Quick Takes With: Heidi Lachapelle

Three words Heidi Lachapelle channeled for her recent interiors project? “Color and pattern and layers.” Come to think of it, that pretty much sums up the kind of warm, considered interiors we’re hankering for lately: lived-in and easy (think indigo quilts wrapped around the sofa cushions) yet not without a couple of elevated design twists (Atelier Vime lamps).

This is Heidi’s interior style in a nutshell: “Blending modern and traditional sensibilities, we create spaces that strike a balance between comfortable and curated, sophisticated and livable,” she writes of the eponymous interiors firm she founded seven years ago with her sister-in-law, Katie Judkins. In their hands, even a new-build home feels anything but sterile, thanks to the way they wrap up each room in texture and comforting color.

Today Heidi weighs in from her home base in Portland, Maine, with how to get that “enveloping feeling” on a budget, her ideal sheets, and the love notes on her bedside table. Read on:

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

Wine and flowers.

What’s on your bedside table?

A stack of unread books and little love notes from my kids.

What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?

I always go back to any of Gil Schafer’s books. Endless inspiration, and I always seem to find something new.

What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?

I love the Business of Home podcast. I never tire of hearing how other designers are running their businesses.

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

Mostly recently I was taken by the film Poor Things. The use of color and fabric was impressive.

Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?

Brent Buck (@brentabuck) has been so inspiring lately: the perfect blend of contemporary architectural details and balanced warmth.

What has been your best house upgrade?

Window treatments, always. A big investment but one you will never regret.

A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?

Color drenching. It offers a similar enveloping feeling that plaster provides but at a fraction of the price.

My favorite sheets are…

100 percent linen. Perhaps controversial, but I am all in.

My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…

Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball.

My unpopular design opinion is…

Dark contrast grout with light tile.

Your design pet peeve?

Using a Schluter edge to finish tile. This peeve runs deep for me.

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

The perfect wooden spoon: a beautiful object in itself and a natural material.

Three words that describe my design style:

Sophisticated, livable, and classic.

First design love?

Alvar Aalto. Architecture, furniture, and art that I was immediately connected to.

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

A Rachel Comey cropped wool jacket. Pairs well with any pant and always makes me feel pulled together.

Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?

Nickey Kehoe. I have always been impressed with what Todd and Amy have built.

What is the last thing you purchased for your house?

A Dieter Rams 606 Universal Shelving Unit for my living room. I can’t wait for it to arrive.

Something you’re coveting?

It’s hard to narrow this down to just one item but I want to cover everything in Pierre Frey Obernai fabric, specifically the Tourbe colorway.

I don’t leave the house without…

My Lindquist Object faba bag. IYKYK.