Southern Style

I am a Southern girl through and through.  While being in Cayman I have tried to stop saying "y'all" and have started saying "you all" but it is so much easier to join it together.   People are always asking where I am from because they can't quite make out my accent.  Steven and I consistently discuss things we miss about the South.  We plan on moving back in a year or two.  You just can't beat warm Southern hospitality.


As I have already discussed Cayman style, I think it is important that I discuss Southern style as that is what I try to blend together in my designs.    


The wonderful Celerie Kemble said "Southern style means friendly, comfortable, approachable interiors.  In the South, it's all about being welcome."


Here are a few things that come to my mind about Southern style that I think represent what Celerie says.  They are in no particular order.




1. Plantation Home

Twelve Oaks

When I think about the South I think of Gone with the Wind and "Tara."  This is allegedly the home they modeled Tara after in the movie.  I love driving through the country and seeing these big beautiful wooden homes dotted along the road with their beautiful oak tree lined driveways.  The beautiful columns and shutters framing the windows.  I would love to live in an old home with all the beautiful moldings, fireplaces, grand staircases, and mysterious attics.  However, I would not like to live with the electrical bills in the winter or Southern summers.




2. Big porches with a swing

Perfect for thunderstorm watching. (Source)

3. An amazingly sunny sunroom.

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I can't think of a house on my street growing up that did not have a sunroom.  They are a perfect room to curl up with a good book or have a lunch when it is just a bit too chilly to sit outside.  Everyone likes to bask in the sun like a cat right?

4. Wicker furniture

I know some people cringe at the idea of it.  They think of their Granny's wicker furniture from 1972.  But, wicker furniture has the ability to fit into any style.  It's the element of texture and natural that completes a space.  If a room feels a bit too cold, place either a rattan, seagrass, wicker, or my favorite-something caned to warm it up.  Don't forget, it can be painted for whimsy.  

Sisal rug and raffia bed. (source)

Wicker and a porch oh my! (source)

Love a good window seat mixed with painted wicker chairs (source)

Color, caning, and a cute ticking. (source)

5. Beautiful yards filled with flowers.

When I picture the late 60s neighborhood where I grew up, I always imagine it in the Spring.  The azaleas are in full bloom, the daffodils are out, the dogwoods are blooming, and I am playing in the creek.  

These beautiful images from Southern Living show exactly that- wonderful yards from the South.  The old Live Oak with Spanish moss takes me back to Charleston... sigh. (These yards prove exactly why you need a porch swing to view the beauty!)

6. Curtains

I'm not sure where our love affair with curtains began.  We all remember the scene in Gone with the Wind.  I prefer Carol Burnett's interpretation.

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Curtains are a necessary element in my book.  They add just the right touch of softness to a room.  They are also a great way to add a whimsical pattern because most of the time they are pushed back so you can't read a big bold pattern, but add just the right amount of color.  

Typically I like to use panels solo, but sometimes the room calls for a valance.  Roman shades can be the perfect solution for those windows that you don't want too fussy.  With fabrics, you can be creative with the style. Don't forget, trims and tapes are also fun to play around with. 

Phoebe Howard creates perfectly precise rooms every single time.  She does not allow her clients to not have curtains.  She states that not having curtains is "like a face without eyebrows, something is missing."  Well said Mrs. Howard.   

Below are examples of Mrs. Howard's myriad of curtain styles.  You can read her article on her blog here. 

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7. Patterns- specifically toile and florals

It is rare in the South to find a home void of pattern.  We are not much for neutrals.  Just open up a Southern Living magazine from 1992 and patterns will blow up in your face.  

I think it is because a toile print or a floral is timeless.  They do not go out of style, perhaps the color will (mauve) but the pattern stands the test of time.  

Eddie Ross used a variety of patterns (source)

Fabric repeated on headboard, shams, and trim on drapes. (source)

Modern use of toile in neutral with pops of Tiffany blue. (source)

This house is in NY, but it shows a modern toile print in teal! (source)

8. Antiques


You can always find antiques in a Southern home.  Generally, they have been passed down through the family.  When you have an antique or two in a room, it adds that sense of timelessness.  A great room has an antique or two, a trendy item or two, a pattern- two or three, natural element, and curtains!

This room gets a little trendy but a wonderful mix of color, pattern, and antiques.  (source)

Antiques don't have to make a room feel stuffy!  (source)

 Love the elegance of this room, but still mixing old and new. (source)

While I am currently a designer in the Cayman Islands, I am trying to capture the feeling that Southern style emulates, all of course with my Southern hospitality!