Southern Lady Southern Style at Home 2020

A Florida couple found a dream lot in their own neighborhood and planned a very traditional home with a bright, open feel. But a pair of designing sisters snuck in a few surprises that brought about a fresh transitional look perfect for relaxing and entertaining. “They are traditional, traditional people,” says Ashley Waddell of Olivia O’Bryan Inc., the Vero Beach firm she owns with her sister and fellow designer Courtney Whatley. They had worked with the couple on their previous abode in the same subdivision and knew their tastes. “The husband especially is very traditional. He does not like using any modern pieces at all.” At least that’s what he thought. The expansive dwelling, some 12,500 square feet including outdoor spaces, has a current edge while staying within the parameters of the clients’…

Too busy in the world of finance to fully focus on décor, a Memphis couple found creative refuge in collecting fine art for their home. When it came time to update, designer Rhea Crenshaw says it was crystal clear the paintings would be the inspiration for a bold yet tranquil plan. “The art completely captured your attention,” says the designer, whose Memphis-based firm, Rhea Crenshaw Interiors, was hired by the husband as a surprise birthday gift for his wife. Rhea points to a stunning painting titled Sunset in the dining room that immediately caught her discerning eye when she visited the nearly 20-year-old dwelling the first time. Visible from the entrance, the work has a range of blues and vibrant orange with muted gray and a touch of yellow. “That beautiful painting…

As new retirees with a large extended family, Kathy and Jerry Noonan threw downsizing to the wind and opted to start their next stage of life in a 6,000-square-foot home with a private waterfront view. They brought many of their furnishings and several meaningful accessories along, reminders of the place where they raised their children, but they sought fast help from registered interior designers Margaret Chambers and Allen Keith to transform the enormous house from lackluster to luminous. “We had to work with pretty much what was there, but we needed to add more personality and interest,” says Margaret, the principal of Chambers Interiors & Associates in Dallas. She and senior designer Allen enlivened every room of the Noonans’ two-story haven, which includes five bedrooms, two laundry rooms, separate media and game…

Designer Alima Deneke was a little surprised when her fresh California style resonated with clients in a traditional Southern town, and she was especially pleased when a spirited Birmingham couple granted her free rein to give their 1920s Tudor a modern bohemian heart. “They just went with it,” Alima says of homeowners Shannon and Bret Connor. “They were completely trusting of my vision.” The Connor residence is striking for its many layers—from large glass beads strung on raffia strands to leather light fixtures—sleek lines, and an airiness that fills the space and reflects the family’s energetic lifestyle. The couple and their three small children had lived in their home for about five years when they approached Alima. Before the Connors moved in, another designer had freshened the space, but they were never completely…

After nearly 25 years in an 8,000-square-foot Ono Island estate, interior designer Melanie Martin decided it was high time for her and her husband to downscale. “It was a huge house on a fabulous piece of property, but it was a full-time job,” says Melanie, who sold the capacious property on the Alabama-Florida border and bought a smaller waterfront abode in need of some cosmetic upgrading. For the savvy and always on-the-go designer, fewer square feet made possible a fast redo for her outdated purchase, situated just a few miles away on Alabama’s sandy shoreline. Her top priority was refinishing every room to suit her streamlined taste while also accommodating her philosophy of livability. “The first thing I want is a room to be comfortable,” says Melanie, whose business in Orange…

When Michelle and Sammy Ragan embarked on building a new home for their family in Germantown, Tennessee, they had a specific vision for a modern farmhouse with distinctive architectural features: nickel gap shiplap, exposed brick, and reclaimed wood. Teaming up with designer Elizabeth Gullett, they meticulously planned each space. What they didn’t anticipate was the last-minute conversion of an exercise room into a nursery with the surprise announcement that the couple was expecting their third child at the end of the project. “This is a young family, so we all wanted the home to feel youthful but sophisticated,” Elizabeth says. “I also wanted to approach the modern farmhouse look they wanted with care. This style can look trendy quickly, so we tried to make classic choices and use elements like shiplap…