I discovered I'm a lot more patient than I thought I'd be. It takes a lot to shake me.

As a kid I used to love going to open houses and doing DIY projects with my parents and sister around our home.

There's nothing worse than coming home to a room that looks like a catalog.

With small spaces in particular you have to really follow the rule that if it's not absolutely beautiful or absolutely functional, then get rid of it.

It's so funny because as a parent you kind of just fall into your roles. Nate loves to change a diaper more than anybody should because he knows he's instantly solved something. I'm the one that's up all night and in the morning because I need barely any sleep.

The thing that nobody talks about with nurseries is that it's also about creating a beautiful place for you. You spend so much time there, it needs to be a soft place to land.

I think of myself as California modern, and I'm hugely inspired by nature.

For summer soirees, I recommend being bold. Add a flavorful herb or a fresh, exotic fruit or vegetable to transport your guests to another place.

I'm inspired by deep, earthy smells, especially of the outdoors.

When I first became really interested in building furniture, I went to Toys-R-Us, and spent $200 on Transformers toys. By taking the toys apart and studying how they moved, I was able to figure out how to hide a table leaf, what type of contraption I'd need to slide it under the table. I'm a really visual learner.

My biggest pet peeve is rushing.

Your home is the truest and most honest reflection of who you are, where you've been, and where you want to go.

Joel Chen is a friend and I'm a huge fan of JF Chen.

I recognized that the passion I have and feel for interior and design and furniture was not organically there for styling. The fuel that drives you when doing something you truly love... wasn't there.

I personally love mini bouquets randomly throughout my bathroom and my dressing room. I'll put a small bouquet on a dresser or on a round marble table in my bathroom next to the sink.

I have such deep appreciation for artists who have the ability to create something from within, something completely unique and original to each piece of work.

People want to connect with what they're purchasing.

I don't think unlacquered brass is going anywhere. And I hope the trend of mixing metals continues to live on. The trick to mixing metals is balance.

Book-matched marble is one of the truest ways to showcase the natural beauty of the stone and can become a statement piece of art.

Bookshelves are the most natural places for displaying your personal photos and picture frames. I always print our photos in black and white to keep a classic and cohesive look.

If I host something, even if it's just dinner at my house, I like the event to move. So that means cocktails in the family room, and then moving outside and having appetizers on the patio, and then moving to dinner at the dining table. It's just the idea of the event being curated to every little detail.

I think that's the great thing about interiors is that they can be treated like a great wardrobe. Choose a sofa and chairs that are staples in clean shapes that will keep for the next couple of years or decade. Then an easy way to bump up your entire room or your interiors is accessories.

You have to try different things, that's how people realize what they're meant to do.

When you marry a triple Virgo, there's no way to meditate the stress away.