Design Crush: Meggie H. Interiors
Instagram is such an amazing resource for networking and meeting like minded individuals, and lately I have been discovering some incredible talent. Over the next few weeks, I am going to feature some of my fabulous new Instagram friends, starting with Meg Hosler, founder of Meggie H. Interiors.
Meg lives in Wenham, Massachusetts, a tiny New England town north of Boston, in a beautiful home built in 1850. Her interest in decorating began at a very young age. As a child she was obsessed with Barbie… not the doll so much as her furniture. She had a huge box filled with Barbie furniture and would spend hours making Barbie houses. And as a teen, Meg was far more interested her mother’s Colonial Home magazines than Vogue or Seventeen. She founded Meggie H. Interiors in 2008 as a part time job after decorating five homes of her own and helping numerous friends with theirs. Eight years later, with her first born setting off to college and her baby about to get his driver’s license, Meg is able to pursue her passion full time.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My style is traditional with a bit of the unexpected. I love using family heirlooms, colonial furnishings, classic cabinetry, things that won’t be out of style in the next 10 years. However, I love to dress them up in bold prints and big colors. Designing a home is expensive and should be looked at as an investment. I like to keep the permanent things classic because they are the most costly, such as cabinets, counters, mantles. But then I will go bananas with paint and wall coverings, as they are easy and much more affordable to change. Same goes for furnishings, I prefer to purchase quality classic pieces, but have fun with upholstery.
When I decided to redecorate the living room in my home I had to be careful not to make it look too feminine because I wanted my husband to feel comfortable with the overall look. I knew I was going to go pink, so to achieve this I went salmon based pinks rather than rose. I also didn’t want the room to feel too formal, which is challenging due to the furnishings, therefore I went with something more fun and less serious for curtains, Thibaut’s Fish bowl was perfect. The camel back sofa and French love seat are upholstered in Brunschwig & Fils. The cocktail table I found online from Circa Who in Palm Beach. I had my painter lacquer it in Autumn Red by Benjamin Moore.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: Everything! It may be a swatch of fabric or paint color that inspires me to redecorate an entire room. A random towel that I see at the beach on the sand may give me a new idea on what to do with a family room. Illustrations in Beatrix Potter and Kate Greenaway children’s books have inspired many dining rooms for me. Sometimes it is seeing a space desperate for a makeover that gets my imagination working. Living in New England, visits to Bermuda and Florida, my Nana’s old house in Long Island – all inspirational. Really, it is everything and anything!
Q: Who are your favorite decorators?
A: Dan Carithers, Bunny Williams, Joseph Paul Davis, Anthony Baratta and William Diamond, Mary McDonald, John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon, and Miles Redd. There is so much talent and every decorator has their own view. That is what makes it all so interesting.
Q: What is your design background?
A: My background in design is predominately from renovating and decorating my own homes over the last 25 years. I will say that I learned the most from my mistakes. The biggest mistake being playing it safe. Now I believe do what you love, never settle, and if it doesn’t work change it.
I really wanted to go dramatic with the dining room. It is only used in the evening so I wasn’t concerned with it looking too dark. The wall coverings are David Hick’s The Vase by Clarence House and the paint is Benjamin Moore’s Bold Blue. The chairs were an incredible find. I bought them used and in rough shape for close to nothing and had them, re-glued, painted, and upholstered in Schumacher’s Chiang Mai Dragon. The table was custom made for me in England. The chandelier was a birthday gift from my husband. He found it on eBay and had our friend, Robin Sears, custom paint it.
An example of traditional mixed with the unexpected can be found in the library. I had my cabinetmaker put in classic raised paneling, Shaker cabinetry, and divided light pained glass windows, but then I painted the whole room in a high gloss coral. The sofa is a classic chesterfield, it just happens to be in a deep yellow leather rather than brown. My love seat is upholstered in an ocelot and the coffee table is a brass tray that my mother brought back from Iran when she was a flight attendant for Pan Am back in the 1960’s.
This room was really just a boring old box of a space. We have a wrap around porch which results in this room receiving very little sunlight. The only way to make a dark room light is with lamps, not paint. However, you can make it feel warm and that is why I had the entire space painted coral. Our cabinet maker put in the custom bookcases and raised paneling. I am unable to have a real fireplace in the room , so I went with gas. The raised paneling and delft tiles create the illusion that the fireplace is as old as the house. The chesterfield sofa is from Anthropologie and the curtains are Thibaut.
The dressing room was formerly a very teeny tiny bedroom and because I had a very teeny tiny closet, I decided to make the bedroom into a dressing room and closet. I really wanted leopard wall to wall for my flooring, but I was afraid that I may become bored with it over time. My love for Oriental rugs is enormous, so I had Landry and Arcari Rugs and Carpeting cut out a portion of the leopard carpet and sew the Oriental into it. Years later, I still love it every time I walk into the room.
The painting is by a dear friend I lost to cancer last year. I bought it from her before she passed for my daughter, who is an avid equestrian and polo player. We feel so fortunate to have this wonderful memory and I am looking forward to the day my daughter has a home of her home and can display it with love.
Isn’t Meg amazing?! I just love her fresh, whimsical, and inviting approach to traditional decor. She is such an inspiration! To learn more about Meg Hosler, please visit Meggie H. Interiors and follow her on Pinterest and Instagram. Thank you, Meg, for welcoming us into your fabulous home!
A Dallas Home Tour with J Wilson Fuqua & Associates
Today I am taking you to my home state of Texas… but first, congratulations to Gayle K., the winner of the Carleton Varney dinnerware giveaway from Frongate! I am completely obsessed with every single piece in this incredible collection, exclusive to Frontgate, and loaded with trellis, chintz, and Chinoiserie charm.
We are heading back to Dallas for our son’s Christening in a few weeks, and pouring through the exquisite work of Dallas-based J Wilson Fuqua & Associates (also loaded with trellis, chintz, and Chinoiserie charm!) is making me even more excited about our upcoming visit. For Wilson Fuqua, the early 20th century homes of Highland Park, University Park, and Preston Hollow have been the source and the inspiration of his work. Let’s a look inside one of my favorites!
Absolute perfection. I could move right in! Click here to see more of this beautiful home, located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Dallas. And here are a few more of my favorite highlights from this amazing architectural firm…
Interior Design: Gloria Nicoud
Interior Design: Gloria Nicoud
Interior Design: Gloria Nicoud
Elegant, traditional design never goes out of style, and these homes have been restored and designed to last a lifetime. To see additional work from the portfolio of J Wilson Fuqua & Associates, please click here. And congratulations again to Gayle for winning the Carleton Varney for Frontgate dinnerware!
Herend Bunnies for Easter
Today, I am thrilled to announce the winner of Holly Holden’s amazing book, The Pretty and Proper Living Room. But first, with Easter this Sunday and inspired by Holly, I decided to dedicate today’s post to Herend bunnies. I have collected Herend’s whimsical hand-painted figurines for many years, including elephants, mice, and birds in various sizes and colors. But the bunnies have always been my favorite, especially this time of year. Here are a few darling examples…
The blue fishnet collection of marshamason2 via Instagram
The chocolate bunny collection of bunnybowles via Instagram
Do you collect Herend figurines? And if so, do you collect one particular color or type, or do you like to mix and match? I would love to see your collections… Please tag me on Instagram! Above are a few of my favorite bunnies, that would make an “eggcelent” addition to any chic Easter basket.
And finally, congratulations to Heather, the winner of The Pretty and Proper Living Room giveaway! An email has been sent regarding next steps. Thank you to everyone who entered! The Pretty and Proper Living Room is available for purchase through prettyandproper.com and Amazon.
