"Out with the old and in with the new" is a common theme for many in the New Year. It's a time when people desire a fresh start and muster up the courage to make necessary changes. The same can be true when considering a refresh to the look of your home.
But according to Anne Golliher, owner of Storied Interiors, an overhaul is not always the right approach to give your space the refresh it needs. Sometimes, it's out with the new and in with the old.
"We’re not just wiping out old and bringing in new all the time. You can make spaces feel really good without tearing down a bunch of walls, stripping original details or buying all new things for that matter. I want to infuse that kind of culture here in Kansas City,” she said.
Golliher created her decorating business on the foundation of her two loves, interiors and history. She remembers touring historical homes as a girl and the warm, welcoming feeling the spaces gave her. After her former 1910 home in Minnesota was featured in Midwest Living Magazine, she realized how inspiration from the past could be instrumental in how she reimagined spaces. It did not take long for her to see that others wholeheartedly agreed.
“From there, it was word of mouth. People were calling me that I didn’t know,” she said. "I just love helping people realize that the changes might feel new, but it’s historical and personal.”
Bringing her designs to Kansas, she officially relaunched her business under the name Storied Interiors in October of 2022 and is excited to meet the needs of this community.
“Many people have things from their ancestors, a vase or piece of furniture from a great, great grandmother, for instance. Or it can be a decorative Christmas tree your mom bought in the 70s, and it just feels good to you because your mom bought it," she said. “People want to be connected to their past and the things they have, but they might not know how to display them in a way that feels honoring but not like a shrine."
One of her recent projects involved reimagining the use of a client's 19th-century family heirloom quilt by having it hung on the wall. Before, it was hidden away and stored in a box. Now, what was once forgotten has been given a new purpose. Pieces like these are what give Golliher the ability to create spaces that are individualized, while also cultivating an environment that feels fresh and new.
"People can live in a space for a long time, and it just feels tired," she said. "You take down the Christmas decorations and you’re like ‘Alright, time to put this chair back where it’s always been...on the floor marks in the carpet.' I want to help you look at your seemingly disconnected objects and find a way to make them interesting again.”
For Golliher, reawakening a space can be as simple as rearranging a layout, choosing new wallpaper or layering on different accessories. Using her own space as an example, she has found incredible joy in the personal touches that can dramatically transform a home.
“I love nature and collecting nests and rocks and interesting sticks. I have this mix of formal and natural elements, which I love.”
Golliher also emphasizes this time of year as an opportunity to be courageous, working in designs that are creatively stimulating to the eye.
"Doing that in a way that feels like we’re taking a bit of a risk. If your stomach is a little anxious about the decision, that’s the time to do it. Not everyone can do a gut remodel or a new build, but you can get little dopamine hits with small changes," she said. "I lived off the dopamine hit of this wallpaper for years.”
Throughout her years of working in interior decorating, Golliher has witnessed the power a thoughtful space can have on a person. She takes immense joy in seeing the settling feeling a home can bring to a client and ultimately wants them to be proud of the story their home can tell.
"I’ve had lots of conversations with clients almost in tears because they don’t want to have people over because they’re embarrassed by their space," she said. “I want people to be excited to have gatherings, to love their homes and want to be in their spaces...the energy that brings when they come home, drop their keys and hug loved ones...to feel a fresh start for January."
“A space doesn’t need to tell Crate & Barrel or Target's story, but YOUR story.”
