Behind the Pages: A Fascinating Interview with the Authors of Sense of Place

I am absolutely delighted to be interviewing Caitlin Flemming and Julie Goebel for the first installment of our Designer Spotlight Series. As many of you know Caitlin and Julie are the authors of two books, Travel Home and their latest Sense of Place. Travel Home was a refreshing look at global interiors, but this book Sense of Place, has my heart. For anyone interested in creating their own “sense of place” this is your roadmap. The authors have carefully selected designers and tastemakers whose homes evoke a sense of history by combining the old and new to create homes with a personal collected look. All of the photographs are by the wonderful Stephanie Russo. Let’s take a look at behind the pages: a fascinating interview with the authors of Sense of Place my current favorite design book.

You can also read my Sunday favorites post here where I featured Sense of Place.

A Fascinating Interview with the Authors of Sense of Place

Tell us a bit about yourselves and how you became interested in design. 

Julie: you are the founder of Travelers Conservation Foundation and your work can be found in publications ranging from the San Francisco Chronicle, Better Homes & Gardens, Romantic Homes, and more. Tell us about your foundation. 

I started Travelers Conservation Foundation for a group of travel companies wanting to give back to amazing locations around the world. It was an opportunity to work with groups who dedicate themselves to restoring important cultural and historical sites around the world. 

I have always loved interior design but I have not worked as a designer. I teach Humanities and write the books with my daughter, which keeps my foot in the door on my love of design.

Caitlin: Caitlin Flemming Design is a full-service design firm with projects ranging from coast to coast. However, you started out as a blogger. Tell us how you transitioned from blogger to business owner and some of the things you have learned as your portfolio has grown. 

I started as a blogger when I was in my first job out of college and needed an outlet for my creative expression. Eventually it became clear that I needed to move to interior design as my career. I worked for a designer and then decided to take a leap of faith and start my own firm. I have never looked back. I love the diversity of projects. No two days are ever the same!

Where do you source inspiration and how has this changed with time? Where have you found inspiration in a place you weren’t expecting?

Caitlin: My source of inspiration comes from everything I see. I find a great deal of inspiration from the natural world and feel so grateful to live in such a beautiful part of the world. I live near the ocean with a view of both the water and the Golden Gate Bridge. The serenity of what I see has an impact on how I decorate. I like to bring in that feeling of tranquility to the homes I decorate. 

To date, what are some of your most memorable projects and collaborations?

Caitlin: There are so many projects and each one has had something new for me to learn. I’ve recently been moving towards far more patterns within my projects and this has been such fun. Without a doubt, the homes we photographed in Sense of Place influenced my design work, especially those in Great Britain. I want the end result to be a place where everything doesn’t need to be perfect. It’s important we keep spaces comfortable for living.

Home of Author Caitilin Flemming

Behind the Pages: A Fascinating Interview with the Authors of Sense of Place

Caitlin: You love mixing vintage, modern, and antiques to create a “collected look”, which is my favorite look. Share your tips for mixing and matching while keeping your space clean and stylish.  

It’s definitely a challenge to mix antiques and modern furniture while also keeping a space both clean and stylish. I believe you shouldn’t rush the process. Some pieces are great to start with. For example, a beautiful vintage rug can begin the design process and then build from there with textiles and larger furniture pieces. I like to mix a new dining table with vintage chairs or vice versa. I think balance comes when you show restraint and also look at the overall home instead of room by room.

Santa Fe Home of Jill Sharp Weeks

In addition to design, you are co-authors on the book Travel Home: Design with a Global Spirit, plus another NEW book out now:  Sense of Place: Design Inspired by Where We Live. Tell us about the books and being able to work together. 

The journey of writing these two books together is something we are so grateful for. We work really well together and keep each other going with humor. Writing and designing an interior design book is a daunting task, but the rewards are many. We have learned so much by meeting these incredible designers and having the opportunity to get to know them. This, of course, has left a deep impression on our own taste.

How did you come up with the idea for your first book and what areas around the world have provided the most design spirit?

Our first book, Travel Home, was an idea we had for a long time. Having spent much of my childhood in México, I knew that widening our view of design beyond the borders of our country, was a wise way to look at design. Ultimately, I think with both books, we are doing it because both of us are very curious and love to always be learning.

How did you choose the showcase participants for each title?

This was the fun part. We looked to individuals we greatly admired and then tried to find a way to contact them.  We were blown away at the positive response from designers we had admired so much. Their support and enthusiasm helped fuel us in attempting these projects.

Home of Designer Carlos Sanchez Garcia

Since you have now collaborated on two projects together, what did you learn while authoring the first book that you changed with your approach to your newest title? 

We have learned so much during both projects. We realized quickly that you need to be very organized in order to keep on top of everything. There is so much more than just the writing of the book. We had to coordinate all of the travel to photograph these locations, figure out the layout for the books, work on marketing and PR, and organize book tours. Luckily, we enjoy the work, because there are many parts that go into making a book successful.

You both reside in San Francisco – how does living in this area impact your sense of design and how did this contribute to  your idea for your second book. 

Living in San Francisco has been a great source of inspiration for us. The natural beauty of this region is remarkable and we are grateful to live here. It was during the pandemic that we came up with the idea of writing our second book, Sense of Place. As with everyone else, travel was restricted, and we began to look at where we live with fresh eyes. This led us to think about how others were influenced by the area they live in. And that’s the basic idea we looked at for the book!

For people who haven’t read either of your books – give us a quick snapshot of each title. What do you love most about each and why?

Travel Home is how travel influences a designers work and how being exposed to the world can impact our design work. Sense of Place, in some ways, is the opposite. It takes a deep dive into how where a person lives influences their work. While each book is very different, in the end, they are also similar. Since we had such a wide spectrum of locations and homes, it ended up that lessons were as diverse as the places we were able to travel to.

Home of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent

How do you manage work/life balance especially with a new book out?

Honestly, there isn’t any balance when a new book comes out! It’s a juggling act to get everything attended to. Luckily, I (Caitlin) have a supportive husband who supports both our family and our business.

Name a place you haven’t traveled to yet that you look forward to visiting, and why?

The list is so long! Right now, Egypt is high on our list, along with Japan. I would love to have a trip down the Nile and see many of the antiquities. It feels like a trip where you are transported to another world. I also would like to visit Japan. So many designers we have interviewed have said it had a huge impact on their work

Home of Designer and Author Lauren Liess

Share some of your practical tips when designing interiors. 

Don’t try to do everything all at once. Going slowly can help you to avoid making big mistakes. Listen to what moves you – once you have figured out you taste, the process will be much easier.

Share your favorite design splurges.

My big splurges have been on vintage rugs and art. In college, I ate ramen for what felt like forever, so I could buy a rug I fell in love with. I still consider it my favorite rug ever.

What design trends are you currently loving now and which do you shy away from?

I’m loving the growing trend of patterns mixed together. We Americans sometimes want too much matching and I’ve learned to love a less perfect mix of colors and patterns.

Home of Designer Penny Morrison

Share your words to live by. 

“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all of the details of daily life.”

 -William Morris

Thank you for reading ,Behind the Pages: A Fascinating Interview with the Authors of Sense of Place. All photographs are by Stephanie Russo from the book Sense of Place. Caitlin and Julie thank you for taking time out of your busy book tour to share your insight and style with us. If you haven’t already purchased this book, I highly recommend it. I have already purchased several for friends. I can’t remember a recent design book that has stopped me in my tracks like this one. It is that good. You can purchase both Sense of Place, and Travel Home on Amazon here.

If you live on the Central Coast, my friends at Tancredi & Morgen are having a book signing with Caitlin and Julie on December 2, and you can sign up here. You have the added bonus of enjoying the wonderful wares offered by Tancredi & Morgen. I would be there but we will be on our way to the Oregon Wine Country. Thank you for reading Behind the Pages: A Fascinating Interview with the Authors of Sense of Place.