It’s a tale as old as time: two souls connect at a crowded New York City bar and the rest is history.

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Such was the case with Emily Ward and Louisa Pierce—who now own the design firm and brand, Pierce & Ward. Their brainchild started taking shape when the duo relocated from Manhattan to Nashville: “My ex-husband and I had bought a Bobby McAlpine house, so Louisa and I decided to work on it together,” says Emily. It was absolute magic.

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Today, the designers have gathered an impressive roster of A-list clients, started their homewares line, and opened a storefront in Los Angeles. In their podcast debut, the duo sits down with host Jake Arnold for the latest episode of The Expert Podcast. Join them as they discuss the lessons they’ve learned working with celebrity clients, their tips for designing for young families, and more.

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On Working with Fellow Creatives

With a robust roster of celebrity clients under their belts (they’ve designed homes for Leonardo DiCaprio, Dakota Johnson, and Kate Hudson to name a few) Emily and Louisa respect the exchange of ideas that happens when working with artistic types: “We work with a lot of actors who know what it feels like to want creative freedom, so they’re good at giving it to us,” shares Louisa. “They like to be involved without necessarily dominating things.”

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On the Benefits of Partnership

Known for their eclectic sensibilities, the designers are grateful for having a creative counterpart to bounce ideas off of: “The benefit of having a business partner in this field is that it’s pushed us to evolve a lot,” shares Emily. “Our tastes are aligned, but we like different things. It’s nice to keep pushing our evolving tastes together to continue designing spaces that never look the same.”

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On Taking Chances

Believers in being led by their intuition, Louisa and Emily are no strangers to reminding clients to trust the process: “Louisa’s tried and true saying is ‘You never know until you try’ and it pushes us to take chances,” explains Emily, “With clients, we take gambles with the promise of ‘If you don’t like it, we’ll pay for it,’ because we know that in the end, it will work.”

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On Adding Character

Known for their layered rooms filled with warmth and character, the duo shares a few of their best-kept secrets for dealing with a blank canvas: “We always add moldings and beadboard. We also paint all of the interior doors in a single hue, which adds instant age. If you don’t have the budget to change the wall color around the whole house, just update the door slabs.” says Emily.

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On Decorating for Young Families

Both mothers to vivacious children, Louisa and Emily understand all too well the importance of design that works as hard as you do: “If a house doesn’t operate smoothly, what is the point of it? Functionality is what makes our interiors feel so comfortable,” shares Louisa.

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Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.