Caravel Select Podcast

The Art of Timeless Design with Liz Powell

• Joaby Parker • Season 1 • Episode 1

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What makes a house a forever home? That's the question at the heart of our conversation with Liz Powell, one of northern Utah's most distinctive interior designers. With characteristic warmth and insight, Powell shares her unexpected journey from twenty years as a stay-at-home mom to building an interior design business that now includes her husband and daughter.

Powell's design philosophy centers on architectural integrity and timelessness—creating spaces that feel as right in twenty years as they do today. "There are thousands of decisions that go into building a home," she explains, especially for the estate-level residences her clients often want to eventually gift to their children or welcome grandchildren into. Her approach balances aesthetics with practicality, ensuring designs that not only photograph beautifully but function flawlessly for how people actually live.

The conversation delves into the fascinating tension between trendy elements and timeless design. Powell offers practical wisdom on incorporating current styles (like today's popular arches) without creating spaces that will feel dated within a few years. Her recommendation? Understanding the home's architectural style first, then making design choices that honor that tradition. For trends, she suggests incorporating them through less permanent elements like textiles or artwork rather than expensive fixed features.

What stands out most is Powell's holistic approach to the entire building process. Rather than making rushed decisions during construction, she advocates for comprehensive planning—selecting everything from appliances to finishes before breaking ground. This not only avoids budget surprises but creates a cohesive result. As she poignantly observes, "Your home really shapes your life. If things are in functional places, you can feel calm... It changes your life depending on how your home functions and feels."

Want to create a home that balances beauty, function, and longevity? Listen now to discover how thoughtful design choices create spaces you'll love not just for years, but for generations to come.

Have questions or need a quote? Contact Caravel Select at:
Phone: (435) 554-3011
Email: sales@caravelselect.com
Address: 1435 N 200 W, Logan, UT 84341

Or find us on Social Media:

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Speaker 1:

All right, here we go. Let's get rolling. Welcome to the Caravelle Select podcast, the podcast where home design, architecture and material craftsmanship meet right here in the Intermountain West, brought to you by Caravelle Select, your local source for premium slabs, rta cabinets and SPC flooring. I'm your host, joby Parker, and today we are lucky enough to be sitting down with someone whose work you've definitely seen and if you haven't, you're about to fall in love with her style. Liz Powell is a standout interior designer based right here in northern Utah. She brings warmth, depth and a fierce eye for detail to every space she touches. So let's get rolling, liz. Welcome.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, thanks for having me, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Way cool to have you here. Tell us how you got started in interior design.

Speaker 2:

Well, it was a little bit of a surprise to me. I was a stay-at-home mom for 20 years and, just you know, raised my babies and all of that. And then we moved to Logan about eight years ago and my kids were kind of finishing up school and things like that and I got a little bored and eight hours is a is a lot to just clean your house again.

Speaker 1:

So I needed, I needed something.

Speaker 2:

I needed something to do, so we built a house and that kept me busy for a while and then I just realized it's probably the third home we built and I just I love it so much. So I didn't really even know what an interior designer did, but I knew I loved building homes or helping people make selections and making their home what they wanted, so I just started an Instagram and started doing that. And what? Seven years later, my husband works with me and my daughter works with me and we do high-end residential all over.

Speaker 1:

So it's a good time. That's awesome. I did forget to introduce Brett Brunson with Caravelle, and also Kelsey Kitchener as well. So Kitchener Sutton, forgive me, kelsey Kitchener Sutton, tell us a little bit about your design philosophy.

Speaker 2:

So I believe in timeless design. I hate saying that a little bit because I think all of a sudden it's become a design word. But our homes are expensive and there's thousands of decisions that kind of go into building a home, especially the homes that we do that we kind of call estate homes that people want to live in forever, they want to retire and they want to bring their grandbabies back, they want to gift them to their children. That level of home they want to love them forever and we don't want to put things in them that are going to be dated in five years, things like that. So we really work on these homes that people are, helping them make decisions that they're going to love forever. They're going to be functional, they're going to be beautiful.

Speaker 1:

No, avocado dishwashers Not many.

Speaker 2:

Not many so.

Speaker 3:

I actually have a question. My husband and I were just having this conversation about homes last night, so I love Pinterest. I have a Pinterest board for everything.

Speaker 2:

Every lady does, so we were like okay.

Speaker 3:

He's like let's start putting together mood boards of what we're going to want like a home to look like. And I was going back through all of my older Pinterest boards and I was like, wow, my design style has changed so much, from loving all of like the plain, neutral white tones, really cool colors, like the minimalistic style, and now I'm really loving more like the architectural digest where it's like lots of texture, lots of colors, and so he's like well, is that what's timeless versus what's trendy, and are you following a trend or are you kind of reverting back to like the certain design elements? So what do you see within that that you feel like is timeless versus what's trendy and kind of like where that goes.

Speaker 2:

Yeah well, things can be timeless and trendy at the same time. I mean, shiplap is a good example. It got really trendy. It's kind of going out. We're not quite using it as much as we used to, but it's been in homes for hundreds of years. Joanna Gaines just brought that back, you know, with her farmhouse stuff, and so all of a sudden it's trendy and it's still appropriate, as long as we're using it in, maybe, cottage style homes or we're using it in farmhouse. But I'm not going to use an item just because it's in trendy in any architectural style. So if someone comes to me and says I want a mid-century modern home, we're not putting shiplap in it. I don't care if you love it, we're not putting it in it just it doesn't fit it.

Speaker 2:

And in two years, yeah in two years, you're going to all of a sudden be like oh, that's not what is showing up on Pinterest anymore. I don't like that anymore. Yes, so I always want my clients to find the architectural style and then we're going to pick selections that are true to that architectural style so that, long term, their home is always going to feel appropriate.

Speaker 4:

Yes, Got it Okay so is it bad if I see the current trends and I'm like, oh, I like that, and then eight years later, the new one comes out? I'm like, oh, I like that. Does that just mean I follow the trend, like some people, just go with what they're? Sure because I don't do what you do so see what looks awesome. That looks awesome you know, and then I like it, but then I can like something else. And so to Kelsey's point. The trend can lead someone's design feelings, right yeah.

Speaker 2:

So what we're looking for in our clients, we want them to find an architectural style that they feel like they've always liked, they've always gravitated towards, and then if there's a trendy element that they want, we're going to incorporate that in a different way. A lot of people like arches right now, but I know those same people who are coming and saying, oh, I want all of my walkways arches. They were the same people that eight years ago, were asking me to please take all the arches out of their 80s style home.

Speaker 3:

You know what I mean.

Speaker 2:

So sure I'll put in. We'll put in an arch if you've always loved it, if that and if it fits, If you've always loved it, if that and if it fits, maybe we're doing a European style home and it fits the architecture. It's never going to feel wrong in the home. Even if it's not trendy anymore, it still feels architecturally appropriate. So sometimes we do things like we're incorporating things in less expensive ways. We're incorporating the trends, maybe a color palette If a coral color is really that's the color that everyone wants to use maybe instead of painting a whole room that color, maybe we're using it on their pillows or in artwork or things that they can change out a little bit easier than maybe committing to cabinetry or something.

Speaker 2:

So we just want to make sure the things that are so expensive that no one wants to rip out no one wants to change anytime soon. No one wants to change anytime soon we just want to make those architecturally sound so that they always feel right with the house and they don't feel like they're out of place in a few years, my husband's going to feel better about this.

Speaker 3:

I'm going to tell him I heard from an expert.

Speaker 2:

Helping marriages. That's what I do.

Speaker 4:

That's a great sales pitch for those expensive items. It's like you're only going to do it once. We can talk these husbands into anything. You're only going to do it once. That's right.

Speaker 2:

That's exactly right. Like, speaking of the arches, like I do have clients, the wife loves them, but five years ago she hated arches and so we brought an arch cabinet. So it's a furniture piece. She can keep it for a few years, but it's something she she's not ripping out cabinetry, she just has a furniture piece that has that. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, awesome.

Speaker 1:

Tell us about like to you. What is it like? A dream project or a dream client relationship? Like what? How does it work best with you?

Speaker 2:

Um. I think it works best when I have a client who has a? Um realistic budget for what they want.

Speaker 2:

We'll work with a lot of different types of budgets and I'm happy to do that, but the client needs to be realistic. So people who come to me and they want high-end finishes but they don't want to pay for them. That creates a lot of friction. So we spend a lot of time trying to educate them on here's what you want and here's the reality of that situation, and we can make concessions where we need to, but they need to be willing to do that, so to have a realistic budget on that, and then they need to be nice people. We're creating homes. It's a very intimate relationship.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

And we're working with them for I don't know a year to four years on some projects and we want a comfortable relationship. Me and my team are all very kind and neutral and we're not showing up at the job house or at the job being divas and bossing people people around and we're showing respect to our team and things like that, and we expect that.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, it's funny you mentioned that because we actually, when we built our home 11 years ago now, we met with the designer first and like all of her ideas of where she wanted to go and everything. When we left, my wife was like she's not the one and it had nothing to do with. Like you know, she was a great person and everything. When we left, my wife was like she's not the one and it had nothing to do with.

Speaker 1:

Like you know, she was a great person and everything. But my wife is a very, very like functional kitchen person, like she bakes a ton and cooks a ton and everything and and at the time you know, a lot of like minimal cabinets and stuff were you know, people were putting like pantries that were hidden and everything was behind and my wife was like, like no way, I don't have time for that. Yeah, I'm not going to be running in and out, and so she's like, let's maybe look for someone else.

Speaker 2:

So I think it's it's good to mesh yeah, you need to find that's the thing you need to like their style. Yeah, you should look at you know at their work and what they do and and and like what they do. But, yeah, your personality needs to mesh too you need to be on the same page, because you're going to have a lot of difficult conversations. There's going to be a lot of brainstorming and a lot of yeah just working things out. It's a long process. Yeah, so we have cabinets everywhere now.

Speaker 1:

You know, one thing that stands out always in your work is how personal your spaces feel. Let's kind of take a look at like let's take a look at how you get there, Tell me about when you first get working with a client, how you get to understand their feel and everything in that. And then right into that discussion we were having, how do you bring trends in so that they can feel current but also feel timeless? So how does that all work?

Speaker 2:

Sure, well, we spend a lot of time in the beginning not just looking at our clients pinterest boards, because we do do that. We want to see what you know what, what they're liking. But we we have a long questionnaire and we ask a lot of questions about how they live. Do they entertain, do they travel, do they? We really want to get to know them and we want their home to feel like them. We want them to come home and feel comfortable there and to have the finish level they want and have the functionality they want.

Speaker 2:

And you know, if they, if they are really minimal and they're really clean, great, we know we can use some fabrics and some materials because they're going to, you know, marble, we can use that, things like that. But if they've got a dog and eight kids and people are running around, we know we need to use different materials. So I think listening to their story, how they want to live, because really your home, it really shapes your life. If things are in a functional place, if you have places to put things, you can feel calm, you can. It just changes your life depending on how your home functions and feels, and so we really try to get that right with our clients so that they they can move on, they can, they can worry about you know their jobs, their businesses, their children. You know all the other things and not be stressed about the home.

Speaker 3:

My husband will tell you that he really wants to leave the toaster on the kitchen counter.

Speaker 2:

I could design him a great kitchen. He wouldn't see that.

Speaker 3:

I say no.

Speaker 1:

We had that very same discussion because that first designer wanted to put everything that you use in a pantry. That's just not functional for me. It looks beautiful, maybe. There's another wall, yeah, and my wife's like that's just not functional for me, yeah, so we have to figure out a happy medium.

Speaker 3:

Looks beautiful, maybe there's like some sort of like another wall that like slides up.

Speaker 2:

There's so many ideas, there you go, there you go, yeah. It's a thing. There's so many great ways to do it right.

Speaker 4:

I have a question, like, obviously, interior design, I think oh, colors, paint, you know things that. How much of what you do really is the architecture or the, the features of the home like you're talking about. How much of that percentage, I guess, of your time is spent on that versus just the looks right?

Speaker 2:

so it kind of depends um. Clients sometimes come to us already having an architect um but if they don't, we'll do their drawings in office, which we love to do, because then, as I'm designing the fireplace wall and I know what the built-ins are going to look like, so you can do start finish like no plans all the way through Yep. So we do plans all the way through. So it just depends on the client and the team that they're assembling and who they have.

Speaker 1:

Is that your preference? Would you rather someone come to us and be like here's what I have.

Speaker 2:

ideas, ideas, yeah sometimes people choose a great architect and their plans are like whoo. You know a plus those are amazing.

Speaker 2:

We're not going to change them, but most times here in the valley, especially if they're looking local, there's not a lot of skilled architects here close, so people are using people who know the programs but maybe could use some help architecturally. They don't. They have, maybe haven't studied architecture and so we really have to get that architecture right. Nobody wants an ugly home Like it needs. Hallways need to be big enough, like that architecture needs to be you got to have some experience needs to be right.

Speaker 2:

Your windows need to be right. Your gables need to be the right pitch for the architecture. Like it's super important.

Speaker 4:

I imagine, from the fulfillment of your career, to like taking it from zero to done is pretty awesome. It's pretty awesome yeah.

Speaker 2:

That's cool. I didn't know you did all that, so that's really cool. Yeah, it's really fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So we do like that yeah.

Speaker 1:

How do you work with, like with builders and like trades, like you know, here at Caravelle? You know we we don't fabricate slabs. You know we just provide them to the fabricators but we give an opportunity to select them from all over the world. Come here, walk through a full gallery. You know you've brought your clients in here to walk through and things like that. But how does it work with the home builder and you and how does it work through with all the different trades that are in and out of the home, like how does that all mesh together?

Speaker 2:

so, uh, when a client is deciding to build a home like this, we want them to assemble their team first and the and the builder getting him on board. Sometimes that happens before us, sometimes it happens. Sometimes we recommend things like that. We want to point our client to a builder who does what they want on a daily basis. So probably don't hire your cousin who built one shed in the back of his house that hasn't done a multi-million dollar home. You know what I mean. That's a fair point. So find someone who, who doesn't have to learn how to build your home. They know they do that on a regular basis, things like that.

Speaker 2:

So their contract is with their builder, so we're not. We're not, you know, combining contracts or anything like that. I want my client to. We'll point them, we'll give them some just suggestions if they need to, but their contract is with their builder, so that relationship is is the two of them. But I really want to work with a team. I believe that's the way you're going to get the best product if everybody's communicating, if everyone has all of the information. So we have a really great online system where everyone has a private portal to their design. Everyone has access to all of the bids, all of the drawings, everything like that. So we're all seeing the same things. As changes are made, those go out to everyone, hopefully keeping trades, everybody involved.

Speaker 1:

That oh, there was a trade there. So people are in eight different places of where to find it. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So a lot of communication, a lot of trust and just finding a team that wants the same thing, that wants to communicate, that wants to build a high quality and is proud of their work to do something really great, take their job seriously, take their company seriously, I never realized.

Speaker 1:

I mean, of course there's different levels in every profession that you that there is right yes um, we unfortunately had a flood in our basement a few a couple years back of an accidental yeah uh, faucet left on of an out our neighbors, you know faucet got left on anyway.

Speaker 1:

I was just so surprised that when the people that came in to redo the finished work, I we literally had to have them take it all off because you know they didn't even miter corners and everything, you know. And and my sweet wife, you know, was just so proud of where our house was because it was done by pros, you know. And then we came in and you know it makes a big difference to be with the right people.

Speaker 2:

It makes a big difference. I was just on a remodel that we were working on and they hired a contractor who didn't do the level that the client expected. It was that same thing, and there was a hole in the fence what's it called Like a vinyl fence. They have a vinyl fence and one of the contractors put something through it and there's a hole in it, and so she was asking the project manager like, okay, you know, so what are we doing there? Is that going to be fixed? He's like I'll just get some bondo and tape and put it over there. She's like no, no, but damn. He's like what? That's what I would do in my home, you know so. So you want someone who does the quality you you expect and my sweet wife uncalked everything that they had done and redid it herself.

Speaker 2:

Poor thing. Next time have her call me.

Speaker 1:

So one thing I think about in this in this area of the country, um, which we're so blessed with the way it looks outside and everything like how do you balance those, the, the, the unique design challenges that that brings as far as like light seasons and the views and everything like that, with a lot of those high-end homes? You know, yeah, they're sitting in beautiful places with beautiful views and stuff. How do you work with all that?

Speaker 2:

well, hopefully we know the lot before we design the home we don't want to design the home, right, you know?

Speaker 2:

if you're, yeah, you just need to know the land. So they need to have land and then hopefully we have some play on how we're going to situate the house on the land. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't, depending on how big the lot is. But you do want to think about those things like light and where do you get the best light? Here, the valley, we get the best light on the south side. It's not direct but yes, it's nice and bright. So anywhere we can put windows kind of on that south side to bring it into the main space, they're going to get some really good light. So, thinking through things like that, where does the sun set? Do you have if your kitchen is facing it, do you? Is there a way to put shades or things?

Speaker 1:

like that in the summer that maybe you'll want, because in a photo it's awesome, but when it's blazing in the summer blazing, yeah, but if you have to live in it, that's the thing nobody wants to pay a million dollars for their home and then go.

Speaker 2:

Man, I hate it.

Speaker 1:

Every afternoon this kitchen stinks, you know you know brett, with like 20 years plus experience as a fabricator before caravel like um, what were some of the ways that you saw slab and stuff like used in in in to kind of like bring in that mountain feel and everything?

Speaker 4:

yeah, so I mean part of its finishes, of stone leathered finish, you know, if you're going rustic or things like that. Also, uh, outdoor spaces we used a lot of slab in outdoor kitchens, you know, barbecue areas and things like that, which is cool to tie the natural product into the outdoors. So, um yeah, there's a lot of ways. One thing to think of in that I always used in the kitchen was the reflection right.

Speaker 4:

You see, everything in the stone. It's really cool. So the big windows, um, sometimes a stone that is leathered won't look as nice as a polished one. A high polish just shines in that reflection, you know. So there's some things to consider with stone in the kitchen, but probably the biggest deal is still more the overall design, the color right but, I. I would always use the reflection to clean up when I was done, because I could see everything, so but yeah, we live in a great place and we're lucky to design around it, I think so it's, true

Speaker 1:

so let's do talk about, like, what's what's cool now, right? So like, what are some of your favorite materials and stuff that you're working with now?

Speaker 2:

well, I'm a natural gal, so any natural materials wood, stone, copper, I mean we I want to use natural materials that have been around for a long time, because there's a sense of timelessness there. They patina really really well, yes, so we're definitely looking for things that stand that test of time and that there are some, you know, modern designs that we want, these ultra glossy or ultra you know crazy patterns, things like that, but for the most part we just need it to wear. Wear really really well. So, like the honed, the leathered, we love those. All the neutral colors, you know, some of these crazy stones and things like that are super fun in commercial design where you don't have to live in there. It's just fun to go out to dinner in this wild, crazy place. But but for the homes, most of the time we're we're sticking to a nice neutral base and just building upon that.

Speaker 3:

So so I have been on TikTok and, like parade of homes, has been popping up for me a ton, and I'm not sure if you've seen it, but um, the owner of crumble's house.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, everybody's talking about it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's a big deal I loved it and the comments were so controversial, oh yeah, and for me, um, coming from los angeles, like designs, very home design is very different there compared to, you know, being here. Yeah, so I'm curious as to what your opinion is from a design perspective, because they use a lot of texture, a lot of color, yeah, lots of tile work, and so I'm, I was just curious.

Speaker 2:

My friend's firm designed that place okay, I have. I haven't. I wasn't able to go through it, but I've seen it all over social media it is in fact, my friend in Kentucky, who I marker polar every day, she was like have you seen the Crumble house?

Speaker 3:

I mean I was like this is amazing. My husband was like, oh wow, there's a lot going on. I was like I feel like it in my opinion. I'm like oh, I think it works. I think it works, the way how it all kind of ties together.

Speaker 2:

I think it's beautifully designed, but the client has to love it.

Speaker 3:

Like I can't imagine that was not client led, I don't think most designers would come up with that fun and crazy and all the variation that that has house has, and then talk to their clients into it Well and I think, too, when you're like you said, it has to be client led there's, when you're doing something that is that creative, with that much color, there has to be like someone sitting down, getting to know them as a person and being like hey, what do you want?

Speaker 2:

to see. What do you want to have?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I watch a lot of like celebrity. Youtube architectural digest videos and it's always with, specifically, the client being like I really wanted green everything in the kitchen, and so they kind of lead with that and then they guide them with what their, what their vision is.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know everyone's. You know, every few months, a new client comes and sits down in our office and and I just think, oh, what am I going to do for this client? Like we haven't gathered quite enough information. But yeah, the minute you start talking to them, hearing their story, hearing things they're attracted to, like you always have this moment where it just clicks and you're like, okay, I know what we're going to do. This is going to be great. Yeah, you know. So it really is those clients, everybody's unique and everybody has a different way. So I say bravo to the Crumble House. I think my friend executed it brilliantly. I think my friend executed it brilliantly. I think it was stunning, but it's not for everybody. No, and that's great. If the homeowner walks in every day and is like this is my house and it's totally rad and I love living here, Well, tell your friend, I gave them a A+.

Speaker 3:

That's awesome. I loved it. I was like that was amazing. Yeah, that was so creative and so fun. I think it's fun.

Speaker 2:

So different people walk in and think would I want this? And maybe they want. But who want?

Speaker 1:

you know your house shouldn't be what you think everybody else wants it to be absolutely, it's your space, yeah, yeah, when I think of examples like that, as you would look at like fashion shows too, right, oh yeah you have some of those homes that are, that are I don't want to even use the word extreme, but that are way in a direction right, but those things are where people can pull pieces from, just like in a fashion show when they come out and they're like wearing a metal dress. You're like nobody's going to wear a metal dress, right, but the inspiration that it gives people to design clothes that are functional same thing that comes from stuff like that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's true, definitely.

Speaker 1:

So when we're talking about you know, like what's trending and I and, and things like that, when we talk about surfaces and things like that, when we talk about surfaces and things like that, like when we're specifically talking about surfaces, countertops and floors and things like that, like what's what's the most important to you? Because I mean you have to balance all those things like tone and texture, durability, everything like that. Like yeah, like how do you um?

Speaker 2:

durability is probably the number one. That's what we start with. Like, how do you live in this space? How are you going to use it? That sort of thing their budget's probably the next one. Like, okay, you want something that's easy maintenance and doesn't etch, and things like that. Like, maybe marble does, okay, we'd love a quartzite, but is quartzite in the budget or do we need to just find a really great you know quartz or porcelain or something, so they all kind of go hand in hand For or porcelain or something, so they all kind of go hand in hand For me? I'm going to pick some. I'm a neutral gal, so, if it's left up to me because again, I don't want them to feel like, wow, this is a really busy after five years and I can't live with it anymore. So again, I'm picking some neutral tones and things like that. A lot of that a lot of the time. I think it can still be fun and interesting. But, yeah, does the tone, does the pattern, does the movement on it fit? Again, the architecture of the home.

Speaker 4:

So one question, liz, on that on countertops Kitchen's a big deal right. It's the center of everything. So when you pick stone you come in here to see us have you picked everything else? Usually, or where's the starting point in the kitchen? Is it cabinets? Is it cabinets? I almost always.

Speaker 2:

I almost always save stone till last okay, so typically the best for last.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, right, yeah typically like we'll pull the whole design together and I'll have an inspo like I think we need to find a countertop like this or a countertop like this, especially if we really need to find that piece, and then I'm able to bring the cabinets to bring the paint colors to bring the tile that's going to be around it, that sort of thing, and we'm able to bring the cabinets to bring the paint colors, to bring the tile that's going to be around it, that sort of thing, and we're able to just walk around the showroom and try it. And at that point I mean we really try to design everything before the home has even been started. So if I need to change a paint color, great Okay, we found a slab that we absolutely love. This paint color is not right with it, so we're just going to adjust it and keep the.

Speaker 4:

What a smooth process that creates to build that house I've been.

Speaker 2:

I've been in the middle of so many where it's like we got to hurry and pick this.

Speaker 4:

Oh well, if we pick that, then this has to change.

Speaker 2:

And that's a nightmare for everyone. It's like a domino effect, right? So I?

Speaker 4:

heard you say that. I'm like, if that's true and that happens, you've done something fantastic.

Speaker 2:

I mean, if we think about the pain points of building a home. What are the pain points? It goes over budget, schedule yes, schedule and having to make decisions that you weren't ready to make, that sort of thing. So, yes, we want people to come to give us enough time. Let's pick everything, let's find all of your appliances, let's build the budget around that. And typically, if the client comes to us and says we have $2 million, this is our budget, then we have $2 million, this is our budget.

Speaker 2:

Then I know, okay, then you're going to get this level of appliances and you're going to get this level of tile and maybe we're going to splurge here and not here or things like that. We've done this enough that I kind of know what to pick within that.

Speaker 1:

And it immediately starts to put them in the eye and then we price it out.

Speaker 2:

Once they've approved everything and we've got their whole design built, then we price it out. Once they've approved everything and we've got their whole design built, then we'll price it all out. And then if there's any surprises within that, then it's just up to the client. Like, okay, well, your tile came in way over budget, so what do you want to keep and what do you want to switch? Or do we want to choose some different light fixtures so that we can splurge on the tile and all of that and trying to get those? And then if you've chosen the right team and you're not making a million changes and you know you've got a great builder, then your budget shouldn't be out of control at the end. You know what? What we said it was should kind of be what it was.

Speaker 4:

And those decisions just aren't rushed right. It's all up front, Cause that's hard. You make a rush decision and then you forgot to consider the light that was in it.

Speaker 2:

Now it doesn't work and you know that's awesome.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I know the biggest regret my wife always says about our house is the rock on the outside.

Speaker 2:

Oh, when you pick from a it's a hard one when you pick from a sample that's this big and then it gets on.

Speaker 1:

you know, it just came out way more orange than yeah, there's way more orange rocks on there than there was on the sample. She's like I just wanted it more gray.

Speaker 2:

And it's okay.

Speaker 1:

It's still beautiful, but it's just one of those things where you're like okay, if we did it again probably get a little deeper on that one.

Speaker 2:

Totally.

Speaker 1:

So let's do a little lightning round before. We kind of wrap things up, stuff like that, and you guys can still jump in if there's thought or anything.

Speaker 2:

I've got things about things you're like don't you worry, I am not at a loss for words your favorite room to design a great room I mean that's three rooms, but like that's where you live, that's it, like everyone's in the kitchen, everyone's in that great room. Like, yeah, that's where memories are made.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, you know we look, we purposely, and my builder three times tried to talk me out of it, but we put a wall in between that.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

And two sliding doors. Yeah, because those are my shut up. I'm watching the game doors.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah, totally.

Speaker 1:

Because the great room.

Speaker 2:

I just didn't like the sound fight. But see, you know how you live.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I just didn't like the sound fight.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And so because I love the look of them? Sure, but every time I've been in those great rooms, but it's got to feel right to you A lot of people just like cozier spaces anyway, so we're not doing that great rooms. That's how I was. I want hallways and rooms For sure.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so that's cool, it's coming back, so you're about to be real trendy here.

Speaker 1:

There we go.

Speaker 3:

I was just ahead of my time. You're ahead of the curve.

Speaker 1:

Kelsey, a color you're obsessed with right now.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I'm a neutral gal. I mean grays, tans, creams, whites. I mean, they're the magic.

Speaker 1:

They're the magic that everything builds upon. Taj Mahal is so popular and it's creams and it's neutrals it goes with everything.

Speaker 2:

Everything mix and matches. It feels warm and cozy. I love a good, neutral but blue. I think there's tones of blue for everyone's home.

Speaker 1:

I love a good blue Blue is cool, it's not what's trendy right now, but I'll-.

Speaker 2:

Go Aggies too I could make blue look great in anybody's home. I'm pretty confident.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. How about your go-to inspiration?

Speaker 2:

The client. Okay, I mean we look at Pinterest and we see the same trendy things, which is fun. But yeah, just hearing the clients, I mean they all, it just never fails. They all just come up with something like you know, when I was in Europe, I loved this, or there's something that just that's the inspiration, where it clicks and you're like, okay, this is going to be cool.

Speaker 1:

Are there any hero interior designers right now that you like, like to follow and watch and see what they're doing? Oh, gosh.

Speaker 2:

Yes, lisa Furtada, I think, is her last name. She'll kill me. She's a good friend in California, that girl. Yeah, nice Stunning there's so many. There's so many great designers out there.

Speaker 1:

Cool, a trend you love, even if it's unpopular.

Speaker 2:

Trend I love that's unpopular, even if it's unpopular trend. I love that's unpopular. Even if it's unpopular doesn't have to be. Um, I should have gotten prepared with that. I'm not sure. No, you're good what is it?

Speaker 4:

what is a hot trend right now in a home design, I mean?

Speaker 1:

I think that my old house had an arch over the tub and an arch over the toilet, right? Do you love or hate them?

Speaker 2:

personally, I I like them in the right space but, I, don't like them, I don't want to put them in everything, so I guess that's the thing I hate is doing trends just because?

Speaker 1:

Are coffered ceilings timeless or are they kind of going away yeah?

Speaker 2:

in a traditional home. Or you could do them in a modern way, like it's just about how you execute it. Yeah, that's true.

Speaker 1:

That. It's just about how you execute it. Yeah, that's true. That fits the home.

Speaker 2:

Okay, a design myth that drives you nuts Design myth.

Speaker 1:

Like you always got to have this with this or something like that. Are there any out there?

Speaker 2:

I think just that there are rules to follow and you have to follow the rules. I mean, I think the nice thing about design is there are a lot of rules that you should follow, but at the end of the day Like.

Speaker 1:

Everything has to be in odds, yes or?

Speaker 2:

something yeah At the end of the day if you love it, do it. If you love it, just do it. Yeah, I could tell our designer when we picked a couch for the living room.

Speaker 1:

I could tell that it just broke her soul. I could Because it was just a couch, because it was just a couch, you know it was like one of those couches, it was for watching football, yes, right, and I could just tell. And I said you hate it, doesn't she goes, it's your home it's how you're gonna live your home, and I was like I know I was like I can visually could see how cool it could be all designed out.

Speaker 2:

But yeah, but nobody would want to like it's not going to be comfy well and I think that that's the role of a designer is to not just say yes and no to what a client can and can't have right, but to educate them on like here's why you might want to make a better choice, but at the end of the day, it is your money, it is your home.

Speaker 1:

I might not take a picture of that for my Instagram but if you love it, you just and that's what I mean I can just see her soul.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, how much has Instagram influenced design social media like how big is that for you?

Speaker 2:

Oh, it's everything I mean all of our marketing is Instagram, I mean.

Speaker 4:

I wouldn't have a company if it wasn't for Instagram it's crazy. You said you've been in business eight years Prior to that. Even I'm like I didn't use social media for business right Like what was that? And now it is everything. It's crazy, but it's so cool that we can all see stuff like what you do. It's a great place to show.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, well, speaking of social media, I was on Tik TOK and my husband sent me a video that was like name one functional thing that you've seen in a really incredible home that you're like if you were building a house you would implement. Like this one person said, there was a closet behind where their TV was. They could just take out the Christmas tree already done. So if there was one thing.

Speaker 2:

I've had clients ask for that. Honestly, I was like that's brilliant. Taking down the Christmas tree with all those ornaments is the most irritating thing to just slide it in the closet and be like see you next December.

Speaker 4:

Yes, that's actually pretty awesome.

Speaker 1:

I know I'm going to have to build a new house now. I know.

Speaker 3:

Is there one thing that like, if you could be like oh, I would recommend this. If a client like gave you free reign to just go for it.

Speaker 2:

What would be?

Speaker 3:

like one thing that you would do, that make your home really functional.

Speaker 2:

Gosh, it's a lot of little things like showers Okay, shower in them every day, yeah but they're often poorly designed.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

So a really good functional shower is great. Things in the kitchen, like, like I have a? Um paper towel drawer, so there's no face on the front of the drawer, so my paper towel holder is not on my counter. Oops, excuse me, but it's right there, accessible still.

Speaker 4:

So things that like so it's just an opening. I'm going to have the yeah, so it's just an opening.

Speaker 1:

It's kind of got a frame but then it's got an opening and you just pull them out right there. Our microwave is in our island and it's hidden completely. My wife we went back and forth on that a lot. She's like I just want the microwave. Loves it though.

Speaker 3:

Okay so yours is way more doable than mine. I was more so thinking like a heated driveway. Oh, I mean a heated driveway.

Speaker 1:

In this climate. I wish I had a heated bathroom floor. Yeah, oh yeah. Our tile is so cold in the winter.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, Especially in this climate, anytime we can get heated floors, heated driveways, I always tell my husband like I'm not sure I can retire here because these winters it's rough, so if you get me a, heated driveway already. I will retire here, but otherwise I don't know if I can do that.

Speaker 3:

No, it's I. Yeah, I'm with you on that. Yeah, the other thing I'm wondering when you're like sourcing decor and furniture and things like that, where are some like non-popular places that you would like recommend someone to go pull from Like? Are you looking at like vintage places or you are you just going to like the restoration hardware's, the pottery barns, the, the major names like that?

Speaker 2:

So, as designers, we're typically shopping with, uh, manufacturers and vendors that public don't have you the um, the resource or the the relationships with they're not, they're not retail and so people wouldn't know them. Okay, so we do a lot of those. But, um, yeah, things like um, um first bid.

Speaker 1:

Okay, um, etsy's great like to find those fun pieces, unique things yeah, yeah, it really.

Speaker 2:

I mean, you really kind of got a look, but there's also great decor everywhere. It just kind of depends if you're looking for a showstop piece that is vintage things like that. There's a lot of um places there, but there's a lot of fillers that are solid. You know, I just need a great vase that's this big and home goods has it, you know. Yeah, so it just kind of depends. But if they're special, yeah, first Bids is pretty great.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I got a pillow from there. It took like three months Etsy's great but I loved it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're great for those special pieces.

Speaker 1:

Kelty and I worked on a project on Etsy where we find a full-life stuffed llama. Oh yeah, size ice cream bars. Etsy has everything.

Speaker 2:

It's fun when you're getting to know a client to find those things that they love, whether they have a collection or something special to them or someplace they grew up. And then you find those really cool, interesting pieces and kind of surprise them like how did you know? I loved that mountain?

Speaker 4:

or something like that.

Speaker 2:

You're like I've been listening from the beginning.

Speaker 1:

Well, as our last question, you know you've had some experience, you know Caravelle Select is new here and everything like that, and especially new to northern Utah and everything like that. But how do you see it, you know, fitting in your take on what Caravelle Select is offering?

Speaker 2:

Oh well, this has been huge. I've been so excited about Caravelle coming in because we don't have anything like it and before this I would have to schedule an entire day and my clients and I would go to Salt Lake and we'd go to a ton of different places and it was. I mean, it's a long day and it's a lot of time sucked for my business and an expense there that we have to do. But now I've been super impressed by the pieces that you guys carry, because you have a lot of what I love these timeless, neutral, soft, high-end finishes that are just really great and I can use over and over and over again. So I love that. I brought several clients in with their things and I often don't even show them around. I take them to two slabs and say this one or this one, aren't they both great? Which one do you want? Kind of a thing. So it's nice to get the client's eye on that. It saves everybody time and we've just I can't say enough about it.

Speaker 4:

I'm just so happy. I just want to say to that point we hadn't been open very long and I was here and Liz came in with someone.

Speaker 2:

This was months ago and we'd been open a few months and I was just like thank you, liz powell is here like how awesome, yes, we have this lab yard and one of the great designers of cash flow.

Speaker 4:

I just walked in and I get to show her around and now get to have her come back a few times with her customers. So I was pretty stoked when you came to see us too. For sure, I'm sure this won't be the last time this will be with us on the podcast either, so, so.

Speaker 1:

Liz, thanks again for being with us. Thanks for having me. You know, I think your work is just a perfect example of what we try to represent here at Caravelle is giving people just a world-class selection, even though we're in your cash valley you know, and things like that.

Speaker 1:

So if you guys out there are dreaming about remodel, custom build anything like that and picking the perfect slab or need some RTA cabinets and things like that, we can help you, align you with incredible people like Liz that can really change the way that they build their home and and make it a forever home, like I think that's probably the greatest thing about our home is, every time I walk into it, I never feel like something is out of style and I think that takes a lot of skill to do and some patience.

Speaker 1:

So thanks for this time and I can't wait till we have you back so thanks Liz.

Speaker 2:

That's great, Thank you.