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How to Decorate

Ep. 452: Layered Minimalism with Elizabeth Bolognino

February 10 · 58 min
0:00-58:56

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We are so excited to welcome interior designer Elizabeth Bolognino to the show! With offices in Westport, Connecticut, and South Florida, Elizabeth is known for her signature "Layered Minimalism"—a style that blends clean, contemporary lines with traditional warmth and comfort.

Elizabeth joins Caroline and Liz to explain why "minimalism" doesn't have to mean cold or empty: She breaks down the psychology of beige (and why it’s actually good for your brain), her "secret sauce" for making neutral rooms interesting, and why she treats rugs like the "shoes" of a room. Plus, she shares her forecast for the next big kitchen trend: the "Unfitted Kitchen."

Quick Decorating Takeaways:

  • The "Touch Test" for Budgeting: When deciding where to splurge and where to save, Elizabeth has a simple rule: If you touch it, spend the money. Invest in high-quality sofas, fabrics, and rugs because you physically interact with them. Save money on items you only look at, like curtain rods, side tables, or decorative hardware.
  • Rugs are the "Shoes" of the Outfit: Elizabeth believes you should never design a room from the top down. She starts with the rug because it grounds the space and dictates the palette—just like you wouldn't pick your shoes last when planning an outfit.
  • Try an "Unfitted" Kitchen: To make a kitchen feel more like a living space and less like a sterile lab, Elizabeth suggests removing upper cabinets and using furniture-style pieces. Try swapping a built-in island for a large work table or using an antique armoire for pantry storage.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

  • 00:00 Welcome & Introduction

  • 01:00 Defining "Layered Minimalism": How to clean up lines without losing warmth

  • 07:00 The Psychology of Beige: Why we crave neutral spaces in a chaotic world

  • 13:00 Texture: The "Secret Sauce" to keeping neutrals from being boring

  • 19:00 Splurge vs. Save: Elizabeth's rule about tactile objects

  • 23:00 Why the rug is the "shoes" of the room

  • 27:00 The "Unfitted Kitchen" trend: Ditching upper cabinets for furniture

  • 36:00 Elizabeth's own 1940s Colonial renovation

  • 46:00 Decorating Dilemma: How to zone a long, narrow living room/entryway

Also Mentioned:

Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.

Happy Decorating!

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