1. She likes to upholster things, particularly box springs and headboards. Not a bedskirt or dust ruffle in sight. But also lampshades, coffee tables and walls.
2. Two of her favorite resources are Christie’s and Doyle’s Decorative sales — where she snaps up great buys on other people’s mistakes. Katie was refreshingly open about her own mistakes over the years, and seems to enjoy the trial & error process as much as the results.
3. At House Beautiful, the editorial shot for the mag is primarily funded by a major client, advertiser or manufacturer. The homeowner moves out and allows their house to be redone. The architect & decorator work their magic and then it’s shot for the pages. So that’s why there’s always so much of a specific brand of furniture used in a featured reno.
4. She starts with the carpets or rugs and builds from there. Sigh, They always say that.
5. One of her most popular “problems solved” is this girl’s bedroom with no closets, where she used a double as a daybed and built in closets on either side. Then she upholstered the whole thing as well as the room in a printed fabric. Like I said, she likes upholstery, and it works for her!
Katie Ridder is ALL about color, and she’s down-to-earth, inventive and super entertaining to listen to. She was one of my favorite RTB Symposium speakers yet! Some of my picks from her prodigious work below:
