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Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: A Fenimore Lane Production
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Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: A Fenimore Lane Production

Author: Ariel Okin

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Delve into the personal worlds of the top interior designers & tastemakers around the globe – interviewed by Ariel Okin, House Beautiful Next Wave Designer, Founder of Fenimore Lane, and Contributing Writer to Vogue, Architectural Digest, & Coveteur. These insightful conversations range from a designer’s favorite resources when sourcing for clients, to how creatives, shopkeepers, and artisans built their businesses, and more. Tune in each Wednesday as Ariel welcomes a new guest to discuss their career journey, design inspirations and even share a little advice for fellow design enthusiasts!
20 Episodes
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On this week’s episode of Talk Shop, Ariel is joined by the accomplished interior designer, Hillary W. Taylor. Having grown up in the San Francisco area, Hillary learned the art of designing the home environment from her mother. After graduating from Princeton, she worked for an investment banking firm, before realizing design might be much more her style, and founding her business, Hillary W Taylor Interiors in 2003. Known for her neo-traditional design style that seamlessly blends classic elegance with contemporary elements. Her work exudes a sense of refined sophistication, creating spaces that are both timeless and inviting. With a keen eye for detail, Hillary blends colors, textures and patterns to achieve a sense of balance and harmony, with a bit of her own eclectic charm.  And when Hillary is not in the design studio, one might find her digging in the dirt, on the running trail, or cheering on one of her four children at their sports games, all while awaiting her next plane ride to adventure.  Learn more about Hillary’s design firm: https://hillarytaylorinteriors.com/
This week is all about legacy, as Ariel joined by Eliza Crater Harris, the Chief Creative Officer of American heritage brand, Sister Parish Design. As the great-granddaughter of design icon Sister Parish, Eliza's work honors her family's design legacy by overseeing product development, textile production, visual merchandising, and marketing initiatives for Sister Parish Design. After graduating from the University of St. Andrews in 2011, Eliza began her career in the decorative arts in New York City, training under some of the most prestigious design firms in the country. From there Eliza joined her family business in 2018, and under Eliza's creative vision, the company continues to honor the story of great American houses. Sister believed that to decorate is to dream and Sister Parish Design is a family of dreamers. Learn more about Sister Parish Design: https://sisterparishdesign.com/
Ariel’s guest this week has over two decades of experience in the interiors world, both in print and digital. Tori Mellott is the Style Director at Frederic Magazine, and Director of Video Content at Frederic Media. Throughout her storied career, with stops at House Beautiful, Domino Magazine, Martha Stewart and Traditional Home, to name a few, Tori has curated a deep understanding of print and digital storytelling. When she’s not behind the editor’s desk, Tori is a face many know in the industry both as a social media personality as the Instagram Live host for Schumacher, as well as a mentor to various designers, stylists, photographers, writers and editors in the industry. Originally from a small town in western Pennsylvania, Tori now resides in New York City with her ten year old twin daughters. Listen in as Ariel has a lovely conversation with this industry legend!  Follow Tori’s design inspirations on her instagram at https://www.instagram.com/torimellott/
On this week’s episode of Talk Shop, Ariel is joined by Katie Rosenfeld, a fellow self-taught designer, whose career started on Wall Street, but eventually led to design through starting her blog, Bogle Street, in 2007. Originally from Tampa, Florida, she would spend time in New York and Los Angeles before landing in Massachusetts with her family. In 2012, after her Boston home was published in Better Homes and Gardens, Katie would launch her design career and eventually her own firm, Katie Rosenfeld & Co.Katie is equal parts vintage and modern, never trendy and always comfortable, she brings this same sense of stylish-ease to her designs. Her firm’s goal is to design a home to feel warm, comfortable and familiar, but thoughtfully designed, well-functioning and beautiful. At the end of the day, Katie’s aim is a home that reflects the clients’ life ― with Katie’s signature warmth and layers peppered throughout.Learn more about Katie’s firm: https://katierosenfeldandco.com/ And her upcoming retail site for Vanity and Co: https://www.instagram.com/vanityandcompany/
Joining Ariel this week is Caroline Gidiere, an acclaimed interior designer and tastemaker based in Birmingham, Alabama. Caroline’s design aesthetic is a modern take on traditional interiors, using beautiful pieces and classic textiles to create spaces that are fresh and timeless. Raised in the South, Caroline’s principles of design were absorbed by watching her mother, a talented seamstress who wasn’t afraid of a complicated pattern or roll of wallpaper. But Caroline didn’t always work in design – after years as a business and litigation lawyer, where she even even clerked for a federal judge for a few years, Caroline eventually found her way to design full time with the help of her husband, after designing her own home, which was featured on the cover of Veranda Magazine in 2020. Pick up your own copy of Emily’s recent book, “Mario Buatta: Anatomy of a Decorator”: https://www.amazon.com/Mario-Buatta-Emily-Evans-Eerdmans/dp/0847873579 And learn more about the gallery and upcoming exhibitions: https://www.eerdmansnewyork.com/
Join us this week as we dive into design history with Emily Evans Eerdmans. Emily is the founder of Eerdmans, a fine and decorative arts gallery and consultancy in New York City. Her most recent book, Mario Buatta: Anatomy of a Decorator, is now available. A close friend of Mario’s, Emily oversaw the dispersal of his estate, including the blockbuster auction of the Prince of Chintz’s prized possessions at Sotheby’s. Emily’s book presents the key learnings and decorative history of Buatta, one of America’s most famous interior decorators.Along with Anatomy of a Decorator, Emily has also authored a long list of books, including monographs on Madeleine Castaing and Henri Samuel. With a Master’s degree in Fine and Decorative Arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, Emily has taught design history at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the New York School of Interior Design. -- Pick up your own copy of Emily’s recent book, “Mario Buatta: Anatomy of a Decorator”: https://www.amazon.com/Mario-Buatta-Emily-Evans-Eerdmans/dp/0847873579 And learn more about the gallery and upcoming exhibitions: https://www.eerdmansnewyork.com/
On this week’s episode of Talk Shop, we’re headed to the Northwest and welcoming Seattle-based designer Heidi Caillier to the show. A master of pattern and tone, Heidi is known for her unexpected blend of elements and styles, with her layered, lived-in spaces feeling well-traveled, timeless, and fresh. Drawing on the sentiment of nostalgia, Caillier believes that decor and furniture should possess a timeless quality which grows with the home.  Before starting her Seattle-based full-service interior design firm, Heidi Caillier came to the design world through her blog, which would lead to her first job at a design firm. After working under designers for a few years, Heidi would eventually start her own studio.  Aided by a small team from her studio in Seattle, Heidi oversees high-end residential and hospitality projects across the US. And while location, architecture, and lifestyle inform the creative direction, it is the desires and lifestyle of every client which always steers the narrative. -- Learn more about Heidi’s Firm: https://heidicaillierdesign.com/ And pick up a copy of her debut book, Heidi Caillier: Memories of Home: Interiors: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847873470/
This week Ariel welcomes an admirer of design with a different perspective– the client side. Annie Meyers-Shyer has meticulously been documenting the renovation of her family’s historic home in sunny Los Angeles on her instagram account, @thisoakhouse – and it’s quickly become a fan favorite, amassing tens of thousands of followers in a matter of weeks.  Originally from LA, Annie comes from a life grown up in Hollywood, thanks to her filmmaking parents, the iconic writer, director and producer Nancy Meyers and her father, also a writer, director and producer, Charles Shyer. Annie’s love for design and fashion has followed her from a young age, as a fresh out of college editor at Harper's Bazaar to working on the PR team at Chanel, and has most recently landed her in the form of a modern day design oracle. Ariel sat down with Annie to chat all things interiors, home inspiration, renovation musts and don'ts, and more! Follow Annie at https://www.instagram.com/thisoakhouse
This week on Talk Shop, Ariel welcomes one of the most talented names in design, the queen of contemporary American decorating, Bunny Williams. Known for balancing refined beauty, welcoming livable appeal, and attention to detail, Bunny is one of Architectural Digest’s “AD100 Hall of Fame” members, among many other accolades. Born and raised in the countryside near Charlottesville, Virginia, Bunny moved to New York after college and kicked off her career at the antique gallery Stair & Co., followed by 22 years with the iconic design firm, Parish-Hadley Associates. In 1998, Bunny founded her own firm, Bunny Williams Inc, and design history was made. Last year, Bunny welcomed business partner Elizabeth Lawrence to join her under the firm’s new name, Williams Lawrence. Bunny’s businesses include Bunny Williams Home, the firm’s line of furnishings, lighting, art, and accessories; and licensed product lines with Ballard Designs, Lee Jofa, Dash & Albert, Currey & Company, and Mirror Home.  And if that doesn’t keep her busy enough, Bunny is the author of eight design books and is a sought-after speaker and mentor on decoration, gardening, and entertaining. Her most recent book,  “Bunny Williams: Life in the Garden,”, leads readers on an intimate look at her much celebrated home and gardens in the Connecticut Berkshires that she has spent the last 40 years developing.  Learn more about Bunny’s firm, Williams Lawrence: https://williamslawrence.com/ Plus order a copy of your own of “Life in the Garden”: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847899692 -- Join Ariel and Fenimore Lane at the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, CT for a celebration of design on Saturday, May 18th. Pick up your tickets now: https://aubergeresorts.com/mayflower/experiences/fenimore-lane-design-summit/
On this week’s episode of Talk Shop, Ariel is joined by one of the nation's most beloved and leading experts on contemporary classical architecture, Gil Schafer. A member of Architectural Digest’s AD100, Gil’s work is often referred to as the pinnacle of traditional architecture in today’s time. With a Masters in Architecture from Yale, Gil studied under industry legends, and before founding his own firm, worked for several highly respected firms, including spending (nearly) a decade at Ferguson & Shamamian Architects.  Gil founded G. P. Schafer Architect in 2002, which in 2023 was renamed Schafer Buccellato Architects. The firm’s passion for integrating landscape and interior decoration into the architecture of a project is a significant hallmark of their work — and as Gil says, what makes a great home isn’t its size, or its features necessarily – it’s being a place that you can feel at home in both the big and small moments of life. Gil’s recent book, “Home At Last: Enduring Design for the New American House,” is available now. Pick up your copy at: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847899784/ And learn more about Gil and his firm: https://schaferbuccellato.com/ 
For our first episode of season two, Ariel welcomes award-winning AD100 interior designer to the stars, Brigette Romanek. Based in Los Angeles, Brigette founded her eponymous firm in 2018, and over the last five years has proven her uncanny ability to create stunning interiors that delight without sacrificing livability.Never trendy, her spaces are fresh, functional, and aesthetically alive – and her star-studded client list is expansive, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Joe Jonas, Christian Bale, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, just to name a few. Ariel and Brigette chat about how her years of traveling and pursuing different creative careers with gusto have inspired her approach to design. Livable Luxe, Brigette’s first book, is available now. A collection of personal stories and distinctive residential interiors that highlight the luxurious yet casual homes in her roster from Los Angeles to New York, Brigette's book is a beautiful compendium of her firm's work. 
Join me, Ariel Okin, interior designer, editor and writer, as I kick off season two of my design podcast, Talk Shop. Each week, I welcome the foremost tastemakers from around the globe to chat about how they built their businesses, where they find inspiration for new projects, and key pieces of advice they’ve learned along the way. And you don’t have to wait long, as episode one of the new season is coming this Wednesday, February 21st. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. See you soon!
To wrap our first season of Talk Shop, Ariel welcomes Madeleine Luckel, a senior design editor at Architectural Digest, where she covers national and international design, including overseeing web-exclusive home tours and an archive-focused newsletter. With a master of Arts in Costume Studies from NYU and a BA in Classics from Brown University, Madeleine has previously worked at Vogue and Vogue.com where she covered a variety of design-related topics. Along with being one of the loveliest people we know – Madeleine holds an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion and textiles that rivals any historian. Join Ariel as the two chat about Madeleine’s sense of style and joie de vivre, her fascinating career path, and where she finds inspiration.  Thank you again for joining us for the first season and stay tuned for season 2 coming in 2024!
On the next episode of Talk Shop, Ariel Okin welcomes the brilliant interiors writer, editor and stylist, Mieke ten Have. Mieke parlayed her editorial eye into creative direction for interior designers, architects, and home brands, after years working as a magazine editor. Mieke is a frequent contributor to Architectural Digest and House & Garden UK, among other publications, along with being a contributing writer to several books.  Describing her style as “Granny-chic”, Mieke's design sensibility is all about pieces that are beautiful, strange, and conversation starting. You can spot her floral arrangements a mile away, and her personal style and sense of space and the way it can translate on a page is truly singular in the industry. In her downtime not jetting off to shoots around the globe, Mieke lives between Manhattan, where she grew up, and Dutchess County, New York, with her husband and two beautiful children.
On this week’s episode Ariel welcomes her friend, the talented interiors editor and writer Hadley Keller, to the podcast. Hadley currently serves as Director of Editorial and Community Engagement at the Design Leadership Network, a community of top interior designers across the country. Previously, Hadley was Digital Director at House Beautiful, the nation’s oldest continuously-published shelter magazine, where she oversaw all digital content as well as brand franchises, including the Next Wave list of on-the-rise designers, which Ariel is so grateful to be on.  Splitting her time between New York and Washington, Hadley sits on the board of the Oasis Alliance, a nonprofit providing pro-bono design service to trauma survivors, and is a member of the White House Historic Association’s Next Gen Leaders cohort. She is a frequent speaker at design industry events and published her first book, about the architecture at Windsor in Florida, with Vendome in 2021. Tune in for a friendly and thoughtful conversation about the evolution of design editorial, advice for how to pitch to an editor, and where Hadley finds inspiration!
This week on Talk Shop, Ariel welcomes Peter Pennoyer, an illustrious classical architect and author with over 35 years of experience in residential, institutional and commercial architecture. Known for deftly fusing history and creative invention into timeless contemporary designs, Peter, who was born and raised in New York City, formed Peter Pennoyer Architects in 1990.  Since then, the Manhattan-based firm has become an award-winning and highly recognized leader in new construction, renovation, and historic conservation for residential, commercial, and institutional commissions across the United States and abroad. Along with working on over 200 projects, Peter is also an accomplished author, publishing five books with his co-author, Anne Walker. Their newest collaboration, Peter Pennoyer Architects: City | Country is available now.
Joining Ariel this week on Talk Shop is Louise Roe – an iconic figure in the fashion and lifestyle industry who has worked as an editor, TV host, and writer for over 15 years. With a storied career that includes stints as a former fashion editor-at-large for Glamour magazine, as well as time writing for Vogue, Elle, The Telegraph and House & Garden magazine, Louise’s personal style is clearly honed and undeniably chic. After a decade in LA, Louise returned to England with her husband, Mackenzie, and their two young daughters, where she turned her passion for interior design into the next stage of her career, founding Sharland England in 2021. Tune in as Louise and Ariel discuss what drew her to pave a new path in design, the origin story of her brand Sharland England, where she finds inspiration, and all about her love for rattan.
On this week's episode of Talk Shop, Ariel welcomes the fabulously talented AD100 Designer, Jake Arnold, to the podcast. Jake’s work – eponymous with ease, luxury, and comfort – is at the forefront of a new wave of designers, creating fresh, modern spaces that transcend time and trends. Along with designing homes and spaces for celebrities like John Legend & Chrissy Teigen, Jake has collaborated on collections with top brands including Parachute, Lulu & Georgia, and most recently, Crate & Barrel. Earlier this year, the e-design platform that Jake co-founded with his best friend Leo, called The Expert, (where Ariel is one of the Expert designers!) launched an e-commerce line, providing consumers access to the best of the trade brands, rare vintage, and made-to-order showrooms from The Expert’s impressive roster of designers. And Jake’s first book, Redefining Comfort, is now available. 
Welcome to the very first episode of Talk Shop, where Ariel is joined by her friend, talented Elle Decor A-List designer, Paloma Contreras. Based in Houston, Texas, Paloma’s design sensibility is a modern take on traditional style– gravitating toward classic silhouettes and timeless pieces, paired with a touch of glamour and an infusion of color. Paloma is known for designing beautiful interiors in her signature modern-meets-traditional aesthetic, resulting in spaces that feel polished, refined, and effortless. Paloma has repeatedly been named to the prestigious ELLE Decor “A-List” of the top interior designers in the world, as well as House Beautiful's "Next Wave" list, and more. Paloma and her work have been featured in numerous publications, including ELLE Decor, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. In addition to her timeless designs, Paloma is a sought-after speaker, author, product designer and shopkeeper. But her most important title is mother, to her beautiful daughter, Margot. You can find her lighting collection at Visual Comfort, and her curated retail shop, Paloma & Co, in Houston. Paloma’s newest book, The New Classic Home, is now available.
Have you ever wondered what inspires the world’s top interior designers? What makes an artisan or shopkeeper light up with inspiration, or how entrepreneurs in the creative space run their own businesses? Join me, Ariel Okin, interior designer, editor and writer, as I welcome the foremost tastemakers from around the globe on my brand new podcast, Talk Shop coming November 1st! Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. See you soon!
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