A New Year's resolution sparked designer Baylor Pillow to be more active on social media. He found it hard to define online relevance in the design world. "But here's the thing. I am absolutely—no question—bored to death with the look-at-me culture of Instagram. And let's be real, the design industry breeds some of the worst offenders," he jests. "My dilemma was clear. I knew I needed to step up my online presence, but the idea of consistently styling and photographing projects felt impossible."
To achieve his goal, he began sharing tips, tricks, hints and advice each day in 2024 – all wrapped in an Instagram story format. "Homemaking, art and design? That's where I have deep curiosity and, as a result, some real knowledge. I really want to be seen as a resource in those areas because I truly want to help people enjoy their things and, therefore, enjoy their lives. Two of my biggest tenets are don't save for the best and don't be overly precious. You should enjoy your fabulous things every day; if you don't, you may as well not have them. I want to take it a step further and coach followers through the best ways to spend on those fabulous things and how to take care of them," he explains.
Baylor started the Oxford, Mississippi, based BEEP Design Consulting in 2020 and focuses on residential and commercial interiors nationwide. With an emphasis on function and beauty, he believes in heirloom interiors: spaces made for comfort, socializing and livability. He was named an Emerging Designer for Arts Memphis' 2024 Art by Design.
"The tips have come from everywhere," he shares. "Things I've learned, vintage cookbooks I obsessively collect from the Mississippi Delta (where I'm from). Other books like Sally Quinn's The Party, Lulu Powers' Food to Flowers, George Grotz's The Furniture Doctor, anything from Martha Stewart's amazingly thorough and organized publication and advice from other designers and friends. Even followers have shared gems," he notes.
He stuck with the resolution for the whole year through each daily post. Baylor was able to grow his online presence, engage with followers and share his design projects in a genuine way. This month, we are sharing 25 of his tips in honor of the new year.
- You should flip diffuser sticks about every other week to keep the scent fresh. So many people lament that diffusers don't work - but they have the reeds sitting in the same position for a year plus.
- You're probably putting your garbage bag in wrong. Typically, they come off the roll inside-out. The loose seam should be to the inside of the trash bin. It will be much more durable this way and fit the can more easily.
- Reduce flies and mosquitoes from entering your house by spritzing the interior of exterior door frames with a 50/50 solution of Pine-Sol and water - works on deck furniture, too.
- The natural way to reduce ants in your kitchen is to keep fresh sage growing on the counter.
- Keep lampshades level by placing a washer between the finial and the lampshade fitting.
- Use a little bit of mineral oil, beeswax spray or even Vaseline to wipe curtain rods 1 to 2 times a year. It keeps the rings from dragging.
- If you need to melt butter in the microwave, place some of the wrapper over the top of the bowl to insulate and keep it from exploding everywhere inside.
- An emptied dishwasher is as important as an emptied trash can before a party.
- When packing a suitcase, lay the items most likely to wrinkle at the bottom. The pressure from the clothes on top keeps them held upright.
- Best not to give a hostess gift you expect to be used or served immediately. It adds extra stress and can feel self-serving.
- Never pour hot oil down the drain. Instead, line a bowl with aluminum foil and pour the hot oil in. Once it hardens, pull the foil out, roll it into a ball and toss.
- Easiest way to peel a boiled egg: let it cool, then tap the top and bottom on the countertop and roll the egg across a paper towel with gentle pressure. Usually comes off in one or two pieces.
- Mayonnaise polishes furniture really well. Apply a small amount on a cloth until it's covered in a thin layer. Let it sit for a few hours, then buff it off with a microfiber cloth. This tip sounds crazy - but it works!
- Have a wallpaper pattern that you love but don't have a wall? Maybe it's a remnant, or is over budget? Consider adding it to the back of a piece or the interior of a drawer. Don't worry. This method will not hurt the integrity of a piece. Backing, shelves, and drawer boxes are usually not original on antiques.
- Keep a few old wine corks on hand to cut and use for wobbly furniture.
- Cashmere and wool shampoos are a bit of a marketing scam in my opinion. I hand wash in cold water with baby shampoo and baking soda and have never had an issue.
- Avoid using chlorine bleach if you have water higher in iron, i.e., water from a well. The reaction between chlorine and iron causes yellowing over time.
- Red wine and dish soap in a bowl attract and trap fruit flies.
- Remove dents left by furniture in rugs and carpets by placing ice cubes on top of the indentations and letting them melt and dry. Repeat as necessary.
- Hire your designer when you hire your architect. Make sure they share the same ethos or at least respect each other's.
- Use a seam ripper to easily clean up the roller head of your vacuum if it is clogged with hair, threads, etc.
- Use a lint roller to regularly dust lampshades and upholstered headboards.
- It really takes time to finalize paint colors. Rule of thumb: look at the color in three locations and lighting conditions. Make this easy on yourself by painting 16 x 16 drywall boards and moving them around over a few days as the light and weather change rather than painting all over different spots of your walls.
- If you don't have an herb stripper (most people don't, and I don't want one), you can pull woody herbs like rosemary and thyme through one of the holes of your box grater and get the same result.
- If you don't have space to house a ton of serving pieces, opt for the following:
- 9" salad plates as a workhorse for sides, appetizers, garnishes, desserts, etc.
- Silver bowls (16 oz.) - anything from a jar of olives to a bag of Lay's looks good in a silver bowl.
- Good-looking food-grade wax paper. For larger foods/servings - use your sheet pans for serving and just put wax paper beneath.
- White ceramic roasting pans that go from oven to table are worth their weight in gold
Follow Baylor Pillow and BEEP Design Consulting at @beepdesign.co
Stay tuned for a downloadable release of all of his 2024 Daily Tips.
"Two of my biggest tenets are don't save for best and don’t be overly precious."
"Hire your designer when you hire your architect. Make sure they share the same ethos or at least respect each other's."