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How to Decorate

Ep. 59: designer Libby Langdon

How to Decorate

Caroline McDonald

Arts, Business, Design

4.4838 Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2018

⏱️ 71 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Chances are you have seen our guest Libby Langdon’s work on HGTV and The Today Show and in all of your favorite magazines — House Beautiful, Traditional Homes, and Better Homes and Gardens. We talk with Libby about her trifecta of combining product design, client work, and media and injecting them all into everything she does. She also spills behind the scenes secrets of makeover TV shows, how she learned to install a house in one day, and why she believes that the way you feel about your home reflects every aspect of your life. What You'll Hear on This Episode: Libby’s background of growing up in High Point, North Carolina, the furniture mecca of the world. Her parents were both in the furniture and textile industry, so Libby learned design from all angles at a young ageLibby’s journey from modeling and fashion to hosting FOX Makeover TV show, Design InvasionThe common threads Libby noticed in many homes as a universal struggle including awkward furniture layout and bad lightingThe value of learning to install a house in one day, and how to design for the look that the homeowner desires.Libby’s hilarious behind the scenes moments of Design Invasion where she surprised unsuspecting people early in the morning to completely transform their house in one dayLibby’s passion for skills cooking and event planning, and how she balances that with her busy acting and interior design careersThe common concern of clients that they will grow tire of a certain color, and how Libby walks them through picking colors that will stand the test of timeHow a painting of a goldfish inspired an entire one-day home makeoverHer Rumson, NJ project that was featured in House BeautifulSome of Libby’s favorite moments from her work on makeover television showsThe blending of exterior and interior design, and how we can mix and match indoor and outdoor products in designLibby’s love of a Trellis printHer hands-on approach to design and creation, rather than white labeling and putting her name on products already createdWhat Libby is designing now in her partnership with Kas Rugs, and when we can expect it to be ready on the marketThe ways that Libby introduces her clients to the world of lighting and lamps, and some practical tips to get our lighting on point using dimmers, appropriate wattage and remote controlsDecorating for small spaces, and why leaving space white may not be the best answerThe benefits of living with less, and why smaller spaces have many luxurious benefits. We can also learn more with her new book, Small Space Solutions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi and welcome back to the How to Decorate Podcast from Ballard Designs. We wanted to teach you how to decorate your home and unleash your inner decorator. So we'll be interviewing interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world, sharing the trials and triumphs of our own homes, and also answering your decorating questions. I'm Caroline. I run the Ballard Designs blog, How to Decorate. And I'm Karen Mooney and I head up branding at Ballard. And we're your hosts.

0:22.7

Welcome.

0:23.4

We are in New York today. I run the Ballard Science blog, How to Decorate. And I'm Karen Mooney and I head up branding at Ballard.

0:21.8

And we're your hosts.

0:22.7

Welcome.

0:23.4

We are in New York today on the 39th floor of Hearst Tower looking out into a cloud.

0:31.2

But, and Terran is not with us.

0:32.8

She's our third host.

0:34.5

She's still in maternity leave with that baby.

0:36.2

Yes, but she'll be back soon.

0:47.6

All right, well, here we are.

0:48.6

We're going to do our trials and triumphs.

0:50.2

But we've already lost Caroline.

0:52.4

I know.

0:54.0

Keeping us all three in one place these days. I know. And you're not in the main part of the episode, Terran, so it's just me and you. I know. As listeners, I apologize. This is very confusing. I'm the only consistent factor in this entire podcast. I feel like I should get a raise. You should. If we got paid anything. Nothing more, but we love you more. Zero times 20 is still zero.

1:12.7

I learned that in fifth grade. And we don't even have any wine while we're recording this.

1:16.9

This is the worst. This podcast is going downhill, quick. We do need snacks. No, I'm kidding.

1:24.0

I have good trials and triumphs this week. They will appreciate that, the listeners.

1:28.5

So you go right ahead.

1:29.6

Okay.

1:30.2

So my trial, if anyone who lives in Atlanta knows this summer and fall has been very, very rainy, rains all the time.

1:38.8

Like monsoon season in Atlanta, which Atlanta is full and full of trees. And you might have remembered me

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