Ep. 83: decorator Fran Keenan

Decorator Fran Keenan joins the show this week to discuss her transition from magazine editor at Cottage Living to working with clients, and where she fell in love with the idea of functional and beautiful living. She also talks about how her family influences her work and vice versa, her love of transformation, what colors she currently loves working with most, and the importance of staying true to the personal narrative of the client.

Fran’s background as an editor at Cottage Living, and how that influences her to this very day when working on a design project.What steps Fran took to launch her career as an interior designer, and how it went along with the time in her life where she wanted flexibility to spend time with her family.What Fran loves most about working with homeowners.More about the “alphabet” room, and ways Fran has succeeded from thinking outside of the box.How to not have a boring laundry room — drinks anyone?!Fran’s love of mixing functionality with style and warmth.Her use of earthy colors in a way that still feels fresh and energetic.Creative ways Fran pulls color throughout the house and creates a seamless transition throughout rooms.The rule of thumb when it comes to painting moving objects inside the house.A glimpse into the transformation of her own house, and the hilarious take her kids have on what type of houses she buys.How the design process works when Fran moves into a new house, and the lessons of reprocessing within each change.Mixing high and low. Where Fran splurges, and where she uses Ikea.The use of book shelf displays in a way that coincides with the best use of space.How to safeguard against common issues of creating a “Pretty House Prison”.Starting points for using textiles and patterns to bring both a modern sleekness and primitive warmth to the house.Storage solutions of hooks, baskets and hanging things!