Mary Kathryn Wells is not your typical interior designer. She doesn't ask for Pinterest boards or magazine clippings. She won't push the latest trends or insist on a certain aesthetic. Instead, she believes that your home should tell your story. With a deep love for color, pattern and the unexpected, she creates spaces that feel exuberant yet practical, celebratory yet deeply personal. After a life journey that has taken her from Little Rock to Atlanta, New York City to Maui, and finally, to Nashville in 2015, her design philosophy is shaped by a blend of adventure, nostalgia and southern hospitality.
"All the places I've lived are very present in my designs," Mary Kathryn says. "I love mixing caned furniture and rattan from my time in Hawaii, bold color pairings from New York, and pleated, patterned lampshades that feel so southern. It's all about juxtaposition—unexpected but joyful pairings that reflect the people who live in the space."
A self-proclaimed control freak (with, she admits, a little bit of neurosis), Mary Kathryn has learned to embrace adventure. She moved to New York after college at Emory and met her husband while working in public education. When they decided to start a family, they took a bold leap—relocating to Hawaii while she was six months pregnant. "We put everything in storage and just went for it," she says. A few years later, another big shift came: moving to Nashville, newly pregnant with their second child, and navigating the transition from Maui's laid-back island life to the structured warmth of the South. "It was a mental shift," she says. "But returning to southern hospitality felt like home in a new way."
Now settled in Nashville with three kids (ages 6, 9 and 11), Mary Kathryn has built her interior design business around the principle that every member of the household—yes, even the littlest ones—should feel seen in their space. "When 50% of the people living in a house are under five years old, we need to account for that!" she laughs. "I had one client whose kids loved building forts, so instead of a coffee table in the living room, we did a giant crash pad. It's not forever, but it brings them joy now, and that matters."
Personalization is at the heart of her process. A formal living room might transform into a cozy library to honor a family of readers. An heirloom sari can be framed as a stunning piece of art, weaving cultural heritage into the design. A horse-loving client may find their walls adorned with shadowboxed horseshoes. "Your home should reflect you—not a trend," Mary Kathryn insists. "And incorporating personal elements doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. A piece of art by your child, a framed belt from jiu-jitsu, even an old wedding invitation—custom framing can turn simple things into treasures."
For those looking to infuse personality into a space, Mary Kathryn's advice is simple: "Think about what lights you up. What do weekends look like in your home? What makes your family your family? Your space should support how you actually live, not just look good in a photo."
In a design world obsessed with perfection, Mary Kathryn champions something better: a home filled with meaning, memories, and just the right amount of whimsy.