A Design-Enthusiast’s (aka me!) Journey to an Elegant, Family-Friendly Living Space
As we move into the holiday and a cozier time of year, I’m feeling so grateful for my home. In the last couple of weeks I’ve talked about how I’m decorating this year, quick Christmas prep tips and my love for Fig & Dove, so today I wanted to give you a closer look at my living spaces.
As we move into the holiday and a cozier time of year, I’m feeling so grateful for my home. In the last couple of weeks I’ve talked about how I’m decorating this year, quick Christmas prep tips and my love for Fig & Dove, so today I wanted to give you a closer look at my living spaces.
I worked with Anne Pearson to pull together the living and dining room and am so happy with how it turned out! I wanted these rooms to feel unique, grounded and formal but still comfortable enough for our family to enjoy. Let’s step into my home!
LIVING ROOM
In terms of furniture for our living room, I wanted to design something that’s both timeless and cozy. These sofas are a collaboration between Lester Furniture and Cambridge Row, and totally embraced my vision. I also think mixing in antiques helps foster that timeless feeling in a space. My brown antique chest is from Canterbury Antiques in Nashville. After a lot of samples, I landed on Creamy by Sherwin Williams in an eggshell finish and Loggia by Sherwin Williams in a semi-gloss finish on the trim and fireplace. It's a warm, formal look that pairs so well with my blue-green silk drapes and neutral rug.
dining room
The dining room has become one of my favorite rooms in the house. I especially love the subtle pop of color we did on the ceiling. It’s Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball in full gloss.
I’ve said it before, but antiques are a must in every room for achieving a traditional style. In this space, the dining room chairs are from The KS Collection, a wonderful antique store in Nashville. The dining room table was a result of a long-time search on Facebook Marketplace! Hint: search for "double pedestal mahogany dining table." It includes an extension and table pad, and I only paid $800. Besides one minor scratch it's in great condition. Definitely a favorite second hand find!
The lamps are from Visual Comfort and so is my chandelier! It's easily, one of my all-time favorite lighting brands and is constantly adding new pieces to their collection. Finally, I polished off the space with orchids from Botanica. If you’re in Charlotte you have to stop in (thankfully, you can shop online and at Scott's Market in Atlanta, too). Their flowers are real, but preserved, so they last for about five years!
conversation room
I’ve given you a tour of my conversation room before, so I wanted to share a few more sources! There are so many details I love in this room. The club chairs, which I love sinking into with my morning coffee, are from Wesley Hall. I have a couple of pieces from Poppy’s of Macon including the burlwood waterfall coffee table and the chest! I worked with Laurin White of Cambridge Row to pull together my vision for this space. It's better than I could have dreamt. Oh! and the federal bullseye mirror was also a Facebook Marketplace find that Laurin told me to immediately grab when she saw the picture of it. I paid under $300, a fraction of the price in most retail shops.
The rug in this room is so special to me. It’s from English Village Lane and the topiary details along the border make me so happy. It’s also incredibly durable and easy to clean, a non-negotiable in a house full of kids and pets!
The window treatments in my conversation room really pull the space together. The cornice boards, which are in Thibaut Williamson fabric, help the room feel buttoned up while the Schumacher brown check drapes add some whimsy — a perfect balance!
I share more about my Christmas decor here including this amazing no-fuss mantle garland that instantly elevates the room. For more sources in my home, check out my past blogs on the powder room and boys’ bathroom.
See How I Got My Home Holiday Ready With Fig & Dove
This holiday season I had the total joy of working with Fig & Dove to get my home holiday ready. I'm going to walk you through my living, dining and conversation rooms. Let the Christmas cheer begin!
This holiday season I had the total joy of working with Fig & Dove to get my home holiday ready. Interior designer Colleen Waguespack started Fig & Dove because, as a designer, she couldn't find holiday decor that complemented her clients' elevated interiors. Her pieces are meant to seamlessly blend with your personal home, and everything at Fig & Dove works together. I love how you can get one or two pieces a year and build a cohesive collection of timeless decor that you'll treasure forever.
I'm going to walk you through my living, dining and conversation rooms. Let the Christmas cheer begin!
LIVING ROOM
Let's start this holiday home tour in my living room! I just love the way our tree looks by the fireplace, especially with those gorgeous Fig & Dove stockings! The stocking holders are totally genius — they're very kid-friendly which is a must in our house. You can dress up your stockings even more by adding a bauble tassel. I went with the ombre gold option. I also love the idea of putting these on dresser knobs in a guest room so your guests get a dose of holiday cheer, too.
I use a lot of blues, greens and browns in my home, so I really appreciate how these ornaments work with the existing space rather than compete or stand out too much. The double glass ball ornament is so pretty and adds some unique dimension among the other ball ornaments. The gilded doves are so special but not fragile — again, a must with three little kids and a dog running around!
The classic look is polished off with a tree skirt, also from Fig & Dove. It's definitely an investment but it really pulls the scheme together and I know I'll use it forever.
dining room
I couldn't take my eyes off the dining room during this photoshoot. I'm so proud of this space and a few Fig & Dove pieces really made it shine. The gold decorative angel doubles as a tree topper, but I really liked having it on the table to help carry some elements from my living room into the space.
One of my favorite holiday decor tricks is to hang a wreath on mirrors. All you need to do is give this Fig & Dove boxwood wreath a quick fluff and then voila! It's tied with a sash — one of Fig & Dove's calling cards! They have so many options to choose from. If you're someone who likes to keep a wreath up all year, you can just switch out the sash depending on the holiday.
conversation room
Last but not at all least, is my conversation room. I was seriously impressed with the Fig & Dove gold magnolia garland we used in this room.
I find live garland to be pricey—considering you have to toss it every year—and have been on the hunt for a good faux option. I haven't found something with as much depth and texture as this one. It was super easy to lay across the mantle, too. It's an investment piece but something you'll admire for a long, long time. We jazzed it up with a few small stockings and flameless candles.
Looking for more holiday inspiration? We shared How I Decorate for Christmas and a Tuckernuck tablescape.
Home Tour: An Abundance of Art and Color Make This the Most Cheerful Family Home
Charlotte artist Megan Daisy Milner's home is packed with personality thanks to her vibrant art collection and personal touches all throughout the house.
Charlotte artist Megan Daisy Milner's home is packed with personality thanks to her vibrant art collection and personal touches all throughout the house. "When people come into our house, I want them to feel welcome, relaxed and also get a sense of every single person that lives in our house," she tells Garden & Grace.
Mission accomplished—we think.
Inspiration strikes as soon as you step through the front door. The foyer is covered in Maysong, a mural by Paul Montgomery, and you have a clear slight line into the living room—Megan's favorite room in the house.
"The fun thing about being an artist is your home becomes like a rotating gallery," Megan says. She often hangs paintings in her own home before making them available for purchase.
The living room's a treasure chest, bursting with antiques, family heirlooms and bright art. There's a duck hunted by Megan's husband, and a piano for the kids to practice on. Megan put her own personal touch on the space with curtains done in fabric from her line.
The formal living space flows into the dining room which is wrapped in St. Albans Grove by Anne French in the aqua colorway. The dining room is also home to one of Megan's most precious items: a dining set passed down from family. "It was my husband's great grandparents and my father-in-law talks about going over to their house after school and doing homework on the dining table," Megan shares.
The scratches are proof of all this memories made around the table in the last 100 years. "I think about all the dinner parties that have been on that table, and then all the dinner parties to come. I think his great grandparents would be so excited," Megan says.
Family is certainly a theme throughout this storied Charlotte home. You'll find duck motifs adored by Megan's husband, and artwork and items beloved by the family's three young kids.
The kids have an art wall where they have free-reign to curate as they wish. Thibaut's box kite wallpaper in spa blue is the room's canvas.
One of the best things about Megan's home—in our opinion—is just how personal it is. The precious wallpaper hanging in her daughter's nursery is from her own line. It's the grasscloth Daisy Chain Wallpaper in neutral.
There's also a hand-painted daisy tea set that Megan's grandmother made for her fifth birthday. "I remember how special I felt that somebody had mailed this to me across the country. ... It was such a special gift because it felt like she knew exactly what I would've want," she says.
The home is decorated in art from many artists, and it all comes with a story. Megan's motto is to buy what you love and the design will fall into place. "Two weekends ago I was in Charleston and we ran into a street fair and I found an artist that had amazing folk art. I bought one of the pieces within two minutes," she says. The piece didn't have an immediately obvious home, but that didn't last long.
To see more of Megan's art, wallpaper and decor you can visit her website and Instagram.
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