I love stumbling upon new designers, bloggers, & artisans with inspiring aesthetics. Usually I discover these tastemakers via Pinterest or Instagram but on other happy occasions it’s when they are incorporating our décor into their own home or a client's. Often these designers share my love of color and pattern & I become mildly obsessed with them, including
Anna Matthews, who I’m chatting with today while we tour her Summer House project.
From looking at the beautiful range of your portfolio, it’s quite evident that you design with your client’s needs & aesthetics top of mind.
How do you ensure their personalities are reflected in the spaces?
I always want the spaces I design to reflect my client, not me. I want their friends to walk in and say “ Oh this is so you!”. I find that each client is drawn to a certain style and it’s my job to figure out how to deliver that vibe while educating and expanding their aesthetic view. I really try to get to know each client and learn where they are from, what they do for a living, how they entertain, what their everyday routines are. A home full of kiddos jumping on the sofa is approached much differently than a condo for a bachelor!
When clients trust that I will represent them, and are ready to go all in, even with a few risks, they really get the best results.
How has having grown up in the South affected your design style?
Growing up in the south with multiple parents with amazing taste taught me the value of antiques, editing, investing in the best, and the importance of entertaining well. I really believe that what you surround yourself with affects your life. Creating a great space to spend time with friends and family enhances every moment. You should eat breakfast in a space that makes you happy, host dinner parties in a room that inspires fun, and sleep in a room that is rejuvenating!
You clearly enjoy incorporating some bold colors into your designs – blush pink walls, vivid turquoise drapes, to name a few. How do you convince the hesitant client to trust your vision for such happy hues?
I love pattern, especially in wallpapers in smaller spaces, but my boldest color spaces have actually come to life thanks to a few clients that requested the risk! No convincing required! The pink living room I designed for one of my favorite clients was pink because the homeowner fell in love with Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground and had a grey velvet sofa to anchor the space. So we let the walls, and the commissioned art by Jenny Prinn, be the showstoppers and layered lots of grey throughout the room. The tassel lamps were originally vetoed by my client but I had to bring them in during installation. I mean, they are tassel lamps! And thankfully she loved them! It always pays off to take a little leap of faith.
What interior designers do you admire & why?
Ohh there are so many. Tom Scheerer, Markham Roberts, Ashley Whittaker, Steven Gambrel. I love designers that mix traditional with modern in a way that feels warm. And designers that take risks that inspire new ideas: Miles Redd, Barrie Benson, Carrier & Co.
And of course, my stepmom Jane Schwab who does timeless design to perfection.
clearly a killer knack for designing runs in the family! design by Jane Schwab
For more of Anna's inspiring interiors, head over to her site,
& you can catch some sneak peeks of her designing on her blog, Instagram, & via Pinterest!
