In this episode, we decided to dive into this topic that often leaves many people confused about how the quality of furniture impacts price. We will break down the factors that influence pricing and shed some light on what you really get for your money! 

SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by Currey & Company. Currey is an Atlanta-based, second–generation family-owned producer of beautiful residential and contract lighting, in- stock case goods and upholstery, and a broad range of statement-making accessories that we have relied on for the past 19 years!

Currey has a brand-new website with several new features! Just a few that we will be using are the true freight calculator, a configurator for the multi-drop pendants, several ways to search and the ability to make project boards. Live inventory and shipping within 48 hours on in-stock products makes last-minute pieces easy to get. All of this and outstanding customer service!!

So, check out our dear friends at curreyandcompany.com or visit at market!

Key Takeaways:

1.  The quality of an upholstered furniture's frame, suspension system, and cushion impacts the comfort and price.

2.  Vintage and antique furniture can be a valuable choice because of its unique charm and excellent craftsmanship.

3.  Investing in high-quality and well-crafted furniture supports durability and environmental standards and is worth prioritizing in your budget.

Announcements: Giveaway, High Point Insider’s Tour

• The tour is FREE but participants are responsible for their travel and hotel arrangements.

• All participants for the Full Day Tour must be able to attend on Saturday, October 26 from 8:30AM -6:00PM to qualify for the Insider's Tour.

Partial-day participation for Full Day tours is not available so please make your travel plans accordingly or you'll forfeit your spot on the Tour if unable to participate from 8:30AM - 6:00PM. If you would like to have breakfast, then please be at the designated showroom by 8:00AM.

• All participants on the Tour must submit an application and be approved to join the Tour.

• No more than two people from the same company can participate on a single Tour.

• If 2 are attending from the same company, each person must submit an application form.

• Application deadline is October 16, 2024 5PM but note that all Tours fill up quickly so we encourage you to apply early to secure a spot with your requested Tour Guide.  

Avoid being waitlisted for your requested Tour -- Apply Now!

KANDRAC & KOLE BIO
Voted one of “Atlanta's Top 20 Residential Interior Designers” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is an acclaimed design firm with two decades of experience serving residential and commercial clients. Their work has been featured in leading publications across the US. 

Since 2005, Joann and Kelly have built a respected partnership. They are renowned for their dynamic personalities, distinctive use of color, and unique custom designs. Frequently invited to share their insights at industry events and on design panels, they are recognized as diligent business operators who remain approachable and genuine, radiating constant positive energy. 

In 2018, they used their infectious energy to launch their podcast, “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole.” This lively, weekly conversation, where Joann and Kelly share design and industry insights, became so popular that they introduced a series of bonus episodes, “The Inside Scoop with Joann and Kelly,” in 2024. 

Their dedication to the power of interior design also extends to their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala. 

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES

https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole/

https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/

https://twitter.com/KandracKole

https://www.pinterest.com/kandrackole/

A special thank you to our team – Russ Riba with Podcast Studio Network who handles our production and engineering services and makes sure that our sound is polished and professional and to Gayle Mahoney of Gayle Mahoney Branding & Design for production and marketing of the podcast and making sure all information goes out to social media!

Kandrac & Kole Interior Design is growing! Listen for a special annnouncement about our latest endeavor! We are soooo excited!

Listen to today’s episode here: https://spoti.fi/3I46Lve or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch today’s episode on YouTube: https://bit.ly/InsideDesignYouTube

KANDRAC & KOLE BIO

Voted one of “Atlanta's Top 20 Residential Interior Designers” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is an acclaimed design firm with two decades of experience serving residential and commercial clients. Their work has been featured in leading publications across the US.

Since 2005, Joann and Kelly have built a respected partnership. They are renowned for their dynamic personalities, distinctive use of color, and unique custom designs. Frequently invited to share their insights at industry events and on design panels, they are recognized as diligent business operators who remain approachable and genuine, radiating constant positive energy.

In 2018, they used their infectious energy to launch their podcast, “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole.” This lively, weekly conversation, where Joann and Kelly share design and industry insights, became so popular that they introduced a series of bonus episodes, “The Inside Scoop with Joann and Kelly,” in 2024.

Their dedication to the power of interior design also extends to their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES

https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole/

https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/

https://twitter.com/KandracKole

https://www.pinterest.com/kandrackole/

As you all know, we are avid art collectors – big, small, established artists, street art – we are here for it! We realized after our last episode on artists we love, we had to share some more of our favorites. 

Marlise Newman
https://www.shaingallery.com/marlise-newman 
@marlisenewmanart

Holly Irwin
@hollyirwinfineart

Susan Hable 
https://www.hableconstruction.com 
@susanhableart

Arun Drummond
https://www.arundrummond.com

KANDRAC & KOLE BIO

Voted one of “Atlanta's Top 20 Residential Interior Designers” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is an acclaimed design firm with two decades of experience serving residential and commercial clients. Their work has been featured in leading publications across the US. Since 2005, Joann and Kelly have built a respected partnership.

They are renowned for their dynamic personalities, distinctive use of color, and unique custom designs. Frequently invited to share their insights at industry events and on design panels, they are recognized as diligent business operators who remain approachable and genuine, radiating constant positive energy.

In 2018, they used their infectious energy to launch their podcast, “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole.” This lively, weekly conversation, where Joann and Kelly share design and industry insights, became so popular that they introduced a series of bonus episodes, “The Inside Scoop with Joann and Kelly,” in 2024.

Their dedication to the power of interior design also extends to their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala. SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES

https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole/ 
https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/
https://twitter.com/KandracKole/
https://www.pinterest.com/kandrackole/

The Spring High Point Market is almost upon us, and we are organizing our famous must-see list of manufacturers, speakers, and functions to attend in June. We thought it would be a perfect time to share with you our guest today, Lauren Clement, an award-winning, Charlotte-based Interior Designer who has a lot going on with the Market this year. Tune in as Lauren reveals the details behind the LN Shop; plus, she tells us the ins and outs of her business and talks about her collaborations with Benjamin Moore Paints, Charleston Forge and more. 

In this episode:  

• Learn about Lauren’s new website and how she expanded her brand to include design AND on-line shopping with curated rooms to choose from. 
• How COVID positively influenced the growth of her company. 
• What life long loves inspired Lauren’s new collection for Charleston Forge debuting at the Spring High Point Market. 
• Lauren’s experience developing 24 paint colors for Benjamin Moore and what her favorite color is.

 https://www.kandrac-kole.com/our-podcast

We've been in business for 16 years and are fortunate to have acquired many wholesale furniture accounts, as well as having an arsenal of talented artisans that we purchase for both our residential and commercial projects. There are times though that we turn to online sources and catalogs for certain items.  Our wholesale sources may be out of stock, a client has specifically requested something or the products are very unique and not available through our sources. 

In This Episode:

• [04:18] Pottery Barn
• [12:05] Ballard Designs
• [18:44] Etsy 
• [24:09] Crate and Barrel

Key Takeaways:

• Etsy packages often come with hand written thank you notes and the products are packaged well. 
• To avoid shipping damages, communicate with the seller for the best solutions.
• Over 50 inch width benches are perfect for the front of a king or queen-sized bed.
• Pottery barn has an entire home office collection

 Sponsored by Wexel Art:

Wexel Art is a female-owned company by Morgan Doherty and Natasha McCray. They built the company on the principle that showcasing life's little pleasures should be simple and rewarding. The word Wexel means “Change” in German. It started the concept of a floating acrylic panel that works with pairs of magnets to hold your art in place, allowing you to seamlessly change out what is in the frame and seconds. It provides you a contemporary way to showcase your art, photos, and memorabilia without the hassle of custom framing.

 https://www.kandrac-kole.com/our-podcast

As we discussed in our last episode about renovating vs. buying, Joann and I have spent the better part of the previous ten years making selections for renovations and new builds. Finishing touches are a daunting task when you aren’t in the business, so we thought we’d share some of our wisdom by chatting with Stacy Wray, our rep extraordinaire at ProSource Wholesale Marietta, Ga. Stacy talks about being brave when it comes to your flooring, adding tiles to the walls, and the challenges that manufacturers face during the pandemic.

In This Episode:

• [02:00] Introducing Stacy Wray with Kandrac & Kole
• [04:20] How she landed on a job in the renovation.niche
• [10:00] The three talk about safe and convenient flooring 
• [18:00] For the love of colorful cabinets up for sale
• [28:00] What you should know from a designer showroom.

Key Takeaways:

• We can keep tiles all one color, but we can add shapes and textures. And then we've created a lot of dimensions on the floor.
• If you want to do all flooring, go in the laundry room, bathrooms--it can go anywhere.
• People are gravitating more than they used to for the ones that don't take all that downtime, allergies, and sensitivities.
• It's really fun to see people think outside the box.
• It's just fun to see people taking chances and realize you really can't go wrong. You love it. Just go for it.

Meet Stacy Ray 

Stacy Ray, who is our rep extraordinary and showroom manager at Pro source wholesale in Marietta, Georgia

Links Mentioned:

Website: https://www.highpointmarket.org/

Stay at home orders have left Kandrac and Kole swamped with an incredible amount of work this year designing remodels and new construction. We all know that many homeowners now place a high value on making their homes more beautiful and functional. However, for some homeowners, selling can be a much better option – tune into this episode to figure out which one is right for you.

In This Episode: 

• [02:05] How much does it cost to sell a house? 
• [05:50] What to ask yourself before deciding to renovate your home.  
• [10:30] Why the world is your oyster when it comes to remodeling your home. 
• [14:25] The costs involved with remodeling your home.  
• [19:35] Other things to consider when deciding between moving or remodeling.  

Key Takeaways: 

• Selling your house? There’s a good chance you’ll have to do some painting, cleaning, landscaping, and staging. 
• For a kitchen budget, you need to budget for anywhere from 10-25% of your home's value.
• Take your time and hire professionals to help get your renovation done correctly.  
• Talk to your financial planner, real estate agent, and bank before making a decision about renovating or selling. 

Links Mentioned: 

ProSource of Marietta
https://www.prosourcewholesale.com/showrooms/ga-prosource-of-marietta

We are happy to introduce Katerina Rothman to our show today. She is the founder of Beflax Linen which offers 100% pure linen bedding and home décor products for bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. Katerina talks about the importance and benefits of linen, how to choose a suitable fabric for your home, and styling tips using linen.

In This Episode: 

• [02:10] Katerina speaks about the inspiration behind her company, Beflax.  
• [09:00] Why linen is a woman's best friend.  
• [14:31] Linen is so breathable; great for women going through menopause and night sweats. 
• [18:20] About the other products you can enjoy from Beflax. 
• [25:55] Linen is exceptionally durable; linen bedding is going to last at least a decade. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Linen is a luxury fabric; if you are buying high-quality linen, it will never be cheap.
• Linen is a truly versatile fabric; it can come in many different weights and is excellent in a variety of settings.
• The best quality linen is actually coming from Europe, specifically Belgium.
• Linen resists moisture – the fabric will both absorb the moisture and wick it away from your skin, making it great for people suffering from hot flashes. 

Links Mentioned:

Beflax
https://beflaxlinen.com/

Linen Bathrobe
https://beflaxlinen.com/products/decorated-linen-bathrobe-from-everyday-linen-collection

Home Goods
https://www.homegoods.com

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is North America’s largest trade show dedicated to all aspects of kitchen and bath design. It’s how we see the latest products and innovations, as well as hearing from industry leaders. Since we could not attend, we reached out to our design colleagues to fill us in on trends and new introductions. Due to the technical problems this year's virtual event had, many of the items they are sharing were from Signature Kitchen Suites and Kohler, with a few others mixed in. 

In This Episode:

• [01:00] About The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS)
• [08:56] Susie Feia talks about Kohler faucets.
• [10:45] Why touchless faucets should be the next big thing
• [11:10] Elizabeth Shruggs talking about LG home products
• [14:52] Arianne Bellizaire and her lucky find of an under-counter refrigerator
• [17:24] Chelsea Butler talks about benefits of Rev-A-Shelf products
• [20:53] Debbe sharing about a Kohler voice-controlled kitchen faucet
• [22:50] Jessica Duce and dishwasher recommendations 

Key Takeaways:

• Since our homes have become our restaurants and our hotels, you can add in small luxury elements
• Touchless faucets are starting to be added in standard designs 
• Signature Kitchen Suites has an under-counter refrigerator or freezer. These are great for an extra small space and you customize to be a freezer, fridge, or both.
• The Maxx Drawer system from Rev-A-Shelf is the perfect solution for people who want everything in its place and zero clutter
• Moen Smart Water Shut-Off - This valuable tool will detect if there's a leak in your home and will notify you right away.

Links Mentioned:

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show
https://kbis.com/

Moen Whole-Home Plumbing Monitoring with Shut-Off https://meetflo.com/products/smart-water-shutoff

Max Drawer System from Rev-A-Shelf
https://rev-a-shelf.com/27476?

Signature Kitchen Suite
https://www.signaturekitchensuite.com/us

Kohler Faucets
https://www.us.kohler.com/us/kitchen-faucets/article/CNT125900008.htm

We are celebrating our 100th Episode with a very special guest that we are honored to have on the show - award-winning actress, author, activist, and consummate hostess, Marlo Thomas. Marlo serves as the National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and is launching a collaboration with Williams Sonoma - Pottery Barn for an exquisite new tabletop and barware line.

After reviewing our podcast analytics to see which episodes are the biggest hits with our listeners, one of our top requests is to open our hearts and minds to all design-related questions and dilemmas you all have. In this episode, we are answering questions on floor plans, brands, lighting, making mistakes, and more. Tune in as we answer our listener’s questions.

The infamous Robert Rufino, Style Director of House Beautiful Magazine, joins us for an exceptional episode of Inside Design. Robert opens the show explaining how Covid inspired him to reach out to designers and do something extraordinary for them. So, Robert started doing thirty-minute portfolio sessions; he gives designers the gift of time. Then, Robert speaks about why professional photography is so important. After shooting, the film needs to have a certain mystique. Plus, Robert explains why hiring a stylist is absolutely necessary and the importance of collaboration on any shoot.

In This Episode:

• [00:40] About Robert Rufino and his thirty-minute portfolio sessions. 
• [09:00] When Robert is looking at a project, he is looking for a message. 
• [15:50] Professional photography is so important; the film has to have mystery, surprise, and it needs to look unique. 
• [25:00] Robert reveals one of the most unique and memorable shoots that he did.
• [28:20] What Robert wanted to be when he grew up.  
• [36:40] Collaboration is critical on a shoot; Robert tells a story of collaboration when shooting Tiffany's in 1996. 
• [38:50] What Robert has up his sleeve as we enter this new age of 2021.

Key Takeaways:

• Portfolios should have a surprise element that the reader is going to learn something from -  the reader should want to be in that room.
• A portfolio should inspire you to rip out a page, put it in your folder, or pin it up on your bulletin board.
• Hire a stylist; your photos will be 100 times better if you match a good photographer with a stylist. 
• You never know where a good idea is going to come from when you’re on a shoot; collaboration is critical.

Bio: 

Robert is a native New Yorker. His career began at Henri Bendel where he was in charge of window presentation and store design. From there, he ventured into the world of magazines. He has worked for Elle magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Taxi and the New York Times. Robert was also the Vice President of creative services worldwide at Tiffany & Co. For thirteen years. After that, he worked for House Beautiful, Town & Country, Architectural Digest, and Elle Décor. For the last two years, Robert has been the Style Director at House Beautiful Magazine.

Links Mentioned:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therobertrufino/

Portfolio Review: styledirector@housebeautiful.com

Today we give you ten tips on how to set business goals and achieve them. We are so glad that 2020 is over, and we have big aspirations for 2021. Hopefully, the vaccine will turn things around, and we can get back to normal. Because our 2020 goals were sidetracked, our 2021 goals are more critical than ever. One way to ensure you have a great chance of accomplishing your goals is by making them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound). Also, be sure to reevaluate what's working and what's not working throughout the year. Of course, don't be afraid to change something! Please tune in for the rest of our goal-setting tips.

In This Episode:

• [04:45] How to set SMART goals
• [13:50] Why you need to stay aware of your goal progress  
• [15:30] Always give yourself grace when it comes to achieving goals 
• [20:35] Start small and don’t forget to write your goals down 

Key Takeaways:

• It’s okay to dream big; just make sure you know how you’re going to get there. 
• To successfully set a goal, ensure there is some sort of accountability; Facebook is one of the best places for support.
• Constantly evaluate your goal process, and don’t be afraid to adjust your goals throughout the year. 
• Remember, it's okay to pause, breathe, and start over when it comes to reaching your goals.

Resources:

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/

Listen to our interview with Jay Helser on Episode 71 

In this episode of Inside Design with Kandrac and Kole, we talk with guest jewelry designer, Jane Winchester, about her entrepreneurial journey and the creation of a successful, profitable and soulful company at the age of 45.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
1.  No matter what happens in your business, handle it with grace so you can look back and be proud of how you dealt with difficult situations. 

2.  Every successful career has tough stepping stones that became the path for you to follow. 

3.  When starting a business, make sure one of the first things you do is establish your core beliefs. Those beliefs will be the foundation for how you train your team and how you deal with customers.

SPONSOR
We are so thrilled to let you know that we have a new sponsor for this episode – the WithIt Women’s Leadership Development Network. WithIt is a leadership development network for women in the home and furnishings industry. The organization was founded as a not-for-profit dedicated to the belief that women should play a major role in the growth and future of the home and furnishings industries. 

More than 25 years later, they remain dedicated to connecting and educating women at all stages of their careers — from students to C-suite executives. Their programs and events are geared to bring professional development, comfortable networking and connection-building to women working in all segments of the home industry.

A few things to pay attention to when you visit the withit.org website:

A. This year, WithIt has launched a new Mentor Matching Program which allows members to apply to be paired with a mentor. 

B. Mark your calendars for the WithIt Annual Conference held in Greenville, SC on June 10-12th, where 175 women from across the industry will gather to learn new skills, network and be inspired by top notch speakers. 

C. At the conference there will be a workshop designed for small business owners called “Transforming Your Business with EOS: The Entrepreneurial Operating System.” It’s the perfect workshop for the interior designer who feels out of control in her business and wants to implement a system to help them grow.” 

You can learn more about their programs and join at withit.org

KANDRAC & KOLE BIO
Voted one of “Atlanta's Top 20 Residential Interior Designers” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is an acclaimed design firm with two decades of experience serving residential and commercial clients. Their work has been featured in leading publications across the US. 

Since 2005, Joann and Kelly have built a respected partnership. They are renowned for their dynamic personalities, distinctive use of color, and unique custom designs. Frequently invited to share their insights at industry events and on design panels, they are recognized as diligent business operators who remain approachable and genuine, radiating constant positive energy. 

In 2018, they used their infectious energy to launch their podcast, “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole.” This lively, weekly conversation, where Joann and Kelly share design and industry insights, became so popular that they introduced a series of bonus episodes, “The Inside Scoop with Joann and Kelly,” in 2024. Their dedication to the power of interior design also extends to their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala. 

JANE WINCHESTER PARADIS BIO:
Having been born in New England, Jane was raised in Georgia, attended boarding school in Massachusetts, went to college in Florida and then started her career in fashion in NYC. In 1998, Jane launched her first line of accessories, Buzz by Jane Fox. Her collection caught the eye of Lilly Pulitzer, who convinced her to move to Philadelphia and launch their accessories collection, moving up the ladder from Fashion Director to Sr. VP of Creative Communications and Marketing.

In 2017, Jane realized that while she loved her job at Lilly Pulitzer, it was time to build something of her own. Something original – something from scratch and something that connected with women. From there Jane Win was born. https://janewin.com/

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole/

https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/

https://twitter.com/KandracKole/

https://www.pinterest.com/kandrackole/

FUNNY QUOTE 
“Drunk girls in bathrooms are the most empowering and supportive people on the planet, and we should all be more like drunk girls in bathrooms.” - @drunkbetch

SERIOUS QUOTE
“When I interviewed Maya Angelou, she told me to write this sentence on my notepad and never forget it: ‘Every storm runs out of rain.’ I still think of that line to this day.” – Alex Banayan

Let's put 2020 in our rearview mirror, shall we? Before we do, we thought we'd take some time to review the blessings, the fantastic projects, the podcasts, and the people we met along the way! 

The most exciting thing that happened in 2020 was our rebranding - a labor of love to revamp our entire website and service offerings. Come March, we started to realize that all of our exciting international travel and industry events would be canceled. Luckily, we got loads of new work in January and March that kept us happy and busy working from home. We were also fortunate to complete the one room challenge on our podcast studio in May. Tune in as we review more 2020 highlights and speak about the importance of giving back during the 2020 holidays.

Thank You To Our Sponsor: 

Before we dive into our look back at 2020, we want to let you know that this episode of Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole is sponsored by Currey & Co. Currey is mainly known for their extensive lighting collection and supreme craftsmanship. However, over the last 30 years, they have created an extensive line of furniture, upholstery and accessories. Their customer service and commitment and quality is what makes them one of our go to sources. Check them out at curreyandcompany.com. 

In This Episode:

• [03:40] January: working with our multi-family luxury apartment clients
• [05:05] February: started planning for the Spring Highpoint Insiders Tour
• [06:45] March: we pulled together a team for Guatemala
• [08:40] April: everything got canceled, but we were so busy with work 
• [10:05] May: our one room challenge ended up happening
• [12:15] June: vamping up our online design program  
• [16:05] July: existing clients start calling with big projects
• [17:05] August: Zoom calls galore.
• [18:00] September: gearing up to finish our largest project to date – MAA Buckhead
• [19:05] October: starting a large new build in Cartersville
• [22:45] November: cool jobs in East Atlanta are underway
• [23:10] December: we adopted a family for Giving Grace and donated to CRI and other charities

Key Takeaways:

• Gratitude is an effective habit. 
• If you were blessed in 2020, it’s time to give back to someone who really needs it. 
• Sometimes, you have to be forced to pause. 
• If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to reconfigure your business and make lemonade out of lemons. 

Resources:

• One Room Challenge: https://www.kandrac-kole.com/podcasts/the-one-room-challenge-spring-2020-renovating-our-podcast-studio-part-2
• Currey & Co curreyandcompany.com
• Highpoint Market https://www.highpointmarket.org/
• Design Influencers Conference https://designinfluencersconference.com/
• Designers Today Conference https://www.designerstoday.com/event/virtual-designer-experience/
• Giving Grace in Atlanta https://remerge.org/giving-grace/
• Catalyst Resources International  https://www.catalystresources.net/
• Check out our website: https://www.kandrac-kole.com
• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/

What we are going to talk about today is the “science” behind paint, the applications and the many options available. We’ll try to keep it light and not make it sound like a science class! We are excited that our paint representative Rachel Moeller is with us today to share her expertise as she comes with years of experience in the “technology” of paint and coatings. We think you will be surprised to find out that paint is not just paint.

www.kandrac-kole.com/our-podcast

As you know from listening to our podcast over the last three years, you know that we run a very successful interior design firm in Atlanta that is now over 15 years old. We have invested a substantial amount of time and money to continue our education over the years to keep improving our operations, sharpening our design skills and expanding our design knowledge as it pertains to trends, products and resources. 

We love to share our expertise and we are finally formalizing this effort which is what we are going to talk about today!

www.kandrac-kole.com/our-podcast

As the holiday season is upon us, Kelly and I are putting together gift ideas for our families, friends and our amazing team at Kandrac & Kole.  We are also researching ways we can do something charitable to those in need.  We’ve been very blessed this year and it is in our hearts to give back.

We’ve given many interesting and thoughtful gifts through the years and will share those as well as some new ones for everyone on your list! 

We were two of the brave few who attended the Highpoint Furniture Market this Fall. Because of this, we had many peers as well as industry fans watching our every move anxious for all the news about trends. In case you missed many of our social media postings, we wanted to bring you the trends right here on the podcast.

We have to give a huge shout out to the entire Highpoint Market team of showrooms, employees, sales reps etc. – that place was acres and acres of clean and strict COVID protocol everywhere. We felt very safe and at peace with being there. While the streets were empty with 30% attendance and 70% of the showrooms open, we had pre-scheduled around 20 appointments that all proved to be very fruitful. We are so glad we attended. 

For show notes & more: https://www.kandrac-kole.com/our-podcast

Kelly and I are big proponents of original art and know how it can elevate a space and create a truly unique and custom design.  We recorded podcast (Episode #53) entitled “Why Buy Original Art” a couple of years ago.  We talk about the importance of art in design as well as how we were originally intimidated by art galleries and how meeting our guest, Donna Krueger, turned out to be a wonderful experience and a whole new education into the world of art. 

Before we talk to Donna, we wanted to let you know that this episode is sponsored by Currey and Company. Currey is mainly known for their lighting, such as chandeliers, pendants, wall sconces, table and floor lamps and outdoor lighting, however, they have an extensive line of furniture, upholstery and accessories.  They have been in business for over 30 years.  Their customer service, commitment to craftmanship and quality is what makes them one of our go to sources.

Welcome to one of our favorite topics with one of our favorite guests – Sue Wadden, the Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin Williams.  This is Sue’s third appearance on our podcast – we could listen all day to her insights about trends, world events, fashion etc. and how they relate to color. 

1. 1. Before we get started, we wanted to let you know that Episode 90 is sponsored by Helser Brothers hardware. If you are giving your house a refresh during Covid quarantine like so many other Americans, we hope that new window treatments are a part of those improvements. We urge you to look at all that Helser Brothers has to offer as they are our #1 go to company.  Go to HelserBrothers.com and be sure to check out the Artefice collection for a minimalist, contemporary designs that is all forged iron. Also check out their Catalina Outdor collection which is zinc coated for extra weather resistance. 
2. Sue’s background: Fill us in on all you do and how it came to be!
3. Color marketing group 
   1. You might not realize that we participated in one of the CMG’s 2-day Basecamp virtual workshops to help forecast colors for North America in 2021. It was a ton of brain work so we appreciate the work you guys do to forecast these colors and trends even more than we already did!!
4. Colormix color forecast 2021 - 
   1. Described on the SW website as the Rhythm of Color. Rhythm is the secret to how the natural world stays in step. The same sense of balance applies to our personal sense of nature through how we live — and how we design. Fast and slow. Quiet and expressive. Virtual and physical. See it take shape in 40 trend colors, presented in four palettes designed to bring your own rendition of rhythm to beautiful life.

For show notes and mote visit: https://www.kandrac-kole.com/our-podcast

For those of you not in tune to what is happening in the interior design world, get ready.  Everyone in our industry is busier than ever before and having trouble keeping up with the demand.  Contractors can only take on so much work and it’s getting to the point that most people will have to wait until Spring to have a renovation done.  It’s not surprising with the recent pandemic and people being in their homes more than ever.  The chair that was uncomfortable is being replaced, the dated paint colors are being updated.  The money they were going to use for a luxury vacation is being used for some long overdue home projects. 

Before we dig in to share some home projects that will make a huge impact, we wanted to let you know that this episode is sponsored by Currey and Company. Currey is mainly known for their lighting, such as chandeliers, pendants, wall sconces, table and floor lamps and outdoor lighting, however, they have an extensive line of furniture, upholstery and accessories.  They have been in business for over 30 year.  Their customer service, commitment to craftmanship and quality is what makes them one of our go-to sources.

1. Exterior updates

a. Front door – give it a pop with a new color – our favorites:

• • Sherwin Williams SW6430 Great Green
    
  • Sherwin Williams SW6680 Friendly Yellow
    
  • Sherwin Williams SW6606 Coral Reef
    
  • Sherwin Williams SW6596 Bella Piink
    
  • Sherwin Williams SW6220 Interesting Aqua
    

b. Light Fixtures – When I drive through neighborhoods, they are always way too small.  You may not always have a lot of width, and in that case go high.  The tiny, corroded brass fixtures that came with the house need an update!  Look for taller lanterns for a big impact.

c. Door Handle – I’m not sure what the life span of these is but replacing yours with brand new one depending on the style of your home will give you a bang for your buck.  There is a look for modern, rustic, craftsman and traditional homes.

d. House Numbers – Another easy fix that will give your house a fresh look.  – A company called Modern House Numbers has some great ones as well as Frontgate.com for a more traditional look.

3. Interior updates 

a. Stair Runner – A patterned or textured carpet.  Even if you don’t have hardwood on the sides, this is a great way to update and freshen up a carpet that gets a lot of wear and tear.  You can get creative with patterns or colors or even go with a sisal look, something different than the rest of the carpet in your home.

b. Backsplash – This is a project that is quick and makes a big change.  There are so many options to give your kitchen personality.  Look for some great inspiration at tilebar.com and thetileshop.com

c. Wallpaper – We continue to preach this, but it is so true, it adds so much to a space!  Consider wallpapering a ceiling in a dining room or bathroom.

d. Change out your cabinet hardware.  Do a combination of knobs and pulls.  Generally,  pulls on the doors and knobs on the drawers.  One of our favorite sources with several design styles and finishes is Top Knobs.

4. Furniture

a. Swap out mushy pillows and get rid of foam inserts.  Upgrade to better quality pillows and forms to add different colors/textures to make the room feel new.

b. Consider replacing chairs in the kitchen with a bench/host and hostess chair – Break up the seating.   Instead of having 6 of the exact same chair at a table, consider upholstered chairs with arms at the ends and replacing 2 chairs on the side with a bench.  A great way to make a change without getting rid of the whole set.

c. Replace your coffee table – these generally take a lot of abuse. Consider a larger table and style it with books, candles and a basket for remotes.

d. Paint an antique chair, chest or table in a fun color.  Either something you’ve been storing or go to a local antique shop or flea market.  

We are honored to have Franki Durbin as our guest on the show today. We were introduced to Franki by Cheminne Taylor-Smith who did some coaching for us as a referral to create our new website.  Franki works with high-end creative service providers, entrepreneurs, influencers and luxury brands to build memorable and rockstar quality brands.  Her unique “POSITION FOR PROFIT” approach ensures you become irresistible to your perfect clients and firmly stand out in your niche so you can step into the fullness of your unlimited potential!

Before we get started we wanted to let you know that this episode of Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole is sponsored by Helser Brothers Hardware, a fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware. It is run by brothers Jay and Mark Helser.  They’ve been in business for 24 years and have an outstanding reputation.  They offer competitive and simple pricing and orders over $100 ship free. 

Check out the gallery at helserbrothers.com to see gorgeous window treatments using their hardware. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and be sure to listen to our podcast interview with Jay Helser on Episode 71.

• What do you to determine a strategy with your clients?

2. Branding

• Tell us how you approach clients in regard to branding
• What are some of the critical points?

3. Messaging

• You say words matter.  What do you mean by that and how do you help with writing copy?

• When we were creating our website, one of the first things we did was give Franki website inspiration. We sent her links to sites that we liked, for example, the navigation, the photography, the wording, etc.  Several of these sites were NOT interior design related which was a good exercise for us.  We didn’t want to imitate our competition and we wanted to make sure that it worked well on ALL devices.
• We discussed logo, color, font, and how we wanted our portfolio to look.  A few things we didn’t have in our last website was a “shop page”, an e-design link, a pop up inviting you to receive our newsletter and a rolling Instagram feed.

• Talk about the importance of this

• Behinds the scenes (the back end of the website) – this is where Franki really helped us.  We did not have a clue as to how any of this worked.  Tell us about SEO, the keywords, and what you did to help us be found in searches.
• Tell us about SEO, the keywords and what you did to help us be found in searches.

• Talk about the built-in analytics tools that measure performance and traffic  

• One of the great advantages of working with you was all of the training videos you shared with us so that we could make changes on our own.  Square Space is very intuitive and it allows us to add press, new projects or change verbiage, a great way for us to keep our website from being stagnant.

Show notes and more: https://www.kandrac-kole.com/our-podcast

We’ve been in business for 15 years now and still consider it an important part of our jobs to educate our clients on what things actually cost. It seems like everybody is wanting to improve their homes after being cooped up for long during this pandemic, so we figured this was the perfect time to don our teacher hats and have the discussion about WHAT THINGS COST.

Before we dive in, we wanted to let you know that this episode is sponsored by Currey & Company.  Currey & Company is a family owned business based in Atlanta that we rely heavily on for distinctive lighting, furniture and accessories.  We invite everybody to visit their website curreyandcompany.com to see all their products or follow #curreyco or #curreycohospitality on Instagram to see tons of amazing photos of their products in homes.  

2. Countertops 

We find ourselves using mostly Quartz for countertops lately, but granite and marble are still very much in the game.  

Let’s review them all: 

• Marble – Marble is very luxurious and we LOVE the look but just be aware that marble is a bit of a diva. This natural stone is porous so it needs regular sealing and daily cleaning. It can also stain and chip so you won’t want to choose this for heavy use.  The cost is $75-$250/sq. ft. 
  
• Granite – Granite prices have dropped drastically in the last 10 years as it has gained popularity. The finishes tend to be a bit busier than Marble and quartz.  If we use granite, we prefer the finish to be leathered or honed. Cost is $45-$200 per sq. ft. 
  
• Quartz – Quartz is an engineered product so it won’t have the raw beauty of granite or marble but the variety of finishes is still amazing and the color is consistent so they tend to not be quite as busy to the eye. Quartz is non-porous and very tough. Cost is $55-$155/sq. ft. 
  

Notes:

a. Remnants, make sure to pick your slab for Marble and Granite
b. Prices quoted usually include install. 
c. Other options like Concrete, Butcher Block, Reclaimed Wood, Stainless Steel and laminate are options but we will discuss on another episode! 

3. Wallpaper 

If we had our way (and most of the time we do), we use wallpaper on every job. The cost varies widely depending on the quality, brand name and material but the average cost falls somewhere between $15-$50 per single rolls.  A few things to know about wallpaper from our experience: 

• Wallpaper is priced per single roll but in most cases sold in double rolls. 
  
• Leave the measuring to your wallpaper hanger – they will need to know the repeat and the material. 
  
• Super fun for powder rooms and laundry rooms 
  
• The average cost of labor to install: ?/roll
  

4. Decorative pillows

We don’t get much push back on our pricing, but eyebrows usually rise at the cost of quality throw pillows. Luxury throw pillows may cost upwards of $50 to $250 or more, especially if custom-made. Throw pillows are often expensive due to the fabric used, shape, and design. It is possible to find inexpensive throw pillows, but the quality of construction, level of design, and comfort may be sacrificed. 

A few things to note: 

• Hidden Zipper
  
• Inserts with 50% down and 50% feathers
  
• Inserts should be 2” bigger than the pillow cover for proper fullness so a 20x20” pillow would have a 22” insert. 
  
• Both sides fabric – some will have a cheaper solid fabric on the back. 
  
• Quality of fabric and workmanship

5. Hardwood floors 

Hardwood floors come in such a variety of materials, finishes and plank size that it can be very overwhelming – even for us! We will break it down for you. 

• Real Unfinished Hardwood Floors: Price will vary with wood species, plank width and length, finish and thickness.  Price: $5-$13/sq. ft..
  
• Engineered Hardwood floors: These are a real wood veneer over another wood like plywood. More durable than real hardwoods but you can only refinish once or twice. Cost is slightly more at $6-$15/sq. ft. 
  
• Vinyl Plank flooring (also call LVT or LVP): A more common choice these days due to great qualities such as being waterproof, won’t scratch or fade, doesn’t require wax is LVP. Cost: $2-$7/sq. ft. 

6. Furniture 

1. 1. Sofa:  Quality drives the price in all these areas - $500 - $4000
      
   2. Chair: $300-$1500
      
   3. Table/Chairs:  Chairs - $300-$800
      

Notes: 

• Think about your transport timeline – how long will you keep it? 
  
• How trendy are you? 
  
• Do you have kids/pets? 
  

 7. Lighting

1. Chandelier: $400 - $1800
   
2. Table lamp: $150 - $400
   
3. Quality, voltage, size 
   
4. Does not apply to custom made 

Welcome to the Inside Scoop where we will delve into the story behind ETU home, an innovative kitchen lifestyle brand inspired by European designs. They recreate authentic products from reclaimed wood and recycled glass, making their product line totally green and sustainable. They ethically source quality materials such as salvaged beams. Each piece is finished by hand with eco-friendly beeswax and plant-based mineral oil elements.

For our loyal listeners, ETU Home is offering 20% off all products. Go to etuhome.com and use code KANDK20 at checkout. Instagram: @etu.home

Listen to today’s episode here: https://spoti.fi/3I46Lve
Watch today’s episode on YouTube: https://bit.ly/InsideDesignYouTube

KANDRAC & KOLE BIO

Voted one of “Atlanta's Top 20 Residential Interior Designers” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is an acclaimed design firm with two decades of experience serving residential and commercial clients. Their work has been featured in leading publications across the US.

Since 2005, Joann and Kelly have built a respected partnership. They are renowned for their dynamic personalities, distinctive use of color, and unique custom designs. Frequently invited to share their insights at industry events and on design panels, they are recognized as diligent business operators who remain approachable and genuine, radiating constant positive energy.

In 2018, they used their infectious energy to launch their podcast, “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole.” This lively, weekly conversation, where Joann and Kelly share design and industry insights, became so popular that they introduced a series of bonus episodes, “The Inside Scoop with Joann and Kelly,” in 2024.

Their dedication to the power of interior design also extends to their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala.

Social Media Handles

https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole/ 
https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/
https://twitter.com/KandracKole/
https://www.pinterest.com/kandrackole/

We’re excited to be doing another podcast where we answer questions from our audience related to interiors or challenges they face in their home. There’s a lot of information at our disposal with shelter magazines, Houzz, Pinterest, and Interior Design blogs but sometimes there might just be a little something nagging at you that you can’t seem to find an answer to. Well, here we are!

Before we get onto your questions, we wanted to let you know this episode is sponsored by Helser Brothers Hardware. Helser Brothers is led by the dynamic duo of Jay and Mark Helser. Not only are they innovators in the field of drapery hardware, they are highly complimentary business partners. They have a passion for providing high-quality and innovative products along with outstanding service.

Kelly and I really believe that a well-designed room isn’t complete without custom window treatments. We use Helser Brothers drapery hardware in almost every single project. Our favorites are the French pole and metal rods and finials. You can go to the gallery link on their website (helserbrothers.com) to see an array of fabricated treatments with the use of their hardware. Helser is open for business during Covid and is shipping the majority of their orders within 10 business days. They can customize anything and any order over $100 ships free. You can find them at Helser brothers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Listen to our interview with Jay Helser on Episode 71.

1) Elizabeth from Connecticut – What kind of art should be hung over a busy wallpaper?

2) Amanda from Kentucky – Help with custom window treatments

3) Dexter from Charleston – What kind of window shades that can be used with technology, i.e., opening and closing from your ipad or iphone.

4) Lindsay from Nashville – Best background/lighting for Zoom calls

5) Donna – how to treat a large staircase wall

6) What are the best type of pendant lights and finish for over a kitchen island

Today we are thrilled to bring a new guest to you. She is not only our friend and industry colleague but a woman we have learned a lot from over the years. LuAnn Nigara began her career more than 30 years ago as a co-owner of Window Works, an award-winning window treatment and awning retailer in NJ. Now she’s also the host of the top-rated interior design podcast called A Well Designed Business, is a highly sought after speaker and an author of two top-rated books on well-designed businesses.

With so many of us reinventing ourselves and our businesses during the Covid crisis, we thought that now was the perfect time for us to have a lively chat with Luann.

2. SPONSOR

Before we get started and say hello to Luann, we want to tell you that Episode 85 is sponsored by Currey & Company, our go to lighting, furniture and accessory manufacturer. Currey & Company has not skipped a beat during the pandemic – their inventory is plentiful and they are shipping without delays. When you visit their website curreyandcompany.com, we want to draw your attention to the Designer Gallery. It is a wonderful way to see their products in situ and in particular a great way to check out the scale of each piece. Currey and Company is very active on all social media platforms so check them out.

3. ON WITH THE SHOW – WHAT’S YOUR WHY? 

So let’s jump into this episode and welcome LuAnn Nigara!

 The last we saw each other, we were sitting at a beautiful dinner in Napa, CA put on by Signature Kitchen Suites and Design Hounds. It was a blast! I remember you turning to us and asking us “What is your WHY?” 

As we are all navigating unchartered territories with our businesses during Covid 19, this seemed like a great place to start to allow our listeners to hear what you’re all about when you coach others.  

So what do you mean by What is your WHY? 

4. CHARGING YOUR WORTH

We were doing a photo shoot yesterday of one of our multi-family projects and our photographer was telling us how she’s branching out with new kinds of photography as helping designers with installations to keep  income coming in. She was explaining to us how she was recently asked to shoot an Airbnb for the ridiculous sum of $200 and obviously had to turn it down. 

You talk a lot about this subject so we would be interested in your business advice during these crazy times when everybody is desperate to keep their pipeline busy on how to maintain your value and continue to charge what you are worth. 

5. FLEXIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

Luann, your wealth of knowledge and gregarious, meaningful advice to our industry is so amazing. Your website is a treasure trove of insightful tools for a well-designed business. 

As we mentioned, you are a sought-after speaker and the queen of live events. With many of these events on hold right now, what solutions have you come up with for YOUR business? 

To Keep up with Luann and tap in to all she can offer you and your business, go to her website luannigara.com, tune into her podcast “A Well Designed Business” and be sure to purchase both of her books on Amazon – The Making of a Well-Designed Business and A Well-Designed Business, The Power Talk Friday Experts.  Thank you Luann!

Show notes & more: https://www.kandrac-kole.com/podcasts/business-advice-from-luann-nigara

One of the best parts of our job is meeting and working with a lot of wonderful people. In our 15 years in business we’ve accumulated a large list of clients and projects. Newlyweds, couples with small children, couples with children going off to college, newly single people as well as empty nesters. We’ve done big spaces, small spaces, an entire first floor, an entire house, and lots of remodels.

Today our guest is one of our FAVORITE clients (seriously)! Rob and his wife first hired us in 2013. Over a three-year period, we worked on their foyer, family room, bar area, 2 daughter’s bedrooms and baths, a guest bath, laundry room, and master bathroom (which has been saved to thousands of idea books on Houzz). Show notes & more: https://www.kandrac-kole.com/podcasts/Learning From A Client New Build

This episode of part II of a two part series about the One Room Challenge and the complete transformation of our Podcast Studio. We encourage you to go back and listen to Episode 82 but in quick summary, The One Room Challenge is a virtual design event in it’s 17th season where 20 chosen influencers around the country are asked to transform a space with the help of ORC Sponsors. As chosen designers, we are then responsible for blogging about the transformation over the course of 8 weeks. So by the time you listen to this podcast episode, the final reveal will be on our blog!

OUR SPONSOR

Before we dive in, we want to let you know that this episode is sponsored by Currey & Company. Coincidentally, Currey is also a sponsor of the ORC and you can see the gorgeous console we used in our studio on the blog. Currey is a go to for us for lighting and casegoods because they have a well curated variety of styles, colors and textures in all of their products.  If you are one of those people who have multiple boring flush mounted lights throughout your home (we call them boob lights), check out the new James Flush Mount – a MUCH better alternative! Check them out at curreyandcompany.com.

1. Progress this week

In our last episode we told you about the furniture that we chose to comfortably sit and work in our studio as well as our statement lighting.

In this episode we want to let you know about some of the finishing touches we added to make our studio bright, colorful and inspiring to us at creative creatures!

1. Original Art Gallery featuring all women artists
2. 1. Windy O’Connor – Charlotte, NC
   2. Taylor Cox – Atlanta, GA
   3. Laura Park – Charlotte, NC
   4. Gee Gee Collins – Minneapolis, MN
   5. Pamela Copeman – Boston, MA
   6. Assortment of art from Minted.com
3. Tips to hanging a gallery
   1. Custom Creations intro
   2. Ceiling mounted Architrac Hardware from United Supply
   3. Ripplefold header
   4. Cutting the crown molding so panels can go wall to wall
4. Fabricut panels to hide design products
   1. Additional sound absorption
   2. Hung on existing Helser Brothers wall to wall hardware
5. Calico Corners panels to hide frame our Currey Console
   1. “Sticker You” 40”w x 60”h  logo in removeable white vinyl so it looks like it’s painted on the wall
   2. Vector file with exact CMYK branded colors created by Emory Kole
   3. Cost: $60
6. Logo on the wall
7. CatMax Photography – big shout out
8. Produce Your Podast – big shout out
   1. Final Blog with big reveal – Wednesday, June 24th
   2. Check out all the sponsors and other designers involved at the end of each podcast – you can learn a lot from these blogs and most definitely be inspired!
   3. Thank you ORC and founder Linda Weinstein!
9. ORC Finale

1. INTRO

We were honored to be asked to participate in the One Room Challenge. Twenty design influencers were selected from around the U.S. to take the challenge of transforming a room and documenting the process and sharing their sources and professional advice over eight weekly posts. The One Room Challenge™ is currently in its seventeenth season, a highly anticipated bi-annual event held every April and October.

This Episode is Sponsored by Helser Brothers Hardware. Helser brothers are a fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware. It is run by Brothers Jay and Mark. Jay was an expert independent drapery installer and designs new products that are install friendly and engineered for strength and Mark, a talented metal worker with a mind of an engineer, has been regarded as a mechanical genius by all who know him.

Helser has an outstanding reputation and has been in business for 24 years. Their customer service agents known as “The Rod Squad” include retired interior designers and drapery workroom owners with decades of experience.

They can customize anything and any order over $100 is shipped free. you can see their products at helserbrothers.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Listen to our interview with Jay Helser on Episode 71.

It’s interesting that in deciding to do our podcast studio as the space for the One Room Challenge, COVID was not a thing. Now that so many of us are working from home and doing zoom calls, it seems appropriate that this update is very relevant to those working at home and trying to make their space functional and visually attractive at the same time.

Episode 1 hit the airwaves in January of 2018. We have been recording in the same spot and we are now recording Episode 82. One thing that we are not changing is our production company called “Produce Your Podcast”. They offer a full service, turn-key remote recording service with a live engineer in broadcast quality and then do all of the editing, sound mixing and post production of the podcast. One thing we determined from the very beginning was that we wanted high quality sound. Nothing worse than listening to a podcast that is hard to hear or fuzzy. Another goal of ours is to “video” our podcasts. We have found that there are some people who don’t either like to listen to podcasts or don’t know how. We purchased a ring light and that’s about as far as we’ve gotten for right now.

2. OUR PODCAST STUDIO

A. Located in the Kandrac & Kole Office

i. A 2-story house located in a culdesac of 8 historic homes that are all businesses – We work on the top floor and use the bottom floor for storage and a conference room where we do client presentations.

B. Prior to the Renovation:

i. A space that we kept overflow fabric books and various finish samples such as carpet, tile, countertop material, wallpaper samples, etc. This is where we WERE recording our podcast because if offered good sound absorption and we figured no one would “see us”.

3. WHAT WE DID

A. Removed everything from the space to start fresh

i. We had a lot of fabric samples on the wall where we used the Rubbermaid Fast Track Wall Organizing System. Read our blog – Week 2 that shows this versatile system that works great for fabrics or any other type of wall organization.

B. We painted over the original green color in Sherwin Williams Spare White – SW6204 – light and bright! Thank you to Sherwin Williams for donating the paint and to Verge and Associates in Atlanta for painting the room for us. Listen to Podcast Episode #55 where we talk about our favorite white paint colors. Also, check out Sherwin Williams “Designer Color Collection”. An exclusive collection of 200 new colors, including brighter and purer whites.

C. We selected the entire paint palette for the space – We did a rebrand at the end of 2019 with the help of Franki Durbin (frankidurbin.com) and Emory Kole Designs. The color palette for the brand, and our podcast studio is navy, blush pink and chartreuse.

D. We determined the needs and function for the space

i. Good sound absorption

ii. Comfortable chairs for ourselves and guests of the podcast

iii. A way to hide the design resources we still needed in the space (fabrics and finish samples)

iv. A way to organize and hide our equipment wires

v. Larger microphones for more comfortable speaking posture – we use the Audio Technica AT2005USB

vi. Artwork that would energize and inspire us

vii. Statement lighting

4. OUR SPONSORS

A. LIGHTING - Blueprint Lighting out of New York – Known for custom handmade lighting that is mid-century modern inspired and handcrafted with quick lead times. They work with designers, decorators and architects.

We chose the 3 Arm Monarch Chandelier – you can customize the enamel color. We went with a blush/pink to fit our brand color. Check out their website – blueprintlighting.com to see their ceiling fixtures, pendants, flush mounts, floor lamps and wall lamps and sconces. One of our favorites is the Tuxedo Wall Sconce!

B. FURNITURE

i. Woodbridge Furniture - Our Podcast Table – the Helene Breakfast Table – we needed a fairly small round wood table to fit in the space and this was perfect at 44” round. It has a light wood finish that we knew we would have to make grommet holes into for wire management. Very distracting with lots of wires around!

A big thank you to Woodbridge, high end brand of case goods, dining, occasional and outdoor furniture.They make beautiful traditional and transitional pieces and many can be customized in any color with a paint chip or specific manufacturer’s color. We LOVE their barstools and tables. Check them out at woodbridgefurniture.com. and see their new collection from Lauren Liess – I especially love the Revival Chair, Counter and Bar Stool.

ii. Fairfield Chair –4 Swivel Chairs to go around the table. They are called the Tipsy Swivel Chair. They are a petite tight back chair with a brass base at the bottom. You can add nail trim to the chair and it’s also available with a dual USB port. We elected to do a COM, which means “Customer’s Own Material”. We used a fabric in the Trend Line of Fabricut, another wonderful sponsor.

We chose Fabric #04250 in a solid chartreuse color which came from the Vern Yip book called Palisades Velvet. Fairfield is a major U.S. manufacturer established in 1921 of fine upholstered seating for home, office and hospitality as well as headboards and case goods. They partnered with interior designer, television personality and lifestyle expert Libby Langdon to design several upholstery pieces and case goods as well as bedroom furniture, which is a first for Fairfield. These gorgeous pieces debuted at the October High Point Market. They have a huge variety of products, fabrics and finishes and we appreciate their generous donation. Check them out at fairfield.com

iii. Currey and Company – We chose the Thea Credenza in a light wood finish with 2 cabinet doors (with 4 shelves) and 2 drawers. This is where we will house our podcast equipment and keep it nice and tidy behind the cabinet doors. If you are regular listeners of our podcast, you know that Currey Is our go to lighting source that also sells beautiful furniture and accessories. Their high quality products and customer service have made them one of our all time favorite vendors.

In our next Episode #83 we will dive into the fabrics we selected, the amazing artists that grace our art gallery wall, our podcast tile logo on the wall, and the professional photography of the space.

Today is Part II of a super interesting conversation we started on Episode 80 with our friend and design industry guru Veronika Miller-Eagleson. 

To bring you up to speed on Veronika,  she is the CEO of Modenus Media, a comprehensive online resource for design professionals and design enthusiasts, whether its client to designer, manufacturer to consumer, or blogger to fellow blogger, Modenus works daily to grow and enrich our design community.  She is also Founder of Designhounds, a network of over 500 design influencers.  Veronika is a great friend and highly respected in our industry. 

In other words, we trust her opinion.

We have some interesting topics to dive into today and invited Veronika Miller-Eagleson as a person “in the know”. She is the CEO of Modenus Media, a comprehensive online resource for design professionals and design enthusiasts, whether its client to designer, manufacturer to consumer, or blogger to fellow blogger, Modenus works daily to grow and enrich our design community. She is also Founder of Designhounds, a network of over 500 design influencers. Veronika is a great friend and highly respected in our industry.

Before we get started we wanted to let you know that this episode of Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole is sponsored by Helser Brothers Hardware. Several key roles play a factor in the continued success of Helser Brothers. They offer competitive and simple pricing, free shipping on orders over $100, original custom designs and a six point check and balance system to ensure clients get what they order each and every time.

I love that they are trained to patiently help designers work out solutions for difficult window configurations.

Helser Brothers makes drapery hardware for designers all over the country. A review from a designer in Denver says “For over 18 years, I have worked with Helser and I am thankful to have such a great company to work! They have evolved over the years and continue to add new styles, colors, and designs to keep up with the current trends. They offer a beautiful product and have the ability to design whatever you can create. They are my go to for providing "support" for all my creative creations! They are the best”. Visit Helser Brothers at helserbrothers.com

An interesting Forbes article was written by Jamie Gold on March 31, 2020 on how the pandemic will change our American home. The perspective of 8 thought leaders was given and Veronika was included.

2. HEALTHIER SPACES AND MATERIALS

A. Germ resistant countertops and flooring

B. Self-sanitizing door handles

C. Smart filtration systems

D. Smart toilets (pre-wiring near the toilet).

3. PANDEMIC PROTECTION

A. A greater need to store non-perishables and frozen foods

B. Bulk Storage/Smarter Pantries

C. Wine and Beer Storage

 4. MORE NATURE CONNECTIONS

A. Biophilia will move from trendy to necessary. (DEFINITION OF BIOPHILIA: the rich, natural

pleasure that comes from being surrounded by living organisms”).

i. Indoor plant schemes including lighting

ii. Green walls

iii. Indoor vegetable gardens

iv. Integrated screens/monitors for nature sounds/visuals throughout the house

v. Improved outdoor spaces

5. INCREASED SOCIAL CONNECTION

A. Easy to use tech (especially for seniors)

B. Communication options

i. Zoom

ii. Facebook Portal

iii. In Home Virtual Exercise products

1. Peloton

2. Mirror Gym

3. Echelon

6. IMPROVED HOME OFFICE SPACES AND TECHNOLOGY

A. No dining table or den

B. Designed for teleconferencing

C. Removed from the rest of the home to minimize household distractions

6. CHANGES IN HOW WE SOURCE PRODUCT

A. Markets

B. Trade Shows

7. WHAT CAN WE DO NOW?

A. Business as usual where it’s safe?

B. Reaching out to existing clients with upgrades that make sense?

8. NEWS FROM GERMANY:

A. Can you share with us some interesting news you’ve been following?

We are many weeks into the COVID-19 Quarantine at the time we are recording this so we thought we should have a light-hearted show today. We hope you don’t mind if we use this opportunity to have a little more fun than usual this week! We thought we’d share some funny stories about us as individuals, our company and our projects.

Before we get started we wanted to let you know that this episode of Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is sponsored by one of our go-to lighting manufacturers - Currey & Co. They have a bunch of new introductions in all collections – mirrors, furniture and lighting for Spring 2020 that are amazing.  One of our new favorites is the Samoa chandelier that is hand woven from Abaca rope.  Also check out the new Tulipano pendant that is a lantern in white gesso iron with a blooming flower in the middle. Ideal for a powder room. 

1. Us in the beginning – Office-wise  
2. 1. Working from home 
   2. Our Storage Unit 
   3. Our proposals and excel spreadsheets
   4. Our daytimers 
   5. No staff – schlepping – Trying to put the big rug in my car that was the last straw and forced us to hire an assistant.
   1. Our go-to paint colors 
   2. 1. Ruskin Room Green
      2. Duron red dining rooms
      3. Whole Wheat
   3. Silk arrangements
   4. Accessorizing above cabinets
   5. Bedskirts
3. Us in the beginning – design wise 
   1. THE BPN with David Shepherd
   2. Tobi Fairley Mastermind
   3. Design Camp with Kelli Ellis and Lori Dennis
   4. Window Coverings – Washington DC
   5. The Business of Design with Kimberly Seldon
   6. ADAC Keynotes
   7. Design Bloggers/Influencers Conferences
   8. Cheminne Taylor Smith
4. Our industry education/Coaching
   1. Highpoint
   2. Milan 
   3. Napa 
   4. Guatemala
5. Travel over the years 
   1. Laughing at the front door – calling home
   2. Dog throw up on the steps
   3. Cat pee on the new silk panels 
6. Projects/clients over the years
   1. Kelly 
   2. 1. Writing
      2. Technology 
      3. Reading blueprints
      4. OCD office cleanliness 
      5. Window Treatments 
      1. Wallpaper
      2. Kitchen & Bath selections
      3. Paint selections 
      4. Working with our bookkeeper 
      5. Reading the newspaper 
   3. Joann 
7. Who’s in charge of what 
   1. Travel to Morocco together
   2. Kelly – Guatemala, Spain, Ireland, Thailand 
   3. Joann – Italy, Greece 
   4. New office environment – coworking space? At home? Small loft? 
   5. Diversifying our business even more – Residential, Commercial, E-design, speaking
8. When we get released – our goals and dreams

We met Linda Holt at “Design Camp” in Atlanta in 2013. She was new in the design business and now has a beautiful portfolio of work and an extremely well written and interesting blog. Besides being a talented interior designer, she has now created an interesting new offering – assisting people on how to improve their cell phone photography with some impressive and easy tools.

-

This Episode is Sponsored by Helser Brothers Hardware. Helser brothers are a fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware. It is run by Brothers Jay and Mark. Jay was an expert independent drapery installer and designs new products that are install friendly and engineered for strength and Mark, a talented metal worker with a mind of an engineer, has been regarded as a mechanical genius by all who know him.

Helser has an outstanding reputation and has been in business for 24 years. Their customer service agents known as “The Rod Squad” include retired interior designers and drapery workroom owners with decades of experience.

They can customize anything and any order over $100 is shipped free. you can see their products at helserbrothers.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Listen to our interview with Jay Helser on Episode 71.

1. INTRO

Linda worked as a professional photographer in Boston for 25 years. She specialized in headshots and portfolios for actors and models. As much as she loved running her photography business, chronic neck pain from years of lifting heavy DSLR cameras and heavy equipment had taken its toll. She was told by a spinal specialist that it was time to put down the camera for good or she would soon be facing spinal surgery.

At the time that she was told to give up that career, the recession hit. In 2009 she closed the photography studio and went back to school for Interior Design, a lifelong passion. In 2011 she started her interior design business, Linda Holt Creative and a Design Blog called “Focus on Creativity”.

2. IPHONE TIPS AND TRICKS: How did this become your “claim to fame”?

3. WHAT IS THE ISOLATING AT HOME CELL PHONE PHOTO CHALLENGE ON FACEBOOK?

4. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PHOTO APS?

5. TOP TIP: Clean your lens. Listen in for more tips!

WOW these are unprecedented times we are in right now with CO-VID 19 ruling our world. We thought that since the vast majority of people around the world are sequestered in their homes now would be the perfect time for us to lend a helping hand – virtually that is.  If you are looking around your home and feeling the need to improve your surroundings, we’ve got lots of tips for you today.

1. SPONSORED BY  - Before we dig in, we want to let you know that this Episode of Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole is sponsored by our favorite lighting company Currey & Company.  We highly recommend you go to their website https://curreyandcompany.com and checkout their lighting, furniture, mirrors, accessories and upholstery.

With spring upon us definitely check out their Outdoor collection – they have a series of outdoor benches that are super cool and unique including some concrete benches that look beautiful in a garden.

Currey & Company is a “to the trade only” company so if you are not a designer, you can either find the product pricing via google or contact your local designer. If you are designer, this is a must account to have open.

In this episode we’ve reached out to design colleagues from around the country to share with us trends they saw this year at the Spring High Point Market. They will be filling us in on the latest trends such as color, furniture, lighting, and what they saw that was new and exciting. We’re excited to hear their insights and get a feel for where things are heading in the design world.

Listen to today’s episode here: https://spoti.fi/3I46Lve

Watch today’s episode on YouTube: https://bit.ly/InsideDesignYouTube

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1.  Trends are shifting toward more organic and tactile elements with an emphasis on comfort, texture and warmth.

2. The color palette throughout High Point Market was earthy tones like terracotta, sage green and blues.

3. A focus on pleated and fabric shades on lighting. 

SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by Thibaut Design.

Established in 1886, they are the oldest continuously operating wallpaper company in the United States. Did you know Thibaut offers rugs now? Thibaut introduces Areas, a debut collection of custom cut-to-order area rugs featuring exclusive, in-house designs. This new category expansion showcases nine distinct styles, shipped to doorsteps in 10 days. You can even opt for hand serging as an upgrade! Thibaut Areas will be available through showroom locations and representatives by the end of May. To learn more, visit www.thibautdesign.com/areas/podcast.

KANDRAC & KOLE BIO

Voted one of “Atlanta's Top 20 Residential Interior Designers” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is an acclaimed design firm with two decades of experience serving residential and commercial clients. Their work has been featured in leading publications across the US.

Since 2005, Joann and Kelly have built a respected partnership. They are renowned for their dynamic personalities, distinctive use of color, and unique custom designs. Frequently invited to share their insights at industry events and on design panels, they are recognized as diligent business operators who remain approachable and genuine, radiating constant positive energy.

In 2018, they used their infectious energy to launch their podcast, “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole.” This lively, weekly conversation, where Joann and Kelly share design and industry insights, became so popular that they introduced a series of bonus episodes, “The Inside Scoop with Joann and Kelly,” in 2024.

Their dedication to the power of interior design also extends to their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala.

WEBSITE: https://www.kandrac-kole.com/

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole/

https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/

https://twitter.com/KandracKole/

https://www.pinterest.com/kandrackole/

This Episode is Sponsored by Helser Brothers Hardware.

Helser brothers are a fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware.  It is run by Brothers Jay and Mark.  Jay was an expert independent drapery installer and designs new products that are install friendly and engineered for strength and Mark, a talented metal worker with a mind of an engineer, has been regarded as a mechanical genius by all who know him.

Helser has an outstanding reputation and has been in business for 24 years.  Their customer service agents known as “The Rod Squad” include retired interior designers and drapery workroom owners with decades of experience.

They can customize anything and any order over $100 is shipped free.  You can see their products at helserbrothers.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Listen to our interview with Jay Helser on Episode 71. 

1. Intro 

Today we are super excited to sit down and chat with long-time friend and CEO of the infamous lighting brand Currey & Co. Brownlee Currey. Currey & Company (https://curreyandcompany.com) is a wholesale manufacturer of not only lighting but furniture and accent pieces as well. Their innovative furnishings can be found around the world in residential, contract and hospitality spaces. Celebrating their 32nd year in business, we’ve got lots to chat about with Brownlee.

This podcast is sponsored by the one and only https://curreyandcompany.com.

2. Welcome Brownlee!

A little background – I never realized that your Mom and Dad, Susan and Robert actually started the company back in 1988 as a purveyor of historic garden furnishings. Which actually makes perfect sense since we’ve been to their beautiful home in Sparta and walked thru the gardens. How did the business expand to lighting and furnishings and where did you jump in?

3. Your Travels

Currey is headquartered in Atlanta but employs approx. 550 people throughout the U.S., the Philippines, China and India. We live vicariously thru you watching all of your unique travels on Facebook. Tell us about visiting your factories and what you do when you are there.

Currey has quite a special menu of benefits you offer your employees – tell us about how you invest in your people. 

4. Your Hobby – Bonsai

If you are a designer and have visiting a Currey showroom especially at High Point, you will notice a beautiful and unique collection of Bonsai trees in all different shapes and sizes around the showroom.  I’ve never appreciated Bonsai trees until I saw how beautiful they are in your showroom. Tell us a little bit more about this passion of yours.

5. The Future

Besides your incredible 16,000 sq. ft. showroom in Highpoint and your newly renovated showrooms in Dallas and Las Vegas, what else is coming down the pike for Currey?

As a manufacturer and importer, what are your thoughts on the corona virus as well as tarrifs?

We are happy to introduce our guests this morning Peter and Holly Ranney.  They are the founders of “Sunshine on a Ranney Day” which is a non-profit organization that renovates homes for children with special needs here in Atlanta.  Through partnerships and donors, they provide, at no cost, wheelchair accessible bathrooms, dream bedrooms and in-home therapy rooms.

A. The history:

1. When was it founded?

2. What inspired them to create this?

B. How does it run?

1. Board members

2. General contractors

3. Interior Designers

4. Volunteers

C. How are kids chosen?

a. Application Process – posted twice per year

D. Partners:  To name a few, Rooms to Go, Cambria, Delta, The Braves, California Closets, as well as Media Partners, WSB, I Heart Media and Non-Profit partners, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Make a Wish Georgia and Camp Twin Lakes.  Please see the website for the entire list.

1. Tell us about some of the projects

2. What was the most memorable project?

3. Do you plan to expand outside of the Atlanta area?

4. How can people get involved?

Shelly Rosenberg has been a luxury interior designer in Dallas for 20 years.  As a mother of 3 children with learning differences and special needs, she has dedicated her profession to creating and designing adaptive spaces towards what she calls the “differently abled”.  We met Shelly several years ago at an interior design industry design event.   She has joined us on several trips to Guatemala helping us build homes and support orphanages there.

We are so proud of Shelly and all that she has been through in her life and what she has accomplished.  We are honored to have her as a guest so she can share with you what Acorn and Oak is all about and the products she has created that enhance the lives of the special needs community.

1. Intro

We get a lot of resumes from wanna be interns as well as inquiries from kind people saying they’d love to work for us. To be honest, they don’t teach these kids in school the real-world stuff. I guess that’s what internships are for. Since people are always curious about what we are busy doing, we thought we’d share what we are up to as 2020 unfolds. You might not believe it…

Project #1 – Multi Family Leasing Center in Buckhead, Atlanta – beginning after a 9 month stall

Project #2 –  Multi Family Leasing Center Expansion in Buckhead – collaborative stages

Project #3 – Multi Family Luxury Apartment communities – 22 floors of elevator lobbies

Project #4 – Multi Family Luxury Apartment – Model, Leasing Center, Roof Top Amenity Space

Project #5 – New build/new move in on a budget

Project #6 – Recently completed kitchen renovation getting ready for photography

Project #7 – Recently completed party barn getting ready for photography

Project #8 – Family Room/Kitchen/Living Room getting ready for install

Project #9 – Multi Family Clubhouse needing to be designed

Project #10 – Designing new collateral based on our launch and rebrand

Project #11 – Ambassadors for Spotlight on Art

Project #12 – Highpoint Market Insider Tour Guides

Project #13 – Preparing for Guatemala

Intro:

We are excited to have Jay Helser as our guest today.  We were very honored that Helser Brothers was our very first “podcast sponsor”.   It’s so nice to do business with nice people who not only have a lot of pride in their company but do so many things right!

1. A Bit About Helser

1. 1. Fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware sold to the trade
      1. Their customer service agents (called the “Rod Squad”) are trained to help designers and drapery workrooms work out solutions to difficult window configurations.  They are “retired” interior designers and drapery workroom owners with many decades of experience.
   2. They have an outstanding reputation
   3. Any order over $100 is shipped free
   4. Equipped with vintage tools to produce hand forged wrought iron hardware and modern tools to produce contemporary hardware
   5. 24 years in business.  Started with his brother Mark when they were in their mid 20’s
2. Tell us about the “early days”
   1. Your background
   2. The “doorbell” story ☺
   3. Your family
3. HELSER BROTHERS today
   1. How many employees do you have?
   2. What is the size of your office/operation?
   3. What challenges do you face?
   4. What are the biggest changes in the industry that you’ve seen in your 24 years in business?
   5. What are you most proud of?
   6. What is the future of Helser Brothers? 

This podcast is sponsored by dowel furniture - https://www.dowelfurniturecompany.com

1. INTRO

If you missed our VERY engaging and worthwhile Episode 67 podcast you might want to rewind before listening today. We had so much fun spending time with brand strategist and world-wide speaker Phil Phalen that we quickly invited him back for Round 2.

2. A LITTLE BACKGROUND

We have worked with Phil in a variety of ways – group coaching, a brand audit, fun in Vegas, as a podcast guest and sponsor and so much more. We are huge fans of his skill set and really believe that everybody needs a PHIL in their rolodex of important people.
WELCOME PHIL!

3. EVERYTHING MATTERS

On your website, philpallen.co, you discuss your point of view on the importance of Photography, Establishing a Brand Identity, Brand Strategy and Website design.

Can you break down each one of these and give us your thoughts on why they are so crucial to creating a successful brand?

4. AUXILARY CONTENT

As Kandrac & Kole has multiple design service options, a podcast and a blog, you too have a variety of content available to your audience from a blog, to a podcast to E-books & worksheets. Do you recommend this for everybody?

5. KEEP IN TOUCH

Phil – what is the best way for people to get in touch with you to keep the conversation going? https://www.philpallen.co

1. Intro – We are thrilled that Sue Wadden, the Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin Williams, agreed to join us again, this time to discuss the Colormix 2020.
   1. Discusses her working career and how she landed at Sherwin Williams and became Director of Color Marketing
2. Sue Wadden’s background:
   1. Mantra
   2. Heart
   3. Alive
   4. Play
   5. Haven
3. Colormix Forecast 2020 – What it is, how the collection was built and why these palettes speak about wellness and nurturing.
   1. Who participates?
   2. Who makes up the team, how many and their background?
   3. How long it takes to build these palettes
   4. 45 colors
   5. Sue’s favorite
   6. Other than interior designers and the general public, who uses this information?
4. process
   1. Why this color was selected
5. color of the year - Naval SW6244
6. More Details - You can go to http://wwww.sherwinwilliams.com to see videos of the 5 color themes.

1. INTRO 
We weren’t able to make it to the October High Point Furniture Market show because we had just returned from our adventures at the Roundtop Antiques Fair and had to get down to business.  Good thing we have lots of talented and knowledgeable designer buddies who would fill us in on the latest and greatest trends. We asked them to call in and give us their top finds so that we could share them with you.

2. BACKGROUND ON HIGH POINT MARKET 
You probably all know this but in case you are new to the design world, here’s the scoop of what the High Point Furniture Market is. The High Point Market held in High Point, North Carolina, is the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world, with over 10 million square feet and roughly 2000 exhibitors throughout about 180 buildings.  It is put on semi-annually and it’s a must destination to be “in the know”.

3. DESIGNERS 
A. Lisa Peck, Lilu Interiors, Minneapolis, MN - www.liluinteriors.com
i. Color lovers
ii. Organic in modern forms
iii. Seventies influence

B. Michele Plachter, Michele Plachter Design, Philadelphia, PA - https://micheleplachter.com
i. Curves
ii. Color
iii. Competitive Pricing

C. Leslie Carothers – the Kaleidoscope Project and Savour Partnership, Houston, TX
i. Pop and Slogan Art
ii. Color
iii. Curves
iv. Textures – nubbly

D. Patti Johnson – Patti Johnson Interiors, Lebanon, OH - https://pattijohnsoninteriors.com
i. Moving away from grey – lighter and fresher
ii. Use of white upholstery
iii. Use of blue – away from navy and towards royal, teal and baby blue
iv. Return of glam – away from industrial and rustic and more high end looks
v. Marriage of stone with case goods – natural and man-made being mixed

E. Ginger Hartford, Eurdesign Studio , Dallas - www.eurdesignstudio.com
i. Artful living
ii. Wall Art trends  - modern, nature and fresh
iii. Form Design

F. Deborah von Donop – DVD Interior Design, Greenwich, CT - https://www.dvdinteriordesign.com
i. Color and washed whites
ii. Light and calming pinks
iii. Nature inspired

G. Kara Cox – Kara Cox Interiors, Charlotte, NC - https://www.karacoxinteriors.com
i. Gesso finish – chalky white
ii. Deep blush like merlot
iii. Furniture as art – curved backs, open arms, multiple materials

H. Cynthia Porche – Cynthia Porche Interiors, Atlanta, GA - http://cynthiaporcheinteriors.com
i. Curated elements in design – color pops in velvet and linen
ii.Mixing modern with organic – metals with wovens
iii. Soft nod to traditional in a transitional way

1. This podcast is sponsored by Helser Brothers Hardware

Helser Brothers is a fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware.  It is run by brothers Jay and Mark.  Jay was an expert independent drapery installer and designs new products that are installer friendly and engineered for strength and Mark, a talented metal worker with a mind of an engineer, has been regarded as a mechanical genius by all who know him.

Helser has an outstanding reputation and has been in business for 24 years.  Their customer service agents known as “The Rod Squad” include retired interior designers and drapery workroom owners with decades of experience.

They can customize anything and any order over $100 is shipped free.  you can see their products at helserbrothers.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

1. INTRO

We are very excited to have Phil Pallen as our guest today.   A social media expert, keynote speaker as well as a smart, funny and well-traveled guy who is the guru of “branding”.   We met Phil about 3 years ago while at a Designer Mastermind with Kelli Ellis in Las Vegas.  His mantra – “A personal brand isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity” and believes you need to use social media to promote your brand.   We engaged in a “brand audit” with Phil and that is the reason our podcast exists today!

1. 1. BACKGROUND
      1. Where did you grow up?
      2. Where did you go to school?
      3. What made you decide to choose “branding”

1. 1. SERVICES
      1. BRAND AUDIT
         1. positioning
         2. mood board
         3. action items
      2. BRAND IDENTITY
      3. WEBSITE DESIGN
      4. BRAND STRATEGY

1. 1. YOUR CLIENTS
   2. SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
      1. WHERE
      2. TOPICS
   3. BEST ADVICE TO GIVE TO SOMEONE NEW IN BUSINESS OR SOMEONE RE-BRANDING

1. 1. YOUR TRAVELS
      1. Home Swap
      2. Where have you been?
      3. Where are you living now?
      4. Your VRBO

We are huge fans of original art. It was a passion we both acquired later in life, partly due to a gallery owner, Donna Krueger of DK Gallery in Marietta, who helped us not be intimidated by art. We have become collectors of art – big and small in our own homes and advocate for original art in every project we design.

As we’ve discussed on other shows, art is for everybody. You’ll always remember where and why you bought that special piece that spoke to you in some meaningful way. Hanging original art is one of the single most important design tips we can give you for making a house a home.

In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite artists and why we love their work so much!

Listen to today’s episode here: https://spoti.fi/3I46Lve

Watch today’s episode on YouTube: https://bit.ly/InsideDesignYouTube

KANDRAC & KOLE BIO

Voted one of “Atlanta's Top 20 Residential Interior Designers” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs is an acclaimed design firm with two decades of experience serving residential and commercial clients. Their work has been featured in leading publications across the US.

Since 2005, Joann and Kelly have built a respected partnership. They are renowned for their dynamic personalities, distinctive use of color, and unique custom designs. Frequently invited to share their insights at industry events and on design panels, they are recognized as diligent business operators who remain approachable and genuine, radiating constant positive energy.

In 2018, they used their infectious energy to launch their podcast, “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole.” This lively, weekly conversation, where Joann and Kelly share design and industry insights, became so popular that they introduced a series of bonus episodes, “The Inside Scoop with Joann and Kelly,” in 2024.

Their dedication to the power of interior design also extends to their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala.

 Social Media Handles

 https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole/

https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/ 

https://twitter.com/KandracKole 

https://www.pinterest.com/kandrackole/

This podcast is sponsored by Helser Brother Hardware. Helser Brothers are a fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware.  It is run by brothers Jay and Mark.  Jay was an expert independent drapery installer and designs new products that are installer friendly and engineered for strength and Mark, a talented metal worker with a mind of an engineer, is the mechanical genius brother.

Helser has an outstanding reputation and has been in business for 24 years.  Their customer service agents, known as “The Rod Squad,” include retired interior designers and drapery workroom owners with decades of experience.

They can customize anything and any order over $100 is shipped free. You can see their products at helserbrothers.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
intro

Google Analytics tells that you guys really enjoy getting expert advice from us. So to keep you happy, we reached out to our listeners via the last podcast, our newsletter, Facebook and Instagram asking for your latest challenges!!  So let’s dive in.

1.   Questions
A.     Vicki in Marietta: How do I determine what size rug to put under a bed?
B.     Trudy in Woodstock:
                i.         What are the best investments to get our house sold for top dollar?
              ii.         What will appeal to the most buyers?
             iii.         What upgrades are people looking for most?
             iv.         I am banned for choosing colors. I’m really horrible at it. Do you guys have a service for color challenged humans?
C.     Nancy in Acworth: I want to replace/update the light fixture in my entry. The area is 8’x8’ and is two stories high. My house is 30 years old. What should I buy?
D.    Nancy again: My daughter just moved into a home with old, small kitchen cabinets. She would like to get them painted to update the kitchen and have a matching island build for storage. She doesn’t have a bucket of money. Who should she contact?
E.     Sandra in Kennesaw: How do you design around a laundry room with multiple kids, pets and sport activities?
F.     Sarah in Marietta: Would it take away from the value of our home if we did a small built in bench and table in our current breakfast room area and extended our small island vs. having a breakfast nook?
Vicki in Cumming: How do you create a flow of different types of rugs in an open floor plan so that it doesn’t look chaotic?

1.  THIS PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY HELSER BROTHERS HADRWARD

Helser brothers are a fully custom manufacturer of drapery hardware.  It is run by Brothers Jay and Mark.  Jay was an expert independent drapery installer and designs new products that are install friendly and engineered for strength and Mark, a talented metal worker with a mind of an engineer, has been regarded as a mechanical genius by all who know him.

Helser has an outstanding reputation and has been in business for 24 years.  Their customer service agents known as “The Rod Squad” include retired interior designers and drapery workroom owners with decades of experience.

They can customize anything and any order over $100 is shipped free.  you can see their products at helserbrothers.com or find them on facebook, instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

2.  INTRO

We have been wanting to attend this show for years and could never work it out either because of our workload or because both shows, Spring and Fall, are right before High Point Market.  That is one of the reasons we are not in High Point right now.  We made the decision, and with the help of design friend Sarah Eilers, that now was the time to go.

What is this show? A show where you can find antiques, furniture, rugs, artwork, mirrors, clothing, jewelry, boots, one of a kind pieces and so much more.  Round Top is located in between Austin and Houston, Texas and started in 1968.   The population of this area is 90, but in the Spring and Fall about 200,000 descend upon the area.  It spans over a twenty mile stretch.  Fly into Austin or Houston and rent a car.

3.  HOW TO NAVIGATE

A.    Go with a seasoned professional - Lucas Eilers Design – Sarah Eilers – Houston Interior Designer
               i.         Sarah was the ultimate hostess, picking us up at the airport, taking us to some of her favorite shops in Houston and then to tour her amazing office in the Houston Design Center. We left the next day to head to Round Top – about a 1-1/2 hour drive.
             ii.         Stay in a reputable place – Sarah found an amazing rental just a few miles from all the action – There’s a crazy story about this place.
           iii.         Map out the shows you want to go to – (some open later than others) Sarah did this all for us J
            iv.         Save the air conditioned places for the afternoon
              v.         Know where the best bathrooms are
            vi.         Dress comfortably and bring sunscreen.   It is HOT!!!!
          vii.         Bring cash – not all dealers take credit cards and you have better options to haggle
        viii.         Take a break and have a nice lunch – Lulu’s
 
B.    THE SHOWS
               i.         Marburger Farm – our favorite – can spend a whole day here
1.     Entrance Fee
2.     350 Dealers
3.     Big field - All outdoor tents
             ii.         Big Red Barn
1.     Quality Antiques
2.     30,000 square feet – air conditioned
3.     Estate jewelry, silver
           iii.         Blue Hills
1.     First top along Highway 237
2.     26 acres
3.     Antiques, textiles and outdoor furniture
4.     Great BBQ lunch at the picnic tables
            iv.         The Compound – 5 Barns
1.     Beautiful European antiques
2.     40,000 square feet
3.     Doors
4.     Armoires
5.     Mirrors
              v.         Market Hill
1.     Large indoor venue
2.     Art, rugs, décor, furniture
3.     Air-conditioned restrooms
            vi.         The Arbors – a favorite
1.     Artwork
2.     Textiles and linens
3.     Clothing
4.     Boots
5.     Handcrafted Jewelry
C.    SOME FAVORITE VENDORS
               i.         Pascal Home (shows at Scott Antique Market) – beautiful tables, beds, seating and lighting
             ii.         Southern Classic Jewelry (shows at Scott Antique Market and Americasmart) – Joann purchased the nurse buckle
           iii.         The Crooked Antler – great clothes, accessories, and jewelry
            iv.         Kim Hoegger Home – design colleague selling furniture, linens, pillows, accessories
              v.         Outpost Original – horns boxes, ostrich eggs, shell necklaces, quills, etc.
            vi.         Stephanie Wheeler – fine artist – colorful abstracts
          vii.         Paul Michael Company – large store selling several vendors
        viii.         Haute Horns – bedazzled horns!
            ix.         Southern Beasts – vintage fabric covered sculptures – mostly animals – unique one of a kind
              x.         Jackies Folk Art – Interesting and unique framed art
D.    PANEL DISCUSSION SPONSORED BY TRADITIONAL HOME – MODERATED BY KRISSA ROSSBUND, SENIOR STYLE EDITOR
               i.         Suzanne Kasler
             ii.         Martyn Lawrence Bullard
           iii.         Robert Passal
            iv.         Mary McDonald
Each panelist chose their favorite piece from the show, had it on the stage and discussed why they chose it.
E.     HOW TO BRING YOUR LARGE PURCHASES HOME
               i.         Bring your own U-Haul or Trailer
             ii.         There are several companies that will transport your purchases – a reputable (but somewhat expensive) one is Distinguished Transport.  You can bring them your receipts and they will pick up each item from each the vendor and bring them back to your home.  First item to Atlanta was $600 and then $100 for every item thereafter.  It would be a good idea to share purchases with friends or only use this service if you plan on bringing back a lot of items.

1.  THIS PODCAST SPONSORED BY DOWEL FURNITURE COMPANY
Dowel Furniture was created in 2015 by siblings, Joanne Lee and Ray Hallare. The company sources directly from their family factory in the Philippines, which has been manufacturing fine furniture for over 30 years. They collaborate with interior designers in creating licensed furniture collections, which showcase each designer’s unique point of view. Their approach to furniture design has led to thoughtful products that have been used in a variety of residential and commercial projects while also being featured in national publications. Designers can apply for their trade program on their website www.dowelfurniturecompany.com. Their trade program provides benefits like trade discounts, flat rate shipping and expedited customer service. All products can be customized with COM/COL fabric and finish color matching is also available with a reasonable lead time of 8-10 weeks. Trade program members are also given the extra benefit of custom sizing for select products in the catalog. Sign up today!

2.  INTRO
There is so much to talk about regarding High Point Furniture Market that we broke up our discussion into 2 parts. If you didn’t listen to part 1, you might want to go back to Episode 58 and listen to that one first.  First we will quickly reiterate a few important details:

1.     High Point Market is the largest home furnishings trade show in the world. It brings more than 75,000 people to High Point, N.C., every six months to view product from more than 2,000 exhibitors.
2.     Highpoint market is in the Spring and Fall so the upcoming show is coming up soon - October 19th-23rd.
3.     If you haven’t registered yet, you can still do so at highpointmark.org/register.
 
3.  OUR FAVORITES 
On Episode 58 we talked a lot about the logistics of High Point – where to stay, where to eat and how to get around. On this show we’d like to dig deeper and let you know about some of our favorite showrooms, new news coming out from the Highpoint Market Authority and some great educational opportunities. 

A.     Cool Stuff to be Aware Of
                i.         Evening Programming -  HMA is rebranding its popular evening concert series. In the area between Showplace the the Transportation Terminal,  there will be new festivities dubbed “Eats and Beats” where there will be outdoor seating and firepits and (2) areas sponsored by Crate & Barrel and CB2 that will have music, giant outdoor games, cocktails, a dj and a whole lot more.  There will still be (2) concerts by T Sisters and Mandolin Orange.
              ii.         Style Spotters -  Keep your eye out for this years Style Spotters who are eight design and fashion leaders who showcase the top new styles for each market.  Look for their black and white cards on products through out the market. We were Style Spotters for 2 years and it was a lot of fun and a lot of work.  This years style spotters are Shayla Copas, Kara Cox, Cynthia Ferguson, Eric Haydel, Benjamin Johnston, Courtney McLeod, Laura Thurman and Erinn Valencich.  This group will be hosting Trend Tours so look those up because some of them require reservations.
             iii.         Design Bloggers Tour Hosted by HPMA and Esteem Media – The Design Bloggers Tour will bring (1) leading design bloggers to HPA for a. 2-day tour of sponsoring showrooms. Those bloggers will then be featuring all that they learned on their individual blogs and social media accounts. This is just one of many ways that if you cannot attend market you can still be in the know. Watch out for this bloggers and all they have to share: Sara Malek Barney, Laurence Carr, Lori Dennis, Tim Green, Donna Mancini, Amy Mitchell, Rachel Moriarty, Lisa Peck, Sara Noble and Deborah von Donop.
             iv.         HPM Brand Ambassadors – Our friends Jacki Von Tobel and Deb Barrett are newly appointed HPMA Ambassadors. They will be hosting a new-buyer focused 5-day tour that will provide first time attendees a HPM immersion. If I was brand new to High Point, this is the very first thing I would sign up for.
              v.         Educational and Social Programming – Do NOT make the mistake of going to HPM and spending every minute of your day looking at product. Your feet and your brain will appreciate you changing gears. Look for events at The Point (https://www.highpointmarket.org/plan-your-trip/the-point), in Highpoint Theatre, Market Suites and in many showrooms.  There are SO many good ones but I few we have our eyes on:
1.     Friday at 8:30am – Breakfast with Tom Felicia at Pandora’s Manor to celebrate 25 years in business. Sponsored by Eastern Accents.
2.     Saturday at 10am at Alden Parkes – “From Set Backs to Success: How to Manage and Grow your Design Firm in the Face of Diversity” with Traci O’Connell.
3.     Saturday at 10am at Woodbridge – “Coffee with Creatives” with Tobi Fairley and Lauren Liess. Chatting about how they built brands, built collectives and more all while being busy moms.
4.     Saturday at 11am at Fairfield Chair – “Libby Tells All: Product Design with Libby Langdon”. Sharing her experiences and advice for designing product for a target audience.
5.     Saturday at 11am at New Growth Designs – Styling Secrets – “ Behind the Scenes Tips for Fabulous Photos” with Stacy Kunstel
6.     Saturday at 12pm at Highpoint Theatre – DESIGN VIEWPOINTS SERIES – “Cultivating Industry Relationships to Build Your Brand panel” with Michele Smith Boyd, Amy Ferrer, Amy Flurry and Jane Dagmi.
7.     Saturday at 1pm at Lexington – “On the Record” – an unfiltered discussion about the Interior Design Business with Jane Dagmi, Barclay Butera and Pamela Jaccarino. 
8.     Saturday at 3pm at Alden Parkes – “What’s the Price of Frame? Defining your Brand, Securing your Niche and Saving your Sanity” with Kimberly Wray, Shannon Ggem, Andre Hilton, Patti Johnson, Keita Turner, Philip Gulotta and Hanah Toney.
9.     Sunday at 10am at Highpoint Theatre – “Duplicable Systems are the Foundation of your Design Firm” with Luann Nigara, Laura Umansky and Kate O’Hara.
10.  Sunday at 10am at Highpoint Theatre – “Stop Giving Away your Profits” with Kristen Drohan, Veronica Solomon, Cheryl Klees Clendedon.
11.  Sunday at 12pm at Highpoint Theatre – DESIGNER VIEWPOINT SERIES – “Translating Your Brand to Online Retail”- Sarah Walker, Julia Buckingham, Barlay Butera, Scott Meacham Wood
12.  Sunday at 2pm at Alden Parkes – Out of the Box – Non conventional Ways to Grow your Design Business – Denise McGaha, Tish Mills, Joni Vanderslice, Beth Dempsey
13.  Sunday at 2pm at the Red Egg (12 people only) – “Pitching with Purpose” by Amy Flurry
14.  Sunday at 3:30pm at Market Sq. Seminar Room – “Building YOUR Brand with Private Label vs. Licensing” – Charlotte Lucas, Lynai Jones, Jennifer Mabley, Austin Handler, Ray Hallare and Jill Waage
15.  Monday at 10am at Alden Parkes – “The Senses of Luxury” – Luxury is not defined in regards to how we live not necessarily by labels. Jeanne Chung, Erin Valencich, Traci Zeller, Krissa Rossbund.
16.  Monday at 2pm at Universal: Don’t Sleep on Pinterest discussion with Adam Japko and Kyla Herbes of House of Hipster Blog. https://www.universalfurniture.com/events/dontsleeponpinterest
B.     Showrooms we frequent (and why)
                i.         Vanguard
              ii.         Theodore Alexander
             iii.         Bernhardt
             iv.         Visual Comfort
              v.         Currey
             vi.         Lexington
           vii.         Phillips Collection
          viii.         Rowe
             ix.         The temporaries
4.  REMINDERS
The Highpointmarket.org website is fantastic as is the app. It is SO easy to download your preferred showrooms and events and make yourself a schedule.