Stephanie Andrews Posts

The Experience of a Lifetime: Cashiers Showhouse 2018

Aug 03, 2018 No Comments

By: Stephanie Andrews

As you know, we were selected to design the dining room for the Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles annual Cashiers showhouse. At first we thought, “There’s no way we can pull this off in such a short timeframe!” This was completely new territory for us, and to be honest we were nervous about how we could transform this room in less than six weeks!

With not a moment to lose, the Shelby Adamson/Stephanie Andrews dream team headed up this massive project and discussed (with vigor) the use of the room, aesthetic inspiration, and ultimately the stylistic direction. Both were instantly inspired by the tile serpent on the floor that the homeowner had taken over a year to lay by hand herself. We chose Farrow & Ball Studio Green for the walls as the base of the dramatic atmosphere that only a dining room of this caliber can manage with ease. We also wanted to celebrate the beautiful acreage surrounding the home, so we set to finding the perfect set of trees to make an impact in the room (with 15 foot ceilings, this was no simple task).

We sought the help of incredibly talented artist and designer Steve McKenzie to create a massive, dramatic painting for the main wall. This giant triptych measured nine feet tall by six feet wide, and we could not have been more thrilled to work with Steve on it. And the result? We think it speaks for itself.

So what did we learn from this entire experience?
1. Sometimes you just gotta do something risky and outside your comfort zone — it’ll work out!
2. The other designers in the showhouse were not only extremely talented, they were also a lot of fun and super supportive.
3. Our favorite vendors really went out of their way to help us, graciously providing the furnishings to make our room sparkle. We cannot thank you enough! (Special shoutout to Steve McKenzie, Verde Home, Direct Furniture, and Trinity Mercantile.)
4. The Balance Design team cleans up beautifully at a black tie gala!

The entire home is awe inspiring, so if you want to get away from the heat, head to the cool mountain paradise of Cashiers, NC. Tickets are available through the Cashiers Historical Society website (https://www.cashiershistoricalsociety.org/showhouse) but hurry! This is the last weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving from Design Pulp!

Nov 22, 2017 No Comments

By: Stephanie Andrews

Photo courtesy of Annie Spratt.

We want to take this time to say a whole-hearted THANK YOU! To our friends, family, clients, and readers — we truly appreciate the support you give us year round. We share our love and gratitude with you and yours this Thanksgiving.

Sophisticated Style: The Sitting Room

Oct 23, 2017 No Comments

By: Stephanie Andrews

The interior designer/client relationship is a very special one, and we absolutely fell in love when these recent empty nesters approached us about redesigning their home. Their inspiration included pictures from the New York Times style section, their personal art collection, photos from their travels, and a cherished turn of the century family quilt.

Photo courtesy of Christina Wedge for Balance Design.

This couple wanted a home that reflected their personalities and sense of humor in a beautiful and comfortable way. Our favorite space to design was this front room, featuring the framed family quilt over a show stopping emerald velvet sofa. We revamped the fireplace, found this awesome mid century chair, and pulled it all together with the perfect wool/silk rug. The cherry on top? Beautiful brass accents.

Love is Love: Atlanta Pride Festival Celebration!

Oct 06, 2017 No Comments

By: Stephanie Andrews

Next weekend is the 47th annual Atlanta Pride Festival in Piedmont Park. We think this calls for a celebration! What better way for us to show our love and support of the LGBTQ community than a colorful, festive declaration in our studio windows?

Photo courtesy of Danielle Clockel for Balance Design.

The inspiration for this display came from a conversation with my close friend (and talented artist) Rusty Walton. Furthermore, my daughter educated me on the multiple definitions of flamboyance.

We hearitly embrace the vision of Atlanta Pride: a world where persons of widely diverse gender and sexual identities are united, visible, and equal.

Love is love. Enough said.

The Calm After the Storm

Sep 13, 2017 1 Comment

By: Stephanie Andrews

We’re in the midst of a pretty emotional few weeks, with the 16th anniversary of 9/11 (which always brings up raw, intense emotions) and natural disasters barraging us and our neighbors. We’ve seen the devastation in Houston, and now our friends in Florida (and even here in Georgia) are facing a new hurricane aftermath. With the earthquake in Mexico and massive flooding in southeast Asia, the overwhelming amount of destruction in our global community is daunting.

How do we cope? How can we process these feelings of helplessness? At a time when it seems impossible to be positive and keep our heads, it’s more important than ever to work together as families, friends, and neighbors. Remember we are all part of communities — local, national, and global — and reflect on the life we’re living and the one we aspire to. Regardless of our differences, every one of us has love and compassion to give, and that is how we’ll get through these hard times: together.

This is my heartfelt thank you to our team, friends, families, and neighbors. We are all here for each other, and that is truly meaningful. That is a blessing.

Photo courtesy of Pexels.