Kandrac & Kole, interior designers based in Woodstock, have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Atlanta Magazine, and HGTV Magazine. Their podcast, Inside Design, has over 140 episodes. Their new venture is a podcast called The Inside Scoop.
What inspired you to start podcasting?
When we started Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole six years ago, we had already been in business for 13 years. Even though we were swamped with design business, we were looking for a new creative outlet. We were interested in public speaking, coaching, writing a book - all the entrepreneurial things! We had just attended a small business mastermind event and met a Brand Strategist, Phil Pallen, who offered to do a brand audit for our group for a reduced rate. We had nothing to lose and could benefit from a helpful critique. After his audit of our social media platforms, website, portfolio, etc., he declared our unique partnership, energy, and experience were the perfect chemistry for a podcast. We were off and running! We tell even more of the story in the first episode.
What can we expect from The Inside Scoop?
After six years of Inside Design, we got the creative itch again. After all these years of podcasting and testing our social media content, we discovered people were particularly interested in us as people. We hope it's because we pride ourselves on being authentic and approachable. We are transparent, straightforward, and open to all types of conversations. Strangers will stop us on the street to discuss the podcast and ask our opinion. We started getting a lot of questions about our fashion choices, travel tips, book recommendations, product recommendations, etc. Also happening at the same time was the need for more sponsorship opportunities. Our 2024 podcast episodes were 85% sponsored by December 2023, and we knew we would have to start turning down brands who wanted to sponsor us if we didn't develop more episodes. In addition, we wanted to offer a less expensive option to small brands who wanted to dip their toe into podcast advertising but didn't have a large marketing budget. Thus, our 10-minute bonus episode, The Inside Scoop, was born. Consider it a girlfriend chat about all the things we love and want to share the scoop on.
How do other parts of the creative world, such as fashion, influence your work as an interior designer?
We look at the world through creative eyes, so fashion, food, music, books, interiors, etc., become art to us. Art is a constant influence if you look for it. Many trends, especially for colors, start with the fashion runways and automotive industries and then trickle down to interiors. We carefully follow the color forecasting and research from companies like Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore to inspire us. We probably get the most inspiration from our travels, like our trip to Marrakesh last year.
In what ways do the colors, styles, textures, or materials you encounter during your travels translate into your design choices?
We thoroughly believe travel makes us better designers. We want to be inspired by different cultures - to learn about their histories and stories and how those translate into the creations of rugs, textiles, art, etc. Last year, when we traveled to Marrakesh and Lisbon, we fell in love with colored tiles. Especially in Marrakesh, walls were never plain sheetrock - every surface was tiled! The colors and patterns were something we wanted to replicate when we came home. In Lisbon, the exteriors of buildings were tiled in bright greens and vibrant blues - we were in heaven. You don't know what you don't know, so seeing materials used in ways you're not familiar with, especially up close and personal, was incredibly inspiring!
You love a good art gallery wall. Who are some of your favorite artists at the moment?
We are huge lovers of original art and love to support local galleries like DK Gallery, Gregg Irby Gallery, Pryor Fine Art, and Anne Irvin Fine Art. Some of our favorites are Kim Schuessler, Kathryn Gage, Elizabeth Chapman, and Whitney Stoddard, to name a few. However, when we create galleries for our clients, the art might be a special piece painted by a late grandmother, a memory painted by a street vendor in Europe, or a child's hand painting - if it resonates with a person, it's art.
We look at the world through creative eyes, so fashion, food, music, books, interiors, etc., become art to us. Art is a constant influence if you look for it.
