Welcome Home to the Suburbs

Tile, sinks and faucets - a kitchen and bath renovation can be so overwhelming! Today I'm joined by Emily and Dawn of Torrco Design Center, who reveal how having the right team behind you can take the overwhelm out of the process. They also provide some great tips and best practices for accomplishing the next renovation project you tackle in your home, along with the pitfalls to watch for, and so...

Did you know that there's actually a science behind getting a good night's sleep on the proper mattress? In this episode, Bob Zukowski of Custom Sleep Technology is here to share what you need to know about the benefits of a real custom mattress!  Bob is President and Co-Founder of Custom Technology, and he ha 23 years of experience in the mattress industry, including 9 years with Latex Internatio...

Are you tackling a home design or renovation project and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of moving parts and professionals involved? If so, you may need a renovation matchmaker to simplify the process! Enter today's expert guest, Julie Potack, founder of The Renovation Concierge, who is here to make your renovation journey smoother. Julie established The Renovation Concierge in 2023 with t...

Are you feeling lost when it comes to window treatments? Overwhelmed by all the options for your home? Today, we're pulling back the curtain on window treatments with expert Betsy Smyth from Bumble Bee Blinds! Betsy is also an interior designer with her own design firm, but she really saw a need in the marketplace to help people solve their window treatment dilemmas. Betsy spent her early carer da...

How do you go from overwhelm to ease when you're tackling a brand-new home design project in a new home in the suburbs? In this episode, you'll meet my client Virginia as she shares how her and I did it together with my signature room service. I hope this conversation gives you the insight and inspiration for your own home!  Is there's something Virginia shared today that resonated most with you,...

Are you ready to get your home organized this Fall? Setting boundaries is essential, and that's why I'm thrilled to introduce our first expert guest of the new season, Lisa Trigsted of Get Neat with Lisa!  Lisa grew up the oldest of 7 kids in beautiful Idaho. It was her parents who installed a "work before play" work ethic in her. This skill plus her natural gift for organization prompted her to s...

As the saying goes, "It's Fall Y'all", and that means a new season of The Welcome Home to the Suburbs Podcast is here! In this special Fall kickoff episode, I give you a sneak peek at what we'll have for you this season, and I share the ways in which I've designed my business to be different, in order to offer a design service specially curated for YOU, the Client.  I'm so excited to have you join...

The 2024 Spring Season has now officially wrapped up after our amazing interview last week with Lily Lou's Aroma's , but we'll be picking things back up this Fall! We don't want you to be forgetting about us over the summer, so make sure to join our email list as we'll be sharing about certain topics you may have missed from the last 100-plus episodes.  Over the summer, we'll be working on a new l...

Have you ever heard the expression "you can't have the rainbow without the rain?" Today you'll meet a very special guest and hear about how she has created her very own incredible rainbow!  At just 10 years old,   Lily   leads   Lily   Lou 's Aroma's, a business dedicated to creating eco-friendly self-care products with delightful scents. From scented candles to wax melts, essential oils, and perf...

As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding – and I'm serving you some pudding today! In this episode, you'll meet my very special guest, Lisa, who happens to be one of my clients that used my digital design services (for all 9 rooms in her home)!  You'll hear Lisa's story of moving to the town that I live in with her family and how she had already hired a contractor who was doing work when sh...

Are you ready to take your home from drab to fab? Today I share how you can transform it easily, and in a way that will give you an instant "HGTV effect" like you've ever had before!  If there's something I shared today that resonated most with you, or that you are going to try in your own home? If so, I want to hear about it! You can DM me on Instagram, @jillkalmaninteriors and I can't wait to he...

It's the central part of any living space and one of the biggest investments in your home furnishing. That's right, today we're talking about sofas today with our expert guest, Alex Back!  Alex is the founder and CEO of Couch.com , an innovative new online platform designed to help match customers with their perfect new couches. Formerly, he was the co-founder and COO of the popular furniture bran...

There's no one more versed at moving than a military family, and today's special guest knows this very well! In this episode, I'm joined by Katie Vail of the blog Stripes and Whimsy, and we talk all things moving – not just locations, but also what to consider with the style of home you are moving to. She also reveals why DIY takes guts, and you'll learn why Katie says, "don't wait around for your...

Today we're discussing one of the most common things I hear, which is finding your OWN style! In this episode I'm joined by Kate Taylor, as she reveals how style has nothing to do with your wallet and everything to do with confidence. There's a bridge between fashion and home, and your style has similarities with both, which you'll learn all about today!  If you found this episode interesting, we...

I might be known as your 'City to Suburbs Interior Designer', but today's guest is known as your 'Subway to Suburbs' Realtor!    Amanda Tarter is an experienced real estate professional who exudes the same fresh energy as her home city of Manhattan. She is personable, professional and dedicated, working diligently for her clients. First-time buyers especially love Amanda, thanks to her youthful sp...

For today's episode we're bringing the outdoors in, as my special guest helps others introduce natural moss art into a variety of commercial and residential spaces! Lindsay Scherr Burgess is the Founder and Moss Boss of Green Wallscapes, a company that brings spaces to life with no-hassle preserved moss walls, logos, lettering and art. She has done projects in over 35 states and Canada in her West...

This is a very special milestone for Welcome Home to the Suburbs as it's our 100 episode! Today I want to talk about something that's been on my mind, and that's TRENDS, or the 5-letter word that I like to call the four letter word. What does this mean? You'll find out all about it in this brand-new episode as I share the good, the bad and the ugly with trends!  I want to say that I am so grateful...

Can you believe it's already 2024? We've now entered the fourth year of Welcome Home to the Suburbs, and to kick it off I'm answering some of the questions that I get asked the most often by people in my DMs and my clients!  I hope this episode serves as a reminder that it's a brand-new year and you can do something fresh and new in your home. I'm here to help you along the way with this podcast,...

Feeling sentimental? If so, you're going to want to listen to what today's guest, Shana Novak (aka "The Heirloomist") has to say! In this episode, she reveals how to preserve your cherished memories in the most artful way, and as a sentimentalist myself, I was very excited to learn from Shana.  Shana Novak is an established commercial still life photographer based in New York City. She has collabo...

In today's episode, we're getting color conscious! My guest Mehnaz Khan is here to talk about the impact of using color in your home, and as you'll find out, color also has a big effect on YOU as well as your home!   Mehnaz Khan is an RIDQC certified professional residential interior designer with a focus on creating positive psychological spaces. She uses the principals of color and design psycho...

Do you love couture? Have you ever thought about putting it on your walls? After today's episode with my special guest, you just might want to make this your next home project! Molly Borman is the founder of Housewife Essentials, a wallpaper company based in Detroit. She is passionate about the power of great design, color and of course, couture. In this episode, Molly shares all about the amazing...

I know it sounds scary, but today we are talking about how to use pattern in your home! My guest is the very talented Lead Keggi from Coastl Design, and she's an artist who's developed a series of amazing (and affordable!) designs that you can use. We promise you that pattern isn't scary, and that you absolutely CAN do it!  Leah Keggi creates modern, coastal inspired art under the brand CoastL Stu...

Want to know what the BIG secret is to have an organized home? Today's guest is Margo Staten of Be Good to Yourself by Margo, and she's got the answers for you!  Margo likes to motivate and empower women to improve their quality of life by creating a relaxing home environment, and she says every woman deserves a clean and tidy home she can be proud of. Margo is a psychology professor, professional...

This episode is an eye-opening one, and an important topic, as I'm joined by home renovation expert Gabriella Milgrom to discuss the do's and don't's of home renovation!  Gabriella is an accredited interior designer and professional project manager who's been in the design and construction industry for nearly 15 years, designing multi-million dollar renovation projects, commercial spaces and hospi...

Today, I want to talk about what I was frustrated by with design. The intimidation, the overwhelm, the thought that design services are expensive (and more!) is what I've heard for years, but a few years back I had a lightbulb moment and embraced online and virtual design services, or "E-design." In this episode, you're not only going to hear about my pivot to this business model and why I wanted...