Sue Wadden [00:01:05]: Hi, Yvette. Thanks for joining us.

Evette Rios [00:01:07]: Hi. Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited to be with you. I mean, you are just such a bundle of energy, and I love all things Sherwin, so well.

Sue Wadden [00:01:15]: I think I get that energy from you. You are great. So we had the chance at builder show in what? February? Yeah, late February. We had done a fun segment. I was in the Sherwin Williams booth, and I think you were working with a and E. I was covering the show, and we just had a really great conversation. It was so fun. So I'm so happy that you're able to join us for our second podcast episode.

Evette Rios [00:01:37]: I am so, I've never been happier to come in second. You're the best.

Sue Wadden [00:01:41]: You're the best. For those that don't know you, let's talk about your backstory. Who are you? Tell me all about you.

Evette Rios [00:01:47]: Sure.

Sue Wadden [00:01:48]: Yeah.

Evette Rios [00:01:48]: So I started out in interior design and, you know, went to school, went to Parsons, and did a certificate program in interior design and worked with very well known designers as design assistants for many years and just sort of felt like I wanted to, I'm very, I'm a people person, and I felt like it was just ended up being a lot of coordinating and not as much of the education and the explaining to people the values of the things that they're choosing. It was very fun. Few owner meetings and more calling to see when fabrics would arrive. So I was not a fan of that. And so at the time, the designer I worked for was a contributor on the Today show. And so I ended up doing a lot of production work for her, getting her props there, making sure she had what she needed. And I just loved production. I was like, this is amazing.

Evette Rios [00:02:35]: The people are super smart, and the projects get done quickly, so you don't have these crazy lead times.

Sue Wadden [00:02:41]: So fast paced. Agreed.

Evette Rios [00:02:42]: So fast paced. So I kind of pivoted then and became, like, a tv interior designer. So the first show I worked on was called Inafix. It was on TLC a bazillion years ago. It was a hilarious premise because basically, the homeowner had started a project, and then they had totally wrecked it. And so we would come in and fix it.

Sue Wadden [00:03:03]: Wait, I have to pause. You have to tell me, how did that work? Like, was it difficult? I mean, we know the challenges of starting a project from the beginning. How do you fix something that was broken on tv?

Evette Rios [00:03:14]: Well, okay, so the main thing that I want to tell all of you guys is that, first of all, it's kind of a thing that I say often, is that interior design and home renovations actually don't make the most easy to produce television. So let's just put it that way. It's just. It's kind of like a square in a round hole. It's amazing to me that it's taken off because it's just so labor intensive. So anyone who thinks they can do whatever we do on tv in a weekend, please, like, we don't even do it in a weekend, you know?

Sue Wadden [00:03:46]: Thank you for that. Thank you for that.

Evette Rios [00:03:48]: So, please, I want to take the stress off of your shoulders, because I know people are like, well, they can do it on tv. So, anyway, the hardest part, honestly, was the timeframe. So we would walk in, and the home, usually there would be some stress. Like, usually it would be the wife that would be so annoyed with the husband because he had promised her, you know, a new tiled kitchen or the basement would be redone or whatever, and she had been fed up, you know, and it was generally the wives that called us to just say, I'm just tired of living in a construction zone. I mean, I know a lot of ladies can identify when it comes to renovation stuff, but anyway, so that's what we did. So we would come in kind of. It almost felt like we were therapists because you were coming in in this situation that felt very stressful, high stakes for them. But it ended up being the biggest challenge, ended up being the timeframe.

Evette Rios [00:04:35]: We really were given only three days to be able to do this work. I remember styling shelves and the paint or the varnish was still wet, and we were putting books on shelves, and I'm like, these people aren't gonna be able to take these books off. And the producer's like, don't worry about it. We'll fix it later. It's crazy. It's crazy. So time was always the challenge and the personalities. It kind of made the show fun because there was a lot of side.

Sue Wadden [00:04:59]: Eye, like, not getting it. Okay, fine. I believe you. Cause you're on tv. But it was always good in the end. Yeah. The reveals. The reveals were always the best part of those shows.

Evette Rios [00:05:10]: Oh, gosh. So good. And, I mean, it's like, you wanted the homeowners to cry. You wanted to get the emotion. And, you know, sometimes the reveals would happen at, like, 203:00 in the morning because you'd be working, like, all day. So the people, I think sometimes they would cry. Cause they were so exhausted.

Sue Wadden [00:05:25]: That tracks, right? I get that, too, that feeling. Oh, my God.

Evette Rios [00:05:30]: Totally. They're like, it's amazing. Get me home.

Sue Wadden [00:05:32]: So then from there, what did you do next? Cause you've had a lot of great things.

Evette Rios [00:05:36]: Yeah. So from there, I really like the show that kind of, like, really pivoted my career was I worked with Rachel Ray on her daytime talk show for many years, and I was, like, her design buddy. So I would do the makeovers in the field, and I would do segments on, like, how to craft with food or how to craft with kids or how to decorate your Thanksgiving table, that kind of thing. But it opened up a whole world of food tv that I really had never been exposed to before. So I grew up on PBS and watching Julia Child and Jeff Smith and Jan Kin Cook and all those shows with my dad, and we're a very foodie family, so it made a lot of sense that it would be, but it was a really big change. So from there, I ended up doing a lot more cooking and food and more lifestyle content.

Sue Wadden [00:06:28]: Yeah. Which lace. I mean, they go hand in hand, right? We live in the spaces we create with design, and we cook in those spaces, and we raise our families, and it all kind of bundles together. So, like, design and lifestyle make total sense to me, but it's a different promise, and it's different interactions and different conversations. And did I see in some notes that you worked on the chew for a bit, too?

Evette Rios [00:06:49]: Yes. And then. So that was my next job is I was a correspondent on the chew, and I would travel all around the country. In fact, went to Cleveland several times to kind of COVID all the crazy things that people were doing with food. I think it was in Cleveland. We went to a couple of Michael Simon's restaurants, but we also went to this donut shop that was called Big Dad Donut.

Sue Wadden [00:07:08]: Cleveland's a really fun food town.

Evette Rios [00:07:09]: Oh, my gosh. It's so fun. It's great.

Sue Wadden [00:07:11]: It's great.

Evette Rios [00:07:12]: What a great food town. So I ended up doing a lot of traveling around the country again, kind of this intersection of, like, food and lifestyle and design, like how people live in their space and how do they entertain and all of that kind of thing. So I did that for several years, and then since then have been kind of working on. I host a show called Recipe Rehab that's on CB's on Saturday mornings. That's a cooking show, but it's like a competition show between two chefs. It's very fun.

Sue Wadden [00:07:37]: Fire fun.

Evette Rios [00:07:38]: Yeah, it's super fun. And then now what's been the coolest is this old house. The entire library of content, which is like 30 some odd years of shows, has been bought by Roku. And again, as being a baby of PBS, I grew up watching this old house, and I loved Bob Vila and. Oh, my gosh. Obsessed with.

Sue Wadden [00:07:56]: Oh, my gosh, me too. 100%.

Evette Rios [00:07:58]: So they launched a spanish language version of it. And so I'm the host, Zachary, I.

Sue Wadden [00:08:02]: Did not know this part of what you've got working on. So what's going to be, is it so new? Like, have you recorded any episodes or anything?

Evette Rios [00:08:09]: Yeah, we have. So we've got four that are currently on Roku that you can watch, and then we're, like, crossing our fingers that we get a season two. So it's a bit of a risk. You know, Roku is really trying to expand into the latin american market, like, both in the US and overseas. So we'll see. I mean, I'm hoping it's. I just. I love the fact that I get to talk to real craftsmen in their native language and just sort of elevate the workmanship of our community.

Evette Rios [00:08:38]: So I love that.

Sue Wadden [00:08:39]: So what delights you the most about what you do? What are some of the challenges, and how do you take on those challenges?

Evette Rios [00:08:46]: I mean, I think the thing that makes me the most excited about this show is the empowerment that people are getting. I mean, I think what happens on a lot of social media and on YouTube and things like that is that the pace is really fast. I mean, I think there, you know, obviously, YouTube is tremendously useful for learning just about anything. But what I love about our show is that the pace is deliberate. It's slow. You kind of feel like you're getting, like, a real lesson in what's going on. You're learning about, like, new products and new techniques. So I feel like there's a real need for, like, this kind of slow show.

Evette Rios [00:09:24]: You know, I think everything else is like, we're visiting three houses, we're renovating three houses. We're going to move into one of them. Like, we're going to sell one of them, then we're going to give it to their cousin, and then their cousin's going to redo it, you know, and that's like one half hour show, you know?

Sue Wadden [00:09:35]: Right, right.

Evette Rios [00:09:36]: So it's like this is very safe and slow and feels like you can follow along, you know.

Sue Wadden [00:09:41]: Is it the same premise of what this old house was formerly like, one house done over an entire season?

Evette Rios [00:09:48]: So we are not doing, we're doing multiple houses to be able to get different markets. So we worked on a place in Miami, one in Wisconsin, one in LA. And I think that was just a note that the production company had was just that this old house felt very north. New England, definitely.

Sue Wadden [00:10:07]: This is an update. This sounds great.

Evette Rios [00:10:09]: So we're going to all kinds of places.

Sue Wadden [00:10:12]: That's super duper cool. Well, I had just read a report from some syndicated trend house that we read and research, and it was about this generation, this young generation, Gen Zers. They're going to be called the tool belt generation because they're really, really interested in, like, foundational construction, how to put in tile. Maybe I don't want to go to college. Maybe I want to be an electrician or a painter or a carpenter. So I think timeliness of what you're putting forth is great because people, you know, especially young, like young up and coming designers and, and design pros and contractors want to know what are the, like, real essence of design, so, and construction. So I love it. I love it.

Sue Wadden [00:10:53]: I can't wait to check it out.

Evette Rios [00:10:54]: That is so super cool. The tool belt generation, I've never heard of that.

Sue Wadden [00:10:59]: It tracks, right? I mean, we've seen, you know, college tuition is exploding in expense, and not everybody is going to go to college. So what are they going to do? And quite honestly, some of the most successful people that I know in my life are contractors.

Evette Rios [00:11:10]: Yes.

Sue Wadden [00:11:11]: And it just makes sense. So I think there's a natural progression between what we're seeing in interior designers. You know, they're busier than they've ever been. They can't even take on one more project because their firms are sort of breaking at the seams for all the projects. So I don't know. I'm going to be excited to see where this goes.

Evette Rios [00:11:28]: Yeah, I think it's amazing. I love that idea.

Sue Wadden [00:11:31]: So tell me a little bit about what you think about timeless design versus fad and trends. You know, where do you kind of fit within that lexicon of design

Evette Rios [00:11:40]: Well, you know, it's funny, like, when I lived in new. So I'm originally from Brooklyn backstory. My parents are puerto rican and grew up in Brooklyn and lived really my whole life in Brooklyn and Manhattan until recently moving to Allentown, Pennsylvania. And what's been interesting is just the amount of time that trend takes to get to non sort of origin markets, which I think is like the New York, the LA, the Chicago, these giant cities that are where people are just innovating or just given the ability to innovate, maybe their clients trust them more or something. So what I find, and I'm working on a design project now with a friend client, and it's been a real challenge for them to not fall as clients, to not fall into trend, because what they're seeing is all of that stuff is very fresh to them. You know, they're seeing it and they are feeling like, oh, well, you know, the Japan d thing is amazing. Or like, you know, we're going to do slat walls and we're going to paint our whole house like forest green. It's like, and that's amazing.

Evette Rios [00:12:46]: And I love those things. But it's like, by the time we're done in a year with this project, that trend may very well have come and gone, you know, 100%.

Sue Wadden [00:12:56]: That is such an insightful way to put that. We see things all the time. So for us, we see that rhythm of where trends and then moving in and out. But for a homeowner, you know, that looks new and modern and a take they've never seen. And so how do they know that it's not going to last ten years? Well, because you rely on your designer to kind of tell you that. So if we bring it back to color, and obviously color mixology, talk about the colors that represent timeless design for you. What have you seen? What are you, like, happy to kick out the door? I want to hear what you're thinking.

Evette Rios [00:13:25]: Yeah. Well, I'm sure you are grateful too, sue, but I am so grateful that the all white room is, like, done. That was a thing. We did it. It was beautiful. The black windows, I was here for it, and now it's, like, out the door, because I personally am, and I know you are, too, we love color. Like, we love color. We love texture. We love pattern.

Evette Rios [00:13:44]: Like, I want things to feel evolved and lived in and, like, something that's developed and not, like, just, you know, created in a weekend.

Sue Wadden [00:13:52]: Yes, exactly.

Evette Rios [00:13:53]: So in terms of timeless colors, I'm really, really happy to see this, like, movement towards, you know, warmer colors. This whole, like, color drenching thing where people are painting their ceilings. Like, I cannot get enough of that. And I think that that kind of trend, I really think, is going to be here to stay, because I feel like it's just people learning that you don't have. It's just a new convention. You know what I mean? The whole white ceiling was a convention for so long. I don't know who came up with that idea, but that was a thing. And now there's.

Evette Rios [00:14:29]: It's almost like once you open your eyes, you can't, like, unsee something.

Sue Wadden [00:14:33]: Agreed.

Evette Rios [00:14:33]: So I think that. That in terms of pain, I think just feeling like that liberty to paint anything and to feel like you can really transform anything with paint is something that I don't think will ever change.

Sue Wadden [00:14:46]: I agree. You know, I think you could make the case that Instagram and social media is really, what, elevated and amplified the all white space because it photographed really well, and then people were, you know, sort of resistant and a little afraid to bring color back in. So now that designers and influencers are really starting to embrace color again, I think we are very quickly going to see people fall in line because they. To personalize their space. You know, you don't want to just live in a perfect white box without any personality. I mean, there was a time that that was really relevant, and we needed that. Maybe it was like a palette cleanser, you know, kind of.

Evette Rios [00:15:20]: Maybe it was. Yeah.

Sue Wadden [00:15:21]: You know, just a freshening up. And now it's about, you know, really exploring. Like you said, color. I love color drenching. It's so beautiful.

Evette Rios [00:15:29]: It's so beautiful.

Sue Wadden [00:15:30]: Especially when you talk about timeless design. So if you think of a timeless project, right, you've got crown molding and beautiful trim on your windows, and maybe there's paneling or some sort of significant, you know, woodwork that you can, you know, tone on tonally paint in a deep, rich red or something that's really gorgeous. And now it's never, ever looked better and more modern and fresh. And I think that's the intersection of something that's timeless with something that's trend and, you know, kind of moving forward. So I am super excited about that. Um, I think we're going to continue to see interesting colors come to the forefront. So I think there's going to be an exploration into kind of what is timeless. Again, that is not maximalism.

Sue Wadden [00:16:13]: It's not moving in that direction, like, overly ornate. It's like the classics are coming back, and that's related to color, too. So give me your thoughts on some of your favorite. Like, what are some of your favorite all time colors.

Evette Rios [00:16:26]: Okay. All time favorite color is that kind of ultramarine blue, like, that really, like, vibrant violet blue? Like, Fort Frida Kahlo painted her house, and I feel like that color just gives me so much. Life does. Do you feel that way, too?

Sue Wadden [00:16:39]: It's just like, yes, it's classic. And I think you have your, like, your go tos. So for me, when in doubt, I will do, like, a color that you can kind of see behind me, which is a deep evergreen. I gravitate towards that color, but it has to be dark or else, like, moody, or else I get really bored with it. It can't be too clean. And I think everybody has kind of their go tos, and it's always interesting to hear. So, ultramarine, what else do you love?

Evette Rios [00:17:04]: Yes, I love. I'm, like, loving terracotta colors. All of the. Oh, my God, me too.

Sue Wadden [00:17:09]: Me too.

Evette Rios [00:17:10]: They just change so much in the light. I feel like they just evolve. It's like clay, you know? It's like. It's just, like, so alive, you know, and just constantly evolving the color. So I'm obsessed.

Sue Wadden [00:17:22]: I used to say this about terracotta. It's kind of a goofy expression, but it's like a hug when you walk into a room, you just feel, like, cocooned in that color.

Evette Rios [00:17:29]: Yeah.

Sue Wadden [00:17:30]: And it's so natural and so warm and sun baked and rich. I love it. I love it. That's. And it looks beautiful with ultramarine, too. That's a great combo.

Evette Rios [00:17:37]: Yeah, it really looks great. And then I think, you know, and this is where I think the white has evolved to and, you know, way more about this than I have, but I'm seeing people really choosing kind of like a putty color over white, just something that feels a little bit more natural and feels a little more organic. It's not quite gray, it's not quite brown, but it's sort of in between, and it's really lovely and just a very neutral.

Sue Wadden [00:18:01]: So that's hysterical that you're saying that. I'm just starting to paint portions of my house with that color. But it's not creamy and it's not gray undertone. I call them, like, mushroom undertones.

Evette Rios [00:18:11]: Yes, like putty.

Sue Wadden [00:18:13]: So it's like the Goldilocks effect, right. It's not too warm, it's not too cool?

Evette Rios [00:18:17]: No, that's perfect.

Sue Wadden [00:18:18]: And there's a little bit of value to it. So if you have white trim, like, beautiful, you know, gorgeous white trim, it looks different enough that you get the contrast, but it still looks really clean. It's, you know, and it's great to balance something like that with, like, deeper tones so that you're not getting tired of just, like, one note throughout the house.

Evette Rios [00:18:35]: I agree. And I think the thing that is really beautiful about painting that color, too, is that it just works with all of those kind of more craftsmen, you know, you know, crafted antique pieces. Like, it just kind of makes it all work together. I feel like it blends the modern with the traditional, and it's just a great color to just put it all together.

Sue Wadden [00:18:55]: I love it. So I think this, I can get this from you and your design style. You're not about, like, just going to the store and buying a whole suite of furniture and bringing it into your space. Is it fair to say that you are all about incorporating what you have and love with pieces that are new to create something that's totally unique and personalized?

Evette Rios [00:19:14]: Absolutely. I mean, I am a hardcore Facebook marketplace user. I mean, I don't even know if there were awards I would win one. I just like, I mean, I get so many things from Facebook marketplace. I feel like, you know, and this is tricky as an interior designer, it's a tricky road. And I think it's part of the reason why I have had difficulty just, like, throwing myself into just working with private design clients because they need time. You need time in their space. You know, they can't.

Evette Rios [00:19:45]: It doesn't really work where, I mean, long term, this is my total opinion, but it doesn't really work where you design a whole house. You hand them the keys, the throws are there, the candles, everything, and that house ends up being exactly what they wanted from now until eternity. And that's just where they're going to be happy and live and never change anything. So I prefer to work with people when they've had a chance to be in the space already. You know, they already know, oh, I love to put my keys here. I always love to put my coat here. I like to sleep on the side of the bed. Like, they know what the house does to them, you know, and then you can really work to fine tune it to make sure that they're getting the most out of their space and their space is giving them the most to.

Sue Wadden [00:20:28]: And, like, there's no way for a designer to know unless you have a really good connection with a client. Obviously, you do, right? You're in their home, you're working in their space, but you won't know the painting that they got from their grandmother or the mirror. That's their favorite thing that their mother gave to them, you know? And it's a about that personalization and that connection with your clients that really will make a project become something even greater, something even richer. So if you had to pick a story about a recent design project that allowed you to kind of blend the timeless with the high end, to make something personal and bespoke, do you have a project you could talk about?

Evette Rios [00:21:02]: So I'm personally working on my own kitchen renovation now. And, you know, it's funny because as designers, you know, you feel like, and I bet you feel this way, too, it's so hard to work on your own space. Like, when you're giving advice to other people, you're like, oh, my God, do it. It's amazing. You're gonna love it, blah, blah. And then, because you know that even though painting a room makes a tremendous transformation, and it is, like, the easiest and most low cost way that you can change the look of your home, the reality is you don't want to move all your furniture all the time and repaint your rooms. Like, you want to feel like the choices that you're making, you can live with them for a long time because you're very busy, you know?

Sue Wadden [00:21:42]: Totally. And there's so much information. You're like, what do I pick? Oh, what's crazy? It's crazy. It's busy.

Evette Rios [00:21:47]: Yeah. So it's information overload. And then you also feel like you just don't want to keep redoing things a zillion times. So it's a lot. So the decision that I recently made was that I've loved these kitchens. I'm sure you've seen them where it just looks like it was just evolved over time. So they, you know, they chose, like, they bought the stove, you know, separate from the refrigerator, and the island is like a piece of furniture, and I'm obsessed. So I decided to do just that.

Evette Rios [00:22:17]: So I'm working with this kitchen cabinet company, and then I just kept scaling back the actual cabinets that I was buying, and then I found this beautiful island that's just a dresser, basically, that I'm going to use as the. As the island. And then I found this built in that I'm going to use as a whole bank of cabinets. So I love that.

Sue Wadden [00:22:34]: That's amazing. I love that, too. It's crazy that we're talking about timeless design. And you're telling me this. Cause we did not know that this was gonna be the approach to your kitchen. I swear. Like, are you gonna incorporate tile? Are you doing multiple finishes?

Evette Rios [00:22:47]: So I may have to have, like, a separate powwow with you. Cause this is the other thing that I don't know if you do sue, but I'm like, I crowdsource all my stylish friends. I'm like, what do you think? I just can't decide because I love so many things.

Sue Wadden [00:23:00]: So many things.

Evette Rios [00:23:01]: And in the back of all of our heads, I think for many years, pre Covid, there was this thought that we needed to be concerned about what the future owner felt about our space. And I think that. That, like, the majority of people are feeling very settled after having spent, like, however many years, like, in their home, that it's changed. You know, now we want to live in our space and be happy and have it reflect our style. Now.

Sue Wadden [00:23:27]: Yes. 2010 to 2020 were all about making your space homogenous so that when you go to sell it again because interest rates were low, you're going to make a bunch of money and make more money on the sale of your house or apartment or condo for the next owner. Now it's about, you know what, I'm going to stay in place. Interest rates are high. We can't afford to move. We're going to make this place ours. And that really is what is fueling this shift over from all white living into kind of this creative expression. And then you're building in these antiques and these upcycling and all these fun, like, get your hands dirty type.

Sue Wadden [00:24:07]: Almost DIY focused, but really being elevated to high end residential, too, it's really exciting, and it's kind of like throwback, right? I'm feeling very early, two thousands. And kind of what people are going to really get their hands dirty in and get excited about moving forward. And I think that's, like, post Covid reaction a little bit. We learned a lot about ourselves. We learned about our capabilities, what we could do, what we could cook, what we could paint. And so that empowerment is really, we're going to see a lot of that continue into the next half of this decade, which is exciting.

Evette Rios [00:24:40]: I totally agree. And now I feel like, I mean, every time I'm on social media, I get inspired for some new thing to make for my friends or some new game to play with them, or I just saw this thing. It was so hilarious. It was a suggestion of doing a party where each one of your friends does a PowerPoint about what their job is and you present it to each other. I thought it was genius because that is hysterical. I have no idea what my friends do for work, really. You know what I mean?

Sue Wadden [00:25:10]: And we're so visual now. I can't take a conference call anymore and just talk. I need to show in a PowerPoint, whatever the thing is that I'm working on because I'm so visual and that, you know, thank you, Covid. Right. When we all got used to video and, you know, being on camera all the time, it's fine. It's great.

Evette Rios [00:25:27]: It is. It's totally. So I think we're also entertaining more, which, you know, we want people to be. We want that intimacy. We want that connection. You know, I think a lot of us are concerned about money, so, like, cooking at home and entertaining at home is, you know, saves us on that as well. But I think that makes it even more important that our home reflect our style. Right? Cause then people are coming in, they're hanging out.

Evette Rios [00:25:48]: You wanna vibe?

Sue Wadden [00:25:49]: You totally do. So what's your favorite thing to cook? Like, do you have a style that you like?

Evette Rios [00:25:52]: Okay, so I am a huge fan of all of the boards. Like, I'm a big fan of any sort of board. I feel like it just makes hosting so much easier. And you can put the sweet with the savory. I just love all the things. And finding ways to customize, like, kind of the semi homemade thing is totally my vibe, too. You know, where you get, like, the brie and you get the phyllo dough, you wrap it, you bake it. You put some fig jam or something in there.

Evette Rios [00:26:18]: It's amazing. You know?

Sue Wadden [00:26:19]: It's amazing.

Evette Rios [00:26:20]: It's so easy.

Sue Wadden [00:26:21]: You know, you've been an awesome, awesome guest, but I just want to know, like, all right, we talked about timeless design. What are some of the design trends that you're liking? Like, what are you seeing moving forward? That's really interesting outside of what we've kind of talked about now?

Evette Rios [00:26:34]: I think one of them is a real interest in story around pieces of furniture. I think I'm really starting to see antiques becoming, like, way more interesting to young people. And that makes me so happy because it just, like, breaks my heart when you see the craftsmanship involved in a piece and it gets thrown away, and instead, it's like an Ikea piece that replaces it, which. Nothing against Ikea, but it's just not the same.

Sue Wadden [00:27:02]: It's not the same. That's really fun. So tell people, don't throw out your granny's weird console. Maybe you just paint it and it has a new life.

Evette Rios [00:27:11]: Absolutely. And I think that. So on top of the interest in the antiques, whatever, that lack of preciousness, also, I think, is really kind of the young person's vibe, where it's just like, the younger generation doesn't have such high stakes in preservation as we do. So you're seeing people take pieces of furniture apart and use the top part and put new legs on it, and then the bottom, they'll sand it and use it elsewhere. And that's what we're meant to do as a society, is, like, design should evolve based on what we want and what we need and what our lives are. You know, we shouldn't, like, let a piece of furniture tell us how to use it, you know?

Sue Wadden [00:27:48]: Yep.

Evette Rios [00:27:48]: So I think that that is, like, a really exciting trend.

Sue Wadden [00:27:51]: I do, too. I think that's, again, a great time for a paint company, right?

Evette Rios [00:27:55]: Yes.

Sue Wadden [00:27:55]: Because we've got all these coatings that'll look great on your furniture and in your house.

Evette Rios [00:27:59]: Absolutely.

Sue Wadden [00:27:59]: But I do also think that that's a little of your Brooklyn. It's a little of my clevelander. Right. You just get your hands dirty. You take this thing on, you're going to make it even better. And I love that mentality, you know, because we can. We can do anything, Yvette. We can do anything.

Evette Rios [00:28:12]: We sure can. I even think I could do brain surgery if I. If I. If someone explained to me how to do it. I think.

Sue Wadden [00:28:17]: I think so. If I could just have, like, a color map on how I do it, almost like, that'd be all right.

Evette Rios [00:28:21]: Like, made by numbers.

Sue Wadden [00:28:23]: I'd be great. I'd be fine. Well, this has been an amazing conversation. You're a delight, and I'm so excited about your new projects. So tell us how people can find you and the new show.

Evette Rios [00:28:36]: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. So the new show is on Roku. It's called Dimeua cello, which in Spanish means, like, tell me how to make it, which I wish they had kept this old house name, but anyway, they did all this market research.

Sue Wadden [00:28:47]: Yeah.

Evette Rios [00:28:47]: So that's on Roku. And then my website is Yvette Rios, Evette Rios.com. and then on Instagram. I'm vetrios.

Sue Wadden [00:28:57]: Awesome. Well, I can't thank you enough. I know people are going to love this, and I can't wait to. I don't know. Let's talk. Let's do. Let's do a project. Let's do something.

Evette Rios [00:29:05]: Oh, please. I'm gonna send you a PowerPoint when we're done, so don't you. Don't you worry.

Sue Wadden [00:29:10]: I'll be ready.

Evette Rios [00:29:11]: Just be ready. Be ready. Cause I need all of the ideas.

Sue Wadden [00:29:14]: You are fabulous. Our next guest is Sally Lord. She is the principal of Grey hunt interiors in Carmel, Indiana. Sally lives for the art of color selection, and she balances her aesthetic of really livable luxury with her clients moods and input. Known for her daring use of high contrast colors and striking color pops, Sally has a particular love for black and white combinations that redefine her interiors with elegance and drama. Hi, Sally, and welcome to color mixology.

Sallie Lord [00:29:47]: Hello. Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to be here.

Sue Wadden [00:29:51]: We feel like it's definitely synergies on what we're talking about this month on color mixology and kind of your design style. So I can't wait to chat with you about how you reimagine classic style to stay fresh and forever beautiful. So I am always so curious about the journey that brings really talented designers like you into the world of design. You know, how did you get your start? Can you share with us, you know, what inspired you to pursue a career in design?

Sallie Lord [00:30:17]: I actually got my love of design started when I was a little girl. And you love where I started with this. My parents are from England, and my dad was kind of like a master of all trades. He was a master builder, and so he had that talent, but he also did a lot of body work on classic cars, like Porsche's mgs and stuff like that. And so he would take me out into the garage, and it was all the bodywork, it was the artistry, the sculpting, and the color. And so he would actually have me help him color match when cars would come in. So we would have a car from the sixties or seventies, and he would say, okay, what color is this? What kind of red is this? Like, an orange red or a blue red? And so he taught me as, like, a little, little girl in, like, elementary school how to start reading color undertones. And he's like, okay, with this car, we have to account for the fade because we're only painting part of it, and we have to match what the sun has done to it.

Sallie Lord [00:31:22]: I learned color theory from my dad as a little girl, and it's something that is just something I noticed everywhere all the time. And I just grew into this love of interior design as a teenager and was like, I could do this for my job and get paid for this.

Sue Wadden [00:31:43]: Yes, it's a great story. I have similar. I worked in a hardware store, and so I would help people select color when they would, like, come in to get their screens fixed. I don't know. I didn't even know that color marketing was a thing, and it was well before design school. So I think this is. I've never heard people working on cars and finding their love of color and design that way. I think that's amazing story.

Sue Wadden [00:32:06]: So did you talk a lot about, like, classic colors, having given that your parents were from England, like, those beautiful, you know, british racing car green and all of those classic colors?

Sallie Lord [00:32:15]: Oh, yeah. Mg green. I actually had a pedal cardinal, and it was my MG, and it was painted MG green. And my dad took an MG like, little emblem and had it on the front. And, in fact, I was just moving it around in my parents garage, like, a month ago, and I was like, there's my little car. My little mg with my mg green. So, yes.

Sue Wadden [00:32:39]: Adorable.

Sallie Lord [00:32:40]: And you learn a lot about classics because my dad, you know, as someone, he was, really loved history. He loved to read all the time, and he was fascinated. He built furniture. My dad literally was one of those people who could do anything and built, like, several pieces of furniture in our house. But he was the one who was teaching me about, you know, jacobean, and, you know, this is mission and art deco and different styles. And it was just, he was such a huge wealth of knowledge. Like, this is victorian, and this is why this changed, you know, in the victorian time with Queen Victoria, and he would give me the history that would go along with it, and it's. It's definitely a richer history hearing it from someone who really lived it, understood it, and grew up around it and everything in England.

Sallie Lord [00:33:32]: So that was pretty fun.

Sue Wadden [00:33:34]: Well, I mean, that's amazing. Tie into my first question, which is, you know, what is the concept of timeless design? But I think you. You just already defined that, and it's this understanding of what once was. But talk about that question in relation to, like, timeless colors. You know, bring it back to color space. What does timeless color and design mean to you?

Sallie Lord [00:33:53]: For me, I think that with color, it's so important, and it transforms the space, you know, from it being on your walls to furniture, to whatever it is. Of course, I'm very well known for the black and white, and I. It's funny. Like someone says, oh, but that's trendy. I'm like, actually, no, it wasn't, because this is something from the victorian times that, you know, they really embrace that. And I started. There was a store I worked at many years ago where I started doing design. This is, like, 25 years ago, and I did a black and white room, and I was just like, to me, that's classic.

Sallie Lord [00:34:31]: And I had. I should have worn it. Today I have a black and white cameo that I bought when I was 16, and it was a brooch, and I just had it turned into a ring, like, recently and stuff. And I was just like, this is classic. Black and white is a classic. It's not a trend. It's not a fad. It's the application of how you use color and what you do with it a lot of times is what's going to make it trendy or a fad.

Sallie Lord [00:34:57]: It's not the color itself. It's like, don't blame the color. It's not always the color's fault.

Sue Wadden [00:35:03]: I love that. So, I guess talk about that, like, a way to blend classic style with something maybe that's relevant or modern in that space. How would you do that?

Sallie Lord [00:35:12]: So, I think for me, like, one of my approaches to timeless design is, is that you want to take your core investments, like, your core pieces, and you really want those to be classic and true and something that can grow with you for years to come. And that can be your wall treatment, like your. Your paint colors, your furnishings, and stuff like that. I tend to apply with trends, like, so that you can do it and, you know, to make it feel more updated is, you know, changing out your throw pillows, change your art. You know, it may be change your floral arrangement.

Sue Wadden [00:35:53]: Right. Oh, that's a good point, you know?

Sallie Lord [00:35:54]: Right.

Sue Wadden [00:35:55]: Definitely.

Sallie Lord [00:35:55]: I mean, it's so crazy. Especially, like, right now, I feel for me, and I'm sure that you've noticed this, too, like, you're seeing trends come back that. I mean, I started with 25 years ago, and I was, like, seen that, done that, did that 20,000 times. Like, oh, my gosh, here it is again.

Sue Wadden [00:36:13]: Zachary, here it is again. And that's the cycle, right? That's. People look back to look forward, we often say, but it becomes overwhelming. You spend all this money on a beautiful sofa or a gorgeous rug or some element you don't want to constantly update to reflect trends. Nobody can afford to do that. So designers often have little tricks, right, of ways to keep things like heritage looking fresh and new. And I think you do a really, really nice job of that.

Sallie Lord [00:36:40]: Thank you.

Sue Wadden [00:36:41]: And color is a big part of it. You know, sometimes it's affordable to, you know, I guess in the grand scheme of things, to repaint a room versus updating all your furniture. So would you agree with that?

Sallie Lord [00:36:52]: Oh, absolutely. I mean, paint is your number one transformation, like, budget friendly option like, that transforms the room instantly. I mean, just even taking, for example, my office up here, just adding the tricorn black behind me gives that depth to the room, you know, and. And gives that accent to the room, so it adds that extra spice. And so that's something that could be used and, like, to, you know, keep up with trends. Could be the accent wall changes for us. I find, like, the way that I design is, I look for really beautiful lines on furniture. I think that that's the most important is really don't.

Sallie Lord [00:37:32]: Don't look for trendy, funky, and stuff like that unless you're understanding that that is probably not a timeless piece, and that may be something that goes out. But for your sofas, your swivel chairs, your pieces that are your good investment, you need to be looking for beautiful lines, clean shapes. Don't get oversized arms. Don't get a funky arms. Don't get this. Don't get, you know, you want to look for something that can transition with you through time. And so as things change and update, it's not about the style of the arms. It's about this cleanlined piece that you can change the throw, change the pillows, you know, and give it that new feel.

Sallie Lord [00:38:15]: And even if you reupholster something, I mean, I go into some clients homes and just being more substantial, sustainable, or they have these beautiful lines on their furniture and just recovering them and saying, let's just give it a new life. You know, sometimes these beautiful old pieces there, they are timeless, and people are too quick to let things go and invest in that upholstery. Let's redo it. Let's change the paint color in your room. Let's change the fabric on your sofa piece, and we can completely, you know, transform that space.

Sue Wadden [00:38:50]: That is such, such good advice, people. You know, oftentimes it's hard to find, you know, people to help support that if looking for an upholsterer or finding the right furniture. So do you have any guidance that you can share, maybe with homeowners more than, obviously designers? They know what they're doing there, but ways to find some resources in local communities.

Sallie Lord [00:39:09]: Well, I mean, if you're not using a designer, you know, what I would recommend doing is finding an upholster is the first start, because some upholsterers will carry their own fabrics and fabric companies and that you can source through with them. If not, you're going to want to go to a design center and start looking at fabrics. I highly recommend looking at performance fabrics. There are so many beautiful performance cleanable velvets just so that you have longevity. And that's another thing, is it's not getting super trendy materials. You know, that's another way to make sure that you're keeping with a classic. You know, like you said, look to the past. A lot of times, our past is really relevant to what the future is in design.

Sallie Lord [00:40:00]: You know, I often, one of my favorite things to do is to go into an antique store and go treasure hunting or a thrift store or something like that. I love that. And I always find modern shapes in old designs. And so I don't typically come out with your standard antiquey pieces, but I'll come out with something that feels more clean lined. And I didn't plan anything, but I was like, oh, my bowl. I have this old vintage vintage bowl here and stuff that goes with my room with that blushy pink. And it's just. It's a goodie.

Sallie Lord [00:40:35]: An oldie.

Sue Wadden [00:40:36]: And it's an oldie, but a goodie.

Sallie Lord [00:40:38]: Yeah. And it's just fun stuff like that. And you make it new again, and I. People think it's a brand new accessory, and it's not. It's a timeless design, and I love embracing that.

Sue Wadden [00:40:50]: I absolutely love it. So let's. Let's bring it back to color. Give me some of your. Other than black and white, what are some of your favorite timeless shades

Sallie Lord [00:40:59]: Emerald. Well, I can literally probably name you Sherwin Williams colors because I wouldn't be.

Sue Wadden [00:41:06]: Bummed out if you did that.

Sallie Lord [00:41:07]: Okay, so green belt is very similar to what I'm wearing.

Sue Wadden [00:41:12]: Yes. Love that color.

Sallie Lord [00:41:13]: I love navel. I use navel a ton. I love the bold colors.

Sue Wadden [00:41:19]: Of course.

Sallie Lord [00:41:19]: Those are really pretty. But I love pink shadow.

Sue Wadden [00:41:22]: Oh, that's gorgeous color.

Sallie Lord [00:41:24]: It is. And in fact, my laundry room, I just had, we just redid everything and gutted it, made it into kind of like a scullery laundry room. And I did pink shadow cabinets in high gloss.

Sue Wadden [00:41:40]: So amazing. Amazing. So that's laundry room no longer beautiful.

Sallie Lord [00:41:46]: Exactly. I'm like, I can live in here, but you know, colors like that, you know, aesthetic white heron plume. These are great neutrals to work with. I love pure white because it's a soft, warm white and it's not yellow based. So to me, those are, like, very classic neutrals. Oh, my gosh. There are so many. I mean, you always have colors.

Sallie Lord [00:42:11]: Like, you're like, I love fuchsia.

Sue Wadden [00:42:15]: So, Sallie, tell me about your most recent favorite new color moment.

Sallie Lord [00:42:20]: My favorite new color moment was I recently just did the Indianapolis decorator show house, and it was so fun getting to design that space, and I used my favorite colors of pure white and tricorn black. But what I did was when I went there to look at the space, the first time I opened the closet door, they're like, oh, we'll just keep that closed. And they opened the door, and I was like, oh, my gosh. This is a moment in itself. It's this really unique, small shaped closet. So I was like, I'm going to do a huge color pop in there and color drench it. And that's what I did. I used fabulous grape.

Sallie Lord [00:42:59]: Gorgeous, and it was the star of the cocktail room. I set it up as a little bar, and it was fabulous, and everybody loved it. And they love the color. They're like this. I had so many people say, this really speaks to me. And I thought that that was so great because the color was really speaking to them. And I think it's like, it brings something out in people that is emotional. Right.

Sallie Lord [00:43:25]: You know, that's what design does. It connects with you emotionally, you know, and makes you react. And people were just a huge fan of that. And nobody's ever sad with a great color.

Sue Wadden [00:43:38]: No. And most people wouldn't know how to take that risk. So they look to designers to help them, like, kind of show them the way, almost. So I love that you pulled that color. It's beautiful color. And I can totally picture what it looked like in my mind.

Sallie Lord [00:43:52]: It's so great. Well, and you can see it on our website, on our portfolio as well. I think it's, like, right on the top row, and it's so awesome. Like, it's just such a great color. It's kind of like the nothing ventured, nothing gained. And for a lot of people, the best way is to start in a small space. You know, take a closet. I have.

Sallie Lord [00:44:16]: I love doing closets. I love opening it, and it's a train wreck behind the door and saying, okay, we can do something amazing, amazing with this space. And nobody regrets it. Nobody regrets doing those color splashes and making something like that super special and fun.

Sue Wadden [00:44:37]: Well, what an awesome tip. So, again, getting back to timeless design, any other fun tips for our listeners on ways that you employ color to take you to sort of that timeless look, those classic styles?

Sallie Lord [00:44:50]: Yeah. I mean, you can use. I mean, there's so many different ways that you can use your colors and your paints.

Sallie Lord [00:44:56]: Right. So whether it's on your walls, color drenching, you know, like, that is very. That's on trend right now. Right. So we're seeing a lot more of the color drenching where you're doing the ceiling, the trim, the walls, the baseboard, everything. Right. And that's really fun. But that is not new. Right?

Sue Wadden [00:45:19]: Oh, so talk about that a little.

Sallie Lord [00:45:21]: So, I mean, I love that. You know, people are like, oh, it's this new thing. And, no, it's not this new thing. This has been around. Like, that's it. That is. The fun part is. Is that if you actually just go digging deeper, you realize my dad used to always say, as much as you think something's new, it's not.

Sallie Lord [00:45:40]: It's already been done. And if you want to find a lot of modern, go to art deco, get some, go to vintage stores and place like that, and, like, do a search on whether it's first dibs, cherish, you know, Craigslist, whatever it may be, and look for art deco antiques and vintage pieces. The lines are really clean. And it's so fun. I mean, some of it is not my cup of tea, but.

Sue Wadden [00:46:08]: But that's okay. There's something for everybody. Absolutely. And that is such, such good advice. Well, this has been a great segment, Sally. I so appreciate it. Our listeners are definitely going to want to check out your work. So how can they find you?

Sallie Lord [00:46:21]: Oh, yes. I would love that. Please follow us on Instagram. Our handle is justgreyhunt interiors, and it's g r e y h u n t. That's gray for grace and hunt for hunter. Those are my boys.

Sue Wadden [00:46:35]: Oh, I love that.

Sallie Lord [00:46:37]: And you can also. That's where you're gonna see more of, like, our everyday. What we're doing is like, that, your portfolio in motion. And then you can also reach out to us anytime by messaging us or going to our website, which is just greyhuntand terriers.com.

Sue Wadden [00:46:52]: And, of course, we're so excited because Sally is our Sherwin Williams designer of the month for August 2024. And so we really wanted to spotlight her beautiful work and tell her story. But this in color mixology, we were able to talk to her in a way more expansive way. So we so appreciate your time.

Sallie Lord [00:47:10]: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I love being here.

Sue Wadden [00:47:15]: Thank you so much for listening. We really enjoyed our conversation with Yvette and Sally on timeless classic design. To order color samples of our most timeless designer color collection, homeowners can visit swcolorchips.com and design professionals. Sign up for a pro plus account. If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing. Leave us a review and tell the other design and color curious people in your life all about color mixology. Tune in next time for a conversation with Bern Yip. He's a design icon and we're going to talk all about our gorgeous, soon to be announced Color of the year for 2025.

Sue Wadden [00:47:51]: See you next time on color mixology.

Voiceover [00:48:07]: This podcast was produced in partnership with Amaze Media Labs.