we've talked a lot about how timeless design should
really always be relevant and somewhat in style because it's
technically timeless. But I don't agree because I think there
are times where it has run its course.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Oh yes, you don't have just one sofa in a room.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
It has playmates. There are chairs, there's a mirror, there's lighting,
there are accessories, and they all have to work well together.
Sometimes you've got to get out of your friend group
and find new friends, and that applies to design as well.
And if you have an accessory, or it could be
a chair, again, it needs to go on pause for
(22:08):
a while and take a little map, if you will,
and come back, and when it comes back gets refreshed.
Maybe that's when it gets refinished. Maybe that's when it
gets a new upholstery treatment. In the case of accessories,
I think of something that's just a decorative object, and
those things are a little easier to circle in and
out because they're not heavy. It's not like moving a
(22:31):
heavy piece of furniture that weighs a lot, and they
can be replaced easily because there's a good chance that
there's something else in your house that can live wherever
you had that place, whether it's a cocktail table or
on a bookshelf. After a while, everything's run its course
and it needs to be shaken up a little bit.
(22:52):
You throw everything up in the air and see where
it lands next. That's what makes a house tell a
different story. I mean, design, like any other form of art,
is all about storytelling.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
And I think that's so interesting too, because I think
it's that aspect and finding a new spot for those
items or maybe they're important to you now is you
aren't the same person you were five years ago, and
so the relevance of that feeling the same timelessness might
not be relevant anymore. And I also loved your little
analogy of having new friends with it, because I think
(23:26):
that's so true. You see that with like arches right now,
because they're kind of having their moment of arches everywhere,
both in the architecture or built ins and walkways and
things like that too. And you know that that will
go at some point, but it won't mean that they'll
go completely gone. You might still have an arched case
opening into your dining room, like you're still going to
(23:47):
want to do that. It has that nice softness and
it's always been around in architecture forever, so I think
that's an important way. You just have to look at
things differently, have a different eye, and that happens over time,
and it happens as your eye gets more established and
it changes well.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
And I think that one big mistake that so many
people make when it comes to design is we like
to accumulate things, and we're not so good at the
other side of that, that is editing. Even those of
us who are editors problems with that.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I am an example of that.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
So let's say a new piece of artwork was acquired
during a trip, or they went antiquing and brought home
a new bowl or something of that nature. They put
that down, but they don't take anything away. And I
think we've all heard that advice when it comes to
your closet. If something comes in, then something goes out.
(24:45):
It's really, really, I would argue, even more difficult to
do with your home, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
And I think we've talked quite a bit about materials
and how they play such an important role in achieving
timeless design. I thought it'd be kind of fun if
you want to go through some of the more iconic
list of timeless elements that kind of can be in
a home, and how you feel about them and how
I feel about them. It would be kind of a
fun conversation.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Let's do it. Yes, awesome?
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Well, I already shared my love for blue and white.
How do you feel about it?
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Well, blue and white is forever.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
I think it's a beloved color duo that so many
people cherish and have fond memories of because of its
place in the world of porcelain. So I think blue
and white's always forever. I love sort of over the
past decade, we've seen more handsome versions of palettes, and
(25:40):
that's something that I'm always really intrigued by. I don't
love bold and bright color. I tend to go for
the masculine, handsome value of a color. So I love
navy blue, I love midnight blue. That's where I think
blue and white is right now, and sort of the more.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Handsome, darker versions of it.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
But then I love good icy blue too, like a
good pale blue. I think that's really really pretty, an
elegant and airy.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Yeah, they can definitely take on different looks and aesthetics
when you kind of mix them in different ways, too.
And I think even just the mix of blue and
white in a more graphic geometric pattern I mean, I
think is beautiful on an ottoman or a pillow in
a room. I think just can kind of bring another
element as well to the space. One of the other
things that I was thinking about was brown wood furniture.
(26:35):
You know, we went through that whole gray craze for
so many years, and brown's kind of finally having a
little bit of a comeback, which I absolutely love. I
think it always is relevant in the space. I think
it's a treasure for the way an interior looks. I
personally love nothing better than figured woods or a beautiful
(26:55):
burled walnut piece. I think it looks beautiful decade in
decades later. And I've always loved a very classic walnut
wood floor in your home, So I always think that
that's a nice element into the space as well. Is
brownwood furniture.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
What I think is so exciting right now about brownwood
furniture are all of the new stains that are available.
We don't really see those red tones so much anymore.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Or the honey oak cabinets.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
That's something that was such a thing in the nineties,
and you know, I don't know that anybody really loved
that so much, right, But now you see a lot
of wood stains that have a little smokiness to them.
They're really dark browns or even a little bit of
a black. So I think the innovation and technology for
(27:45):
stains and the colors that have been produced have been
really exciting.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Hut crystal is another one that I think always is
a little bit timeless. I have that little bit of
glam and me, so there's an aspect of me that
I really like that, and I like the traditional aspects
of it. I think there's uses for it that are
beautiful on a table scape, but maybe not for every
(28:09):
day where necessarily. But I also love a good crystal piece,
a good little crystal ball in your living room, and
just the lightness that it brings to the space is
how I love that.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Well.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I have a little bit of glam and me too.
Cut crystal, I think is fantastic. And for so long
the world of lighting was not so great at the
mass level.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
It just wasn't and then all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
We start seeing these spectacular pieces emerge from all of
the companies, and it was a great thing. And I
feel like crystal chandeliers went by the wayside. I don't care, Like,
give me a crystal chandelier. I don't care if they're
in They're out there in my world. And it always
takes me back a little bit too when I was
(28:56):
a little girl, just because of the refraction of the
light and how it makes light dance. You know. I
think about when I was little and it was the
night that our dance costumes came in before the recital
and You've got to put on this garment that had
sequence on it, and it was such a big deal.
So I love that about crystal because it's that opportunity
to be a little fancy. And I of course love
it on a table scape.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Yeah, who doesn't love it a table scape?
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Yes, And always I always joke that, you know, bacaram
makes diet coke tastes better.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
I think it definitely does. I would agree with that, Yeah,
one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
All right.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
The world of bou clay. It is also kind of
having a moment these last few years. I think as
we go to market sometimes we're a little tired of
seeing the sofa covered in bout clay, a white blue clay.
But it does have standing power in the world, and
I think it has texture and depth and it can
bring a lot of warmth.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
To a space.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
And it also has the artistry of how it was created,
and I love that because you can tell it's it's
not just the ordinary that exists.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
I agree with you. I mean the texture that it
brings is so important. And yes, everything has been covered
in bouclay lately.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
You walk into showrooms and that's what it is. But
I kind of love it.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
On that note, bouclet is not really a men's wear pattern,
but I love the men'swear pattern I think of, you know,
tweets and textiles like that. I just think that they
give a little richness to an interior.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, they definitely do. And I also feel that with
velvet and mohair, I think they have that richness and
I think also have that timeless style as well. I
could mix two of our favorites together, a velvet Chesterfield sofa.
I don't think you can get much better than that.
And similar with mohair, I think it has actually kind
(30:45):
of like I said, with the bouclet, of just you
can tell that this was not an easy thing to
make and it has unique beauty that other fabrics just
can't recreate.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Velvet and mohair.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
There is nothing more like curious than these two textiles.
I think they are forever and always timeless, classic, traditional in.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
All of the words, all the time.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
The reason I think that they have the staying power
and people perhaps don't get as tired of them is
because I don't think that it's common to see a
room where everything is velvet and mohair.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
They're both very heavy.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
You know, the last fifteen years or so, it seems
like linen has been the primary textile. You know, we
see lots of different hands and lots of different waves
of linen, from very fine to very chunky. So, but
it's used for upholstery, it's used for drapery panels, it's
used for you know, do by cover sometimes all sorts
(31:52):
of things, and so you can literally have rooms that
are very good looking.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
It's not wrong at all. But you can have rooms that.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Are floor to see in linen, and I don't think
that's a situation with velvet and mohair. A they're really heavy,
be they're very luxurious, sometimes too costly for that. So
I think that they have staying power for that reason
because you just see them.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
A little definitely. And I also as we kind of
talk about different finishes, I think brass and nickel when
you kind of think about the harder finishes in light
fixtures and cabinet hardware or lamps that you see in
your home, I think when you keep a little bit
of warmth in the brass, it just will always look
beautiful in the space and it has a little bit
of patina and the look as well. And when you
(32:36):
look at nickel finishes, I think that they never look
too out of place. When you see people do black
and things like that, your eye just kind of automatically
goes to the door hardware when it's black, And is
that really what you want to have happen? And I
think there's times where blacks appropriate and different things, But
I would have to definitely say that brass and nickel
are the most timeless in the finish world.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Well, and you nailed it when you said that they
need to finishes that have a little warmth to them,
because I think, you know, again going back to childhood.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Bad brass, bad brass.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
So this vers this current version of it is certainly
way better.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
And I love the unlackered brass. I just I love
what it does over over time. It's so warm and
so beautiful. I was once given a great piece of
advice from a very wise lighting designer, and she said,
if you mix the two together, not necessarily brass and nickel,
but gold tones and silver tones together, that they are
(33:39):
always timeless because one is never in and one is
never out. And I thought that that was really great.
I have a chandelier in my foyer that mixes the
two and it does I never really tire of it
because it's always in, So I thought that was a
wise way to look at it.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
All right.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I'd love to talk about collections now. I'm a big collector.
I love having different sorts of collections, and I really
think it's important because when you have anything with meaning,
it gives more purpose and value into having a timeless
interior in space, and those items with meaning have more purpose.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Collections are always classic. I think what is done with
them and how they are displayed go through different phases of.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Being dated and being updated.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
I love sort of the modern day approach to collections,
where it's to have everything in mass instead of having
collections maybe sprinkled throughout the homes to you know, have
them all together.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Those groupings kind of always have impact, don't they.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
They make more of a statement, I think, where sometimes
when they're sprinkled throughout a house than you know, you're
not really sure of is this a collection or is
it just an interesting object in this one place. Do
you have any collections, Megan that you want to talk about?
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Well, I have several different ways. I know earlier I
mentioned the blue and white collection. That's probably one of
my favorites, just because I have it in different base forms, dinnerware,
different platters, of all different sorts, and just of all
different sizes too. They have just different stories. What about you?
Do you have any collections?
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Yes, I collect a lot of tabletop.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
I collect a lot of iron stone. That's a favorite
of mine. But I try to bring something special home
everywhere I travel that collection. I think it may not
all look alike, but that's that's.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
What I collect.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
All right, Let's talk about stripes. I'm a personally a
sucker for stripes. I love a good stripe, and I
like that you can have them in so many different
scales and sizes to keep them updated and relevant, and
whether they're bold and more of a black and white,
or more subtle and just serene. I think stripes are
a really beautiful timeless piece.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
And stripes are interesting from the perspective that I rarely
see a stripe that seems dated to me, like they're
just forever. They're so classic, I think, and timeless.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, you can definitely take some different interpretations of stripes
how they look, too, which is fun. A good texture
is always important in a timeless space, which I think
Ratan and Wicker always do that. I always love a
little texture like that in a space, whether it's on
a chair or on just a beautiful urn, a different
type of piece in the space. I think it adds
(36:27):
a really beautiful element.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Yes, and it adds warmth too, because usually you know,
I guess they're not always in brown, but they do
add warmth, whether they're in a honeycolor brown or a
darker brown. I love Wicker and Rattan. I do think
there is there are different forms of it though that
again can become dated. So I think it's a material
(36:52):
that is always relevant, but it needs to be carefully considered,
like what the forms are, because I think that some
of the forms can get a little old and dusty,
and you know, there are new versions that are far
more modernized, and I just think it's important to be
careful of the silhouette.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
And another thing with silhouettes is a good floral florals
come in all different shapes and sizes, but are also
pretty iconic for a timeless design. I also love that
you can kind of mix different color palettes with a
lot a lot of color and bring into a space
with florals or something just more muted and more natural
in those forms too. But I think florals add a
(37:32):
beautiful element into a timeless interior.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Well yes, And I think the exciting thing about them
right now is they are a little more graphic and palatable.
So if you don't want sort of this saccharine sweet
floral situation going.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
On, you have.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
I mean, certainly the Indian hand blocked florals that have
been so popular in recent years have implemented this graphic
twist to them, and I love all of the small,
little ditzy prints that are going on right now. Oversized
florals always look more modern. The good news is, if
you like a floral, there are so many different iterations
(38:13):
of it. It's just important to make sure that they
don't become dated.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Definitely, And I also love I mean, you think of
a good, rough florine space of a beautiful plaid, and
he mixes in a floral with it too. I think
it doesn't have to just be feminine. It can bring
an element of just softness into a more masculine space too.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Oh yes, And there are so many florals right now
that take on. I can think of one and I'm
not going to name the vendor at the moment, but
it's a floral and it sort of comes in chocolate
browns with moments of black, and so all of a
sudden it turns more masculine because of the coloration. And
so I think that florals can certainly be used in
(38:52):
a masculine space too. Well.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Gallery walls have been around forever too. I know they
can be used in all different scale sizes, matching more colectic,
but I think they go back to telling a story.
And that's what people love about them, is a story
of a collection or a life, or you know, just
family portraits and memories of beaches and things like that.
(39:14):
But a gallery wall, I think really brings in just
a timeless look to a space too.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
It's such a problem solver when it comes to all
of those eclectic pieces that you may have, because there
are ways to make them more cohesive, whether or not
that's with framing, or if they're all similar in color
but different subject matters or different mediums.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I think there's a way.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
A gallery wall is a very good solution to tie
a bunch of disparate objects together.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
I will say I.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Have a gallery wall in my house right now, and
I think it can stay a little longer, but then
I think I need something different.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
You go through those spaces where it just gets busy
and you just need to clean it up a little.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
That's the thing I need to I don't know.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
I think there are maybe eighteen nineteen framed pieces, and
I just I feel like I need to pause from
it for a while. But I love the look, I
love the impact. But maybe that's a goal for this year.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
And another busy one is wallpaper murals. You know that
you see wrapped in a beautiful dining room of florals
and all different scenes of historical nature or more updated
as well. They've been having a moment here for a while,
which I absolutely love. But they've been around forever and
you used to see them frequently. They just have an updated,
(40:38):
historical look. And I love a good wallpaper mural.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
I do too, and I love the whole dining room
situation wrapped in a wonderful floral with you know, birds
and butterflies and.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Vines and all of those things.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
I will say, I guess I would advise to people
that you should not look at a wallpaper mural or
one of those oversized floorals as a trend at all.
If you don't love it, then you definitely should not
do it because it is a commitment. So while I
(41:15):
agree it's definitely had a moment in recent years, it's
one of those trends moments that should really really be
considered carefully because it's just a big commitment if you're
going to tire of it when the movement is over.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Well, furniture can always have there's some core elements as
well in a timeless interior. I think of a wing
chair and a Chippendale chair. I think all have stain power.
I personally just love a good wing chair that has
good scale and has some weight to it, that just
really has a presence, and even better when it has
(41:50):
a beautiful pattern on fabric on it, or beautiful leather
in den or study just to warm the space up.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
I love a good wing chair. I love chairs period
because I think that to a degree, there's going to
be an exception here, but to a degree, all chairs
are classic because they can be altered, they can be lacquered,
they can be reupholstered. There are so many things you
can do with a chair, and if not, they're also
just sculpture. They're sculptural in and of themselves. But a
(42:20):
wing chair, I just think it's so stately and you
know there's enough surface on it if you will to
do really interesting upholstery.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
Treatments well, and then you pair it with a Chesterfield sofa,
I think that has really beautiful stay in power as well.
I know we talked about the Chesterfield earlier, but there's
really nothing more beautiful than that tufting that goes all
the way around the parameter of the sofa and on
the back, and who doesn't love a good tight back.
You can kind of layer in pillows into there too.
(42:50):
I just think that is a beautiful piece.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Okay, the Chesterfield sofa is my absolute favorite piece of furniture.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
There's no furniture that I love more than a.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Chester, so.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I guess it's timeless for me for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Well, we've got just a couple more will end out
in just the world of white right now. When you
think of a white kitchen, I know it can get
a bad rap sometimes, but it truly is a classic
element in a space that you think of from many
years ago. A white kitchen still has stay in power.
I think the shades of white very over time. It's
(43:25):
trends change, but if you have a white kitchen, you
can change up with hardware and lighting and give it
a whole different look.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Yes, I think the key to a white kitchen is
to avoid making it a pere antiseptic. I think there's
so much that can be done with the white kitchen.
They're so versatile, they're somewhat easy to alter because they
are white.
Speaker 3 (43:49):
So I think that I.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Love a white kitchen, but I like the variation and
color to warm it up.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
And white walls too, I think are similar. I think
you can just have a lot of variation the spaces
and let the fabrics and rugs and other elements kind
of tell the story. But nothing's better than just white
walls with beautiful architecture.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
It's so true, white walls, beautiful architecture, and you can
always layer it with wonderful artwork. You can bring in
color that way. It's just such a beautiful envelope.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
And one last element we can't forget about is marble.
I think there's nothing more beautiful than a real material
and how it ages and patinas and shows the story
of a marble that's been around a long time. I'm
specifically thinking of just more of your Carreras and your
Calcutta white ones, but you also think of darker and
(44:44):
more interesting types of marbles. I think they've been around forever.
They're real materials, and they truly have stay in power.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
Old marbles good. New marble's good.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I love a lot of the red marbles that we're
seeing right now, and the black marbles sort of pivoting
from the white shades that have been so popular over
the last decade. Probably real materials just help the situation,
because again, real materials allow you to alter them, update them,
(45:17):
refinish them. In the case of wood, there's a lot
of things that can be done now. You can't refinish marble,
but marble tends to live on silhouettes that are timeless
to begin with, So I think it's just a beautiful material.
It's probably my favorite material after the Chesterfield sofa being
my easy furniture.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Marble's my favorite stone.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
Well, it's fun to go through this list and kind
of just share some of those really timeless elements that
are in interiors and why they have their stay in power.
I enjoyed kind of going through that list with you.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Yes, that was fun.
Speaker 1 (45:51):
What a fun conversation just to talk about those modern
classics timeless design. And I hope everyone learned a little
bit and can take that into their own homes. 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
(46:13):
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 we're 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 the
(00:30):
one you should take.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Megan, I'm so excited that we are here today talking
about the subject that we've been talking about for a
very long time, and that's timelessness. It's a subject that
comes up quite a bit in the design world, so
we decided to devote an entire episode to it.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Chris, I'm so excited to talk about it today too.
I think it tugs at both of our hearts of
just how we live our lives and our designs that
we do. And you know, honestly, it's a question I
get all of the time. It's when I start a
new project with clients. The homeowners are always asking what's
a trend that's always going to be in They want
to still have something that's going to be timeless, and
(01:13):
so I think it's just a really relevant conversation to have.
So I'm excited to have it today.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
When we talk about words of the design industry, I
think there's a lot of confusion because people.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Interchange words a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Everybody has their own interpretations and definitions. So let's talk
about what timelessness means. What does it mean to you,
and how do you articulate that to your clients?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Ash I think, to me, timelessness is effortless style. It's classic.
It comes with confidence that's not always easy. You know,
in fashion, the style icons of Persian woman and we
all want to be here, and so how do you
create that in your home? And I think it's creating
that effortless style, And to me, it's done by staying
relevant with just really beautiful materials and that's in the
(01:59):
bones of the art architecture, beautiful mill work. And then
it goes into more sustainable materials, real materials, the real
actual hardwood and the marble and the items like that,
and then getting into more soft goods that are classic
the chesterfield, different types of fabrics and materials that just
are timeless and look good year after year. Ultimately it's
(02:20):
the goal to create an environment that could exist harmoniously
in any decade and we'll never look outdated.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So when I think about definitions, I know that when
it comes to the word timelessness or timeless, it's oftentimes
interchanged with classic and then sometimes traditional, and I do
think that they are pretty different words, something that is
classic and timeless. Sometimes they're the same, but sometimes they're not.
(02:46):
I think of a plaid plad is classic. I think
it's meant to be here forever, but it's not always timeless.
I just remember growing up in the nineties when the
palette djoure was the Navy, the Hunter or Forrest.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Green and the Burgundy.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I think a lot of people who are listening to
this podcast can remember those days.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I think of a.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Plaid that comes in those colors, and that definitely wouldn't
be timeless. It wouldn't be relevant today. But you put
flat in a different palette and all of a sudden
it becomes youthful and modern and something that is more relevant.
So what timelessness means to me is oftentimes about the
simplicity of form and can be adapted and can evolve
(03:33):
over time. Because pieces that are timeless don't necessarily mean
that they're in vogue all the time. What it means
is that they have longevity over a long period of time,
or that's what it means to me.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So maybe you have a piece that you.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Buy, let's say a wing chair, and you have it
out for ten years, fifteen years, and then it needs
a rest, it needs to be put away, or it
needs to be reimagined. And you know, I think a
lot of it when it comes to furniture anyway, is
definitely about silhouette and pattern too, and then how it's
reimagined or readapted.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I think that's so true, just that timelessness isn't always
in style. Even antiques can go in out of vogue.
Is there piece that you bought early on and put
away for a while and now woven into your design again?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Oh gosh, so many things that I bought when I
began my love for antiques. There were things in the
beginning that I thought that I had to have, but
I loved them that I thought that I had to
have them too. One example, I made a visit to
Boston in my mid twenties and I thought I had
(04:42):
to have and I still love a pair of Staffordshire dogs.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I thought they were just.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Great and they were very English and they definitely represented
my trip to Boston, and I had them out for
a long time, and then I did put them away.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They didn't have the same presence.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Anymore, and they looked a little dated or old, because
they are dated and old. But I think that they
will come out again, because as you reimagine pieces, it's
you know, how is it presented?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And maybe the Staffordshire.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Dogs on their own were great at one point, but
maybe I bring them back out into a collection where
everything's the same color, and all of a sudden they
make this modern appearance that's.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
A little more special and impactful.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Than just the pair of them living on their own.
So that's sort of my first antique memory. I can
think of that something that's definitely timeless but has gone
on pause.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
For a while.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
What about you, well, and frankly, sometimes you just get
tired of something. So you've maybe looked at those dogs
for too many years and it was time to put
them away.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Sometimes you go shopping.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
And just yes, cleanse the house.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
That is true. What about is there anything that you've bought?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Oh definitely, I have so many different collections of things,
but I think one of them that come to mine,
just because I've recently brought it out, is rugs. You know,
I've always bought really classic rugs, good staples, and I've
bought pretty good quality of rugs, which I do think
has stained power when you I know, it's hard on
(06:15):
the stomach sometimes to spend the money, but when you
buy good hand knotted rugs, they're not going to wear out.
You're not going to wear them from just your traffic
patterns and things like that. And I have a couple
that are vintage antique, which I just absolutely love because
of the romance of it, the story that they come with,
and the colors change and they can just change your room.
(06:37):
The one that I just most recently brought back out,
I used it early on in one of my homes
and I loved it then, but I got tired of
it and I wanted to add different colors, and so
I transition to a different style. And I think when
you buy classic rugs, they have ultimate stay in power.
For sure.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
This is probably going to come up several times in
this conversation, but you said quality and quality in and
of itself means timeless because it means that it can
last a long time, it can physically last a long time,
and it's not destined for the graveyard of design relics
that is the landfill. And I think that buying quality
(07:17):
pieces allows you to give them many different chapters of
life when they may go on pause for a while,
but if it's a good form, if it's a great silhouette,
it's a great rug, then it can make another appearance
and still be usable.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Craftsmanship is everything, it's essential in classic designs, so it's
important to pay attention to those fine details and that
it's made with precision joinery and different things as well.
And I think it's hard not to talk about budget
just because you were talking about more expensive things, and
sometimes that's hard to do to buy the more expensive
thing at the time knowing that it will have the
(07:53):
stay in power that we're talking about. But let's talk
about the hallmarks of investment pieces.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Well, quality and craftsmanship.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Those come first and foremost, because again, without them, something
isn't going.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
To wear well. It's going to break, it's going to
be damaged.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
And sometimes you can have a piece repaired and it's
worth this then, but then sometimes it's not, and so
the old adage of it looks too good to be true,
And I mean, sometimes you can find a bargain, but
you should expect to pay a.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Certain amount of money for certain things. And I imagine
for your clients.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I know in this business there's always a little bit
of sticker shock, and there's so much education that comes
with just understanding what things.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Cost, definitely, and it's knowing that they you can continue
to use them or you can repurpose them in different ways.
And I think you know, as we talk about that,
there are ways to still use classic pieces. And maybe
it's thrifting. And some of my favorite pieces are ones
that I've thrifted, and it just when it has a
good silhouette and the scale of the piece of the
(08:53):
furniture is good, it's going to be something that still
looks good years and years down the line. I think
it's the idea of prioritizing quality over quantity, and you know,
having more of a plan versus just buying a whole
bunch of stuff to finish the room.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I think if you're going to buy investment pieces, one
of the hallmarks is certainly to buy investment pieces that
matter and what I mean by that is it's easy
to go antiquing and thrifting, and I feel like I
made this mistake, and I feel like it's a very
common one.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
You may not be able to afford the big thing.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You can just afford a little thing, and so you
buy that little thing. The problem is you bring that
little object home and it doesn't really deliver any impact
because it's small.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
It's not seen.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
If it's something that can be a collection, you have
to buy ten more. And so if I could do
it all over again hindsight, of course it's twenty twenty,
I would advise people save your dollars and make the investments.
And sometimes it's not even just about dollars either. Sometimes
it's about space. By investment pieces that are of a
(10:03):
certain size so they can really bring impact into a
room or a lifestyle. You know another little thing that
I treasure to this day because I use it daily,
not for its original intention, but I bought this beautiful
pillbox in New York.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It's silver and it's engraved.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
It's stunning, and I put extra earing backs in it
because you know, they drop and they you lose them.
I don't know where they go, but they get lost,
and that's what I use it for, and I see
it every day. It's on my vanity with all of
my other little get ready in the morning treasures.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
But I probably spend more.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Money on it than what I should have, considering it's
maybe two inches by three inches and only I see
it and nobody else does. And it doesn't have to
be about things that everybody sees. But I just think
that when it comes to design, maybe waiting for the
pieces that are larger in scale or.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Volume, I think that is so very important. I never
believe that small equals greatness. You've got to scale it,
You've got to get it bigger. Small spaces actually feel
grander when you put bigger pieces in them. And I
know that sounds so wrong and it just is so
contradicting of what you think would happen. But scale is
the most important thing of getting that larger, and that
(11:23):
helps make spaces feel more timeless and more classic.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
So I think those are the two hallmarks that I
would say for investment pieces, craftsmanship, quality and you know,
just buying pieces of a certain scale.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And i'd also say real materials, only you know, just.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Like, oh, that's a good one.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
They only get better with age.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Well, and you can't recreate that.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I think time is the best factory when it comes
to creating that matina.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
You really can't get it any other way, okay, Megan.
So I'm just curious.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Is timeless a word that you hear a lot from
clients regarding what they want your interiors to be? Because
I know you said at the beginning of the conversation they.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Asked somewhat about trends.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
How do you address clients wanting every hot trend that
they see because there are a lot of them out there,
and now, because of social media, you can scroll through
twenty trends in twenty seconds. So how do you address
that and avoid having your homeowners make mistakes that could
feel outdated in a few years.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
And I'm going to just.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Ask one more question before you answer with that, because
for designers, you all always want to keep busy, of course,
and I know that you have long standing relationship with
some of your clients and you want to go back
and imagine something different in their spaces too, So what's
sort of the right balance of how you address that.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
It definitely is a balance and is as I mentioned earlier,
it's A word that does get thrown around a lot
when we start a project is wanting a timeless space.
And I think it's just because you know, people are busy,
they are have all their kid activities, their social events,
They're trying to prioritize their own mental and physical health
and having that special time too, and ultimately they want
(13:10):
their house to have that stay in power that will
look good for a very very long time. And so
designing a space that has timeless interiors is important. But
yet you do want to do some of those more
edgy things and the more trendy things that you see,
and I love doing that. You know, I have two
projects right now that have the beautiful dark green offices,
(13:33):
and you can do that, I think, But it goes
back to having the foundation really important, that the bones
of those built ins are just really beautifully designed, that
they're not going to be intricate in something that's trendy.
Maybe you do get tired of that green in ten years,
but then it's time just to paint it and make
give it a whole new look. And a code of
(13:53):
paint ten years later can transform the space. But because
the bones are so good with the architecture, and the
it's going to still look amazing and it's going to
give you a fresh new perspective that you love. So
I think it's making sure that the core pieces have
that timeless look and that you maybe use some of
(14:14):
the more trendy things in other areas or it's wallpaper
in a certain area or different colors around, but that
your core pieces have that timeless look.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
And the biggest core piece, of course, is the architecture itself.
And I think that's when people can get into big
trouble because you know, we've all seen the house and
it's like, oh, okay, that was built in twenty sixteen,
and you know exactly when it was built because there
was an architectural trend. And I always get a little
(14:48):
afraid of diving into those too much or signing up
for those architectural trends too much, because those can be
more difficult to change out and far more costly.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Definitely are Yeah, that makes it much harder, or it
makes you want to move and then somebody else gets
to enjoy that house that hasn't had that style before too. So, Chris,
there are so many elements that are timeless. But I
have to know is there one that you just can't
quite get behind. And on the flip side, what's an
example of a classic that you just can't live without?
Speaker 2 (15:20):
The black and white checkerboard floor. I mean, this is
not new, this has been a design element.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
For centuries, over a century. For sure. It's just not
my thing. It's just too graphic for me.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I think it's because oftentimes, not always, but oftentimes you
see a black and white checkerboard floor and a floyer
and it kind of just scares me. It's like black white,
there's sort of nothing to soften it in between, and
it's too much of a graphic welcome, a graphic hello,
too early on in the journey of touring a home,
(15:54):
and so I can appreciate that. Of course, I see
so much great design that incorporates them, but it is
not my thing. It's not something that I would ever
specify in my own home.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's just not for me.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Oh boy, CHRISA, I'm not going to agree with you
on that one. I love a good checkerboard floor when
you go in. I think it's so classic. I love
too because you can reinterpret how they're used and the
scale of the tiles. I think that kind of can
help make it look more modern or not dated, because
when you look back on, like, you know, in the nineties,
the twelve by twelve, well, I wouldn't do that in
(16:29):
a four year right now. I would do the bigger
twenty fours by twenty fours. But I'm a bold girl.
I love some bold pattern and I think that just
has the wow factor for sure in an entry way.
So I'll agree to disagree with you on that one.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
That's it's all good and classic that I can't live without.
I am going to go to the category of fabric
for this one, and I'm going.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
To stay tall.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I just I think it's so so pretty and it's
special because again you want to jump in to see
what the depictions are of twall.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
I think twall.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Certainly goes in and out of fashion. It can be
used in different doses. There's nothing that I love more
than a in an older home, a top floor bedroom
or guest bedroom that has twall that is sort of
floor to ceiling that's on every angle under the eves
(17:28):
of the ceiling, and twall is my can't live with that.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
That's beautiful. You know. I love nothing better than a
drenched room in one material. It's just very classic at
heart for sure.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
How about you something that you can't live about?
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Oh gosh, there's so many goods. I'm truly a sucker
for blue and white. I think it can belong in
every home. And I know some might disagree with that
as well too. When you think of like just a
beautiful modern room with your EAMs chair and just really
clean lines everything, there's nothing better than a blue and
(18:02):
white garden stool next to that Eames chair, or a
big beautiful potted plant that has the blue and white
on it, and you put a beautiful plant in there,
and just I think it gives that room depth and interest.
It really does add some depth into the space. But
I love how it pairs with all colors, the pops
of pinks and corals, and it can be used seasonally,
(18:25):
just beautifully and blue mixing with black. I know people
think like, well, how does that work? And it just
it works so cohesively and it's just as a beautiful look.
So that's my guilty pleasure in the classic world.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Well, regarding blue and white, I will agree to agree
with you on that one, because yes, I feel the
same way. It's it's such a classic timeless combination, and
I think it's.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
A neutral too.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I agree it can be used as a neutral because
it does pair well. It pairs so nicely with so
many other colors. You know, you mentioned something, You mentioned
the Eames chair, and I think it's worth a little
conversation about pieces that are iconic too. And I don't
know so much if this applies to traditional design, because
(19:17):
traditional design, I don't know if there is one piece
from one maker that everybody had to have, where when
you talk about the modern classics, the Barcelona day bed
or the Eames chair that everybody covets, a tool of table,
the Lake Kabusier chair, those are really iconic pieces that
designers have to work with. They have to incorporate them
(19:40):
with other things that may or may not be of
the same level of modernity. So can you kind of
maybe talk about how you would incorporate those sorts of
iconic pieces into an interior when maybe the homeowner doesn't
love everything modern, they just lo that piece because they
(20:01):
love the shape of that.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
How does that work?
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Well, I think it's just really important not to focus
on one particular period or style. It's the blend of
styles that I think really creates timelessness. It's the tension
between all those pieces in the space that blend makes
it stand the test of time. And I think there's
nothing better than incorporating iconic pieces. I think it gives
a little unexpected style into the space. And I think
(20:27):
that's truly why rooms work and have staying power, is
when they mix all those different periods of time. No
one wants a matching room.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
It's the best of many eras, not just one.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
That's what I oftentimes say at traditional home because that's
what it is. And I think a good example of
that is the mix of classic architecture with artwork that
is so modern.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
There's something about the visual push pull.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
It's really exciting because it sparks interest. It just gives
a visual richness, I think to an interior that doesn't
happen when things are too perfect and things are too
much the same.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
I mean one of my favorite interiors is, you know,
just like a room that has really ornate, beautiful millwork
that's just plain and simple white, and then you put
a bold, more modern piece of artwork on it. Again,
that tension just really has that visual interest and you
can appreciate it for all the different reasons.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
So we've talked a lot about how timeless design should
really always be relevant and somewhat in style because it's
technically timeless. But I don't agree because I think there
are times where it has run its course.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Oh yes, you don't have just one sofa in a room.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
It has playmates. There are chairs, there's a mirror, there's lighting,
there are accessories, and they all have to work well together.
Sometimes you've got to get out of your friend group
and find new friends, and that applies to design as well.
And if you have an accessory, or it could be
a chair, again, it needs to go on pause for
(22:08):
a while and take a little map, if you will,
and come back, and when it comes back gets refreshed.
Maybe that's when it gets refinished. Maybe that's when it
gets a new upholstery treatment. In the case of accessories,
I think of something that's just a decorative object, and
those things are a little easier to circle in and
out because they're not heavy. It's not like moving a
(22:31):
heavy piece of furniture that weighs a lot, and they
can be replaced easily because there's a good chance that
there's something else in your house that can live wherever
you had that place, whether it's a cocktail table or
on a bookshelf. After a while, everything's run its course
and it needs to be shaken up a little bit.
(22:52):
You throw everything up in the air and see where
it lands next. That's what makes a house tell a
different story. I mean, design, like any other form of art,
is all about storytelling.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
And I think that's so interesting too, because I think
it's that aspect and finding a new spot for those
items or maybe they're important to you now is you
aren't the same person you were five years ago, and
so the relevance of that feeling the same timelessness might
not be relevant anymore. And I also loved your little
analogy of having new friends with it, because I think
(23:26):
that's so true. You see that with like arches right now,
because they're kind of having their moment of arches everywhere,
both in the architecture or built ins and walkways and
things like that too. And you know that that will
go at some point, but it won't mean that they'll
go completely gone. You might still have an arched case
opening into your dining room, like you're still going to
(23:47):
want to do that. It has that nice softness and
it's always been around in architecture forever, so I think
that's an important way. You just have to look at
things differently, have a different eye, and that happens over time,
and it happens as your eye gets more established and
it changes well.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
And I think that one big mistake that so many
people make when it comes to design is we like
to accumulate things, and we're not so good at the
other side of that, that is editing. Even those of
us who are editors problems with that.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I am an example of that.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
So let's say a new piece of artwork was acquired
during a trip, or they went antiquing and brought home
a new bowl or something of that nature. They put
that down, but they don't take anything away. And I
think we've all heard that advice when it comes to
your closet. If something comes in, then something goes out.
(24:45):
It's really, really, I would argue, even more difficult to
do with your home, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
And I think we've talked quite a bit about materials
and how they play such an important role in achieving
timeless design. I thought it'd be kind of fun if
you want to go through some of the more iconic
list of timeless elements that kind of can be in
a home, and how you feel about them and how
I feel about them. It would be kind of a
fun conversation.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Let's do it. Yes, awesome?
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Well, I already shared my love for blue and white.
How do you feel about it?
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Well, blue and white is forever.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
I think it's a beloved color duo that so many
people cherish and have fond memories of because of its
place in the world of porcelain. So I think blue
and white's always forever. I love sort of over the
past decade, we've seen more handsome versions of palettes, and
(25:40):
that's something that I'm always really intrigued by. I don't
love bold and bright color. I tend to go for
the masculine, handsome value of a color. So I love
navy blue, I love midnight blue. That's where I think
blue and white is right now, and sort of the more.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Handsome, darker versions of it.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
But then I love good icy blue too, like a
good pale blue. I think that's really really pretty, an
elegant and airy.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Yeah, they can definitely take on different looks and aesthetics
when you kind of mix them in different ways, too.
And I think even just the mix of blue and
white in a more graphic geometric pattern I mean, I
think is beautiful on an ottoman or a pillow in
a room. I think just can kind of bring another
element as well to the space. One of the other
things that I was thinking about was brown wood furniture.
(26:35):
You know, we went through that whole gray craze for
so many years, and brown's kind of finally having a
little bit of a comeback, which I absolutely love. I
think it always is relevant in the space. I think
it's a treasure for the way an interior looks. I
personally love nothing better than figured woods or a beautiful
(26:55):
burled walnut piece. I think it looks beautiful decade in
decades later. And I've always loved a very classic walnut
wood floor in your home, So I always think that
that's a nice element into the space as well. Is
brownwood furniture.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
What I think is so exciting right now about brownwood
furniture are all of the new stains that are available.
We don't really see those red tones so much anymore.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Or the honey oak cabinets.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
That's something that was such a thing in the nineties,
and you know, I don't know that anybody really loved
that so much, right, But now you see a lot
of wood stains that have a little smokiness to them.
They're really dark browns or even a little bit of
a black. So I think the innovation and technology for
(27:45):
stains and the colors that have been produced have been
really exciting.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Hut crystal is another one that I think always is
a little bit timeless. I have that little bit of
glam and me, so there's an aspect of me that
I really like that, and I like the traditional aspects
of it. I think there's uses for it that are
beautiful on a table scape, but maybe not for every
(28:09):
day where necessarily. But I also love a good crystal piece,
a good little crystal ball in your living room, and
just the lightness that it brings to the space is
how I love that.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Well.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I have a little bit of glam and me too.
Cut crystal, I think is fantastic. And for so long
the world of lighting was not so great at the
mass level.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
It just wasn't and then all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
We start seeing these spectacular pieces emerge from all of
the companies, and it was a great thing. And I
feel like crystal chandeliers went by the wayside. I don't care, Like,
give me a crystal chandelier. I don't care if they're
in They're out there in my world. And it always
takes me back a little bit too when I was
(28:56):
a little girl, just because of the refraction of the
light and how it makes light dance. You know. I
think about when I was little and it was the
night that our dance costumes came in before the recital
and You've got to put on this garment that had
sequence on it, and it was such a big deal.
So I love that about crystal because it's that opportunity
to be a little fancy. And I of course love
it on a table scape.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Yeah, who doesn't love it a table scape?
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Yes, And always I always joke that, you know, bacaram
makes diet coke tastes better.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
I think it definitely does. I would agree with that, Yeah,
one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
All right.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
The world of bou clay. It is also kind of
having a moment these last few years. I think as
we go to market sometimes we're a little tired of
seeing the sofa covered in bout clay, a white blue clay.
But it does have standing power in the world, and
I think it has texture and depth and it can
bring a lot of warmth.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
To a space.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
And it also has the artistry of how it was created,
and I love that because you can tell it's it's
not just the ordinary that exists.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
I agree with you. I mean the texture that it
brings is so important. And yes, everything has been covered
in bouclay lately.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
You walk into showrooms and that's what it is. But
I kind of love it.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
On that note, bouclet is not really a men's wear pattern,
but I love the men'swear pattern I think of, you know,
tweets and textiles like that. I just think that they
give a little richness to an interior.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, they definitely do. And I also feel that with
velvet and mohair, I think they have that richness and
I think also have that timeless style as well. I
could mix two of our favorites together, a velvet Chesterfield sofa.
I don't think you can get much better than that.
And similar with mohair, I think it has actually kind
(30:45):
of like I said, with the bouclet, of just you
can tell that this was not an easy thing to
make and it has unique beauty that other fabrics just
can't recreate.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Velvet and mohair.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
There is nothing more like curious than these two textiles.
I think they are forever and always timeless, classic, traditional in.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
All of the words, all the time.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
The reason I think that they have the staying power
and people perhaps don't get as tired of them is
because I don't think that it's common to see a
room where everything is velvet and mohair.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
They're both very heavy.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
You know, the last fifteen years or so, it seems
like linen has been the primary textile. You know, we
see lots of different hands and lots of different waves
of linen, from very fine to very chunky. So, but
it's used for upholstery, it's used for drapery panels, it's
used for you know, do by cover sometimes all sorts
(31:52):
of things, and so you can literally have rooms that
are very good looking.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
It's not wrong at all. But you can have rooms that.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Are floor to see in linen, and I don't think
that's a situation with velvet and mohair. A they're really heavy,
be they're very luxurious, sometimes too costly for that. So
I think that they have staying power for that reason
because you just see them.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
A little definitely. And I also as we kind of
talk about different finishes, I think brass and nickel when
you kind of think about the harder finishes in light
fixtures and cabinet hardware or lamps that you see in
your home, I think when you keep a little bit
of warmth in the brass, it just will always look
beautiful in the space and it has a little bit
of patina and the look as well. And when you
(32:36):
look at nickel finishes, I think that they never look
too out of place. When you see people do black
and things like that, your eye just kind of automatically
goes to the door hardware when it's black, And is
that really what you want to have happen? And I
think there's times where blacks appropriate and different things, But
I would have to definitely say that brass and nickel
are the most timeless in the finish world.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Well, and you nailed it when you said that they
need to finishes that have a little warmth to them,
because I think, you know, again going back to childhood.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Bad brass, bad brass.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
So this vers this current version of it is certainly
way better.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
And I love the unlackered brass. I just I love
what it does over over time. It's so warm and
so beautiful. I was once given a great piece of
advice from a very wise lighting designer, and she said,
if you mix the two together, not necessarily brass and nickel,
but gold tones and silver tones together, that they are
(33:39):
always timeless because one is never in and one is
never out. And I thought that that was really great.
I have a chandelier in my foyer that mixes the
two and it does I never really tire of it
because it's always in, So I thought that was a
wise way to look at it.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
All right.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I'd love to talk about collections now. I'm a big collector.
I love having different sorts of collections, and I really
think it's important because when you have anything with meaning,
it gives more purpose and value into having a timeless
interior in space, and those items with meaning have more purpose.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Collections are always classic. I think what is done with
them and how they are displayed go through different phases of.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Being dated and being updated.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
I love sort of the modern day approach to collections,
where it's to have everything in mass instead of having
collections maybe sprinkled throughout the homes to you know, have
them all together.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Those groupings kind of always have impact, don't they.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
They make more of a statement, I think, where sometimes
when they're sprinkled throughout a house than you know, you're
not really sure of is this a collection or is
it just an interesting object in this one place. Do
you have any collections, Megan that you want to talk about?
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Well, I have several different ways. I know earlier I
mentioned the blue and white collection. That's probably one of
my favorites, just because I have it in different base forms, dinnerware,
different platters, of all different sorts, and just of all
different sizes too. They have just different stories. What about you?
Do you have any collections?
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Yes, I collect a lot of tabletop.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
I collect a lot of iron stone. That's a favorite
of mine. But I try to bring something special home
everywhere I travel that collection. I think it may not
all look alike, but that's that's.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
What I collect.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
All right, Let's talk about stripes. I'm a personally a
sucker for stripes. I love a good stripe, and I
like that you can have them in so many different
scales and sizes to keep them updated and relevant, and
whether they're bold and more of a black and white,
or more subtle and just serene. I think stripes are
a really beautiful timeless piece.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
And stripes are interesting from the perspective that I rarely
see a stripe that seems dated to me, like they're
just forever. They're so classic, I think, and timeless.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, you can definitely take some different interpretations of stripes
how they look, too, which is fun. A good texture
is always important in a timeless space, which I think
Ratan and Wicker always do that. I always love a
little texture like that in a space, whether it's on
a chair or on just a beautiful urn, a different
type of piece in the space. I think it adds
(36:27):
a really beautiful element.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Yes, and it adds warmth too, because usually you know,
I guess they're not always in brown, but they do
add warmth, whether they're in a honeycolor brown or a
darker brown. I love Wicker and Rattan. I do think
there is there are different forms of it though that
again can become dated. So I think it's a material
(36:52):
that is always relevant, but it needs to be carefully considered,
like what the forms are, because I think that some
of the forms can get a little old and dusty,
and you know, there are new versions that are far
more modernized, and I just think it's important to be
careful of the silhouette.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
And another thing with silhouettes is a good floral florals
come in all different shapes and sizes, but are also
pretty iconic for a timeless design. I also love that
you can kind of mix different color palettes with a
lot a lot of color and bring into a space
with florals or something just more muted and more natural
in those forms too. But I think florals add a
(37:32):
beautiful element into a timeless interior.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Well yes, And I think the exciting thing about them
right now is they are a little more graphic and palatable.
So if you don't want sort of this saccharine sweet
floral situation going.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
On, you have.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
I mean, certainly the Indian hand blocked florals that have
been so popular in recent years have implemented this graphic
twist to them, and I love all of the small,
little ditzy prints that are going on right now. Oversized
florals always look more modern. The good news is, if
you like a floral, there are so many different iterations
(38:13):
of it. It's just important to make sure that they
don't become dated.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Definitely, And I also love I mean, you think of
a good, rough florine space of a beautiful plaid, and
he mixes in a floral with it too. I think
it doesn't have to just be feminine. It can bring
an element of just softness into a more masculine space too.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Oh yes, And there are so many florals right now
that take on. I can think of one and I'm
not going to name the vendor at the moment, but
it's a floral and it sort of comes in chocolate
browns with moments of black, and so all of a
sudden it turns more masculine because of the coloration. And
so I think that florals can certainly be used in
(38:52):
a masculine space too. Well.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Gallery walls have been around forever too. I know they
can be used in all different scale sizes, matching more colectic,
but I think they go back to telling a story.
And that's what people love about them, is a story
of a collection or a life, or you know, just
family portraits and memories of beaches and things like that.
(39:14):
But a gallery wall, I think really brings in just
a timeless look to a space too.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
It's such a problem solver when it comes to all
of those eclectic pieces that you may have, because there
are ways to make them more cohesive, whether or not
that's with framing, or if they're all similar in color
but different subject matters or different mediums.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I think there's a way.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
A gallery wall is a very good solution to tie
a bunch of disparate objects together.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
I will say I.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Have a gallery wall in my house right now, and
I think it can stay a little longer, but then
I think I need something different.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
You go through those spaces where it just gets busy
and you just need to clean it up a little.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
That's the thing I need to I don't know.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
I think there are maybe eighteen nineteen framed pieces, and
I just I feel like I need to pause from
it for a while. But I love the look, I
love the impact. But maybe that's a goal for this year.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
And another busy one is wallpaper murals. You know that
you see wrapped in a beautiful dining room of florals
and all different scenes of historical nature or more updated
as well. They've been having a moment here for a while,
which I absolutely love. But they've been around forever and
you used to see them frequently. They just have an updated,
(40:38):
historical look. And I love a good wallpaper mural.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
I do too, and I love the whole dining room
situation wrapped in a wonderful floral with you know, birds
and butterflies and.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Vines and all of those things.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
I will say, I guess I would advise to people
that you should not look at a wallpaper mural or
one of those oversized floorals as a trend at all.
If you don't love it, then you definitely should not
do it because it is a commitment. So while I
(41:15):
agree it's definitely had a moment in recent years, it's
one of those trends moments that should really really be
considered carefully because it's just a big commitment if you're
going to tire of it when the movement is over.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Well, furniture can always have there's some core elements as
well in a timeless interior. I think of a wing
chair and a Chippendale chair. I think all have stain power.
I personally just love a good wing chair that has
good scale and has some weight to it, that just
really has a presence, and even better when it has
(41:50):
a beautiful pattern on fabric on it, or beautiful leather
in den or study just to warm the space up.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
I love a good wing chair. I love chairs period
because I think that to a degree, there's going to
be an exception here, but to a degree, all chairs
are classic because they can be altered, they can be lacquered,
they can be reupholstered. There are so many things you
can do with a chair, and if not, they're also
just sculpture. They're sculptural in and of themselves. But a
(42:20):
wing chair, I just think it's so stately and you
know there's enough surface on it if you will to
do really interesting upholstery.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
Treatments well, and then you pair it with a Chesterfield sofa,
I think that has really beautiful stay in power as well.
I know we talked about the Chesterfield earlier, but there's
really nothing more beautiful than that tufting that goes all
the way around the parameter of the sofa and on
the back, and who doesn't love a good tight back.
You can kind of layer in pillows into there too.
(42:50):
I just think that is a beautiful piece.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Okay, the Chesterfield sofa is my absolute favorite piece of furniture.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
There's no furniture that I love more than a.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Chester, so.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I guess it's timeless for me for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Well, we've got just a couple more will end out
in just the world of white right now. When you
think of a white kitchen, I know it can get
a bad rap sometimes, but it truly is a classic
element in a space that you think of from many
years ago. A white kitchen still has stay in power.
I think the shades of white very over time. It's
(43:25):
trends change, but if you have a white kitchen, you
can change up with hardware and lighting and give it
a whole different look.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Yes, I think the key to a white kitchen is
to avoid making it a pere antiseptic. I think there's
so much that can be done with the white kitchen.
They're so versatile, they're somewhat easy to alter because they
are white.
Speaker 3 (43:49):
So I think that I.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Love a white kitchen, but I like the variation and
color to warm it up.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
And white walls too, I think are similar. I think
you can just have a lot of variation the spaces
and let the fabrics and rugs and other elements kind
of tell the story. But nothing's better than just white
walls with beautiful architecture.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
It's so true, white walls, beautiful architecture, and you can
always layer it with wonderful artwork. You can bring in
color that way. It's just such a beautiful envelope.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
And one last element we can't forget about is marble.
I think there's nothing more beautiful than a real material
and how it ages and patinas and shows the story
of a marble that's been around a long time. I'm
specifically thinking of just more of your Carreras and your
Calcutta white ones, but you also think of darker and
(44:44):
more interesting types of marbles. I think they've been around forever.
They're real materials, and they truly have stay in power.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
Old marbles good. New marble's good.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I love a lot of the red marbles that we're
seeing right now, and the black marbles sort of pivoting
from the white shades that have been so popular over
the last decade. Probably real materials just help the situation,
because again, real materials allow you to alter them, update them,
(45:17):
refinish them. In the case of wood, there's a lot
of things that can be done now. You can't refinish marble,
but marble tends to live on silhouettes that are timeless
to begin with, So I think it's just a beautiful material.
It's probably my favorite material after the Chesterfield sofa being
my easy furniture.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Marble's my favorite stone.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
Well, it's fun to go through this list and kind
of just share some of those really timeless elements that
are in interiors and why they have their stay in power.
I enjoyed kind of going through that list with you.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Yes, that was fun.
Speaker 1 (45:51):
What a fun conversation just to talk about those modern
classics timeless design. And I hope everyone learned a little
bit and can take that into their own homes. 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
(46:13):
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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