20+ Interior Design Tips from Podcasts

‘ve been listening to podcasts like crazy lately – it started with the down time quarantine gave me, and realizing I can do some mundane computer work while listening to one. I also like to play one while getting ready for the day! I play a podcast on speaker on my phone, or have Spotify pull it up and pay on any of my Google speakers in whichever room I’m in.

I listen to a lot of different podcasts but to be honest the ones that leave me most inspired and happy at the moment are not business related. I love home decor tips and I added a few to my playlist, some I love more than others – I do think a hosts voice matters and also inflictions and I just want the good stuff – give me applicable tips and knowledge!

I thought I’d share some of my favorite tips I’ve learned from interior design podcasts lately and link to two of my favorites I strongly suggest you add to your list and binge listen to them!

Of course, remember style is very much a personal preference so don’t be offended if you love these things or you have them (and I also didn’t say these things haha). These are the opinions of professional interior designers (they do truly know what they are doing and what looks great) – also I’m pretty sure some that brought a few things around the house to light that I need to change. Here we go!

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Interior Design Notes + Tips Heard on Podcasts

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• Use items that are natural textures, something mother nature would create
• Do not install tile that looks like wood. Either go real wood or go tile. (I’m sorry if this offends many of you, but it’s what they said, and I do think you’d probably prefer real wood if you are about to choose flooring right now).
• Blond oak, engineered wood floors can look great
• Avoid dark wood flooring, or dark flooring
• Stop the accent wall just paint the entire room and ceiling. Reduce tension lines. Take color from walls up to the ceiling – no white ceilings. Treat the ceilings like a wall. Also avoid one paneled wall, or one wallpapered wall, do it all, go big!
• Make hallways a journey, with lighting, artwork at the end of the hallway
• Wool carpet and rugs are the best investment – if you cannot afford wool ask for what looks most like wool.
• Start decor with the rug first (the bigger the better) and wall paint last.
• Every light switch on a dimmer.
• Consider a small kitchen lamp that fits under the cabinets, like a little jewel and nice nightlight.
• Buy lamps that are at least 30″ tall
• Bedrooms are great to have carpet and are preferred, for comfort and absorbing sound. All rooms should have the same carpet.
• Asking someone what wall color they used is similar to asking “What is your foundation color?” It doesn’t make sense – you need to know what elements are around it and lighting, etc.
• The larger the artwork the better – invest in artwork that have stories, from your travels or go to an art gallery.
• Space artwork 1-2″ apart in groupings.
• Color with an undertone of warm is pleasing to the eye. Warmer gray, warmer white, warm pinks.
• No LED cool lights, they said it looks like IKEA, aliens, or insane asylum – haha!
• Don’t ask too many people for their opinion on colors, what do you like?
• Sherwin-Williams is the MAC cosmetics of paint, they are color!
• When in doubt, just go bigger scale. Smaller objects look cluttery.
• Semi gloss for trim, walls – satin (eggshell) and take it up to ceiling – maybe do ceiling flat
• Get the biggest rug you can get for the space, don’t go small.
• For metal finish preferences (this is a preference by two designers) – if choosing one, polished nickel. Mix of brass and polished nickel is magic. Brass warms it up. Steer away from brushed nickel for a more elevated look.
• There are companies (like restore or Habitat for Humanity) or sites that you can list your cabinets to be removed for free. They can repurpose them or put them in low income housing also saving you money from demo.
• Top cabinets should be 13″ minimum for those big luxe plates – 12″ is too shallow but standard. I measured my fanciest plates and they were right!

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My favorite interior design podcasts

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• Dear Alice – Rachel Parcell’s interior designers, Alice Lane Interiors, LOVE all of their tips and their voices too!
• How to Decorate – Ballard Designs podcast interviewing other interior decorators and host trials and triumphs, love these ladies
• The Chairish Podcast – The Chairish Podcast looks behind the glamour of the interior design industry at a time when all aspects of the business, from sourcing to marketing to client communication to underlying business models are undergoing rapid disruption.
• Decorating the Set: From Hollywood to your Home – Beth Kushnick is a Hollywood television and movie set designer sharing her tips! I would LOVE to be a set designer so this is fun to listen.

I would love to know any interior decor tips you have learned lately and your favorite podcasts to listen to! Let me know in the comments.

This post was first posted on June 5, 2020 and updated January 25, 2021.

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Diana Elizabeth is back to work with photography shoots – three next week for corporate! She doesn’t post about it often or market it, but she sure loves it!