The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline

TheInstallPodcast
  • 4.6 (86)
  • Design

The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline is a weekly conversation about creativity, business, and building a life shaped by good design. Hosted by interior designers and longtime friends, Paloma Contreras and Caroline Gidiere, the podcast offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the realities of creative work. From running a design business and navigating growth, to travel, culture, and personal style, each episode blends industry insight with real-life reflection. Through thoughtful conversations—both between the hosts and with occasional guests—The Install is an inviting space for designers, creatives, and anyone drawn to intentional living and beautiful ideas.

  1. 3d ago

    Why Do You Want To Hurt Me?

    Paloma has two new hires and a welcome reminder that a full calendar can also be a sign of abundance; Caroline has family travel on the horizon and very little tolerance left for television gore. On the design front, the ladies question why hiring a professional should come with a hundred fabric samples’ worth of homework—and make the case for floors that will outlast a trend. A seemingly innocent game of what they’d give up quickly becomes a negotiation over chintz, designer clothes, and whether vacations and beauty treatments are constitutionally protected. They close with advice on tricky vendors: extend grace, follow up, and know when being nice needs to become being firm. Subscribe and follow Subscribe to The Install Edit on Substack: https://theinstallpodcast.substack.com/ YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere Music attribution Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SUDAKA5LHSDHNL85 Chapters 00:00 Impossible Choices 00:39 Birmingham Afterglow 03:18 High Point Plans 05:20 Growing the Team 08:24 Recognizing Abundance 13:18 Sleepless Nights 15:30 Family Travel 17:31 Television Troubles 22:17 Designer Homework 29:04 Timeless Floors 34:09 Giving Things Up 35:21 Chintz Negotiations 36:42 Books or Television 40:52 Vacations or Vanity 41:34 Fabrics or Fashion 42:46 Instagram or TikTok 44:36 Bread or Cheese 45:33 Wallpaper or Furniture 47:03 Tricky Vendor Relationships 53:55 Until Next Week

  2. Oct 6

    Gracious or Graceless?

    Together in Birmingham, Paloma and Caroline find Antiques at the Gardens tickets approaching black-market status and their social calendars threatening a perfectly respectable bedtime. Between Caroline's Harry Styles high and an accidental three-pair sunglasses purchase, they launch “Gracious or Graceless,” passing judgment on early arrivals, shoes-off parties, reclining airline seats, and the delicate business of telling someone there’s spinach in her teeth. The etiquette extends to design: borrowed ideas, unsolicited requests for sources, and knowing when inspiration has become imitation. The ladies finish with advice for a renter facing honey oak—and a welcome reminder that an unfinished house is no reason to put your life on hold. Subscribe and follow Subscribe to The Install Edit on Substack: https://theinstallpodcast.substack.com/ YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere Music attribution Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SUDAKA5LHSDHNL85 Chapters Birmingham Together Antiques After HoursWeekly HighsHarry’s House PartySunglasses in TriplicateSunscreen Discussion*Gracious or GracelessArrival EtiquetteShoes Off?Spinach DiplomacyTable MannersFree Design AdviceClient KnockoffsReclining RightsInspiration Versus ImitationResource RequestsParty PostsRegifting RulesSending It BackHoney Oak HelpPermission to WaitOn the Road

  3. Sep 29

    But I Have Notes.

    Paloma reports from the Southern Living Idea House in Texas, where the rooms are ready for their close-up—and her hotel room could use a second opinion. Caroline returns from a dreamy Alexandria project visit to a sofa saga involving disappearing yardage, multiplying delays, and enough chintz to test anyone’s composure. Between a spirited debate over whether audiobooks count as reading and a fall-fashion review featuring questionable shoes, purple sweatpants, and opposing views on satin shorts, the ladies have notes. They finish with thoughtful gifts for the designer in your life—with one important distinction between a grand gesture and a measuring tape. Subscribe and FollowSubscribe to The Install Edit on Substack: https://theinstallpodcast.substack.com/ YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere Music AttributionMusic licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SUDAKA5LHSDHNL85 Chapters00:16 — Texas Reveal 02:16 — Hill Country 06:00 — Calamity Club 08:01 — Reading Rules 10:38 — Southern Storytelling 17:41 — Opening Night 20:28 — Hotel Hangups 24:04 — Thoughtful Design 27:13 — Lived Experience 29:59 — Shower Politics 31:24 — Alexandria Homecoming 33:14 — Sofa Saga 43:11 — Holding the Bag 47:22 — Fall Forecast 48:40 — Fluffy Business 51:27 — Evening Affairs 53:47 — Gothic Florals 55:01 — Playful Proportions 55:52 — Bomber Debate 57:46 — Burgundy Season 58:09 — Suede Versus Leather 1:00:36 — Questionable Shoes 1:03:35 — Purple Reign 1:05:33 — Finishing Touches 1:07:05 — Satin Showdown 1:09:17 — Designer Gifts 1:13:10 — Until Next Time

  4. Sep 22

    The Next Right Thing with This Oak House's Annie Meyers-Shyer

    Paloma and Caroline begin with September overload, tennis trauma, and the apparently unreasonable notion that opponents should hit the ball somewhere you can actually reach it. Then they welcome Annie Meyers-Shyer, whose path from Harper’s Bazaar and Chanel to the beloved This Oak House proves that a sharp eye is only the beginning—the details, collaboration, and occasional plywood mock-up make the room. Annie shares how she preserved the soul of her Gerard Colcord house, built an audience by pulling back the curtain on renovation, and learned to follow “the next right thing.” Plus: why balance is a fallacy, living rooms are underrated, and fake cutting boards should be shown the door. Subscribe and FollowSubscribe to The Install Edit on Substack: https://theinstallpodcast.substack.com/ YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere Chapters00:17 — September Scramble02:24 — Fitness High03:41 — Tennis Trouble07:50 — Television Tolerance12:48 — Austen Adaptations14:22 — Meet Annie17:33 — Fashion Foundations21:04 — Defining Taste24:15 — Designer Collaboration28:55 — Finding Home31:05 — Colcord Character32:34 — Preservation Pressure33:53 — Hard Decisions36:59 — Let It Breathe38:50 — Sharing Sources41:49 — Balance Fallacy44:56 — Storytelling Homes48:07 — Rapid Fire52:20 — Phase Two54:24 — Birmingham Bound Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SUDAKA5LHSDHNL85

  5. Sep 15

    Showhouse Secrets Part II - The Showhouse Must Go On

    Part Two strips the lacquer off designer showhouses: behind those glossy rooms are six-figure budgets, vendor favors, impossible timelines, and enough last-minute crises to qualify as cardio. Caroline and Paloma trade war stories involving rejection from the stone sponsor, rugs stuck in customs, draperies four feet too short, and 145 yards of fabric mysteriously disappearing into a valance. But there is a reason designers keep coming back: one memorable room can lead to clients, press, product collaborations, stronger teams—and some highly effective “trauma bonding.” They close with a rapid-fire guide to what to install, what to avoid, and why doing two traditional showhouses in one year might be just a little bit unhinged. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: 1O1ULMY5AYH4LV7G Follow The InstallSubscribe to The Install Edit on Substack for more design talk, behind-the-scenes stories, product finds, and installments of Ask the Install. The Install YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma Website: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline Website: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere Chapters00:16 — Part Two 01:23 — Budget Reality 03:07 — Sponsor Strategy 09:37 — Vendor Drama 12:04 — Loans & Sales 15:05 — Tight Timelines 17:34 — Plan Z 18:25 — Disaster Stories 26:40 — Drama City 27:47 — Stay Organized 30:23 — The Payoff 34:01 — Hidden Returns 36:52 — PR Strategy 38:58 — Bankroll It 40:09 — Saying No 43:20 — Rapid Fire 48:46 — Dream Showhouses

  6. Sep 8

    Showhouse Secrets Part I - Breaking Down Costs and Benefits

    Episode SummaryPaloma and Caroline continue to endure the on-going Southern summer heat and humidity, a Botox clock that suddenly seems to be running fast, and the Sisyphean task of growing out one’s hair—fortified by probiotic ice cream and a root touch-up pen stashed in the car console. They celebrate Substack’s slower, meatier charms and make a spirited case for shelter magazines to come back thicker, more beautiful, and worth paying for. Then the gloves come off on designer showhouses: career-making exposure, multiple-six-figure rooms, the glamour of being assigned a basement hallway, and the hard-won truth that one great photograph can matter more than square footage. Part one ends with the volume turned up—and the really juicy disasters still waiting in the wings. Follow The InstallSubscribe to The Install Edit on Substack for weekly essays, product links, behind-the-scenes extras, and the next installment of Ask the Install. The Install YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma Website: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline Website: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere Chapters00:17 — Heat Wave 02:16 — Beauty Maintenance 04:20 — Full-Fat Treats 07:44 — Hair Rescue 11:28 — Substack Revival 14:25 — Industry News 15:34 — Print Matters 19:42 — Showhouse Secrets 22:17 — Showhouse History 23:38 — Career Momentum 26:53 — Basement Reality 30:49 — Invitation Only 32:50 — Room Strategy 35:13 — Budget Shock 36:40 — Small Spaces 39:07 — Creative Freedom 43:44 — Announcement of Part Two

  7. Sep 1

    Dorms Gone Wild

    Paloma and Caroline sweat through the last gasps of summer while tackling a still-suspicious rug, the indignity of hauling two Apple devices in one tote, a bittersweet staff change, a possible Sussex homecoming, and Vanity Fair’s best-dressed list—including the eternal question of whether Lenny Kravitz is technically dressed at all. Then they tumble headfirst into the RushTok rabbit hole, where reported $20,000 dorm rooms, chinoiserie lamps, Broadway-worthy recruitment numbers, and corporate sponsorships prompt the only sensible conclusion: girl, get to class. Keep the conversation going between episodes: Subscribe to The Install Edit on Substack for more from Caroline and Paloma. YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere 00:18 — Summer Heat 01:25 — Rug Rescue 06:40 — PowerBook Problems 09:34 — Bag Baggage 13:53 — Embracing Change 18:54 — Royal Return 25:37 — Best Dressed 33:11 — Dorm Décor 39:42 — Too Much? 47:22 — RushTok Rabbit Hole 55:41 — Brand Invasion 58:24 — Rush Anxiety

  8. Aug 25

    I Know It When I See It

    Caroline’s ideal weekend—pool time, Mahjong, and a teenager who voluntarily wants to hang out—meets its natural nemesis: a Starbucks that forgot to open, while Paloma celebrates Margot’s first day of kindergarten and reflects on a painfully heavy run of news. The mood lifts with a revealing identity game in which Caroline emerges as an orange, Easter-loving Sunday-morning smoothie, while Paloma is an olive-green, Valentine-loving Friday night with unmistakable croissant energy. Then they put “chic” on linguistic probation, make a surprisingly persuasive case for a little gatekeeping, and sentence balloon trousers, board shorts, and several other late-summer trends to fashion jail. Keep the conversation going between episodes: Subscribe to The Install Edit on Substack for more from Caroline and Paloma. YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast Instagram: @theinstallpodcast TikTok: @theinstallpocast Paloma: www.palomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign TikTok: @palomacontrerasdesign ShopMy: @palomacontreras Caroline: www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign TikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbts ShopMy: @carolinegidiere Chapters00:17 — Mahjong Magic 04:14 — Starbucks Chaos 06:52 — Kindergarten 10:25 — Heavy News 16:51 — Personality Game 27:18 — Chic Overload 32:46 — Gatekeeping 40:03 — Scarf Season 41:40 — Retro Summer 44:03 — Peplum Problems 46:35 — Fashion Feeling 48:06 — Utility Mode 49:10 — Sporty Spice 51:06 — Sign-Off

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4.6
out of 5
86 Ratings

About

The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline is a weekly conversation about creativity, business, and building a life shaped by good design. Hosted by interior designers and longtime friends, Paloma Contreras and Caroline Gidiere, the podcast offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the realities of creative work. From running a design business and navigating growth, to travel, culture, and personal style, each episode blends industry insight with real-life reflection. Through thoughtful conversations—both between the hosts and with occasional guests—The Install is an inviting space for designers, creatives, and anyone drawn to intentional living and beautiful ideas.

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