The first time designer Karsen Hood met this homeowner from Lake Wylie, she was taken with her patterned Gucci slides.
“I like to look at what the client is wearing,” says Hood, principal designer of Mannings Design. “She’s maximalist, and everything around her is gorgeous.”
When the homeowner asked her to transform her husband’s office into a fashion sanctuary for her museum-worthy collection of shoes, clothes and accessories, Hood immediately understood the assignment: create a glamorous space that felt joyfully over-the-top.
“Prior to this makeover, the space was very masculine, with a tan rug and taxidermy on the wall,” Hood says. “It was a nothing room.”
What emerged after the four-month renovation is anything but. The compact 14-by-12.5-foot room now functions as a closet-and-dressing-room hybrid. But it’s more than a place to store handbags and stilettos. It’s a life-sized jewel box where every item tells a story.
The homeowner’s collection reads like a curator’s fantasy: six Gucci guitars, branded skateboards, and one of only two rhinestone cloaks in existence are displayed like fine art. Hood leaned into the beauty of the collection while ensuring the room remained warm and inviting.
“We color-drenched the walls, wallpapered the ceiling and added cheetah paneling to the door,” she says. “I wanted to color play and really push the boundaries. We were going maximalist and glam.”
Because the room’s footprint was relatively tight, every design decision had to balance beauty with function. The client already owned two Gucci chairs and a custom dressing screen, leaving Hood with the challenge of storing the collection without overcrowding the space. The solution was an L-shaped shelving system fabricated by Kauffman & Co.
“The brass and glass let the light through,” Hood says. “It lets her beautiful handbags tell the story.”
It also complements the crystal chandelier from Crystorama.
“We had to do crystal, and we had to go big,” she says. “With a nine-foot ceiling, we couldn’t go too tall, but it makes a statement when you walk in and really makes you appreciate the wallpaper.”
Integrated strip lighting elevated the effect even further.
“At night, she can just glow it up,” Hood says.
To give the homeowner additional storage, Hood incorporated an 18th-century armoire from Le Chateau European Interiors in Atlanta. She had it custom lacquered in a bold fuchsia and put flocked cheetah wallpaper inside. A hand-knotted F.J. Kashanian rug from New York anchors the space, while a cloverleaf ottoman upholstered in snakeskin leather adds both texture and playfulness.
“She can roll it out when she wants to strut and play,” Hood says.
Even the walk into the room feels cinematic. The hallway is lined with custom-framed artwork of elegantly dressed women, creating a red carpet moment before the doors open to what Hood calls “a room fit for a queen.”
While she loves experimenting with maximalism, Hood knows restraint matters, too.
“You have to space it out. You want your eye to rest,” she says. “We did a bold print on the ceiling and a bold print on the rug. The drapes were a tonal cheetah. The wall color lets your eye take a rest. Some solids allow you to appreciate the prints.”
But for all its color and drama, the room’s emotional resonance is what matters most.
“This is her hobby,” Hood says. “She wants to drink coffee and pop champagne in here.”
The homeowner also sees it as a place where her grandchildren can play dress-up and make memories amid all of her treasures.
“It’s maximalist, but it’s also happy,” Hood says. “It’s a five-senses space—you can experience all of them.”