Ep. 166: Nashville Week: Laura Thurman

In this week’s episode, we sit down with interior design expert Laura Thurman of Thurman Design Studio based in Nashville, Tennessee. We chat about how to handle bold, fall colors as well as having pieces of furniture in your living space that create a splash. We also discuss how to balance decor pieces that you may have picked up from different parts of the world with decor pieces that you already have.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• Laura’s take on the “modern” style and what it means to her.

• How important it is to educate clients on the design process, because most of the time, inspiration comes from education.

• How to not be afraid of bold, non-traditionally neutral colors and how to incorporate them into your fall decor.

• How Laura takes an outdated house and gives it a much more modern approach without tons of major renovations.

• How to utilize gallery walls in your space, and what goes into creating a good one!

• How your personality and interests should shine through when it comes to the design of your house, just like in Laura’s Cherokee Soul project.

• Design tips for when you have a bold-coloured piece of furniture.

• The importance of balancing new and older or collected decor pieces to keep a modern feel to your space.

• How to have a balance of scale and not have your space feel too cluttered while allowing your eyes to rest in certain areas.

• The three design elements that can spruce up a neutral color palette in a space.

• The importance of designing a fabulous powder room.

• How to decorate a foyer and give some advice on how to incorporate patterns, coffee tables, and faux plants!

Mentioned In This Episode:

Thurman Design Studio

Laura Thurman on Instagram

Laura Thurman on Facebook

Laura Thurman on Pinterest

Decorating Dilemma

Laura thinks you should paint the whole foyer! Because the walls are faceted, painting just one wall doesn’t seem practical, so go big or go home! When it comes to the rug, Laura thinks a big, round, patterned rug would be best because it would take up more floor space.You should also put the Wedgewood gray on the ceiling and stick to navy on the walls. Laura also doesn’t think the arches should be the same color as the foyer, especially if the arches are introducing a room that is a different color. For having two young kids, we’re all very impressed with how tidy your space is! Keep playing with some more patterns since your sofa and pillows are pretty solid, we recommend swapping out the solid pillows for some patterned ones. We also noticed you don’t have a coffee table and have two square ottomans instead, but we think a bigger, round ottoman would complement your space very well. You should also consider painting the mantle navy blue or a deep green! Some drapes in the dining area would help make everything look a little more cohesive. Some greenery or faux plants would also make your home feel more lived-in and can bring life to a space.