BRIGHTENED & BEAUTIFUL

STORY BY TERRI GLAZER | DESIGN BY ANN PRINCE INTERIORS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROSS GROUP CREATIVE & ANNABELLA CHARLES

When she got the go-ahead from her client to bring color into a formerly all-white entry and den, designer Ann Prince was thrilled. “I love color so much. It makes my heart sing," says Prince, founder and lead designer of Memphis-based Ann Prince Interiors.

The transformation started with the home’s front door. Prince chose Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue to brighten its look and set the tone for the palette just inside.

Right through the newly blue door is a generous entry area—so generous, in fact, that the family’s daughter uses it to practice her cartwheels. Its open space and slightly unconventional alternative use left the homeowner a bit perplexed over what to do with it. “It was like something was missing. The space felt blank, not warm,” she recalls.

Prince

cozied up the foyer by installing wallpaper. The subtle pattern in neutral shades makes a big impact, adding a layer of texture. “Wallpaper is amazing. It’s instant gratification. The day it went up the room felt immediately different and much more interesting,” she says.

In a small side niche the designer placed an antique French Empire-style chest of drawers. A custom antiqued mirror created locally by Garner Framing hangs above it, providing the perfect old/new blend.

To fill the foyer’s open space without permanently blocking the practice gym, Prince came up with a solution that’s as pretty as it is practical. A perfectly-proportioned hexagonal table, covered with a crisp, tailored skirt in cheerful blue and green hues anchors the area. When it’s time for a workout, the young gymnast can easily roll the table out of her way thanks to casters on the legs. Another bonus of the piece is that it can serve as an extra dining table when the homeowners host a crowd of friends and family.

Just off the reimagined entry is the den where the family spends time together. One of the homeowners’ main objectives for the renovation was to provide more seating in the room so they could entertain larger groups. “The room was underfurnished,” says Prince, “so we maximized that.” There’s no shortage of spots to sit now, with a pair of handsome blue sofas, two upholstered poufs in front of the fireplace and a couple of armchairs that can swivel to face the adjoining kitchen—the room where guests inevitably gather.

client’s other directive was that everything be kid- and pet-friendly. No problem for Prince, who sourced performance fabric for all the upholstery to ensure durability. Even the drapes, which the designer says are her favorite thing in the room, are constructed from indoor/outdoor fabric. She adds, “I love the detail of the wood bead fringe on the leading edges and the green stripes with the green landscape in the spring. The landscaping is so beautiful outside this window.”

The den is filled with impactful artwork, and the two most personal pieces hold unique places of pride. Prince hung portraits of the family’s two children painted by Chattanooga artist Liz Lindstrom on the outer edges of the built-in bookshelves. “It really makes them pop. Putting the portraits there makes them so special; you notice them immediately,” she explains.

A bright stylized landscape by California artist Karen Smidth hung in a different spot in the home from the time the owner acquired it several years ago under the guidance of art advisor Anna Wunderlich. Prince realized it would make an ideal addition to the redone den and her client is pleased with the move. “I get to see it more often now that it’s in here and it’s also visible from the outside through the front window.”

The homeowner says she couldn’t be happier with her new foyer and den, even two years out from completion. “It was so much fun to work with Ann on everything. She let me help and I loved that.”

Prince, however, is quick to share credit with her client for the success of the renovation, and for the solid base she had to work with when she started the project. “Lucky me! [The homeowner] has a great eye,” says the designer. “My favorite projects are when the client is super invested and super involved. I like that kind of collaborative nature on a project.”