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Sharon Hanby-Robie joined the Practical Preservation podcast to discuss her interior design philosophy, her new brand of home furnishings “Home by SHR“, how color influences our emotions (it is the second strongest emotional trigger with scent being the first).
Throughout her over forty-year career in interior design Sharon has ‘reinvented’ herself many times (successfully) from resident home décor expert for QVC, Inc, wallpaper industry spokesperson, and best-selling author Sharon has found ways to serve her audience and empower people to feel confident in their own decorating skills.
Contact Info:
Offers:
Christmas in July on QVC
Mention you heard the Practical Preservation podcast for a discounted Color Consulation
Bio:
Sharon has been an interior designer and member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for more than forty years. She works on projects in many fields including residential, hospitality, and health care, and is a regular speaker for business and women’s organizations. She also continues to write for many magazines and web publications as well as a regular interviewee on radio.
Since 2003, Sharon has been the resident home décor expert for QVC Inc., showcasing the latest in interior design and home fashion to millions of television viewers.
In March 2019 Sharon launched her own brand of home furnishings, “Home by SHR,” on the QVC Television Network. It was very well received and will be expanding in 2020 with accessory and lighting in addition to bedding and area rugs.
From January 2000 – 2005 The Wallpaper Council selected Sharon as the wallpaper industry spokesperson. She used her professional expertise and knowledge as an interior designer and decorating expert to deliver important messages about wallpaper to consumers nationwide.
Sharon was the host of Scripps DIY Network’s Ask DIY show and has been featured on The Today Show; Later Today; QVC, Inc., shopping network; PBS’s Handy Ma’am, HGTV’s Mission Organization, Decorating with Style, Interiors by Design, Smart Solutions; Discovery Channel’s Home Matters, Interior Motives; as well as The Maurey Povich Show, and The Gale King Show.
Sharon is also a best-selling author. The My Name Isn’t Martha series of books include My Name Isn’t Martha But I Can Decorate My Home, and My Name Isn’t Martha, But I can Renovate My Home: The Real Person’s Guide to Home Improvement and Beautiful Places, Spiritual Spaces. Her latest books, titles in The Spirit of Simple LivingTM series, are from Guideposts Books. The Simple Home was released in October 2006. A Simple Wedding was released in the spring of 2007. Sharon’s most recent book is Decorating Without Fear, from Rutledge Hill Press.
Specialties: Media Spokesperson for all areas of the home industry, Media Satellite Tours, Speaking for Business and Women’s groups, Interior Designer, Author.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for tuning in to the Practical Preservation Podcast. Please take a moment to visit our website practicalpreservationservices.com for additional information and tips to help you restore your historical home if you’ve not done so, please subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud, and also like us on Facebook. Welcome to the practical preservation podcast, hosted by Danielle and Jonathan Keperling, Keperling Preservation Services is a family-owned business based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, dedicated to the preservation of our built architectural history for today’s use as well as future generations. Our weekly podcast provides you with expert advice specific to the unique needs of renovating a historic home, educating by sharing our, from the trenches, preservation knowledge and our guest’s expertise, balancing modern needs while maintaining the historical significance, character, and beauty of your period home.
Danielle Keperling:
Sharon Hanby Robie has been an interior designer and a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, ASID, for more than 40 years, she works on projects in many fields, including residential hospitality and healthcare, and is a regular speaker for business and women’s organizations. She also continues to write for many magazines and web publications, and she is also a regular interviewee on radio. Since 2003 Sharon has been the resident home decor expert for QVC Inc. Showcasing the latest in interior design and home fashion to millions of television viewers. In March 2019, Sharon launched her own brand of home furnishings Home by SHR on the QVC television network. It was very well received and will be expanding in 2020 with accessories and lighting. In addition to bedding and area rugs.
Danielle Keperling:
From January 2000 to 2005, The Wallpaper Council selected Sharon as the wallpaper industry spokesperson. She used her professional expertise and knowledge as an interior designer and decorating expert to deliver important messages about wallpaper to consumers nationwide. Sharon was the host of Scripts, DIY networks as DIY show and has been featured on the Today Show, Later Today, QVC Inc Shopping Network, PBS is Handyman, HGTVs Mission Organization, Decorating with Style, Interiors by Design, Smart Solutions, Discovery Channel’s Home Matters, Interior Motives, as well as the Maury Povich show and the Gail King show.
Danielle Keperling:
Sharon is also a best-selling author. The, My Name Isn’t Martha, series of books include, My Name Isn’t Martha, But I Can Decorate My Home and My Name Isn’t Martha, But I Can Renovate My Home, The Real Person’s Guide to Home Improvement and Beautiful Places, Spiritual Spaces. Her latest book titles in The Spirit of Simple Living series are from Guidepost Books. The Simple Home, was released in October 2006. A Simple Wedding, was released in spring of 2007. Sharon’s most recent book is Decorating Without Fear, from Rutledge Hill Press.
Danielle Keperling:
Sharon. Thank you for agreeing to join the Practical Preservation Podcast. I read an article that you were featured in, in the Lancaster newspapers, where you’re talking about your color consulting. And I was curious about that. And then I found out you do all this other work too.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Tried a long time. I’ve had enough time to do a lot of things in the same field. It’s been great.
Danielle Keperling:
Yes. So how did you begin your business?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Well, I knew at seven I wanted to be an interior designer. It was just, my mother was the youngest student ever accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Art. So I came by the artistic ability naturally, and I was literally re-wallpapering my bedroom at 13 and it just became a natural automatic passion for me that just led to a whole life career.
Danielle Keperling:
Did you have formal training or?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I did.
Danielle Keperling:
Okay.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I started out as a chemical engineer because I was good at math and science. And back in the seventies, they were pushing women into STEM classes, came out with degree in chemical engineering. Did that for five years, hated every minute of it, went back to school and got my degree in design.
Danielle Keperling:
Okay. Very good. Yeah, I do think that engineers do think very differently typically than artistic people. I can see why that would be hard.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
It’s very hard. [crosstalk 00:04:53]
Danielle Keperling:
So was there something in particular, I know you talked about your mom, being artistic. Was there something in particular that led you to interior design and color consulting?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Interior design is what I’ve done since 1974. And then my life has been blessed. I’ve been able to do so many things within the field and in the last 10 years, my life has been so busy that I had to start limiting the full design projects that I took on. And so that led to the color consultant being one of my primary things. And it’s simpler. It’s not as involved as taking on the whole project and that when I get to pick and choose the big projects that I want to work on.
Danielle Keperling:
That makes sense to me from a practicality standpoint, especially since you’re so busy with all your other, all the other things that you do that reach more people than on one-on-one projects.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Correct.
Danielle Keperling:
So you chose to work on or to focus on the color consulting because of your scheduling. Was there something that drew you to that rather than other options?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Well, I’m one of those weird people who has an extra cone in my eye, so I see colors more than most people. So there I’m particularly sensitive to color and I realized how important it was to our lives. And one of the things is it’s the second strongest emotional trigger. So it’s so important in our lives. And so it became something that I, it’s not just because I love it, but it’s a necessity.
Danielle Keperling:
Yeah. I actually, when you said that yet an extra cone I heard, Sunday afternoons, I’m cleaning the kitchen and I listened to the radio and they had a whole program about people that can differentiate very small shades. And so you are one of those people.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I am.
Danielle Keperling:
So, and I noticed, I spent some time on your website and I noticed that you have the simplicity theme. Is it hard then when you have clients that are less simplicity focused or do you just realize you’re not a good fit early on?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
No, actually, because I’ve never been a cookie cutter designer. I never specialized in one design, some do, I know that and they stay with that, but I really worked with the individual clients and meet their needs. And since I’ve been at this so long, I have enough experience that if I have a client who wants it over the top, I’m all in with them.
Danielle Keperling:
Right.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I can do that.
Danielle Keperling:
It’s just not, wouldn’t be your preference.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Wouldn’t be my preference.
Danielle Keperling:
Yeah. So tell me about your work with QVC. You designed their home line? Is that correct?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I have my own Home line, they’re called Home by SHR. We just launched in March, even though I’ve been at QVC for 16 years and developed their home category in total. Now that came to me this past year and asked me to create my own brand. And that’s been very exciting and I’m having a whole new adventure with it. I was just in New York last week, finalizing designs for next year. And it’s just, I just love adventure. So I’ve been fortunate to have many, and this is my latest.
Danielle Keperling:
Yes. That sounds exciting. What types of things are in your category or not in your brand? Is that how you would say it?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
So when QVC came to me, they said, we want something that doesn’t compete with anybody else’s brand here. And because you know the industry so well, we want you to come up with something that you think is going to be the best fit for QVC. We’ll of course, since transitional design is probably the biggest design trend, if you want to call it a trend. Very few people design in one specific area anymore. So what I’ve created is a transitional design style that will work in most homes. So, that’s what my line is all about. And it’s creating products that can allow you to simply transition or refresh your home without having to do everything.
Danielle Keperling:
To redo all of that seems like it would reach a wider variety or wider base of people. Then you were talking about, you went to New York and you’ve set up. Do you have any previews of the trends for next year? Or is it top secret?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
It’s a little bit secret, but not totally top secret. Obviously one of the trends we’re seeing is we’re moving back towards the seventies. And so the color range,
Danielle Keperling:
Like the oranges and the…
Sharon Hanby Robie:
The oranges and the golds and greens. And so that will be represented in the line.
Danielle Keperling:
Yes. Okay. And when I would read the title, My Name Isn’t Martha, I was like, I know exactly what she means and it made me giggle. [crosstalk 00:09:32]
Danielle Keperling:
So tell me about your book series and what your goal was. I feel like your style and, and correct me if I’m wrong, but your styling, your brand is trying to make this accessible to people.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Exactly.
Danielle Keperling:
And that’s, and that’s what I felt when I read the…
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I’m so glad because that’s my whole goal is to make people realize you can do this, you don’t have to be Martha Stewart to have a beautiful home. And my goal is educating you through a process that will help you to do what’s important to you in your home. Yes. Yourself.
Danielle Keperling:
Yeah. And was it 16 or 17 books?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
17 books.
Danielle Keperling:
17 books. You’ve written, that’s impressive. We have one and that’s a lot of work, so I can’t imagine. The process, I’m sure it doesn’t get easier. You just duplicate it every time.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
At one point I had contracts to write three books with three different publishers. And that was a challenging time trying to keep everything straight in my head and stay focused on the right topic for the agent. So I fortunately have a dear friend who became like a full-time associate and she helped keep the research all organized on the floor and kept me in line.
Danielle Keperling:
I think everybody needs that person. My mom always said, everybody needs a wife.
Danielle Keperling:
So, what topics did you cover in those series?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
How to lay out a room.
Danielle Keperling:
Okay.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
What to do with windows, color obviously. And what the process I take my clients through for color and just understanding how things work together, how do you hang artwork on a wall? How do you take a collage of photographs and make it look like it makes sense and not be all mushy and mochi.
Danielle Keperling:
Right.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
So, and took them literally through every topic within a home. And I’ve done the same thing with my latest book Decorating Without Fear.
Danielle Keperling:
Oh, that’s a great title too. I love your titles.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
So it’s literally identifying your personal style. It’s taking you through the process that I would take you through and allowing you to do it for yourself.
Danielle Keperling:
That’s great. Okay. So I know that you said you’ve been at this a long, long time, and I appreciate your sharing your knowledge and putting it into the books and the ways that people can reach you, even if they can’t work with you personally. Are there things that you wish you would have known now, starting out that you, that you didn’t know?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
A lot of the big mistakes I made at one point was trying to make it a bigger business. And I ended up with Townhouse Interiors downtown, and I had four designers working for me. And what I realized is I was running a business and not having fun. They were having all the fun and doing all the design work. And I was worrying about payroll, all these, running a business and that’s not what I wanted to do. So I did that for about 10 years and realized that was a mistake for me.
Danielle Keperling:
Yeah. And I think that a lot of business owners go through that because when my parents retired, Jonathan and I looked at each other and we’re like, do we want to keep doing this? This isn’t fun. And we’re like, we need to figure out how to make this work for us, rather than us working for it.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Exactly! That’s what it’s all about. You’re a creative person. You don’t want to be a business person.
Danielle Keperling:
Right.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
So as a self-employed person, virtually all my life, it’s one thing to work for yourself. But it’s another thing to have people working for you.
Danielle Keperling:
Yes, it is. I completely understand. So would you consider that your major mistake or not knowing? Would it be not knowing yourself or just not knowing what it entailed?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Didn’t know really what it was all going to entail when I started .
Danielle Keperling:
I think that happens.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Yeah. When you find that out. You’re going, wait a minute, one day, you just go, how did I get here?
Danielle Keperling:
Right. It just happens. It just keeps snowballing.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
It does.
Danielle Keperling:
Yeah. Are there mistakes that you see other people make in either color interior design?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I think the biggest mistake people make is not really knowing their own style and following trends and trends are great, but they’re temporary. And we all know that. And so I think that realizing that color, if we talk about that specifically, is the second strongest emotional trigger. And so understanding that your preference for color is going to be affected by your history, your cultural experiences, your ability to see color, and then understanding that each room has a purpose and the colors should match that purpose. And when I say that my kitchen is my energy place.
Danielle Keperling:
Right.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
So I have bolder colors, but the palette is the same throughout the house. But in my living room, my favorite place is the beach. So my house reflects that beach theme and those colors. And so it’s calling for me because I’m hyperactive. I need a home. That’s going to compliment my life and make things easier for me. So really understanding and being able to designate what is the energy purpose of this room and then using colors that will be to your advantage.
Danielle Keperling:
Yes. Are there colors that you warn people to kind of avoid putting into their home or is it more individual personal?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
It’s so cultural to each individual that, I can’t make that statement, but I can say that if you start with something you love, and it’s just the key thing for all design, I don’t care if it’s a scarf, a painting, a rug or a tea cup, as long as you have something that you love as your starting point, then you’re going to love your room.
Danielle Keperling:
Right. And I agree with that there, sometimes our people, our clients will look at me and, it’s there, they ask me. And sometimes we’ll say, typically in that period, this is what we’re doing, historical work. But if it could be either way, I’m like, that’s up to you. It’s aesthetic. At that point, it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t have to live with it. I’m not saying that from a non-caring standpoint, I’m saying that you need to really like it.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Like I know gray has been trending for the last 10 years. If you put me in a gray room, I’m depressed. I can’t function with gray. It’s too drab for me. It’s too depressing for me. But obviously it works for a lot of people.
Danielle Keperling:
Right.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
And that’s wonderful. It’s a great neutral, it’s a great background for other people.
Danielle Keperling:
Right. Yeah. So I understand what you mean. So do you have any advice or tips that you have for our listeners? Any words of wisdom?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
It is realizing that every person in the family is going to have a different palette and that the key is to find three main colors for the whole home. And then you can have several secondary or tertiary colors to compliment. But for whomever the room is most important is the person who gets to choose the final colors. So if your husband wants to cook, that would be great. Give him colors he loves. So he likes being in the kitchen. So really.
Danielle Keperling:
That makes sense.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
It does.
Danielle Keperling:
So have a foundation that works with everything more neutral and then have accents, is that?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Yes.
Danielle Keperling:
Okay.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
So I can make any three colors work together. As long as I find something to tie them together with. Whether it’s an area rug, a painting or pillows, whatever it may be. So the house overall should have a consistent theme in the open living spaces.
Danielle Keperling:
Yes.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Bedrooms, that’s a whole nother story. It’s personalized, especially for children.
Danielle Keperling:
Oh yes.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
You know, my brother had just moved into a new house in Florida and the kids each picked out their paint pillars. We went through that. That’s fun, that’s their personal space, but the main house is going to have a consistent flow of color.
Danielle Keperling:
That makes sense to me when you were saying that it made me think of my, it’s not exactly the same, but when I was younger, my mom was very particular on how her house was, but if I wanted to have my room a mess, we weren’t fighting over it. As long as my door could shut. And then, I got to an age where I’m like, I don’t want to live like this.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I have great niece and a goddaughter that lived with me through their teenage years. I gave them the basement, bedroom and bath. I’m like, just close the door.
Danielle Keperling:
Yes.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
So I just closed the door and I knew they did eventually come out of the messy stage and they both have beautiful clean homes today. So It’s just a matter of time
Danielle Keperling:
But yeah, that having that space, I think that’s a good designation, of everybody kind of needs their own space.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
They do. Yeah, they do.
Danielle Keperling:
So how can someone contact you? How can they find your books? Are they?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
My website.
Danielle Keperling:
Okay.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
And that’s just www.sharonhanbyrobie.com.
Danielle Keperling:
Okay. I’ll make sure that’s on our website too, so people can go straight to it. Are there any places you’ll be appearing or any books or specials or anything you think?
Sharon Hanby Robie:
QVC, obviously that’s where we start to get busy in July. And meanwhile, just working and offering your customers a discounted rate on collar consulting.
Danielle Keperling:
And do you have a code or? Okay. I’ll make a note of that too. Okay. Is there anything else that you, I feel like I’ve learned a lot. Yeah.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I think that covers most of it. Yeah.
Danielle Keperling:
Thank you very much.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
And just realize that color is vital to our lives and don’t be afraid of it.
Danielle Keperling:
I think that there’s a lot of people who are.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
I agree.
Danielle Keperling:
That is like just all stark white and nothing because that’s what you need to resell your house or whatever their motivation is.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
Right.
Danielle Keperling:
Yeah. Thank you very much for joining us.
Sharon Hanby Robie:
My pleasure.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to the practical preservation podcast. The resources discussed during this episode are on our website at practicalpreservationservices.com forward slash podcast. If you received value from this episode and know someone else that will get value from it as well, please share it with them. Join us next week for another episode of the Practical Preservation Podcast. For more information on restoring your historic home, visit practicalpreservationservices.com.