Bad Hotels, Good Hair & Better Boundaries

Paloma and Caroline check in from Cabo and Paris for a vacation-edition catch-up that delivers equal parts glamour, chaos, and practical wisdom. They talk about changing travel plans, the joys of slower vacations, and what it’s like to travel with kids at different ages—from early wake-ups to future shopping buddies and museum eye-rolls.

Along the way, they cover Malmaison, Josephine, and Paris museum adventures, Paloma’s very relatable decision to ditch a hotel that wasn’t passing the vibe check, and Caroline’s vacation highs and lows, including a spider bite, a bruised shin, and a deep devotion to French snack food. There’s also a standout product recommendation for taming frizz, followed by a smart and candid design discussion on why decorators should not be hiring the contractor—plus the client red flags that tell you a project may not be the right fit.

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Paris vs. Cabo
01:14 – Why Paloma changed her original Paris plans
02:48 – Caroline on her first kid-free trip in 20+ years
06:25 – Shopping, Charvet shirts, and museum parenting
07:53 – Malmaison, Lafayette, and Josephine as ultimate style icon
11:08 – Pool days, beach reads, and vacation mode in Cabo
13:23 – Paloma’s hotel horror story and the great Cabo switch
16:52 – High/Low: trusting your instincts on vacation
18:31 – Caroline’s lows: spider bite and shin injury from hell
20:17 – Caroline’s high: beloved French chips and snack obsession
22:01 – Margot cameo!
23:34 – Glass-door mishaps and kid vacation stories
25:17 – Paris celebrates PSG into the wee hours
25:52 – Product Rec: Chris McMillan Styling Balm
30:39 – Design Question: Should a designer hire the contractor?
37:25 – When a client request becomes a red flag
41:51 – Contract redlines, process pushback, and knowing when to walk away
47:42 – Wrap-up: Notre Dame bells, cold weather, cocktails, and a meteor shower

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YouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcast

Paloma:

www.paolomacontreras.com

Instagram: @palomacontrerasdesign

Tik Tok: @palomacontrerasdesign

Caroline:

www.carolinegidiere.com

Instagram: @carolinegidieredesign

Tik Tok: @carolinegidieredesignbts

Shop My: @carolinegidiere