Innholdsfortegnelse for Southern Home 2014 i Southern Lady

Welcome to the South, where the spirit of hospitality flows from the front porch to the backyard patio. Our homes are more than dwelling places; they are personal retreats and places where memories are made. Throughout the halls and walls, we cultivate collections that reflect our personal styles and preferences, and in turn, these fabrics and furnishings tell stories of who we are and what we love. In this special issue, we invite you to look inside some of the South’s most beautiful homes and to meet the designers connected to them. Ideas abound in these pages, as do tips from several of our favorite professional decorators and stylesavvy homeowners. You’ll see a variety of abodes— from cottages to lavish residences—and you’ll discover ways to translate these grand displays into…

“Relationships thrive when a family can function in an atmosphere that best suits them.” —LORETTA WILLIS When the Kremeiers decided to update their spacious home, they turned to Atlanta-based interior designer Loretta Willis for guidance. Loretta, known for her classic designs that she tailors to “fit a lifestyle by blending traditional and transitional styles,” was eager to infuse some life into the space. With two married children starting families of their own, the couple wanted to renew their home to better suit their empty-nester lifestyle and to accommodate the anticipated family gatherings to come. Inspired by the couple’s existing collection of original art and family heirlooms, Loretta mixed some of their existing furniture— with a few of her own tweaks and updates—and some new, fashionably functional pieces. “Some items were…

We asked the designers and homeowners featured in this issue to describe what makes a home beautifully Southern, and here’s what they had to say “A SOUTHERN HOUSE IS A HOME THAT IS LIVED IN AND USED AND LOVED. IT’S SPACES THAT SAY, ‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO PRETEND HERE! BE YOURSELF, KICK OFF YOUR SHOES, AND SIT BY THE FIRE WITH ME.’” —MELISSA SALEM “FROM VERANDAS TO PRIVATE COURTYARDS, TO COZY FIREPLACES TUCKED IN KITCHENS, SOUTHERN DESIGN IS ALL ABOUT PRACTICALITY, COMFORT, BEAUTY, AND INDIVIDUALISM. SOUTHERN DESIGN RADIATES CHARM AND SIMPLICITY TO BE EMBELLISHED ONLY BY THE PEOPLE INSIDE.” —PANDY AGNEW “SOUTHERN DÉCOR IS INVITING AND CASUAL YET ELEGANT DESIGN THAT IS CONSIDERATE OF FUNCTION. BEAUTY IS IN THE DETAILS THAT BRING PERSONALIZATION AND PERSONALITY TO THE HOME.” —LORETTA WILLIS…

When decorator Melissa Salem and her husband decided to relocate from the Birmingham suburbs to the countryside along with their two teenage children, Melissa had visions of creating a home where everybody felt welcome. “We wanted a place of refuge not just for us but for the people in our lives,” she says. Inspired by her rural upbringing, she wanted her new home to mimic the feeling of the house where she was raised. “It was just very warm and full of a lot of family and cooking, and everything centered around the kitchen,” she says. “I knew when I met my builder, Kevin Kennemer, that I’d finally met someone who could make in three dimensions what I saw in my head.” Although the home itself is large, Melissa says…

“Appreciation for beautiful spaces has long been a hallmark of life in the South. While we may represent a wide range of styles, we share an appreciation for beauty.” —SALLY MAY For interior designer Sally May of Birmingham, good design is a marathon—not a sprint. “Contrary to today’s reality home-makeover shows, good design does not happen overnight or on a dime,” she says. It was this “long-view” approach that Sally took when transforming the house she shares with her husband and two boys into a warm and inviting home. “The classic structure of the house was a good starting point when we bought it,” Sally says of the 20-year-old building, “but there wasn’t anything custom or unique about the house itself. My goal was to stamp my personal style on…

 Designers Emily Hewett and Allison Walker of the Dallasbased interior design firm A Well Dressed Home love a fresh challenge. When they started working with the Millers, they knew the results would be spectacular. “They are such a fun, upbeat couple, and we loved working with them,” the pair says. “They really allowed us to execute our vision for the space, but they did request that all the furnishings be comfortable and livable yet sophisticated.” It’s that refined flair that has become the signature of their decorating style. “Our designs are recognized for the element of sophistication,” says Emily. “Whether we are drawing up a look that feels modern or more traditional, we always tailor the décor to possess sophistication.” While mostly neutral, the home is by no means bland.…

Over the 20 years that they have been seasonal Seaside, Florida, residents, Pam and Greg Breedlove and their son have built many lasting friendships in the community. So it was only natural that when they decided to make over their vacation home, they did so with an eye toward hospitality and hosting. “Our goal was basically to create a beautiful and comfortable place for friends and family to gather,” says pam: The house, centrally located on the community’s main thoroughfare, 30-A, was originally conceived as a typical Seaside cottage home, but the couple felt the design could use some updates. “The house had great bones,” says Pam, “but it lacked some gravitas.” Assisted by architect Leo Costas, she set about reimagining the look of the home into a classical house…

When stylist and interior designer Dayka Robinson bought her charming fixer-upper in Stone Mountain, Georgia, she was excited to have an opportunity to create a home that completely reflected her own sensibility. “I’m a fun and fabulous single woman with no kids, so my home is really my castle in which I can do what I please with no dissenting opinions,” she declares. She describes the style of her home as “eclectic traditional.” The look is built on a foundation of classic lines and styles, but it’s her accents of unexpected pattern and vintage whimsy that really make the design shine. “While I love working with color—and I encourage my clients to do so—I realized I am happiest with a timeless black, white, brown, and gold color scheme,” she says.…

When interior designer Elaine Williamson-Romero tackled the project of this multigenerational Dallas home, her biggest challenge was satisfying the widely varied design aesthetics of the family. “We had to make the public spaces suit all of them while at the same time personalizing the more private areas for each person,” says Elaine. But a common appreciation for all things bold and bright became the key to the look. “They all had very divergent tastes but shared a common love of color, which really helped us find a cohesive vision for the family and living areas,” she says. “I lived in New Orleans for quite a while before I came to Dallas,” says Elaine. So it was only natural to draw colorful inspiration from one of the most colorful cities in…