Lauren Conrad's Contractor Throws Shade at Her Kitchen Design: 'He Called Me Boring'

Lauren Conrad is taking some heat for her interior design taste.

The former Hills star recently completed a remodel of the kitchen she shares with husband William Tell and their son Liam in Los Angeles. Because she’s partial to white-covered cook spaces (see her previous pristine space), it’s no surprise she leaned toward the same soothing vibe in her new home.

“I really like kitchens to be bright and light, so I just did it in all white and brass,” she told Architectural Digest. “Actually, my contractor made fun of me because I had white subway tile, and he called me boring, which is fair.”

As a compromise, the Little Market cofounder decided to risk it, opting for something a little brighter.

“For the first time, I brought color into my kitchen!” she said. “I brought in a very pale blue-green-gray color as a little hexagon backsplash, so that was a big step for me.”

While her penchant for neutral shades may seem basic, Conrad incorporates personal tchotchkes and memorabilia to give rooms her signature twist.

“I think your home should be comfortable and filled with things that make you happy and really represent your aesthetic,” she explained. “I think it’s fun when you get to learn about a person when you go into their home, or on your shelves you have things you’ve acquired over the years of travel, or gifts handed down from the family.”

She also suggests taking the design process slowly, collecting things as they come not because you need to fill a space. “You don’t want to open a catalog and find your living room layout on one page,” she said.

But if you do need to decorate in a pinch, this super-smart tip can help: “Just fill your home with flowers,” she said. “We recently threw a birthday party for my mother-in-law, maybe a month after my son was born, so I didn’t have time to put together a ton of stuff. A friend of mine’s a florist, and I just filled the house with flowers — it felt decorated.”

For more of Conrad’s tips — including foolproof gifting ideas — visit Architectural Digest.