It has been my dream as a designer to have a book showcasing the homes my company has “helped” with along the way. Not necessarily a selfish dream for self edification and promotion, but a chance for many more folks to see some of the homes I have had the honor of working in… helping bring together new and old furnishings, creating scenes for Christmas mornings, family dinners and Sunday nights watching TV. The opportunities I have had of creating a place to call home for dear friends, adored clients and even my family are abundant. And so my title, A Place to Call Home, was born.
I love when my clients have a party – one its great advertising – but especially since I can see the house in full regalia and working order. There’s just nothing like working towards a celebration and having hosts of fun folks over to raise their glasses and enjoy the event within a lovely setting. Often my clients are members of the same family, and I have had the privilege of working with generations within the same family. “I love what you did at Mama’s house…” and the rest is history. Some clients are from town and some are from the country. Some clients even allow us to “help” them with their primary and second homes too. All this reminds me of a decorator Mama had from Atlanta who came all the way down to our farm in Middle Georgia to “help” us with the living room. I still say I’m “helping” folks today like she said she was “helping” us, and we love when a client calls and says “I need some help with the dining room – we’re having a party and …” I love this! A deadline, a party and a chance to gussy up the dining room… what more could I want!
But where this leads is not to bread and butter per se, but a continual cultivation of a relationship – a chance to learn how one’s client lives and entertains and the chance to make them look good doing so. And over the years, phone calls for “help” in the dining room and subsequently the whole house have led to a portfolio of homes across the South that I cannot wait to share with y’all! Whether they are farmhouses, beach houses, mountain cabins or pied a terres, the one thing they all have in common is a sense of place… a sense of belonging to and within their surroundings and reflecting the families within. A post on Instagram or a blog is fun and exciting, but a book or a magazine spread bring the story to life… especially with a fabulous photographer. We have Emily Followill, and I cannot tell y’all how incredibly talented she is! This will be our third book together and she just “gets it” when it comes to interiors. I am so thrilled to have her on the team!
So, as we launch some fun posts and info about the new book, I hope y’all are inspired to make your houses homes. Though I travel so much for my cookbooks and speaking engagements, I am really a nester – a homebody. Farmdale will be featured in the book too, as I draw strength and restoration while I’m home… and much needed “waller” time to recharge. So follow me on Instagram and the blog and look for fun things to come. A Place to Call Home will be out Fall 2017, and that’ll be here before we know it. Until then, I have a dozen or so homes to fluff and get camera ready… thank goodness for green apples and hydrangeas!
*We hope you enjoy some behind the scenes photos!
