Ep. 160: designer Sean Scherer

Sean Scherer, painter, shop owner, decorator, and now author, joins us for this week. We talk with him about creating an authentic interior that tells a story about your life and journey. Sean shares the inspiration behind his new book, Kabinett & Kammer, and why he chose to feature a beautiful design that the reader could take and interpret for their own life, instead of feeling intimated by it. We also talk with Sean about using scale and composition to keep balance and flow within a room, using small objects and bright colors to create a large impact, and why it’s okay to just go ahead and purchase that piece you’ve been eyeing up. What You’ll Hear On This Episode: Trials and triumphs on some expensive shades, a self lamp rewiring, a broken chair, tree talk, and exciting new house plans! In Sean’s new book, Kabinett & Kammer, he celebrates practical yet beautiful interiors in an honest and humble way. It’s all about taking the things we already have and love and displaying them in a new way to get a striking effect. Sean’s mother was a collector, and by watching her reorganize and repurpose, he fell in love with the process. In Sean’s new book, Anderson Cooper wrote the foreword and appreciated the aspect of how we can create a unique and authentic sanctuary for ourselves in our home. We can play with scale to make smaller objects more noticeable, and also use smaller objects as a way to experiment with bright colors. How Sean shops for the Kabinett & Kammer storefront, and uses the shop as another form of artistic output. If you really love something, buy it! It’s all part of building a conversation in our home that shows what we love and who we are. Ways we can take an object and successfully use it out of context, like a great taxidermy piece. Mentioned In This Episode: Kabinett & Kammer Kabinett & Kammer Book @kabinettandkammer Design Dilemmas We would say if you are sticking with a traditional style, the French doors would fit better. Pick some French Doors over folding ones for a traditional feel, and just make sure you are working with wood interior and real divided light. Those little details do add up and make a difference! ____________________________________________ One trick Sean recommends is using paint as an amazingly inexpensive way to do a renovation. He suggests painting the back wall darker, such as a taupe or greige, and this will help the cabinets not look like they are floating. Restyling the cabinet tops will also help, you can use items such as tea tins or metal bowls that will create a line and give that extra touch.