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After a day of balancing their busy lives as parents of three children, these Birmingham homeowners long for a place of rest and respite, a difficult luxury to come by as they outgrew their previous home. So, the family purchased a newly cleared lot in the same neighborhood, determined to build an idyllic retreat. The construction of a new home presented a plethora of challenges, and designer Linda Lyons guided the couple through the often-overwhelming task of making design decisions. “She was a lifesaver, because I really don’t even know what my style is,” says the homeowner. “I would just show her pictures, and she would point me in the right direction.” Knowing that a large farmhouse table was one of the only pieces her clients truly could not live without, Linda…

For Willa and John Kane, family and friends are everything, so it’s only natural they wanted a home that could accommodate everyone comfortably. Working with residential designer Carter Skinner and interior designer Suellen Gregory, they built a residence in Raleigh, North Carolina that celebrates all their favorite things and favorite people. “She has an eclectic worldview of design,” Suellen says of her client. To celebrate this, an edited color palette and an abundance of classic pieces form a backdrop for contemporary artwork and accents, which add intrigue to the spacious abode. The home’s design includes numerous locally sourced materials alongside carefully planned features. “They wanted to make every detail remarkable,” Suellen says. Case in point: the reclaimed-wood, circular back stairwell, which leads from the family room to the children’s area and…

When Virginia and Tom Clark purchased their home in Mountain Brook, Alabama, they immediately set to work on a two-year construction process involving every space in the structure, leaving only the original entryway and living and dining rooms intact once complete. Teaming up with designer Mandi Smith T and contractor George Shaw, they laid plans to achieve a rustic but sophisticated family residence that radiates warmth with dashes of vibrancy amid a subdued palette. “Our goal for this home was an updated version of the owner’s current style,” Mandi says. “We called it a ‘modern farmhouse,’ which we thought described Virginia’s style, as well as the overall aesthetic for the home. It was important for these to both live in harmony in the design.” Mandi worked with George to ensure the foundation…

Color enthusiasts Lathem Gordon and Cate Dunning, of GordonDunning, welcomed the challenge of tempering their natural flamboyant instincts and embracing an all-neutral palette with the design of Jeff and Dana Nolan’s first home. Built in the early 2000s, the Atlanta home was not only in desperate need of a kitchen remodel, but it was also dark, lacking the cool, welcoming ambiance the Nolans longed for. “We gutted the kitchen and painted every surface we could get our hands on,” Lathem says. “Our mission was to brighten it all up.” Creamy whites with notes of greige reflect the Nolans’ simple and polished style. “Texture was the biggest way to break things up and give flair to the neutral palette,” Lathem says. “We used fabrics and a brick backsplash that offered enough interest…

When Maurie Shaw’s family moved into this Birmingham home, she recognized it immediately as a project she couldn’t wait to tackle. As an avid cook and mother of two young boys, Maurie knew her dark, cramped kitchen would never suit their lifestyle. With dreams of a larger range, ample cabinet space, and a central island, Maurie solicited the help of Birmingham designer and close friend Catherine Pringle. “Making a functional kitchen for her was a priority,” says Catherine. Serving as the center of their home and family life, the space needed to be both practical and beautiful. In harmony with the rest of the house, the kitchen reflects Maurie’s taste for modern minimalism mixed with elements of tradition, “giving it a more modern edge that makes it feel fresh and up…

When Meg Lonergan answered a call from potential clients asking her to design the interiors for a house they were building in Houston’s West University neighborhood, the timing was less than ideal. “I was eight and a half months pregnant, and I really had no business getting involved, as I was about to have two children under the age of two,” she recalls with a laugh. Ultimately, however, the young decorator couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with kind and supportive homeowners (who have two children of their own), and an architect and builder dream team of Reagan Miller and Scott Frasier, both of whose work she had long admired. Although Meg missed one of the very first meetings (her excuse: she was going into early labor), within a couple…