Written by Natalie Aldridge.

With a timeless style that fuses Southern charm with a bold West Coast sensibility, Palmer Weiss has carved out a distinct niche in the world of interior design. Known for her vibrant use of color, her reverence for antiques, and her refusal to follow fleeting trends, Palmer brings a uniquely fresh take to traditional design. It’s no surprise. Interiors and architecture are in her blood. Raised in Charleston, South Carolina by an interior designer mother and a real estate developer father, she grew up touring job sites and playing in fabric sample closets. Today, her namesake firm, Palmer Weiss Interior Design, offers full-service interior architecture and furnishings for primary and vacation homes across the country.

Now based in San Francisco, Palmer draws inspiration from both coasts. Her Southern upbringing instilled in her an appreciation for heritage, formality, and a touch of eccentricity, while her decades in Northern California have lent her work an ease and modernity that feels quintessentially West Coast. A graduate of Brown University with a BA in History of Art and Architecture and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Palmer brings both creative vision and business acumen to every project. These are skills she honed during her early career in investment banking and retail merchandising.

A mother of two daughters and a Labrador, Palmer designs with real life in mind, creating homes that are not only beautiful but deeply livable. She also serves on the board of Spoleto Festival USA, one of the country’s premier performing arts festivals, held in her hometown of Charleston.

We are thrilled to feature Palmer today at The Glam Pad for a Style Profile Q&A. Welcome, Palmer!

Photography by Read McKendree , JBSA, and Francesco Lagnese

Q: When and how did you first become interested in interior design?

A: Well, that is a long story that might take up the entire length of this interview. While I grew up around design and real estate, I was not one of those kids that was rearranging my own room and dreaming of wallpaper. I was always interested in art and architecture but more as a sidebar, and I mistakenly believed I could not make a serious living in this world. It was not until I had tried every career from finance to technology to fashion that I finally decided to give it a go after my 30th birthday. To date, it is one of the very best decisions I have ever made.

Q: What is one design rule you always follow and one you love to break?

A: I don’t believe in monkeying around with classic proportions and scale. There is little that dates faster than a monstrous overstuffed sofa in a room. In terms of rules I break, I do not believe in any color laws. I actually signed up for a color theory course twice at the outset of my career and quit both times after the first class. I do not feel you can dictate or prescribe color rules, and often many unexpected colors work well and harmoniously together.

Q: How do you define your style?

A: My design style is centered around my belief that a home should feel as beautiful as it is livable. I love mixing bold patterns and unexpected colors with timeless furniture lines and classic elements to create spaces that feel fresh, but hopefully not trendy. Growing up in Charleston, I have a reverence for history and antiques, but my decades of living in California have led me to embrace light and airy spaces that avoid all pretense and always prioritize lifestyle.

Q: Where do you enjoy sourcing antiques and art?

A: Like many designers, I absolutely love “the hunt.” And while I obviously need to use technology and find many treasures on Chairish, 1st Dibs, Etsy, etc., there is absolutely no substitute for in person. My absolute favorite is showing up at flea markets at 5 am as the vendors are setting up, but I will settle for any local antiques collective or whatever random roadside joint catches my eye.

Q: Who or what has been the biggest influence on your design journey?

A: That is an easy question – my mom. I was lucky enough to grow up with a mother that basically oozes style from every pore. She was a designer most of my life, and even though I was not terribly interested in her work as a kid, I could not help but pick up so much just through osmosis. One of my favorite things about my mom is that for all of her glamour, she is incredibly down to earth and the way she lives and decorates reflects that. She laughs off imperfection and very much embraces the beauty of quirk and patina.

Q: Do you have a dream project or client?

A: Any client that is kind and excited about their project is ideal for me. Beyond that, I have a special penchant for mountain homes and am a sports fanatic, so I guess if Steph Curry wants a ski house, that would work?

Q: What are five everyday luxuries you could not live without?

A: Starbucks lattes, Tata Harper skin care, being my own boss, unlimited dance class pass at ODC, and Trudon Abd El Kader candle.

Q: What is your favorite design book?

A: British Designers at Home

Q: What advice do you have for women thinking of launching their own business?

A: Starting your own business takes a great deal of planning and preparation, but at the end of the day, it is a leap of faith you just have to take. I think a lot of people get stuck in “analysis paralysis” and think there is a perfect moment or condition in which to launch. There is not. I installed my first big project on my daughter’s due date. Luckily she was three days late, but even if she had not been, I would have figured it out. That is basically what interior design is after all—figuring crazy stuff out while looking poised and in control!

Q: What are you working on next that we can look forward to?

0A: I am currently working on a beautiful Pacific Heights home for longtime favorite clients, a ground-up build on the Peninsula with Andy Skurman, an adorable beach cottage on the New Jersey Shore, and a new home in Sun Valley, to name a few.

Thank you, Palmer, for joining us today! To learn more, please visit Palmer Weiss and follow @palmerweiss on Instagram for ongoing inspiration.

x Natalie