Fondo Mixto de Promocion Turística brought me to Mexico City to share some of my favorite places in this booming city, which is pushing the world of design forward. The astounding La Ciudadela marketplace is one of the most amazing shopping destinations in all of Mexico, with beautiful artisan and folk items for the home. Come with me on a tour.

Martha’s monthly The Find column spotlighted a number of stylish wallpapers, including one of my favorites that I made with Tempaper.

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Fondo Mixto de Promocion Turística brought me to Mexico City to share some of my favorite places in this booming city with a thriving arts scene. La Metropolitana is one of the hot upcoming furniture design firms in the country, and getting a peek at their process was great. This high-end wood furniture is epic.

Fondo Mixto de Promocion Turística brought me to Mexico City to share some of my favorite places in this bustling metropolis. I had to make time to meet with Claudia Fernandez, one of the city’s top authorities in modern midcentury furniture. Exploring her collection was a dream.

Fondo Mixto de Promocion Turística brought me to Mexico City to share some of my favorite places in this bustling metropolis. I stayed at the beautiful Hotel Carlota, the modernist destination bullt by JSa Arquitectura. Located in the hip Colonia Cuauhtemoc neighborhood, it’s surrounded by amazing restaurants and boutiques. Tour some of the hotel’s sweetest spaces with this video.

Fondo Mixto de Promocion Turística brought me to Mexico City to share some of my favorite places in this bustling metropolis. We start out at the Blend Concept Store, one of the largest high-end specialty furniture stores in Mexico City.

When Genevieve was asked to audition for Trading Spaces (after making a name for herself on MTV), she didn’t react as positively as you’d think. “I was like, ‘No! Interior design is so lame.’ I had an idea of who that lady was, and she was not chic. I had watched Designing Women, and I wasn’t that girl. I wasn’t Dixie Carter with the big scarf and frou-frou hair, holding a mint julep. Interiors didn’t feel cool back then. And I didn’t want to get into something uncool,” explains Genevieve. “But once I saw how creative it could be and how much you could do with an approachable amount of money, I was very interested.”

As the head-turning statuesque Gorder appealingly prattled on with the hilarious Randall Tang, her longtime hair and makeup stylist, she seemed to be as unprepared for me as I was for her; and by that I mean she didn’t have her guard up. Not even a little. She was instantly familiar—sarcastic, playful, real. This casual/chummy drop-by feeling in the air had the makings of becoming a very interesting, memorable day. I wasn’t wrong.

As I continued to assess why my game face wasn’t on, I realized that it felt as if Genevieve and I were already old friends. After all, I’ve been aware of Gorder’s telegenic existence for at least a decade, and not once did she come across as phony. In that magic box in my living room, Gorder seemed to be completely herself; exceedingly comfortable in her own skin. And she appeared to be—wait for it—nice. At least “celebrity nice,” you know? The kind of nice that makes you think that if a famous person got to know you, you’d be BFFs in a snap. I didn’t come prepared to grill/seduce/conquer Genevieve Gorder because why would I have to grill/seduce/conquer such a “good friend”?

“Bebelle has a beautiful bedroom. I put in a bunch of furniture from my grandmother,” says Gorder. “My grandmother’s bed that I slept in as a kid is now my daughter’s bed.” The designer wasn’t reusing the furniture to cut down on costs, though it’s always a plus. “[It’s important] to have things from family so she knows she’s part of something bigger, and she respects older furniture and techniques that just get ingrained into their visual memory,” explains Gorder. To avoid looking outdated, Gorder spruced up the piece. “I painted the bed with a gorgeous black oil paint so it makes it look more contemporary and give it a new life,” she says.

When designing a home, colour is one of the most powerful tools to add life to a space, says Genevieve Gorder, one of television’s best known interior designers.

“Painting is one of the simplest ways to incorporate colour into a home, but people often feel intimated by it until they have some guidance. This must be why so much of our country is beige and off white,” she laughs.

Take a look at this snapshot of answers to the most frequently asked colour questions, compliments of Genevieve Gorder.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Genevieve Gorder, of HGTV’s “Genevieve’s Renovations,” “Dear Genevieve” and “Town Haul.” I asked her about her favorite nursery designs and what budget-friendly tips she has for parents. I was pleasantly surprised to hear almost all of her favorite tips were not only inexpensive-ideas, but also a complete shift from the usual pink and blue gender-defined rooms.

In today’s episode of Halfstack Highlights, Jen Lezan talks with Interior Designer and DIY Pioneer Genevieve Gorder. Genevieve is best known for paving the way for DIY on HGTV’s trading spaces and being a judge on Design Star. She was a DIYer before DIY was part of popular culture! Jen talks with Genevieve about her journey into television, her career as a whole as well as tidbits of interior advice for the young twenty something wanting to make their house a home.

Truth be told, we were a little surprised to find that Genevieve’s apartment had such a global appeal — a small apogee gilt-frame mirror, miniature elephants, a bulky 81-drawer apothecary cabinet. And needless to say, we’re envious of the large wall of windows and the sleek floating staircase. But what we find most intriguing about Genevieve’s apartment is the smart use of space, from the large deep sofas and versatile chairs that make up the mini conversation seating areas in the living room to her cooking spice storage system. What Genevieve’s apartment affirmed for us is that when it comes to decorating your home, excellent organization is just as important.

It’s been 15 years since designer Genevieve Gorder made her television debut on the TLC program Trading Spaces. From there, it was onward and upward for the New York-based star. She’s become a fan favorite on another home and garden network, HGTV, having appeared on a number of their series, including her own recent interior makeover project, Genevieve’s Renovation. Genevieve has worked with a long list of corporate partners, too, all while running her own lifestyle and design firm — and becoming a mom! For fans who can’t get enough of all things Genevieve, here are 25 essential facts to know about the HGTV host.

My stylish neighbor and reigning “Queen of HGTV,” Genevieve Gorder, is still mourning the loss of her fellow Minneapolis native, Prince, when I ring her to make a plan for afternoon drinks on her chic rooftop terrace in Manhattan’s trendy West Chelsea neighborhood. Gorder describes the music icon’s passing as a “collective hurt,” especially for Minnesotans, she says, because he was “one of ours,” and because, unlike other successful artists who have traditionally migrated from their hometowns to New York City, London or Hollywood, Prince never deserted his beloved birthplace.

The telegenic interior designer, of Norwegian/Croatian descent, describes her childhood town as a “tribal” place and Prince as more than a musical genius, as, in fact, “king of the tribe” for the entire city, representing for its residents the pinnacle of both creativity and civic pride. She wonders aloud how the Gopher State produces so much artistic talent. Besides legends such as Judy Garland, Bob Dylan and Jessica Lange, Minnesota boasts a new wave of famous creatives, such as celebrity interior designers Nate Berkus (born in California, but raised in suburban Minneapolis) and Gorder’s HGTV colleague David Bromstad. “Is it the extreme Minnesota weather that fuels the creativity of its residents?” she asks. Regardless, Gorder herself is a towering example of Minnesota’s very best: This woman is a whirlwind of productivity.

This dollar store ugly Christmas sweater showdown between me and my BFF John Gidding on the Rachael Ray show will make you laugh.

New video on Mode today, all about a place I don’t like to think about.

Under the sink.
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As a New Yorker, I know the pain of a tiny bathroom.

That’s why this week’s episode of Design(ish) is all about making that little room perfect.

Watch it now.

Another Monday, another episode of Design(ish). I’m loving this show, and this week is about something near and dear to my heart: Scandinavian style.

Obviously I’m super proud of my Viking heritage, and seeing those trends rise to popularity is awesome. Watch the episode here and let me know what you think.