The Rooms People Remember

In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Emilie Munroe, founder and creative director of Studio Munroe, to explore what makes a beautifully designed room become a home people actually remember. Known for creating colorful, sophisticated, and deeply personal interiors, Emilie approaches design less as the creation of a signature look and more as an act of translation: understanding how someone lives, what they value, and what they may not yet recognize about themselves, then turning those clues into a space that feels unmistakably theirs.

The conversation breaks down why designing one beautiful room is not enough, and why the real skill lies in connecting one room to the next. Emilie explains how shifts in color, pattern, material, and intensity can create a sense of rhythm throughout a home, allowing one space to feel bold and expressive while the next gives the eye somewhere to rest. They explore how contrast between hard and soft, curved and angular, playful and sophisticated can make a home feel layered and alive without becoming chaotic.

Emilie also shares why a designer should do more than confirm the choices a client would have made on their own. From painting window frames black to covering powder rooms in unexpected wallpaper, she explains why the most rewarding design decisions often require a little trust and a willingness to move beyond what feels immediately comfortable. They discuss why people are often afraid to take risks at home, how a designer can push those boundaries with care, and why there is rarely anything interesting on the other side of playing it completely safe.

The conversation also gets into how design shapes the way people interact. Emilie explains how hanging chairs, fire pits, conversation areas, music, and thoughtful layouts can encourage families and friends to spend more time together. She shares how designers can plan for changing families and future stages of life, why larger homes sometimes need more intentional places for intimacy, and how a home can become the backdrop for everything from quiet nights and family photographs to dinner parties, new relationships, and unexpected moments of connection.

Emilie also makes the case for homes that feel polished without becoming precious. They explore why beautiful spaces should never feel like showrooms, how meaningful objects and evidence of real life give a room authenticity, and why a home does not need to be perfectly styled before people are invited inside. In a culture of curated tablescapes, endless inspiration images, and increasingly complicated technology, Emilie argues for something simpler: opening the door, putting on music, using paper towels as napkins, and letting the home support the life happening inside it.

By the end of this episode, you may realize that the rooms people remember are not necessarily the most perfect or expensive. They are the ones with contrast, personality, surprise, and enough warmth to make people want to stay.

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Emilie Munroe
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Website: https://www.studiomunroe.com/

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Transcript

What Great Design Actually Is

Emilie Munroe 0:00

A beautifully designed room is one thing. The real skill is the connection between this room to that room to the next room.

Lyssia Katan 0:07

You described your role as a designer, as a translator. What are you translating exactly?

Emilie Munroe 0:12

It is so much fun having this job. There is no day that is the same, and you never stop working. The thing with a lot of these larger homes that we work in is how do you create an intimate relational life within so much space? But ultimately, like what looks good and what looks bad is completely subjective. Why do you think it matters so much? It's very important to me to not be associated. And I think that is a craft. Do you think people are scared of doing that?

Lyssia Katan 0:40

Oh, come on. What if the reason some homes feel unforgettable isn't because they're perfect, but because they feel deeply personal. Welcome to Room to Think. Today I'm sitting down with Emily Munro. She's the founder and creative director of Studio Munro, known for designing layered, personality-driven spaces that feel elevated, playful, and deeply lived in. In this episode, Emily explains why great design is less about creating a look and more about translating who someone is into a space. We talk about why homes shouldn't feel like showrooms and how certain design choices can shape the way people connect. We also get into why the most memorable spaces are often the ones that take a little risk. By the end of this episode, you may start thinking less about making your home look impressive and more about making it feel alive. Let's get into it. Hello, Emily. Hello there. I am so excited to have you on the show. Emily Monroe is the founder and creative director of Studio Monroe, known for designing layered, personality-driven interiors that translate her clients' lives into spaces that feel both elevated and deeply lived in. Her work has been featured in magazines like House Beautiful, Lux Interiors and Design, Traditional Home, among others. And it's recognized for its warmth and ability to really reflect the people who live there. So, Emily, welcome to Room to Think. Oh, I'm excited to have a chat.

Emily’s Path Into Interior Design

Lyssia Katan 2:15

So, I mean, you've done a lot, but starting from the beginning, how did you decide to go into interior design?

Emilie Munroe 2:22

I'm very proud to say that this profession found me. I didn't pursue it. It landed in my lap, I guess. I mean, you know, it was a circuitous path. I studied theater. Um, I was a sociology major. I always did art in my spare time. Um, I was a studio art minor. And when I left college, I just wasn't sure what I was going to do for a career. I ended up in marketing for a big brand at a West Coast office. And I have a cousin with an interior design firm who I had helped over the years at her studio. Very, you know, casually, super fun work. And it wasn't really until I was in the corporate setting working in marketing and helping design offices at our um at our company location here in San Francisco that I really was like, hmm, would I consider interior design as like an actual real profession? And at that point, I went to night school and just kind of casually started taking um drawing classes, perspective drawing, AutoCAD. And then from there, I decided to make the leap and um go work for my cousin and continue night classes and then eventually just transition full-time to design.

Lyssia Katan 3:43

Wow, that's very cool. And and was there a space that really inspired you when you were getting started and you're like, oh, I could do this.

Emilie Munroe 3:53

I would say more than a space, it's really what this job is like. Again, I was exposed to it in a very casual way when I was younger, you know, working in the summer for this interior design company. And I it was fun, it was active. And then as I took it more seriously, I realized like this is a very cool professional lifestyle because you're creative, you're working with very interesting people who are artisans, making wallpaper and fabric, you know, metal workers, woodworkers, all these interesting people. You're getting to play with color and material, but you have to think of it technically. I mean, you have to be able to draw case piece shop drawings, you have to be able to come up with concepts for window treatments that fit in niches or angled ceilings. Um, so you have to be a technical mindset, creative. It's all about people. I mean, the diversity of personalities between colleagues, clients, and tradespeople and the collaboration, you know, uh, architects, contractors, designers, clients, makers. It is so much fun having this job. There is no day that is the same, and you never stop learning. The mistakes are like literally infinite. You can just never rest on your laurels and always know that you're going to be pushed to think in a new way or discover new things. It's just it's a lifestyle professionally that is so fulfilling. More bigger than any room.

Lyssia Katan 5:28

That first of all, is that you it shows that you love what you do and it comes out in your work.

Designing As Translation And Discovery

Lyssia Katan 5:34

You have said before that you are translating. You know, you've you've you've said that you are uh you described your role as a designer, as a translator. What are you translating exactly? And how do you know when you've got it right in a space?

Emilie Munroe 5:51

Well, you know, I've also said before, and I'm proud to say, that we don't have a signature aesthetic here. We more have like a signature vibe, you know, we just want to bring joy and life, um, functionality and energy into other people's dream aesthetic setup. And so once you're thinking that way, you're not saying, here's the look I'm into, and I'm gonna package it and provide it to you. Once you're saying this is more of a get-to-know you process. And by get to know you, it's not just personality of a client, it's lifestyle of a client, it's goals and dreams. Um, and then it's taking these things, which by the way, we do not like hand over a questionnaire and ask these in a technical way. You know, it's really nuanced. We're meeting so many different people. Um, we just interact with so you're types of people, and you learn to kind of receive these clues as you interview, as you do your initial walkthroughs. And this is the gift is taking these kind of intuitive and you know, also subjective. I mean, you see existing furniture, you get, you know, inspiration images. So some of it is more literal, but to take all these pieces and then package them into this individual family, couple, clients, um kind of aesthetic, functional aesthetic goal. I mean, that's the fun, that's the craft. I mean, that's the magic. Anyone can buy a sofa. I mean, anyone can say I like blue and show up somewhere and get a blue sofa. It's really in the cohesiveness of the picture, of the walking to the front door, walking into the entry, walking through the home, seeing the clients, their personalities, like vibrating in the frequency of the environment that's been created around them. That's the magic.

Lyssia Katan 7:48

And you say you you're incorporating their personality and you're incorporating fun into it. How do you see it impact their lives when you really get that space

How Homes Change Daily Life

Lyssia Katan 7:58

right?

Emilie Munroe 7:58

I mean, I always say, you know, I'm thinking about these projects in the shower. I mean, every second of the day, when I'm driving on the freeway, when I'm like, you know, washing my hair, when I'm drinking my coffee, I mean, you just live the work when it's inside of you in this way. And so if you're like, you know, thinking about them in the shower, thinking of them when you're washing dishes, I mean, you really have to believe that what you're doing is making an impact. I mean, if you're gonna have kind of the spirit of your creative energy and the space of your mind and thoughts wrap around this home, these people, you really have to believe it's making a difference. And I do. I mean, I just think I've heard so many stories, but you know, macro level, the world is a wild place. It's super intense. I mean, if you even, you know, you're out in the political sphere, all of that, then you bring it even closer. I mean, careers are intense and tough. Family life is intense. I mean, it's just wild being alive and to create an environment where people can return and feel inspired, safe, connected, you know, whatever the feelings are they're looking from their home life. That is powerful in and of itself. Let alone like, you know, the technical aspects. You know, what I see, people get promoted because now they're hosting work dinner parties in their kitchen and their living dining space. I mean, we've had couples, of course, date and meet new people who they bring home and then they, you know, whatever, fall in love in this beautiful environment. I have one of my favorite stories is we put um candle sconces in the main bedroom of a client's house years ago. And she came to be like, I don't know, I saw it at a party years later, and she was like, Emily, it's our secret signal. We light the candles when we're like in the mood. She's like, Thank you for putting the candles there. So listen, anything could happen in a well-designed house.

Lyssia Katan 9:58

It's all up and to the right from there. I I mean, really, you you're it's the most intimate thing. It is your home. You're there, you spend the most amount of time there than you do anywhere else. It's such an intimate thing to be desired designing someone's home and all the ways they live.

Emilie Munroe 10:16

Well, you have to be careful too to never make assumptions. You know, I've had just for like the most extroverted, outgoing, very public-facing clients that want a home that is like a spa-like retreat, you know, very personal, intimate, soothing and calm. I have clients that are like fierce, you know, very technical-minded, high-pressure jobs, and they want the most playful, energetic, fun home because they want it to be an opposition of their kind of outward-facing

The Quirky Objects People Keep

Emilie Munroe 10:50

personality. So you have to ask all those questions. You know, do they want you assume everyone wants to entertain? Maybe not. You know, we got beautiful La Crusade um ranges for people that don't even cook. They just think they're beautiful and have memories of trips to France where they've seen them. And so it's really important to wipe the slate clean and arrive at each project and in each client's life, just really like asking questions and getting to the bottom of you know, what is luxury? What is success? What is comfort?

Lyssia Katan 11:22

What is ease for these people? What's the most surprising thing you've discovered about a client in their home that you wouldn't have expected?

Emilie Munroe 11:31

Oh, what a qu oh well, I don't. Almost every client will have some like ridiculous little homage to their prior life that they just have to keep. Like, I remember, oh my god, what we are so proud of this project. It's like one of our favorite projects. And it was like the wife said, Do not touch his towels from college. And I was like, What? And sure enough, like in the main battery, like beautiful monogram towels with like edge banding and like the base color match the wall paint. And there were these two like gray towels that were like the lucky towels. I don't know. And I was like, okay, great. Okay, we don't care. But you know, and there'll be just like these, or like the the pillow, I mean, you know, some of them are more precious, like the pillow, the throw pillow from grandma that's like nestled, you know, that she embroidered that's like nestled with all of our beautiful custom pillows on the settee, and there's like this one little quirky one, you know. And I I always like you expect it to be an antique piece of furniture or like something more substantial, but like, you know, people's connection to objects from prior homes and life. I mean, it's just really surprising, whether it's the college towels or the little needlepoint or a big armoire. And that's that's part of the discovery. It's really enjoyable.

Lyssia Katan 12:53

It's almost like there are pieces in their lives that helped build them and become the person that they are today.

Emilie Munroe 12:59

Like the through line, like exactly lines. Exactly. We want to keep in place. And there'll be ways about living to um, I'm just trying to think. Like, we will sometimes like we'll design bathrooms where they're his and her side. Like some people really like to have their independent space, like get all done up and then big reveal. And some people are like brush the teeth together at the double vanity every night. Some people don't really need space, they prefer

Creating Intimacy In Big Homes

Emilie Munroe 13:25

to be intimate. You know, the thing with a lot of these larger homes that we work in is how do you create an intimate relation or life within so much space? I mean, there are houses that you bring the verb bell and it takes like seven minutes for someone to make it to the door, you know? And so within that, you could have teenagers that you never even interact with because it would like coming and going. And so, you know, we'll talk a lot. Like, how do we create, you know, we're known for a bit of whimsy, you know, for really positive adding elements of play and elements of, you know, humor. I mean, humor is probably the long word, but maybe the right word is whimsy, like quirky little interesting elements. And really, it's to create conversation and intimacy and connection. You know, we're all on our phones, everyone's racing around. Like, I love a hanging chair. Like a hanging chair is cool. You put it in the corner of a room, you know, teens and kids are into it, it's unexpected. You can have like cool fabric throw pillows in there, it's textural. You know, these kind of elements they make people feel comfortable, they bring out their childlike interest. We always say fire pits, you need a fire pit in your backyard, always, because the teenagers love the fire pits. So then they'll want to stay and hang out and like out for the party and um whatever, talk in the night at the fire pit. So there's little tips about how to create community interest, keep your guests kind of flowing from room to room, which really, you know, makes an impact these days.

Lyssia Katan 15:05

And often those pieces that are so unique are what they're those homes are remembered for, like the house with the hanging chair, the house with the fire pit. That's right.

Emilie Munroe 15:14

And it makes it special, yeah, or the conversation area. And like the thing is, you know, again, this industry has changed. Designers used to provide access. You know, we used to be unique um entree into the world of bespoke furniture. And more and more we're seeing that, you know, our core vendors are selling direct to consumer. You know, it's just a changing

Transitions And Flawless Execution

Emilie Munroe 15:39

market. And so, you know, I think it's really execution. Okay, so what do I tell people curious about hiring a designer? The two really interesting things are one transitions. A beautifully designed room is one thing. The real skill is the connection between this room to that room to the next room, is sitting here and looking there, and things are unique, they're functional, they're tied together, but they're also singular. That's the craft. And two, it's execution. So you want a hanging chair. This is like adorable. Of course, you can go buy a hanging chair, but is there blocking in the ceiling? Do you have the right mounting bracket? Do you know how to knot the rope and chain so it doesn't come undone? How far do you put it from the wall so your five-year-old it'll just bang it into the wall, like breaking all your plaster off? You know, these are the things we can help you with is taking a fun idea that you may already have in your Pinterest and executing it in a flawless way so that it's functional for you and not, you know, a learning curve of 18 mistakes and you're resheetrocking your, you know, whatever bedroom.

Lyssia Katan 16:50

I'm really glad you mentioned that because I mean, we work in tile, we sell to designers and also in direct to consumer. And anyone who wants tile can go online and check and purchase a box or however many. Right. But the difference in the clients that work with a designer versus the ones that don't is the designer really knows how to bring together all the elements of the tile that you fell in love with that has little pops of yellow and little pieces of brass and knows how to bring the room together rather than just you finding a tile and just slapping it on your backsplash and it's done. It really feels more cohesive when it's done with a designer that actually knows to pull in some brass accents or pull in some colors and or even prepare the client for the nature of the material, right? If it's handmade tile, if it's marble, whatever it is, copper, the patina.

Emilie Munroe 17:43

I would say the first thing that comes to mind when we mention tile are trim pieces. Yeah. Like we have a rule when people come into this office, it is like our most nasty bird on earth. And we've used them before. I don't mean to be offensive to a brand because they do have applications, but schluters, I just cannot. They are so bad. And this is what happens in a room when people don't think about their trim pieces, you know, because we've had many instances where a client loves a tile and we're like, in this layout, we cannot execute this because it doesn't come with a surface bull nose, or we're not going to be able to trim

Tile Details That Make Or Break It

Emilie Munroe 18:20

it, this glass in order to frame out your whatever niche or this three-point intersection that's here. So, you know, it takes expertise to be thinking how is your curb going to be integrated into your flooring material? And what grout are we using so that it's not getting stained by the mop? And like, you know, yeah, like are we doing a flush inset? Are they building back so the sheetrock is flush with the face of the tile? Or are we going to have some inch and a half of waterproofing that we're trying to conceal with a bull nose? I mean, these are all these little details that are so far beyond picking a beautiful material and even picking the beautiful material on the vanity because it's these details when you see that metal schluter and just the tile dying into it, that you realize like there was a bit of an exasperation that happened where the energy was lost in coming up with solutions. So we'd love to be there for that.

Lyssia Katan 19:15

And you also are helping them prevent the frustration that happens when you realize, oh, wait, this these two tiles are two different thicknesses. How am I gonna transition from my kitchen to my living room without tripping each time or you know, my chair is getting caught on it? So little details.

Emilie Munroe 19:34

Yes, or like you mentioned copper. We love using concrete, especially concrete with aggregate, you know, terrazzo materials as slab countertops with integrated sinks and dining tables, but you have to have the conversation. This material is porous. So when you turn the water on in your sink, you will see a dark mark and it will dry out over the course of the day, and then it will be dark again when you wash your face at night. And that's okay, that's great. But you know, be prepared. So, you know, you don't have people that are investing in photos they've seen, but not understanding how you live with them.

Lyssia Katan 20:10

Right. You're preparing the client for because you've worked with this so many times, you're familiar with it. It's like you do it every day, like a surgeon that does the same surgery every single day can tell you how it's gonna go rather or any potential roadblocks. And and and do you feel like some homes are starting to be very technically beautiful, but emotionally empty, right? Because you mentioned the

Whimsy Without Chaos

Lyssia Katan 20:40

personality being pulled in. Do you feel like that's happening that people are just, you know, looking online and saying, this is what I want?

Emilie Munroe 20:46

I would say, I don't want to deviate from the core of your question, but you know, I think it's tricky because I think about my field. And, you know, I have my team here, my family and my life in San Francisco, and they are probably in San Francisco, I don't know, 80 interior designers that match my like general, like, I don't know, age range, hair color, I don't know, team size. And, you know, you think, how can there be room for all these people? You know, we often I get asked in kind of other contexts about um, I guess, about competitiveness or like how do you differentiate, or all these kind of questions more on the business side. And what I think about is that there are, you know, whatever, 700,000 people living in San Francisco and you know, millions in the Greater Bay Area and beyond. There is a designer for every person. And it is so critical. Like every time I interview, I just encourage, you know, talk to a few of us. You just want to resonate with the vibe you're receiving. And I tell my teen, again, anyone can go into a showroom or walk down, you know, pick out whatever pieces or, you know, use an app to try to get a sense of a floor plan. We are our value is in our energy, our perspective, as much as our in product. You know, it's shifted in this industry. You know, it's our experience, the experience of us is really our value. And so when I see super modern spaces or these very clean, you know, that is the right fit for that person. You know, there is a designer who's like, yes, like this is just crisp and open and, you know, and there's a person who is like fabulous. Like I feel totally organized in this setting. You know, I just I look at magazines. I see ugly projects all the time. I'm like, but of course it's beautiful to that person. And I mean I know my work doesn't resonate with everyone as it should not. So I mean I would not ever advocate taking an image that you see and replicating it exactly in your home. You know, if that's kind of what you mean about like a little bit vacuous. However, whatever, I mean at least you're having a you're thinking about it. I mean I value that someone's even trying to execute an aesthetic and obviously I'm going to say that because it's my life's work to really like get my heart and mind into spaces and make them come alive.

Trust, Risk, And Pushing Comfort Zones

Emilie Munroe 23:20

So I'm like very biased.

Lyssia Katan 23:22

Understandably so when it comes to this your work often feels joyful, but it doesn't lose its sophistication. I've seen pictures it's really beautiful, joyful, colorful, but it doesn't lose that bottom line and the sophistication. Why do you think humor and playfulness like you said humor or whimsy, why do you think it matters so much?

Emilie Munroe 23:43

There's a ton of correlation, I think, between fashion and interiors. You know, you think a fashion is much more personal because it's like on the body of a person. But you know, I think about high low and like you know the cool Zara skirt, but you've got the whatever jewelry and you're like doing the balance. And I think about, you know, a person walks in a room and how are they elegant but they're like wearing crazy colors or they have like you know 50 necklaces on, but like they're also having this presence that's like powerful and grounded. Or like you know whatever a man in like a navy velvet suit and you're like dang but it's like this cool color. So you know I think for me it's interesting because we do a lot of pattern and color and it's very important to me to not be a circus. And I think that is a craft. You know, because I will get you know oh I bet you would love this and it's like this picture and I'm like whoa that is like a lot happening. And I am positive people have looked at work and thought it was a little too much for them. So you know obviously this is like a bell curve of um capacity. But I think you always have to have a place to rest and that place could also be an adjacent room. So you know as I was talking about transitions like I love a dining room that's extra dining rooms tend to be either pasture rooms especially in San Francisco like maybe two arches and then you have your dining room with your table and chandelier very common or it's a room that's kind of on the side I love just wallpaper huge chandelier because you know it's an intimate space people are sitting they're really taking in the environment actively you know it's not like you're taking a nap in the living room on the lounge chair. I mean you're in conversation when you're in a dining room it's a it's an active engaged place you're entertaining you're sharing food and I think you can really go above and beyond and then the doorway leads to the living room that maybe has white walls and beautiful draperies that have a pattern and an awesome jewel-toned rug but otherwise big sofa upholstery so if even if you're in an environment that's

Future Proofing For Life Changes

Emilie Munroe 26:00

super over the top and fun and unique then you look out and you see a space that's a little bit more grounded. You're going from intensity to intensity as you navigate through the home. And it's critical because if every room for me is you know contrast trim, color drenching, pattern drenching, then it can be a little overstability.

Lyssia Katan 26:23

I like that you also mentioned that you're taking into consideration what people are doing in that room. Is it an active room or is it a room that you're taking a nap in or relaxing in if it's a relaxing space you don't want to be looking at all this wallpaper and all this stuff going on but in a space that's meant to be active you do.

Emilie Munroe 26:42

Like I cannot there is no argument I'm now I'm going through my mind there is no argument I can think of to not have a powder room that is just completely totally cool and over the top I mean why would you not like have your community powder room that your guests use be just like super fun. It's like tiny it's you know it's so it's a small space it's easy to go extra and people are in there on their own looking around like you have some FUD wallpaper your mirror has like a great whatever uh mirror on mirror frame you've got like a cool clear pink soap pump like it's just fun and interesting and it's like why not why not? And you close the door you don't have to look at it like great. And then it's a little conversation piece when they walk in. So you know we can help with this um you know even for those who are a little shy you know about turning the volume up to 11 we can say okay let's do an entree level 11 in the powder room and the rest we'll just keep it a nice healthy six or seven and then we'll see. We'll like walk you over the bridge. Do you think people are scared of doing that? Oh they should be there's nothing interesting in this life that isn't a little bit scary. Come on what have you ever achieved that you weren't like oh God what am I doing? No I mean we love to paint um the window molumes black on windows. It's like one of my favorite little tricks because it makes your window into a picture frame. People think it's gonna be like it's gonna make the space feel smaller or it's gonna be like constricting but in fact it brings your eye outward. I have received in my career two not one but two phone calls at nine at night from clients like in their home like frantic like you've got to come over here like we don't know if we're ready what's gonna happen like we're gonna be in a cage and I like I'm like please just hold my hand we're gonna walk over this bridge together like just I mean it's a huge leap of faith and

Homes That Feel Lived In, Not Showrooms

Emilie Munroe 28:47

it should be because if you're not hiring a designer that is taking you on a journey that kind of triggers your mind and like makes you think in new ways and pushes you then why are they there? I mean just to be your own thing. I mean you know the whole it you know whatever it is whether you're working out with a trainer or or getting a promotion at work I mean everything interesting should be a a push forward and also a journey of discovery because we do tend to I would say maybe half of our clients were the first designer they've worked with and you know it's it's something I talk about a lot when we first meet is trust. I mean because it's not just in the aesthetic side I mean we will design your whole house we will send you a client order for the cost of all of these items in full for a house and you're not going to see whether we deliver for I don't know six months like that's an act of trust right there. And I'm very grateful to have now been in business for whatever it is 13 almost 14 years because at least now I can say you know this company was built on reputation like you know that's why I'm here like trust that I can do this because I have now for over a decade. It's it's I really respect the the vulnerability on the client side of engaging in this process and I want to push them and I want to push them with care. And as I say we will give you ideas and you can always say no but I'm not doing my job if I'm not suggesting them. I mean that's why I'm here. Absolutely and especially like I have now uh several times actually not even just once or twice been asked in interviews like well why would we hire you when we could use I don't even know chat GPT to like give us ideas for our bedroom. And you know I just say that's a different experience. I mean you can go ahead and do that like that's okay. Um you know that I I actually don't even know exactly how that works but there's a reason it's not but I just you can do this but that's not what we're doing. Like we're like getting to know you and we're having like a growth and life building interaction where we're hoping to bring you closer to the people you love, closer to your own dreams and goals and to make this like effortless which usually with our clients they are busy and

Authenticity And Feeling Truly Seen

Emilie Munroe 31:28

people have like crazy careers. Everyone's doing very fascinating things and the family life in the Bay Area and beyond kids are just like doing incredible things. Parents are driving kids like all over the state doing sports and activities. Let us take this off your plate. You know let us save you the time so you can thrive in the areas that you're best using your energy and that's just a different that's a different value proposition than just getting a room done. You know we want to discover and have fun and make this easy and our experience creates an insurance you know at the end of the process there's like a um future proofing that's going on as we work together, which of course you may not see the value to for two or three years but it will unfold in a way that doesn't happen in the same kind of seedlessness when you're embarking on it in little pieces on your own. What do you mean by future proofing? We talk about this a lot because we do end up working with a lot of families and even families of you know we have a few that are retiring like retirement age so kind of empty nester situations. Like how are we designing you have a two year old by the time your remodel's done the child is four. So they're basically entering school what does it look like like what does a nursery look like that's becoming a toddler bedroom you know this playroom look like a blanket on the you know floor because your eight month old just sits there. Like how is it going to mark into a rec room? Do we want a wire so we're ready for the PlayStation when you've got an eight year old or whatever. So we can really think about how other families we know utilize the home in future phases of life or you know you have a 16 year old now pretty soon you're gonna be here there in college like what does it look like to reclaim your life as like a couple and like will you be entertaining more do we want to shift you know to focus more on the outdoor space? Do we transition this room to an extra guest room? Maybe you're gonna be having an entertaining more guests now that you know you're not focused on all the logistics of family life. So these are conversations that we can kind of sharing from an educated perspective because of other experience with other clients. And I think I've seen it really unfold uh it's a gift. I mean I've just seen it unfold as a gift because then there is then that seamless transition prepared in certain spaces when the new phase arrives.

Lyssia Katan 34:11

It's like you're you're saving them the time of needing to do it again in two years because you already thought about it two years ago.

Emilie Munroe 34:19

Well and it's the money too. I mean you know we we just had a client where they were broken cribs the children we went through a huge construction phase and we'd already drawn the bedrooms with twin beds for the children at the time it was like you know we don't know and then we ended up getting the bed frames to go in storage by the time they moved in they were ready for these little twin beds it was so cute. And so there wasn't you know there was the efficiency there was the time saving there was the preparation I mean in my

The Future Home: Less Tech, More Connection

Emilie Munroe 34:50

mind at the level of luxury we function in it's really time more than investment that's the biggest um value proposition. Like let us set this up so you're not wasting your time on one problem or two you know upgrades or issues. You know let's just let you focus and enjoy on the things that are your priorities in your life and we'll make sure you have a beautiful environment that serves you and has a runway of working for you and your family because we can visualize and plan for future phases on your behalf.

Lyssia Katan 35:24

You've spoken about like entertaining or cooking together or even like reconnecting families. When did you realize that design really could affect human behavior and how your clients function in that space.

Emilie Munroe 35:41

You know what I think about I guess because of my job a lot is like how many photos we now take with iPhones or whatever phone you have and the in background of the photos and like how cool it is to have an inspired background that like represents you like with the baby pictures you're like on the little carpet because I see them now because clients send them to me or whatever your child goes to prom and they're walking down the stairwell with the runner we made and like I just um I mean I just maybe this is just a belief you're born inside of you like radiating when you have this profession. I just don't have any question that it's where you go home to I don't care if you're working 85 hours a week I mean where you go home to to have that feeling of home and have it reflect you and your functional life how can this not create an energy a replenishing and an inspiration you know um I mean I guess technically I hear about a lot more as you asked in the context of entertaining more hosting like we just installed a client's house we haven't even finished all of the art or brought in two of the sofas and he was already hosting his colleagues before I was like wait a minute what are we done yet all the girl fellows aren't here please do not my gosh have them tag us yet in their pictures but I mean I just saw the energy and the light inside and you know there's then you can transition from like always you know being at the bouncy house place or being at the park and you're like no have everyone come over here you know you've got the playroom network or now you know whatever it is. I mean because we're not it's not all families here whether you have like the movie room here and you can entertain your friends or we've set it up so that ah noise the way noise is traveling through the house can be managed better. So you know you can have some watching a movie and you can be up here with the buffet or you can have a game room while other people are doing I don't even know work calls but the you know friends are downstairs. I mean being able to have the functionality and fit the desired usage is just nothing but energizing.

Lyssia Katan 38:07

Do you feel like when homes are really beautifully designed they sometimes feel like untouchable and and and how do you work around that?

Emilie Munroe 38:16

This may be I mean I think there's probably like eight core questions that I get but I get this question very frequently or maybe it's almost more of a comment where when I'm interviewing people say listen I do not want my house to feel like a showroom. I don't want it precious I don't want it

Final Takeaways And How To Listen Along

Emilie Munroe 38:33

cold and I do not want it to feel designed. That's like you know I want it just to feel natural. And I think how do we achieve this? Because I mean when people ask me this I say don't it's like not a topic. I mean I it won't it won't be that way. We only create spaces people live in I think homes feel precious at a lot of what when I kind of go deeper into this comment people will say oh we had this living room we never were allowed in or you know there was like the sitting room that only you know my dad would take his colleagues to but the kids were never allowed. We don't want spaces that are like precious or like my mom never wanted anyone to sit on the sofa or you know whatever it is. And so I think you know I'll walk through a home and they'll say this is the living room we never use and I always say well that's because it hasn't been designed like let us help you understand why you navigate through each space. So I think yes of course there's like design elements that make things feel more precious. I mean pure white glass you know things like this may feel more like oh I should be careful what I touch and where I sit. But I mean one of my favorite projects of my career I mean the client's directive was black and white were their favorite combination. And I was like okay this will be interesting because we do a lot of color. And it just we had so much fun and a lot of it then is about texture. Again like everything's not some tight you know not a velvet and a tight white linen. It's like nubby boucle it's you know having the elements like the black in the window and then you know a sword maybe curves like a swirly pattern on the rug so everything's not austere. Angles you know cords have more of a formality you always want to mix angles and curves critical um I also I think spaces should always and I don't it it's gendered and I don't even know what it means but like balance the masculine and feminine and maybe that's the angles and the curves I don't mean this in like pink and blue. I just mean this maybe it's just making sure we always like to incorporate all elements into a room there should be wood metal glass stone you know you want with the fabrics you can have like the different very leather um different weaves the more different um material types the more comfortable and natural and collected a room will feel even if it's in all white so there's just like little tricks that bring balance and comfort even in you know monotone or very high-end bespoke stunning you know um high custom design pieces like you could do all of this and just layer in more elements of materiality and have it feel approachable.

Lyssia Katan 41:43

You mentioned the masculine and feminine how does that come through in design?

Emilie Munroe 41:47

What's masculine and what's feminine okay so yes that was what was going through my mind like how would I describe this? I mean I think you can't escape being generic using these terms because that's what people are visualizing. So you know you have concrete and like you know wood and then you have whatever your beautiful shear that's blowing in the wind you have like a shiny lacquer finish next to you know maybe a brushed nickel metal finish. I guess I say masculine and feminine but what I mean is contrasting like yinning yin yang you know have your have like a beautiful oak wood base with your polished I don't know maybe it's even like a smoked glass top like have contrast that then balances you know if everything is like super chunky or raw metal or you know thick or dark or something like it is over here. Everything is soft and fluffy it's like over there. Like we you need to bring it to for me you need to bring it together to balance complementary and contrasting elements and that's what makes things approachable and comfortable no matter what the value is um and it's an art because you want to utilize as many diverse materials and textures without again getting it eclectic and chaotic. And I think that's where the art really comes in and the experience is how to do this in a cohesive way that is integrated, relaxing and still nuanced.

Lyssia Katan 43:31

In design I've heard the masculine feminine is kinds of like shapes like the feminine is very curved and the masculine is very like straight. And being able to combine those in a space whether it's like the the legs of the couch and the fluffiness and the roundness of the pillows cre makes us more comfortable because it's not like we don't feel like we have to be one or the other. We could be somewhere in between.

Emilie Munroe 43:54

Yes no I I completely agree. But and I mean I just I think we stay masculine and feminine because Because we see this as you know complementary but contradicting like elements. And I think that's what we're really saying, you know, exactly softness with lines, hard edges, with you know, curved ones, all of those things.

Lyssia Katan 44:13

You seem really comfortable with taking clients out of their comfort zone. How do you manage that?

Emilie Munroe 44:20

Well, I mean, I think first of all, I don't even realize I'm doing it. Like it's my comfort zone, and I'm just expressing, I'm like, oh, there's an idea, and then I'll explain. And I'm like, okay, wow, this idea is out there, I guess. And I mean, it, you know, as a business owner and as a designer, it is just a never-ending journey of self-discovery. Um, because, you know, design is a curious field. I can talk to you about all these technical things, you know, all the details around tile or how do you do a shop drawing for cabinetry and all of that. But ultimately, like what looks good and what looks bad is completely subjective. I mean, looking good and looking bad isn't even, you know, those are not even literal terms. So to be in an industry, to have the passion of my life be in delivering something that is entirely subjective, you really can't be anything but confident. I mean, that's it. Let's feel the option because and and you have to just have a through line of like curiosity, I think. I mean, I remember the studio I worked at before I opened my own company, and the senior designer was like, I just feel like I've seen it all before. And I wonder, I was like, seen it all before? There's been 17 billion options for everything. How could that be true? But you do reach a point where you kind of are like, okay, I, you know, this type of thing or this look, I mean, you start, it's like a catalog in your head. And it is very rare at this stage that I see something that I've never seen before, at which point, or some iteration of before. So at this point, it's the combination of things that make it interesting. Like, hmm, like this thing, ah, this shit and this, but I've never seen these two things put together and that challenge of like, how do we, you know, not have go-tos? And how do we always kind of reinvent? I I did work somewhere back in my days before this company where we had like a book of our favorites, like the best yellow paint color and the best ivory. And I've always shied away from that because, you know, I want every client, every project to be kind of a fresh discovery. And now we do love our white dove by Benjamin Moore. And there is a floor lamp, the horn zigzag lamp comes with like a billion colors. I will place one of these at every project if I can. I love them. So we have like little Easter eggs that we love that we put in projects. Um, but I think, you know, you just have to be excited and curious about what you're doing. And I, you know, I say to the team, okay, this, you know, sometimes it fits, it's the right color and it fits. And I'll be like, I don't know, is it interesting though? Like, could we just like push a little bit? Um, and it's that desire to just have a little different or tweak or just a little bit bigger, a little bit more unexpected, um, that that creates the confidence to be like, go for it. Like, no one's had this before. Like, trust me, this is gonna be like so different. I mean, and also it's not the operating room. You know, if some ceiling color doesn't look right, we'll repaint the ceiling, you know? So the the risk is on certain elements is not that high to just give it a go and and and bring people, bring people into this undiscovered world or kind of options and ideas.

Lyssia Katan 47:49

It's almost like um, like a really good chef that he just delights his clients when he brings together unexpected flavors. You know, we know what these two separate flavors are, but you bring them together, it creates a whole new thing because no one's ever combined those. And and and you're delighting your clients by saying, whoa, like this is new, but it's familiar, but it's new.

Emilie Munroe 48:12

I love that. I hope so. Thank you for saying that. I hope that's the case. And, you know, I think every time we just did an install, this install, we're finishing up and you're already having parties. And I will just take a second and stand, you know, at some intersection of rooms. And the first thing is I just think I cannot believe they let us do this. This was so great. I mean, I just can't believe it. Like we just have it's in this particular house, we've got plaid wallpaper with this cool contrast ceiling, and then very neutral room and this like amazing dining room with a pink ceiling, and also like teal walls and this vintage rug. It's so full of life. And I mean, even for me, we proposed it, we drew it, we ordered it. And even for me, I stand there and go, Wow, this is like something else. This is like pretty cool, you know. And like if I can be having that experience just authentically, like I just am hoping that for clients who've arrived at the point in their life where they're having the opportunity to take a journey like this, like what you know, keep in mind, this is a couple. So I'll meet couples and they'll say, Oh, she's this way and I'm this way, or I don't know, like, how are you gonna do this? Like, that's the fun of it. That we've met two individuals who are at an exciting time in life where they're getting to engage in this process, create, you know, whether it's a vacation home or their forever home or their four-year plan before their family grows bigger, that they're having the opportunity to go on this journey with us. And it reveals this textured and dynamic and unique of a result, like, oh, it's a gift every day to get to do this and to have the chance to provide this opportunity to people who are willing. I mean, I'm just ideas. Someone has to say yes. I can have all this in my head, but until someone's willing to take the journey, like they're just in my head. And of course, I obviously have to say, like, it's not just me. There's a whole team of people here that are pulling together the ideas, setting up the meetings with the fun um new vendors or showrooms, executing, you know, pricing this all, expediting, tracking, installation planning, coordination. I mean, it is like a whole, you know, never feel guilty if you don't take on designing your own house because I do this like 60 hours a week and have, you know, a whole group of people that we collaborate and have an incredible time doing it. Um, and just are so proud at the end. I mean, it feels like we've really engaged in a life shifting and enhancing process. And what could be better than that?

Lyssia Katan 51:00

Your passion for your work really comes through in the way you talk about it. It's really special to see.

Emilie Munroe 51:05

It's like super intense. I mean, I it's very there's always, you know, there is always some email or some call or some situation. And I just have to remind myself this people get confused about what success feels like. People think success is like, oh, like being in some like, I don't know, zen state. I remind myself, no, this dynamic, ever-changing, like shifting, you know, if it's not a client shifting, it's the design team, someone, you know, moves on to a new job or changes their state of life, or a you know, a colleague stops, closes their work group, and now we're finding someone new. It's like, oh, we shifting. But that is success. Even being able to navigate in this dynamic, crazy, wild world and being able to participate at this level here. I mean, I just can't complain. Like it's so good. And it's like, I'm just so happy that we're in a place with such incredible collaborators uh from you know, incredible design students and design professionals to join the team and work together. I mean, amazing vendors, showrooms, makers. It's a life. I mean, we've now been all working together 20 years. I mean, we've watched each other grow and change, companies shift. You know, people I worked with at other companies now have their own companies. Um, it is just a beautiful ecosystem of design here in the Bay Area. And you just really can't help but be honored to be a part of it as crazy as it is.

Lyssia Katan 52:47

There's a lot of conversation about authenticity these days. And in the way you're describing your work really feels like you pour your heart out into each project and you're so passionate about it. What actually makes a space feel authentic to you?

Emilie Munroe 53:02

Well, this is curious because I will, you know, we accessorize, we will hang your art, we will source art, we will bring coffee table books and vases, you know. I'm just trying to think of plants and like, you know, all the little trays, all the things that kind of populate spaces. And the one of the most common things I hear is, well, I, you know, it's very important to me that this feels like mine. You know, is this going to be weird if I bring all these things in and put them in my shelf? And I think, you know, first of all, we have collaborated and gotten to know as individuals, as couples, as families, as part of our team or clients over the course of the six months or I don't even know, five years we're working together. So I think there is a through line there. And I just I'm wondering what the equation is, you know, because we've now done this. I just assure people like, listen, let us set this up. You decide. I mean, you know, again, we're not forcing anything on you. This should be fun and feel great. And, you know, to date, we will set up a house with accessories, we will utilize their existing pieces. We will say, leave what you have existing, we'll incorporate those in, we'll bring new. It always works out. And it's like we've taken their existing and we've kind of just enhanced it. We've added that extra layer to just enhance what's already there. The book collection they have now has cool bookends. And, you know, they love plants, but now we have pots with like all these dangling plants, but the pots like coordinate with the cool, you know, textures of the room. Um so it's curious because we do like I I think the authenticity is in the eye of the beholder, you know, does the client feel like this is resonate with them, resonating with them? And we would never not have them feel that way. So if it was like too many whatever, we would just take them away. I mean, great. Um, but also I think that it's kind of nice to be seen. It's like when I get my hair cut. I'm like, okay, you know, I used to bring in all these pictures of celebrities and like be like, no, that woman has like curly hair or this, whatever. Finally, I was like, just do your thing. And then all of a sudden, I just feel even more me than I did when I came in, even though I didn't control what was being done. I was seen by a professional who was like, this is what will work. And then I walked out feeling even more myself in a way I didn't even know how to describe. And maybe that's the translation part. You know, let us be your expert. And, you know, we are, you know, I I have had, I've had clients walk in after the accessorizing phase because that's when it's like really done. Very bright, dynamic clients who were like, I mean, like eyes as big as like owls, like what? And I mean, like, I saw it, like kind of like panic mode, like what has happened to my house, like feeling a little bit of a lack of control, maybe a little like this felt like my home, but now it feels like I just got all new everything. And like, is this mine? Is it me? Like, what's happening? And it's always like sleep on it, wake up the next day. I forget, like, I spend my life receiving visual stimulus. I mean, that's my job, but it can be a big shift to come home from work one day and have all new furniture and all new bookshelves and all new towels. So, you know, in that in that way, I think clients need to give themselves a minute to just receive their surroundings, just take some deep breaths. I mean, you know, what it means to be you shifts from different phases of life. And to have a professional see you and represent it, that that is also authentic, you know, if it's the right fit. Absolutely. Even if you didn't go personally pick out every little item, it's just a new way of kind of looking at it.

Lyssia Katan 57:01

And sometimes they pick up things about you that maybe you didn't even notice yourself.

Emilie Munroe 57:06

This, so I have a family friend who's an artist, and I said, Will you paint a piece for my prior studio? And she was like, sure, what do you want? And I was like, I don't know, I love color, just whatever. Figure, you know, whatever you want. This is I saw this thing's kind of content that's interesting to me, whatever. So she brings back this piece that's uh abstract, and it's like pink in the middle. It's a bunch of colors, but it's like a lot of pink. And I was like, Whoa, pink. Like, I mean, this isn't me like literally 10 years ago. This is my job, same career, everything. I was like, Oh, I see you picked pink, and I'm thinking, like, that's weird. Like, why would you do she was like, Well, you have pink all around you. And I was like, What? Pink? And then I looked, you're not even here, but like my all my like it's not a core color, the walls aren't pink, but like the stool and the all the pencil holders in the office are pink, like the desk accessories. Pink is a very warm color. I had not received in myself that I had if you'd asked me if I had pink anywhere, I would have said no. And and I love this painting, and I've never forgotten that feeling of like she saw me in ways I did not see myself and was able to capture it. And I was like, I don't know, it's so cool. Some people can be threatened by that, but I was like, this was amazing, you know, and this is what I want to do for people, and it could be unnerving, but let's do this, let's like, you know, kind of see beyond and and take it one level more than you would take yourself and see where we end up.

Lyssia Katan 58:41

When you think about the future of how we live, what do you hope that homes start to prioritize more? And what do you hope that will leave behind?

Emilie Munroe 58:55

So I am not a big technology fan. And I am wondering kind of where this scale is gonna go. Um, I love, love, love, love Sonos. I love the Sonos product. I love that you can easily integrate music throughout a home with their speaker system. I think music is so additive to life. It's just, I love this as a technology. Audio throughout a home and outdoors. Don't forget outdoors. You want to be able to have your barbecue party with some music. So that I'm a huge fan of. Otherwise, you know, I just honestly don't get it. Like the refrigerator is beeping, it now wants a grocery list, like everything is like registering everything. I'm supposed to have like 19 apps, you know, and uh the office, the garage, doors dinging, the front bell. I was like, what is happening? Like, and I mean, I don't, you know, want to be murdered or have a flood at the house and not know about it. You know, I understand there's certain advantages, but you know, I'm I feel like I'm seeing people became very isolated during COVID. We became very technology connected. I am hoping what I'm seeing, you know, we worked from home. So again, I love the people we're enjoying their homes, but we're losing that interconnectivity face to face with each other. And I think what I'm seeing, I'm seeing people more bold and personalized in their home environments, which I think came from being in the home so much for a period of time. So we get less, you know, I want white subway tiles in the kitchen. We get more interesting ideas, you know, people are more open to customized spaces and things. I like this. I see now I do hear a lot more about entertaining, hosting rec rooms for movie night, buffets, class parties. And I'm really liking this. And I'm hoping that we continue to maybe step away from how technology in the home can integrate us and just go fully retro to having the front door flung open and the neighbors are swinging by and you know, the music's playing and whatever. You know, I there's become I have to remind myself not to be this way, but you know, with Pinterest, with so much imagery with Instagram, you know, there's a pressure to have this curated experience for everyone every time they show up. Like, here's my tablescape, like, you know, the meat boards where it's like a box of grapes are like thrown everywhere, whatever. And I'm like, you know, that pressure is taking us away from just hanging out. And so while we want to be designing these stunning interiors, we must have ones where we can all just interact with each other. And I'm hoping that by creating these flexible functional spaces, it's gonna encourage us to just open the door, have people come over, whatever you're just opening in a beer, and maybe it doesn't have the perfect glass, and hang out, you know, and so that's my hope for life in the home. Less attachment to technology and like the beeping and the apps, and more just creating environments where we can open the door and welcome people in.

Lyssia Katan 1:02:23

And just hang out and just be humans and not have to have so much pressure of wow, my house has to be perfect. Like use paper towels.

Emilie Munroe 1:02:33

Yes, use paper towels as napkins. Um, you know, just experience the home, experience the community, experience the family. Um yes, and hopefully, I mean, maybe if we designed your home and it's like so pulled together and amazing, they'll be so distracted, they won't notice that they've got the perfect appetizer plate. I don't know. Let us help you out. Maybe this will maybe this will help. But I do, I want to see us all connecting with each other more in person, even if it's imperfect and a little bit messy. Let us help your home be a backdrop for this amazing casual encounter and just like yeah, enjoy, enjoy your neighborhood, your community that you've worked so hard to be a part of. Um yeah, that's it. I mean, you know, but get out of the house too. Get out of the house, but invite people over.

Lyssia Katan 1:03:33

And kind of leading into that, what do you hope someone listening takes away from this conversation?

Emilie Munroe 1:03:38

I would say if you desire to pursue a designed hope environment, just it has to be have a fun, engaging, uh curiosity-filled, boundary-pushing experience. Do not settle for anything less. And you know, I always say when I interview, I can hear people when they're hesitant. They're like, ooh, you know, I say, you gotta be ready. We are here for you when you're ready. But this is an experience and it should be. It should not just be an A to B. This is not an expediting experience. This is a dynamic, fun, engaging, transformative encounter that should be effortless on the client side, um, and should just lead to a better, more integrated life. Do not settle for less and give it a try. We have a great time. I mean, like, just go for it. Come on. And if you don't want to, that's okay too.

Lyssia Katan 1:04:40

Emily, that's amazing. Thank you so much. You really talk about it with so much passion and what you do is really prevalent in how in your work and and your love for it. Thank you for sharing that with us. Thank you for sharing a little bit of your passion and your little tips. And uh I'm I'm really grateful for your time here.

Emilie Munroe 1:05:00

Well, this was this was a dream. What is it, hour and 15 minutes? I've had a great time. Thank you for letting me take a break and reflect. I've really appreciated it.

Lyssia Katan 1:05:09

Thank you, Emily. Thank you so much for spending this time with me on Room2think. If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to follow the show, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who you think would really appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. You can find more Design Meets Psychology insights on social, in our community, and definitely in upcoming episodes, so you can build a better life by design. Thanks again for listening. I'll see you next time.