If your walls could talk, what might they say about you? When all the interior elements are correctly wed, a home becomes more than a box holding basic necessities. Instead, it becomes a shrine that beams the unique quirks of your heart and soul to shine for all to see. Interior designers Sheryl Lock of Handcrafted House and Christine Heartsill of Mountain Luxe Interiors reveal the secrets to expressing your standout style, whether you want a targeted remodel focused on natural, sustainable, locally-crafted materials or you need the white-glove concierge service for a total new-home build.
HOW DOES A DESIGNER EVOKE THE HOMEOWNER’S UNIQUE STYLE?
Both Lock and Heartsill agree: getting to know the homeowner is a must. They rely on questionnaires and in-home meetings. They also build a visual stockpile using images the homeowner plucks from the internet, magazines, or anywhere.
Heartsill notes, “It really does boil down to what I’ve learned from them combined with my signature style. And that is because [designers] are artists; we’re putting together patterns, colors, and styles.”
“I ask for rituals,” Lock explains. “Do you wake up in the morning and always read your book? How do you function through your day? I think those things are important to honor how you move in your home, what you use your home for.”
WHAT IS THE MOST OVERLOOKED OR NEGLECTED DESIGN ELEMENT IN ANY HOME?
For Lock, it’s the quality of materials. Handcrafted wood or handwoven fabrics—these items lend to a space the devotion and passion that went into their creation. Plaster, one of her specialties, also infuses those aspects, plus a bonus sensation founded in science. “Clay increases negative ions in your house. When you walk into a home that has natural plaster you can feel it,” she says.
Never underestimate, Heartsill advises, the tangible impact a space can impart—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—the moment it is entered. She points to how an art gallery stimulates a sense awe or contemplation. A home should be no different. “When you see a really amazing room, it’s because everything in that room is working just so symbiotically with the rest of the room.”
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE A BIG, BOLD STYLE STATEMENT ON ANY BUDGET?
Become familiar with the roots of your innate style, Heartsill advises. A penchant for pillars, arches, and filigree, connotes a traditional style hearkening back to Roman-Greco roots. Modern styling will be totally different, as will contemporary. Knowing where your preferences land enables you to more masterfully mix the different styles and thereby bypass and surpass a generic catalog tableau.
Lock points to three key locations to highlight maximum individual style (especially if working on a budget): tile, lighting, and bathroom vanities. Tiles—including wall tiles, backsplashes, and bathroom tiles for the floor, walls, and shower--can really showcase a lot about the homeowner’s personality, Lock notes. “Lighting [makes] a statement! Bathroom vanities have a lot of character. They say a lot,” she says.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A WELL-DESIGNED INTERIOR SPACE?
Above all else, Lock values how a home brings the body a sense of belonging. “You walk in and you feel good as opposed to you walk in and feel like you don’t fit. You can’t find a place to sit. Come home and feel like you’re home. Feeling at ease. Comfortable. Cozy. Relaxed.”
On a similar note, Heartsill underscores the power of a beautiful home has to transform the soul. As she puts it, “I believe that a sublime transformation takes place in the soul when we are surrounded by beauty.” That means home brings a sense of peace, maybe even joy.