Podcast, Ep. 118: designer Madeline Stuart

 

Celebrated Los Angeles Designer Madeline Stuart joins the show today. Madeline talks about her new book, No Place Like Home and a more inside look at some of the articles and photographs featured in the book. She also talks with us about the research that goes into a new project, her passion for both design and architecture, reinventing the wheel with each home, her love of vintage lighting, and the design elements she goes back to time and time again.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• The design process behind her Madeline’s new book, No Place Like Home, and why it’s a great read along with the beautiful photos.
• Madeline’s passion for incorporating difference influences to create a cohesive story in each home.
• Madeline’s collaborative process (sometimes!) when working with a client, in order to get them to feel that they have the space to really express their design desires.
• Why Madeline loves some good vintage lighting, and some impressive lighting stats on a few of the larger homes she has worked with.
• How Madeline also draws much of her design inspiration from the architecture and general form of the house to create a space that fits together.
• Even in the fanciest homes, furniture should be something that guests can sit, relax, and feel comfortable in.
• Examples of moments where Madeline scaled back the accessories and objects for a photoshoot, rather than try to stuff it with decor.
• What Madeline refers to as the “mosh pit approach” to decorating.
• What to do when your house style doesn’t match your decorating style. 
• The wide range of Madeline’s projects including Hispano Moresque in La Jolla, Streamline Moderne in Los Angeles, and Spanish Revival in Santa Monica.

Decorating Dilemma

Hi!

I love your podcast! I listen almost daily, trying to catch up to the current episodes. 🙂

Question: What to do if your house style doesn’t match your decorating style? I’ve heard many times that we should pay attention to the architecture of the home when choosing furnishings. But to be honest, I hate my home. I live in Phoenix, where almost all of the houses are tan, stucco, builder/tract homes with a garage on the front facade and zero personality. That’s what I live in. If I could choose a different home, it would be something charming from the 1920’s (but those are few and far-between here). The traditional furnishings that I love would look great in a 1920’s house, but they don’t look right in my “modern” tract home. And I personally don’t like a modern Southwest style in decorating. What to do?

Helena Phoenix
Arizona suburbs

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Madeline recommends hiring a professional, who you can work with on layout, proportion, scale and much more. Also, find examples of spaces that have a neutral background, and you can begin to get ideas on using items such as textured rugs and vintage finds to add value to a bland space. Just because you may not like the outside doesn’t mean you can’t create an inside that totally fits your style!

Show Notes:

• Madeline Stuart
• Interiors
• @madelinedstuart
• No Place Like Home
• Georgia O’Keefe
• Elle Decor
• Mabel Dodge Luhan

Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.

Happy Decorating!

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