Interior Design Secrets: What's "IN"

1: Earthy-neutral tones:

The 'Nancy Meyers aesthetic' trend kicked this off - but it’s really an English country vibe at its core, so - it’s not going anywhere anytime soon! As you decorate, think warm nature-inspired palettes—terracotta, forest greens, clay browns. Pair these elements with indoor plants and natural materials like stone and wood.

This approach connects interiors to the outdoors visually and emotionally. Just like in the English country home where you have doors open with chickens and peacocks wandering around. Really bring the outside in with your decorative elements. Some of my favorites are big baskets, terra cotta pots, wood furniture (we’ll get to that one), copper kitchen wares, bamboo furniture or chairs, chinoiserie artwork to bring the outside in, ad lastly, start thinking about brown as the anchor color - even if you’re decorating a blue room - brown as the anchor color is really grounding.

Remember when we talked about a limited color palette in the first blog? 2-3 colors per room. So maybe it’s blue, green, and brown. That is a natural way to communicate earthy neutral tones throughout the space.

2: Textured surfaces:

From grasscloth wallpaper to plaster, from lacquer to sculptural stone, texture is essential for layering. Different surfaces give rooms depth and visual richness. I invite you to look on Pinterest to get ideas for what textures feel best for your space. My wallpapers come in grasscloth, which is just an amazing texture to have in your space. So once we have textures we like, THEN we layer. So for example… Take grasscloth wallpaper, then a beautiful piece of chinoiserie artwork, add a mahogany dresser, add some sconces (going back to that symmetry we spoke about), then pleated lampshades on the sconces. It’s layering in textures that makes a powerful AND cozy room feel like it’s giving you a hug.

3: Handmade & Artisanal:

Unique, handcrafted, bespoke. Custom furniture, artisanal light fixtures are taking over mass-produced decor. Authenticity and storytelling are front and center. Like my artwork! Personal storytelling through art and heirlooms is already foundational in grandmillennial styling. A home should not be decorated in a day, I cannot stress that enough. Find the things you love that make you feel like you’re truly home and then build on it. I love Le Chateau here in Atlanta for custom furniture, etsy for custom linens, estate sales & antique stores (talk about things you can’t find anywhere else), or finding little online shops that feel elevated that really have unique items. I like Coleen & company for lighting, Ballard Designs for furniture, Chairish, society social, over the moon for like amazing kitchen accessories, one kings lane, Frontgate, many more I will link in the blog post that goes with this video!

4: Moody, rich wood tones:

We’re getting back to the english countryside with this one. The days when real wood furniture wasn’t just functional, but it made sense in a space aesthetically. Designers are favoring walnut, mahoganey, and espresso-stained woods for depth and warmth. This goes back to anchoring the room with the color brown, brown furniture is a foundational design decision. It makes your textiles and decor stand out and feel anchored. Opt for antique wood dressers and serving tables. I adore the look of antique wood furniture - you just know it’s lived a thousand lives and it’s built to last a thousand more.

5: Color AND pattern drenching:

This can be as simple as painting your trim and walls the same color - which makes the room feel bigger and more edited, or as complicated as a Full-room color saturation—lacquered walls, trim, and textiles in the same bold hue. If you don’t feel ready to make these design decisions, make a mood board on Canva and play around with it until you get happy. Color drenching gives maximalist spaces a bold architectural backbone. Next week is my video on how to do pattern drenching - I feel like I need to do a separate video on that to show you how to best approach that because it’s so simple once you get the hang of it.