My dorm room was perched on the 26th floor of a Manhattan high rise. And that is where the glamour ended. While my view was dreamy and certainly provided me with a few pinch-me moments as an eighteen-year-old living on my own for the first time, the dorm room itself was an absurdly expensive concrete box with horrid lighting, bunk beds, and cold floors that would sweat in the summer humidity.
We had a strict policy of no upholstery and rugs, so any hope of quelling the surgical feel of the room with something plush was out the window. My black and white embroidered Restoration Hardware duvet that coordinated with my roommate’s was a point of pride. And, with limited wall space and a pack of poster tack, I tried my hardest to make my space a reflection of my style.
As the back-to-school season has come once again in full swing, my Tik-Tok feed (sorry, guilty pleasure) has been flooded with enthusiastic young ladies proudly showing off their completed dorm rooms that are nothing short of luxe. A favorite, Kaylyn Darnell of the University of Alabama, went viral last year for documenting her sorority rush experience and most notably her dorm room. With over two and a half million views, her bubbly personality and Chanel themed room struck a chord.
This year Darnell took to TikTok once again to give a grand tour of her bedroom in the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority house. A culture wildly unfamiliar to me, I was blown away by the level of detail, sophistication, and pride. More so than ever before, dorm rooms have become a vibrant display of aesthetics. Follow the hashtags #DormRoom and #DormDecor, and you’ll step into a world of videos where students unveil their magical makeovers, turning once barren spaces into lively havens.
And it doesn’t stop there. According to Town & Country, some students have taken to hiring interior designers to outfit their dorm rooms. Designers such as Mississippi-based After Five Designs and Essentials with Eden have garnered a substantial following with their dorm decorating services. With zeal and flair, they handle every aspect, starting from those initial exciting conversations, all the way through the hunt for perfect pieces, culminating in the exhilarating installations that breathe life into these student sanctuaries.
From upholstered headboards that cleverly fit over the wooden bed posts to peel-and-stick wallpaper and perfectly curated decor throughout, the dorms of today seem to be a far cry from what I experienced not too long ago. I have to say, I love it! The chance to express yourself and craft a sophisticated oasis even with the tiniest of canvases – it’s a recipe for nurturing a deep love for your space and embracing the art of living beautifully. There is nothing The Glam Pad celebrates more!
Welcome to TGP Tidbits where we round up the happenings and our musings of the design industry each week. This week we take a look at Kips Bay, Reed Smythe & Co. x Tanti-Baci Ceramics, and A to Z Interiors by Simon Upton. Written by Natalie Aldridge.
A First Look at Kips Bay
With the Kips Bay Decorator Show House set to open its doors on September 16, the first renderings have officially arrived, giving us a glimpse of what this year’s designers have in store. As one of the most anticipated events on New York’s fall design calendar, Kips Bay is always an opportunity for designers to let their imaginations run a little wild, and this year’s rooms certainly promise no shortage of personalities.
Chad Dorsey DesignEZG DesignJohn Ferguson Interiors
As longtime readers will know, our tastes at The Glam Pad tend to favor rooms with a healthy dose of history, pattern, color, craftsmanship, and, naturally, a little glamour. We like rooms that feel collected with a sense of story and always rooted in classicism. This year’s renderings cover quite the spectrum, but after a thorough perusal, a select few immediately caught our eye and left us particularly eager to see how they come to life.
Of course, a show house is meant to be experienced in person. A room that appears one way on paper can take on an entirely different character once all the finishing touches that make a space sing are in place. Until then, we’ve rounded up the rooms that feel most at home in The Glam Pad world and that we are looking forward to seeing how they come to life in person.
Reed Smythe & Co. x Tanti-Baci Ceramics
We are always susceptible to a beautiful objet, and this collaboration from Reed Smythe & Co. has us particularly smitten. The beloved Southern shop has partnered with the artisans of Tanti-Baci Ceramics, a small atelier in the Languedoc region of France near Nîmes, to create a collection of terre mêlée (aptware) pieces that are, quite simply, stunning.
Meaning “mixed earth,” terre mêlée is an 18th-century French ceramic technique most closely associated with the town of Apt in the Luberon, hence its other name, Aptware. Different colors of oxidized clay are combined before firing, creating organic swirls and marbled patterns, making no two pieces ever quite alike. Each is hand-sculpted, sanded, double-fired, and finished with a transparent glaze.
It is rare that a new decorative object truly stops us in our tracks, but these beauties did just that. Rooted in centuries of craftsmanship, they are exactly the sort of objects that make a room feel collected and interesting. And at such an approachable price point for something so singular and beautifully made, we think they are well worth the indulgence. These pieces are modern heirlooms. The only trouble will be choosing just one. The full Reed Smyth x Tanti-Baci Ceramics collection can be shopped here!
A to Z Interiors by Simon Upton
If one were tasked with assembling a roll call of designers we never tire of seeing, the pages of Simon Upton’s forthcoming A to Z Interiors would make a rather excellent start. Alidad, Veere Grenney, Beata Heuman, Remy Renzullo, Gil Schafer, Ben Pentreath, Robert Kime, and Carolina Irving are just a few of the familiar names filling this beautiful new book, out September 15th by Rizzoli.
Page 45-45, The Duchess of Beaufort in the North Hall at Badminton House, A-Z Interiors by Simon Upton, RizzoliPage 91, The library in the Castello di Masino, Italy, A-Z Interiors by Simon Upton, RizzoliPage 272-273, The Grand Hall at Baronscourt, Northern Ireland, decorated by David Hicks, A-Z Interiors by Simon Upton, Rizzoli
For more than three decades, Simon Upton has photographed some of the world’s most memorable interiors, and his particular magic lies in making even the grandest rooms feel intimate and lived in. Organized alphabetically, A to Z Interiors captures one wonderfully distinctive interior to the next, showcasing not a single definition of good taste, but the many ways a beautiful room can come together.
Page 26, Nicholas Alvis Vega and Liza Bruce, Apartment in an ‘haveli’, Jaipur, India, A-Z Interiors by Simon Upton, RizzoliPage 326- 327, The late antiques dealer Robert Kime’s study in his London apartment, A-Z Interiors by Simon Upton, RizzoliPage 411, The flower room in designer Ben Pentreath’s and Charlie McCormick’s London apartment, A-Z Interiors by Simon Upton, Rizzoli
These are interiors with atmosphere, history, and personality, the sort that reward a second and third look rather than revealing everything at once. With contributions from many of the designers whose work appears within, the book also promises something more than a parade of beautiful photographs.
At a time when so much design can begin to look so alike, A to Z Interiors feels like a welcome celebration of individuality. Needless to say, we’ll be making room on the bookshelf. A to Z Interiors can be ordered here!
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Our website isn’t going anywhere. Substack is simply an extension of The Glam Pad, delivering every new post straight to your inbox. Paid subscribers can enjoy an entirely ad-free reading experience and our community chat.
We’d love to have you join us. You can subscribe here!
Lee W. Robinson, founder of the Lee W. Robinson Company, is a long-time favorite at The Glam Pad. Based in Louisville, Kentucky with offices in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida, Lee’s signature style exemplifies Southern tradition and English pedigree.
Today Lee is giving us a sneak peek inside his family home, Malvern House, originally designed by famed architect Ogden Codman Jr. In 1897 Codman and Edith Wharton co-wrote The Decoration of Houses which is known to this day as one of the most important decorating books ever written. All of these principles were incorporated into the design of Malvern. Below, please enjoy a video and photo tour of Malvern House, a true American treasure. Welcome, Lee!
The roots of Malvern House date back to the 1890s when George Gaulbert, the great-great-grandfather of Lee’s wife Babs Rodes Robinson, purchased the land. It totaled three square miles at the time. Gaulbert was the founder of the Peaslee-Gaulbert Corporation, inventor of ready-mix paint and one of the largest paint, chemical, and wholesale hardware manufacturers in the country (which has now morphed into Celanese). However it was Mr. and Mrs. Gaulbert’s only child, Carrie Gaulbert Cox, and her husband Attilla Cox, Jr. who were responsible for building Malvern House. Cox’s father, Attilla Sr., was the founder of Columbia Fidelity Bank (now PNC). He was business partners in banking and railroads with J.P. Morgan and August Belmont of New York. It was these ties to New York and Newport that encouraged them to hireCodman to design the house and Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture and co-designer of Central Park, to design the landscaping.
There is a fateful story involving the Cox family. In 1911, Carrie and Attilla Cox travelled to Europe by ship with their daughter Harriet Cox. There she contracted scarlet fever and was so severely ill the family had to cancel their return trip back to the United States. That return trip was scheduled for April 1912 on the Titanic. The entire family lineage could have ended had Harriet not been too sick to travel.
Codman completed his design of the house in 1914, but it was not finished until 1922. Harriett and her husband, John Collis, raised their daughters at Malvern including Babs’s mother, Barbara Collis. In the 1960s Harriett reduced the size of the home significantly, removing 8,000 square feet, including the entire third floor which had a party room that mimicked the family’s Canadian hunting lodge. She lived at Malvern House until her death in 1992. The home was then sold outside the family to the former Kentucky governor’s wife.
In 2007 Babs and Lee purchased the home, which had become vacant and neglected. Lee spent two years bringing the estate back to life, incorporating furniture and treasures that had been in the family for generations. Using original Olmsted blueprints, in 2011 they began to restore Malvern’s 15 acres of grounds and gardens. Once the overgrowth was cut back, long-buried brick walkways were unearthed and the skeleton of the Olmsted plan emerged and was brought back to life, including a 1614 well-head.
A dramatic marble staircase spanning 45 feet in length greets guests to Malvern House. The original limestone block walls were inspired by the grand country homes of England.
Lee transformed a screened-in porch into the music room which was inspired by the party pavilions of the 1920s. Hand painted Chinoiserie wallpaper from Stark, a sparkling crystal chandelier, and classic black and white marble floors create an ambiance of elegance and glamour.
The drawing room displays priceless art by Pablo Picasso, Mary Cassatt, Anthony van Dyck, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Rubens and more. Original built-in bookcases and paneling are used to showcase heirloom family porcelain.
Codman designed two separate powder rooms on the first floor – one for for ladies and one for gentlemen. The ladies’ powder room includes a sit-down vanity, mirrored panels, chandelier, Chinoiserie silver leaf wallpaper, and onyx floors.
The gentlemen’s bathroom features malachite wallpaper and black marble floors.
Much of the furniture used in the dining room has been in the family for generations. Lee upholstered the paneled walls with silk Shantung fabric and added damask curtains and a chandelier. Instead of traditional sideboards, he brilliantly incorporated two antique dining tables that can be used to accommodate extra guests. The room features an original Robert Adam mantel and seats 36.
The original kitchen was a small, utilitarian room only used by servants. Lee turned it into a butler’s pantry and utility room. He then added a modern kitchen, complete with two center islands and a breakfast nook, where the former butler’s pantry, silver vault, and porcelain room were located.
The morning room comes from an old English estate that was dissembled and moved piece by piece into Malvern House. Today it not only showcases art and collectibles that have been in the family for generations, but it also serves as the television room (which is hidden in an antique armoire).
Malvern’s windows incorporate stained glass from the 1500s.
Malvern House is a historically important American treasure, and Lee and Babs are dedicated to the continued preservation of their family’s legacy and ancestral home. Thank you, Lee, for the delightful tour!
To learn more about Lee Robinson, please visit the Lee W. Robinson Company, and for ongoing inspiration and information, please follow @leerobinsoncompany on Instagram.
Welcome to TGP Tidbits where we round up the happenings and our musings of the design industry each week. This week we take a look at An Afternoon on Beauty with Charlotte Moss, NYDC’s What’s New What’s Next, and Tania Bulhões’ Latest Tableware Collection. Written by Natalie Aldridge.
An Afternoon on Beauty
Two of our favorite arbiters of taste and living beautifully, interior designer Charlotte Moss and FLOWER magazine founder Margot Shaw, are coming together in Richmond this October for An Afternoon on Beauty, a celebration of interiors, gardens, flowers, and the art of living well.
At Home in Virginia, Charlotte Moss, Rizzoli (cover photo by Pieter Estersohn)Charlotte Moss; photo by Eric Striffler Photography
The October 9th festivities begin at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, where Charlotte and Margot will sit down for a conversation celebrating their latest books: Charlotte’s forthcoming Charlotte Moss: At Home in Virginia and Margot’s Flowering Outdoors: Gardens & Parties, which came out earlier this year. Then, the evening moves to the magnificent Branch Museum for cocktails and an exclusive benefit dinner with the two design doyennes as guests of honor.
Photo by Hayley Ellen DayPhoto by Brittany Ambridge
For Charlotte, a Richmond native, the occasion is something of a homecoming, and an especially fitting one as her new book offers a deeply personal look inside her own Virginia house and garden. Margot, meanwhile, has spent nearly two decades at the helm of FLOWER, championing the very things we hold dear: gracious rooms, glorious gardens, beautiful tables, and, of course, flowers.
Two fabulous new books, two women who know a thing or two about living beautifully, and an autumn afternoon in Virginia devoted entirely to beauty? We can hardly think of a better way to spend a Thursday. And consider this just a little taste of what’s to come. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into Charlotte’s new book and the wonderfully layered world behind its pages, with plenty more Charlotte Moss to come. Tickets for An Afternoon on Beauty are available here!
What’s New What’s Next
No matter how many years we’ve been out of school, September somehow always feels like back-to-school season. The city fills up again, calendars suddenly start to fill up, and the design world returns from its summer travels ready for a little fun.
Kicking things off is the return of What’s New, What’s Next at the New York Design Center on September 17th. Now in its seventeenth year, the annual design fête will take over 200 Lex with a full day of talks, new collections, book signings, cocktails, and the gathering of the design world. This year is particularly special as the New York Design Center celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The lineup includes Wendy Goodman and Isaac Mizrahi on what makes New York the design capital of the world, Ken Fulk and Stellene Volandes discussing the “well-dressed life,” Annabelle Selldorf unveiling her new collection for Munder Skiles, and plenty more familiar faces throughout the building. So sharpen your pencils and get ready to head back to 200 Lex. School is officially back in session. Information on What’s New What’s Next can be found here!
Tania Bulhões Latest Tableware Collection
While September may be just around the corner, we are not quite ready to surrender summer just yet. The days are still warm, the evenings are still long, and there is plenty of outdoor entertaining to be had before it cools down too much.
Luckily, Tania Bulhões is giving us every reason to keep setting the table outside. The Brazilian tastemaker’s new Botânica Collection celebrates the extraordinary flora of her native country, with stunning bromeliads and proteas coming to life across Limoges porcelain in brilliant shades of pink, coral, green, and yellow, all finished with touches of gold.
The collection extends beyond porcelain to glassware, linens, natural fibers, and hand-blown vases, creating a table that feels wonderfully lush without being overtly summery. Those rich botanical tones seem particularly perfect for these in-between weeks, when late-summer dinners begin stretching into crisp September evenings.
A Friendly Reminder: If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Glam Pad on Substack!
Our website isn’t going anywhere. Substack is simply an extension of The Glam Pad, delivering every new post straight to your inbox. Paid subscribers can enjoy an entirely ad-free reading experience and our community chat.
We’d love to have you join us. You can subscribe here!
Based in Loudoun County, Virginia, Lauren Wodicka, founder and principal designer of LBW Studio, has built her practice around thoughtfully restoring and reimagining historic homes, layering antiques, beautiful textiles, and custom details. Her perspective on preservation, sourcing, and designing homes that evolve allows Lauren to create timeless spaces for her clients that are designed to be both lived in and loved for generations. Lauren’s work is deeply rooted in her love for art history and the stories behind every interior. Early in her career, Lauren sold art, painted, and exhibited artworks in a gallery she opened in Old Town Alexandria.
Today, Lauren specializes in thoughtfully curated and welcoming interiors that evoke her clients’ personalities and lifestyles, allowing them to tell their unique story and seamlessly blend elegance with family-friendly functionality. She enjoys working with clients not just through the end of a design project, but on lifelong decorating projects where they depend on her to be a teacher, sharing ideas on what to collect for their home and personal interests.
Lauren Wodicka
We are delighted to welcome Lauren to The Glam Pad for a look at her exquisite portfolio and Q&A. Welcome, Lauren!
Q: How do you describe your style, and how did it develop?
A: Timeless, layered, and collected. I am drawn to interiors that feel collected over time; rooms where antiques, art, rich color, and beautiful textiles coexist with pieces that feel fresh and relevant. I love the tension between something a little weathered or timeworn and something beautifully tailored: chipped paint beside gilding, an old object given new context, or an antique chair revived with unexpected upholstery. I also love fashion, so I think about it much the same way I think about interiors. A great piece of jewelry that you wear every day is the equivalent of a gorgeous foyer chest, something special that sets the tone. Fabulous shoes or a great blazer are like drapery: they can completely elevate and pull an entire look together.
Q: How did your time studying in Florence influence you?
A: Living in Florence deepened my appreciation for architecture, craftsmanship, and the way history can remain relevant to contemporary life. It taught me to notice proportion, detail, and a strong sense of place, which continue to shape how I approach design today.
Q: Please tell us about your passion for art history and your work as an artist.
A: Art and art history were my earliest creative foundations and trained my eye. Although my work today focuses on interiors, that background continues to inform how I see color, composition, and the relationship between objects in a room.
Q: When did you decide to pursue a career in interior design?
A: It evolved naturally from a broader interest in art, architecture, and the way people live. I was drawn to the opportunity to create complete environments that are both beautiful and deeply personal.
Q: What do you find most rewarding in your focus on historic preservation?
A: Giving historic places a future. I love preserving the features that make an old house distinctive while adapting it thoughtfully to how a family lives today.
Q: What are your tips for designing a home that will withstand the test of time?
A: Respect the architecture, invest in quality, and choose what genuinely speaks to you rather than following every trend. A lasting home should feel personal, comfortable, and able to evolve.
Q: Do you have favorite go-to colors, patterns, furnishings, etc.—or a “signature style”—that you routinely incorporate within your projects?
A: I don’t believe in imposing the same look on every project; each project should have its own identity. I am consistently drawn to color, pattern, antiques, art, and furnishings that give a home depth, but each interior should ultimately reflect its architecture and the people who live there.
Q: Are there any “old-fashioned” or forgotten design staples you would like to see make a comeback?
A: I would love to see a return to rooms that feel collected rather than completed all at once, where antiques are used comfortably rather than reverently. Proper window treatments, thoughtful decorative details, and pieces made by skilled craftspeople bring individuality and lasting character to a home.
Q: When you aren’t busy designing, what do you enjoy doing with your time?
A: I am always busy! When I can, I try to fit in a three-mile walk. I love spending time with my children and then anything creative…cooking, gardening, traveling, antiquing, and, of course, painting. A favorite Saturday might include lunch with my daughter while the boys are shooting hoops.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: The most memorable homes have a clear point of view while still feeling entirely natural to the people who live in them.
Thank you, Lauren, for joining us today!
For additional information, please visit LBW Studio and follow @lbwstudio on Instagram for ongoing inspiration.
Welcome to TGP Tidbits where we round up the happenings and our musings of the design industry each week. This week we take a look at Nina Campbell’s Latest Collection, The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon, and Remembering Mathilde Favier. Written by Natalie Aldridge.
Nina Campbell’s Latest Collection
Few names are more synonymous with quintessential English decorating than the legendary Nina Campbell. For more than five decades, her colorful and wonderfully comfortable interiors have embodied that distinctly English tradition of rooms that feel layered, collected, and somehow relaxed.
This September, Nina Campbell will launch a new collection of fabrics and wallpapers for Osborne & Little, beautifully titled Dauphine. Filled with charming florals, rich color, and beautifully considered patterns, the collection draws on the unmistakable decorative vocabulary that has made Nina one of the most beloved names in interior design.
Classic, joyful, and just a little bit unexpected, the collection is filled with the sorts of patterns that will become mainstays. The Interior Designer’s Collection will be available through Osborne & Little beginning September 2nd.
The full collection will be available to view here!
The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon
At The Glam Pad, we celebrate craftsmanship, legacy, and the classics. Those rare things, whether a beautiful fabric, a timeless dress, or a perfectly crafted piece of furniture, that somehow manage to transcend generations without ever losing their relevance are what we cherish most. This fall, two great British institutions come together to celebrate just that, as the Victoria and Albert Museum and Burberry open The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon, marking the legendary British fashion house’s 170th anniversary.
A womenswear catalogue featuring trench coats c. 1937–44
Opening September 21st in the V&A’s rarely seen Prince Consort Gallery, the exhibition traces the history of the trench from Thomas Burberry’s invention of cotton gabardine in 1879 and its practical beginnings in military and protective outerwear to its place today as one of fashion’s most enduring icons. Along the way, the exhibition showcases the craftsmanship behind the classic, from its hand-finished collar and iconic check lining. Rare pieces from the Burberry Archive and V&A collection will be featured with 19 runway looks illustrating how generations of designers have continued to reinterpret the coat.
Detail of the personalised label in British fashion designer Hardy Amies’s Burberry car coat_ 1979
Perhaps what we love most about this exhibition is the reminder that a true classic does not need reinventing so much as it needs preserving, appreciating, and an occasional look with fresh eyes. Beautiful materials, thoughtful details, and superb craftsmanship never really go out of style, whether we are talking about a perfectly tailored trench coat or a beautifully decorated room.
The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon will be on view at the V&A South Kensington from September 21, 2026 through January 3, 2027. V&A exhibition tickets can sell out fas! Make sure to plan your visit here!
Remembering Mathilde Favier
We were deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Mathilde Favier, the beloved longtime Director of Public Relations at Dior and one of Paris’s most wonderfully stylish and iconic figures. For more than a decade at the legendary fashion house, Mathilde was a familiar and much-loved presence within the fashion industry, known as much for her warmth, wit, smile, and infectious joie de vivre as for her extraordinary sense of style.
Beyond the world of fashion, Mathilde had a true gift for living beautifully. Her wonderfully layered Paris apartment, love of flowers, entertaining, collecting, and the people and places that made her city special were captured in her 2024 book, Living Beautifully in Paris. She represented a kind of effortless Parisian elegance that cannot really be taught, one that was deeply personal, a little eccentric, and always full of life. She seemed to move through the world with a smile on her face and a genuine joy for life and those around her.
Mathilde passed away on August 17 alongside her partner, French film producer Nicolas Altmayer, in a tragic accident. Our hearts go out to her children, family, friends, and the many people whose lives she touched. The worlds of fashion and design have lost a truly singular and joyful presence.
A Friendly Reminder: If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Glam Pad on Substack!
Our website isn’t going anywhere. Substack is simply an extension of The Glam Pad, delivering every new post straight to your inbox. Paid subscribers can enjoy an entirely ad-free reading experience and our community chat.
We’d love to have you join us. You can subscribe here!
Designer and lifelong lover of beautiful things, Paloma Contreras has built a wonderfully stylish world of her own that we have long admired. As an interior designer myself, there are a handful of designers I admire not only for their work, but also for their undeniable work ethic and multifaceted approach to their careers. Paloma is certainly one of them.
Photography by Fernanda Varela
Known for interiors that are feminine, polished, and deeply livable, the Houston-based designer has a knack for balancing timeless elegance with just the right amount of glamour. While her path to design was not conventional, her natural eye and clear passion for interiors have brought her from high school Spanish teacher to her beloved blog, La Dolce Vita, to Visual Comfort, and ultimately to becoming one of today’s most admired designers.
Today, Paloma’s creative pursuits span her eponymous design firm, two books, collections for Visual Comfort and Schumacher, her Houston shop, Paloma & Co., and, most recently, The Install: Life & Design podcast with fellow designer and friend Caroline Gidiere. In all honesty, there is nothing Paloma can’t do.
Photography by Aimée Mazzenga
We are delighted to welcome the ELLE Decor “A-Lister” to The Glam Pad today for a Style Profile Q&A to talk treasured antiques, creative life, what’s inspiring her now, and of course, a look at her beautiful work.
Welcome, Paloma!
Q: Please tell us about your design firm, how you got started, and what types of projects you work on?
A: I started my interior design firm, Paloma Contreras Design, in 2013. I majored in Spanish and Italian Studies, so for the first four years post-graduation, I worked as a high school Spanish teacher. While I enjoyed the subject matter, teaching never felt like quite the right fit. I started a design blog called La Dolce Vita in 2007, and that really started to change the direction of my career. I left teaching in 2008 and started freelancing, or doing what we would now call being an influencer.
Photography by Brittany AmbridgePhotography by Brittany Ambridge
Eventually, I was offered the role of Director of Marketing for the lighting manufacturer Visual Comfort, where I oversaw a variety of initiatives, including the launch of the Aerin Lauder collection. Over time, I got the itch to do my own thing and left in 2013 to start my design firm. That relationship has come full circle, as I have designed a lighting collection for Visual Comfort since 2022.
I’ve written two books, Dream Design Live and The New Classic Home. I also design a textile collection for Schumacher and will be launching a new rug collection later this year. In addition to my design firm, I also own a curated home store called Paloma & Co. We have a robust e-commerce presence as well as a brick-and-mortar store on River Oaks Boulevard. When we aren’t working on design projects in Houston and throughout the U.S., you can catch me recording my podcast, The Install, with my co-host Caroline Gidiere, writing our Substack, The Install Edit, or hanging out with my husband and our young daughter.
Photography by Brittany AmbridgePhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: How would you describe your personal style in three words?
A: Timeless, Collected, Gracious
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: What is the most treasured object in your home, and what is the story behind it?
A: This is so hard to answer because I truly believe that an object does not truly belong in your home unless you love it. I have a 19th-century French chest with beautiful marquetry on the drawer fronts that I purchased at my first antiques fair in France. It was one of the first major antiques I purchased for our home and reminds me of my first sourcing trip abroad, so it will always have special meaning to me.
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: When did you first fall in love with beautiful homes and know you wanted to pursue design as a career?
A: I have always been drawn to beauty and beautiful homes. As a young child, I remember visiting my grandparents in Mexico and fawning over the Spanish Colonial architecture there. I’ve always loved beautiful gardens and fashion as well. However, I didn’t start to pursue it as a career until maybe 15 years ago, well into adulthood. At that point, I had been writing my former blog, La Dolce Vita, for several years and had begun dipping my toe into interior design.
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: What is a luxury you believe is always worth the investment?
A: Business Class airfare on long international flights
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: What are three things currently inspiring you?
A: My five-year-old daughter, Margot, is my muse. I just adore seeing the world through her eyes. I was on a Chinoiserie tour of England back in May, and since then, I have become completely obsessed with English country houses and gardens. We recently started a Substack for our podcast called The Install Edit, and I am obsessed with it. At my core, I think I am a writer and an editor, not just a designer, so it feels like a homecoming to me since I wrote a blog from 2007–2022 and have written two books. I am loving this creative outlet.
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: Which city consistently inspires you?
A: Paris—As cliché as it sounds, it is impossible for me to return without feeling completely energized and inspired by Paris. It is truly the most beautiful city, and I’ve visited enough times now that it feels familiar. I have my favorite places to stay, shop, and eat and rarely deviate from that.
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: What are you working on next that we can look forward to?
A: I have a new collection of beautiful, handmade rugs debuting with L&M Carpets at High Point Market in October. We’ve been working on the collection for a while, and I am very excited because I think it offers a lot of design ideas that we haven’t seen applied to rugs yet.
Photography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: Your new podcast, The Install: Life & Design, gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at creativity, business, and the realities of the design world. What conversations are you most excited to have?
A: Caroline and I want these conversations to feel very organic. Each week, we share candid conversations about the work we do, the lives we’re building, and the ideas inspiring us along the way. From running a creative business and navigating growth to travel, culture, personal style, and the lessons learned behind the scenes, the podcast gives listeners an honest look at what it really means to live a creative life.
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Some episodes are just the two of us, reflecting and sharing what’s top of mind; others feature thoughtful conversations with designers and creative voices we admire. The Install is an inviting space for designers, creatives, and anyone who loves beautiful ideas, meaningful work, and intentional living.
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
Q: What’s been the most surprising part of starting a podcast?
A: I think we both anticipated that it would add some work to our plates and that there would be a learning curve. We are also genuinely good friends in real life, so I knew that it would be fun to do this with my friend, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I look forward to it each week. It is so fun to get to see your friend, gab for an hour, and have people respond so nicely to those conversations.
Photography by Aimée MazzengaPhotography by Aimée Mazzenga
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Welcome to TGP Tidbits where we round up the happenings and our musings of the design industry each week. This week we take a look at “At Home in Nature: American Country Interiors,” John Derian x Doing Goods, and Max Sinsteden’s D. Porthault windows. Written by Natalie Aldridge.
At Home in Nature: American Country Interiors
At The Glam Pad, we are hardly known for shying away from color, pattern, and a healthy dose of maximalism. But there is something equally beautiful about an interior that calms the senses, and At Home in Nature: American Country Interiors has us craving just that. The new FREDERIC book, written by Hudson Moore and published by Monacelli, arrives September 16 with an inside look at 22 wonderfully nature forward American country houses.
These are interiors shaped as much by the landscape beyond their windows as by what fills the rooms. They are comfortable without being casual, collected without looking overly considered, and refreshingly unprecious. Furniture is meant to be sat upon, shelves are full, and rooms feel as though they have evolved naturally over time rather than been decorated all at once.
Among our favorites is interior designer Carolyn Malone’s rural Georgia retreat, where rustic wood-paneled walls seem to breathe history and open kitchen shelves are charmingly full rather than painstakingly styled. In West Texas, Jeffrey Bilhuber mixes fine-boned antiques with contemporary pieces so effortlessly that you hardly notice where one period ends and another begins.
At Home in Nature is a lovely reminder that a room need not shout to have something to say. There is beauty in restraint, in natural materials, in things softened by age and use. We may never give up our chintz and glorious rooms awash in color, but we would very happily retreat to one of these. Be certain to pre-order your copy here!
Leave it to the ever-talented John Derian to merge the worlds of botanicals and rugs. The designer and decoupage maestro has teamed up with Amsterdam-based Doing Goods on a delightfully whimsical collection of leaf-shaped rugs, and naturally, we want the whole garden.
The five designs take their cues from botanical imagery found in Derian’s extraordinary archive of antique and vintage prints. Blown up and translated into wonderfully irregular rugs, the leaves retain all the charm of their original illustrations, complete with delicate veining, curling edges, and the sort of lovely imperfections that make old botanical studies so irresistible.
It is the exaggerated scale that makes them especially fun. Enlarged to such proportions, the leaves become wonderfully graphic and almost morph into something else entirely. They are just the right amount of quirky and are charming enough to bring a little personality to any space. We particularly love the idea of one appearing somewhere entirely unexpected, like a great big leaf that has simply floated in through an open window.
The John Derian x Doing Goods collection is available here now.
Max Sinsteden For D. Porthault
If you haven’t yet stopped by D. Porthault on Park Avenue to see Max Sinsteden’s fabulous summer windows, consider this your reminder. For the French linen house’s inaugural Designer Summer Series, Max transformed five windows and interior displays at its New York boutique into wonderfully layered little rooms.
Our favorite may be the charming jewel-box bathroom on 58th Street, complete with beadboard walls, a tiled floor, pedestal sink, artwork, proper sconces, and, naturally, plenty of Porthault. Trèfles and Fougères appear in fresh shades of green, while even the lampshades get the Porthault treatment.
It is the sort of window display that rewards a closer look, filled with the thoughtful details that make Max’s work so charming. The windows will remain through September, leaving plenty of time for a proper look. So next time you’re dashing across town, give yourself a few extra minutes on 58th Street. Window shopping has rarely looked this good. But then again, we wouldn’t expect anything less from a D. Porthault collaboration with Max Sinsteaden.
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If these walls could talk! The storied country home of Lady Annabelle Goldsmith, the late English socialite and author for whom the famous Mayfair nightclub Annabel’s is named, is currently listed with UK Sotheby’s International Realty, and we are in love! Ormeley Lodge is a magnificent Grade II Queen Anne manor house nestled within 2.3 acres just ten miles southwest of central London in Ham. For more than five decades, Lady Annabelle entertained everyone from politicians to Hollywood stars to royalty, including Princess Diana who was a frequent guest along with Princes William and Harry.
Her youngest son Ben Goldsmith says, ““From the moment my mother arrived at Ormeley Lodge in 1976, the magic for her was in its location,” says Ben, 45. “Despite being so close to central London, it is set in an ocean of wild nature that is richer and more expansive than most rural countryside. The house is surrounded on three sides by Ham Common with Ham Common Woods Nature Reserve to the south and beyond that, 2,500 acres of Richmond Park. When my mother walked her dogs every day, she could go in any direction and find outstanding nature. If she saw us sitting around inside she would always urge us to go out and explore. Growing up in such a wonderful place with a mother who instilled a love of nature in us, and was immersed in it herself every day, explains why my brother Zac and I are so committed to conservation.” (source)
Dating to the early 1700s, the residence blends Queen Anne and early Georgian architecture across nearly 15,800 square feet. Embodying both English Baroque and Classical elements, the house includes 10 bedrooms and seven bathrooms, with soaring ceilings, original fireplaces, intricate moldings, and carefully preserved oversized sash windows. The interiors, decorated by the legendary Colefax & Fowler in the 1980s, remain timeless to this day and the epitome of classic English Country Style.
The ground floor has been arranged for both formal entertaining and relaxed family life. A magnificent drawing room and handsome library sit alongside an elegant dining room, while the generous kitchen is served by a pantry, breakfast room and staff room.
Extensive ancillary accommodation, including a wine cellar and substantial storage rooms, ensures the house is as practical as it is impressive, while the grand entrance hall and sweeping staircase provide an unforgettable introduction to the home.
The upper floors offer exceptional bedroom accommodation centred around a magnificent principal suite with its own private study. A second suite benefits from an adjoining dressing room, while the remaining bedrooms provide generous accommodation for family and guests. A self-contained guest apartment with its own sitting room adds further flexibility, allowing the house to accommodate multi-generational living or long-term visitors with ease.
Designer Kathryn M. Ireland, an honorary extended member of the Goldsmith family, recently gave a tour of Ormeley Lodge, and @fenellainteriordesign graciously allowed us to share captured images from the event…
The estate remains intact, preserving not only the principal residence but also its historic collection of cottages, service buildings and beautifully enclosed gardens. Traditional walled gardens unfold into wide herbaceous borders, wildflower meadows, an orchard and productive fruit and vegetable gardens, while an aviary, secluded south-facing swimming pool with its pavilion and an all-weather tennis court complete this extraordinary private estate. Altogether, the grounds provide an exceptional sense of peace and privacy within one of London’s most sought-after settings.
Ormeley Lodge enjoys an exceptional position immediately beside Richmond Park and Ham Common Woods, placing more than 2,500 acres of Royal Parkland quite literally on the doorstep. Richmond town centre is just a couple of miles away, offering direct services to London Waterloo, the District line and London Overground, together with an excellent selection of independent shops, cafés and restaurants. Petersham Nurseries, The Dysart, Scott’s Richmond and The Ivy Richmond Brasserie are all within easy reach, while the area is also renowned for its outstanding schools and beautiful riverside walks.
Beyond the principal residence, the estate continues with an outstanding collection of ancillary buildings. Positioned next to the main house sits Ormeley Mews, which provides garaging and gardeners’ facilities on the ground floor and a first floor studio flat. Also accessed from the main courtyard is a guest cottage, arranged as two separate flats. Behind this sits the very pretty Ormeley Lodge Cottage which enjoys both a front and rear garden. Next to the Estate and available by separate negotiation, sits Bramlings, a detached 3 bedroom cottage with its own private garden.
Welcome to TGP Tidbits where we round up the happenings and our musings of the design industry each week. This week we take a look at Zoffany x Michael S. Smith, a Dreamy 18th Century Scottish Estate for Sale, and Schumacher’s new store opening. Written by Natalie Aldridge.
A Dreamy Scottish Estate for Sale
We have found our latest real estate daydream! One of Dumfriesshire’s oldest sporting estates has just come to market through Savills, and it comes with nearly everything one could possibly want from a life in the Scottish countryside. Set across 1,242 acres in the beautiful Nith Valley, Blackwood Estate encompasses a historic country house, cottages, gardens, farmland, woodland, and two miles of frontage along the River Nith.
At its heart is Blackwood House, a historic listed country house , surrounded by stunning gardens overlooking one of Scotland’s most celebrated salmon rivers. The wider estate includes six cottages, traditional outbuildings, 662 acres of farmland, and more than 500 acres of woodland. In other words, this is a proper Scottish estate in every sense. We just adore how even with grand home, this estate feels welcoming and well loved.
Blackwood’s sporting traditions run deep, with double-bank fishing across 12 named pools on the River Nith, 14 established pheasant and partridge drives, roe deer stalking, duck flighting, and rough shooting. We especially love that the house, gardens, cottages, river, farmland, and woods have all remained together, something increasingly rare.
All that is missing, as far as we can tell, is a wardrobe full of tweed, a few muddy dogs, and an invitation for all of us to come for the weekend.
Zoffany x Michael S. Smith
Cecil Beaton’s Winter Garden, archival chintzes, and a very darling pug. There are simply too many things we love happening at once in Zoffany’s latest collaboration with Michael S. Smith.
For Zoffany’s debut indoor-outdoor fabric collection, the celebrated American designer delved into the house’s archives, drawing inspiration from historic French chintzes, Japanese silks, stripes, florals, and plains. Rather wonderfully, the little imperfections found in the original documents, from print marks to ink bleeds, have been preserved in the new designs, giving these performance fabrics the character and charm of something far older.
The collection comes to life in Cecil Beaton’s famed Winter Garden, where Michael Smith and Hamish Bowles pose among great swathes of fabric alongside Stella the pug. The scene pays homage to a wonderful 1960s photograph of Beaton in the very same glasshouse with his own beloved pug, Simba. Naturally, we are obsessed.
The collection is colorful, layered, wonderfully eccentric, and steeped in design history without feeling the least bit precious. It is the perfect departure from stereotypical outdoor fabrics. We have long believed beautiful fabrics belong everywhere, and apparently that now includes outdoors, too. The full line can be viewed here!
Schumacher Is Having a Florida Moment
As if Florida’s design scene needed any more temptation. This September, Schumacher is opening two new showrooms and design shops in Jacksonville and West Palm Beach, bringing along thousands of its beloved fabrics, wallpapers, and trims, plus antiques, accessories, and plenty of Patterson Flynn rugs.
Schumacher Jacksonville
In Jacksonville, local designer Stephanie Jarvis has given the 3,000-square-foot space a dose of classic American style, Southern charm, and “beloved Florida moments.” Down in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach native Celerie Kemble is behind the glamorous 6,000-square-foot outpost, complete with Visual Comfort lighting, lacquered Dunes & Duchess tables, Waterworks fittings, Sabine Hill tile, and, perhaps most dangerously, an entire room devoted to Patterson Flynn’s abaca rugs.
Schumacher West Palm Beach
David Frazier masterminded the interior architecture of both, which will also play host to trunk shows, book signings, workshops, and more, making them gathering places for Florida’s ever-growing design community. Schumacher’s continued Florida expansion feels only natural.
There is an undeniable sense of calm that runs through every project by Atlanta-based designer Liz Williams. Since founding Liz Williams Interiors in 1998, the Atlanta-based designer has built a reputation for creating timeless homes that feel as serene as they are sophisticated. After beginning her career at the esteemed Carter Kay Interiors, she launched her own firm with a focus on classic residential design, from new construction and renovations to historic restorations.
Over nearly three decades, her interiors have become known for their elegance, beautiful proportions, and thoughtful sense of scale. Every room feels balanced and inviting, layered with antiques, refined color, and carefully considered details that never compete for attention. We caught up with Liz to discuss the influences that shaped her design perspective, the fabrics and patterns she returns to time and again, and the ingredients she believes every timeless home should have.
We are delighted to welcome Liz to The Glam Pad today for a Style Profile Q&A and a peek inside her beautiful portfolio. Photography by Emily Followill.
Welcome, Liz!
Q: When did you first fall in love with interior design and decide to pursue this career path?
A: I’ve been interested in design for as long as I can remember, rearranging furniture and creating small spaces, even during my Barbie days. But the moment it really clicked as a career path was when I was a student at the College of Charleston. I fell in love with the city and was lucky to live in a charming pink carriage house that I had so much fun decorating on a budget! As a history major, I took a historic architecture class that ultimately sealed the deal, opening my eyes to the connection between interiors, architecture, and bringing it all together.
Q: How do you define your style, and has it evolved over the years?
A: I’d say my style is grounded in traditional design but focuses on detail and adding a surprising twist, whether that’s an unexpected color combo, a unique trim, or more modern artwork. My style has definitely evolved over the years. While I am still traditional, I’m more open now to mixing styles and taking risks to keep the spaces feeling fresh and personal instead of predictable or stuffy.
Q: Growing up, who or what had the most influence over your design aesthetic?
A: My biggest influence growing up was my mom. She loves antiques, beautiful rugs, and collecting porcelain, so I was always surrounded by carefully chosen and special pieces. She worked with a decorator, and I remember looking forward to seeing the selections “Aunt Beverly” brought to her. My own bedroom growing up also shaped my aesthetic. It featured pink and green checked wallpaper, green wicker headboards, faux bamboo furniture, a seashell mirror, floral chintz balloon shades, and grass green shag carpet. I might not mix all of those elements the same way today, but each piece still resonates with me!
Q: What are the key ingredients to creating a home that withstands the test of time?
A: Build a strong foundation by investing in key pieces like rugs, main upholstery, and well-crafted case goods, whether they’re new or antique. These elements will anchor a room for years. Then, use softer, more adaptable layers like curtains, pillows, art, and accessories to refresh and update the space over time.
Q: What are your five favorite coffee table books?
Q: Do you have any favorite “movie homes” that have inspired you over the years?
A: I’ve always been drawn to movie homes that feel warm, layered, and genuinely lived in. Honestly, anything by Nancy Meyers is a go-to favorite. Her interiors have a relaxed yet polished vibe that always strikes a chord. I probably return most often to It’s Complicated. The house has that effortless California charm, bright, comfortable, clearly lived in, but still stunning. Home Again offers a similar feeling, just a bit more casual. It feels younger and fresher but keeps that same charm and personality. Something’s Gotta Give is everyone’s favorite, and I love it too! I’m always drawn to homes that feel like someone actually lives there, and these definitely do.
Q: When you aren’t busy designing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: When I’m not designing, I love spending time with my family. Our three children are grown now. One’s still in college in North Carolina, one lives in New York, and one lives here in Atlanta, so whenever we’re all together, it is a treat. We recently restored a 1930s log cabin in Madison, Georgia, which has become a great weekend getaway with our two Labrador Retrievers.
Q: What are some of the interesting changes within the design industry, and/or client requests you have seen over the years? (For example, the end of open concept, more desire for craft rooms/home offices, renewed passion for antiques, etc.)
A: Clients are definitely embracing color again these days, which I really like. Whether it’s softer shades or bolder hues, people seem ready to leave behind gray and neutral palettes and make their homes feel more personal once more. I’m also noticing a strong comeback of antiques. They offer instant gratification, no long lead times or tariffs, but beyond that, they bring a ton of character. There’s a provenance you just can’t replicate, and it immediately makes a space feel layered and lived-in.
Q: Are there any go-to patterns, fabrics, wallpapers, colors, etc. you enjoy incorporating into your rooms?
A: I usually start with a larger-scale print. It sets the tone for the room and gives everything else a direction. I think about the color combinations it provides and which way we want to take it.
From there, I add companion fabrics, mixing scales and motifs so the look feels curated rather than too matched. Jane Churchill stripes and checks are definitely a favorite for this. They offer a wide range of colors and patterns that work beautifully in both traditional and modern settings. I also enjoy including small classic geometrics like Sister Parish’s Burmese, La Fortuna, Clara B, and Tucker.
These add just the right touch of interest and pattern without overpowering the space. I like balancing fresh fabrics with more traditional ones to keep things interesting. I’m also a big fan of animal prints, often using one of the many colorways of Brunschwig & Fils Les Touches. This brings personality and movement, and prevents a room from feeling flat.
I also really love grasscloth wallpaper, and Thibaut has many great options. It adds rich texture and creates a stunning backdrop for art. Whether it’s a solid, variegated color, or subtle pattern, it can totally transform a space. Plus, it serves as a great “transition” paper when adjoining rooms are wallpapered too, helping everything flow naturally.
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The full collection will be available to view 
The collection comes to life in Cecil Beaton’s famed Winter Garden, where Michael Smith and 
