The 2016 Southern Living Idea House: Meet Interior Designer, Amy Berry.
Over the past few months we have introduced you to several members of the extraordinary team chosen to create the 2016 Southern Living Idea House at Mt Laurel. Leading up to the grand opening of the house, we featured interviews with the architect, builder, landscape architect, and the one of the 5 interior designers that transformed the interior of the house. This month we continue that series, introducing you to 2 more designers.
This week you’ll meet Amy Berry—a Dallas-based designer known for blending modern and European styles to create sophisticated and unique interiors for her clients. In our interview with her, Amy told us a little bit about her personal style and experience transforming the upstairs bedroom, bathroom, and pajama lounge in the 2016 Southern Living Idea House.
ML: Tell us a little about your signature style?
AB: Traditional, with some modern elements. I always aim to create timeless, comfortable, and happy spaces that reflect the people who live in them!
ML: Where do you find inspiration for your interiors?
AB: Travel and fabrics are key elements of inspiration for me. I am also always reading—another starting point for a lot of my team’s interiors.
ML: What does Southern Living mean to you?
AB: Timeless, classic style. Really, I associate Southern Living with a lifestyle. When I think of Southern Living, I envision beautiful porches and good company.
ML: What has it been like to work with Southern Living on this project?
AB: Wonderful! I was blown away by the support of the entire Southern Living team. It was a huge honor to be included at the Idea House project and we could not have done it without their help.
ML: What era of Southern Living’s history were you given to inspire your room?*
AB: A little of the 70’s. Our archival photo was a room draped in gingham with some floral prints on a sofa seat. If you look at our bedroom, it’s not a far cry from that. We incorporated floral and gingham in a fresh way, while wrapping both rooms in paper and fabric to make things cozier.
ML: What else inspired you when designing your room?
AB: Fabrics and color were a huge part of the room designs. For the pajama lounge, we worked closely with Carleton V to redefine an archival wallpaper, which we then blew up and used everywhere. The tete-a-tete is a nod to Madeleine Castaing, as is the pattern on pattern. I love all the little details you get with trim and fabrics, and the pajama lounge really shows all of that off I think!
ML: Did the Mt Laurel community influence your design?
AB: It absolutely did! It is the most charming little town. Visiting Mt Laurel helped us shape our rooms to what a family would look for here.
ML: What should people be most excited about when they visit The House?
AB: There’s so much to see! I love what Bill Ingram did with the doors and kitchen. And Mark Sikes’ living room is everything. There are so many beautiful details, if you look closely!
ML: Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers about the Idea House?
AB: I think the house really speaks for itself. It’s so clearly a project full of love. I think it fits well with the community of Mt Laurel, but really speaks to Southern style in a fresh way.
If you haven’t already, start planning your trip to the 2016 Southern Living Idea House, so that you can see Amy’s beautiful work in person. The Idea House is now open to the public, and you can find all the details—from hours of operation to ticket price—here.
*In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Magazine, each of the designers was assigned a room in the house and given pages from past issues to inspire their designs.
