Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 83 of Life On the Brink!
I’m so excited about today’s episode, as I’m welcoming a very special guest. Today I’m chatting with Zandra Zuraw, an interior design coach and host of the Style Matters podcast. She has taken decades of creative thinking and journeying through home design and made it into a program to help others become their own interior designers through a process she calls "Slow Style."
Currently, I have just moved into my first real house and am very much in the middle of a new home design process, so this has come at the perfect time! In our conversation, Zandra and I talk about finding your own personal style, flow from room to room, managing the overwhelming number of decisions, living in an “unfinished” home, how our space affects our mental health, and so many delightful pieces in between.
What’s in my teacup? Black tea with cream and honey (my absolute staple this winter)
Alright here we go! As is usually the case with my interview episodes, we’re going to talk about a LOT of stuff, so I recommend listening to the full interview, which starts at 3:36. I’m going to leave links to things we discussed below, along with some pictures of Zandra’s home. Be sure to check out her website to see more pics and to get all her information!
“I know how important it is to create a space that
nurtures you when you need care…
inspires you when you need motivation…
and welcomes others when you need to celebrate.”
TOPICS
-What is your own home design journey and how did you turn this passion into your own business, Little Yellow Couch?
-Your own style is so eclectic. How do you figure out what your style is?
-I’m in the middle of designing my first house. How do you navigate the overwhelming number of choices when it comes to furniture, paint colors, lighting , etc?
-What is "Slow Style," and how do you practice it?
-How do you deal with living in a space that is “unfinished”?
-What's the connection between our mental health and our home environments?
RESOURCES
And if you enjoyed this episode, you might like some of these previous Life On The Brink episodes:
Zandra's Little Joy: Not one, but two!
She treats herself to a bouquet of fresh flowers from Trader Joe's almost every week, and what joy it brings! There's something so special about buying something beautiful for yourself when you know it won't last. Fresh flowers are a must in my home as well :)
In said Trader Joe's trips, she cherishes those little human moments that we sometimes don't think about. Even an "oh, what's that in your basket? I haven't tried that yet" can turn into a short, kind interaction. Zandra says she stays on that high for hours!
What She's Listening To: We agree, there's nothing like old swing standards (Frank Sinatra and co.) to set just the right mood when you're hosting, and this is quite literally “Nothing But the Best." It's a compilation album of Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits, and some of the crispest, sweetest recordings if I do say so. You can sing and dance or just let it set the tone in the background, you really just can't go wrong with this album.
Thank you so much for listening, and thank you to Zandra for coming on the podcast! It was such a delight, and super inspiring, and I hope it leaves you with a few new ideas. Let me know how you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any interior stories, in the comments below.
I'll be back next week with a new episode from my new home!