Southern home magazine

To build or not to build, that was the question. And a very difficult one for Anne Williams to answer as she contemplated building anew or renovating her family’s historic home in Dallas’ University Park neighborhood. As newlyweds, the interior designer and her husband purchased the house with the intention of staying there forever, but when the household of two multiplied, they inevitably needed more room to grow.

“I wanted a house in the mountains, not a mountain house,” is what Carolyn Kendall’s client announced at the beginning of the renovation and decoration of his family’s Cashiers getaway. Nashville-based Kendall, head of Alcott Interiors, answered the call by sending the heavy references to the location packing and adding fresh paint, smart changes to the layout to improve flow, lively wallpapers, and comfortable upholstery in pretty shades of greens and blues.

When designer Marissa Stokes was referred to the Vero Beach homeowners in 2019, she had just started her own firm—Marissa Stokes Interior Design. Based in New York, Stokes met with the owners, who have a primary residence on Long Island, and their design styles gelled perfectly. “The clients and I had the same aesthetic in mind,” Stokes says.

Text: Karen Carroll Photos: Photography courtesy of Jackye Lanham Interiors Southern Home (SH): Would you begin by sharing a bit about your background? Jackye Lanham (JL): I’m what we used to call an army brat. We moved every couple of years, internationally and around the South. No matter where we were, a pair of twin […]

Sims and Mike Wachholz lived in their historic Jacksonville, Florida, house for two years before embarking on a major renovation. During that time, they absorbed the way light shifted through the rooms, the way their family used the spaces, and the impact color played throughout the house. Built in 1928 as a spec house, the Spanish Mission-style house went on to become a landmark on the street, one that longtime neighbors were happy to see getting a refresh.

When you think of your home’s foyer or entryway think of it as your home’s first impression. It is very […]

Southern Living showcases the best in home decoration and design—classy, sophisticated, and just the right touch of southern charm.

Mary Tobias Miller loves a good design challenge. So when her clients reached out to her about their new home in the Eastover neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, Miller was not intimidated by the home’s eyesore of an interior. “The home was heavy and dark with an Asian flair, and just about every room featured oversized cornice boards that made each space feel even darker,” the designer says.

The lure of the Blue Ridge Mountains had long beckoned when the now owners of this Loudoun County, Virginia, property found their forever home. “We came here from the Washington, D.C., suburbs in the early fall after searching for much smaller homes in the area,” says the husband. As the pair made their way up a long, winding drive laden with a changing seasonal landscape, the appeal was almost immediate. Upon arrival at the residence, the charm of a C. F. A. Voysey–inspired cottage also…

For years, longtime clients of interior designer Carolyn Kendall, the owner and lead designer of Alcott Interiors, pined for a particular house in Boca Grande, where they already owned a condo. The appeal of the property was undeniable—a beautiful beach, incredible panoramic views of the water, and plenty of acreage. When the house was finally for sale, Kendall’s clients did not hesitate to make it their own. The one-story sprawling house, however, needed a complete makeover. “We gutted the…

Inspired by French designs and Southern comforts, Leta Austin Foster transforms a 1930s home by the sea.

Find out more about designer Bunny Williams and her high-style interiors instilled with her trademark down-to-earth sensibility in our exclusive Q&A.

Southern decorating charm welcomes you back to our Designer Spotlight series! In this latest edition, we’ll cover the inviting world of Ashley Gilbreath

Creation of a soothing, restorative home is on trend today. Charlotte designer Kim Mauney, founder of Kim Mauney Interiors and her boutique/studio Maison, riveted on just that formula when she downsized into a cozy Southern cottage home.

Writer and stylist Margaret Zainey Roux is always on the hunt for perfect pieces to decorate every nook and cranny of her stylish New Orleans Victorian home.

Southern Home Magazine on Instagram: "The holidays are right around the corner and our November/December issue is on sale now! This issue is filled with homes that have a nice mix of sophisticated and festive décor. Interior designer @stephaniejarvisinc transformed a stately riverfront home in Jacksonville, Florida, with antiques, rugs, and inviting furnishings and then added layers of greenery perfectly suited for the season. In Charlotte, North Carolina, designer @graywalkerinteriors…

A new-construction home with timeless architectural details and classic furnishings perfectly melds the present with the past for a Dallas family.

Text: Karen Carroll Photos: Images courtesy of Rizzoli Southern Home (SH): Tell us a bit about your background. Who first fostered your love of beauty? Ashley Whittaker (AW): I grew up in Florida; both of my grandmothers were very stylish with beautiful houses, and I think it was as much about a lifestyle as it was about […]

Find out more about designer Bunny Williams and her high-style interiors instilled with her trademark down-to-earth sensibility in our exclusive Q&A.

Experiences abroad can shape you in many ways, and one just may be the architecture you fixate on when planning your dream home. Stan Dixon and Jackye Lanham’s client had spent time in the Cotswolds during her youth, and the charm of the region and British architecture remained imbedded in her mind’s eye. Dixon, who had spent time studying in England as an architectural student, and Lanham, a professed Anglophile, easily dialed into that aesthetic during the design process.