We Talk Design with Teggy French

Caroline:

Thank you so much for joining us. That wallpaper behind you is absolutely beautiful.

Teggy:

It's Dorothy Draper, who like did all of the interior design for The Greenbrier Hotel and The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Caroline:

Nice.

Teggy:

Yeah. You can still buy her wallpapers, which is fun.

Caroline:

Amazing. They're beautiful. I love stripes, all stripes.

Jacqueline:

I'm Jacqueline. I'm going to be co-hosting today with Caroline Morris. I did want to do a shout out to the vipHomeLink app, which is our sponsor, our main sponsor for this podcast, and also where me and Caroline work vigorously to help homeowners prevent any issues in the home and make living in their homes better.

Jacqueline:

Today we have with us Teggy French, fashion blogger and designer, who's going to be talking about all things home inspiration, home decor, home design, and how to make living beautiful easy on a budget. Welcome, Teggy. How are you?

Teggy:

Hi, I'm great. So nice to be here, thank you for having me.

Jacqueline:

Why don't you give us a little bit of introduction about yourself?

Teggy:

I am Teggy. I also go by the name of Alex, but Teggy was a nickname given to me in college, it's a play off of my maiden name, which was Tegenborg, and French is my middle name. I decided when I started my blog that I wanted a name that would translate into a business, should I decide to go that way. That's where Teggy French came from. I reside in New Vernon, New Jersey. I currently co-own a jewelry company called French and Ford, with my partner out of Dallas, and I'm getting ready to launch Teggy French, the clothing brand, on October 15. I'm still doing influencing, but now I'm starting to go into more of the design field, which is super exciting.

Caroline:

That's an inspiration to all. Could you share a little bit about how you got into the design space and what your inspiration is? We see the wallpaper and the fabrics behind you, it's so beautiful, but not necessarily every day. Could you share a little bit about your inspiration and how you got into the field?

Teggy:

I grew up with parents that spent every weekend going to auction houses or antiquing, and they loved to decorate. I mean, I probably changed my bedroom growing up like every six months. It was great having parents that nurtured that. My background in school was in acting and that didn't pan out the way I had hoped to, but with that, I still longed to have that creativity in my life. One day, someone was just like, "You should start a fashion blog," and I was like, "I should start a fashion blog." I came home and I did a lot of research and I literally launched the blog like 24 hours later.

Teggy:

I've always had an affinity for the 1960s, as you can probably tell. I think it was a time where people really took pride in the way that they dress. There obviously wasn't as many options, so wardrobes were much smaller, which I think is hopefully something we're now getting back into with sustainability of buying things that are going to be classic and take you through being able to wear it from the beach.

Teggy:

Through the blog, I just started to realize that people really responded to the 1960's style that I'm showing. There's not a lot of caftans on the market right now, so that's where I was like, "Well, maybe this is something that people would respond to." Instead of throwing on your workout clothes to go to the post office, why not throw on a caftan? Then my jewelry company started with a pair of bow earrings that I found at an antique store in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. I reached out to a woman I knew and I was like, "Do you think we can get these made?" and she was like, "Let me try it."

Teggy:

The bottom line of my story is just give it a whirl. If you're passionate about something and you have an idea, there's a way to get it done. I'm definitely living proof of that. I never thought that I would have two companies and be living my dream life five years after starting a blog. It's been a blessing, for sure.

Jacqueline:

I love the story about how you ... I was actually just down the shore. I was in Lavallette, which is near Point Pleasant, a little bit, not too far. But I love how you were in an antique store and you found these earrings and now you're creating this brand. Can you talk about antiquing in terms of creating a home space and finds that you've had or advice for people who want to start to bring antique and vintage home decor items into their space?

Teggy:

The biggest thing to just get over any hurdle of when it comes to home decor is be open to shopping anywhere and everywhere. I think a lot of times people think they need to go to one place and decorate their home in one color. It works and it looks pretty, but get a little creative, especially if you're on a budget. In Morristown, for example, which is near where we all live, there's the Market Street Mission. The stuff that they get is absolutely incredible. You can go every day and it's the thrill of the hunt. I have these beautiful chinoiserie pieces of art in my bedroom and they were $40 range. Then if you were to walk into a store, they would probably cost you about $2,000.

Teggy:

It's going antiquing, going to TJ Maxx, putting it all together. Then you invest in certain pieces, like maybe a sofa or something like that. But I spout that if you just manifest what it is you're looking for that the shopping gods will answer. You just have to be open to going to all different places.

Caroline:

I love decorating. This is my third apartment to decorate. My husband is very neutral, but the next, we're looking to buy a house and I was like, "I get my pinks and my blues and I don't care what you say. I get in an apartment it's a couple of rooms, but in a house, I was like, "I've given you three apartments of neutral, we can expand from here."

Teggy:

I bet you once you do it, he will actually like it. It's just getting out of the comfort zone.

Caroline:

I totally agree. Honestly, he wears colors. His suits are neutral, but his dress shirts, his ties, everything's so colorful. I was like, "Here we go to our bland apartment. Whoopideedoo."

Teggy:

[inaudible 00:06:47] stand out as the art, which is also quite [inaudible 00:06:49]. But it creates a space that you love, that's what I found. You would look behind me and be like, "Oh, she must be in Florida or California," and I'm in the suburbs of New Jersey. Some people might be like, "That doesn't go here," but there are no rules when it comes to fashion or decor. It comes from with it, you have to do what makes you happy. I'm like, "Well, Palm Beach and Palm Springs make me happy," so I'm going to create that world so when I'm in my home I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I am where I'm supposed to be, which is New Jersey, but you can have a little fun with creating an atmosphere to match maybe where you'd rather be.

Caroline:

Now, does your husband love it?

Teggy:

Well, it's funny. I painted the front hallway pink, and that was the first time he was like, "I don't want to live in an all pink house." Okay, I respect that, so I had it painted back to white. It does have to be a compromise. If you walk to the other end of my house, it's definitely more masculine. The living room and the sunroom are kind of Teggy World and then the other rooms are definitely more dark and a bit more Ralph Lauren-esque.

Caroline:

Okay. Yeah, my parents' house, I honestly tried to get up there to film today, but they're both home so it really didn't make that much sense, their bedroom is pink, the dining room is this jungle bright green, the ceiling is like a felt, not felt, like a velvet. It's so interesting.

Teggy:

Wow.

Caroline:

Then the library is this dark navy, like Ralph Lauren too.

Teggy:

Yes.

Caroline:

I guess it's all about compromise.

Teggy:

I need to see their house because that sounds fabulous.

Caroline:

My mom's similar to you, decorates the whole entire house like every couple of months. When we were growing up and she was just home with my brother and I, and my dad just, I think, gave her jobs and was just like, "Oh, you want to redo the bedroom again? Sure, whatever makes you happy." I had a bedroom change every couple of years too. It's just-

Teggy:

Gotta keep it moving.

Caroline:

Exactly. In your style that you wear in your style and your home, how do you draw those parallels to still be you?

Jacqueline:

What is your process for [crosstalk 00:09:13] a space? It's like you have the aesthetic that you love, you have a bit of a vision for a room, but how do you really bring that into action?

Teggy:

It all starts with color for me. I'll see colors that really speak to me. For my living room, for example, I walked into a store and they had this turquoise and this deep kind of marigold color. I never would have thought to put those together, but it really spoke to me. It was a bench that they had, and my living room at this point was all white velvet and yellows, and I brought the bench home and then it just turned into redecorating the entire room with that one piece.

Teggy:

My process definitely starts with color, and then from there, kind of laying out how the room is going to look. I'm a very visual person, so what I will do is if I find pictures online, I have this app called PicMonkey, where you can actually create a collage and I'll place all of the pieces of furniture and see how it feels. I do that a lot with outfits as well. It just makes things much easier with the way that my mind works.

Teggy:

Then once the furniture and everything is in there, that's where the fun really begins. Take your time with accessorizing and with artwork. I can live with a blank wall for like three years because I would rather happen upon the perfect piece of artwork as opposed to settle for something. I found this giant foo dog at HomeGoods on clearance for like $50.

Caroline:

It's so cute.

Teggy:

It's so cute. Also, I highly recommend having an SUV or a pickup truck. So the next lease you get or your next car you buy, definitely got a big car because you have to be prepared at all times. I mean, my dad and I will literally be driving down the road and we'll pull a U-ey and somebody's put something out by the garbage and we're like, "That's fabulous. We're going to take that and make it super cool."

Jacqueline:

You start with the color, then you create the space in terms of the flow with the furniture, and then the accessorizing is really that last part.

Teggy:

100%, yep.

Jacqueline:

That's helpful. That also makes me feel better because I moved into my new apartment back in April, and you can't see the wall that's in front of me, but I have a little dining area, it's kind of like a living room, dining room space and then I have an eat-in kitchen. I want to put artwork on these walls, but I don't want just any artwork so I've been holding off, holding off, so it's blank. I'm like, "I want something there, but I don't want it to be just anything."

Jacqueline:

The same thing I got rid of some of the artwork in my bedroom. I had just had it for four years, I wanted something fresh. I wanted more color, actually. I'm a neutral girl.

Teggy:

Okay.

Jacqueline:

[crosstalk 00:12:05], grays. I like the gold accents, but whites and grays with some gold. I'm trying to bring in more color, like I brought in some blue curtains. But my bedroom, I want to bring color in there too so I kind of got rid of my gray, but I don't have anything there yet. Knowing that it's okay to wait, that you endorse it, for the right piece makes me feel better, because I'm like I just don't want to put just anything in there because if I don't like it or if it's just trying to force itself in there, I'm not going to feel good in this space.

Teggy:

No, and now more than any other time, I think we're realizing our homes are our sanctuaries right now. We have to create an environment that we really love and that makes us zen. We're spending every waking moment in our homes, it should be a place that you've created that you really love. It's a good time to redecorate, that's for sure.

Teggy:

Don't be afraid of buying things and trying them out, and if they don't work, bring them back. I think a lot of people are afraid of that, like "Is it going to work? Is it not going to work?" but just throw it in your car, see if it works.

Jacqueline:

Yeah, I need to see it in the space. I'm really visual that way, I have to see it in the space or I don't know. I'm not as good at visualizing, I need to see how it really works.

Teggy:

Absolutely.

Caroline:

It's interesting. My sister-in-law and my grandmother-in-law, whatever they're called, both are artists. So we're not allowed to have blank spaces or they'll just bring a million pieces of art to us. It's beautiful, I don't want to ... It's like nice and everything, but I'm sort of like, "Oh my God, just let me have a blank wall for 10 minutes. My God, I don't need this."

Teggy:

That when you politely accept it, you hang it when they come over.

Caroline:

Exactly.

Teggy:

Because newsflash, nobody gets to tell you what to do with your own space. That has taken me 37 years to learn, to tell people, "No, this is going to be what I want."

Caroline:

Good to know. I'm going to take that with me. I'm going to tell them, "Teggy says."

Teggy:

Yeah. Sorry, are you living here? Hopefully not. I believe the answer's no, so thank you and let's move on.

Caroline:

That might be the best advice of this whole podcast.

Caroline:

I know you touched on this a little bit about the Market Street Mission and TJ Maxx and all those sorts of places, but can you share a little bit more on feeling fabulous on a budget? I mean, I think a lot of our listeners definitely like that space and splurge here but don't want to splurge on everything. How can you create your unique space without spending all this money?

Teggy:

Regardless of where you are, buying at the local thrift stores. Go on Facebook Marketplace. Also, don't be afraid, most thrift stores will give you at least 10% off of whatever the prices are marked, never feel nervous about negotiating prices.

Teggy:

It depends what your aesthetic is. If you don't have a big budget to decorate, go through books of time eras that maybe speak to you, for me, mid-century modern. Then you go on Facebook Marketplace, you do a search, and you'd be so surprised at the prices you can get. Sometimes people are even giving them away for free. You can go, and Benjamin Moore has the best color paints, there's like Fine Paints of Europe that is this beautiful, high-gloss lacquered paint. You just throw some paint on it and all of a sudden it looks like you've spent a fortune.

Teggy:

Then, again, TJ Maxx. I literally went into TJ Maxx and found Missoni pillows on clearance for its $13. Velvet, beautiful Missoni pillows. You just have to be open to shopping anywhere and everywhere. Listen, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, places like that are great, but they're expensive. Your living space should be a place that just makes you super happy, and I've found that I'm never happy if I've put myself into debt to have something nice.

Teggy:

But I remember, when I lived in New York City, I lived in this really teeny, tiny apartment. I had no money and the world's smallest bedroom, but I had a lot of clothes. So I went to Ikea, I got a plain white bed that had drawers underneath it to store everything and then I got their armoires and that's where I hung all my clothes. Then they painted the room a really fabulous color. That's another key, paint the room a super fun color and then you could just throw ... TJ Maxx has the best priced mirrors. A sunburst mirror that's gold on a navy blue wall looks amazing. Then I just got one giant piece of artwork. My little apartment was so cute and I did the whole thing for under a thousand dollars.

Caroline:

Wow.

Teggy:

Yeah. I mean, I don't believe that you have to have a lot of money to look like you have a lot of money.

Caroline:

That's fair.

Teggy:

Don't put yourself into debt because you think that you need to spend to create a certain life. It's not true. Some of the best items in clothing that I own are from Salvation Army, that cost ... I got a Pucci dress once for like $3. I know. Market Street Mission, I found a vintage Pucci dress for $7.

Jacqueline:

That's incredible.

Caroline:

I have to go there.

Jacqueline:

Yeah, we're not far.

Caroline:

Yeah, seriously.

Jacqueline:

We could go there.

Caroline:

Jacqueline, let's go one of these days.

Jacqueline:

I actually used to live like two blocks from there.

Teggy:

[crosstalk 00:18:04]. Let's say I'm carrying a designer bag and somebody is like, "I like your bag," and it's a Chanel bag or something, I'm like, "Thanks," and I get so uncomfortable. But if somebody's like, "I like your shirt," and I found it at TJ Maxx on clearance for $13, I'm so proud to tell that because it's way more exciting. I'm more proud that I found something for $13 and more embarrassed that I'm carrying something that I probably should not have bought.

Teggy:

That's what I really tried to do through Teggy French. Once a week, I'll do my under $100 picks because I think it's just important. Even if you can afford the expensive stuff, what's the point? It's all about creativity for me, that's where I get the most excitement.

Jacqueline:

I got a lot of things in my home on Facebook Marketplace. I love the thrill of negotiation. Right now, I'm at this IKEA table, it's like a tulip table. I spray painted the base of it gold and, I haven't done it yet, but I have some marble contact paper on the top. Because the one I love from West Elm is thousands, so I'm like, "How could I make this myself?" I got these cheap velvet chairs that look like the West Elm ones on Amazon for ... I think I got four chairs for like 150. I'm like, "I'm really proud of myself."

Caroline:

That's so funny because I've been debating whether or not I should get that table and chairs from West Elm.

Jacqueline:

Yeah, I love it. You'd be surprised, sometimes you can negotiate. I went to World Market, and in my living room area, I have these two little marble gold tables. I was able to negotiate the floor model as opposed to one in the back. They were originally, I think it was 600 for the two tables, they nest, and I took them all for 250 because he gave me the floor model.

Teggy:

See?

Jacqueline:

I have advice, I didn't even know it. But I was so proud of that. I wanted to be sustainable in my purchases. This is a rental, I'm not living here, so it's like I don't want to spend a lot of money because I'm moving in with my boyfriend down the road. It's going to change, we're going to have to turn things over.

Jacqueline:

Facebook Marketplace, I love it. I have a wine rack, I just stained the wood on there. I'm becoming such a DIY-er, it's incredible.

Teggy:

We have such a unique time in our life right now where we really can be creative, we have time to do that.

Jacqueline:

Yeah. I do love garage sales, but they're not happening as often I don't think right now with COVID. My dad never found a garage sale he didn't like, he'd always bring home something from a garage sale. I think I got that from him.

Caroline:

My mom is the bigg estate gal, estate sale gal. She always finds some great finds.

Teggy:

The vintage clothes you can find at those places are amazing. Also, become friends with realtors because a lot of times the realtors will know prior to these homes going on the market that they're going to be having an estate sale and they can get you in there.

Caroline:

See, that's what I need.

Teggy:

People at your favorite stores, because when it does come time to buying investment pieces, my shoe guy at Neiman Marcus, I'm going to be one of the first people he texts, "These are going to be going on sale," because we have a good relationship. It's always good to be friends with people.

Caroline:

Speaking of investment pieces, I know you're talking Neiman's and not furniture, but if you had a few things that you would say investment pieces for your home, what would you say that the splurge items would be?

Teggy:

The splurge items in my home have been my rugs. I go to J&S in Morristown and they have the best selection and they can work with your price point. I love Oriental rugs, and so that's been a great investment. I also invested in a Missoni runner for my hallway, which actually should have been twice the price, but they were able to do it somehow that they sewed it together to make it less expensive for me. So rugs for sure.

Teggy:

Then I always had this thing growing up, my parents were very into decor, but they did not have any comfortable couches. When we first bought our house, I was like, "I need to get the world's biggest L-shaped, comfortable couch." That was our first big investment piece. I do not recommend getting velvet if you're planning on having children that probably wasn't the smartest investment, but I look at it and it makes me really happy.

Teggy:

Then artwork. If there's an artist that you love, save up and buy one of their pieces because it's going to be something that's really special for you. If you study it, a lot of times they're going to go up in value. I have a painting that my parents bought in 1979, it was the first painting that they ever bought together. The value of it is crazy compared to what they bought it for. It's nice to be able to pass those things down.

Teggy:

Besides that, I'm looking at my lamps, I got those down the shore too. If you're looking to go antiquing, Arnold Avenue in Point Pleasant has great places, as well as Asbury Park.

Caroline:

Amazing.

Teggy:

But I got these for like a hundred dollars for two of them. Then I found them online and they were over a thousand dollars.

Caroline:

They're so cute.

Teggy:

It's mixing old with new, but you don't have to really invest in a lot. It's all about how you put things together. You can make things look like a million dollars, and secretly it was like $5.

Caroline:

You remind me a lot of my mom in her thought process as well.

Teggy:

Well, it's so sad because the auction houses have all really closed. Talk about exhilarating, with bidding on things. You know who has good stuff actually, which I was unaware of until recently? Walmart. Is it annoying if I get up and walk to show you guys stuff?

Caroline:

No, that's super cool.

Jacqueline:

No.

Teggy:

Actually, mostly online. I went to Walmart yesterday, oddly enough, and I got so many cute long T-shirts in the men's department. Okay, I needed two end tables for this space here. If you go on Jonathan Adler, these cost a fortune. I found them on Walmart for like a quarter of the price and they were delivered within two days. I remember I posted them on Like To Know It and they sold out immediately because people could not believe what I paid for them.

Teggy:

What else did I get there? Oh, these I got from HomeGoods, these ghost chairs.

Jacqueline:

That's awesome.

Teggy:

Then I just had them reupholstered. I get so many compliments. These were a hundred dollars each and then-

Caroline:

Your house is phenomenal.

Jacqueline:

I know.

Teggy:

Well, thank you.

Caroline:

I mean, I'm not surprised, but it's really ... Wow.

Teggy:

Thank you. I love it. I wake up every day and I'm just so grateful, that bar cart is from Walmart. It was a hundred dollars.

Jacqueline:

That's adorable.

Caroline:

Who even knew Walmart had furniture.

Jacqueline:

I think they're trying to step up their game.

Caroline:

Okay.

Teggy:

They've upped their game, big time. Go on Walmart and anything that you can find on Amazon you can find on Walmart. They outsource a lot from different people, but they're shipping super fast.

Teggy:

Then with bar carts, fill it up with all of the vintage glasses. Go to Market Street Mission and they have the ... Or if you need china, I got Fitz and Floyd stuff there yesterday, they had Royal Doulton.

Caroline:

Wow.

Teggy:

Amazing china for $150 for the whole set. But you just fill it up, I have my vintage poodles. These are all from TJ Maxx. That's another thing, if you see something at TJ Maxx that you love and they only have one of it, keep going to different ones throughout the state, because chances are that you'll find more. The Missoni pillows, I found in three different places on clearance.

Caroline:

Speaking of poodles, this is off script, but I remember a few weeks ago you were maybe doing a shout out for doodles.

Teggy:

Yes.

Caroline:

Did you ever find a breeder?

Teggy:

Oh my gosh. I have like a million breeders that people sent me, but no, I have not committed to one. Why do you have one?

Caroline:

Yeah, we got ours, she's a mini labradoodle and she's that apricot color.

Teggy:

Oh, that's my favorite.

Caroline:

She's so fabulous. Jacqueline's met her. I think we'd agree that she's pretty cute. She's right in Blairstown, New Jersey.

Teggy:

I went to Blair Academy.

Caroline:

Really? Okay, so yeah, you drive literally like two miles past the school and it's this little farm on your left.

Teggy:

Oh, I love that.

Caroline:

[crosstalk 00:26:56].

Teggy:

I love that information. I'm thinking of doing that for Christmas for our son.

Caroline:

Oh my God, you're going to be so in love. They're such a perfect size. I think she's maybe 17 pounds.

Teggy:

Oh, that's amazing. Yeah, because I have a Maltipoo now who's also apricot. That's my favorite color.

Caroline:

Aw, how cute.

Teggy:

He's 13 pounds, but he's eight years old and he's been very sick so I almost feel like it might be good for him to have a little friend around.

Caroline:

Yeah, definitely. I can send over the information.

Teggy:

Okay. That'd be great, thank you.

Caroline:

Yeah. All right, back to normal scheduled programming.

Jacqueline:

Dogs are important, they're part of home life. I think it's related.

Caroline:

Perfect.

Teggy:

That's true.

Jacqueline:

I was going to add, before we move on, when I was looking for things for my new apartment, a girlfriend of mine, she's really good at if you have an idea she'll put together a vision board and then she'll go out and find the pieces online. She's just really great at that. I'll tell her I like this thing, I'm inspired by this, and within an hour she has an Amazon cart for me of all the items that are [inaudible 00:28:02] versions of it or something like that. She's great.

Teggy:

She should start a business.

Jacqueline:

But looking through Walmart ... I know, she should do that, she's amazing. I guess they're doing a new collaboration with Drew Barrymore so they have a lot of really cute, mid-century items, home decor, and I was loving it. The prices are great.

Teggy:

The prices are great and the quality is really good. I have some of the Drew Barrymore stuff in my son's nursery because she did a little kids collaboration with them. It's all really well-made. You get it, girl. You guys have taught me a lot on this call, thank you. It's amazing.

Teggy:

But also, looking out at my pool right now, I have to get everything on a budget and I got these cement urns on Facebook Marketplace, two for $100.

Jacqueline:

That's a great price.

Teggy:

Then I got the vintage table and chairs on Facebook Marketplace for $500, which was a splurge. Again, if you looked on eBay or something like that, they would be more expensive. You've got to shop around, that's the case in point, you know? Get creative.

Jacqueline:

Let's talk about Splendor in, September. Can you talk about what it is for our listeners and your involvement?

Teggy:

Splendor in September is normally known as Mansion in May. It happens every other year. The Women's Association here find a mansion and they create a showhouse that designers come into. They have to apply with their vision and then they're selected to decorate a space within the mansion. The money goes to Morristown Hospital, which is such a great hospital here. We're so lucky to have it.

Teggy:

Yeah, people pay to go in and tour the house. Obviously, with COVID, Mansion in May was canceled, but the women from the Women's Association, they're rock stars and they managed to get everything in place so that it can happen. I got involved in it, I actually did just the designer sales space, which is where people go if they want to buy anything in any of the rooms. That's a great place too to get inspiration, is seeing what these designers did. A lot of times the stuff in the rooms are for sale.

Teggy:

I am not an interior designer by any means, but Mrs. [inaudible 00:00:30:23], from F. Gerald New, who I'm absolutely obsessed with and talk about inspiration and style, you guys should stop in and see her because she has the perfect bouffant, she's always dressed immaculately and she has the most incredible personal style as well as interior style. She recommended to them that maybe it would be fun for me to do a space because I have Teggy French. There was this 1950's wallpaper that was equestrian themed and I could not bear to part with it, so my space was all based around that specific wallpaper. Then everything in the room was a bargain. I got to go to all the vintage shops and you can buy all of that.

Teggy:

But the house is spectacular, so I highly recommend to anybody listening, either go and visit or do the virtual tour because it goes towards a great cause. It's definitely inspiring if you're looking to redecorate a space in your home. The mansion is open for tours starting on the 8th.

Caroline:

That's so exciting, I can't wait to see it.

Jacqueline:

[crosstalk 00:31:22], checking it out.

Teggy:

Yeah, it is really exciting. The house is for sale, it's on Van Beuren Road. It's listed with Weichert Realtors, with Mary Horn, and so if you love the house, it can be yours. It's a phenomenal, phenomenal home. Literally, you drive up and you just feel like you're stepping back in time. There's actually a picture of the couple that lived there in the 1960s that I put into my design space. She's wearing a fur and he's dressed in his riding clothes. Again, like all of that 1960s, you just look at it and it's just like, "Ah," people were so chic.

Caroline:

Yes, I love that era. I think it's pretty phenomenal.

Teggy:

Me too. Maybe we lived in the 1960s, who knows?

Caroline:

Yeah, like a past life version of ourselves.

Teggy:

Exactly.

Jacqueline:

I was a big Mad Men fan.

Teggy:

Was that not everything, the fashion in that show?

Jacqueline:

It was incredible. My grandmother worked at an advertising agency in the '60s.

Teggy:

She [crosstalk 00:32:25].

Jacqueline:

So we watched it together. She really liked Don Draper, as did I. Complicated as he was and all, I mean.

Teggy:

He is a spectacular specimen, that Don Draper.

Jacqueline:

Yeah, but the clothes and the decor are fabulous, and juxtaposing Betty with Megan and their different aesthetics, super cool, super fun.

Teggy:

That's another great example, is watch old shows and old movies and get out those books. That's what it's about. Anything that speaks to you, tear pages out, Pinterest it, whatever it is. I really do believe in the power of manifestation, if there's something you're looking for, write it down in a journal and think about it and it just might come to you.

Jacqueline:

I actually recently went to Graceland, which is just like a time capsule. I don't have a lot of color, but if I show ... I'm trying to bring color in a little bit more.

Teggy:

Oh, it's fabulous.

Jacqueline:

I'm starting to play with it, but I walked through Graceland and his front seating area has beautiful blue peacock stained glass and then these white couches with these dark blue accents. I'm like inspired by it, so [crosstalk 00:33:44].

Caroline:

Get some plants, Jacqueline.

Teggy:

Yes, you've got to bring Graceland to New Jersey.

Jacqueline:

It is a time capsule. It is so cool, I was in awe.

Teggy:

Isn't it?

Jacqueline:

Except for the carpeting in the kitchen. I don't know if I can get down with that.

Teggy:

No, that's like shag carpeting in bathrooms. It's like, "Mmm."

Jacqueline:

Yeah, no. Yeah.

Caroline:

It's not great.

Jacqueline:

I was phenomenal. This was so much fun. Thank you so much for coming on and speaking with us.

Teggy:

Oh my gosh, anytime. It was so much fun.

Caroline:

Well, thank you, Teggy, so much for joining us. We can't wait for listeners to hear this.

Jacqueline:

If they want to follow you on Instagram, check out your blog, where should they go?

Caroline:

[crosstalk 00:34:21].

Teggy:

@TeggyFrench is my Instagram and that's where I do most of my stuff, as well as TeggyFrench.com is my blog, and then French and Ford is the earring line. Yeah, we'll be launching our first real, legit line of Teggy French caftans October 15. It's going to be a Very Teggy Christmas, is the theme.

Caroline:

I love that.

Teggy:

Yeah.

Caroline:

I can't wait to buy something.

Teggy:

Oh, good. Yes, I want to see you both in caftans next week.

Jacqueline:

You got it.