Take a moment, really an hour!, to listen to this week’s Skirted Roundtable interview with interior design maven, Phoebe Howard. Mrs. Howard joins Linda, Megan and me to discuss design, business, and her new book – The Joy of Decorating. She has a most unusual story to tell about how she ended up in the business – it might surprise you to learn how long she’s been an designer. I was, for sure!
One thing I’ve learned since we’ve been interviewing these power house designers is just how driven, Type A personalities, they all are. Mrs. Howard is no exception. Her schedule is back breaking – I have no idea how she finds time to brush her teeth in the morning, she is that busy. And, on top of that – her husband is also an interior designer, so she truly lives the life 24/7.
Besides all her duties, somehow Mrs. Howard found time to write a beautiful design book. It isn’t just pretty pictures, the words are worth reading. Still, the images are some of the prettiest in the industry. No one does pretty as well as Mrs. Howard does. Page after page, each room is more beautiful than the next and this is no exaggeration.
I especially love this room because I have one of those rare yellow and black transferware plates (that’s all I could find!)
Although the cover of her book is navy and white, Phoebe tells us she prefers this type of color scheme the best – light creams, blues and greens all blended together.
I love how she usually adds one printed fabric in a sea of solids.
Her bedrooms are especially soothing.
Mrs. Howard discusses how her decorating style is different than her husband’s. There’s a bit of a rivalry between them and it’s fun to hear her talk about their two aesthetics.
The book is available here and on the Skirted Roundtable web site. NOTE: While the book is cheaper on Amazon, it does NOT include Mrs. Howard’s paint chart!! The paint chart is only available when you order the book from our web sites or from Mrs. Howard’s web site. The paint chart is really an invaluable tool. It includes all her favorite colors and which company they come from. It’s a handy addition for the decorator or the homeowner. For me – the paint chart has been worth the price of the book! I find myself referring to it over and over again.
To listen to the Skirted Roundtable interview with Phoebe Howard, please go HERE. As always, we truly appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to listen.
