Welcome! Here you’ll find all the sources for Alex Cooper’s recently renovated podcast studio for Call Her Daddy.

Blurry screenshots from Call Her Daddy’s Instagram REEL.

I hate that I love doing this. I love interior design so much. It is my life. I am constantly consuming design, reading about it, traveling for it, digging into all my old college books like Architecture History, studying the current building codes, reading the magazines, being in IIDA, etc etc etc. I love design so much that when I see a space that excites me, I get REALLY excited lol. So if you’ve been here for a minute, you know that I did not know who Emma Chamberlain was (sorry I’m out of the loop lol, I know who she is now, a Youtuber) and when Architectural Digest featured her home (I watch all their videos) I was like “oh I know what that light fixture is, that tile, that chair…” and the list went on and on. The space was so fun that I started diving in and before you knew it, I became a Design Detective and sourced aaaaaall the things for you. I also felt terrible because her designers obviously spent a lot of time researching, designing, sourcing & installing for her, then here I am writing another blog post just like it. I’m sorry, but just like Britney, oops I did it again.

This time, I was searching something on Instagram and this REEL came up: it was a before & after of a podcast space and the after was DOPE! So then I start digging and fond out this is the #2 podcaster in the WORLD and of course I’d never heard of it or her. (Do I live on MARS?! Apparently.) The “after” of the studio was so incredible that I knew, I felt it in my soul that I absolutely had to do the second edition of Design Detectives. Same as the first time, some items are exact, and some are similar. This time, we added some alternates for you as well. I hope you enjoy!!

Ceiling Paint. 2. Wall Paint. 3. Wall Sconce. 4. Pendant Light. 5. Lounge Chair. 6. Lounge Chair Fabric. 7. Side Table. 8. Area Rug. 9. Coffee Table. 10. Moss Bowl.

Of course, everything here is absolutely stunning! If you know who the designer is, please tell me so I can give credit where credit is due. I feel like the goal of the renovation was to create an elevated feminine aesthetic. They left behind tons of white and went for a warmer & softer approach.

Grounding the space with this ruby-colored rug is brilliant, bold and feminine. Then there is the coziest curvy lounge chair that looks as cuddly as a teddy bear. When you click on the link for the chair, you may think this is the wrong chair, but I promise you it is correct. It just looks totally different in a different fabric. That’s why I also linked the fabric I think the chair is in. If it’s not a Mohair, it could be a velvet. But this color of mohair is very hot right now, so I do believe it is that. The side table was extremely hard to find, and it is not exact, but it is very close. I have tooooons of alternates but the thing I’m missing is the raised edge on the top of the side table. But the asymmetrical base is right.

The two light fixtures were super easy to find, especially the pendant because I’ve had that saved on our Pinterest for years. It’s such a dreamy fixture that adds softness to any room. Absolutely stunning and the perfect addition to this room because it adds to the elevated feminine vibe. The wall sconces are nice because they direct light both up and down but not straight into the camera. The coffee table is a stunning natural stone but warmer than her last coffee table. I think the last coffee table she had was a faux Calacatta marble with the white background and soft grey veining. But the new stone is so hot right now and adds warmth because Calacatta Viola has warmer deep red, sometimes purple-ish veins depending on the stone.

The biggest change was building out the walls for shelves, and a focal wall with raked plaster. Every wall was covered in a soft pink paint. LOVE! I think it’s a roman clay product since the back wall is plaster raked but we’ll get into that more later.

Chain Link Decor. 2. Candle. 3. Similar Match Holder. 4. Matches. 5. Wood Riser. 6. Moss Bowl.

I love that they furred out the walls to create bookshelves, but not just any bookshelves. They have oversized white-oak bookshelves that look visually heavy and are accessorized wonderfully. Since the bookshelves themselves are so large, it means you don’t have to accessorize them as much. There is mainly books (which I love) and some nice sculpture objects and pots & vases. On the coffee table they kept it simple with a moss filled bowl, a wood riser with a candle and match holder/ striker on top.

Art Book. 2. Book Ends. 3. Big Book of Chic. 4. Vital Voices. 5. Pussy Pedia.

Books books books. I love books and so does everyone else. Books are a necessity when styling shelves so don’t sleep on them. When we did our first edition of DESIGN DETECTIVES on Emma Chamberlain’s house, we ID’d soooo many books, but today we just have 4. These screenshots were so blurry and it was really hard to see most of the books, but we identified a few for you.

Sexiest floor lamp alive.

Boop! Out of the corner of your eye you can spot a stylish lamp… found it! Link above. It’s a beautiful asymmetrical lamp made of polished brass with a leather grip and a fabric shade. It was designed in Austria and is now at home in Alex Cooper’s podcast studio.

Wall Paint. 2. Brass Letters. 3. Fluted Plaster Inspiration Pic. 4. White Oak Inspiration Pic.

Let’s talk FINISHES. Walls, ceilings, bookshelves, floating shelves, focal wall, etc. We talked about the wall color earlier in this post, but now we’re focusing on the focal wall that has her Call Her Daddy logo on it. At first glance you might think it’s a painted tambour, but it’s not. I believe it is hand raked plaster that created the soft undulating texture on the wall. It takes a truly talented artisan to create this simple yet elegant wall texture and they use specialized tools. So it’s not an easy DIY accent wall. It’s stunning and I absolutely love it. Then they pressed custom metal letters into it to create her logo. They could have used any metal fabricator, but to give you a visual I linked some metal letters from Etsy. I think the floating shelf & bookshelves are white oak with a custom stain but there’s no way of knowing what mixture of stains/ glazes they used. It is a stunning final color on the wood so hats off to the talented painter who achieved that stain. And of course, hats off to the designers who pulled all these lovely finishes together.

I think it’s important to briefly talk about what they left behind. We kissed GOODBYE to the white on white on white on white vibe. (White walls, gone. White boucle chair, gone. White coffe table, gone. White shaggy rug, gone!) GONE is the brass & glass console table. GONE is the bulky square boucle chair. They opted for a new chair with a more organic, curvilinear form for the remodel. The pink & grey marble side table is gone for a more minimal, black asymmetrical side table. The circular, cool grey + white coffee table is GONE for the rectangular coffee table with much warmer veining. Gone is the fiddle leaf fig pot holder and leather Moroccan pouf. I feel like it’s 2023 and those 2 items are incredibly overdone now. My son has a Moroccan pouf in his nursery that I still love, and I do think if the vibe of the space is Moroccan, go for it. But we never use ours anymore and I see why they nixed it here too. It feels dated. And GOODBYE to that rust + teal wallpaper, goodbye to the harsh black cabinets & goodbye to the stark white paint. Buh-bye.

If you want to know how you can find all the new items faster, I highly suggest you follow us on Pinterest here. We are constantly inspired and we pin tons of different things from lighting, to tile, to architecture. It’s so fun and we updated it all the time. If you like interior design, please give us a follow on Pinterest and Instagram. We also have a YouTube Channel where we show our Project Tours and really cool hotels we travel to because we’re obsessed.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I hope that both Alex & her designer are not mad at me for basically writing a studio design tell all.

Below are a bunch of alternate items at varying price points if you want to implement similar pieces into your space. Enjoy!

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Chair 1. Chair 2. Chair 3. Chair 4. Chair 5. Chair 6. Chair 7. Chair 8.

Don’t Leave Me Side Table, Black, XL at Design Within Reach.jpg

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Table 1. Table 2. Table 3. Table 4. Table 5. Table 6.

Hello! Do you fall in love with old homes like I do? Finding super unique old homes on zillow is a guilty pleasure of mine… but it doesn’t stop there! I see the phenomenal bones of the home and I look at the current state. Then I imagine enhancing the uniqueness of the home while also bringing some of the finishes and fixtures into the 21st century. However, more often than not, I see the house for sale on zillow and I dream a thousand dreams for it, then it gets sold. Then it pops back up on the market and someone came in and painted the interior grey & white and try to sell it to make a quick buck. This breaks my heart. Does it break yours too? This is why I’m starting this series on my blog: Old Nebraska Home. I’ll post current listings of older Nebraska homes and I’ll share a few of my dreams to renovate it. If you ever fall in love with one of these homes and want our help at The Heartland Interior Design, we would love to help you renovate it and give it new life.

Above is the existing exterior of the home. Photos by Modern Real Estate Nebraska.

Above is my vision for the home: white siding, black roof and black brick planter boxes.

This home is located on a stunning lake just west of Grand Island, Nebraska. The address is 225 Lakeside Drive. Grand Island, NE 68801. I saw the phone on Modern Real Estate Nebraska’s Instagram and I fell in LOVE with the architecture of the home. Look at these incredibly large panoramic windows with spectacular lake views! I am smitten and I know my husband would love this home too because it is literally located on it’s own peninsula on the island. Aka: no direct neighbors. The only slight setback to commanding your own peninsula is the long driveway: think Nebraska winters. You’ll have some serious driveway snow-removal to do…. but that’s besides the point lol.

The home has incredible roof lines and multiple brick planters for tons of fun plants AND it has built in benches. There are so many different indoor & outdoor gathering spots on this property. It has room to accommodate anyone and everyone! If you go to the zillow page, I dare you to count all the exterior furniture groupings. It’s a dream place for anyone with large extended family or a big social circle.

I would say the toughest sell might be the approach to the front door. We can easily fix the landscaping. Add some stair stepped pavers. Remove the concrete blocks. Add some boxwood plants and maybe some white hydrangeas…. but there is the turret to discuss. What is a turret? It’s the part that looks like a castle. I would remove the top of the turret so it would just be a simple cylinder and then I would paint that whole thing white. You may not be able to envision it entirely, but I promise you it will help substantially. I would also restrain all the deck to a more natural wood-tone.

The entry is actually very nice. It is spacious and flooded with natural light. There is space to hang a stunning new chandelier and I would have the existing floor tile removed. Then I would replace the floor tile with a natural grey slate tile. It would add texture and warmth to the space while still being durable. I would paint the walls white and replace the windows to have black frames. Then I would also replace the front door with a metal and glass black steel door.

As you progress into the home you instantly see the height and scale of the home. The two story entry gets even better when the stairs cut up and down into the adjacent spaces. From the top to the bottom, you can see four different levels from one vantage point. Talk about a WOW factor! I would substantially clean up the stairs. I would start by removing the wooden handrails and replace them with sleek black metal handrails and balusters. Then I would remove the carpeted treads and I would have natural wood treads. Lastly, I would paint the stringers white so they are visually lighter but still keep the structural integrity of the staircase.

One of my favorite features in old homes is the sunken lounge. I absolutely love this concept because it’s cozy and social in a way that’s not designed around a TV. I think the sunken lounge promotes conversation and taking time out of your day to just be with the people around you. This sunken lounge could definitely use some updating because it looks tired and dated. I would remove all the carpet and install white oak wood flooring. I would paint the walls white. I would update the little stair railings. Then I would replace the brick surround on the fireplace with a marble surround for a more dynamic and contemporary look. Then I would reupholster the lounge cushions in a green fabric to add a pop of color. I would install a new light fixture, add a new table and different throw pillows for a much more unique space.

There are so many simple updates I would do to this incredible home, but I just wanted to give you a little taste of my vision. If you are interested in purchasing this home, I would love to have a conversation with you about how we could renovate it together. I see so much potential here that I even tried to get my husband to move to Grand Island lol! (He works in Omaha and it doesn’t make sense for us to leave his job.) Luckily, I work all over the state (and we even have some potential jobs out of state) so I can really work from anywhere. Anyways, that is not the point. The point is, there are so many incredible homes in Nebraska and sometimes a real gem pops up on the market that catches my attention. If you see an incredible old home, please let me know! I’d love to see it too and maybe even share my two cents about the potential design direction. As always, thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!