Julie Dodson, Designer and Founder of Dodson Interiors
This episode continues our special series highlighting the FLOWER magazine showhouse here in Atlanta. Ballard Designs is proud to be one of the sponsors of the house, and we are so excited to share all the gorgeous spaces with you. Each day this week we will interview a different designer from the showhouse to talk about the room they designed, their inspiration, trends throughout the space, and much more. This episode features Julie Dodson of Dodson Interiors. For 20 years, she has brought chic French inspired spaces to her Houston clientele. Her love of antiques and ability to add a fresh spin on traditional elements is evident in her polished spaces that she creates her clients. Julie talks about the inspiration for the showroom, her choice of the color palette, and how we can find the balance between the old and the new with antiques.
If you’d like to visit the house in person you can purchase tickets here, and also follow along with the podcast series whether you can see it in person or not!
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- Julie Dodson’s champagne bar in the FLOWER Magazine 2022 showhouse
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- Rendering of Julie Dodson’s champagne bar by Diana Carnevale
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
- What do you look for in a wallpaper especially in a space that small?
- Why it’s important to keep scale in mind when picking a wallpaper.
- Can one have too many wallpapers in a home?
- Does Julie feel like brass is going to wane in popularity as far as finishes go?
- Are wallpapers in bathrooms a good idea?
- Julie talks about the camaraderie in the house, and how the design community comes together and is excited to see what everyone is up to.
- Why Julie loves antiques and the character that comes with hard to find finishes.
- Julie provides some great resources for getting great antiques all year long, including the Round Top Antiques Fair.
- How does Julie start helping her clients create their art collections vs. ones that have been collecting for years?
Decorating Dilemma:
Hello!
Long time listener, first time caller.
We live in an adorable traditional home(bungalow?) built in 1934.
My dilemma is the long-but-shallow front room. I think it was called “the parlor room” back then. It’s about 24’ x 13’, with the the front door smack in the center of the 24 feet. With the door open, there’s only 7’ straight ahead to the fireplace.
Since the house was built in 1934, I’m aiming for a blend of Hollywood Regency (me) & Mid-century Modern (husband). We both love camp, and want this room to be a fun place for socializing and cocktail parties.
I’ve currently got the room in 3 zones. A couch is on one end, our stairway on the other, and a pair of chairs in the fireplace center. There’s a doorway on every wall. The couch must stay (my husband said, with smoke blowing out his ears).
I’m open to all/any thoughts & ideas before I start spending money. Your podcast has been a treasure trove of information and inspiration for me. Thank you so much!
Truly madly deeply,
Desiree
Desiree,
Julie would do a custom rug that covers the entire room, and cuts out the hearth of the fireplace. A nice wool flat leaf would allow you to open and close the door, and it would make the room feel like one big comfy space, as opposed to multiple smaller rugs. Whatever you can do to bring it a little bit closer to the door would be nice. This brings up a great tip: if you’re layering rugs on top, maybe go a little closer to the wall.
As for the windows, Julie feels like adding trim is not a good investment, and you won’t even notice if you are dressing them nicely.
Julie would keep the marble surround that you have, but add an old beam or boxed shelf that goes the length of the fireplace.
Mentioned in This Episode:
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Happy Decorating!
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