The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline

TheInstallPodcast
  • 4.5 (88)
  • 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. 7h ago

    I'd Like To Thank . . . Me

    The ladies kick off with a million-dollar beret-or-bow-tie dilemma, then talk through the particular pleasure of getting creative energy back after a demanding stretch. From holiday gifts and family Christmas rituals to the perfect pillow, the conversation moves between practical recommendations and the little traditions that make a home feel like yours. 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 licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SUDAKA5LHSDHNL85 00:58 — Million-Dollar Dilemma 05:00 — Weekly Highs 10:13 — Restorative Saturdays 15:40 — Halloween Talk 31:25 — Holiday Gifts 42:03 — Christmas Trees 47:21 — Holiday Decorating 53:05 — Listener Question

  2. Nov 3

    The Committee on Taste with Kate Rheinstein Brodsky

    After High Point, Paloma and Caroline catch up on friendship, design, and a sofa saga with a surprisingly happy ending. Then Kate Rheinstein Brodsky explains how working with Jeffrey Bilhuber—and growing up around her mother, Suzanne Rheinstein—led her to a more playful path in retail. The conversation moves from the “committee on taste” and paint swatches to the realities of family life, AI-generated design images, and the art of keeping geraniums alive. Along the way, Kate offers a perfect example of her mother’s polite way of saying she hated something: “That is so fun.” 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 00:17 High Point 03:02 TV Talk 10:24 Highs & Lows 15:08 Sofa Update 19:06 Kate Joins 21:19 Shop Freedom 24:17 Retail Roots 26:21 Suzanne’s Lessons 29:33 KRB’s Curation 32:47 Retail Realities 35:35 Committee Taste 39:53 Painted Floors 42:06 Know Thyself 45:46 Design Pet Peeves 49:09 Proper Curtains 51:14 Geraniums 58:06 Suzanne’s Wit 58:48 Rapid Fire

  3. Oct 27

    Honey, My Nerves Can't Take It

    From the tyranny of text messages to the perils of patterned sofas, Caroline and Paloma have a few things to get off their chests. They discuss the pleasures of period dramas, the decidedly unpleasurable business of bad manners on social media, and why sharing the less-than-perfect side of design matters. Then it's time for a spirited round of Would You Rather?, where they're forced to choose between design dilemmas no sensible decorator should ever have to face. Wall-to-wall carpet in the kitchen, anyone? For more on design, entertaining, style, and the art of living well, subscribe to The Install Edit on Substack! https://theinstallpodcast.substack.com/ The Install YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcastInstagram: @theinstallpodcastTikTok: @theinstallpocastPaloma Contreras Website: www.palomacontreras.comInstagram: @palomacontrerasdesignTikTok: @palomacontrerasdesignShopMy: @palomacontrerasCaroline Gidiere Website: www.carolinegidiere.comInstagram: @carolinegidieredesignTikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbtsShopMy: @carolinegidiere00:20 Texting Overload 06:00 Television Favorites 10:00 Austin Adaptations 13:00 Marie Antoinette 16:30 Online Manners 19:00 Design Community 27:30 Design Dilemmas 31:30 Client Confessions 38:00 Rapid Fire 46:30 Design Regrets 48:00 Personal Touches

  4. Oct 20

    Beautiful and Never Boring with Dara Caponigro

    Good taste may open doors, but what gets a room into a magazine? Dara Caponigro joins the ladies to discuss Domino’s legacy, Frederic’s distinctly grown-up point of view, and why memorable interiors need more than pretty things. Along the way, she shares what aspiring contributors should actually send an editor, the pleasure of pressed sheets, and the decorating detail she could happily retire. First, Caroline and Paloma prepare for High Point, where a leisurely lunch can cost you a very good antique. 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 licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SUDAKA5LHSDHNL85 Chapters 00:17 High Point Bound 04:10 Antique Urgency 06:45 Highs and Lows 14:14 Hair Apparent 17:21 Meet Dara 18:38 Cultivating Taste 21:24 Domino Grown Up 22:20 Betting on Print 24:56 Building Frederic 27:31 Editorial Point of View 29:26 Memorable Rooms 30:44 Standout Stories 33:26 Emerging Talent 36:47 Joining Schumacher 38:38 Inside the Archives 41:29 Creative Cross-Pollination 43:31 Beyond the Magazine 45:17 What Comes Next 45:58 Print Meets Digital 48:43 Getting Noticed 49:53 Submitting Your Work 50:40 Choosing Covers 52:17 Rapid Fire

  5. Oct 13

    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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

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4.5
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88 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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