This time last year, I was still in the early stages of working out the plans for my dream closet (a formal living room with big bay windows was being walled in and transformed). After a few weeks and lots of insight and detail work from the team at Pierce & Co. in Nashville, my personal closet wasn't only perfect, but ready for a close up on the HGTV show Interiors, Inc.

Having everything in perfect order isn't always the case, but  is
 OH so lovely when it is!

Fast forward a year.... and my quarters are far less spacious (all the photos here are of the former closet). But, I am making it work. The custom pieces that Brad Ramsey and Jonathan Pierce had made for me are actually ideal in the new setting. I've pared down a few things, dividing seasonal items into storage and ALMOST have all of my essentials exactly the way that I want them.

From folded jeans and scarves to jewelry and personal treasures, display is key.

My rules for ideal closet design:

I want everything arranged by color and placed where I can see it. I don't operate well with drawers for primary clothing items (since I am usually rushed), so I hang almost everything in plain view. That includes my belts. I feel the same way about shoes. I just ripped out an entire closet for wide, open shoe shelves for easy access.

Speaking of hangers, I cannot stand wire or even the rubber ones from the cleaners. I like streamlined acrylic plastic (The Container Store is a wonderland of great hangers!). For sweaters and items that might pull or stretch, the only way to go aside from folding is felt-covered. Instead of some crazy color, I choose those in a light taupe to compliment my furnishings. It just looks cleaner.

For jewelry, I like a showcase. Fun bars on the walls and open boxes are great. Hidden compartments in drawers are good for special occasion pieces that need to be kept properly.

Don't underestimate the power of beauty beyond function. I love having my most prized designer clutches on display, a few fashion books and a favorite photo or two where I can see them. It makes the chore of getting ready for work (or play) more of a treat.

Keep things like dirty clothes or mending items out of sight. Otherwise, you will feel harried by stacks or 'to do' items when you need to focus on looking your best for the day ahead.  This (and underwear) is what drawer space is for ideally. My custom dresser has built in hampers, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Easy-pull drawers house chunkier items I only wear on occasion and cabinets
 hide wrinkled or soiled items. 

In  this house, I'm separating my dressing room and actual clothes closet due to the space configuration, and cannot wait to complete both so that I can share them here. While these I am attempting to perfect doing solo (since I already have the key pieces), I can't thank the design team who gave me the inspiration enough. I will be forever organized (and in their debt) for showing me what a great closet can truly be! Their ideas were amazing and have made a huge difference in how I value my personal space.

My dressing table is still one of my most cherished possessions.
I also adore the clear chairs that the Pierce & Co. team found for me.

Do you have a favorite closet design or tip? PLEASE share it here, as I am in the middle of this project and need all the inspiration I can get! Please follow and keep up with The Southern Sophisticate....the revealed project is coming soon. read more

Brightening up any room is always easy with flowers, but not something I've been doing that often since moving. But, this weekend, solo at home and wanting to bring a little 'outside in', I decided to get busy and create a few arrangements throughout the house. A little something special for when friends stop in.... or just for me.

Blooming in my yard right now! 

I have three gorgeous Crepe Myrtles in my back yard, and while I don't usually ever cut them, some of the blooms were so heavy that branches were breaking. So, I decided to snip those right off and give a splash of color to my outside table.

For the rest, I just picked up some of the flowers on sale at my favorite grocery, The Fresh Market, while I was gathering staples and supplies for this week's cooking. I chose colors that I love and that compliment the spaces I wanted to put them. Since there was no event, I wanted to keep it inexpensive and quick. So simple, and in total, I spent about $13. Not bad for a little pick me up that will last several days.

I love orange and coral roses for the table, which are a steal at $8 a dozen.

Hydrangeas punched up with color are perfect in mercury glass for the living room.

What's your favorite flower to vase from your yard, garden or from your top market (would love to have the source)?  Be sure to post it on The Southern Sophisticate.

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Moving into a new house almost always requires change. For some it's drapes or carpet. For me, it's involved finding a way to make my style work with the address I've chosen. I really loved the house before, but needed to make it my own. In an older space, altering can be a bit harder than with a new, blank canvas. A prime example was my indecision about a foyer and dining room covered in perfectly good wallpaper (complete with detailed stitching and leather) that just didn't work with anything I owned. So, after sitting with it for a few weeks, I decided to make a change that suited not only my furniture and art, but my personality.

The foyer before

Deb preparing the walls for 'the big change'

I found out that repapering would be a disaster with the raised pattern underneath, and that removing it from old, plastered walls could get seriously expensive. SO, I called my friend Deb Staver to help me transform my space with her faux finishes. I'm still working on the house, but off to a great start. I didn't want to lose all color, so we chose a blue hue for above. With her skilled application, I had a new look on my walls, trim and ceiling in a couple of days. A blank canvas for my most prized art and a look that reflects my tastes. It was so fast, easy and prevented me from having to go through some drawn-out process. 

The foyer entrance AFTER Deb worked her magic. Completed the look by flat painting a
 shade of black on the interior of the door and baseboards. That is my signature, and has been for the last 15 years. For some reason, white trim drives me crazy!

I also had Deb transform a loved iron cross from our old house (which was dark red) to match the 
newly finished walls. I consider it a blessing every time I come through the front door.



Yes, it's still a work in progress, but I'm excited about the direction we are going. While I cannot brag enough about Deb's talents, I have to admit that I owe the connection to her (as well my overall faith in transforming any space) to my friend, acclaimed designer, Moll Anderson. She taught me everything I know, and I'm still learning every day. Hopefully, what I've done thus far will make her proud!




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For me, there's always something captivating about the set up of a bar. I love the array of bottles at my favorite restaurants and lovely arrangements at hotel lobbies I've visited. Whether contemporary or historic, I am always drawn to carefully crafted bar displays-- which are (quite literally) intoxicating spaces.

A source of inspiration, the bar at Las Ventanas

So, when filling little niches in our home over the last month, I've opted to set up several as mini cocktail stations. What would otherwise be a spot covered with framed photographs, decorative boxes or vases now beckons visitors to contemplate libation options. 

This small table houses mixing utensils and books (find the best ones at Absolution) with cocktail recipes. There's even a bar towel for quick clean up!

I've actually crafted 3 very distinct 'bars'; all user friendly with glasses and pitchers nearby. While they aren't in use 24/7 (sigh..), they do always serve as conversation pieces. With so many distinct bottles and barware items on the market, this is just as attractive as a collection of decorative accessories, and most certainly more tempting to view. Just be sure to include a couple of gorgeously packaged liqueurs such as Chambord.

Antiques are ideal for a sophisticated bar. Adding modern crystal decanters is an unexpected, elegant touch (especially when filled with premium spirits of various colors)

What you use for a bar really doesn't have to be a bar at all. I utilized my favorite antique hutch in a formal area for one, a small mirrored top table in a remote corner of my kitchen for another and a space between cabinets (well, that one really was designed for wine/spirit storage..). Overall, I have an instant set up for self- service during parties and am using items usually hidden in the pantry as 'art' in unexpected places.

When designing a kitchen, be sure to carve out some space for easy access to wine.. and most importantly bubbly... and fun glasses to serve it in.

You don't have to have a true built-in spot for a bar, but can create one almost anywhere. Use your imagination. If you have a small space, it may be a tray on a side table, or you can go wild with one of the amazing bar carts from the collection at Bergdorf's. This approach also makes it easier when you are   entertaining. No dragging things out or setting up... the work is done. Add ice, stir and raise a glass!




What's your favorite way to set up a bar at home? Would love to see some photos and ideas.


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After moving into a new (well, actually 100+ year-old) house a couple of months ago, I've finally decided to tackle the living room. I've chosen a fabulously neutral wall color (Beach House by Sherwin Williams) that serves as a backdrop for most anything I decide to do in the space. 
But, because I am D-O-N-E with building rooms around furniture or pictures I've carried around for years-- it is here that I am going to use the ample wall space to create a gallery of our lives, and to pay homage to the photography talent of my gifted husband and his From a Songwriter's Camera project.

Perfume bottles from a shop I adore in downtown Naples, Florida (one of our top winter escapes).

My previous house was maybe a little too 'decorated', and his home's walls were filled with forgettable purchases and countless plaques/awards/record memorabilia. Neither of those looks reflect us as a couple, where these photos really are like a trip down memory lane for both of us. 

Marble stairs we love at Rosewood San Miguel De Allende.

Most of them have been taken on special trips-- and even those with architectural elements have personal meaning. Plus, they are fantastic, artistic originals that no one else has. In total, we will have 16 shots displayed on ledges, with space to add more over time.

This one is me, on the balcony at the Regent Beverly Wilshire.

We're having a hard time narrowing down the choices, but have elected to keep it all black and white for simplicity. On sizing, nothing too small, but no huge blow-ups either. Not too much beach, and definitely no 'smiling at the camera' photos of us or others. Rather, a collected history of our time, trips and adventures with the emphasis being on the details. Some simple, art-style mat/framing and we will have our own gallery.

From a really special weekend with friends at Blackberry Farm.

This is something anyone could do easily in their own home. If you have a free wall (or worse, one filled with that inherited print that you can barely stand to look at), consider reworking the area to create a visual that will make you smile every day. It could be with photographs, paintings or even collages you create. Use your imagination, and make it yours!

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