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We are thrilled to welcome Chicago-based interior designer Summer Thornton to the show. Her work has appeared in Architectural Digest, ELLE Decor, House Beautiful, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, as well as on the recent cover of Veranda. Her style is described as maximalist with a modern sensibility, whimsical textiles, bold art, and surprising patterns. She also wrote a fabulous and fun new book called Wonderland: Adventures in Decorating. We talk all about Summer\u2019s fantastic use of colors, how to break the rules, and how if you really love something it\u2019s never \u201ctoo much\u201d!\n\nWhat You\u2019ll Hear on This Episode:\n\nWe talk about how much we all love Summer\u2019s coffee table book Wonderland: Adventures in Decorating.\n\nWhy Summer loves using her dining room table as a \u201cstage\u201d when entertaining.\n\nHow does Summer account for having two young children when designing?\n\nWhat are Summer\u2019s guidelines for coming up with a color scheme?\n\nHow you can break the color rules of a color palette and make it work.\n\nSummer\u2019s biggest tip for designing a room is to try to plan it all at once.\n\nSummer thinks the important investment pieces are fabric and textiles.\n\nWhat are some of Summer\u2019s favorite fabrics, colors, and combinations?\n\nSummer loves using bold and fanciful shapes.\n\nTo layer and \u201cmake it work\u201d, Summer really recommends truly loving everything in your space.\n\nRules that Summer likes to break like using neutral sofas and the idea of throwaway spaces.\n\nSummer is designing a beach dream house in Mexico. Follow the progress for Casa Rosada Sayulita!\n\nSummer\u2019s final tip is to use a larger sample swatch to truly see a color.\n\n\nDecorating Dilemma:\nHi Deb,\nI love the idea of incorporating an older piece into this space. I don\u2019t like rooms that have all painted furniture, so I think the concept of using a wood tone balances this. What I think might be throwing things off is the style of this piece; I think it\u2019s maybe too delicate compared to the other pieces. That said, if you wanted to try to paint it, you could see if that helps it fit in better. Otherwise, I would recommend getting a different piece with a wood stain finish; I do think that works well. The other thing to consider is the styling; I would maybe take the runner off and style the lamp with a more modern shade. If you wanted to try, you could also bring more warm tones in to incorporate with this piece; maybe something like throw pillows and/or a floral fabric. I think you could live it up a little and change that wall color! If you are set on neutral, really soft pink or if you want to stay on the cool side a light lavender is a good place to start dipping your toe into colors.\nGood luck, Deb! Pick up Summer\u2019s book for inspiration and send us pics!\n\nMentioned in This Episode:\n\nSummer Thornton Design\n\nSummer Thornton Design on Instagram\n\nWonderland: Adventures in Decorating\n\nCasa Rosada Sayulita\n\n\u201cThe Blue Room\u201d - Lakeshore Drive Co-Op\n\nVeranda May/June issue\n\nMary Blair\n\nFarrow & Ball Paint Colors