Creating a space that reflects your personality, provides comfort, and fosters functionality doesn't have to be an arduous journey or a task left to professionals. Fara Wilson, a renowned figure in the DIY and design world, is proof of that. We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with her for an enlightening episode of the Tile Trends podcast. As a mother, a savvy DIY-er, and a prominent Instagrammer, Fara shared insights into her journey into the DIY space and her delightful collaborations with Tile Club.
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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/mellow-bop
License code: DMOG7RNGEPGMIPJH
Creating a space that reflects your personality, provides comfort, and fosters functionality doesn't have to be an arduous journey or a task left to professionals. Fara Wilson, a renowned figure in the DIY and design world, is proof of that. We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with her for an enlightening episode of the Tile Trends podcast. As a mother, a savvy DIY-er, and a prominent Instagrammer, Fara shared insights into her journey into the DIY space and her delightful collaborations with Tile Club.
Visit The Links Below For More...
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/mellow-bop
License code: DMOG7RNGEPGMIPJH
Hello and welcome to Tile Trends, brought to you by Tile Club. I'm your Lindsay Fluckiger, and today we're thrilled to be chatting with Fara Wilson, a shining star in the DIY design world, a wonderful mother and a seasoned Instagram influencer. Fara, welcome to the show, thank you. Thanks so much for having me. We're so excited to sit down and chat with you today. Let's just dive right on in. So, Fara, can you tell us a little bit about your journey into the DIY space? What inspired you to begin and how has being a woman in this field shaped your experiences?
Fara Wilson:So I originally started an Instagram account in 2019 because I was looking for camaraderie. I was looking for community. I was looking for support of other women, other moms who are interested in home decor and decorating their home and just transforming their spaces into livable, friendly spaces. But that was still elegant and beautiful. And I started Instagram and I kind of found that and it was like almost love at first sight because it was great. The first week, the first couple of weeks, I started meeting different women and interacting with them and we started sharing and bonding and really creating and building community.
Fara Wilson:I never thought that this would lead to an influencer lifestyle or status or work, but it really was, because I needed to have an outlet. I was a professional woman working professional career in marketing and communications. I've worked in that field for years. That was my dream job, but I was still feeling unfulfilled in the sense that there was this other creative side of me that I wasn't intending to. So that's kind of how it started on Instagram.
Fara Wilson:And as far as DIY is concerned, I love when people tell me I can't do something and I'm like oh yes, I can. And I also love when you're working with different contractors, like I typically have a carpenter and an electrician on hand, because I'm always doing stuff around the house and some things are just above my pay grade and some things aren't. But when you've had contractors who keep telling you yeah, I'm coming, I'll be there next week, I'll be there so and so, so it's like, okay, I can do this myself, I can DIY it, I can learn how to do it, and so that's kind of how I started doing things on my own, because I got tired of hearing I'll be there next week or I'll do this when. Or I'm kind of busy right now, or your job is too small and I'm like, okay, well, I'll show you Like, having a never-ending honey-do list that just doesn't get checked off?
Lindsay Fluckiger:Absolutely yes. So I was checking out your website today and I just have to read this to our listeners. So, and everything that you just said really aligned with your intro on your website. So for our listeners out there, please check out thefairafixcom. And Farrah's intro on the website says I'm really glad you're here. If you, if like me, you identify as a busy mompreneur, a domestic goddess, totally obsessed with home decor, a DIY chick, easy peasy solutions, the hostess with the mostess loved to entertain, and as an overall awesome and imperfect being. I love that part. You've landed on the right page and I just love everything that you had to say there. It's very authentic and real and kind of sounds like exactly the purpose behind what drove you to get into this space.
Fara Wilson:Yes, and that's part of the reason why I think I've maintained or remained in this space, because there's so much other stuff going on out there that you really want to have these real authentic connections with people and you really want to create your own tribe. And to do that, you have to show up as your authentic self and, plus, you have to create impact. When I do simple hacks, I have a hack I do on Instagram every Friday. It's called Farrah Fix Friday, and on there I teach people how to do very simple, basic hacks, things that are useful. A lot of them are for moms, a lot of them are for home decor related, and the people who will say I just bought that because of you, this was really helped me, it saves space in my fridge oh my God, that's creating impact. That's the impact I want to create. I want to be helpful. I don't want to come on here and just show you my beautiful home, so what? But I really want to be able to share with you and we collaborate together and we have a good time together. And when people say I bought this because of you, or they come back and they say I got this last week and it's really helped me working on the laundry room with you guys.
Fara Wilson:I recently installed a little gadget and someone came and said I saw it on your page, I bought it and I love it. And then another person said I just bought it. I'm looking at the instructions. It looks a little weird. I'm like whatever you do, put it in the stud, ignore those instructions. Put it in the stud, otherwise it's gonna fall out. Talk like in the morning, because I know I love that kind of connectivity and I love when people don't take themselves too seriously. You know I am the hostess with the most is. Everyone knows when they come to my house I always have everything you can think of. When it's casual, it's really fun. This is what life is about.
Lindsay Fluckiger:Absolutely. Gotta have a little fun in there for sure. Well, speaking of collaborations, we have to date done two wonderful collaborations with you. The first one that we did together was a one room challenge with your fabulous kitchen using Mallorca White Subway tiles. And can you tell us a little bit more about that project and what made you choose these tiles to incorporate into your design?
Fara Wilson:with this project was I wanted to do an update to the kitchen, but I wasn't really sure where to go, and this is where you were just talking about. Authenticity comes from. Almost every kitchen I see in these beautiful magazines are white kitchens, and white kitchens are fabulous, but brown kitchens matter too. So I have these beautiful maple cabinets that I love on great condition, and I'm like do I paint? Do I not paint? Do I succumb to the pressure of what I see on Instagram or do I remain authentically made? So I'm like you know what? I'm keeping my cabinets. I'm going to upgrade them, brighten them up, give this space some life with some fabulous backsplash tile.
Fara Wilson:Looking everywhere, I couldn't find anything that spoke to me until I landed on that Mallorca white. It is gorgeous, I get compliment on it to this day, and I paired it with this absolutely beautiful snow white grout and it has minimal grout lines. So you just see a sea of white. I love the imperfections in it because of the way it was handmade. I love everything about it and it has completely changed the look of the kitchen. I didn't have to paint my cabinets, and that goes to show that if you really pair good design with authentically you and you really make good choices. It has brightened up the whole space.
Fara Wilson:I mean I have people come to my house and go did you? Did you change the kitchen? No, the backsplash, and it's such a big impact because you don't realize it, but it's a vast space. It takes up a lot of space. It's only about 24 inches high, but when you look overall at the expanse of the kitchen, that tile works beautifully. I mean I can't say enough beautiful things about it because to this day I walk downstairs I look at my kitchen and I'm like, yeah, still love it, absolutely love it, and it's been about a year and a half now, I think, and it's held up perfectly Like it doesn't have any dings. And I have two young kids. I have one who's six years old and who thinks she's 12, and I have one who's nine and as a boy he splashes everything from peanut butter to jelly to spaghetti sauce, everything, quick wipe and that's it.
Lindsay Fluckiger:We are so excited to hear that and I love what you said about how just upgrading that backsplash space can make such an impact. I'm in a similar situation right now. We have a very small kitchen but I love the richness of my cabinets. But I kept thinking like, oh, maybe we should paint these because I'm getting a backsplash installed and I'm going with our Lake Beige subway tile. But I've been contemplating changing the cabinetry a little bit. But I think same thing, like I just really love the wood and I'm just going to go with it and see what happens.
Fara Wilson:Yeah, I updated the hardware I think I had stainless steel color before and I went with a matte black and again the backsplash completely changed the face of the entire kitchen. I never would have imagined something. So what you might consider small and significant can make such a huge, huge difference, and I am not changing this kitchen for years to come. I'm extremely happy with it. It's so nice when you have the space that you congregate to the most and go in the most as a family. You know it's pretty. It's nice to have a good space. Definitely the luster. The luster is perfect.
Lindsay Fluckiger:he Mallorca tiles are one of our top sellers because of that can-made look and the gloss on it, so we're so excited to hear that it's holding up and it's made such an impact on your space. So you mentioned introducing your followers to hacks or to different items that you might install. I have to bring up the pot filler in the kitchen. Has it been worth it and what was kind of your thought process behind installing that?
Fara Wilson:So many years ago in our previous house, when we lived in town, we had a pot filler installed and I loved it and I've always thought it was a nice little deliciousness to have. Let's just say that it was a nice little extra. I loved it and I wanted to have one again. So when the opportunity came for us to do a new backsplash, I'm like, ok, now I can legitimately cut into the wall because I'm installing a new backsplash anyway. So it was a must.
Fara Wilson:And even though it's only, I'm going to say, three feet away from my sink, I use these very nice caraway pots and pans, and those ceramic pots and pans are quite heavy and when they have water in them they're even heavier. And I have two kids and a husband and a dog and we make dinner at home about four times a week, if not more, and I'm not going to carry apart from here to here what I would have to. I use it to fill up the tea kettle, I use it to fill up for to make pasta, I use it for rice all the time. So it made good use for us and it's okay to treat yourself to a little luxury every once in a while why not? Especially when I look at and this is my justification I didn't spend money to have the everything sanded and repainted. I kept the cabinets as they were, and so it was okay to add some bells and whistles in other places.
Lindsay Fluckiger:I love that, yeah, and just being smart, like working smarter, not harder, I think goes a long ways in all aspects of life.
Fara Wilson:So my husband's response was oh well, you must have made it, because you're getting backlash Whenever you have a post where people just feel the need to just attack for no reason then that's when you know exactly.
Lindsay Fluckiger:We were just having a heyday what reading all the comments coming in and we're like we're team pot filler all the way.
Fara Wilson:It's been a great addition. I recommend anyone who wants to try it to go ahead and do it. Pick the right time. It is an expense. You have to have a license plumber to come out and do it, so if you're going to do a new backsplash, that's the perfect time to add it.
Lindsay Fluckiger:Right, yeah, so let's move on to our next renovation project that we've teamed up with you to do, which was your laundry room, and we are anxiously awaiting the reveal on that. But it's clear that you're versatile in your design choices, and so we'd love to hear more about what drew you to this particular tile and how did it enhance your laundry room.
Fara Wilson:So anyone who's followed my page for a little while knows that I'm not I'm kind of afraid of color. I don't do a lot of color. My color palette is always grays and tans and whites, and my pop of color is almost any shade of blue. I'm very partial to blue, because all of the colors I love remind me of my favorite place ever, which is the beach. So there are always those sandy colors and the grays and the light blues. Those are the colors that speak to me, and so throughout the house these are the same colors that we use.
Fara Wilson:And so I wanted the laundry room to have a little extra, a little oomph, because it's a small space. We never had a laundry room before. We had a laundry hallway situation, but we didn't have a laundry room per se. And I'm like you know what, since we're reconfiguring upstairs, let's carve out some space for a proper laundry room, however small, but still a proper laundry room, and then let's add a little something to it. When I stumbled onto those tiles again just the sea is part of it I was just like, I mean, I just felt, you know, you know when you just see something and you just love it. And when I received it and I opened it. I just like the reactions you all see are my true reactions Like I am that extra, I am that person who's that extra. I'm just like, oh my God, I love it and it's so beautiful, and the colors and how it moves in the light a little bit. You know how, when you move it around, love all that. And so if your goal is to create a space that you're going to do it short, that you don't necessarily like to do, make it just a little prettier, a little fancier, a little more attractive. That will make you enjoy the space so much more.
Fara Wilson:I pass by the laundry now and I stop and I'm like, oh, look at that. I keep on working because it's attractive, why not? And if you're trying to save money, don't do the whole room, do an acceptable, do a feature. You will still have that pop of color, that pop of elegance. But you know what you save by doing one side of it and in all honesty, it's such a beautiful tile that excess of it would just be too much. Right, that's the right touch.
Fara Wilson:I took my towel sheet, I matched the paint color so that I could do the other walls and the complementary bluish color and I'm loving it. And I added custom shells that I did not need but I wanted and that's okay. And if I'm not going to hold anything with decorative items and towels, but that's also okay because I've made allowances for actual storage underneath the washer dryer With now I added a sink and I added three cabinets and I added two upper cabinets, so it's always a balance right that we're going to have the functionality as well as the pretty, and if that makes you happy, then you should do it.
Lindsay Fluckiger:Yes, the only time I stop when I walk past my laundry room is to close the door because it's usually a wreck. So I love that you've taken that space and made it something beautiful that you enjoy being in and probably even doing the work, like, oh, this isn't so bad because it feels nice, even if I hope that he didn't understand the reason why we should have done it.
Fara Wilson:He's like okay, but now he's like it looks nice in here, okay, for him that's huge. I've been there, I've been with my husband since 1999. For him to have said that it's like him basically saying he loves it.
Lindsay Fluckiger:Yeah, oh, that's awesome Making such an impact in your home. I can't wait to see the paint color and the cabinets and everything. It sounds dreamy. You mentioned having two rambunctious little kids, which is amazing. I'm two a mother, and our company, tile Club, is actually a woman owns company, so most of us have children. We like, we get it, we get it. So tell us a little bit about balancing motherhood, being an influencer and DIY designer. Can you share some ways that you manage these roles and how they even influence each other?
Fara Wilson:Well, in addition to all of that, I've now added social media coach to my roster, so yeah, so the list has gotten longer. For me, it was I had to sit down and make a plan. Right, because that's how I start out with everything I do have a vision, have a plan, and once you have your plan, you're going to determine what's most important in that plan, and my family comes first. I worked very hard to have a family because for a long time we just couldn't get pregnant, and so our children are truly a blessing to us, and so I schedule my week in such a way that I work about four days a week and the rest of the time is mostly spent with the kids, and I try to sneak in a good half a day here and there for myself for some self-care, but the rest of the time, for you, our live revolves around our family, and the way we do that is with planning, and we actually plan stuff out. We plan out the week, we plan out the meals that helps. We plan out dates for sure, so that we can still keep dating each other and we, because our children can also consume us they have. My son is in soccer practice and basketball and he does softball, and my daughter is in dance and she's also in ballet and she's not taking piano lessons. They have lots of activities and so it's really how you carve out your time, and don't apologize for taking time out for yourself. That's really important because if I'm empty I can't give anything. And it's really great to have a partner like my husband, because he can see in my face when I'm done and I can also see the same thing and I'm like I can watch it go upstairs. I'll just stay with the kids for a little bit. He'll do the same with me. So the work-life balance that I have working from home is far better than I had working my dream job.
Fara Wilson:Because I couldn't control that, I went to work every day at nine until five. That became nine until eight or seven, whereas now I can work while the kids are at school. Then I can still pop in to go to a resale that they're having in the middle of the day. I can go in the morning to do, dear Reader, I can do so many. There's much more flexibility, but it really comes down to having a good plan and being flexible with that plan.
Fara Wilson:Like I said, I have a goal that I work four days a week where I film and I edit and I shoot, and then the rest of the three days. It's like that's just for me and the kids. But sometimes those three days could be half a day on Monday, half a day on Tuesday, but rarely is it three straight days. But I still kind of plan out the day, because at some point you have to close the book and say, okay, it's now time for family, it's now time for Farah, it's now time for Farah and her husband. You've got to do that because if not you'll quickly burn out.
Lindsay Fluckiger:It's so true. Thank you for sharing that. I'm sure there are a lot of moms that needed to hear that. I had someone give me some really great advice years ago when I went through being a single mom for a time. She told me you know, when you're on the airplane and something's the turbulence is happening or the plane's going down, you've got to put the oxygen mask on yourself so that you can help your children. You can help others around you, but if you are deprived of that first, you're not gonna be able to be of any use to anyone, yourself included.
Fara Wilson:Absolutely, and for some reason we are conditioned to feel guilt for taking care of ourselves and we have to break that cycle. We are not supposed to feel guilty for taking care of ourselves, because when we're our best selves, then we can give our best. That's when I'm learning cranky, that's when I'm more patient with my children, that's when I'm more understanding with my husband. So I need to have me time and I'm unapologetic about it. Now I have to learn that. You know there are steps I mean we all go through oh my God do I feel but we have to work through it.
Lindsay Fluckiger:That's definitely yeah. Thank you so much for sharing that. That was a good reminder for me today as well. Let's move on to our last few questions. So we know that all renovation projects can have their ups and downs. We would love to hear kind of the snafus that may have occurred during your renovation projects.
Fara Wilson:When working with contractors research, research, research always make sure your contractor's licensed. With regards to snafus, you know there's been quite a few blunders. I was painting one time and I accidentally knocked the whole paint thing onto the floor, onto the brand new carpet, you know, and we had to call home people back and get new carpet, because you just can't wash that stuff off. Some things you have to take in strides. Like I said again, the funniest part is you're never finished. You can be done, but then you're still missing the light cover plate. You know a few little things here and there. It's really about taking it in strides. We recently had a plumbing issue that I had to laugh my way through, because if I didn't I was gonna cry. We had the plumbing installed, everything sounded great, but then the contractor said something that made me feel uneasy. So I'm like let's get a master plumber just to come and double check what he did Come to find out that they actually had accidentally punched some holes in the new plumbing that they had installed before they put up, before they put the new flooring, so, which meant that I would have been downstairs having dinner and we would have had just water just dribbling all over us, because so then we had to open the ceiling and redo all that extra work and redo all the plumbing Again. Like I said, I tried it. Now I can look at it and go, okay, it was a blessing in disguise, because at least we get it done right, regardless of the fact that it costs twice as much. But at the time, ooh, lots of Woosa moments, yeah, lots of Woosa moments.
Fara Wilson:But I try to look at things. I really do try to look at things positively, try to look at things like I've built an influencer career in which we were able to make the additional changes without financially hurting. And so I try to really look at things as positively as I can, because what's done is done right. What am I gonna do? Fix it that's what it's called a fair fix, because there's nothing else I can do. What's what's done is done. I've learned a lesson. But one of the things I say, especially if you're doing DIY on your own, it's gonna take twice as long as it's supposed to.
Fara Wilson:Okay, because I always plan things from for myself, oh, and I have this thing which I call big eyes. I have such a great long vision of all the things I want, and then it's like, oh, the budget. Or it's like, oh the time, oh this. So try to have fun with it, try to learn things differently. It's a great way of bonding with your spouse. My husband call, calls. It is a great way for him to be boss around. You know, potato, potato, whatever, but yeah, it is what?
Fara Wilson:But what I like the most, what's been most fulfilling for me, is seeing my children Understand that this is mommy's job, that mommy doesn't just stay at home Although there's nothing wrong with staying at home, but they understand that this is. And they come and they say, mommy, this is really nice, I like it, it looks really nice, mommy. And the fact that they able to appreciate and then they help me clean up, because they now Say our kitchen is so nice, mommy, we have to, we have to have chores. Yes, you're gonna give me one dollar a week, right, I'll do this choice. So they're vested and they're interested and they know about things and I. That is to me is priceless because you're raising children who are aware and understand and also Value you in a different light, because they see, they understand that this is the result of work.
Lindsay Fluckiger:Yes, what a valuable lesson and and what a wonderful influence you are on your children, showing them kind of that labor of love, just a welcoming environment that they can appreciate and enjoy living in, but also probably inspiring them to look at being their own boss someday and and kind of that. The sky's the limit, you know they can create absolutely.
Fara Wilson:I've always said, if I can see it, I can be it. And I think and so many was, especially with girls and also with boys because my sons Interpretation of things he's so much open, he's so open-minded about things, like he doesn't think of things as that's something only Daddies would do, like he sees me using power tools and he's like, yeah, that's mom, she's using power tools. So, and I love that, I love that they take that that's for granted, because it becomes normal. Expect that anyone with any skill can do X and X and X. And it comes down to the skill and to the Determination that you put in behind the work.
Lindsay Fluckiger:That is so awesome. Yeah, so to close up our conversation, I feel like this went by so fast and I've enjoyed it moment of it, but I would love to Ask you one more question to wrap up today. So what advice do you have for other women who are considering stepping into the DIY space?
Fara Wilson:Do it, just do it. Just start. Start small. Start by replacing light fixtures. When I slide fixtures, I mean just like the, the cover plates on the switches. Start small. Understand your limitations. By that I mean Understand when it's okay to call the license plumber, the license Electrician. You know, don't put yourself in harm's way.
Fara Wilson:But there are so many little things that I realized that I could do like. I can install the organizational system in my pantry. I can outfit my Cabinets. I can do those things. I can use small power tools. I can use a drill, I can use a drill bit. If I don't know, I can go to home deep on ask questions. Or I can go to Lowe's you can do a lot more than you think. And, more importantly, when you think of how those things add up because if you have a handyman type of Person come in, they're still going to charge for for their time, and rightly so. But when you look at what you could have saved and you could have taken that and invested it in something bigger that you want to do, you know, pick up a paintbrush, it's okay. You can do crown molding, you can do shoe molding. Just that's how I started.
Fara Wilson:I started doing small things. You can replace all of the hardware in your cabinetry. Start small and then, before you know it, you'll start to build and then draw, draw up plants. You know, go online, find a community, go on Pinterest. You can find me anywhere at the Farfetch's on YouTube and Pinterest. On Instagram and Facebook you can find me. Send me a DM. I love to collaborate, I love to talk with people, I love to answer questions that they have. But whatever your your, your thinking starts. Just start doing it and before you know it, it will grow.
Lindsay Fluckiger:That's a wonderful advice. Thank you so much for sharing that and as we wrap up, fair, can you tell us a little bit about your academy that you are getting ready to start or have started, just so that our listeners can know what's coming for you?
Fara Wilson:But I recently started. I started it a long time ago, but I didn't do it on this scale, and so I've learned. I'll come across so many women who are wanting to figure out how to monetize their influence right and how to actually create impact online, and so, having been fortunate enough to work with so many different brands wonderful brands over the last four years, but two years specifically as a content creator full-time, I share my insights on how they can hone in on their personal brand and when they develop that brand and Leverage it so that they're then able to monetize it and what that does. It allows them to reclaim their time. I don't care if you're wanting to do it for as a career, as a full-time career, as what I like to call a side hustle, but think of different ways that you can use your influence to say, send your kids to summer camp, send yourself to a spa treatment every week, or do something nice for your parents, or send your kids to private school. There is such an opportunity available online.
Fara Wilson:I've I've been thankful enough to make multiple six figures every year for the last two years by monetizing and leveraging my Social media presence, and so I teach women how to do that. We have horses, we have one-on-one coaching, we have workshops. We have challenges that we do have a new challenge that that that's about to start in a week. My career in calling corporate America was in corporate communications and marketing and PR and I did that for years. I can't imagine the idea of me just being at home. That's just not for me. I need to be doing something, and so this was my thing. You know, I found the love of home decor and and and family and being online and sharing, and that has just translated into a full-blown career, so I'm super excited about it.
Lindsay Fluckiger:So wonderful, what an inspiring conversation today. Thank you so much for your time, farrah. We will be sure to link everything from academy to website, to all social links and where our listeners can find you, and we are just so grateful for the opportunity that we've had to talk with you and collaborate with you.
Fara Wilson:Thank, you so much. I love this. I've enjoyed it.
Lindsay Fluckiger:Thank you so much, have a wonderful week and we look forward to hearing more from you soon.