Ep. 199: designer Kate Lester

Our guest today is California cool designer Kate Lester of Kate Lester Interiors. Her spaces are infused with an airy, coastal vibe and her style embodies easy living. We ask her about incorporating coastal elements into homes not near the water, how to start a room, and more.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

• How Kate infuses a clients' personality into their home
• We talk about the most important design elements including linens, natural light, windows, and the importance of thinking outside the box in decorating
• Why you should follow the architecture of the house during the decorating process
• How to increase natural light in a home along with different window treatments.
• Why Kate loves vintage rugs and how these are a great way to add patterns and color into a home
• Why having a theme or concept board can help prevent lots of wasted time and money.
• All about sectionals -- why they're practical and why you should invest here

Decorating Dilemma:

For Lauren's question around how to frame her art, Kate first wants to address everything else first. Are there any layout issues. Is your floor plan just right. You want to nail the core elements in your room first before deciding on any art or accessories. Your frame choice isn't going to make or break your space. It's far more important that your furniture layout function well for everything you want to accomplish in here.

You may want to shift your sofa back from the fireplace a bit and swap your side tables. Your sofa may not be centered on the window anymore, but we think that's fine.

Also, in terms of picking frames for your art, all of the frames in a room don't need to match, so pick the frame that best complements the art piece.

Also, Lauren we just love what you've done with this space so far. Your console looks great, we love your rug, and you have a solid foundation you've built. Great job!

Show Notes:

• Follow Kate on her Instagram and her home decorating website.
• Shop Kate's finds at Kate Lester Home

Find all of the show notes or stream this episode on our blog, How to Decorate.