Megan, Joni and I welcomed the fantastic Brooke Giannetti of Velvet and Linen to the table this week. Brooke shares with us some of her design process, her partnership with her husband Steve, and the evolution of Giannetti Home.
Such a wonderful interview with Brooke and it is so nice to hear her voice. I do agree with Brooke about using old things to decorate your home, they have so much more charm and character.
I am just about to sit and listen to all your other interviews. Forget cooking dinner tonight for the family, I'm sitting here for the next four hours.
My goodness, where have I been? Am I the only blogger in this world to not visit your site.
This was so much fun! Thank you Joni, Megan and Linda for a wonderful experience. It was such a treat getting to spend some time chatting with all of you.
Loved the interview!! As one who doesn't get excited about new furniture store items, and tends to shop thrift markets and ebay, I was delighted to hear Brooke's comments on that subject. also, "start with the fabric" was very helpful! thanks SRT, for another fantastic interview!!
Wow Ladies. I gotta say that this was one of my favorite interviews. I've been a listener from day 1, but this is my first time commenting. Since I'm relatively new to the design field and work on mostly budget rooms I was always afraid to comment, because I wasn't sure what I could add to the table, but hearing Brooke and finding out design is a semi recent venture for her made be decide to comment.
What an amazing women. Just hearing her talk about her passion, her design steps, her family. It was great. I want to be adopted into that family! What talent.
That was an amazing interview! Brooke is correct design is a passion... and I could hear it in her voice. I love the skirtedround table, I call it my talking blog, no one and I mean no one bothers me when I am listening...thank you ladies for the many minutes of enjoyment...Regards, Carol Ann x
I REALLY enjoyed this one :0) it was great hearing her voice, and I really adore her blog and find SO much inspiration there. Thanks for the great interview!
We have the very old book (c 1965) "Elegant Decorating on a Limited Budget." It's best advice comes early on: "Realize your tastes will change."
Our projects were done with Brooke's method: As long term hunts carrying around inspiration fabrics. Our Gordon took us on shopping trips when we had the time. Things fell into place as we went. We'd be searching for specific things but we often found great thing unexpectedly. We learned as much from what we didn't choose as from what we did choose. Lot's of folks are too busy to do it that way.
I'm sure I've bored y'all about how very personal I think the design process is. Maybe I notice it more because I'm the husband and I've done it 3 times.
Brooke is lovely!! It's wonderful to hear her voice. I do believe the successful blogs are those that are a bit personal. Thank you for sharing your life with us Brooke. I cannot wait to see what you do to your house.
Fingers crossed that Larry King doesn't have a week long special about serial killers targeting Design Bloggers! Or wait, better yet, AC !!! (Joni, you literally had me howling here..and I'm at my Mom and Dad's and they are all like..what?what?what?...hee hee)Alright now, back to seriousness here: Brooke, You give the thousands of design lovers so much courage to try - by sharing and revealing your truth. It was very exciting to hear about how you grew up within a creative family. I do believe you live a charmed life, however, I know you work very, very, very hard to create that charmed life. It's as though you and your husband have a 'perfect design world' - the kind bloggers in pyjamas are wishing they could have. They want to publish something like Velvet and Linen - they want to own a company like Giannetti Home. Thank you for blogging. Thank you for giving your creativity to the world. LPxo
Love the interview. Love all your interviews. This was very inspirational and real world stuff. Keep up the good work and I will be there to enjoy! Karen
Anonymous said…
Hi Brooke, Wow - thanks so much for giving us the opportunity to listen - you are VERY COOL - you are a great human being/mother and you offer so much to all of us here in "love my house" land. Thanks
Hi Linda; Thank you for checking out the Tara space. If you would like to see the rest of the showhouse, you can view at www.pointclickhome.com (Met Home site)....or you can always come down to new York, and i will be happy to give you a private tour.... Francine
Anonymous said…
Dear Skirted Roundtable: Thanks for showcasing Brooke - she is a talent for sure - loved the artwork by Clay Wagstaff she showcased - her use of accent colors and her overall taste create spaces you just want to swoon right into!
Those California girls! My daughter had her home featured in a magazine - actually several - and the names (including the children's names and pictures) were in the article - I worried about the exposure, but my youngest son (like Joni's response) said mom, how many child molester types read these design magazines and I stopped worrying!
Suzanne on St. Simons
Anonymous said…
Loved this interview....great job ladies !!!
Brooke's blog is one of my faves, she is such a sweetie !!!
"the Great Skirted Ones" okay,laughing out loud about that...it may become a trend.:)
Thanks so much for this great interview with Brooke, it's one of the best! What a wonderful, sweet and just plain NICE designer she is. Someone I think we all could instantly be best friends with. I love visiting Velvet&Linen and am always inspired. Merci! Lidy
Again, another wonderful interview. Another Brooke fan, that's me! Joni, I have been known to gaze longingly at the Gianetti site myself. And having grown up with summers in Newport Beach, it makes me homesick for SoCal sometimes. Such beautiful work Brooke does!! Thanks.
Hi Joni, Megan and Linda, I so enjoyed hearing Brooke's perspective on blogging and design...great interview! She is just as charming "in podcast" as she comes across on her blog! I loved hearing her describe her philosphy of filling a home with individual pieces that have real meaning and soul...as opposed to buying a bunch of new stuff to fill the spaces. I soooo agree and she explained it perfectly! That is exactly why her own home is so unique and beautiful! Can't wait to see the changes she has in mind for the future. Susan
Girls, you did it again! Another fantastic interview. I've loved Brooke since the first time I looked at V & L, but now I'm even more enamoured with her. (Ooops! I might start sounding like a stalker). So much of what she said appealed to me - designs driven by clients and use of antiques in her designs. One thing that really struck me was her insight into the blogging friends question. I keep thinking I'm crazy, because I often feel closer to other bloggers than I have felt to "real" friends in my life. After hearing Brooke talk, I realize that is what blogging does for you - it gives you a connection to people who have the same interests, and that isn't usually the case in real life. On another note, I did just read about a blogger who posted her children's photos on her blog and then saw a strange visitor on her site meter a couple of times. When she tracked down that visitor, she found some pictures of her children posted in a sexual context. She has since gone private with her blog. I am so naive that I would never have thought of that happening. It's probably more likely on a blog like mine that isn't really a design blog. On the other hand, many design magazines photograph a designer's children in their homes, so I guess those photos could be copied to the internet too. Sorry, y'all got me all wound up again! Great interview. laurie
Hands down my favorite interview! Loved it! Brooke sounds as charming as she reads on her blog. I want more!!! I request another interview with Brooke, this time with questions from listeners!
I am catching up on my SR tonight - I tried to download it onto my iphone while in carpool line (on Brooke's suggestion), but the file was too big!
It was wonderful getting to hear Brooke's real voice - one of my favorite aspects of the SR - and hearing the story behind her blog, her store, and her family. She is truly one of the shining lights of the design blog universe!
Hi Girls...I'm listening to your conversation with Brooke for the second time. She is so humble, smart, and real...it's refreshing. Thanks for inviting such a warm & friendly designer/blogger/mom/wife/ guest who we all would love to call "friend." Lisa
I finally have time to listen to all these interviews as I'm in bed with the flu! Starting with Brooke Giannetti! What a great interview! I am in such awe of her and can identify with her as well. Thank you for bringing her to the SRT! -Delores
My second listen and it was just as good as the first one...looking forward to the rest. I loved that Brooke talked about feeling truly connected with design bloggers. I am fairly new to this forum and felt the same way when I discoverd all of you last Nov....a separated at birth kind of feeling. Someone "got me" & I "get them". On to more listening.
Comments
I am just about to sit and listen to all your other interviews. Forget cooking dinner tonight for the family, I'm sitting here for the next four hours.
My goodness, where have I been? Am I the only blogger in this world to not visit your site.
Coty Farquhar, Australia
Thank you Joni, Megan and Linda for a wonderful experience.
It was such a treat getting to spend some time chatting with all of you.
xo
Brooke
Kathy
What an amazing women. Just hearing her talk about her passion, her design steps, her family. It was great. I want to be adopted into that family! What talent.
Another great interview. Bravo ladies!
Brooke is correct design is a passion... and I could hear it in her voice.
I love the skirtedround table, I call it my talking blog, no one and I mean no one bothers me when I am listening...thank you ladies for the many minutes of enjoyment...Regards, Carol Ann x
And ladies, you asked a lot of good questions to Brooke!
Thanks a lot for this interview!
Greet
We have the very old book (c 1965) "Elegant Decorating on a Limited Budget." It's best advice comes early on: "Realize your tastes will change."
Our projects were done with Brooke's method: As long term hunts carrying around inspiration fabrics. Our Gordon took us on shopping trips when we had the time. Things fell into place as we went. We'd be searching for specific things but we often found great thing unexpectedly. We learned as much from what we didn't choose as from what we did choose. Lot's of folks are too busy to do it that way.
I'm sure I've bored y'all about how very personal I think the design process is. Maybe I notice it more because I'm the husband and I've done it 3 times.
You girls are fun!
Keep up the good work and I will be there to enjoy! Karen
Thank you for checking out the Tara space. If you would like to see the rest of the showhouse, you can view at www.pointclickhome.com (Met Home site)....or you can always come down to new York, and i will be happy to give you a private tour....
Francine
Thanks for showcasing Brooke - she is a talent for sure - loved the artwork by Clay Wagstaff she showcased - her use of accent colors and her overall taste create spaces you just want to swoon right into!
Those California girls! My daughter had her home featured in a magazine - actually several - and the names (including the children's names and pictures) were in the article - I worried about the exposure, but my youngest son (like Joni's response) said mom, how many child molester types read these design magazines and I stopped worrying!
Suzanne on St. Simons
Brooke's blog is one of my faves, she is such a sweetie !!!
Kathy :)
Thanks so much for this great interview with Brooke, it's one of the best! What a wonderful, sweet and just plain NICE designer she is. Someone I think we all could instantly be best friends with. I love visiting Velvet&Linen and am always inspired. Merci!
Lidy
x
Maria
Susan
You really understand what I'm doing!
Thank you so much for leaving these comments.
xo
Brooke
I want more!!! I request another interview with Brooke, this time with questions from listeners!
It was wonderful getting to hear Brooke's real voice - one of my favorite aspects of the SR - and hearing the story behind her blog, her store, and her family. She is truly one of the shining lights of the design blog universe!
Lisa
I loved that Brooke talked about feeling truly connected with design bloggers. I am fairly new to this forum and felt the same way when I discoverd all of you last Nov....a separated at birth kind of feeling. Someone "got me" & I "get them".
On to more listening.