The Render

*Be sure to check out the visual companion to this episode*

Welcome to the third episode of The Render, a podcast hosted by Modsy’s very own Alessandra Wood and Maddy Warner, that is all about the untold stories from the world of interior design.

In the third episode, Maddy and Alessandra are joined by special guest and Mid-Century Modern expert, Lark Morgenstern, as they unpack why the world is so obsessed with Mid-Century Modern design. The trio talks all about the style’s rise to popularity, its resurgence in the 90s, some designers to know (beyond the Eames), where the trend is heading in the future, and we even get into the surprising connection between the Playboy mansion and mid-century modern design.

We hope you enjoyed the show! Share your thoughts on this show and your ideas for future ones at [email protected], don’t hesitate to slide into our Instagram dm’s @modsydesign and tune in next time.

This podcast is sponsored by online interior design service Modsy, the impossibly easy way to design your home.

About

Lark Morgenstern is a decorative art and design specialist. She has a B.B.A in Strategic Design + Management and an M.A in History of Design and Curatorial Studies from Parsons School of Design. Over her career, she has worked in furniture and fine art galleries. In 2016, she founded the 133 Design Collective, a network of artists, designers, and performers, and curated exhibitions showcasing young designer’s work.  

Find out more on LinkedIn|Instagram|Website

Dr. Alessandra Wood is VP of Style at Modsy as well as a design historian with an eye towards the future. She studied design history & theory and is obsessed with applying that knowledge to understand what makes products beautiful/useful/successful, and what inspires people to love those products.

*The source of your next cocktail party banter.

Find out more on Twitter|LinkedIn|Instagram|Website

Madeline Warner is the Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Modsy as well as a one-woman content show. A writer and editor as well as a design enthusiast, she’s been working in the design industry for five years and specializes in bringing the expertise of an interior designer to the good laypeople.

*Resident furniture pun expert.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Instagram

The Render is edited and produced by Rachael Tellerman. Rachael is a graphic designer at Modsy and is fascinated by the many ways people tell stories. She is also an artist, avid media consumer, and excited to be entering the world of podcasting.

*Makes a delicious baked ziti.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Website

What is Mid-Century Modern Interior Design? 

Mid-Century Modern interior design is a style characterized by its use of natural woods, bold colors, slightly whimsical furniture designs, organic shapes, and tapered legs. Mid-Century Modern style interiors are comfortable and encourage lounging, relaxation, and conversation. Learn more about Mid-Century Modern Design on our blog.

Scandinavian vs. Mid-Century Modern Design

There are some subtle differences between Scandinavian and Mid-Century Modern design. While the two came to life in the same time period, Mid-Century Modern design focused on the use of new materials like plastics, fiberglass, wire, and aluminum. By contrast, Scandinavian design took a much more organic approach to shapes and featured natural materials like wood, specifically birch and ash varieties.

Cranbrook Academy of the Arts

Many of the designers that we associate with Mid-Century Modern design, studied at Cranbrook Academy of the Arts. This was a school founded by Eliel Saarinen (Eero Saarinen's father) who was the school’s architect and president.

The “Collector’s Market”

Just like the stock market, in the collector’s market we see certain pieces of furniture, designers, or even design styles that go up ...

*Be sure to check out the visual companion to this episode

Welcome to the second episode of The Render, a podcast hosted by Modsy’s very own Alessandra Wood and Maddy Warner, that is all about the untold stories from the world of interior design.

In the second episode, Maddy and Alessandra dive into the surprisingly-interesting topic of antiques. Alessandra predicts that antiques are making a comeback and will soon be on-trend. Learn more about the history of antiques, famous interior designers who popularized them, and some insider tips and tricks on how to shop and decorate with antique furniture.

We hope you enjoyed the show! Share your thoughts on this show and your ideas for future ones at [email protected], don’t hesitate to slide into our Instagram dm’s @modsydesign and tune in next time.

This podcast is sponsored by online interior design service Modsy, the impossibly easy way to design your home.

About

Dr. Alessandra Wood is VP of Style at Modsy as well as a design historian with an eye towards the future. She studied design history & theory and is obsessed with applying that knowledge to understand what makes products beautiful/useful/successful, and what inspires people to love those products.

*The source of your next cocktail party banter.

Find out more on Twitter|LinkedIn|Instagram|Website

Madeline Warner is the Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Modsy as well as a one-woman content show. A writer and editor as well as a design enthusiast, she’s been working in the design industry for five years and specializes in bringing the expertise of an interior designer to the good laypeople.

*Resident furniture pun expert.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Instagram

The Render is edited and produced by Rachael Tellerman. Rachael is a graphic designer at Modsy and is fascinated by the many ways people tell stories. She is also an artist, avid media consumer, and excited to be entering the world of podcasting.

*Makes a delicious baked ziti.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Website

Antiques 101

What is an antique? The general definition of an antique is loosely, something that is 100+ years old. They are objects that have been around for a while and have survived into the present. 

Antique vs. Vintage: Vintage is typically something that has been around for 20 years or more.

Brown Furniture: Brown furniture which is a type of antique furniture. We see a lot of darker stained woods in the world of antiques, usually mahogany and walnut, which is where the term “brown furniture” comes from. While this seems like a layman’s term, it really is an industry term that refers to antique furniture made of these darker woods.

Thomas Chippendale: Thomas Chippendale, in the world of antiques, was an English furniture maker who is famous because he was the first cabinet maker who created and distributed a pattern book called, The Gentleman Cabinet Maker’s Director (1854).

Pompeii: The first time in history when we see cultures and communities really interested in antiques, is in the 18th century when Pompeii was unearthed. When Pompeii was unearthed they found an entire city essentially preserved, frozen in time, and all of these really beautifully preserved pieces of furniture, art, design (even food!). This really inspired a Classical revival and people started to collect antique objects—essentially Pompeii created a “collector bug.”

Elsie De Wolfe: A pioneering woman, Elsie De Wolfe is commonly thought of as the first female designer. She practiced in the early 20th century when interior design was a very new profession. She is quite famous for re-popularizing French antiques in her designs.

Dorothy Draper: Our queen of glam who designed the Greenbrier Hotel, Dorothy Draper was another designer who decorated with antiques. She was starkly in contrast to the Mid-Century design of the mid-20th century. She introduces French and European styles into her designs, but in a way that was more contemporary and theatrical.

Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings: But not everyone was into antiques. Robsjohn-Gibbings was a British furniture designer who actively detested antiqu...

Welcome to The Render, a podcast all about interior design. Refine your personal style and discover the stories behind the styles you know and love—because who doesn’t want to learn a little more about design!

In this very first episode, your hosts Alessandra and Maddy introduce themselves and invite you on a tour of nine popular styles to help you figure out yours!

There is an infinite number of styles, so Alessandra and Maddy pared down the choices according to what’s popular and trendy. They break down the building blocks of each popular style and show you how you can pull together a unique room that reflects your personal style.

We hope you enjoyed the show! Share your thoughts on this show and your ideas for future ones at [email protected], don’t hesitate to slide into our Instagram dm’s @modsydesign and tune in next time.

This podcast is sponsored by online interior design service Modsy, the impossibly easy way to design your home.

About

Dr. Alessandra Wood is VP of Style at Modsy as well as a design historian with an eye towards the future. She studied design history & theory and is obsessed with applying that knowledge to understand what makes products beautiful/useful/successful, and what inspires people to love those products.

*The source of your next cocktail party banter.

Find out more on Twitter|LinkedIn|Instagram|Website

Madeline Warner is the Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Modsy as well as a one-woman content show. A writer and editor as well as a design enthusiast, she’s been working in the design industry for five years and specializes in bringing the expertise of an interior designer to the good laypeople.

*Resident furniture pun expert.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Instagram

The Render is edited and produced by Rachael Tellerman. Rachael is a graphic designer at Modsy and is fascinated by the many ways people tell stories. She is also an artist, avid media consumer, and excited to be entering the world of podcasting.

*Makes a delicious baked ziti.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Website

The nine most popular styles

*Be sure to check out the visual guide to this show

• Classic: refined, formal, symmetrical, wealthy

The classic style is based on mint condition French and European antiques: no rustic and weathered looks here! It created stylistic rules and both follows and enforces them.

— If you grew up with a grandmother that didn’t let you go in the living room, it was probably classic style.

Elements: Dark woods, gilded materials, chinoiseries (inspired by Asian pastoral imagery in the rococo era), toile (also pastoral scenes, usually blue on white background) and ball and claw feet.

• American traditional: adult, livable, democratic, proportionate

This style has some historic roots and evolved out of a need to seem less aristocratic and more like one of the people for the founding fathers: they had tons of privilege, but less than, say, Marie-Antoinette.

— No one at the time said I’m buying this chair because it makes me look like I’m running a democracy.

Elements: Inspired by the puritan roots of America, it’s often about craftsmanship and the raw material rather than gilding.

• Minimalist: form follows function, understated, cold

Minimalists were making an intentional statement in opposition to the Victorian era. The idea behind the movement was how can we bring good design to the masses through industrial production.

— Minimalism can seem cold and uncomfortable; it’s not for everyone.

Elements: While Maddy did her research, she noticed that aside from Marie Kondo, most of the pop culture references were serial killers — all kidding aside the stark purity of minimalism means that it does complement other styles really well!

*Be sure to check out the visual companion to this episode.

Welcome to the sixth episode of The Render, a podcast hosted by Modsy’s very own Alessandra Wood and Maddy Warner, that is all about the untold stories from the world of interior design.

In the sixth episode, Maddy and Alessandra give us a bit of a history lesson on Victorian lifestyles and interior design. This is a group of people whose lives were centered on their homes. As such, there’s quite a bit we can learn from the Victorians about how to shelter in place without losing our minds!

We hope you enjoyed the show! Share your thoughts on this show and your ideas for future ones at [email protected], don’t hesitate to slide into our Instagram dm’s @modsydesign and tune in next time.

This podcast is sponsored by online interior design service Modsy, the impossibly easy way to design your home.

About

Dr. Alessandra Wood is VP of Style at Modsy as well as a design historian with an eye towards the future. She studied design history & theory and is obsessed with applying that knowledge to understand what makes products beautiful/useful/successful, and what inspires people to love those products.

*The source of your next cocktail party banter.

Find out more on Twitter|LinkedIn|Instagram|Website

Madeline Warner is the Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Modsy as well as a one-woman content show. A writer and editor as well as a design enthusiast, she’s been working in the design industry for five years and specializes in bringing the expertise of an interior designer to the good laypeople.

*Resident furniture pun expert.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Instagram

The Render is edited and produced by Rachael Tellerman. Rachael is a graphic designer at Modsy and is fascinated by the many ways people tell stories. She is also an artist, avid media consumer, and excited to be entering the world of podcasting.

*Makes a delicious baked ziti.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Website

Victorian Design History

What is the Victorian Era?

What is commonly referred to as the Victorian era is the period of time that coincides with the reign of England’s Queen Victoria—from 1837 to 1901. 

What are some of the key elements of Victorian design?

Victorians were very spiritual and emotional people who leaned into the romantic and sentimental—which had quite the impact on interior design. When we look at Victorian interior design trends, we see a lot of dark patterns and intricate details. Detailed woodwork and carvings. Tassels. Lots of drapery and wallpaper. Bric-à-brac. Basically, this is maximalism at its finest.

Home As The Center Of A Person’s Life

In the Victorian era and the time periods before it, a home was really the center of a person’s life, in a way we haven’t seen since then. (Until, perhaps, now as we’re all stuck at home!) If you had a farm, you were actually producing what you needed from your land. If you lived in a large Victorian house in a small town or a small city, you might have had a staff that was cooking and cleaning for you—and they were actually the people who might be going out for groceries and supplies. So, much of life centered on the home and the property around it. 

What can we learn from the Victorians about sheltering in place?

There’s a lot we can learn from Victorians, whose lives really centered around their homes. Not only did they design their homes to suit their lifestyle needs, but they also indulged in hobbies and rituals that we could learn from to infuse our daily lives with more purpose and meaning. Here’s what we can learn:

• Find Spaces Of Privacy In Your Own Home: Victorians valued privacy within their home. There was this idea that private time really helped a person develop their own intellectual prowess. Today, privacy is more about having the space you need to work every day and maintain sanity. 
• Establish Realms and Zones: A Victorian home is divided into tons of different rooms—no open floor plans here! The purpose of this was having different rooms for different purposes....

Check out the visual guide to this episode here.

Every day, we’re inundated with headlines full of “scientifically proven” formulas for happiness—in just five simple steps (how convenient!). While we know from personal experience that a well-designed space can lead to a happier life, how much of the advice out there is fact versus fiction?

In our fifth episode of The Render, we’re going straight to the source and chatting with environmental psychologist Elif Celikors to see where science stands on this issue. Spoiler alert: there’s no simple answer.

We’ll talk about the scientific studies that exist around environmental psychology, what tactics are proven to create an emotional reaction in your space, and we’ll even debunk a few common design happiness misconceptions. 

We hope you enjoyed the show! Share your thoughts on this show and your ideas for future ones at [email protected], don’t hesitate to slide into our Instagram dm’s @modsydesign and tune in next time.

This podcast is sponsored by online interior design service Modsy, the impossibly easy way to design your home.

About

Elif holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.S. in Environmental Psychology. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Cognitive & Perceptual Psychology at Cornell University. Her work focuses on understanding how visual scenes elicit emotional responses. She also attempts to photograph scenes that elicit beautiful emotions."

Find out more on Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Dr. Alessandra Wood is VP of Style at Modsy as well as a design historian with an eye towards the future. She studied design history & theory and is obsessed with applying that knowledge to understand what makes products beautiful/useful/successful, and what inspires people to love those products.

*The source of your next cocktail party banter.

Find out more on Twitter|LinkedIn|Instagram|Website

Madeline Warner is the Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Modsy as well as a one-woman content show. A writer and editor as well as a design enthusiast, she’s been working in the design industry for five years and specializes in bringing the expertise of an interior designer to the good laypeople.

*Resident furniture pun expert.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Instagram

The Render is edited and produced by Rachael Tellerman. Rachael is a graphic designer at Modsy and is fascinated by the many ways people tell stories. She is also an artist, avid media consumer, and excited to be entering the world of podcasting.

*Makes a delicious baked ziti.

Find out more on LinkedIn|Website

Environmental Psychology and Interior Design

What is Environmental Psychology?

Environmental psychology is a field of study that looks at the relationship between humans and their physical surroundings, whether that’s built or natural environments. It’s a subset of psychology that seeks to understand how and why our environment impacts us and our well-being, and even how our behaviors and experiences change in different environments. 

Ceiling Height – Fact

Ceiling height is one of those scientifically informed areas of study within interior design. When we are in a room with higher ceilings, the part of our brain that’s involved in visual-spatial exploration becomes active. One study even showed that, under high ceilings, people perform better in a setting that requires some measure of creativity.

Clutter – Fact

Too much clutter in a space can cause feelings of stress and anxiety. Too much clutter in a room is like the human brain equivalent to when you have too many tabs open on your computer. If there’s too much to process, we can’t attend to all of them. As a result, we get distracted and maybe even start feeling negatively about our environments.

Lighting – Fact

Good (or bad) lighting can really change the whole vibe of a room. Warm light causes melatonin secretion (what helps us fall asleep). And there are stu...