The Decorating Lessons Mom Taught Me Were Better Than Design School
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Our relationship to our mothers might change as we grow up and mom morphs from our caretaker into a confidant, cheerleader, and close friend. But moms never stop being our lifelong teachers. Whether we are taking our first steps or mastering the fine art of adulting, the special women in our lives are always there to share their unconditional support and wise know-how. (After all, mother does know best.) Of course, a mother's guiding hand doesn't just stop at doing your taxes or making a mouth-watering roast chicken. Turns out, they can have a lot of impact on our decorating tactics, too.
In honor of Mother's Day, we asked industry stalwarts and up-and-coming designers to share the best decorating lessons they learned from their mothers. From big life lessons like where to find inspiration and how to unapologetically embrace your own unique style, to specific techniques such as how to finish a room with small touches like flowers, these tips passed on from mom live on in the designers professionals' projects. It just goes to show you that no matter how old we get, a mother's influence lasts a lifetime.
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Strategically Set Your Table
Hosting a dinner party? Designer Maggie Dillon is a big proponent of mapping out her tablescapes; in fact, it's a practice she inherited from her mom. "Set it days in advance and walk past it, noticing changes to make or things to tweak," advises the Raleigh-based. designer. "Plan which vessels will hold which dish, leave room for fresh flowers to be plopped in day of, and have fun mixing and matching linens, silver and china."
Say it With Flowers
If there's one thing Stephanie Perez's mother taught her, it's that no room is complete with out fresh flowers. In her mom's home, "you'll always see her favorite orchids—my dad gets her one for almost every occasion—plus small bud vases in guest rooms, large citrus and house plants, and fresh flowers on every tabletop," explains the designer, who resides in Westchester, New York. It's a simple design trick—one Perez said her mom inherited from her mother—but it's an attainable way to celebrate everyday elegance.
"She came from humble beginnings growing up on a farm in Colombia surrounded by sprawling, lush mountains and colorful countryside homes," Perez says of her mom. "Her idea of a well-decorated room is fueled by nature and how we can bring the outdoors in to create a serene and beautiful environment."
Want to treat the special woman in your life to a fresh bouquet? Here are some Mother's Day-ready options to shop now.
Serve Up Some Eye Candy
For tabletop inspiration beyond flowers, take a cue from the mom of Radhika Vydianatha of Kalaa Chakra Interiors. "She loves flowers in vases, a large wooden bowl with fresh fruits set on the dining table, a china cabinet with beautiful china she bought from Kashmir, India, and other cities during her travels," the designer explains. "Overall keeping it simple and organized, carefully stylized, layered with color and texture." The result? "Bold and sweet —like her!"
Home is Where the Heart Is
A home is a lot more than a blank canvas to display the coolest furniture or trends. It's your happy place, so why not create an environment that feels warm and welcoming? That's exactly what Chrissy Jones of Twenty Eighth Design learned from her mom.
"[Her] approach to home decor was rooted in creating a space where everyone felt welcome," the designer shares. "Warm colors and her collection of personal items made our house feel like a place of togetherness. It's a philosophy that has deeply influenced my work as a designer. When I create spaces for my clients, I aim to bring that same sense of comfort and belonging."
Be Open to Inspiration
As a designer, author of The Space That Keeps You, and the latest addition to the Queer Eye cast, Jeremiah Brent's eye for inspiration knows no bounds. But, as Brent reveals to House Beautiful, he gets a lot of the design drive from his mom. "Growing up, my mother taught us the art of finding beauty anywhere and everywhere," he explains. "'What do you see right now that's beautiful?' she'd ask – whether we were driving to the grocery store or sitting on the couch at home. She taught me to find the potential in any space and to value the story of something more than its appearance. It’s something I’ve carried with me and taught my own children."
Play Artistic Tricks
Celerie Kemble now works alongside her mom Mimi McMakin as a partner and principal designer of Kemble Interiors, but she says her parent has been a long-standing source of decorating inspiration. "I learned imagination and artistic skill can make anything happen and I'm not at all afraid of all the more tragic tropes of the craft," she shares.
For a "wow" moment that double as an optical illusion, Kemble says her mom perfected the use of trompe-l'oeil, highly realistic, dimensional art on a flat surface that, as the name says in French, fools the eye. "She works with highly skilled artisans to create design elements that are beautiful and witty while often solving for problems that 'IRL' architecture and objects can’t rectify," Kemble explains. "Boring flat cabinets become a seemingly a three-dimension tableaux of what one might wish were inside, curved staircase walls are dressed with one-dimensional medieval framed artworks that people have to touch to realize are not real."
Buy What You Love
It's no secret that Taylor Mattos gets her design savvy from her mama, Cindy Rinfret. After working for renowned design firms and brands, Mattos joined her mom's eponymous design firm, Rinfret Ltd., in 2020. When asked about the biggest takeaway she learned from her mom, Mattos's response was simple: Buy what you love. "Instead of focusing on a certain brand name or trendy artist, if you focus on the subject matter or the feeling of the piece, you’ll be happy with the purchase every time you look at it," Matt's explains. "This is how you create the collection of your life."
Opt for Antiques
We love viral products and brand-new items as much as the next person, but designer David Frazier champions pieces with a story. Fittingly, he inherited his passion for antiques from his mother. "We have spent a lot of time sourcing antiques, art, and things for my parents houses and it is some of my fondest memories spent together," he says. "This translates to my design in that almost all of the work we do incorporates antiques or personal effects that have historical value."
Focus on Final Touches
The saying goes the devil lies in the details—and that's true of the angel, too! Just ask Meg Lonergran's mom. According to the Houston-based designer, those tiny touches matter most in the bathroom. "My mother always used embroidered, linen hand towels in the powder room," Longergran explains. "She still insists that all of her grandchildren—even the toddlers—dry their hands with embroidered towels at her house." After all, embroidered hand towels are the perfect mix of pretty and practical—that's so mom.
Add Art
Growing up, Jerel Lake's mother always filled their home with art: Hawaiian photography, colorful paintings, sculptures—you name it, she probably had it. Now, as an interior designer, Lake always incorporates art into his spaces. "Anytime my siblings or I moved into a new place, our first stop was always to go purchase a few pieces of art to make the space feel like a home," he explains. "Having been surrounded by art all my life continues to influence me in my work and at home."
Go With Your Gut
Perhaps the best design lesson a mother could impart on their child is to follow the beat of their own drum. "From the start my mom encouraged me to enjoy the things you love in your home no matter what anyone else thinks of your design decisions," says Ashley Ross of Muse Noire Interiors. "[She] taught me to love what I love regardless of the naysayers!"
The North Carolina-based designer says the three-bedroom townhome she was raised in was the perfect example of that "you do you" mentality. Each space, she explains, had a monochromatic moment—often with matching floors: The dining room was aquamarine, the living area was "Pepto-Bismol" pink, and the kitchen was "Big Bird" yellow. As Ross jokes, "I often wonder how monochromatic mommy managed to pull this off."
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