The Lavender Room Design Podcast

What happens when a 13 year old budding interior designer suddenly begins to experience that metamorphosis from child to woman, with all its constraints and heightened emotions, and she has just been granted her own bedroom?Meet my special guest this week; Sandra Funk, CEO and Creative Director of House of Funk - an interiors and build/renovate design firm in Franklin, Tennessee. Sandra's award-winning design work has been featured in publications such as Elle Decor, House Beautiful, The Huffington Post, Aspire Design & Home and Luxe Interiors + Design.When Sandra was 13, she was awarded her own bedroom and dove headfirst into redesigning that space; ripping out the old carpet, tearing off the old little girl style wallpaper, and transforming it into a new space–one where she could nourish and flourish into the woman she was becoming!What does Sandra mean when she says, “I am always looking beyond a couch and a rug” and how does this deeply spiritual human marry her holistic and spiritual practices with her interior design business?Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy my nourishing conversation with Sanda Funk.Learn more about Sandra Funk and House of Funk, visit: https://houseoffunk.com/.Follow Sandra on Instagram: @houseoffunkdesign

What happens when an award-winning interior designer, #1 Best Selling Author, Style Expert,  Color Expert and Patternista suffers a personal loss? Where does she go to grieve, self nourish and heal?My special guest today is Rachel Moriarty, Chief Creative Officer at Rachel Moriarty Interiors in San Diego, CA. On today's episode, Rachel and I dive deep into what nourishment looks like from Rachel's internal empathic lens, and how she grieved the sudden loss of her beloved Grandfather during a redesign of her bedroom for a One Room Challenge event! How did Rachel's new bedroom help heal her during this time?What does Rachel mean when she says, “A nourishing space is where radical self expression and radical self acceptance meet stylish surroundings?”Enjoy this deep and real conversation with me and Rachel Moriarty–a truly thoughtful and insightful interior designer who is not afraid of color nor texture, and who wholeheartedly embraces design influences from across the globe.Learn more about Rachel Moriarty and Rachel Moriarty Interiors here: https://www.rachelminteriors.com/Follow Rachel Moriarty on Instagram: @rachelmoriartyinteriorsConnect with Rachel Moriarty on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-moriarty-08251522/

What does it mean to be a homebody in today's world, and why is there such a negative connotation with that word? My special guest today is Melinda McCoy, Founder and President of The Homebody Fellowship–a Community for Fellow Homebodies. Melinda runs an online membership for those of us who love to be home, and find joy in the simple comforts that center around our homes. Lean in and listen to this self-professed homebody (and yes, I'm one too!) share all the goodness and nourishment that comes from decorating your own space from the season that is most resonant with your personality.Download Melinda's free “Timeless & Classic Home Decorating Plans" by following this link:https://house214design.com/designplan/To learn more about Melinda McCoy and The Homebody Fellowship, visit: https://thehomebodyfellowship.com/Follow Melinda on Instagram: @house214design

My special guest today is Andi Yablonski, Principal at Studio Yablanska in San Francisco, California. Andi is also a painter of exquisite oil paintings and believes art is the soul of the home.Andi shares, “Art and accessories make a space feel soulful. I have been slowly working my way toward getting to a place by picking the art first in the beginning of a project so that it informs the space.”  Learn why picking the art first in a project is important and how this fits into Andi's design philosophy of creating deeply nourishing spaces for her clients.To learn more about Andi Yablonski and Studio Yabonska, visit  https://www.studioyablonska.com/Follow Andi Yablonski on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioyablonska/

What does it mean to be a “Space Shaman” and why is it so dang important in today's crazy world? Join me on today's episode where I go on a deep and oh-so-fabulous dive with Angela Mazzi, Principal and Senior Medical Planner at GBBN Architects. Angela is the first architect I've met who is also a Feng Shui Practitioner and a Career Coach who often uses the phrase, “Space Shaman.”Learn more about Angela Mazzi and GBBN here: https://www.gbbn.com/.Subscribe to Angela's podcast, ARCHITECTING, here: http://architectingpodcast.com/Learn more about Angela's coaching programs here: http://architectingpodcast.com/index.php/coaching-programs-angela-mazzi/Follow Angela on Instagram: @architectingpodcast or follow this link: https://www.instagram.com/architectingpodcast/Connect with Angela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamazzi/Angela hosts a weekly show on Clubhouse on Monday mornings called, “Architects as Healers, Building as Medicine” at 9am EST, and “Critical Conversations” on Sundays at 2pm EST

My special guest today is Heather French, Co-founder, Principal, and Lead Designer of French & French Interiors in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico. Learn how Heather went from being a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and an acupuncturist for a decade to designing soulful and nourishing spaces for her clients in beautiful Santa Fe. What does Heather means when she says, “Homes are for connections and memories and a soft place to land and for healing. If that's not right, then you're not healthy."There's so much Heather and I unpack today on today's episode including how living in Santa Fe, New Mexico has influenced and shaped her style of designing spaces that appeal to the senses. I'm absolutely thrilled to share this episode with you here now.For more information on Heather and French & French Interiors, visit: https://frenchandfrenchinteriors.com/more/Follow Heather on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frenchandfrenchinteriors/

Ana Pinto Alexander had been enjoying a long, multiple-award-winning career in design before she became pregnant with Kiara. Her doctor told her that her baby daughter had a large cyst on her right lung.  Ana spent the next several months at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana where she became the parent of a sick baby. How did this deeply challenging time in Ana's life awaken something deep within her soul -- something that would change her life forever?  What does it mean to be a compassionate and empathetic designer in the field of healthcare? How does this deeply spiritual human, who carries crystals in her pockets and designs with sacred geometry, care for patients, their families, doctors and staff through the design of the built environment?  You are in for a real treat today, my friends. I am delighted to introduce my special guest, Ana Pinto Alexander, Principal and Group Director for Healthcare Interiors at HKS Architects in Dallas, Texas. Ana's work of transforming some of the largest hospitals in the world into safe, healing and nourishing spaces for patients, their families, and the large community of people who work there is impressive.To learn more about Ana Pinto-Alexander and HKS Architects, visit https://www.hksinc.com/Follow Ana on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-pinto-alexander-edac-fiida-rid-33129311/

In the summer of 2008, Kim Nadel suddenly lost her husband. In an instant she became the single mom to her two young teenage boys. Living in Brooklyn, New York, Kim found solace in a special corner in her backyard where she had placed a giant daybed under a weeping birch tree. This old, wise tree held and nourished her through this dark time.  Little did Kim know that this special tree would plant a seed in her heart for her work as an interior designer. Kim moved to southern California where she opened her firm and began to specialize in biophilia -- the love of nature and all living things. Kim Nadel, Design Creative at Kim Nadel Gaia Inspired Design + Consulting in San Diego, California is my special guest today on the podcast. Learn more about how Kim uses plants, natural lighting, and other elements of biophilic design to bring peace, balance and nourishment to every space she designs.Sign up for a free consultation with Kim Nadel and Kim Nadel Gaia Inspired Design + Consulting by following this link: https://gaiainspired.com/Follow Kim Nadel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaiainspireddesign/Connect with Kim on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnadel/

What happened when my special guest today, Jaime Kowal, went on a family trip to Palm Springs in 2013? She followed her intuition, of course, and bought a run-down apartment building and transformed it into the wildly successful boutique hotel, The Amado Inn and, later, developed more boutique accommodations in that town including The Junipero, The Ferg and The Wilk.Jaime is a designer, author and freelance photographer for The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveller, Delicious Magazine, among others. Hear the full story and learn how Jaime applies her design principles of “Where Spirit + Space Meet” to all her projects to create nourishing spaces for us all.Learn more about Jaime Kowal by visiting https://www.jaimekowal.com/.SHOP Jaime's exquisite photography prints here: https://biophilia.art/.Follow Jaime on Instagram here: @jaimekowal.

When Jessica was 15, her parents divorced and her life turned upside down. She went through the process of grieving while steadily redesigning her bedroom, moving furniture in and out during that time to create her oasis. This was Jessica's first introduction to how vital the built environment was to the well being of the humans living in them.My special guest today is Jessica Lynn Williams--Principal Interior Designer at Hendley & Co, based in New York City and Newburgh, New York. Learn how Jessica views history and heritage as core values in her design work with her clients, and what has changed since 2020.Learn more about Jessica Lynn Williams and Hendley & Co here: http://hendleyandco.com/Follow Jessica and Hendley & Co on Instagram: @hendleyandcodesignConnect with Jessica and Hendley & Co on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalynnwilliams/

When the pandemic hit the United States, my special guest today, Marie Burgos had an awakening. No more in-person school, after school, or weekend classes for her kids. Social activities came to a sudden halt. Marie returned to her mantra -- family is everything -- and eased into a cocoon with her own family.Marie is CEO at Marie Burgos Design based in New York and Los Angeles. Learn what her clients started asking for in 2020 and how the color red helped Marie leave a decades-long career into one her heart was longing for — interior design.Learn more about Marie Burgos and Marie Burgos Design by visiting: https://www.marieburgosdesign.com/.Follow Marie on Instagram here: @marieburgoscollection.

There is deep reverence and soul in my conversation today with my special guest Brigette Romanek, Founder of Romanek Design Studio in Los Angeles, California. Brigette is one of Beyonce and Jay-Z's interior designers and enjoys a sisterhood friendship with Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, and other famous friends.  And, for the past 3 years, she has been featured in Architectural Digest's AD100, who lists their picks for the one hundred top designers in the world! What I find so unique about this non-traditionally trained interior designer from the south side of Chicago, is how deep she goes with her clients, by gently and compassionately peeling away the layers to learn what someone's soul truly desires, and how their home can best nourish that soul.Brigette channels nourishment by being present, paying careful attention to every single detail of her client's language, their clothing, and how they move in the world. Grab your favorite cup of tea, sit down, take a deep breath, and lean into my soulful conversation with Brigette Romanek, whose Instagram tagline is, “Your home is a love letter to yourself.” You'll be so happy you did.Learn more about Brigette Romanek and Romanek Design Studio here: https://romanekdesignstudio.com/Follow Brigette on Instagram: @brigetteromanek

My special guest today is Lisa Samuel, ASID, NCIDQ, CAPS; President of Samuel Design Group in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the woman who coined the word, Feelosophy™.  On today's show, Lisa takes us on a deep and delicious dive into her journey of what it means to be a fully conscious human being in her work as an interior designer, and how she designs deeply meaningful, spiritual and soulful spaces for her clients by curating spaces that activate our senses. You'll hear how Lisa moves through her world of interior design with reverence and dignity for all humans who touch a project she is involved in. I asked Lisa if she believes a home is alive, and I think her answer will surprise you. Join me for this deeply nourishing conversation with Santa Fe's Best Interior Design 2021 award recipient, Lisa Samuel.Connect with Lisa and Samuel Design Group on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samueldesigngroup/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-samuel-76a5a7bb/Dunn Edwards paint colors that make Lisa feel like she's walking into a hug in a room:Fine Grain - https://www.dunnedwards.com/colors/browser/de6213Crisp Muslin - https://shop.dunnedwards.com/products/crisp-muslin-de6212Book resources that Lisa shares in this episode:“Beauty, Neuroscience, and Architecture: Timeless Patterns and Their Impact on Our Well-Being” by Donald H. Ruggles“The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses” by Juhani Pallasmaa

When Laura ran away from home at 16, she had no idea that a woman who she met shortly thereafter would become her first interior design teacher. Laura shares, “She was the most elegant gypsy to me; that's the only way I can describe her.” Get ready for a deep and rich and fascinating dive with Laura Martin Bovard as she takes us on her journey beginning with her early years, moving homes with her military family, how she started her interior design business at LMB Interiors while she was pregnant with her first child in her living room office, and how she channels her clients' vision through a holistic process of listening and asking the right questions. Finally, you'll learn about Divine Hustler, Laura's business through which she mentors and teaches female interior designers to step into life and work embracing and leading from their feminine, spiritual side. Get ready for your ears to be glued to Laura's every word. Yes, this conversation is that good.Learn more about Laura Martin Bovard and LMB Interiors here: https://www.lmbinteriors.com/Follow LMB Interiors on Instagram: @lmbinteriorsFollow LMB Interiors on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lmb-interiors/about/Learn more about Divine Hustler here: https://divinehustler.com/Follow Divine Hustler on Instagram here: @divinehustler

My special guest today is Arlene Lord, Principal Interior Designer at Lord Interior Design in Portland, Oregon. In 2020, Arlene wrote a design manifesto for herself and her firm. On today's show, she takes us on a deep dive into the head and heart of that manifesto, sharing wisdom like how to make magic out of mud and why people whisper when they see something so beautiful they can't quite describe in words. I know you are going to love this conversation as much as I loved interviewing this exceptional human.Learn more about Arlene Lord and Lord Interior Design here: https://www.lordinteriordesign.com/. Read Arlene's design manifesto, “Head and the Heart” here: https://www.lordinteriordesign.com/about-2Follow Arlene and Lord Interior Design on social media:Instagram: @lorddesign.interiorsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlene-lord-b8385227/

2 min 45 seconds - Welcome to The Lavender Room Design Podcast, Season 1.  Contemporary felt artist and former wellness designer, Cheryl R. Janis, chats with soulful and extraordinary female interior designers who design homes, hotels and work spaces that make us feel safe, nourished and held through it all.