Champagne, Setup, And The Veuve Clicquot Movie

Kieran 0:03

Welcome to Lifestyles of the Richesin and Famous. From design, fashion, and travel to pop culture and all the fabulous details in between—this is where luxury isn’t just a look, it’s a lifestyle.

Melissa 0:24

So I'm super excited to do this. I too. I think it's gonna be good.

Todd 0:27

I take it.

Melissa 0:28

I think that people want to see more of just like the conversational thing of you just like chatting about all the things fashion, design.

Todd 0:38

Travel.

Melissa 0:39

Travel.

Todd 0:39

Yes.

Melissa 0:40

All the things. So I think it's gonna be good because people are gonna we gotta give people what they want.

Todd 0:45

Exactly.

Melissa 0:46

Um but I will say you need to be a good host. Don't you always ask someone if they want to drink?

Todd 0:52

What would you like to drink?

Melissa 0:53

Well, what do you have?

Todd 0:55

Well, in my refrigerator, there's ketchup and champagne.

Melissa 0:58

Well shit, I guess champagne. Okay. Thank you. I'll choose this one. That's hilarious.

Todd 1:16

Well, I mean, that's all that's in the fridge, right? It's this. And I have to have water too because, you know, one of those, and I'm knockered.

Melissa 1:24

Well then good. You'll open up and be honest. It's good.

Todd 1:29

Boob is my favorite.

Melissa 1:30

Have you seen the movie?

Todd 1:32

The widow thing. Widow cleaner. No, I tried to read the book and it was kind of boring. I couldn't get past all her sadness.

Melissa 1:40

I really I really liked the movie. I think you should watch the movie. It's not like riveting where you, you know, are like on the edge of your stuff.

Todd 1:49

Well, that was kind of like the book. Like I and I love historical stuff like that. That's my thing that I like to watch and thing that I like to read. So I was really looking forward to the book, but I don't know, it was tedious for me.

Melissa 2:02

Yeah. Well, I think the movie actually does a really good job of like showing like informative and it's is supposedly very close to like what actually happened. Yeah.

Todd 2:15

But um I mean, I think she was an incredible woman, right?

Melissa 2:18

I mean, yes, and took over her husband's vineyard and it was very passionate.

Marketing, Design, And Atmosphere

Todd 2:23

She actually reminds me of several people that I know here in Knoxville who did the same thing, like lost their husband suddenly, and then built these incredible successful businesses, just with the drive of, hey, I gotta do it, or I'm gonna, you know, is starve.

Melissa 2:40

Right. Basically, so I think um it was cool because it illuminated that she was really like the the one who created this new way of making champagne. Right. And then ultimately, I mean, I think one reason why it's so good is the marketing.

Todd 2:57

Right.

Melissa 2:58

I mean, that's and what they're doing now with all the marketing and you know, where they're doing these like takeovers at hotels, and um we were just somewhere and they had a whole, I think maybe it was Miami, and they had like a whole VOV section, and you know, people were paying to sit in the section just because it was decorated like VOV with in orange. In orange, yeah. Yeah, which speaks to the importance of design and decor, right?

Todd 3:25

Exactly.

Melissa 3:26

Makes you want to like be there. Right. And you would spend money just to sit somewhere.

Todd 3:30

Right. Atmosphere to me is something that's very important in design, and I think that people sometimes miss the I guess importance of that, especially in modern interiors in general, because I think they're like stripped down, sort of can be soulless, and they've lost that sense of atmosphere. Like there has to be something there that creates magic for people to feel comfortable and want to be in a space, right?

Cracker Barrel, Character, And Soulless Minimalism

Melissa 4:00

Right, and you were talking the other day about the cracker barrel thing and that oh my gosh, it was so bad.

Todd 4:07

Right. I mean, it looked like Yes, they made it just look like the most generic thing ever, and there has to be a way that you could update something that's been the same way forever, give it a fresh feel, but not strip away all of the character. Like there has to be some sort of happy medium between a white box and ye old country store, right?

Melissa 4:37

So obviously you love color and you know excess. Right, right. So what do you think of the fact that now so much design is like monochromatic, white on white on white, beige on beige on beige?

Todd 4:53

Actually, I don't mind that look if it's done well. And uh we have a friend who has an all-white house.

Melissa 5:02

True.

White-On-White Done Right

Todd 5:04

It's beautiful, but we were very deliberate and careful with the implementation. There's beautiful details like a big oversized scale black and white marble floor in the floor. There are fluted marble fireplaces, there are barrel vaults, there is an attention to detail that is so deliberate, it makes you still feel comfortable there. You know, even though it's all white. Even though it's all white. And I think people miss that. How important the actual texture of the fabric is, how the drapery's gonna hang, right? Because not all fabrics are created equally. So what we used with this project was like a white wool for draperies, and there's nothing that hangs like a wool, it's so soft, it never wrinkles, it looks beautiful all the time. And if you had done that with like some sort of random fiber, it wouldn't feel luxe. And that's what you get in this house that is basically a white box. You know, I think a lot of people would just see that as a white box, but it is so richly layered in the details, it's amazing.

Melissa 6:21

Well, layering, you talk about that a lot, like right, and that you constantly need to build something.

Todd 6:26

I mean, even like I mean, we could do with less shit around here.

Melissa 6:31

I mean, I think if it's what gives it character, it does, and it's a story.

Texture, Drapery, And Layering

Todd 6:36

There's a story associated with everything that Bobby and I have in our house. I mean, that's just the way it is. We remember where we bought something, we remember what it meant to us at the time, we remember where we were. If we were, we did it, we we bought a lot of art and accessories while we were traveling places, right? So there's memories associated with a lot of that. And I think that that story then is told through the way that this house looks and feels. And it may be too much, it probably is too much for most people, but we find it restful. And ultimately, good design is all about how it makes the person who lives in the house feel. I really could care less about what anybody else thinks about it, because it doesn't matter.

Melissa 7:24

I think that's the funniest thing about social media, and actually I talk about this with my husband all the time, is like now everybody's an expert. Oh my god.

Todd 7:33

Everybody's an expert in everything.

Melissa 7:35

And they have an opinion and they don't care to tell you that you're wrong, or meanwhile, they've done it as you would say, never.

Todd 7:43

Never. They've done it never.

Melissa 7:45

They've done it never.

Todd 7:46

The last time they did it was never. It was never. And so that's just not a fair way to critique somebody's work. The other thing that social media eliminates from uh the conversation that I think people have on the back side of a video, you know, when they're looking at it in their home, um is the context. They don't understand what maybe the house looks like on the outside. They don't understand the age of the client, they don't understand that the client has no kids, or they don't understand that the client has ten. You know, they're just looking at something and saying, yeah, that's good, or no, that's not, but they have no idea what was asked for. Right. And that's what's important about it. It's not just how something looks at the end, but it's if we delivered what the client wanted.

Melissa 8:41

Yeah. So let's talk about what got us here and and how we met to begin with. I mean, I remember it vividly. I remember where I was sitting.

Todd 8:53

Do you really? I remember where I was sitting crying in my bathroom floor.

Melissa 8:59

Well, I was watching TV and I was sitting in this this chair, admittedly, from Target, which is why you would never come to my house because you'll be horrified.

Todd 9:09

Well, it's gonna get fixed one of these days.

Home As Story And Memory

Melissa 9:11

Okay, good. I I hope so. I look forward to the day. Actually, I don't have those chairs anymore.

Todd 9:16

But it was That's another reason why you should just get the good stuff to start with, because you're wasting money.

Melissa 9:21

No, I know, because it was a waste of money.

Todd 9:26

End of conversation. Don't talk to me about it anymore.

Melissa 9:28

No, you're right. You are a thousand percent right because I think if you just invest the in the piece and then you just save till you have the piece.

Todd 9:36

Yeah.

Melissa 9:36

But regardless, so I was sitting in this chair from Target and it was late, and you text me because you got my number from a friend, right, and you were panicked because you lost your your account got hacked.

Todd 9:48

Right.

Melissa 9:49

And never met me, but I was like, let me try to help you. And then I remember I got logged in and into a different account, into the current account, I think, right?

Todd 10:01

Yes, I had like a secondary account that I really hadn't ever developed much. I loaded a bunch of photos on it so that there was some content there, but it wasn't really developed.

Melissa 10:14

Yeah, I think that was more your personal one, maybe.

Todd 10:17

No, my personal one is the one that I used all the time. It was actually my business one. My personal one's the one that got hacked.

Melissa 10:23

That's right. And we couldn't get it back, and I tried.

Todd 10:26

It was sickening. I mean it was. Like I thought it was the end of the world. I had like two thousand, two, two or three thousand followers, and I that I had worked like years to build.

Melissa 10:39

Yeah.

Todd 10:40

And you took over, and it was like I had that many followers in like an afternoon.

Melissa 10:47

Well, I think I just tapped into what you do well and what people want to see from you, you know? Yeah. And like what they want to know, and like what people are questioning.

Todd 10:59

For me, it was a blessing because you know, a lot of things in life look like a disaster on the front end, but they're really meant to take you a different place.

Melissa 11:12

Yeah.

Todd 11:12

And are good things. And my job actually is very much like that.

Melissa 11:19

How so?

Todd 11:20

Well, you know, I worked for another design firm here in town, and I went to work one day, and they had gone bankrupt, and I didn't have a job anymore. And I had like two or three hours to get my client files that I needed out of the building before the bank locked the door. And it was a trying time. And Bobby came, Bobby was working then uh at at Kroger actually, and he came, took the act, took the day off to help me get my stuff and my personal stuff out of my office and take it back to our condo. And that was the other thing. We had really no money because we had just bought our first condo together, and um that took a lot of cash for the down payment, and then I had spent and or we had spent a lot of what we had saved to finish the furniture for it so that it felt really livable and complete, and it was a beautiful space, and I'm glad we did that actually because it gave us a restful, beautiful place to recover from that. And so, anyway, ultimately I had a client who said, Look, then this client is dear to me. I met with her today, actually. And uh 25 years later, I'm still working with these same people, and that's the kind of relationships I want to build. But she uh she said, Todd, we're getting ready. I just bought this house, I want you to do it. You're the only person I want to do it, but you've got to do it on your own. You're not gonna do it with any other company because I want you, I want to pay for you, but I don't want you associated with somebody else. And so I took that and started my own business from that.

Melissa 13:26

See, that's so cool.

Todd 13:27

Right.

Melissa 13:27

So if you wouldn't have had the like bank. Would you think you would have opened your own?

How We Met: Hack To Partnership

Todd 13:34

No, because I had an it was it was an easy job. You know, I left it, I got there whenever I wanted to in the morning, and I left whenever I wanted to during the day because I was producing what I needed to produce, and nobody asked questions of me, and I was free in the evenings and free on the weekends, and that's something that I gave up. But my life is vastly richer as a result.

Melissa 13:58

So we met over this um tumultuous disaster situation. But then um I think we kind of bonded because we have like a shared appreciation of like travel and like good food and design, even though obviously my design aesthetic is not what yours is. It's getting there. You have inspired me beyond. Good.

Todd 14:26

That's good.

Melissa 14:27

I mean, yeah, I my husband would probably say otherwise though, because you know, now I'm like, I need this rug and I need a a runner for my stairs who knew that like that's the thing that I needed. Right. So you've inspired me.

Todd 14:41

Good, that's good.

Melissa 14:42

Um, but so you know, then I think we like as we got to know each other more and we like chatted about various things, um then it was kind of easy for us to fall into this whatever this situation is. Whatever this is, this situation ship. Um and then and you know, kind of figure out what the next thing was. I think um the really cool thing has been seeing that evolve on on social and like that first potato moment.

Layoff To Launch: Starting The Firm

Todd 15:19

I mean, that was what and the the the interesting thing for me about the journey through that has been that initially, well, you were so sweet to me initially. That was the the thing. I was hooked because why were you even talking to me? I you had no business even returning my text, and I was so appreciative of that and still am. But um just it used to really bother me when people said horrible things because people say horrible things all the frickin' time. Yes, and it just doesn't anymore because I realize that most of that comes from a place of they've got something horrible going on in their life, probably, they're not happy, and it's a little bit I don't know. I I think that we live an amazing life, and I think we work with these incredibly talented, brilliant people who make the world go round, really. And so I feel very lucky and blessed, and to be able to share that with people who also find that interesting is amazing.

Melissa 16:34

I think let's talk about that though, because I do think the negative, and I remember, and you know Oh, I was hot about it. And you're not the only client who that happens to, because like I said before, like everyone's an expert, they know everything and they have their opinion. I think um, but obviously you have to have a thick skin because you still are human, and when someone's attacking you for whatever, you know, doesn't matter. I mean, we've heard it all, right? Like it's the paintings are hung too high. Why would you choose that color?

Todd 17:06

Right. Um that's too much pattern.

Melissa 17:09

That's not enough pattern, yes, or whatever, yeah. So I think that's it's like taught me a lot too, is like you've got to just be able to shake it off, even though it is very hard to because everyone's gonna have a common.

Todd 17:22

And my new favorite thing is just block.

Melissa 17:27

Right.

Todd 17:28

I mean, I think it's good because and then yeah, like why it's a I want the what I want our page to be something that is positive. And so when I see negative stuff on there, I basically block the people because I I just don't there's no reason to to do that.

Melissa 17:48

And I think it's funny when you do kind of like snap back at them. But okay, also that I think it's interesting to to find what people really like want to see more of, and it's oftentimes like just you and like what you're wearing.

Todd 18:08

Right. Which I think is weird because I mean that's just like my normal day, you know. I don't know why that's interesting, but evidently it is.

Melissa 18:20

Well, I think it's because it's fabulous. It's not, you know, most people aren't having Cartier and Gucci and you know, and so it's like voyeuristic.

Todd 18:36

Okay.

Melissa 18:38

They want to watch it and know more about it. So I don't know. I think it's I think that's been neat to see. And then ultimately though, how it's not just what you wear or where you go or whatever. It's like all of these things.

Todd 18:52

Well, it's all tied back to what I do. And a lot of people ask me what my hobby is, and honestly, my hobby's design. So, and Bobby's is the same thing. So we're doing that together, which I think is really interesting. And a lot of couples have couldn't work together, but I think we manage it very, very well.

Melissa 19:14

So you never fight.

Thick Skin Online And Boundaries

Todd 19:16

Oh my gosh, we've we do we do fight over stuff. But we never go to bed mad. That's good. And it's when we back away from it, it's usually something that's very stupid, right? Yeah. I mean, it's generally like, you want to do what? No, I don't want to do that. That's what we and I'm gonna pout about it.

Melissa 19:38

So it's it's who normally wins?

Todd 19:42

I mean, I don't know if there is ever a winner. I think that, you know, we're pretty much in sync on Einstein.

Melissa 19:52

So except that he doesn't want to be he does not want to be on film. Yeah.

Todd 19:57

And I have to respect that, right? That's not his thing. He doesn't like it, but he supports me in this journey.

Melissa 20:04

Sure. Yeah. So so okay, let's talk about the potato moment. Oh my god. And that like going crazy. Crazy. Yeah. Which I have an opinion. I think it's because, well, one, I think people seek authenticity. And I think that was the first time, I think, that we really kind of pulled the curtain back and it was like in the house. And there was just like that was so random because you had had a party.

The Potato Moment And Authenticity

Todd 20:33

Yes, we had had a party downtown. And we had all of this caviar that was left over. The party was on like Saturday night. And we had all of this, it was in the winter, and all of this caviar was left over downtown. And so we usually come home on Sunday mornings. So um we came home and it came a terrible snowstorm like that day. And so we were sort of snowed in, and we just had like these potatoes that had been sitting in the drawer, right in the warming drawer. That's where we store vegetables. And um so we were like, what can we do for dinner? And I'm like, we got this leftover caviar, let's do caviar potatoes.

Melissa 21:20

Yeah.

Todd 21:21

And so that's what we did it. Bobby filmed it, and I didn't have a mother of pearls spoon. God forbid. God forbid, you would think that I, you know, strangled a baby on camera live. But and frankly, by the way, I cannot tell the difference because I I think I have a pretty sophisticated t palate. Yes. And I have done a little taste test, and that feels like just like I'll always try to serve it that way in a mother of pearl spoon. But I mean, come on. And that was just like how can I make caviar pretentious more pretentious? Even more pretentious. Let's add a mother of pearl spoon. So I just don't do that. So yeah, we served it with a metal spoon.

Melissa 22:07

Yeah, and it still tasted delicious.

Todd 22:09

It was absolutely amazing.

Melissa 22:10

Yeah. Well, I think that okay, so you bring up a very good point with like um all of these things, like being pretentious, right? And like luxury, whatever. But I think um the funny thing is is most of the people even commenting on the fact that you didn't have like who has caviar just in their refrigerator all the time.

Todd 22:32

Like on a random snow dice sundae.

Melissa 22:34

Right, and that's eating that that's really concerned about it. Like, but I think that's funny. Again, it's like those kind of things that people gravitate to, and then that's gonna be the comment. Right. Like my comment would be more like, I didn't even know you would put caviar on a.

Todd 22:51

Oh, it's good on so many things. It's actually delicious on chicken nuggets.

Melissa 22:56

From where? For real?

Democratizing Luxury: Caviar On Anything

Todd 23:00

Yes, and there's a a place in Las Vegas, Delilah, which is a fabulous restaurant. We must go together, actually, because it is like the most beautifully executed restaurant. It's totally 1920s Art Deco glamour. But uh, you can get caviar and chicken nuggets there. It's and that's the thing that I love about Delilah, is like it's this incredibly sophisticated, fanciest place you've ever walked into, and the food is super simple.

Melissa 23:35

Hmm. Well, okay, so now that you say that, I think I have seen it online.

Todd 23:38

They're doing these like Oh, well, there are places that do these like boxes. Yes, the box that the goat boxes caviar and chicken nuggets, yeah.

Melissa 23:47

Okay, I'm gonna try it. You know what I put caviar on for 4th of July?

Todd 23:51

What?

Melissa 23:51

A hot dog.

Todd 23:52

I'm sure it was delicious.

Melissa 23:54

Delicious. But the chef that I got the caviar from, so I because we work with a lot of restaurants. Right. And so I was like, I need, you know, a couple things of caviar. And he was like, for what? And I said, I don't want to tell you, because I knew he was gonna be horrified, and then I said, I'm gonna put it on a hot dog, and he was like, Oh my god, that's disgusting, terrible. And then I did it and I sent him pictures of it, and he was like, How was it? I said it was actually fucking delicious. It was amazing. Although I w I was a little buzzed at that point, so that probably like heightened it.

Todd 24:26

But anything would taste good.

Melissa 24:28

Yeah, but it was very good, and that's a thing. Hot dogs are a thing right now.

Todd 24:32

Yeah.

Melissa 24:33

Do you like a hot dog?

Todd 24:34

I do like a hot dog. What's your like my favorite's a Petros hot dog?

Melissa 24:38

I've never been to Petros.

Todd 24:39

You're kidding?

Melissa 24:40

Never.

Todd 24:41

Oh my gosh. When we're downtown, that's one of the things that we do. Like it's a quick, easy, like, not too big a lunch, because like we, if we're staying downtown, we'd like a nice kind of breakfast and then we like a really nice dinner. And so in the middle of the day, you get kind of hungry, and we kind of sometimes we'll split a hot dog, sometimes we'll each have a hot dog, sometimes I'll get a hot dog, Bobby will get a petro.

Melissa 25:03

A chili dog.

Todd 25:05

No, I hate chili.

Melissa 25:06

That is insane. A chili dog, a chili cheese dog?

Todd 25:09

No.

Melissa 25:10

I you my dad used to take me to 7-Eleven as a kid, and it was a huge treat to get a chili cheese dog, a Slurpee, and like a thing of Doritos. I still crave it. I told you. Walmart.

Todd 25:27

I have mustard and I like plain old French's mustard. I do not like, you know, grey coupon, but um, and uh tons of pickle relish. That's all I do. Is it's the hot dog for me is a vehicle with which you eat pickle relish.

Melissa 25:47

You have to try it with caviar.

Todd 25:49

Yeah.

Melissa 25:49

What's the king condiment, in your opinion?

Todd 25:52

The king condiment?

Melissa 25:54

Yeah.

Todd 25:54

Ketchup.

Melissa 25:55

That's why you have it.

Todd 25:56

That's why it's in the refrigerator.

Melissa 25:59

Well, oh my gosh. Okay. Have you heard the new, like the summer cocktail? Like what the like cocktail of the summer is?

Todd 26:06

No, because you know I'm not up on current events.

Melissa 26:10

Well, it's a tomato martini.

Todd 26:12

That sounds disgusting.

Melissa 26:14

I know, but I think it's like a Bloody Mary.

Todd 26:16

Have you ever had tomato aspic?

Melissa 26:19

No.

Roots, Rituals, And Early Design Sparks

Todd 26:20

Do you know what an aspic is?

Melissa 26:21

Yes.

Todd 26:22

Okay, so at Cherokee, the chef there used to make this tomato aspic, and they served it with every entree.

Melissa 26:30

Okay, I just had that the other day there then.

Todd 26:34

Well, I don't is the new chef still doing it?

Melissa 26:36

I think so. Because I was like, what is this?

Todd 26:38

And they must have there must have been an uproar over it leaving the menu because it left the menu for a while. But I love that. I thought it was just incredible. It was a little sweet, a little spicy, and I like a congealed salad anyway.

Melissa 26:55

I'm shocked.

Todd 26:57

Like a jello mold. Yes, exactly.

Melissa 27:00

Ooh, I hate that.

Todd 27:02

You do?

Melissa 27:02

Yes.

Todd 27:03

Oh no, it takes me back.

Melissa 27:06

To your roots.

Todd 27:07

Yes, it does.

Melissa 27:08

Oh no, and um church fellowship hall, baby. Did you go to church always?

Todd 27:13

Yes, when I was growing up. We were we went to the first United Methodist Church in Sweetwater.

Melissa 27:18

Hmm. I don't want to say the message.

Todd 27:20

My mother was the organist and still is.

Melissa 27:22

Oh, that's right.

Todd 27:23

Yeah.

Melissa 27:24

That's right. And then yet you have a piano and you don't play.

Todd 27:27

But it plays itself beautifully.

Melissa 27:29

But she never wanted you to learn?

Todd 27:32

She did. And she tried to teach me, and I, of course, did not want to learn from my mother. Which was a huge mistake on my part, and I regret it.

Melissa 27:43

Yes.

Todd 27:44

But she later said, Todd, I'm the one who made the mistake because I should not have tried to teach you. I should have gotten you a teacher other than me. And we did that with the violin, and I played the violin for years. And um I think the only way that I was able to do that was that she was in the room, but she wasn't instructing me.

Melissa 28:06

Yeah.

Todd 28:06

She was more encouraging. And so, anyway, that's why I never did learn to play.

Melissa 28:12

I used to tell, like, because I used to coach, and uh all the time I would have athletes who their parents were like coaches, and they would be like, I, you know, I tried to do this, and it was always true. Like they never wanted to learn from them.

Todd 28:25

Right.

Melissa 28:26

Same with I think um like teaching, like being a teacher, and then like trying to teach my kids like how to do stuff they don't want to hear from me.

Todd 28:36

No.

Melissa 28:37

So who taught you about design?

Buy It Good, Buy It Once

Todd 28:40

So I learned a lot about design. Um, well, I I was always interested in design, right? So when I was in the second grade, I was reading the Smithsonian magazine and the magazine antiques, Veranda, and Southern Accents. Those were the things I wanted to see because I was just obsessed with this beauty, and so I loved that. And then uh we were working on my mom and dad's house, they were remodeling that house, um, and I went to the meeting with the interior designer, and it was back when this Miller's department store. I don't know if you ever remember that, but it was beautiful. It was a fabulous store, and they had beautiful clothes, you know, the cosmetics counter, all that, but they had an amazing department of furniture antiques, and they had really good interior designers. And so mom and dad went there to have them do this library that was in our house, and I went with them, and I had heard uh my mom talk about what she wanted, and so while they were meeting with him, he and he was great, by the way, but um I was walking around the store and I came back to where they were working, and I said, Hey, I've found this rug over here that I think you need to buy because it's exactly what mom said she wanted, and I think it's the right size. And they were like, Yeah, whatever, you're in the second grade, how do you know?

Melissa 30:11

Like, what do you know?

Todd 30:12

Yeah, and so we went over there, he finally gave in and went over there, and he said, That's actually the one that I was gonna show you. And so they bought it, and it laid on the floor in that house for 48 years until the rug you picked up. The rug that I picked out. The room got redesigned three times between the time that he did it and the time that the house was sold. But it laid that rug was a fixture there forever. And that's another reason why you buy it good, you buy it once. You can make things look different, right? But if you buy the best you can do, it's gonna last a long time.

High-Low Design And Where It Works

Melissa 30:59

So, what do you think of like fast fashion or fast?

Todd 31:03

I mean, there's Zara in my closet, right? Liar. No, there is. I had it on earlier in the week. What is it? It was a well, there's more than one piece, but the thing that I wore earlier in the week.

Melissa 31:15

Like there's one chest.

Todd 31:18

There's one thing in there. But I uh it was a black and white check shirt, and I like it because it's super thin, so it's not I usually wear linen in the summer, but it was uh really like cotton, so it just felt right for the day. And I had on some sort of fancy shoe, I'm sure, but it was a short shirt Zara shirt. So I think there's a place for it. Okay. But um I don't know, I like more timeless things.

Melissa 31:46

You know, so what about like in a home? Is there anything that I mean maybe not your home, but like is there anything that you feel like is there anything you'd go to Target and buy?

Leather Truths: Full Hide Vs Split

Todd 31:58

Um, potentially. They did a collection one time with really amazing designers. Like they did a collection, and in this drop was a Tom Brown jacket. It was Tom Brown for Target. And you could buy it at Target or at Neiman Marcus. And I bought that, like I waited in line, and they actually had one of them in Knoxville, and it was in my size. So you got it. I got it. And I was there at like five in the morning thinking that there was, you know, gonna be a hundred other people wanting this Tom Brown jacket in Knoxville. Anyway, but from that collection, we bought a beautiful black lacquer tray with brass trim that's still on my desk downstairs. So yeah, I think that there are places that you can find great design, and Target does have it. If it's good design, it's good design. And my design aesthetic is all about a mixture of high-low anyway. So um I don't think everything has to be expensive, but I just think it has to be right. And if something that's lower end is right, then fine. And kids' rooms is a kids' rooms are a great place to play that game, right?

Melissa 33:11

You do because it's not gonna last.

Todd 33:13

It's not gonna last, generally. So you do really pretty draperies, you know, that they don't really mess that up. You can do pretty stuff on the wall, you could put do a pretty wallpaper or paint, and you can tell a story that way, but then maybe the bed is pottery barn, you know.

Melissa 33:29

You don't like pottery barn?

Todd 33:30

No, I do.

Melissa 33:31

Okay.

Todd 33:31

I do.

Melissa 33:32

Oh, I have a question for you.

Todd 33:33

Yes.

Melissa 33:34

Speaking of pottery barn, so I saw a designer online the other day who was talking about the major design icks, which we've done something similar. Yes, but a leather sofa was like one of her top, maybe I shouldn't say her because I don't want to like out this person. People will find it. But anyway, was one of her top design icks. And like that was my first really, I thought, nice piece of furniture that I had saved is this beautiful leather couch that I feel like is timeless.

Todd 34:05

Right.

Melissa 34:06

And then you can change the pillows, you can change everything else. But so is a leather couch.

Todd 34:13

A design ick?

Melissa 34:14

Yes.

Todd 34:14

No, there's in our den the sofa is black suede, and that has been something that we have owned for 30 years. And I think it still looks as good today as the day it was delivered.

Melissa 34:28

Yeah. And it gets a patina though, right?

Todd 34:30

It does. It has a the suede is leather in a lot of places. Um, but I love that sofa. And so I think I don't like inexpensive leather. Did you know that a cow hide can be cut multiple times into into layers? No. It can be split like ten or more times. A cow hide.

Melissa 34:55

Meaning like shaved like this.

Todd 34:57

So when you see a leather sofa that's a thousand dollars and a thousand ten or nine ninety-nine, that is not a leather sofa.

Melissa 35:06

It's pleather.

Todd 35:08

That is a leather dermis, whatever you want to call it. Right?

Melissa 35:14

You're sitting on a leather dermis. That's a that's a ick.

Todd 35:25

That's an ick. Like the cheap, not real leather, not a it has to say full hide. If it's not, if it doesn't say it's a full hide, it's not a full hide, and it's just like leather uh decoupage for lack of a better word.

Melissa 35:42

Right.

Todd 35:43

Right? Well And that's a design ick.

Series Vision: Travel, Fashion, Design

Melissa 35:46

A lot of wood is that way now too. But wait, before we leave leather. So Gucci, that's what would made Gucci so amazing. Right. Right?

Todd 35:55

Or the the cows that they their own cows that they raised and treated a certain way, yeah.

Melissa 36:01

In Tuscany, I think.

Todd 36:02

Right.

Melissa 36:02

Right?

Todd 36:03

Yeah, at their family home.

Melissa 36:04

Yes.

Todd 36:05

Right.

Melissa 36:05

Okay, so I can keep my leather couch.

Todd 36:07

Yes.

Melissa 36:08

Perfect.

Todd 36:08

As long as it doesn't peel.

Melissa 36:10

No, it's well, it's from Pottery Barn.

Todd 36:12

Okay.

Melissa 36:12

But it's very nice.

Todd 36:13

Yeah.

Melissa 36:14

And it's just gotten like softer and creamier and nicer. I do need some really pretty pillows on there.

Todd 36:20

Yeah, you probably do.

Melissa 36:21

So I think the goal of this little series is going to be to like show all sorts of different luxury things from uh hotels to design to food to fashion. Right. And just kind of invite people into your world about like experiencing those things kind of like through you.

Todd 36:50

Exactly.

Melissa 36:50

So I feel like um showing people like different locations, maybe even I think that's a great idea. And doing, you know, like maybe we go eat a caviar baked potato somewhere. Or we go shopping.

Todd 37:07

Or maybe we make one here.

Melissa 37:08

Or we make one here, yeah. And then, you know, kind of talk about all of the things fashion, travel, um, interior design.

Todd 37:18

Right.

Melissa 37:19

And then just you.

Todd 37:20

That's good. I think that's great.

Melissa 37:22

Well, this was fun. For sure. Next time we'll have a tomato cocktail.

Todd 37:28

Oh. Okay.

Melissa 37:30

I feel like maybe I'll make you a tomato martini.

Todd 37:33

Okay. Well, I'll try it. I'll try anything once.

Melissa 37:35

I mean, I've never had it either, but you think a bloody Mary is a tomato cocktail.

Todd 37:39

Well, it really is, actually. Yeah.

Melissa 37:41

And I like that. Do you like that?

Todd 37:42

Oh, I love a bloody Mary, yes.

Melissa 37:44

So if you had to choose, like if at night, like to relax.

Todd 37:48

What would my drink of choice be?

Melissa 37:50

Or like any anything.

Todd 37:52

To relax? Uh, I would probably do a gummy.

Melissa 37:56

Yeah.

Todd 37:57

Just if I wanted to chill. Because that makes me happy.

Melissa 38:01

No, but you always have to eat your weed. Did you hear that? I had a very important doctor, a lung surgeon, actually.

Todd 38:08

Well, then I should be perfectly healthy.

Melissa 38:10

You should be good. But yeah, he said you have to eat your weed. So you can't smoke it.

Todd 38:15

Well, I tried to smoke it and I always cough.

Melissa 38:20

They say you have to cough to get off. I I wouldn't know.

Todd 38:33

I say we toast to that.

Melissa 38:35

Yes.

Todd 38:35

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

Melissa 38:38

Oh my gosh, I love it.