Good design rarely exists in a straight line. As interiors move away from whitewashed minimalism and toward richer, more expressive environments, we've found ourselves reflecting on projects that embraced individuality from the beginning. This Savannah residence—layered with color, family history, collected objects, and custom craftsmanship—feels just as relevant today as it did when it was first designed.
On a quiet Savannah street lined with historic facades and weathered stucco, the home reveals itself slowly. From the outside, the palette is restrained—sandstone tones, softened neutrals, and the kind of architectural grounding that allows the city’s history to speak for itself. But inside, the story shifts.
“There was always this idea of a punctuation mark,” says Joel. “The exterior remained earthy and quiet, and then color would greet you almost like a handshake as you entered the home.”
Designed for a client unafraid of exuberance—a man known for driving a lavender Porsche through Savannah’s historic streets—the residence became an exercise in layered personality, emotional storytelling, and the tension between old and new. Long before saturated interiors returned to the forefront of design conversation, the home embraced rich color, pattern play, and deeply personal collecting with unapologetic confidence.
A dripping crystal chandelier sourced from The Paris Market hangs dramatically overhead. Elsewhere, a vintage light fixture discovered during travels in Connecticut sits comfortably alongside custom millwork and modern interventions. Powder-coated cast iron urns from the 1800s line the parlor balcony in a striking curry yellow, their color echoed unexpectedly in a matching door knocker below.
Front room
Throughout the interiors, a blood-ox lacquer tone—somewhere between wine, aubergine, and oxblood—reappears in moments both subtle and theatrical. In the parlor, flame-inspired window treatments introduce movement and intensity. Layered textiles and saturated hues soften the historic architecture without diminishing its gravity.
But perhaps the home’s most compelling gestures are its most personal.
In the hallway, antique shoe molds inherited from the client’s grandfather are displayed like sculpture beside vintage fedora hats and archival shoemaker boxes. Objects once tucked away in closets became portals into family history. “We loved the idea of taking something utilitarian and allowing it to become part of the emotional narrative of the home,” says Joel.
Antique shoe molds and vintage fedora hats are seen in the hallway
That same sensibility carries into the custom details. A feather mural stretches across the foyer, painted in collaboration with a local artisan and later transformed into a bespoke wallpaper in a smaller repeat. In one bathroom, an asymmetrical vanity plays against a custom metal backsplash fitted with a slender vase intended to hold a single flower at all times. Bedrooms were tailored entirely to personality: one daughter’s room soft and sun-washed with Provençal florals, another vivid and outspoken with turquoise lacquer, zebra print, and painted white floorboards.
Feather mural in the foyer
Turquoise and zebra-printed bedroom
Looking back now, the project feels strikingly current in its philosophy.
As interiors move away from years of whitewashed minimalism and toward richer, more expressive spaces, projects like this offer an important reminder: individuality never truly goes out of style. The resurgence of color, layered textiles, collected objects, and emotionally resonant interiors feels less like a trend and more like a return.
“There’s a place for simplicity,” says Joel. “But people are craving homes that actually reflect who they are again.”
And perhaps that is what makes the residence feel enduring today. Not simply its color palette or craftsmanship, but its willingness to embrace character fully—to create a home that feels collected rather than decorated, expressive rather than restrained, and deeply personal in every room.
