Laurel Bern Interiors Is On LuAnn Nigara’s Podcast!!!

Hey Everyone,

 

Why am I referring to myself as Laurel Bern Interiors? haha

 

Well, the heat must be getting to me. I’ve spent most of the day working on another post which I should be anyway.

But, I’m too excited!

Because…

 

Laurel Bern Interiors on LuAnn Nigara Podcast - A Well-Designed Business July 17, 2018

 

As the headline says:

I’m on LuAnn Nigara’s podcast A Well-Designed Business!!!

That’s a link to the podcast, above

 

Why have I not been on before?

Good question.

I generally suck at promoting myself. And if I do and someone ignores me, I’ll quickly run away without so much as a whimper. Silly, I know.

Now, LuAnn did not ignore me. No, not at all. In fact, I was at an event she had in the city a few months ago and just the opposite.

 

We did the interview shortly after I bonked my head. Remember that one? It was the first day that I was feeling more-or-less myself again. And I didn’t want to postpone because it had booked for weeks.

 

But, let me tell you. LuAnn is AMAZING!

 

She asks all the right questions and then sums everything up. Very talented, she is! So, it’s no wonder that her podcast ranks number one in I-tunes.

We talked at length about how I grew my blog and I give away a LOT of tips for those who might be interested in purchasing the blogging guide.

 

So, why is the heat getting to me? Well, it’s not really. I’m sitting in the comfort of my beautifully air-conditioned apartment. It’s just that in my mind, I was going to give you the usual blog post.

 

And I realized about 45 minutes ago that it was too much excitement for one day!

I think that you’re going to really like this one. However, I seem to be incapable of turning something in that doesn’t pass muster. Therefore, you’ll have to wait until Sunday for this one.

 

In the meantime, I’ll share a few images that you’ve probably seen that are in my portfolio. But some of them aren’t.

 

I just wanted to give you something to look at in case you’re not interested in the podcast.

These are some of my favorites.

 

A vignette from my living room with a Lee Industries sofa. Wall color Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow
Well, this one has been on my home page for probably the last five years! But I never get tired of looking at it.

antique crystal and brass door knob from my 1920s apartmentA preview of coming attractions. This is also from my apartment. It’s one of the five original brass and crystal doorknobs which I adore.

Laurel Bern Interiors-living-room in Bronxville
Above and below is from a lovely living room in a house I did a few years ago here in Bronxville, NY.

You can see more of the house here.

 

Laurel Bern Interiors Bronxville Living room-painting

 

Laurel Bern Interiors-bronxville-dining-room
And THE dining room that won a Westchester Home Magazine award two years ago. How could it not with that architecture! And I had nothing to do with that. Just lucky!

 

Laurel Bern Interiors-bronxville-dining-room-buffet-mirror

Laurel Bern Interiors bronxville-bath-doorThis bathroom was up for an award, but didn’t win. I took these photos very hastily with my cell phone. Why hastily? Well, it wasn’t my choice. I’ll let you draw your own conclusion. You’ll be right. I’m grateful that I have what I have.

The vanity is my design based on a real French Antique piece I saw. I felt giddy when they delivered it.

Here are some more photos of the kitchen.

 


And one of my favorites with another custom cabinet and Canopy Designs sconce I designed. They have since gone out of business.

Here is the link, again for the podcast.

I haven’t even had a chance to listen to it yet!

Please enjoy!

xo,

 

 

52 Responses

  1. Oh my gosh, I was PART of your rise to success and have listened twice and LEARNED so much!

    LuAnn has a serious talent for interviewing. She does a great job of keeping the conversation on track, recapping, asking relevant questions, remembering past podcasts, all of it!

    I also am blown away by the amount of content you share Laurel. You are so generous with sharing what you know and have learned along the way. This podcast really is a master class in either: getting found on Google if you are a local designer (THE FOOTER WITH YOUR ADDRESS PEOPLE!!!) or building your blog.

    As a side note a few of my friends have purchased your Guides (they are consumers, not bloggers) and LOVE them. One woman used it to decorate a second home and another her main residence. Both of these women could afford to hire anyone, but loved using the guides and your blog to put it all together on their own.

    One more of LuAnn’s podcasts I think is a good listen is the one with Elizabeth Scruggs https://luannnigara.com/305-elizabeth-scruggs-the-things-i-learned-from-a-well-designed-business/ I have also worked with Elizabeth and in her interview she shares many of the tools that she learned about through LuAnn. There is a fun quiz app, Facebook Live tools, tools to build your email list. A lot of really cool things which people may not know about.

    Thank you for all you do Laurel. I know you have lots of fans out there, but I am delighted to be one of the EARLY ones. I knew you were hot stuff the moment you called!

    1. It’s my Eileen! Web guru extraordinaire! Thank you so much! And thank you for reiterating the importance of having your NAME and business ADDRESS in the footer of every page. And why this is so vital is in the guide. In fact, if you recall Eileen, one of my early “shitshow” lol problems is that I had moved and my old address was still alive and well on dozens of online directories that exist whether we like it or not. Google had no idea where I was and that was a massive problem. But even if one hasn’t moved. Google needs to know where you are and so do your potential customers or clients!

      And small world. Or maybe not. But Elizabeth is a friend of mine and we were on the KBIS tour together last January. What a darling she is. I believe that she contacted you after she heard me speak there. I’ll have to listen to her podcast. That would be a great blog post, if I had the patience to weed through them, (which sadly I don’t) but the ten interior design podcasts you MUST hear (and why)

      Also Eileen, in the beginning five years ago, you were my ONLY fan! Nobody could find me. And it wasn’t until you got me straightened out. And only then, that I was in a position to get that wheel in motion.

  2. I’m in the middle of the podcast right now. I have to agree when she called you the “Encyclopedia Britannica of Decorating”!

    There you go. That’s your tag line. 😉

    1. Haha! That’s funny Lorri! It may appear that way, but it’s because I do a lot of research for some of the topics that I’m not as sharp on. I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve learned a lot right along with the rest of ya!

  3. Loving the podcast. Podcasting is such a great medium for sharing. I really enjoyed your insights into blogging as it’s one of the underdeveloped portions of my SM outreach.
    Thank you for all the insights!

    1. Hi Karin,

      Did you notice how quiet LuAnn became when I said “you don’t need social media links on your site?” Of course, it’s not an absolute. Some businesses that have groups on facebook should link to their FB page. But, if everything on your FB page is already on your blog which is pretty much as it should be, then why do they need to go there?

      I got to where I am by really examining what things worked and what things did not work. I learned early on that blindly following what everyone else is doing is not always in my best interest.

      It is far more beneficial to keep people on your site as long as possible.

      So, whenever someone apologizes for writing a super-long comment, I’m actually kissing their feet! (metaphorically speaking, of course) lol

      The problem with SM and I’m talking about FB, insta and twitter is that you can’t control who sees what and just when one thinks they have a handle on it, they change something.

      Pinterest goes under the category of SM, but it’s really a search engine and if one has the blogging guide, there’s a very interesting graphic that explains quite clearly how google, the blogger (in this case me) and pinterest are in bed together– literally!

      Ahhh… but it takes TIME. And that is the thing that thwarts most people.

      LuAnn is a superb interviewer as well. Not only did she ask the right questions, at certain intervals would sum up what was just said. And then at the end, she summed it all up.

      I also far prefer podcast interviews to live interviews on video, because first of all, I don’t have to put on make-up. I can wear PJs. I’m not distracted with faces.

      And I’ve come to realize that I can’t stand FB/insta Live. Live, of course, means no editing and that’s another negative for me. It doesn’t mean I won’t do it if someone asks, but usually, we can’t get it to work and the sounds sucks. I come from a theater/music background and we always did a sound check before a show. Well, can’t do that with live. Some of them have been very bad and that doesn’t put anyone in a good light, no matter how good the information is.

  4. Well deserved Laurel! You are my go to bible for all decorating questions! I had those very same doorknobs in my previous home. I even took all of them off at one point because they had been installed during WWII and hadn’t been polished probably ever; they were a dirty gray. I had told the refinisher to do whatever to restore them. He called me the next day and said to come over, the doorknobs were the most beautiful rose colored brass. All he had to do was polish them so I put them all back on. After I sold the house, I heard from an ex-neighbor that the new owner had replaced all the doorknobs Aaaaaaargh! a thousand lashes! I could have used them in my new house. She surely does not subscribe to your blog.

  5. Laurel,
    Congratulations on your continued success! You deserve every bit of it and may it continue through infinity.

    You inspire and educate -and entertain! I’ve learned so much through your posts and do look forward to my Sunday morning “me time” reading your weekend post with my coffee and English muffin!

    Best wishes,
    Ani
    P.S. In love with that bathroom and dining room!

  6. Congratulations, Laurel. I enjoyed the podcast very much. Good advice. And I love that sconce you designed! A pity that company is closed now.

  7. That is fantastic!! Good for you, Laurel. I love LuAnn Nigara’s podcast. Even though I’m a slipcover maker, not an interior designer, I have learned so much from the guests she interviews. I look forward to listening to your conversation with her.

  8. Hi Laurel!
    There’s so much I’d like to say / tell but rather than rattle off all of that, I’ll skip ahead to the part where I tell you how I, like so many others, LOVE your blog, your work, your wit, your honesty, your kindness. I feel sheepish responding to a blog post but I’ve been wanting to ask you for over a year now : may I request you to be a guest on a podcast that I listen to? The “How To Decorate” podcast by Ballard Designs stars Caroline, Taryn and Karen are a blast! They often close the show with an ask for listeners to submit guest requests. I always think of you but never had the nerve to ask you if you’d mind me doing so. If your fans haven’t listened to this podcast yet I believe they may benefit even further by giving it a try. The Ballard ladies have had superstars such as Suzanne Kasler, Bunny Williams and one of your faves, Mark D Sikes to name just a few. The guest list is pretty impressive and I believe you should be counted among these greats! But only if you’re into it. It’d be downright rude of me to just assume you’d want this and shovel my request out there without checking in with you first. I’ve been a fan for at least a few years but have applauded you quietly from the shadows until now. Thank you for all you do to help us on our way.
    ~ Debra

    1. Hi Debra,

      Oh that is so sweet of you to think of me and I’d be honored to be a recipient of your request. Whether they’d be interested in me is another matter. But, that would be incredible to be on their podcast!

      I love Ballard Designs and have been lobbying to have them get on the affiliate network ever since I got on it in April of last year. Last August, I was told that they were coming on board and then it never happened. I tried inquiring three times (twice with someone in charge) but never heard back.

      I would love to be able to put their products in my widgets but unless they are part of the network, can’t do that. Up to them, but it would be quite beneficial for all of us!

      Well, all except for their competitors who are currently taking some of Ballard’s sales away.

  9. Hey Laurel! I listened to your podcast yesterday and loved hearing you and LuAnn! As always, you shared such fabulous and helpful information to anyone looking to get more eye balls on their website, as well as more clients.

    Cheers for all of your insight. My new website is nearly done! I’ve implemented so many of your wonderful ideas and tips from the Six Figure Income Blogger Guide. I am excited to launch and get more consistent with my vlogging. Thanks for your encouragement and support. xoxo

    1. Hi Claire,

      Oh, I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to see the finished site! But then, you inspire me every day with all of your enthusiasm, aptitude, talent and drive.

      That last word was missing during my “mom years.” Honestly, it was an intense unrelenting job raising my two boys. And while I always worked hard for my clients, it was largely in a void as I rarely connected with colleagues except for one friend I made in design school. That one was a life-saver.

      But then the internet came along and for our profession and I’m sure many others has been a total game changer.

      I would never have met you and so many other wonderful people without the internet. How cool is that!?!

  10. So excite to hear your news! I will listen today! Love everything you posted from your portfolio too! WHERE did you find the rug with the greek key border – looks like a dhurrie but hard to tell!!

    1. Hi Virginia,

      Thanks so much!

      That rug is from Surya, but I believe has been discontinued. Actually, the entire rug is Greek Keys! I think that there’s another pic or two in my portfolio where you can see that. They call it a flat-weave which is similar to a Dhurrie. I think that it’s a little thicker or maybe it’s the same thing, just re-marketed. Not sure.

  11. Promote yourself! It’s a service to us non-designers out here in the cold, cruel world! Think of those poor things who need your cool, no-nonsense advice and can’t find you! No kidding! Be brave!

    1. Hi Sarah,

      Thank you for the support and encouragement!

      I’m far more brave than I used to be, otherwise, I’d still be living in complete obscurity, wondering if I was going to make enough money to get me through the month.

      And even though I’ve gotten a lot better at this part, I still often wait for things to come to me. And that’s a mistake.

  12. I did enjoy the podcast! I’m not a blogger or designer, but I appreciate the enrichment. I am one of those who follows the rabbit trails in your posts to get all the great information and I especially enjoy the art history. Thank you for doing an excellent job of satisfying your readers. 🙂

    1. Hi Delaina,

      That is so sweet. Thank you! I love that. Rabbit trails. But, it’s true. They serve numerous purposes. Ultimately, Google rewards those who provide the best reader experience and give the most solid information. Connecting posts with similar or augmenting topics is one way to do that.

      But… that takes time to build up the library.

  13. Laurel…I really like the way you decorate and style interiors. I am (kind-of) Old…and this ‘New’ style of the younger set baffles me. It looks Just Plain Cheap and Gaudy…that said…I TOO am now in a LOVE AFFAIR with CRYSTAL DOOR KNOBS….(Swoon. I am getting all new six panel wooden doors in BLACK-(NO other color for doors)with crystal doorknobs!! Hubby said recently that lets go ahead n ‘re-do’ our floors and a brand new kitchen…(I asked Who he was n What he’d done with my Hubby!LOL)…Anyway Keep up the good work….Love it…and trust me at my age? I am pretty Jaded….LOL…God bless…

    1. Hi Flo,

      Me jaded too. And right now, I’m struggling with instagram and why so many people who have nothing to say are now saying nothing in a video going on for 10 minutes? Why, you can’t even skim a video. lol If I listen to six people. Just six. That’s an hour (very good Laurel that you can count lol) out of my day where I could be picking fluff out of my navel or something else, instead.

      But bravo for Hubs! Sometimes they do surprise us which can be either good or really not good. Glad yours is the former!

      1. Your description of all the people on Instagram yaking about themselves and never saying anything worth hearing is priceless.

        They are everywhere on all social media now, and our generation can’t understand where they get enough narcissism to do it.

        Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE You Tube and Instagram and really great content. But, the amount of Hot Air one has to wade through is astonishing.

        1. Hi Lorri,

          Haha again! The thing I was telling a friend the other day is that you can’t skim a video very well. At least with a blog, you can do that. Although podcasts are good because you can listen to them while driving or making dinner. I guess we’re all multi-tasking these days.

          But I find myself pulled in so many directions. For instance. I haven’t even been on Facebook today. Oh, the horror. Let me check. Hang on. I’ll only be a sec.

          Ahh… it’s only 10 notifications. Sometimes there are as many as 30. Like I’m supposed to look at all of that and answer everything?

  14. I think part of the reason these things are happening to you now is because you give so much to all of us. You deserve it all and more! Congratulations!!

  15. Wow!! Congratulations!! You’re so awesome and funny and delightful. I’m so happy for you. And all of us!

  16. SO excited to hear you on LuAnn’s!! you know, it’s so funny….a couple of weeks ago I was wondering to myself why in the world you had not been on it before- and then, I kid you not, a couple days after that, LuAnn posted in her instastories she was editing her podcast with YOU!! I was SO excited!!! I can’t wait to hear the two of y’all…♥♥♥

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Welcome To Laurel Home!

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Hi, I’m Laurel, and Laurel Home is the website and blog for Laurel Bern Interiors.
I’ve been creating new-traditional interiors since 1988. The blog is where I share all.

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