The Terrace

Studio Terrace Creative Studio with Co-hosts Caitlin Henry and Sam Brooks

The Terrace is our corner of the internet for people who genuinely love their homes — or desperately want to. We're here to talk design, trends, beautiful things, and the real decisions you make when you're trying to build a space you actually want to live in. Think less design lecture, more wine with your most design-obsessed friends. Pull up a chair.

Episodes

  1. 7H AGO

    Performative Decor and the Lies We Tell Ourselves

    Be honest. When's the last time you actually sat in that chair? This week on The Terrace, we're getting confessional about performative decor — the art of decorating for other people — and spoiler: we are both deeply, unapologetically guilty. We're defining what performative decor actually is (hint: it's the candle you've never lit, the vinyl you never played, the crystals you bought in Sedona because you were absolutely under a spell), tracing how Instagram quietly turned all of our homes into content sets, and talking about the growing backlash — from the Gen Z photo dump to the Nancy Meyers lived-in cluttered aesthetic we're all secretly craving. We also get into reading nooks (performative), linen bedding (very performative), and taper candles (drop a comment if yours are also completely unburned). Caitlin shares a cautionary tale about a certain boutique hotel in Hudson Valley that looked incredible on the internet and had a state-of-the-art espresso machine that absolutely no one knew how to operate. We also covet a Le Labo candle we'll never light and a Casa Gusto wingback chair that is admittedly not for sitting in. This is your permission slip to audit every corner of your home and ask: is this for me, or is this for the grid? Come confess your most performative decor purchase to us on Instagram @thestudio_terrace — we read every comment and we will judge with love (we literally admitted our own crimes on mic, so you're in good company). And if this episode made you look at your bookshelf a little differently, send it to a friend who has an Assouline book they've never opened. You know who they are. 🕯️🪴📚

    43 min
  2. MAY 13

    From Concept to Customer

    Ever looked at your sofa and thought... wait, where did this actually come from? This week on The Terrace, we're pulling back the curtain on how furniture actually gets made — and trust us, it's more fascinating (and complicated) than you think. We're talking the full journey: from the 18-month planning cycle that starts way before a product hits the floor, to why your handmade Indian console might look a little different than the one in the photo (and why that's actually a good thing). We break down where different types of furniture get made and why — Vietnam for precision case goods, India for artisan one-of-a-kinds, China for your RTA flat-pack moment — and we get into the weeds on what "Made in USA," "Assembled in USA," and "Finished in USA" actually mean. Spoiler: they're very different things. We also dish on High Point Market, debate the best and worst Met Gala looks, gush over burl wood and chrome floor lamps, share our current covets (the Crate & Barrel x Howell & Harrier collab — consider this your warning), and play a round of Would You Rather that gets surprisingly philosophical. After this episode, you will never look at your sofa the same way again. That's a promise. Come hang with us! Follow along on Instagram @thestudio_terrace — we read every DM and comment, and we genuinely want to know: is there a piece of furniture you're going to look at completely differently after this? Or a purchase you wish you could take back? Tell us everything. And if this episode saved a friend from a very expensive mistake, share it with them — they're probably in a showroom right now making a very important decision. 🥂

    44 min
  3. MAY 6

    How A Space Should Make You Feel

    You know that feeling when you walk into a room and something is just... off? Or when you can't explain why you love a space, you just do? We've all been there. The problem is we spend so much time talking about how rooms look — the colors, the styling, the lighting — and almost no time talking about how they feel. Not anymore. This episode covers everything: why a room without a purpose gives you agita, what staged homes are secretly doing to trick you, and why the influencer apartment formula — white cloud sofa, limewash, modern luxury high-rise — is starting to feel like everyone's living on the same movie set. We also got into how to design with identity. Does furniture come before paint? (We think yes, almost always.) What do you anchor a room around? And how do you build a space that feels like you when your personal style is still a moving target? Then we got into the designers who truly get this — Ilse Crawford, who has been designing for how spaces feel since before it was a conversation. Axel Vervoordt and his deeply calming wabi-sabi interiors. And Lorenzo Castillo, who happened to design the hotel that inspired Caitlin's entire living room renovation. Plus: the case for demi-lune everything, why a draped blanket is the greatest hospitality signal of all time, the pleated tented bed canopy of our dreams, DeVol Kitchens' hand-painted botanical cabinets, and Caitlin's nightly turndown service that we are all a little jealous of. Come find us on Instagram @thestudio_terrace and tell us: what is the room in your home that makes you feel the most like yourself? We genuinely want to know. And as always — don't forget to bring the wine. ✨

    46 min
  4. APR 8

    How to Host Like You've Got Your Life Together

    Your home is always ready to welcome people. Or at least, it could be — and that's exactly what this episode is about. This week, Caitlin and Sam are getting into everything that makes hosting feel effortless (even when it absolutely isn't). From the guest bathroom theory — why it might be the most important room in your entire house — to the candles you should always have burning, the lighting mistakes that are killing your vibes, and the tablescape move everyone gets wrong: this is the episode your dinner party has been waiting for. They're also talking scent (Tyler Candle's Diva laundry detergent has entered the chat), the case for vintage dinnerware over anything new, and why a $20 set of fan-shaped vintage plates is the covet of the season. Plus: hosting must-haves, hostess gift ideas that actually land, where to shop without breaking the bank, and a deeply compelling argument for why the guest bathroom candle is non-negotiable. In this episode: - The guest bathroom theory and why it's your secret hosting weapon - Scent, candles, and the diptyque 34 moment we all deserve - Warm light bulbs — a hill we will die on (Lowe's, we're looking at you) - Tablescape tips that work in real life, not just on Instagram - Vintage finds, Home Goods hauls, and the Zara Home gospel - Hostess gift ideas beyond the wine (though the wine always works) - Fan plates, ceramic snack trays, and the covets we can't stop thinking about 📲 Connect With Us We want to hear from you — what's your one non-negotiable hosting detail? The thing you always do, always have, or always make sure is right before anyone walks through your door? Come find us on Instagram @thestudio_Terrace] And if this episode made you want to go light a candle or rearrange something — that means it worked. If you loved this episode, share it with your most design-obsessed friend. That's truly the best thing you can do for us right now. ✨ And as always — don't forget to bring the wine.

    41 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

The Terrace is our corner of the internet for people who genuinely love their homes — or desperately want to. We're here to talk design, trends, beautiful things, and the real decisions you make when you're trying to build a space you actually want to live in. Think less design lecture, more wine with your most design-obsessed friends. Pull up a chair.