We’re excited to welcome husband-and-wife design duo Heather and Matt French to the show. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, their firm, French & French Interiors, is known for creating luxurious yet livable spaces that are rich in color, pattern, and storytelling.
Heather and Matt join Caroline and Liz to discuss their unique journey from careers in natural medicine and building to becoming interior designers. They share how they blend their Southern roots with the distinct architecture of the American Southwest, why they believe in “softening” a harsh landscape with cozy florals, and how they turned their own home into a “designer lab.”
What You’ll Hear This Episode:
- 00:00 Welcome & Introduction to How to Decorate
- 02:00 From Alabama to Santa Fe: Heather & Matt’s pivot into design
- 06:00 The “Shelter Magazine Budget”: Prioritizing beauty in their first renovation
- 09:00 The historic Applegate Estate project and respecting Santa Fe style
- 15:00 Blending Southern traditionalism with Southwest architecture
- 18:00 Why florals are essential for softening “harsh” environments
- 26:00 How to build a color palette using a “Keystone Fabric”
- 30:00 The importance of design books and knowing the industry’s history
- 40:00 Designing their own home as a creative laboratory
- 46:00 Collaborating with their teenage daughter on a “sunset-themed” room
- 52:00 Closing notes & where to find French & French
IMAGE CREDITS: frenchandfrenchinteriors.com/portfolio/applegate-estate
Also Mentioned in This Episode
- French & French Interiors | Website
- Follow them on Instagram: @frenchandfrenchinteriors
- Designers/Books Mentioned: Sister Parish, Mario Buatta, Kathryn Ireland, Bunny Williams, Furlow Gatewood
- Shop Ballard Designs
Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.
Happy Decorating!
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