As we approach a full year of podcasting, Deirdre and I are delighted to see the story behind The DnA of Home Interiors in print!
See the article here, or read the full text below:
Podcast The DnA of Home Interiors looks at common issues and dilemmas people face when redesigning their homes.
When brainstorming initial episode ideas for podcast The DnA of Home Interiors, Audrey Whelan of Audrey Whelan Design found that many of the topics came from issues she repeatedly dealt with when working with clients.
In fact, one of them – the issue of what to do about the coffee table – was a dilemma Audrey’s co-host, interiors search engine ufurnish.com founder Deirdre Mc Gettrick, was currently having with her husband. (In Audrey’s experience, couples often get stuck on whether or not to have a coffee table as one sees it as a place to put a cup of tea and the other as a place to rest their feet.)
“We had hundreds of topics,” says Holloway-based Audrey. “That is what gave us the confidence to go for it. There are so many things we could talk about, it’s never ending.”
The DnA of Home Interiors is a podcast about empowering people to make “confident decisions about their home interiors”, says Audrey, which is something both women are passionate about.
Deirdre founded ufurnish.com following her own difficulties in trying to source products and compare items and retailers online after buying her first house.
In her interior design practice, Audrey has begun to move away from a traditional approach to working with clients, and has started running workshops for homeowners who want to take control of their own interiors project but may need help with certain aspects such as planning or drawing.
“We wanted the podcast to be on the whole spectrum of interiors, not just about design, aesthetics and pretty things,” says Audrey. “We’re interviewing trades people and somebody from Checkatrade [the podcast’s sponsors] and we want to have a look at budgets and planning as well.”
Past topics include reducing fabric waste in interior design, furnishing period properties, guest sleeping solutions and working with colour and pattern.
Now in its third season, the podcast was launched in October 2019. The idea for it came about when Audrey and Deirdre first met, after noticing each other’s work on Instagram and commenting on each other’s posts, and then deciding to meet up.
“We were chatting about interiors and after a while Deirdre’s husband, who was there with us, said that we should do a podcast together.”
The pair released season three at the end of July. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first episode was on creating the right working environment at home.
“That was very much influenced by the pandemic. Fortunately, we had pre-recorded season two before the lockdown which gave us time to think about what are people thinking about now for season three,” says Audrey.
As a result, episodes in season three address the lifestyle changes we’ve all recently made thanks to Covid-19.
This includes bringing on guests such as garden designer and horticulture journalist Ciar Byrne who discusses gardens as an additional living space, and a working with tradespeople episode, as many of look at how we can improve our homes.
Past episodes also have added relevance now. As people look to take advantage of the stamp duty cut and homeowners look to upgrade their homes for more comfort and more space, the season two episode with founder of online estate agent emoove Russell Quirk on how to furnish your home ready for sale, offers timely advice.
Also in season three, Audrey and Deirdre talk to The French Bedroom Company founder Georgia Metcalfe about the benefits of silk bedding, online samples and long-term purchases designed to be passed down through generations, making the investment a more sustainable option.
The latest episode, with designer Abigail Ahern discussing faux botanicals and making homes cosy for winter, is out now through iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.