Happy Friday, everyone!!
Over the past year, I’ve been slowly remodeling our guesthouse. It’s not done (are these sorts of things ever really done?), but we’re basically there. My favorite part about this project is how it’s become a creative escape, consistently humming in the background of my life. Just a few weeks ago, on a random Monday, I drove to Anthropologie Home Outlet in Pittsburgh (that place is a goldmine!) and made a day of furniture shopping. Discovering a pristine wooden side table that fits a vision you didn’t even know you had — and it’s on sale! What a rush. (Manifesting designing home furniture collection someday lol.)
Since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved interior design and fully have my mom to thank for it. For context, my mom’s been working as an interior designer for my whole life. She has a gifted eye and magical touch. This week, for our first interior design issue, hopefully of many, I wanted to bring on my mom for an interview, as she’s shaped my sensibilities and taste in this area.
Inside the issue: We talk about how my mom knew she wanted to be an interior designer, the most memorable design project she’s ever worked on (get the tissues!), the common challenge she sees when couple clients try to design a shared space, and the old Julia Roberts movie will transform the way you look at your kitchen pantry.
Welcome, Mom!!
You are and have always been so gifted in interior design and just design in general. You have such a keen eye. How and when did you discover that?
Hi babe! I think I really discovered my love for design in my junior year of high school. Nana and Papa had just bought a new home, and for the first time, I got to have my own room. Having that space to myself gave me the freedom to experiment with colors, furniture, and little details. I realized how much I enjoyed creating a space that not only looked good but also felt good to be in—and that’s where my eye for design really started to grow.
What is it that you love about it?
What I love most about it these days is getting to work alongside my dear friend Andrea Leshay. She’s always been such an inspiration to me—not only is she an incredible designer, but she’s also someone who truly believes in my gift for accessorizing and invites me to bring that to her projects. We have this natural flow when we work together, like we just instinctively understand each other. That kind of connection makes the work so much more meaningful.
Do you have a general formula or approach for every project you start, or is it different depending on the type of house or type of client?
I don’t really follow a strict formula because every project feels different. I usually start by getting a feel for the people and how they want to live in the space. Every client and every home has its own personality, so I just try to bring that out in a way that feels natural.
Let's say you have a client who doesn't know what they want. What's your first step towards helping them understand their vision?
If a client doesn’t know what they want, I start by asking about how they live and what makes them feel comfortable. Then I show them different inspiration images to see what excites them. Once I see what they connect with, we can shape their vision from there.
I have to ask you about holiday decor, because it’s your specialty. How did you come into that niche?
As you know, Christmas at Nana and Papa’s was pure magic. When I was little, my cousin Marcy, who was so talented, would come decorate our tree, and I was completely mesmerized watching him work. Years later, Nana and Papa were invited to be part of a Holiday Tour, where people from the community could visit beautifully decorated homes. They asked me to decorate theirs and gave me complete creative freedom. I poured my heart into it—and that was the spark that lit my holiday décor business. What made it even more special was doing it alongside my closest friends, Joan and Joleen. Creating that kind of joy together felt just as magical as the holidays themselves.
So, are you already in holiday mode?
Back in the day, Christmas would come to life for me as early as August or September. The moment I took on a new client, the magic began—we’d dream up a theme or choose a sparkling color palette, and then the adventure started. My merry band of “elves” and I would set off, filling shopping carts to the brim with ribbon, glass ornaments, velvet poinsettias, sprigs of greenery, garlands that seemed to go on forever, and—most important of all—twinkling lights to make everything sparkle. The past few years, though, I’ve slowed down a bit. These days, I simply like to have my trees up and glowing by Thanksgiving—still magical, just at a gentler pace.
What’s the most memorable project you’ve ever worked on? Can you walk us through it?
One of the most memorable projects I’ve ever worked on was back in 2005, when I received a call to decorate a tree for an eight-year-old girl named Jessica. She had a rare condition called Niemann-Pick Type C disease, and her favorite color was purple. So of course, her tree had to be purple—every ribbon, every ornament, every twinkling light chosen to reflect her joy. From that Christmas forward, people continued showing up, year after year, to decorate Jessica’s purple tree. It became more than a tree—it became a tradition, a symbol of love and community, and a reminder of how much one child’s spirit could inspire. Jessica Nicole Leoni passed away in August 2021 at the age of 24, but I will always carry the memory of her tree. It reminded me that what I do is never just about decorations—it’s about creating joy, holding space for memories, and leaving behind something that can outlast us all.
What’s a design lesson you had to learn the hard way?
One lesson I definitely had to learn the hard way is the old saying: ‘Measure twice, cut once.’ Let’s just say I’ve had a few pieces of furniture that didn’t quite fit through a doorway.
What do you see as the biggest challenge as a designer, and what’s the biggest reward?
The biggest challenge is definitely when couples have very different visions—it takes a lot of listening and creative problem-solving to bring their ideas together in a way that feels true to both of them. The biggest reward, though, is seeing the joy on a client’s face when they walk into the finished space. That moment makes all the hard work worth it.
In your experience, are the best design projects done in one fell swoop or slowly over time?
The best design projects happen when a client fully trusts that I understand their vision and lets me bring it to life in one fell swoop. That trust allows the design to come together seamlessly, with all the details working in harmony.
What’s the paint color that never fails you?
There isn’t one go-to paint color I always rely on—I really love working with color, and finding the perfect shade for a space comes naturally to me. What’s actually more challenging is white. People don’t realize how many shades of white exist, and picking the right one can be surprisingly tricky.
Just for fun: What’s a movie you’d watch over and over just for the interior design?
The first movie house that comes to mind is the beach house from Sleeping With the Enemy with Julia Roberts. I remember being struck by the floor-to-ceiling windows with those spectacular ocean views. The whole space felt so sleek and modern, with glossy black floors. Everything was perfectly placed—even the refrigerator and pantry, where every item had to be lined up just so, labels facing forward. Out of curiosity, I once Googled it to see more photos, only to learn it wasn’t a real home at all, but a façade built just for the film. Still, it left such an impression on me that to this day, my own pantry and fridge are organized the same way—every label neatly facing forward.
I know what I’m watching this weekend! Thank you, Mom! I love reminiscing with you. I’ll hopefully be bringing you more guesthouse content in the coming months, no promises, but let me know if you’d be interested and what specifically you’d want to see/hear about!
TO TREAT YOURSELF: Alison Roman’s new cookbook is out for preorder now. You’ll have a new Rolodex of recipes come November. Also, how whimsical is this coffee table book, A Screaming Blast? Sofia Coppola wrote the foreword!
TO WEAR: It feels like everyone I know has a wedding to attend this fall. If you don’t have a dress yet, snag this emerald cape dress I spotted in Scratchpad. I’m thinking about creating a ‘wedding guest’ edit on ShopMy. As a jumping-off point, this is exactly what I wore to Greer’s wedding.
TO BROWSE: NYFW standouts. I didn’t see a lot of the shows, but Tory Burch looked very fun, and the collection is simple, sheer, and romantic. Per usual, I want everything Khaite.
TO DISCOVER: Your values.
TO READ: I enjoyed this old interview with Karl Lagerfeld that Harper’s Bazaar recently republished.
TO REMEMBER: “Ambiguity is something that I really respond to. I like the complexity of it.” -Robert Redford
Love,
Hailee (Beau)
Highlighting your comments on the previous week’s issue. Today, we hear Carlee’s response to You asked, I answered.
“On the note of daily mindfulness practices, something my therapist recently introduced me to that’s been a game-changer is the feelings wheel. It’s kind of like that movie Inside Out but with more layered emotions. I’ll check in with myself at random points in the day — whether I’m neutral or particularly strong emotions — and skim the wheel to see what feelings resonate with me.
It’s been grounding, especially when I don’t know why I feel a certain way. I’ve learned we’re rarely just feeling one thing—on face value, you might say you're angry, but if you dig a little deeper, you might also find other emotions in the ‘fearful’ camp are present, like nervous or exposed. Recognizing and naming those emotions has helped me give them space to breathe and just be, instead of fighting them.
Also, love you and love this newsletter. It feels like catching up with a close friend each week—thank you for creating it ❤️” -Carlee
