Book Club
Memories of Home
Heidi Caillier
Say what you will about social media, I find a lot of inspiration during my scrolls through Instagram. Sometimes these are things I want to emulate while sometimes I take note of things I want to avoid…but always, I try to learn and grow as a designer. To that end, each week I clip out bits of interest and group them into a “Favorites from this Week” post, adding comments and genuinely trying to give shoutouts to fellow designers and other professionals in the design community. And this is how I found Heidi Caillier!
What originally lured me into Heidi’s world was a moody bathroom of deep green tile with sparkling gold finishes and an uber sophisticated pale marble vanity. It was an eclectic mix of traditional, industrial, and vintage glam that made my heart skip a beat. I went in search of her book, wondering if it would give away any hints of how she made her particular type magic happen.
A Foreword written by Amber Lewis certainly validated that I was in the right spot. If you’ve read my Call It Home edition of the Book Club blog, then you know I have a soft spot for Miss Amber…quirky, strong, and an amazingly talented designer. So when she says that Heidi is the real deal - I listen!
But if that wasn’t enough, as I started to read through the Introduction, each passing paragraph was met with audible declarations…ME TOO!...YES!...SO TRUE!...on and on until my family started wondering if I had completely lost my mind. I’m pretty sure Heidi is my long lost sister from another mother, just saying. From her father being in the military and moving around to her evolving into the design world from previous careers (even one as a nurse!), I felt like I was reading my appended life story. And then there was the mic drop - her call out of the common misconception that interior design is a frivolous job where we simply walk around town browsing and shopping for all of the pretty things. As she says, there are so many technical details that you need to know and practice in this industry, many of which aren’t even taught in design school, which means you need to learn them through trial and error. Take a peek at my Instagram reel about hanging a cluster of pendants…you’ll see what I mean. All of that to say - I felt seen!
Ok, enough gushing about the designer…lets get to the book. Long story short - it’s fabulous! But stick around and let me tell you why. As I’ve already mentioned, Heidi is very good at mixing styles which gives an overall modern and edgy lift to very traditional patterns and materials. One place that I think she does this very well is in one of her signature powder room designs, like the one shown below. The recipe: very traditional wallpaper, gilded accents, modern lighting, and an ornate marble sink. We only see this combo once among these pages, but there are lots to ogle over on her Instagram account. Just skip over the skirted porcelain vanities…I’m sure there is a time and place for them, but those remain a no-no in my books.
Another moment where I really appreciated the style mix was in this dining room design, but what really got me was those chairs! The fabric with that frame is divine, but then add the ruffle and OMG, Chef’s Kiss!! Not too feminine, not too masculine, and genuinely timeless. I could see these chairs being just as perfect if paired with a sleek Saarinen tulip table or a heavily veined marble slab table.
Much like Amber Lewis, Heidi has a very good lighting game. She excels at using lighting fixtures to add interest, either as grounding staples - like the entrance pendant below left, or beautifully funky accents - like the bedroom sconce below right. The book has a plethora of styles, shapes, and sizes to look through and the way they complement each space is calculated yet seems effortless. If you’ve ever wondered “what if” about a certain style of lighting in a room - you’ll likely find something in these pages to give you a nudge towards yay or nay.
Then there’s the wallpaper! Now unless you’ve been actively ignoring the design scene this year, you know that wallpaper is back and is making its way everywhere. Big pattern, small patter, light & bright, dark & sophisticated - it’s all in this book. I lean heavily towards the dark & moody spectrum, which made this woodland nightscape one of my instant favs!
Towards the back pages there is also a wonderful photo spread across two pages, demonstrating Heidi’s true design prowess. Working with a large open concept guest house, she added arched passageways, allowing her to delineate a living room, dining room, and kitchen…3 spaces open to each other with different flooring, different wall treatments, different color schemes, but all melded together seamlessly. A-MAZ-ING!! I couldn’t find a digital version of this double-wide picture but below are 3 separate pics from her Instagram profile that will give you the jist of her magic!
A quick shout out as well to the layout of this book - the writing is elaborate yet not excessive, leaving lots of room for large beautiful pictures. And about the pictures…my new girl crush on Heidi simultaneously introduced me to Haris Kenjar, the amazing photographer behind these images. The light used in these pictures is just right, letting shadows tell their stories and ensuring the patterns and colors in these designs don’t overpower the mood intended in these spaces.
While well outside of my usual style wheelhouse, I’m positively giddy about this book. With lots of inspirational nuggets that I’m excited to incorporate into future designs, this one is definitely going to find its way to my coffee table.
Battery Recharge: 95%
About the Author
Founder of TouchStone Interiors
After a successful and rewarding career in military healthcare, Nathalie followed her lifelong passion for design into the next chapter of her life. Beyond her formal education in decor and design, Nathalie continuously seeks out new and exciting materials and finishes to best serve her clients. An active member of the design community, she volunteers with the Decorators and Designers Association of Canada (DDA) and is a member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Her experience in healthcare and corporate management enables her to simultaneously design a space that caters to her client's physical and mental wellness while delivering a seamless project management solution.