This Designer Turned a Traditional Southern House into a Colorful, Playful Home for Her Family
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When Hannah Ozburn and her husband Marc moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, the South Carolina natives felt like they were coming home. Ready to relocate from their home in Nashville and head back to their Carolina roots, the designer and her husband decided that "Charlotte seemed like a good fit for our growing family." They settled on a stunning circa-1938 Georgian home chock full of character and traditional architectural details to boot. "I wanted an older home in a younger neighborhood, and I loved the charm of the house with its pretty dentil molding, fireplace details, and old wooden floors," Ozburn says. "My aesthetic leans fairly traditional, but I definitely have a whimsical flair and love to mix a lot of colors and patterns."
Having worked with designer Steven Gambrel previously, Ozburn is admittedly smitten with color and loves to incorporate it throughout not only her clients' homes, but her own. She injected the old home home with bold colors and playful patterns, layering textured wallcoverings and fabrics to bring interest to each space. "Our house is very well lived and loved, and nothing is too precious or off limits, as we really use every inch of the space," she says. "It's also a reflection of things we've collected and love, whether souvenirs from travel, antique store finds, art from friend's galleries, or drawing and art projects from the kids."
While her vision is complete, the designer is constantly tweaking her home's design, as the family's children (three under the age of eight!) grow and Ozburn’s style and tastes evolve. "I wanted the house to be filled with a lot of light and color, and be a happy home for our family," says Ozburn, a mission she continues to achieve.
Writing Nook
"I love this little corner of the living room, and the paper mache flower is one of my favorite accessories," says Ozburn. "I don't have a green thumb, so this is perfect for me!"
Chair: Mrs. Howard & Max & Co. Lamp: Christopher Spitzmiller. Art: Hidell Brooks Gallery. Rug: Prestige Mills.
Den
Ozburn traces the bold color choices in her den back to her years working with Steven Gambrel. "Steven is definitely a master with color, so I was absolutely influenced by my time with him, although my style is much more feminine than his," she says. "I love the Bunny Williams fabric on the window treatments. Those were actually curtains in our home in Nashville, so I had them remade into Roman shades. This was definitely a way to cut costs."
Couch: Charles Stewart. Coffee table: vintage, Darnell & Company. Roman shade fabric: Bunny Williams. Rug: Missoni.
Dining Room
Ozburn initially wanted to change the Bob Collins & Sons wallpaper that was in the dining room, but her artwork complemented it so well, she opted to keep it. "The piece [by artist Susan Altman] was a gift from a dear friend and client after I decorated their first home in Charleston," says Ozburn. "It's one of my favorite pieces that has been moved around the house many times."
Chandelier: Circa. Dining chairs: Jonathan Adler. Wallpaper: Bob Collins & Sons. Consoles: Arteriors. Lamp: vintage, Darnell & Company. Art: Meyer Vogl Gallery.
Youngest Daughter's Room
Knowing her youngest, Ella, would be her last child, Ozburn held nothing back in decorating a dreamy kid's room. "I wanted to make it extra special!" she says. The goal: give the room a cozy, cocoon-like feel, which she did with the addition of the Lulie Wallace wallpaper and scalloped Roman shades. The chair was used in all three of her children's nurseries and was reupholstered in a Temple Studio fabric.
Wallpaper: Lulie Wallace. Roman shade fabric: Lulie Wallace. Chair fabric: Temple Studio. Chandelier: Old World Designs. Bedding (coverlet and sham): Jenny Johnson Allen Custom Linens. Needlepoint pillow: Hunt & Hope. Art: Shain Gallery.
Son's Room
Ozburn loved the hot air balloon fabric from her son Fitz's bedroom in Nashville so much that she reused it in his bedroom in their Charlotte home. "I love that fabric and the coziness of his wall-to-wall 'Freckle Face' Prestige Mills carpet, too."
Chair: Charles Stewart. Chair fabric: Sister Parish. Art: Hidell Brooks Gallery. Carpet: Prestige Mills.
Older Daughter's Room
"I love Louisa's room because it is so her," says Ozburn of oldest daughter bedroom. "She is spunky and colorful, as is her space. The Splatter wallpaper by Peter Fasano was a return I bought from a client, and it's so happy in her room."
Wallpaper: Peter Fasano. Art: Darnell & Company. Bedding: D. Porthault. Side tables: vintage, Darnell & Company. Lamps: kate spade and Circa. Bed: Coley Home.
Primary Bedroom
Despite the primary bedroom being "teeny tiny," says Ozburn, the family of five loves the coziness of the space. "We all like to lounge in bed—as long as our three year old will last!—on lazy Saturday mornings, so it's a much better fit for us."
Bed: Custom by Creative Designs. Bedding: D. Porthault. Art: Meyer Vogl Gallery. Draperies: Ferrick Mason from Temple Studio. Lamp and shade: Bunny Williams Home. Bench: Slate Interiors.
Kitchen
The original kitchen was "much darker and drab" before the couple renovated the space to make it whiter and brighter, says Ozburn. "We spend a lot of time here, and it's a much more welcoming space with the updates we've made."
Roman shade: Ottoline. Chandelier: Stray Dog Designs. Counter stools: Palecek from Darnell & Company. Ice Bucket used as vase: R. Runberg Curiosities.
Q & A
House Beautiful: What was the home like before?
Hannah Ozburn: It was a little darker with much more neutral and traditional furnishings and textiles, while I have incorporated a lot more light and color. I am constantly updating and incorporating new things, as I get bored easily. Most importantly, the house is filled with things I have collected and cherish.
HB: Where did the majority of the budget go?
HO: Furniture! And art. We literally are out of wall space for art, but it is something I love to collect.
HB: How did you save money/DIY/get crafty?
HO: I tried to cover a chair seat in my dining room with a staple gun using an old Pierre Frey remnant, and it has not held up well, at all!
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