The Southern Belle

Everything about this project brought me back to my southern Pensacola, FL roots and I just loved it! Not only was the client an old friend from my time on the hill but she is also a Pensacola native and our paths have crossed for decades.

While I adore midcentury design and gravitate towards it often, stepping into this clients charming Capitol Hill condo was a breath of fresh air. Her traditional Georgian style and impeccable taste were warm, inviting, and the exciting change I didn't even know I was looking for! Donned with original intricate crown molding, parquet floors, and wainscoting, this beautiful condo provided an ideal traditional setting and the client had an impressive collection of antique furniture and accessories that would impress Southern Living including many unique elephants that Alabama fans would swoon over!

To start I planned to update the floor plan by relocating the dining room to the large alcove next to the kitchen, which would open up the living space and provide more seating for entertaining. Given the client's antiques, there was little new furniture to purchase but we did select a smaller more modern sofa and recovered two antique chairs. Backing up to the sofa quickly...this is one of the best (and worst) lessons learned I have experienced! The original new sofa we selected was shorter in length than the old sofa but the diagonal depth was deeper - so when the sofa was delivered, well, it didn't fit!! This client was so understanding and we quickly found a replacement but that was rough (embarrassing and just terrible on my end!!!).

Venturing from my usual choice of neutral tones, mud cloth fabric, and straight edges, I selected bright classic fabrics and soft lines to turn this client's treasured pieces into a home. With the new sofa in place, I selected a red vintage oushak anchored with a chunky jute rug, custom asian print fabric throw pillows, and a touch of boho with a tassel throw pillow for the living room. We also relocated the TV to one of the two alcoves framing the fireplace, leveraged the old console table as a bar cart, and created several gallery walls of original artwork and old family photos.

After relocating the dining table and chairs to the alcove next to the kitchen, we recovered the chair seats in a rich navy velvet, added this classic dalmatian dot navy/white wallpaper, and dressed the table with classic blue/white ginger jars and antique crystal. This table is just screaming for a southern cocktail party!!

We then updated the bathroom with a fresh coat of gray paint, blue/white tassel shower curtain, and vintage oushak runner to ensure that no room was left untouched!

In the bedroom I aimed to create a space that was calm and relaxing while also still carrying a touch of formal southern charm found throughout the home. We updated the walls with a light gray paint, mounted the TV for a clean look, added white bed linens, stunning black and white roman shades, a vintage oushak rug, a pair of antique black brass lamps, and even an indigo mud cloth pillow (okay so I did still gravitate towards my usual fabric loves just a bit!).