Decadent Design: Better Than (Red Velvet) Cake
Get Claire Brody’s recipe for an unexpected but deliciously chic home.
Photo: Kayla Snell
Name: Claire Brody, of Claire Brody Designs
Location: Austin, Texas
Own/Rent: Rent
Time in Home: 1 year
Claire Brody, of her eponymous design firm, has a particularly adventurous design sense. This is reflected in her use of bold colours, lush textures, and her truly unique mix of new and vintage pieces. Her unorthodox use of colour is more than palatable—it's delicious. Start scrolling to savour the style.
Photos: Kayla Snell
How would you describe your décor style?
I love anything unique and unexpected—I really love when contrasting design styles collide. Any space I create must have vintage pieces, as I feel that brings real life to a space. I crave colour and pattern, although I’ve recently started to warm up to neutrals with lots of texture. My style is something that’s constantly evolving, and I’m okay with that.
What was the inspiration for your home?
Our home is how I experiment. Anything that I want to try but am not totally sure about, I try here. If I didn’t, I would drive myself crazy thinking about how that idea or colour pattern would have turned out. Ultimately, I aim to create a unique space that is interesting to us. Also, my husband is a saint for allowing me to use our home as one big design experiment.
What items did you splurge on and which did you choose to save on?
I wouldn’t consider anything a major splurge in our home. Everything was purchased from vintage stores or budget-friendly retailers. I really can’t justify making a major splurge purchase for our rental as I wouldn’t know if the piece would work in our next home.
What was your biggest decorating, renovation, or DIY failure?
I decided I wanted to apply permanent wallpaper in a non-permanent way. I dreamed up this idea to apply the wallpaper (with traditional paste) onto foam board and then nail it to the wall. The foam board did not hold up to the wallpaper paste and ended up warping. It came down less than a year after we put it up. I found myself apologizing to all of our guests for the janky wallpaper job. It was a major DIY fail but a funny one—after it came down!
What is your favourite room or space in the house, and why?
I love our guest room the most because I rarely go in there, so when I do it feels fresh. I also love the space because it allows us to have company, and that’s always fun!
"My style is something that’s constantly evolving, and I’m okay with that."
Claire Brody
What do you hide when company comes over?
I have stacks of stuff hidden in every inch of the house. Rugs crammed into closets, pillows stuffed under the beds, accessories in dressers—you name it, and I’m probably hiding stuff there. You have to get creative with 900 square feet and no storage!
What advice do you have for those that want to achieve your style?
If someone is drawn to my style, chances are they want something unique and maybe even a bit risky. My advice is to sell what you don’t love and try what you do love. If it doesn’t work out, sell it and start over. What do you have to lose?
