The Install: Life & Design with Paloma and Caroline

Showhouse Secrets Part II - The Showhouse Must Go On

September 15, 2026·53 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Part Two strips the lacquer off designer showhouses: behind those glossy rooms are six-figure budgets, vendor favors, impossible timelines, and enough last-minute crises to qualify as cardio. Caroline and Paloma trade war stories involving rejection from the stone sponsor, rugs stuck in customs, draperies four feet too short, and 145 yards of fabric mysteriously disappearing into a valance. But there is a reason designers keep coming back: one memorable room can lead to clients, press, product collaborations, stronger teams—and some highly effective “trauma bonding.” They close with a rapid-fire guide to what to install, what to avoid, and why doing two traditional showhouses in one year might be just a little bit unhinged.Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: 1O1ULMY5AYH4LV7GFollow The InstallSubscribe to The Install Edit on Substack for more design talk, behind-the-scenes stories, product finds, and installments of Ask the Install.The InstallYouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcastInstagram: @theinstallpodcastTikTok: @theinstallpocastPalomaWebsite: www.palomacontreras.comInstagram: @palomacontrerasdesignTikTok: @palomacontrerasdesignShopMy: @palomacontrerasCarolineWebsite: www.carolinegidiere.comInstagram: @carolinegidieredesignTikTok: @carolinegidieredesignbtsShopMy: @carolinegidiereChapters00:16 — Part Two 01:23 — Budget Reality 03:07 — Sponsor Strategy 09:37 — Vendor Drama 12:04 — Loans & Sales 15:05 — Tight Timelines 17:34 — Plan Z 18:25 — Disaster Stories 26:40 — Drama City 27:47 — Stay Organized 30:23 — The Payoff 34:01 — Hidden Returns 36:52 — PR Strategy 38:58 — Bankroll It 40:09 — Saying No 43:20 — Rapid Fire 48:46 — Dream Showhouses

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