A Chat with Jordan Chatham

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Jordan Chatham

I’m tickled to welcome my Insta Pal Jordan to the Chalet for a Chat. Hey Jordan so happy you’re here - please tell us about yourself - Hey there! I’m Jordan Chatham, a designer based in North Carolina and mother of three kids under four. I am a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and proud Tar Heel. I began working first in advertising, marketing and IP law before I started my interior design career initially as an antique dealer, which was a side hustle. 

My design work is not only done locally as I have clients I work with virtually across the country. I love helping clients create timeless, meaningful spaces they can share with family. 

My husband and I spent many years in Chapel Hill, NC and Asheville, NC before we recently moved back to my hometown in the NC foothills. Here we’ve been renovating a local historic home that was slated to be torn down; The Brendle family homeplace. If you’re local to the south east you may remember the popular Brendle’s department stores that dotted the east coast thru the mid 1990s.

The Brendle Home Spring 1950

My husband and I have been working hard to restore this 1939 home to its former glory, which to me means keeping the old tile and reviving that old school charm thru wallpaper and chintz. 

Who or What has been the biggest influence on you? My biggest influences are probably the people and places that shaped my life. My mother went to school to be an architect before becoming a stay at home mom. My grandma owned and operated a small antique and gift shop for decades. Their style is timeless in my opinion - traditional, full of antiques and vintage pieces, and with a touch of whimsical charm. 

What’s your personal style? My style is a spin on classic. I always want spaces to feel timeless but also colorful and personal. I don’t like it when a space is too matchy matchy or overly organized. It feels too stiff and not collected and layered over time. My style is very classically Southern - traditional leaning towards English country, sentimental, with a touch of whimsy. I love mixing in heirloom pieces and bits of family history wherever possible. 

Jordan’s kids with her grandfather, Richard Thurmond “Dick” Chatham, jr. 1930’s portrait. It was exhibited by artist Harrington Mann in NYC and was also featured in Town & Country magazine after the art show. 

Your Happy place – where is it? At home - whether that means my house or my parents house, our family farm, or my college town. Home means a lot of different things to me, but always feels nostalgic and happy. 

One to the cool things about where you live Jordan is the link to your family history. The Chatham Manufacturing Company was founded in 1877 and is still in operation and last spring you partnered with Bachelor Hill a local antiques store and offered your services as an auction item for the Hugh Chatham Health Foundation Annual Auction & Gala. Yes, a distant cousin has revived Chatham Manufacturing and my great-great grandfather was a successful businessman and he donated the land so that the hospital could be built so it is Hugh Chatham Health. I really enjoyed partnering with David Evans of Bachelor Hill Antiques to offer that client experience. And yes, I am definitely very passionate about my family history and the history of my area.

What is your home aesthetic?  Colorful. Antique. Historic. Nostalgic. Cozy. Timeless. Wallpapered. :) A few before an afters.

What space are you most comfortable in? A cozy living room lit by a wood burning fireplace and warm lamp light. Preferably at Christmas when the house is all decorated. 

What is something you try and do every day? Get outside. That might mean piddling in the garden, going on a walk, shopping. Seeing sunshine and touching grass makes everything better. 

What’s your guilty pleasure? Trash TV - Vintage WWE, Netflix documentaries, The Simple Life are some of my current favorites. And Krispy Kreme doughnuts - warm right from the shop assembly line is always best.  

Jordan has been featured in several publications both on-line and in print.

JORDAN’S PLATE FLATLAY WAS FEATURED IN COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE

Jordan was featured in a Southern Living article about estate sale hunting:  How To Beat The Crowds At Estate Sales, According To The Experts

Jordan you are such an incredible designer. Your home and your client work is awe inspiring my dear. Many thanks for your time and I loved learning even more about you and sharing you with my readers.

Follow Jordan: @chathamcollection and her website: Jordan Chatham, LTK Threads: @chathamcollection and Facebook: The Chatham Collection

Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on the Gram!

Images Courtesy of: Jordan Chatham

A Chat with Jamie of JBT Designs

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Jamie Toporovsky

I’m excited to introduce you all to Jamie an Interior Decorator and Stylist and fellow Jersey gal.

Jamie welcome to the Chalet please tell us about yourself.

Hi I’m Jamie, founder of JBT Designs. After years as an interior decorator, I pivoted into prop styling and art direction for photoshoots. A beautifully designed room and a beautifully photographed room are two very different things and bridging that gap is exactly what I do. Because of my background in the design world, I understand a space, vision, and the years of work that went into it before I ever walk through the door of a styling project.

Below: Designer Lalliberte Interiors, photographer Linda Pordon and styled by Jamie.

Below: Designer Daniella Hoffer Interiors, photographer Jacob Snavely and styled by Jamie.

Below: Designer Leit Designs, photographer Julie Leffell and styled by Jamie.

Below: Designer Melissa Peel Design, photographer Linda Pordon and styled by Jamie.

Below: Architect/designer Jennifer Kilgallen Design, photographer Van Tassell Studio and styled by Jamie.

Below: Designer Erika Shulman Interiors, photographer Julie Leffell and styled by Jamie.

Jamie now that we’ve ogled these amazing spaces you’ve styled tell us what motivates you? That moment on set when a designer sees a space transformed with the right florals, props, scale and color and their reaction is pure excitement and surprise. That never gets old.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on you? My mother Ruth has always been my biggest influence. Growing up, our home was filled with warm, well-curated, deeply personal touches, each piece placed with real pride and love. Whether something came from her travels or a local retail store, everything worked harmoniously together. What I admired most was that her collection was built over time, gathered slowly and intentionally. Obviously when I'm styling a shoot I don't have years to source, but that philosophy has stayed with me. One of my favorite things to do on a shoot is weave in the homeowner's personal items alongside the pieces I bring. It's what gives a space soul and makes the story feel authentic rather than staged.

What's your personal style? Understated with elevated moments. It carries through everything I do, both in how I dress and how I style a space. I'm not driven by brand names. What matters to me is that something looks and feels right. I'm a big believer in mixing high and low. A well-chosen affordable piece alongside something truly special is far more interesting than a room or an outfit that's all one note. Understanding materials is also everything to me, knowing your fabrics, your upholstery, your finishes. That knowledge is what allows you to pull off the mix convincingly and still have the whole thing feel cohesive and intentional. Whether I'm getting dressed or styling a space, the goal is the same: effortless but considered.

Your happy place, where is it? My home, my Pilates reformer class, and walking through coastal towns in Europe. There is something about each of those that completely resets me. The front porch is my other happy place.

What is your home aesthetic and what spaces are you most comfortable in?Honestly, I love it all and that's both my blessing and my curse. I'm drawn to show-stopping rooms where you can feel the hand of a skilled professional, but I'm equally at home with an understated Americana aesthetic with some old world European touches woven in. The truth is I'm a bit all over the place with my personal taste, which gives me a whole new level of appreciation for the designers, decorators, and architects who are able to take a client's vision, distill it, and actually get it done. That clarity and commitment is a real gift.

The kitchen and my front porch are where you'll find me most. The kitchen is truly the heart of my home. It's where I get to really show up for my family and I genuinely love to cook. I'm not much of a baker, although I do have a foolproof lemon cake recipe that we all enjoy! The front porch is my other happy place. Fresh air, shade, an iced coffee, and I'm still home but somehow not staring at everything I need to do inside. There's something about being outside that clears my mind, sparks new ideas, and gives me a fresh perspective without ever having to leave my own front door.

What is something you try to do every day? Every day I try to find at least one learning moment. It doesn't have to be big or work related. Something personal, something about my family, something that just makes me a little better than I was the day before.

What's your guilty pleasure? Dark chocolate, a good Nancy Meyers movie and losing myself in my collection of years worth of home trade magazines on a quiet Saturday. Oh, and Bravo TV, although I'm currently attempting a detox. It's just gotten too angry lately and I miss the fun!

Jamie styled the NJ Home cover working with designer MR Interiors and photographer Mendel Grossbaum.

Jamie I can’t thank you enough for taking the time from your busy schedule to chat with me. You’re a creative and entrepreneur on top of your busy family life as a wife and mom of four. I love the business you’ve created and how you’ve expanded to include styling. I find your work so extremely inspiring!

Follow Jamie: @jbt_styles • and check out her website: JBT Designs and JBT Designs Photoshoot Styling

Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on the Gram!

Images Courtesy of: JBT Designs

A Chat with Maria Squilanti

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maria squilanti

Friends I’m happy to welcome my friend Maria Squilanti of To Be Decluttered to the Chalet for a chat. We met at church and Maria is a member of Book Club I moderate (I love to hear what she’s reading). Maria thanks so much for taking the time to be here; will you please introduce yourself to the readers.

Hi Meryl and thank you - I am Maria Squilanti the owner and lead organizer of To Be Decluttered, a professional organizing company based in Verona, New Jersey and serving NJ and parts of NY. Prior to this venture, I was the owner of a financial PR and Events company in New York City.

My family is my life, and everything I do is with them in mind. I am the proud mom of two beautiful daughters in their twenties, and one high-school-aged son, and our sweet nine-year-old mixed breed, Hazel, who truly completes our family. My husband and I met in New York City and settled in the area after our wedding.

MARIA’S FAMILY

Our family loves spending time together, whether we are sharing a meal, enjoying the outdoors, or just relaxing at home. It’s my deep appreciation for family life that inspires my work—I know firsthand how a peaceful, organized space allows a busy family to focus on what matters most: making memories together.

Originally from New York City, my husband—a NJ Bergen County native—and I settled in Verona over 20 years ago, and we absolutely love it here. It is a wonderful, down-to-earth community full of big-hearted people, and we are so grateful for the close friends we have made who we now consider family.

MARY, MARIA AND TREesh

I have always loved to organize and clean up. Frankly, it’s a way of dealing with stress, of creating a clean slate, of generating order in an otherwise chaotic world. Only recently did I realize I could do something I enjoy so much and help people and also make money!

Prior to TBD, I worked on Wall Street for over 20 years, providing Financial Public Relations services to companies all over Latin America. It was a wonderful experience, and I learned a ton about working with and managing people. Every client I worked with dealt with challenges differently, and they needed unique solutions from me and my team. I always thought that a good PR executive listens intently and is ready to come up with out of the box solutions. Flexibility is key.

During COVID, the events side of the business languished, and the overall business took a dive. My partner and I decided that it was time to move on, and we shut our doors almost exactly 20 years after our inception.

I threw myself into being a full-time homemaker, a job I secretly longed for the whole time I was working in the city. As I mentioned, I am a homebody and the ability to be home all the time made me ecstatic. I learned how to make sourdough, homemade ice cream, honed my culinary skills, started gardening and spent every possible moment with my family. The girls were wrapping up their high school years and I was determined not to miss a moment of their remaining time with us. I started organizing my house, a task I had neglected over the years. Room by room, I decluttered, moving out all the stuff we had outgrown and focusing on having less stuff.

I am not a minimalist, but I do believe that having less stuff is the key to finding peace in your own home. Hundreds of items were donated, trashed and sold. It was an amazing feeling. I felt energized, organized, able to tackle anything. I knew I would eventually return to the work force but I knew that I would need to reset before I could even begin thinking of my next move.

What motivates you? My family motivates me; I want to make them proud. I want to show my kids that opportunities abound for those of us who are willing to work hard, be great at something, and take risks. Sure, you might fail epically and failing is embarrassing, frustrating, you name it… But it is important to fail sometimes; otherwise how would we learn? How would we grow?’

CLIENT PANTRY

One of my first paid organizing jobs was a huge learning experience for me. I had been working on projects that were successful. This is easy, I thought. Then I dealt with a client who was not happy with the end product. My idea of organization was not what she had in mind. She was not home when I was working at her house, so I had to make decisions for her. She kept saying she trusted my judgment but then, when I checked in with her a few days later, she had not liked the placement of her things, or the containers I had picked. It was a disaster! After that situation I changed the way I approached every project. I was a lot more demanding of myself and my team, I asked the client a lot more questions before, during and after the project. I managed expectations so that everyone was clear about the goals, the steps, the time frames. Most importantly, I was adamant that the client be on the scene on the day of the project so that they could be active participants in the project. It’s been smooth sailing ever since. But that experience stayed with me for a long time.

Who or What has been the biggest influence on you? Oh wow, that’s a tough one. I like to think that we learn something from all the people we encounter. Don’t you think?

If I had to name one person, it would be my father. Both his parents died when he was a boy and he basically raised himself. Eventually, he came to the United States from Colombia in his 20’s, a trained tailor, to work in factories while he learned English. When he finally became a tailor again, he worked for shops such as Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent. He was always amazed by the things he saw and the people he met but he was just a great tailor. He taught me that no matter what you do, just give it your everything. It’s true. In this phase is my life, I want to be a great professional organizer. That means my clients are happy when I am done, and they want me to come back.

What’s your personal style? 100% cotton, soft fabrics, and anything coastal. Give me a cozy sweater with a lighthouse on it and a sea of blue tones, and I’m happy as a clam! (The only time you will ever catch me wearing a pop of orange is when I am proudly rooting for the Clemson Tigers!)

Your Happy place – where is it? The answer is easy: Cape Cod. I fell in love with the coast in my early twenties during a trip to Nantucket—there was something utterly magical about the weathered shingles, the deep blue sea, the crisp trees, and that cool Atlantic breeze. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Once I got married, we started a tradition of spending a week in the beautiful coastal town of Chatham MA every summer. We loved it so much, we purchased a cottage there over 16 years ago making us official Cape Codders. It has allowed my kids to literally grow up there and we head up there no matter the season. In fact, when my daughter turned 21, all she wanted was a trip to the Cape. It is our little slice of heaven, and the backdrop to our favorite family memories.

Chatham, ma. light house

What is your home aesthetic? Like my clothing style, my home is filled with blues and natural colors. I am also a big fan of “cozy areas” so I have reading nooks and seating arrangements conducive for reading a book or relaxing. The sun is important in the mood for my house. I have rooms that get drenched in sunlight and I filter it out with bamboo shades or curtains to soften the glow. The result are pretty rooms that make you want to sit and chill out. I told you I was a homebody!

What space are you most comfortable in? I love being anywhere in my house. But I have a sectional in the living room where I have my designated spot. From that vantage point, I can drink coffee and set it down next to me, I can watch television or look out the window to see what is going on outside. The book I am reading is always in the area and everyone knows not to sit there because it’s my spot.

What is something you try and do every day? I wish it was exercising but it’s really not. I do try to give our dog Hazel a long walk every day.

What’s your guilty pleasure? Chocolate. If there is chocolate in the house, I will not stop until I eat it all. And if someone else has chocolate they know they have to hide it from me. If I find, I will steal it and eat it.

MARIA AND I

Check out To Be Cluttered Social Channels and the Website.

Maria again I really appreciate your time Thank you! I’m inspired by your entrepreneurial spirit and of course your organizational skills! You’ve created a brand through your attention to detail and hard work. Congratulations! Your clients are so fortunate to experience you and your teams expertise.

Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on the Gram