Decorate & RENOVATE!
Ten local interior design pros offer up savvy solutions for decorating and remodeling projects, both big and small
Liz Williams
What is your philosophy on color?
In many instances, color can have even more of an impact on the ceiling than the walls. I love neutral walls with a color on the ceiling; it can give you a great subtle detail without overwhelming the room.
What fabrics are you loving now?
Cowtan & Tout’s linen velvets at Travis & Company, Rose Tarlow’s outdoor fabrics at Ainsworth-Noah, No.9 from Jim Thompson at Jerry Pair and Threads at Lee Jofa.
What should no kitchen be without?
Too many things to count, but recently, a client had a water faucet placed in the pantry at the perfect height to fill the dog’s bowl!
In today’s economy, every penny is precious; what’s the one thing worth splurging on?
Draperies or a rug can make a huge difference in a room!
How do you achieve more with less?
Buy that expensive fabric that you love but use it in small doses. Great pillows can make a huge difference; you don’t have to do your whole sofa in that fabric.
A Liz Williams-designed interior.
She advocates rugs, such as this one from Sullivan Fine Rugs, as always-worthwhile investments.
Kay Douglass
What do you do to add architectural interest to a room that’s lacking in it?
Enhance the good and disguise the bad. Paint goes a long way. You can simplify an interior by using one good paint color throughout. Strip down and re-stain or paint floors. Replace dated lights. (P.S.: Sea Pearl by Benjamin Moore is a great white!)
What is your philosophy on color?
Keep your upholstered pieces neutral and accent with color and/or graphic patterns. As your taste in color evolves, you can change your pillows or accents. Right now I’m loving bright yellow, but I know I’ll have a new favorite soon!
Do you have a design pet peeve?
Yes! I think people feel the need to over-accessorize rooms. One amazing object or piece can speak volumes. Have the confidence to know when to stop.
What words do you often use to describe your work?
I strive for peaceful interiors—rooms that invoke a desire to stay a while!
How do you achieve more with less?
Good news: Less is more! Keep your sofa and chairs in solid fabrics. Add a pop of color with pillows. Invest in a fabulous, unique coffee table. Find a simple object for a wall or above your fireplace and you’re done!
In her own home, designer Kay Douglass emphasizes overscale objets d’art in lieu of cluttered accessories.
William Peace
What do you do to add architectural interest to a room that’s lacking in it?
It is about texture. A subtle change in color or luminosity adds interest but does not interrupt the eye, therefore creating a rich, beautiful surface/composition.
What fabrics are you loving now?
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything from Great Plains/Holly Hunt. Her colors are unique yet timeless, and the textures are spectacular season after season!
What are your favorite types of accessories?
I’ve been drawn to gold tones lately; warmer leafing on frames, antique gold or brass candlesticks, bronze side tables.
What’s the biggest mistake you often see clients make?
Second-guessing themselves.
In today’s economy, every penny is precious; what’s the one thing worth splurging on?
Quality upholstery. You can recover it time after time and completely change the look.
Peace always suggests that his clients choose quality upholstery, such as this sofa by Holly Hunt, available through Jerry Pair & Associates.
Margret Bosbyshell
What do you do to add architectural interest to a room that’s lacking in it?
Add a [tall] piece of furniture such as a bookcase, secretary or armoire. Curtains mounted just below the crown molding can add height to a room. And [the right] wallpaper can add a trompe l’oeil effect.
Do you have a design pet peeve?
Too many cluttered accessories. Rooms that look museum-like or staged, that don’t reflect the lives of the owner. Furniture that’s not scaled to the room.
What should no kitchen be without?
Something meaningful—a piece of art, a collection of plates, a wonderful light fixture.
In today’s economy, every penny is precious; what’s the one thing worth splurging on?
A great pair of chairs!
What are your favorite types of accessories?
Pieces that add sparkle, like crystal chandeliers, rock crystals, mirrors. A little Asian influence with garden seats, Chinese export porcelain and—always—all types of art and an antique here and there.
This bedroom in Buckhead designed by Margaret (above) and Clary Bosbyshell reflects the design duo’s philosophy on accessories by incorporating mirrors for sparkle and always having a great pair of chairs nearby for comfort.
Mallory Mathison
What do you do to add architectural interest to a room that’s lacking in it?
I love to add a unique screen to define a space. Bookshelves are always a great way to add an element of architecture; plus, you can add layers of color and texture with what you put inside them. Large framed mirrors also add architectural interest.
What is your philosophy on color?
Layer, layer, layer—either with tone-on-tone hues (varying shades of blue, for example) or contrasting combinations, like red, green, teal, yellow and black. Don’t be shy; go for it!
Do you have a design pet peeve?
Of course! Cheap lampshades are always at the top of the list. A high-quality, custom lampshade can make a space.
Any words of wisdom on how to survive a remodel?
Account for overages in time, budget and patience. And hire a designer to oversee your project!
What fabrics are you loving now?
Ikats, updated paisleys, hand-blocked linen prints. I’m also in a constant love affair with fretwork-, lattice- and bamboo-inspired fabrics. I love Ralph Lauren’s Fretwork woven; it’s such a crisp, geometric upholstery fabric that is subtle yet strong.
How do you achieve more with less?
By creating a new plan with pieces a client already owns. Devise a new furniture plan, move rugs and art around. Then finish it off with a new paint color; paint is the least expensive and most effective way to update your look.
She suggests that screens, like this one from Barbara Barry realized by Henredon, can add architectural interest to a room.
Mathison is currently inspired by fretwork- and lattice-inspired fabrics, such as these from F. Schumacher.
Carole Weaks
What do you do to add architectural interest to a room that’s lacking in it?
Let’s start with what we don’t do when a room has no architectural features—don’t start adding columns or extra crown molding without considering scale and proportion. Most often, a large piece of art will give more to a room than tacked-on decorative features, and a pedestal with a sculpture will feel more natural than random columns.
Do you have a design pet peeve?
My design pet peeve is contrived drapery design that overwhelms the space. Think red brocade with lots of tassels.
What fabrics are you loving now?
Fabrics that we love right now are the great textures—and great price points—we’re seeing from De Le Cuona, Calvin, as well as the good looking upholstery weights from all of the Cowtan & Tout lines. One of my favorites is “Pavillion” from Travers; it’s a beautiful linen with a subtle design.
What should no kitchen be without?
Food! Honestly, no matter how great the design is, if the oven is just a prop—and somehow you can always tell—and there’s no evidence of a meal having been prepared, it’s just one more stage set.
How do you achieve more with less?
By simply prioritizing, deciding what will give you more bang. Sometimes one great thing does that more than three or four ordinaries.
Weaks prefers fabrics with lovely textures at livable price points, like De Le Cuona’s collection of earthy, fluid and baroque-printed natural fabrics distributed by Zimmer + Rohde.
Kelly Crago Hansen
What is your philosophy on color?
I’m not an “everything must match” designer. Of course, it should go together, but I rarely match my wall color to one particular thing in a room. This sounds really scary, but I’d rather find a wall color that complements what is in the room. I want a room to be memorable for what is in it more than what color is painted on the wall.
What fabrics are you loving now?
Jerry Pair Leather’s “Got Milk?” in Tomato. It’s not my norm, but I’m using it in a current project and cannot seem to move the sample off my desk. I just like looking at it. And then I must include my old faithful—Pierre Frey “Crois Collobrieres.” I love the texture and there are plenty of colors to choose from. It’s my go-to upholstery fabric.
What should no kitchen be without?
A spouse who loves to cook.
How do you achieve more with less?
Repetitive use of one object—like a fabric or pattern—creates lots of volume. But beware; too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing.
What is the last thing you bought for your own home?
Slim Aarons’ photograph, “Poolside Gossip,” 1970. It makes me happy. I love the house, I love the clothes, I love the sunglasses—I just love it. The backdrop is the famed Palm Springs home designed by Neutra for Edgar Kaufmann.
Hanson champions the use of Pierre Frey’s “Crois Collobrieres,” a textural linen in a variety of colors that make it ideal for transforming—and grounding—a space.
Brian Watford
What is your philosophy on color?
I like to use different shades of the same color in a room. It makes a space more interesting if colors don’t match perfectly. I also like to use an accent color in three areas throughout a room—perhaps in the pillows, accessories and drapery trim—because it brings everything together.
What should no kitchen be without?
Refrigerator drawers. They are perfect for sodas and water—and are easily accessible by any child or adult.
What’s the biggest mistake you often see clients make?
When clients build large, multi-million-dollar homes and then have a design budget of $100,000.
In today’s economy, every penny is precious; what’s the one thing worth splurging on?
Good bedding! With the worries of today’s economy, people most likely have trouble sleeping. Good bedding will help you rest better.
Watford advocates the restorative qualities of dreamy bedding, such as this set from Matouk, available locally through Belle Chambre.
Alissa Portman Beard
What do you do to add architectural interest to a room that’s lacking in it?
Lighting can completely enhance a space by making it more or less dramatic, depending on the feeling you’re aiming for. Illusion can go a long way.
What are your favorite types of accessories?
Recently, I have been using lots of plants. I feel a space is not complete without some organic greenery.
What should no kitchen be without?
An island of some sort where people can congregate and enjoy one another—and enough seating! Kitchens tend to be the heart of the house.
What is the last thing you bought for your own home?
The Stokke baby bed from B Braithwaite—in white.
For Beard, not just any ordinary bassinet would do. This sweet baby bed from B Braithwaite, with its soothing elliptical shape, offers fresh style for Atlanta’s littlest tastemakers.