The secret to good design
I walked into this Charlotte home and immediately wished I could bottle the feeling. It was the little bit of sunshine and cheer we’ve all been looking for this winter.
The charming Charlotte home — with character and designer finishes — will leave you dreaming and energized. Every wall, every corner, every detail — intentionally finished. While I toured this home in-person, it was hard to capture it all in an Instagram Reel.
So I partnered with the realtor, Meredith Tomascak, and interior designer, Anne Pearson, to bring you beautiful images that I think you’ll love.
Anne has graciously provided paint colors and other sources which I share below. I’ve also asked her to share some advice for homeowners aspiring to create a home that feels finished and personalized.
If you find it helpful, please share with a friend and subscribe for even more like this.
Now, sit back and enjoy the tour.
The Paint | sherwin williams clary sage (railings and front door)
You have beautiful artwork. Where are some of your favorite places to source art?
Anne: I purchase a lot through artists I follow on Instagram: Caleb Mahoney, Renee Bouchon, Laura McCarty, Alexis Walters, Catherine B Jones. I also have been bidding on antique paintings on live auction like the one in the laundry room. I had that one reframed.
The Advice (from Anne) | I really focused on buying smaller pieces that I love and then put some money into the framing. It takes time to develop a collection. Decorating slowly is not a bad thing!! Take your time and get the bones of your house right first then work on adding all the layers.
Anne’s home has evolved over the last six years. She truly has lived into her advice to take your time and find the things you love.
For example, here is the entry way during the process of decorating.
Now!!
Your home feels so collected and layered. Where do you look and what do you look for when thinking about accessories?
Anne: I scour Etsy and consignment stores for accessories like old books and turnbridge boxes and my little collection of marble fruits. All of these together add so much warmth and character to a home.
The Wallpaper | quadrille arbre de matisse camel on tint
The Paint | sherwin williams clary sage (same as railings and front door)
The Paint | extra white by sherwin williams, tricorn black by sherwin williams
What advice would you give a homeowner just starting out decorating their home?
The Advice (from Anne): I will have to heed my own advice with our new/old house as it will not be done in a day a week or even a year. Good design takes time.
For more on this home, check out my Instagram Reel and the listing by Meredith Tomascak.
For home finds I love, head over to my ShopMy page. Lots of pretty, new pieces!!
7 Timeless Wallpaper Ideas from Homes We’ve Toured
Wallpaper is one of my favorite ways to dress up a space—it’s like wrapping an entire room in art! There are so many options out there, I wanted to highlight examples of tasteful applications. Follow me!
Last week we shared perfect paint colors from some of our favorite home tours of 2024, so today is dedicated to wallpaper!
Wallpaper is one of my favorite ways to dress up a space—it’s like wrapping an entire room in art! There are so many options out there, I wanted to highlight examples of tasteful applications. Follow me!
This home hit the Charlotte market this earlier year, and is one of my favorite listing features to date! Interior designer Anne Pearson, who I’ve also worked with in my personal home, made magic. The home has so much personality, created with a fusion of color, texture and pattern, and yet it never feels overwhelming. While these images are by Dustin Peck, you can find my video of the home tour here.
Office: Brighton Pavillion by Schumacher (multi color)
Bathroom: Citrus Garden by Schumacher
Interior designer Kate Figler graciously welcomed us into her 1945 Nashville home this summer for a picture-perfect tour. You’re immediately greeted by an iconic entryway, painted in Benjamin Moore Tissue Pink 1163. You can catch a peek of her powder room, just under the curved staircase — a sign of all the fun to come!
Powder room: Raphael by Scalamandre (green)
Dining room: Flora by House of Harris
Charlotte artist Megan Daisy Milner’s home showed us how to decorate with heart—and art. This has to be one of the friendliest family homes we’ve ever seen, made all the more special with Megan’s artwork and wallpaper used throughout.
Foyer: Maysong by Paul Montgomery (Sea Mist)
Dining room: St. Albans Grove by Anne French (aqua)
Nursery: Daisy Chain Wallpaper by Megan Daisy Milner (neutral)
Did you know, many wallpapers are only sold to the trade, which means you have to work with an interior designer to access them! If you're local to Charlotte, I love Celedore because you can shop high-quality, designer-approved wallcoverings in person! If you are looking for a designer, consider finding your match on the Garden & Grace directory!
Garden & Grace in The Press: Tips for Styling a Timeless Bathroom
Garden & Grace was recently included in ApartmentGuide's blog called "15 Creative Apartment Bathroom Decor Ideas to Try Today. While the tips I shared for the article had renters in mind (hello, peel-and-stick wallpaper) I've used many of the ideas listed in my own home.
Garden & Grace is all about creating classic spaces with ease. We were recently asked by ApartmentGuide to share tips for how renters can create a space they love even if it's temporary. We were featured on the ApartmentGuide blog! Check out the recent article e were quoted in: 15 Creative Apartment Bathroom Decor Ideas to Try Today. While the tips I shared for the article had renters in mind (hello, peel-and-stick wallpaper) I've used many of the ideas listed in my own home.
For instance, a personalized shower curtain like these from Weezie Towels or Pottery Barn and a vintage or oushak rug are timeless bathroom accessories for renters and owners alike! If you want to bring some texture into your bathroom, I love the idea of using faux grasscloth wallpaper from Society Social, too. Those three things alone take a bathroom from cold to more personable and warm.
If you really want the space to feel finished, add a few personal touches, like a piece of artwork that can be repurposed in another room down the road; a silver tray with your favorite perfume; and a small picture of a loved one. Pookie cordless table lamps with a pleated fabric and other cordless lighting are also great additions, especially if you don't want to deal with electrical work.
Looking for more bathroom inspiration? Scroll to see a few of my favorites.
Favorite Finishes: Sarah Catherine Design Shares Inspiration For Fall
As summer starts to wind down, we wanted to provide the Garden & Grace community with fresh seasonal inspiration. We tapped Birmingham-based designer Sarah Moore, of Sarah Catherine Designs, to share a transitional interior scheme.
As summer starts to wind down, we wanted to provide the Garden & Grace community with fresh seasonal inspiration. We tapped Birmingham-based designer Sarah Moore, of Sarah Catherine Designs, to share a transitional interior scheme. The finishes she selected incorporate multiple textures, colors and patterns while still keeping some consistency in the tones in order to bring the space together.
Let's take a look at Sarah's pre-fall vision board.
The centerpiece for this flat lay is the Namay Samay floral fabric in the top left corner. "The colors and patterns remind me of leaves falling from a tree, while still having the bright and vibrant feel of summer," Sarah says. She imagines it for a pillow or drapery, paired with a blue linen solid fabric that can be used as welt on a pillow or on the leading edge of drapery panels.
These Alex Conroy and Namay Samay fabrics complement the palette in their colors and pattern scale. You could bring in a solid grey/green velvet rope-chain style trim to this combo as pillows to add some additional texture and interest, Sarah says. This blue ikat fabric from Cowtan & Tout is an iconic, classic print that helps root this design in timelessness. Add a simple ivory tassel trim to pillows or draperies for the final look. Here's the iconic fabric in pillow form! 
Farrow and Ball's Lotus wallpaper is a go-to for Sarah. The taupe and ivor colorway is both bold and elegant. "The Classic Cloth green leaf print fabric also provides that elegant transition from Summer to Fall in its muted, soft sage green color," Sarah says. Pair it with a rust linen fabric to bring more warmth to your space. For paint, Sarah recommends Farrow & Ball's Blue Gray and Pigeon. The subtly moody hues provide a peace backdrop, she says. 
To bring in as much warmth and texture as possible, Sarah chose a beautiful creamy Carrera marble tile, bamboo woven shades, and a natural woven sisal rug. Warm wood tones pair well with brass hardware, tying everything together, she says. Here are shades and a sisal rug we love!To polish off the look, you can use grasscloth wallpaper on the ceiling or back of bookcases to add depth and texture to your space. 
All photos are by Sara Catherine Design
Sarah Catherine Design is part of the Garden & Grace directory, our trusted list of home experts—curated for our discerning readers. Want to be apart of the community? Inquire here.
SHOP TRANSITIONAL HOME DECOR
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.
SHOP colorful home finds
