The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style
Education:Self-Improvement
"Our world is dominated by algorithms — by data collection that steers us toward a limited set of products and designers who have paid for the privilege of coming up first in our search. The result is that our taste has gotten . . . only more homogeneous, more limited." —Rachel Tashjian, style contributor to The Washington Post, in her article Whatever Happened to Having Taste?
The primary reason I wanted to begin with this quote is because the reality is all too real: good taste is often hard to find, and much of it has to do with remaining inside the box. Often this 'box' is the one we see frequently on Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok.
Enter interior designer Heidi Caillier, someone who didn't and doesn't play by the rules of social media, who didn't follow the trends, and trusted her own voice and eye.
To walk into a home curated by someone with exquisite taste, time seems to vanish, and the primary emotions one feels are comfort, awe and appreciation even if we don't know at all how they did it. Somehow, it all just works. A symphony of hues, textures, pieces, and details that appear as though they just belong together to welcome the residents of the sanctuary home each time they cross the threshold.
I remember seeing interior designer Heidi Caillier's work for the first time. It was the cover story of Rue Magazine in 2019. Caillier had designed a Seattle cottage guided by the charming Scandinavian aesthetic - simple, yet cozy, unique, yet functional, and with thoughtful touches of vintage to create a feeling of nostalgia. I became even more intrigued when I saw her work on a handful of Arts & Crafts houses both in California, Oregon and across the country on the east coast. Heidi was speaking my language (she embraces wallpaper!), as she incorporated the aesthetics that reminded me of English country with modern sensibilities for living well and thoughtfully. Check out a few of the homes here (one of my favorites - the kitchen!), here and here. And her entire portfolio here.
As Caillier is also someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest, in Tacoma, Washington, part of my intrigue was her home base as rarely had I seen an interior designer from PNW that has their own aesthetic that wasn't wed to the stereotypical Portland or Seattle modern trends that never quite captured my definition of timelessness or comfort, or even warmth. With delight and immediate appreciation, I began following her on Instagram as she share glimpses into her projects as they begin, are in progress and eventually are completed. As she shares in her new book, just released on September 5th, Memories of Home, the portfolio shared in the pages of the book tells stories that are "nostalgic, romantic, creative, playful but sophisticated, and so incredibly comforting." All the boxes in my ideal of a sanctuary are ticked with that sentence, and indeed each home showcased demonstrates her objectives have met their desired results with each client's home shared, including her own.
As timing would have it, the topic of good taste, and the seeming lack thereof arose this month in an article written by style contributor to The Washington Post Rachel Tashjian, as I was pouring through the pages of Heidi's new book, it became immediately clear she understands and brings forth good taste in each of her homes, but how does one do that? Even if we don't hire someone or are unable to work with the talent and expert Heidi provides, how do we curate a home, and in very much the same way, curate a wardrobe and a life that is not guided by algorithms? Well, I think that question in and of itself is a great place to start. Let's take a look at eight key aspects of curating good taste when it comes to our décor.
362: The Fundamental Ingredient in a Well-Lived (and long) Life: Honor What Makes Your Heart Sing, 13 life lessons from Dr. Gladys McGarey
361: 33 Decorating & Construction Lessons I Learned Customizing Le Papillon (a 3-year journey)
360: How to Find Love: Be Love Instead of Look for Love, as taught by Jay Shetty
359: Author and Philosopher Alexandra Stoddard on Living Well, Sharing Her Wisdom of 81 years
358: Anna Murphy Talks About Finding Your Way to the Best You Yet as Each Year Passes in her New Book, Destination Fabulous
357: The Gift of Being HSP, author Jenn Granneman talks about her New Book Sensitive
356: What I've Learned So Far in French Class, Part Cinq
355: Talking Paris, Flowers and Elevating the Everyday with Sandra Sigman about her new book French Blooms
354: How to Find Your Financial Freedom: The Importance of Understanding, Writing and LIVING Your Love Story with Money
353: A Stress-Reducing Year-Round Schedule for House Cleaning and Maintenance for a Small Household
352: How to Experience more Aha Moments in Your Life
351: 8 Strategies for Curating a Spring Capsule Wardrobe That Sings without the Excess
350: The Skill of Presence and Why It is at the Core of True Contentment
349: What I Have Learned in French Class, So Far . . . , Partie Quatre
348: The Paradox of Manifesting the Life You Have Envisioned
347: How to Savor Christmas at Home, Alone, Simply Luxuriously
346: Parisian by Design and the Gifts of trusting the Stirrings of Your Heart, my conversation with David Jimenez
345: 13 Simple Ideas for Adding Luxury to Your Home, Part Deux
344: The Importance of Investing in Key Décor Items and What Items Are Worth Investing In
343: How Setting Healthy Boundaries Contributes to True Contentment
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