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 Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Paris vs. Cabo01:14 – Why Paloma changed her original Paris plans02:48 – Caroline on her first kid-free trip in 20+ years06:25 – Shopping, Charvet shirts, and museum parenting07:53 – Malmaison, Lafayette, and Josephine as ultimate style icon11:08 – Pool days, beach reads, and vacation mode in Cabo13:23 – Paloma’s hotel horror story and the great Cabo switch16:52 – High/Low: trusting your instincts on vacation18:31 – Caroline’s lows: spider bite and shin injury from hell20:17 – Caroline’s high: beloved French chips and snack obsession22:01 – Margot cameo!23:34 – Glass-door mishaps and kid vacation stories25:17 – Paris celebrates PSG into the wee hours25:52 – Product Rec: Chris McMillan Styling Balm30:39 – Design Question: Should a designer hire the contractor?37:25 – When a client request becomes a red flag41:51 – Contract redlines, process pushback, and knowing when to walk away47:42 – Wrap-up: Notre Dame bells, cold weather, cocktails, and a meteor showerInstagram: @theinstallpodcastTik Tok: @theinstallpocastYouTube: @theinstalldesignpodcastPaloma:www.paolomacontreras.comInstagram: @palomacontrerasdesignTik Tok: @palomacontrerasdesignCaroline:www.carolinegidiere.comInstagram: @carolinegidieredesignTik Tok: @carolinegidieredesignbtsShop My: @carolinegidiere