Design, staging, The Refreshed Home and….James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke?  A shameless SEO-grab…or seriously?  

Words like design, decorating, home staging-come with a lot of baggage. Intimidating, they can conjure up all sorts of awkward feelings.

But regular readers know I love analogies, AND the more incongruous, the more unexpected, the better!

So, we know James Corden!  Cheeky, adorable and absolutely incorrigible, James first ran with Carpool Karaoke as a skit on a 2011 BBC special. It became a regular segment when he joined The Late Show.

From Gwen to Gaga to First Lady Michelle  Obama-he’s tooled around with some of the best. It’s won him critical, and popular acclaim.  Fans have rated these segments. They’ve won him an Emmy, and Apple bought the rights in 2016. So it’s both a big deal, and a fun-fest!

These 3 things make Carpool Karaoke great; guaranteed to put your next design project in perspective as well.  

Keep it real.  HGTV entertains us.  We ohhhh and ahhhh in perfect showrooms, and oggle glossy print media. But you know no one lives in these spaces, right? Why still inwardly compare our lives and spaces to these unrealistic visual confections? And ask any agent-when a buyer comments ‘oh this house is staged’-it’s usually not a compliment.  Real is better.

The karaoke segments take planning…but tune in, and you’re right there in the back seat, singing along. His “All I Want for Christmas” segment is legendary.Paul McCartney’s 23 minute drive around is imperfect, but real. There are stories, tunes, tears and a lot of yuks. And it logged almost 38M YouTube views in its first 5 months.

Simple is good.  Easy puts everyone at ease.  Having fun, and good design is intuitive, it shouldn’t take a lot of work to figure out. YES, staffers (and design pros) are your guardrail. They make sure you get on track, stay focused, and get things done. But ultimately have faith, and trust your instincts.

Fun and familiar resonates.  There are just some things that are universal. We probably grew up singing in cars, Carpool Karaoke just takes it up a notch. Good design choices also make us happy and relaxed. We can act goofy, even poke fun at ourselves. We are, as Maya Angelou once said, fine, just as we are. 

No one talks about the cars in Carpool Karaoke… and I doubt the sofa, or the dining room table will be what’s remembered after a Super Bowl party, or at the closing table. The things are just…things that frame the experience, or the function. Relax, and have a good time!! Working with THR just helps you choose well, so you get on with the rest of your life!