The New Southern | Designer Spotlight: Betsy Berry

As an interiors and architectural photographer, I am passionate about walking into environments which will allow me to capture the details that emphasize the artistry of my clients. Inherently gravitating towards clean lines and thriving on the intimate details of a space...It’s inspirational creatives like Betsy Berry that make my job so joyous. She is an interior designer that connects with her clients to create clean, beautiful spaces. Her work seeks to inspire and create harmony — featured across platforms like Domino, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Architectural Digest and more. Her portfolio is diverse and full. Sophisticated and relaxed. Innovative yet inviting. 

With a long history in New York City and roots tied to the South, where she currently resides with her family, Betsy is a quintessential New Southerner. A breathing example that the movement is expanding to every corner of the country, weaving in, out, and beyond the Deep South. Not only does she speak to the current creative economy but she is another strong female pioneer that is helping to redefine the landscape. Balance through variation, curation and comfort is what Betsy cultivates in every space that she designs. Her love for hand-selected pieces, artisan collaboration, and antique materials speaks to the New Southern style. Unexpected elements and quirkiness are key for her...There’s nothing better than someone who has the ability to stick their roots while innovating with a playful touch.

Photo: ©CatrinaMaxwell

Interested in her unique artistic background and inspired by her courage, kindness and “never give up” attitude — We couldn’t wait to hear more from Betsy on design and how to turn a house into a soulful home!

Alyssa Rosenheck: Tell us about yourself.

Betsy Berry: After studying fashion design in Italy, I moved to New York City to pursue a career in design. I attended The New York School of Interior Design, and spent eight years working alongside world-renowned designers like David Easton and AD100’s Sills Huniford. I learned the importance of detail-driven design in a world filled with mass production — focusing more on hand-selected pieces, partnering with artisans for custom finishes, and finding newfound beauty in antique materials. In 2013, I returned to her lowcountry roots and launched B. Berry Interiors in Charleston, South Carolina — where I currently live with my husband, Robert, our three-year old daughter, Barker, and dog, Suge.                                                                   

AR: How are you modernizing / updating southern style when you design?

BB: I think we are in a constant state of “updating” — making a home feel inviting yet clean while respecting the bones and history of the architecture and space. I tend to look to present day French interiors in that the architecture and bones of the Parisian apartments are maintained and respected while the furnishings are more playful and modern to update the space in today’s world. This balance is key for an updated Southern home and always my ultimate goal. 

86 Cannon. Photo: ©Katie Charlotte Photography

86 Cannon. Photo: ©Katie Charlotte Photography

86 Cannon. Photo: ©Katie Charlotte Photography

86 Cannon. Photo: ©Katie Charlotte Photography

AR: What innovative trends are you seeing with Southern Design across the country?

BB: I think the South has come into its own. We are now more predominantly on the national stage and have every right to be. In a world full of ever-changing trends, we stick to our classic roots and innovate with a sense of humor and a playful touch. I love the use of traditional patterns on modern upholstered forms as well any form of gingham held against a sleek lacquered interior. The juxtaposition is really the innovation that our most respected Southern designers deliver best.

AR: What are your favorite hometown design boutiques?

BB: Fritz Porter, The Commons and Open Door Shop.

AR: Favorite shade of white and black paint color?

BB: Farrow & Ball All White and Off Black.

Lewis Barbecue. Photo: ©Andrew Cebulka

AR: What’s your life motto?

BB: Have courage and be kind.  I hope that one day my daughter will learn through the lens of my life that taking the greatest leaps take the greatest amount of courage. Whether it’s moving to the big city or standing up for someone on the playground, there can always be the right amount of courage and kindness to carry us through.

AR: The place you go to get inspired?

BB: I love my office at dusk overlooking the water and heroic steeples of downtown Charleston, combined with the right music and a pile of design books. Reaching for the classics and pouring over the details of years past can always excite and inspire me.

AR: The key to making a house a home? What does a home need more of and less of?

BB: A house needs personality and soul to become a home. I’ve worked on projects in my NYC days that were absolute perfection yet had no soul. To truly feel that sense of home, there needs to be the collected sense of travel and time, as well as personal photographs and a punch of unexpected elements and quirkiness. The warmth of the home is felt through the layers created by love and time — this can always be created and maintained. 

The Vintage Lounge. Photo: ©Andrew Cebulka

The Vintage Lounge. Photo: ©Andrew Cebulka

The Vintage Lounge. Photo: ©Andrew Cebulka

AR: Life advice you’ve gotten that made all the difference?

BB: Never ever give up. Simple and strong. If you truly want it, no one will give it to you. Fight for your passion — whatever that may be.

AR: Design advice you’ve gotten that made all the difference?

BB: Provide the art and provide the service. I feel that within our industry it is sometimes forgotten that we are here to provide a service to our clients. At the end of the day, we are managing projects to deliver an experience both through great client communication and delivery while creating a beautiful space and home.

AR: What’s the best piece of business advice you could provide for creative entrepreneurs starting out?

BB: Work for the best. I took the leap and moved to NYC with an air mattress and a suitcase to work for my design idols. I was lucky enough to get a great job and that experience created the foundation for my design life. 

Pancito + Lefty. Photo: ©Andrew Cebulka

Pancito + Lefty. Photo: ©Andrew Cebulka

Pancito + Lefty. Photo: ©Andrew Cebulka

AR: What’s your favorite housewarming gift?

BB: A good bottle of wine — let’s celebrate!

AR: Tell us something we probably don’t know.

BB: I took gospel choir as a class in high school. I guess that’s the best part of growing up on an island off the South Carolina coast — I cannot sing for the life of me but they took me in anyways.

AR: Design book you’ll always have on your shelf?

BB: Stephen Sills & Jacques Grange — the greats in my book. 

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The New Southern | Designer Spotlight: Duffy Stone

Go big or go home is the Texas motto and Duffy Stone does the former, very well, with major color. Her minimalistically mod flavor which she has brought all around the country deeply resonates with The New Southern. Inherently refreshing and visually compelling, her creative energy is woven in and out of each one of her boutique retail and residential spaces. From the bright color palettes and modern curves of Olive NYC, the deconstructed vibe of Esby, to the sunny and sophisticated aesthetic of Beehive in Austin...each space that she designs has a flair of its own. In her world there are no boundaries, rules don’t exist, and imagination runs wild.

A little more fearless and a little less comfortable, Duffy is a woman after my own heart. She is the epitome of The New Southern’s playful self, catching national attention as an Austin trendsetter for her often bold, colorful interiors. Incorporating massive macro prints as wallpaper together with fringe, fresh new shapes, tastes, and eclectic pieces. She’s a modern day 70’s glam queen with an artfully curated eye. She allows those that step into her spaces to dream through thoughtfully and well-selected shape, texture, and scale. Charismatic and rebellious — from the choice of color to the nooks and crannies. Her interiors gracefully dance the line between whimsically modern and mid-century glam. Effortlessly chic and pulled together with an incredible ability to transport into a soulful escape. Her cheeky, spirited approach to design stems from a quirky boldness that I absolutely love to highlight.

Photo: Julie Holder

We sat down with Duffy to chat about her take on modern Southern design (and hospitality) and how she’s creating live-in, layered spaces that are oozing with personality.

Alyssa Rosenheck: Tell me about yourself.

Duffy Stone: I’m a designer based in Austin, Texas specializing in retail design. I am rooted in Austin, but work all over including NY and LA designing retail spaces. I recently (6 weeks ago!) had a baby boy named Sonny. Work never slowed down during the pregnancy — and I’m still going strong even with a baby here. It’s fun to have a new partner in crime in the playful world of Interiors.

AR: How are you modernizing / updating Southern style when you design?

DS: Southern style is far from minimal. To me it is colorful, layered, warm and most importantly, inviting. I always include rich colors in my designs, and I love to push that on clients. I make sure to keep my projects clean but lived-in. It’s really important in my line of work that the spaces are welcoming to all sorts of folks. Making sure that people feel comfortable to come in is always the first priority in retail design. The experience is everything. It’s always a fun challenge for me, especially when designing spaces that are far from traditionally Southern, to have Southern hospitality with a modern twist on it — using specific materials, color combinations, and shapes. 

Photo: Lauren Logan

Photo: Julie Holder

Photo: Julie Holder

AR: What are your favorite hometown design boutiques?

DS: My favorite Austin design boutiques are Wildflower Organics, Uptown Modern, Room Service Vintage, and Austin Antique Mall. They have the friendliest faces working there, so I always make sure to have time to shop and hang out. To my clients, don’t worry — I don’t bill for the hang out time.

AR: Favorite shade of white and black paint color?

DS: “Ultra Pure White” by Behr and “Tricorn Black” by Sherwin-Williams.

AR: What’s your life motto?

DS: Feeling nervous is a good sign you’re making something original. If you get too comfortable, you’re probably on repeat. 

Photo: Lauren Logan

Photo: Julie Holder

AR: The one shade that changes everything? Tell us what mood it evokes and when / how you’ve used it.

DS: Red! It’s so bold and moody. It instantly adds so much character to a space. I love to paint open doorway arches red for an unexpected color moment. In my own home, I did that heading into the nursery and I have a feeling that the baby really likes the color choice.

AR: The place you go to get inspired?

DS: I love walking around Mayfield Park or the Blanton Museum in Austin for inspiration. I think we are really lucky to have those two places in our city.    

AR: Design advice you’ve gotten that made all the difference?

DS: I follow NOLA-based artist Ashley Longshore on Instagram and she’s a daily motivation to hustle. I find advice relayed via her social media. She has a really great attitude towards working for yourself, how to keep your chin up, and career moving up.

Photo: Juliana Ramirez

AR: What’s your advice for mixing old with new?

DS: Just do it! This only never works if you overthink it. It’s a really simple way to make a great design with lots of depth. People are always so hesitant to mix and find a million reasons why things don’t work or shouldn’t go together. I never get that — just let it roll.

AR: What’s your dream project / client?

DS: Retail design has always been my baby, but since a new little sheriff named Sonny has rolled into town, I have been naturally drawn to kids' spaces. I think the dream project now would be to design a really magical set for a children’s film. Something really over the top that I wouldn’t get a chance to do on a normal day-to-day basis. Something that my baby would think is really cool.

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My Subtle and Sweet Pink Room Round on Style Me Pretty Today!!

I personally like to incorporate the sentiment of love everyday. In a world of grand gestures, I think it is important to experience this feeling in a stripped down basic way and apply it to everything we pursue. I find love to be simple in a complex world and I see it in even the smallest details that exist with in the spaces I shoot and amongst my nearest and dearest. 

Head over to STYLE ME PRETTY LIVING to find a few more of my thoughts about Valentine's day with more soft and simple hues of love. Xx

A Color Rich Austin Home to Brighten Any Day on MYDOMAINE

Designer..... it’s such a blanket word, covering so many genres of creative expression. But when I say the Elizabeth Mollin is a designer, well, I feel like it’s not a big enough word for her talent. She’s a textile designer. An interior designer. She’s the designer behind interesting and gorgeous custom wallpaper lines. So, yes, she’s a designer, and so much more. 

I was introduced to Elizabeth’s work, Stone Textile, a few years ago through one of my first clients. Quickly we developed a mutual admiration for the others art form and maintained contact—that’s the gift of social media, the ease in which we connect and stay connected. Three years later, I happily accepted the opportunity to photograph Elizabeth’s work. 

Elizabeth has established a reputation as a designer with impeccable taste and fearless use of gorgeous jewel tones and dynamic patterns. Her innate ability to anchor bright and bold elements and compliment them with rest sets her apart. You’ll love every moment of her work.

Congratulations, Elizabeth, on this MYDOMAINE feature. And as always, it’s an honor to be invited into these projects and to work with the talented editors at MYDOMAINE. Click HERE for more details. Xx