Curated Conversations: Hey guys, welcome back to Curated Confessions, where we drink wine and talk design. I am your host, Hillary Smith. And I'm Brittany Pelche Como. And we are the lead designers and owners of Brit Hill Interiors in Prairieville, Louisiana. Cheers. Cheers. So with that being said, I was supposed to, that. So originally I wanted to go to Moffe Coast. Mm-hmm. But I didn't have time to plan the trip. So we said we would go to Turks and Caicos. Caicos. Caicos how do you say it? Caicos. Caicos. It was only one radio station. The other guy were from there. They didn't know how to say it. No. And which I definitely went thinking I was which also people laughed at me hysterically, but I was like This is British. Where are all the British people? That is not how that works. Yeah. though really, I don't know if we met anyone that was born and raised there either. It was mostly like Jamaican or Yeah, when we just went to Banff, everyone was from Australia that worked there. There was one Australian. Weirdest thing. That I met and was like, That's still not British. Well, I mean, technically it's British, but Still not what I was thinking. So I don't know. I just thought there was a bunch of British people living on an island. I guess technically they are, but they're Caribbean. I was very confused. So then I was like, What's the local fare? Is that how you say that? Local food. And one meal was Jamaican, the next was I mean, there was a lot of plantains, a lot of redfish. A lot of Caribbean type So that was but with all that being said, I was while we were eating dinner and I was telling my husband about other restaurants that I had gone to and that I'd gone to Michelin Star I never can't say this correct. Molecular gastronomy. Yeah. restaurant in Chicago. And it was eighteen courses. It was crazy, also phenomenal. But also at the time I had no clue it sound that that was like so hard to even come by. Like I just assume that they're like all over the place. So I came back. just so happened a TikTok pops up of another a lady going to a restaurant that is same vibes. you know your desserts a h a hot air balloon that somehow you pop and you eat it and fun. It it's just the whole thing is one of my favorite courses from the restaurant I went to was it came it was a cigar in an actual cigar or like food that looked like a cigar. It was a s it was a cigar in an ashtray that has ash all in the ashtray. But it was really a Cuban sandwich, which it was the sandwich was rolled up in a like a grape leaf. I don't think it was grape, but it was some type of and that was a cigar? And that was rolled up and like it looked and then the paper was edible paper on the cigar like must have been a fatty, huh? Yeah. A sandwich in it? Well, you gotta think it's a 18 courses. You're not eating a whole sandwich. And then all of the ash was like the spices that were that would be what is on a Cuban sandwich. So the whole point was that you would take your cigar and you would you know roll it around the ash, and then you would take a bite and you were supposed to think you were eating a Cuban sandwich, but really you're eating a cigar with ash on it. Which was Crazy and the whole time I'm just like, cool, what's the next course? Like also it was 18 courses and there was a wine pairing with all of them. I need to go to this. Could you imagine if we had one in Louisiana? They'd have like a big gator foot or something like on a swamp of sauce. I don't know. Which I did. I was like, so started Googling like Michelin, you know, s restaurants, which Emeralds, which I've been to Emeralds. Pretty sure your family took me to Emeralds. Did they for New Year's one year? We would go to the Emeralds in Vegas all the time. I think I've only been to the one in New Orleans like once or twice, I think. I can't remember who took me. I thought it was your family. Yeah, I think we did. You're right. But then but that's just fine dining. That wasn't that's not like this like so there's like Five or six in the world. That's it. One's in Spain. There is one still in Chicago, not the one that I went to. Unfortunately, the chef did not do well with the pressure after that. So he is no longer with us. but another one has come up in Chicago. And there's one in Spain and there's one in London. Well, outside of I think it's called Maidenhood, but I think it's right in London. But So I was like, I always said that my husband wasn't interested in food like that. I mean, he likes to eat, but not yeah, to make a trip based on food. But then I started the more I talk about it, then yesterday showing him those TikToks and stuff, and he was like, I would definitely love to go to something like that. So I'm like, now I'm on my new kick. Now my next trip has to be based around a restaurant. Yeah. So I was supposed to go on this vacation to plan a trip to the Amalfi coast. I didn't do that. Instead I decided to plan a a house instead. And now I'm over here doing research on restaurants, so I can plan a trip based on that. So that's how that pivoted. But I don't know why that made me think of this, but you remember we went to Australia and ate kangaroo? Yes. And they said we were gonna love it. We did not. I did not y'all I tried so hard. I really wanted to throw up at the table. People eat kangaroo. I mean when And then they were like, you went to the best restaurant that serves it. Mm-hmm. Mm-mm. I see now why I've done a lot of fine dining. You definitely make me go to some dumb restaurant. And that one I could have passed on. I was like, I don't want to I feel like there was some pink sauce that came with it. Yeah. And like I always like to try wherever I am. Correct. So that like when we're in Canada, they had a lot of Bison, like I was gonna say bear. Bison, apparently carpaccio and tartar and just like wasn't feeling it. Mm-mm. Mm mm. So Would you have ate the pate that was on the table that they brought us? Mm mm. Probably not. Yeah, what's a little chicken liver? Mm-hmm. I just it's the texture, I think, for me the I mean it just tastes like butter. Like it's mousy, huh? Isn't it mo like it's like a the pate? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Texture. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But I mean I feel like that's also the same consistency of butter. Yeah, but when you think about what it is You see you eat weird stuff. I know, I know, but you already said car never can't say that word either. Carpaccio. Carpaccio. tartar I love a carpaccio. Beef carpaccio. But not a bison one. no one should be eating anything raw. What about like fish, like sushi? Love it. Hilary, will you do raw fish? I like raw fish. I don't love Shashimi. Love it. Something about a huge slab of raw fish does not granted. I don't get down with octopus though. Mm mm. I like octopus. Calamari, squid. calamaria square. But Yes. I don't know if I love Again, it tastes like a rubber rubber band to me, like the texture. The same as lobster. No. Lobster. It's like tender and juicy and like So is octopus. Mm. I've had octopus in California at a sushi restaurant, oddly in the. I don't know. I just I also, no offense, grew up in a household I say no offense because I'm sure my mom's watching. I was like, Who are you telling no offense to, darling? So she's gonna get her feelings hurt. But when you grow up in a house where they don't like seafood, you just grow up not liking seafood. It just seems you know, it's not it's just like if your mom doesn't like roaches, you just are scared of roaches. That's just Yeah, when Hillary and I met, maybe I'm from Louisiana Hillary being from Texas, every time we would go to dinner, I'm like all about like sharing and stuff, you know? Trying the most food. You you wanna have as many plates as possible. It's not about sharing. Because you were trying to only, you know, eat a small portion. Let me just make that make that share. That's understood. but I options is what you're going for. I like options. A good tapas restaurant? Absolutely. Love it. But anywho. I would always try to get like shrimp or a lobster or any seafood. And she's like, I don't eat that. I don't eat that. I was like, of course you do. Which I try. I always tried she didn't wanted to try. I will say that my palate has been elevated over the last few years, but I my definition of seafood was long John Silver's. Popcorn shrimp. And they had to be popcorn. So that I couldn't see the orange veins or I'd freak out. So now like when you eat a big golf shrimp are you like, Ooh, this is like like the texture's weird? I mean I hate shrimp cocktail, but I love a good coconut shrimp. Come on. I don't want to see a shrimp naked. We never heard a naked shrimp. I mean that's what they are. And they're cold. I don't like them cold. I want them warm. I mean, what's the difference than like hair on your beef? I don't eat hairy beef. Why are you eating hairy beef? Exactly. That's what I'm saying. I don't see because I'm used to my dad being like, I want it to still moo when it comes out. So a big bloody steak seems normal to me. Okay. Then my mom was a well done took me a long time to realize that's also not proper etiquette. No. Mm mm. So mm mm. Now I'm a medium rare, so I'd definitely go more on my dad's side. My dad will eat it rare. Yeah, that's how my mom He's over there with your whatever. Just put it s cut it up small and put it on a plate. He don't eat use chopsticks, but he'll try to eat he'll do that. I saw a lady at the Ritz eating French fries with chopsticks. I don't I'd be there a year. I don't know if I'm So redneck or not cultured or I have no manners or that seems Wait, what so until French fries that had chopsticks? Just the bar. She had a a sushi bar? It it was just the bar, but it pretty much everywhere there you could order even at our resort, like the bar, the restaurant, they all had different different use. They all came from the same restaurant. Like the same sh like kitchen. Yeah. But Which was very disappointing towards the end because we realized that the drink menus at every location were different, but they can make all of them. I didn't find all the good drinks until like the last two days. I was like, man. They had a toasted coconut espresso martini. Mm. Fantastic. I don't really like coconut, but that's It was it gave it a good flavor, except then I jostled it around and they had all the toasted coconut up on the top. we'll see how And apparently I d dissipated all the foam and so then I was just chewing on coconut, which I think if I would have just sat there and drank it, the foam would've still been there and held the coconut. I was a little not upset, but I just gave the last two sips to my husband, so that was my problem. But And then they had this drunken lobster that was Wait, you just said you didn't eat lobster. It was a cocktail. ooh, It was basically just red. It was a red pina colada. Okay. I was like, I don't know how I feel about that. and they only drink the dark rum. I was thinking I was getting a Mexican nice clear fruity pina colada. That is not ghost gross. Put some hair on your chest, which is not ideal when you're in a bathing suit. I can't drink anymore. I can we take a time out? I got a T T. Yeah. Whew I hope that's on podcast. Sorry guys. You feel refreshed. Yeah, do. I couldn't go anymore. I was wiggling in my chair. Fill that. So all of this, we had a point, I think, to all of this. We just yes. So we just got I mean I could talk about food for probably another and vacations and resorts. But a couple hours. I went on a consult yet was it yesterday? Yesterday? One day here was. Wasn't it today? Toda no. Not the one I'm referring to. I think anyway, so all this talk about food and the way it's prepared and everything, I went on a consult about a kitchen remodel. And the client they cook a lot and they have a pretty small kitchen considering it's not small. It's like it's open to the rest of the house, but it's just an L, like a small L with an island. So for the size of the house it's it's a little small. Yeah. And, you know, originally I went in thinking of okay, how can we make the kitchen bigger? 'Cause she was just saying there's not enough space. And it it was weird because the when the dishwasher doors down and the oven doors down, they hit when the fridge doors open, the islands too close. It was just like it felt claustrophobic too, the way it was designed originally. So I'm like, I don't wanna gut your, you know, totally rework your kitchen. So I'm seeing how maybe we can expand one side. We can't. There's like a stairway, there's a brick arch, there's doorways on both sides. So I'm like, that's not feasible. So you get an outdoor kitchen, I'm sure. They do. They do have an outdoor kitchen, but it sounded like the husband used that a lot and she likes to air conditioning. Yes, prep and have her space so which she said because of their kitchen, she was like, He's not allowed in here when I cook. Like, keep the walkway clear. so then I'm like, Okay, let's regroup and let's think of ways that we can better utilize the space that you have. So we go in and start talking about literally what's in every cabinet, what's in every drawer, how does she use the space, how does she prep and It was like the smallest things, such as there, you know, most people's trash drawers typically in the island because it's kind of a central point by the sink. Theirs was like next to the range. And she was like, At one point, we had just like a floating trash just a couple feet down against the wall because they were doing they were redoing something. She was like, It worked out so much better. just not being right on the oven. So I was like, okay, we're just gonna change this bank of drawers to your trash drawer. And just flip flopping things without having to totally gut out all of the cabinetry. And she had a spice drawer next to the oven, but it had like enclosed sides. It wasn't like a normal spice drawer, like the wire where you could see everything. So she had like her foil and her Ziploc bags and things. I was like, that makes sense in something like that. So I was like, they're tall people. I can never have spice racks above on my uppers. That's where I have mine. But for them it makes total sense. You know, so it's like even like a stair step you couldn't see in your first shelf. I couldn't reach the back of it. I have that same problem. I could I couldn't reach the back. So you should have invested in a little step stool in every one of your toe cakes. Yes, I should have. Mhm. Also that's a good way to figure out that how to do that. So what I'm trying to say really is without I'll say they have those that I really which I mean is great if you plan on having like eighteen children. But I would love to have one in my mas or or in my kids' bathroom. But like the pull out step stool. The pull out, yeah. Like I have a toddler tower that I'm just like pushing around 'cause she wants to be either I'm holding her or she's screaming, looking at me to pick her up. Or I just have to sit her on the counter. Yeah, but she'll outgrow it and five, you know. Yeah, then you change it up. But I'm just saying, like right now, well I'll say five, she still wouldn't be able to but okay, seven. So which seven years to trip over a toddler tower is not looking forward to that. But I would like to have, you know, I do like appreciate those little step stools that are even like in the kitchen so she can help you cook. Well that's I I have she loves to wash her hands, which is a great thing to instal just for hygiene purposes. So especially when cooking. So in daycare they just sick sick. So I'm like, yes we were washing our hands after everything. So but I either have to hold her like a football player and she just sticks her hands out or she's in a little toddler tower. So I just decided to go ahead and commit to the pet. Yeah. And so now we just push it around the kitchen, all over the place. but they do have them where they look like the spice rack. Yes. And you pull it out and they like full slip out next to the range and stuff. But I feel like you would have to have like strategically around the whole house. Yeah. Also I've seen where they use the dead space in the island to have a pull out step stool, which is very convenient. So like a removable. Yeah. So you could just push it around your house or your kitchen and then stay back in their place in my pantry. But yeah, I should have I I have mine also I have a a broom closet that's on its back side of my pantry. So it just stays in there. But also sometimes it accidentally gets in my closet and then I use it as a clothes rack. So then I can't use it when I need it. So then I just push my bar stools around and stand on those. Yes. Do the same. I would not listen to anything I suggest, actually. Just jump on the counter. I'll say that. that's my workout. Anyway, so I they also had one of those what they used to do in every house, the cornerbread cabinet. You know. You know, I didn't think that was weaker until I had a kid and now I always have bread just sitting out all willy nilly. Pissing me off. I just I don't know. I put it in my pantry. I have a shelter it on my pantry, but for some reason it just always is sitting there looking at me. Yeah. I have a I created like a an acrylic container in my pantry that's my bread spot. Mm-hmm. I have a lot of containers and everyone that comes over one tells me I'm crazy and two then proceeds to say that they can't help me clean up because they don't know where things go, even though they're all labeled. Yes. Everything has a place in Hillary's house and I love it. Except most of it just ends up on my counter because nobody wants to take the time to pour it out of the bag into the container, so that is a problem. I have to get a house manager. I love doing that. But then when I do that, my husband's like, he doesn't know what it is or something. So then he doesn't need it. And that's a problem. luckily for my family, we all have ADHD, so we just buy the same four things every time. Really easy on Instacart. I just hit duplicate order and it just pushes it right over. so this bread cabinet. We're like couldn't is it an appliance garage that or it's like literally just a bread cap. It's just like the roll up, I think it I think it had a roll up. I mean that could also be a but it was like stuff all in there, you couldn't see the back, what was you know, it's just it's not usable space. So their issue is I have never seen this in all of my years. He pulled a lot. It's a lot of years. He pulled the range out for me to see this because he was like, You gotta see it to believe it. Whoever built the house put the plumbing for the bathroom that is on the other side of the wall behind the range, not in the wall. So the range has to stick out. What? Yeah. Their range has to stick out because there's plumbing behind it. So they needed a six inch wall and they only had a four, so they just went behind the range. That's yes. That is probably what they did. So I'm like that would be a that's a no. That is a no no, no. I don't know who built this house, but We're coming for you. Like, nope, I'm gonna fix it. So solution was to both problems. We changed that range to a cooktop. She gets extra deep. hot drawers below that she was lacking. And then we do a little U shape to go around the plumbing, apparently. Yes. So weird. And then we do a wall oven, because it was next to the fridge, that would extend straight where the bread cabinet is and be like the small appliance garage. Hmm. Solution fixed. Got it. So all this being said, Even though you have a small space, most of the time it can be reworked to be able to prep better, to have a place for everything. I would say ninety eight percent of people okay, maybe that's a big number. Seventy five percent of people's problems with their homes could all be fixed by better organization. Yeah. Storage solutions. Yeah. Decluttering. Decluttering. But not to say you shouldn't remodel 'cause That's how we that's our bread and butter. So let's Yeah, they weren't even gonna remodel the kitchen because really it's just it's a nice kitchen. But they were having issues with the range. Yeah. And then that's when they encountered the when they went to buy a new range. The plumbing. And then they're like, What are we gonna do about this? And so it snowballed into it's not like a refrigerator where they have a counter depth versus standard depth. They also have that problem. If they put a regular depth fridge And it sticks out, which is why when they open the door they can't pass 'cause the island. So that was the other solution for that is getting a counter depth fridge. And then you put one in your garage. Yes. To have more space. There's not enough room for Yeah. So, Yes, it's all about thinking about every little space that you use daily and don't really think how it could be better. Yeah. But I got thinking. That is a It's a good thing to do. Yes. Fouture home. I'm excited. I will say like also, I think that's how we approach pretty much any kitchen remodel or even organization, or you should write out what you do every day. Yes. Like what are the cause I mean, we have appliances and things that seem so and Amazon's the worst. 'Cause it's so convenient and you'll just be perusing and then all of a sudden you've bought eighteen gadgets that you now have to that you use once a year. And and so Or you buy an air fryer that's like twice as big as the space you have to put it in. Like get a small one maybe. I did that and that air fryer never left our shop. it's in our kitchen here at Brit Hill because I use it. I was like Where I would this would have to sit out on my counter every day. And it's just not happening. Though I do buy the the like I bought the beautiful crock pot and stuff 'cause they are really pretty when they sit out, but I still don't want them on my counter write. But anyway. That's not yeah. Food for thought. Yeah. I would start any remodel by actually writing down what you do And how many people do every day. So that like we had another client that had like backstock of vitamins and all and I'm like, write out what you use every day in like a hundred cups. And I'm like, honestly, at the end of the day, people have so many cups. You have your favorite. And it's the same one you use every single day. Granted, okay, so it got misplaced or you left it at work. So you have a b I'm not saying get rid of all of them, but Let's put the Christmas cup at the top till the holiday. I do I have my Christmas and my L S U cup that sit at the tippy top and then I have my one that I I love and I use every day. And that's the one that stays. And then honestly, then your sink's not overflowing with dishes if you don't have as many options. Right. I learned that with having a b a baby. If you get twenty bottles, you'll have twenty bottles in your sink to wash. Yes. If you get Six, which is how many she needed per day. Guess what? Every night I wash them every day. And like that was just how mm-hmm. That just worked. Granted I had a bottle washer that I just got to remove from my counter and it was glorious. Nice. Mm-hmm. But it just moved to my dining table because I didn't put it in the attic. So that's that's a that's a problem for tomorrow. Just keep it a real. So we we hope you will visit us next time on Curated Confessions. Thank you for tuning in today. We might talk about design. Yeah, we might We might talk about food. We will. We might eat a what is that? Shrimp cocktail for funsies. I'm gonna make Hillary eat a big shrimp cocktail. So you can find us on YouTube and Spotify and Apple podcasts. Thanks. Cheers. Y'all have a good day.