Call it serendipity, good fortune, or sheer luck, but when Birmingham decorator Zoë Gowen received a phone call from a young couple asking for help, it was a full-circle moment. “When I was a homes editor at Southern Living, I scouted this house in Crestline and did a curb appeal makeover story, but we never photographed the interiors. It was crazy to realize the connection,” says Zoë. “I had the opportunity to freshen up a house I already admired and help transition it for Lollie and Dustin’s lifestyle and plans.”
The homeowners, Montgomery natives, felt fortunate as well. “We tried buying a home while we were still living in Dallas, and it felt impossible, especially given how hilly Birmingham is,” says Lollie. “It was hard to tell from the photos how you even accessed certain lots. My sister-in-law was our agent, and we eventually discussed the inclines like skiing. I would ask her, ‘Does it lean more green or black slope?’ We finally just made the move and looked from here.”
After losing out on a couple of houses, the couple got aggressive and ended up with a home in Crestline on a family-focused street. “We didn’t realize how great the neighborhood was; we honestly fell into it and feel so blessed,” says Lollie. “That we can walk to restaurants and retail is something I never expected when I lived in Dallas!”
Architect Matthew V. Costanzo had carefully designed the Cape Cod-style shingle cottage for the prior owners, so the heavy lifting was over, and the focus was on those personal expressions and last layers. “It really was move-in-ready, but we wanted it to reflect our lifestyle and personality,” adds Lollie. “I also found the open floor plan a bit daunting, so I needed someone with experience to help with that as well.” The new-to-Birmingham couple did what Southerners often do, querying family members and college friends for recommendations, and Zoë’s name popped up more than once, so that was that.
During the process, both Lollie and Zoë embraced a palette that neither one of them expected when they began. “The living room included closets on either side of the fireplace with great storage, so we decided to trick the eye by adding hand-painted de Gournay wallcovering panels to the fronts,” says Zoë. “The clients came to the project with a minimum of pieces, so the panels doubled as art in the space, and we fell in love with the metallic abstract pattern and the textured silk finish.” The pattern had shades of lavender, which were pulled out for sofa pillows and elsewhere. While the client leaned towards white with blue notes, all agreed that lavender was a welcome and distinguishing surprise, and it even migrated to the primary bedroom curtain panels. Not that blue was neglected; Zoë employed it to great effect by painting the lower kitchen cabinets a pale blue sky and wrapping all the beautiful dining room millwork in a slight chalky blue tone, and even employed a bold peacock for the jazzy powder room.
As the couple had lived in Dallas for several years, they leaned towards a more cosmopolitan atmosphere, but as Southerners, tradition also played a part. “We strived towards light and sophisticated, certainly not stark but still young,” says Zoë. “We layered in a few antique pieces, such as the dining room table, an Italian mirror over the foyer console table, and a Biedermeier chest of drawers in the stair hall.
With an open plan and no separate downstairs den, the living room seating and placement were of utmost importance. “We wanted to have as many options as possible without it feeling like a furniture showroom!” says the designer. She kept the foundational pieces in shades of white with dashes of color in the pillow fabrics and wallpaper panels on a neutral carpet, which made the room feel spacious and plush.
Zoë and her client also focused on storage in plain sight—a large coffee table with hidden compartments; a dining room buffet with deep cabinetry; and the artfully concealed living room closets. “I am so happy we did. With two small children now, I’ll take all the storage I can get,” says Lollie. “Our home may not look exactly as polished as when we first moved in, and plastic toys in primary colors are a part of our life, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!”
“That we can walk to restaurants and retail is something I never expected when I lived in Dallas!”
"With two small children now, I’ll take all the storage I can get."