Maggie Griffin Design is a full service residential design studio based in Gainesville, Georgia known for modern Southern style with traditional sensibility. With a keen eye for detail, Maggie and her team design spaces that are freshly classic, and comfortable for everyday life. Their clientele spans across the Southeast featuring estate home new-builds to large renovations and beautiful interiors decorated with care.

Working with exceptional builders, skilled architects, proficient vendors, and talented tradesmen in the design community, Maggie Griffin Design creates homes designed to stand the test of time.

We are delighted to welcome Maggie to The Glam Pad today for a Style Profile Q&A and a peek inside her exquisite portfolio. Photography by Brian Bieder.

Welcome, Maggie!

Q:  Please tell us about your design firm, how you got started and what types of projects you manage?

A:  I get asked pretty often about when I got my start in design, and the answer is that I have been doing this my whole life! Growing up helping my mom, and my two grandmothers, it was so lovely to watch and see how they made their houses a “home.” My mom had a fancy Atlanta “decorator” who would make the two and a half hour drive south to spend time helping her place furniture, she would bring fabrics, and show me how to hang art. It was a wonderful introduction, and I love that I get to do that for so many wonderful clients now.

Q:  How do you define your style?

A:  My style is inherently very Southern. A warm, classic mix of old family pieces, colorful fabrics, and pretty prints. Nothing too precious but a great combination of old and new, with a love of entertaining and hospitality, always.

Q:  When did you first fall in love with beautiful homes and know you wanted to pursue design as a career?

A:  I have loved it my whole life! I had a playhouse in our yard growing up, and was constantly rearranging and setting up house. Same with my adored Barbie Dreamhouse and my beautiful Victorian dollhouse. By the time high school came around, I couldn’t wait to pursue this as a career.

Q:  What are some of the ways you go about making a house a home?

A:  Taking into consideration how a family operates; do they cook, do they order out mostly, do they have people over frequently, or are they homebodies? Really seeing how they live their life, and then infusing my inherent principles of symmetry, scale, and balance to create a space that reflects who they are.

Q:  What are the key ingredients of “Southern Style”?

A:  Pretty pieces that came from your grandmother, too many sets of china, and silver that’s been passed down. Comfy upholstery, pretty florals, a fair amount of buffalo check and gingham.

Q:  How do you design homes suited for entertaining, and personally, what are some of your favorite ways to entertain at home?

A:  I always think of flow. Where is the group entering from? How many do you need to fit around the table? Do we need a wet bar nearby? A coat closet at the front door? Really taking stock of how they like to entertain, and how many they’ll have over. When designing my personal home, I created spaces for large and small crowds to gather, indoors and out.

Q:  Where do you find inspiration?

A:  My favorite sources of inspiration are beautiful coffee table books, online home tours, monthly magazines, and travel.

Q:  If you could travel back in time, what period would you like to visit and why?

A:  I think I would’ve loved the Victorian era, when ornamentation was all the rage, both in homes and in fashion.

Q:  What are some of your favorite collaborations over the years, and do you have other exciting projects in the works? We love the one you did with Ballard Designs!

A:  It’s been so fun to be a part of the Ballard Designs family for so long! And to watch their business continue to grow. With the addition of my own product lines for Maggie Griffin At Home, it’s been such a labor of love.

Q:  When you aren’t busy designing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

A:  My family is everything to me! My nights home with my husband and our three boys are the best. I am happiest when I am with them, in my soft clothes, and we are cooking in the kitchen. I also spend a lot of time outdoors with them, and we enjoy being active as a family. Reading, doing flowers for my church, and volunteering at their school bring me joy, too.

Thank you, Maggie for joining us today! We love everything you do!

To learn more, please visit Maggie Griffin Design and follow @maggiegriffindesign on Instagram for ongoing inspiration. You can also click below to take a video tour of her cozy mountain retreat, located in Highlands, North Carolina built by architect Norman Askins…