The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline

Hot Takes, Lost Lotions & The Great Scallop Reckoning

The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline

Show Notes

Paloma and Caroline catch up on a chaotic week of puppy parenting, jet lag, birthday prep, travel recovery, and one truly tragic Charles de Gaulle skincare confiscation before diving into the latest design news, including Mark Sikes’s J.McLaughlin collaboration and The Hedges’ David Netto refresh. They also compare wellness routines—from lymphatic drainage to Caroline’s heroic everything-but-the-kitchen-sink smoothie—before getting into listener-submitted design hot takes on gallery walls, trend fatigue, faux chateau cosplay, scallops, baby blue, zellige tile, trim on sheetrock, recessed lighting, off-season travel, linen sheets, and chunky platform heels.

Chapters -- Time Stamps

00:15 — Travel Recovery 01:09 — Puppy Drama 03:48 — Dog Wisdom 06:31 — High/Low 07:05 — Lou’s Return 08:20 — Lotion Loss 17:13 — Mark’s Collab 18:14 — The Hedges 21:26 — Wellness Overload 23:09 — Smoothie Era 27:41 — Creatine Gummies 29:13 — Hot Takes 29:48 — Gallery Walls 31:40 — Trend Fatigue 31:55 — Chateau Cosplay 35:16 — Scallop Backlash 35:31 — Baby Blue 36:13 — Wallpaper Fatigue 39:25 — Zellige Overload 41:27 — Sheetrock Trim 43:28 — Recessed Lighting 46:13 — Off-Season Travel 48:21 — Linen Sheets 52:18 — Platform Heels 54:35 — Outro Hot Takes

Smoothie Recipe: Powders: IM8 Essentials Pro + Longevity Stack in Flavor Lemon/Orange Kion Creatine Gramms Clear Whey Protein Lemonade Veggies: Handful of frozen chopped kale 1/4 c shredded carrots 3 cubes frozen ginger from Trader Joes Frozen fruits: Handful each of blue berries, pitted cherries, raspberries and 1/2 frozen peach in season Liquids (totaling 1 cup): Juice of 1/2 lemon Aloe Juice from Trader Joes Coconut Water Sprinkle of Sea Salt

Instagram: @theinstallpodcast Tik Tok: @theinstallpocast YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast

Paloma: www.paolomacontreras.com Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign Tik Tok: @palomacontrerasdesign

Caroline:www.carolinegidiere.com Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign Tik Tok: @carolinegidieredesignbts Shop My: @carolinegidiere

More from The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline

Oct 20, 2026

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

Oct 13, 2026

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

Oct 6, 2026

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 Hours Weekly Highs Harry’s House Party Sunglasses in Triplicate Sunscreen Discussion* Gracious or Graceless Arrival Etiquette Shoes Off? Spinach Diplomacy Table Manners Free Design Advice Client Knockoffs Reclining Rights Inspiration Versus Imitation Resource Requests Party Posts Regifting Rules Sending It Back Honey Oak Help Permission to Wait On the Road

Sep 29, 2026

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 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 00:16 — 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

Sep 22, 2026

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 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 Chapters 00:17 — September Scramble 02:24 — Fitness High 03:41 — Tennis Trouble 07:50 — Television Tolerance 12:48 — Austen Adaptations 14:22 — Meet Annie 17:33 — Fashion Foundations 21:04 — Defining Taste 24:15 — Designer Collaboration 28:55 — Finding Home 31:05 — Colcord Character 32:34 — Preservation Pressure 33:53 — Hard Decisions 36:59 — Let It Breathe 38:50 — Sharing Sources 41:49 — Balance Fallacy 44:56 — Storytelling Homes 48:07 — Rapid Fire 52:20 — Phase Two 54:24 — Birmingham Bound

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