Ep. 139: designer Alexandra Kaehler

This week, Chicago designer Alexandra Kaehler chats with us about editing, when to know a room is finished, and how to make a meaningful antique feel chic. Alexandra also talks about her love of sourcing art, and how we can use art and wallpaper together in a way that works with the scale and intention of a room.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode:

• Trials and triumphs including the obvious of working at home with young children, painting projects, outdoor lighting, and some moss-some yardwork.
• Alexandra talks about her own home being featured in Luxe Magazine, and how she went into it knowing that she had to take on her own space with the same detail oriented nature in which she works with her clients.
• Ways in which we can use traditional pieces mixed with the modern and chic to create a beautifully edited space.
• How Alexandra knows when the space she is working on is ready to be done, and why we can always go in and add more or change things around as time goes on.
• Alexandra sees less edited collections when working with her younger clients, however, creating a tradition of collecting a certain thing over a long period of time can be fun and add to the meaning of the decor.
• Ideas for taking an heirloom or antique and repurposing it make it feel chic and contemporary.
• Tips for working with brown furniture to make it feel chic and not outdated, and incorporating multiple wood finishes in one room.
• What to know when working with wallpaper according to the scale of the room.
• Alexandra loves the “grandma look” but mixes it with contemporary to make it feel fresh and clean.
• How Alexandra shops for her art and mixes it together in a room, and some suggestions on where to find great art that won’t break the bank.
• Using pillows for color and pattern in a room is an inexpensive way to add fun and experiment with different looks.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Alexandra Kaehler

@alexkaehlerdesign

Decorating Dilemma:

By moving the sofa to a different area in the room you can open things up a lot. Alexandra envisions putting the sofa on the right side of the room up against the window and a pair of chairs on the other side with a bench for more seating. If you put your TV across from the couch, it will be off-center but will create a nice flow in the space. Adding some nice drapes could bring in more warmth and texture, and if you don’t use the blinds we suggest getting rid of them! It looks like your vibe is modern and simple so it could be an opportunity to add some color or black and white photography, but not pack the walls and overwhelm the already beautiful light space.