Ep. 20 with designer Lisa Mende

Lisa Mende's room in the Traditional Home Southern Style Now Showhouse stopped us in our tracks, so we knew we had to get her on the podcast. Her spaces are bold, jubilant, and inviting, and we quickly learned that she herself is too. If you've ever had questions about paint, then this is an episode you have to listen to. We talk about choosing paint colors, paint finishes, fan decks, why you can't just look at the paint chip, and Lisa gives us all her favorite paint colors. What You'll Hear on This Episode: I talk about Tom Sheerer's book Tom Sheerer Decorates which I devoured over Memorial Day weekend Taryn talks about her leaky roof and how the dry cleaner got out the stain in her blue dress (which she discussed in the last episode) Lisa tells us all about her 'she shed' in the Traditional House showhouse in New Orleans We talk about her guest house becoming the center of the party during the showhouse opening We talk about showhouses, how designers are paired with sponsors, and why we love showhouses so much Why 'the mix' is so important She tells us about the questionnaire she gives potential clients We talk about the importance of getting to know your own likes and dislikes before decorating your home She tells us about her new house and her plans for decorating it Why she decorates her own house in stages A great rule she has for splurging on a piece of furniture -- how can you use it three different ways Why you might want to coordinate your dining room and living room upholstery How she's working around the 80's fireplace in her new house We talk about striped rugs and outdoor rugs We talk about white paint colors, why they're complicated, and why they work I share how I picked Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace for my dark little craftsman We talk the pace of a room, and why it's an indicator of how much color you want in your space My mom's recent paint mistake Why you can't just ask your neighbor the color they used for their house We talk paint finishes and why they're important We talk lacquer -- this is on Lisa's list of Don't DIY She shares some of her drapery tricks for getting a designer look on a budget