Gracious or Graceless?

The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline

Recording live from Birmingham during the Antiques at the Gardens event, hosts Paloma Contreras and Caroline Jadier share personal updates before launching into their recurring segment

Key takeaways

• Caroline attended a Harry Styles concert in New York with her daughter Lou, praising DJ Jamie XX's opening set and the 'Studio 54' vibe at Radio City Music Hall.
• Both hosts discussed their minimal sunscreen usage, citing dermatologist Andrew Huberman's advice to prioritize shade and clothing over daily chemical or mineral application.

Main topics

• Antiques at the Gardens event & Birmingham social calendar
• Etiquette dilemmas: party timing, shoe policies, airplane seats

Notable quotes

"Arriving precisely at the start time is also, I mean, it's just as bad as being there early."

Conclusion

The episode offers lighthearted yet practical guidance on navigating s

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) And you married him anyway. Speaker 1 (0:05) Hi, and welcome to The Install. We're Paloma Contreras and Caroline Jadier, and this is where we talk about design, business, and the real life behind creative work. What's inspiring us, what's challenging us, and everything in between. Speaker 2 (0:17) It was awkward trying to... get this podcast started sitting right next to each other. Speaker 1 (0:23) It's so fun to be in Birmingham in your beautiful studio today recording in real life. I know. Speaker 2 (0:29) I love having you here. We had a fun dinner last night. We did. Nothing but fun and games here in Birmingham all the time. It's a Speaker 1 (0:37) busy week. You guys have your antique show this week, Antiques at the Gardens, which is a big event. I've had the pleasure of attending a few times over the years, and it seems like this year is going to be bigger than ever. I mean, there are tons of people in town. Yeah. Speaker 2 (0:51) It's here in Birmingham. People are texting last minute. Can you get me tickets? Yeah. I mean, like. Speaker 1 (0:57) Last night, one of the girls was saying at dinner that she's heard people are scalping tickets, like they're selling them for a profit on the black market, which is crazy. Well, it is well Speaker 2 (1:10) -deserved, and it has been a slow burn growing into this crescendo. They've been working diligently on Antiques in the Gardens for 20 years. Penny Hartline has been down there. you know, like shepherding it. She's retiring this year, but there had just been a series of incredible chairs and they split it and they did it too. Then it was like four. Now it's like six. It's such a big job. And the vendor relationship, the vendors that they get to come in, like it keeps every year you think, well. gosh, I'd hate to be here next year because you really can't top that. And then they do. Well, Speaker 1 (1:53) it's amazing. Jennifer Gracie hosted us for dinner last night from Gracie Studio and showed us some pictures of. Beautiful. I mean, what do you call them? Like not sets, but like the environments that they're creating for the show and for the gala. And it looks unbelievable. So gorgeous. It's Speaker 2 (2:13) a Speaker 1 (2:13) big undertaking. Yeah, Speaker 2 (2:15) it's amazing. I can't wait to see it. I haven't been down there yet. You Speaker 1 (2:19) have some big speakers this year too, right? Oh, huge. It didn't get any bigger. Speaker 2 (2:23) Who's coming? Speaker 1 (2:24) Veer, Grenny, Speaker 2 (2:25) Bunny, Bunny Williams. Veer. Bunny, Matthew Carter. I just kept scrolling and thinking, oh, gosh, okay. Well, there's not any one of these that I don't want to get to. Right. No, Speaker 1 (2:36) it's a good list for sure. Yeah. Speaker 2 (2:38) I can't wait. It's going to be great. And we have the gala tomorrow night. But tonight, Paloma and I are just going to be whoop, whoop. We've got like three parties to go Speaker 1 (2:50) to. I'm going to be so exhausted on Sunday. This is not. I mean, you guys, especially, I feel like everybody in Birmingham, because there's multiple events every night. And I was saying to one of the girls at dinner, I feel like when you're attending from out of town and going somewhere specifically for an event like this, it's so much easier than living in the host town because you still have your business and your family to attend to. And then there's still all this stuff going on and people from out of town that want to see you and you're getting invited to things. It's a lot. I mean, I'm not staying for all of that. Unfortunately, this time I've got to get back home. But I mean, just two nights worth of being out is enough for me because I'm usually in bed by nine o'clock. I Speaker 2 (3:33) mean, Paloma, I am. I'm like, if I don't have my pajamas on and my face washed by 830, I don't know what to do with myself. And I've got. I had last night, I have every single night through Saturday night that I've got to be out on, honey. Could I have this full bead of makeup everywhere and the hair done? It's Speaker 1 (3:52) a lot of Speaker 2 (3:53) work. For sure. I'm going to be exhausted next week. But I'm excited for it. I mean, really excited. It should be a lot of fun. A lot of fun people coming in town. I'm speaking next week. Oh, good. At the Dallas Garden Club. Wonderful. And those ladies are coming. A big group is coming. So I'm having dinner with them on Friday night. excited about Speaker 1 (4:12) that. Speaker 2 (4:12) That's wonderful. It's gonna be a lot of fun. I can't wait. Speaker 1 (4:14) Okay. What's your high and low this week? Well, my high is being here with you. Um, and also it's the last week of September. So if you guys have been listening, it's been a crazy month of travel. So I'm glad this is my last Speaker 2 (4:27) trip for September. And then I'm home for Speaker 1 (4:30) two weeks before I leave again, but I'll take it. Two weeks is, you know, two weeks. So. After that, I'll go to High Point where I'll be introducing a collection of rugs with L &M carpets, which I'm super excited about. And Milo, any complaints other than had that terrible migraine yesterday? But, you know, Speaker 2 (4:48) I'm feeling better today. It's Speaker 1 (4:49) a new day. Speaker 2 (4:50) Well, um. Okay, so my high, in addition to having you here, obviously, and all these fun festivities, I just got back from New York. Yes. And my high this week was going to New York with my daughter, Lou, and we went to Role Model and Harry Styles. And Role Model. I felt like an old lady mom taking her daughter to a show. And also exaggerated by the fact it was at Radio City Music Hall. And we, I mean, there were great seats for us as far as we were on the first row of the mezzanine that projects over the auditorium. So, I mean, we're on his eye level with him. We can see him on the stage. Okay. All that's fine and good. But these girls. start jumping up and down to the music and I could feel this mezzanine like spongy bobbling bobbing up and down and I was at low-key low-key panic attack the whole time like I couldn't relax and Lou was like could you stop like could you please just relax and I was like you know it's making me nervous she was like oh really Speaker 2 (6:06) Nobody around us could tell. But anyway, Role Model was fine. I had a good time. I enjoy him. But I don't like this last album as much as I liked the album before that. And I had called it his first album, and I was disabused at the notion that that was his first album and that I know anything about Role Model. But Harry Styles, I do know a lot about. And let me tell you, it was such a vibe. Like, I want to go back to that. I am going back. Next year, I'm going to hit at least one, if not two shows. Because. Speaker 2 (6:42) I mean, there was a day when I used to have fun and go out. That's not who I am anymore. But when I did that, I used to love it. But you would have to stay out until like two or three o'clock in the morning at a club to get a DJ and a vibe going like they had at 830 at night. Speaker 1 (7:05) And it was so great because it was so fun. Speaker 2 (7:08) Oh, yeah. I haven't felt this club. I didn't feel like I would ever have that club sensation ever again. But Jamie XX is the DJ. And he's some like globally famous and he's doing all of his this all of his residencies. Speaker 2 (7:30) So anyway, he has it jamming. Like, on the floor, it's like Studio 54. They have these photographers down there, and it's showing up on the screens. And it looks like the photographs that you see from Studio 54. And there's no break. And, like, that music goes straight into the concert when Harry comes out. So he doesn't have an Speaker 1 (7:47) opening act. That's sort of like the opening. Speaker 2 (7:49) Okay. And it's, like, the title of the album is... Disco all the time, Kiss occasionally, or I've got that backwards. Kiss occasionally and Disco all the time. I don't know. Anyway, so Disco is in the title, so that's Speaker 1 (8:03) a Speaker 2 (8:03) big part of it. Then he's such a great performer, and all the songs were really great. Just so much fun. And I didn't want it to end, and I didn't even, like Lou texted Stephen a picture of me when I was getting ready to go to the concert, and sitting next to me was a... regular coke and he was like she said this is her third one of the weekend and steven was like she's going hardcore and i was like guys i've got like i'm an old lady i've kind of like get pepped up and nothing does it better than a regular coke anyway so that was really great i had a blast enjoyed it if you haven't seen it i need you to get the tickets yeah i haven't seen Speaker 1 (8:47) him Speaker 2 (8:47) i think he's coming to Texas sometime, you should go. You and Fabian will have a blast. We'll love it. And my bad week is, well, I can't remember what my low of the week is. Maybe I'll remember it later and I'll pop in with it. Okay. Okay. Paloma put together a fun game for us. Yes. But before that, before that, I'm jumping in. Okay. Do you have any new sunglasses under radar for fall? Speaker 1 (9:18) I don't have a specific pair on my mind, but I am liking like the oversized aviator kind of look and like a tortoise show. They're not anything special, but I like them. I think I just got them on Amazon. Nice. An influencer. They look great. Speaker 2 (9:35) Kind of like that from Isabel Moran. Speaker 2 (9:40) four years ago and I love those but mine have gotten scratched and but I still throw them on but it's such a good I think a lot of people can wear that style it's a flattering shape flattering yeah Speaker 1 (9:51) I tend to like a more oversized I mean not huge not ridiculous but like a larger frame in general yeah so I Speaker 2 (9:58) have fallen prey to the Kate X Oliver people is that what you were wearing Speaker 1 (10:03) yesterday yes and Speaker 2 (10:04) um I was so desperate to get a pair I I thought I ordered one pair and then two more pairs showed up here. Oh, gosh. So I ordered three. Of the same? The same. Yeah. The other ones have gone back. You know, sometimes when you're paying with Apple Pay, you can have this situation. Like Speaker 1 (10:24) a Speaker 2 (10:24) glitch? Yeah, exactly. Where you just don't, it's not processing and it acts like it has not gone through. So then you do it again. Oh, gosh. done that? I haven't done it that many times, but I have done it as always with Apple Pay. And it always suggests that your transaction failed. Speaker 1 (10:43) But Speaker 2 (10:44) it didn't. It went through. And if I was really smart, I would go and check the credit card statement. But instead, Speaker 1