In fact, one might say that the designer’s calling card is color. So when she was approached by her client to design a home bursting with bold hues and patterns, she was more than eager to dive in. Except this time, she was also tasked with incorporating pink, and all of its glorious, saturated hues therein. “I’m often asked to add pops of color to my clients’ homes, but pink was not what I was expecting,” laughs Still of Kinloch Interiors.
The home, located in Greenville, South Carolina, could certainly handle the bold color choice. The traditional colonial house boasted clean architectural features and strong bones, but it needed major TLC. With the help of Croft Architecture and Coln Construction, a renovation down to the studs resulted in a more open floor plan today.
It also left a blank canvas for Still to color-fy, which is where the real transformation began. “I could tell the moment I met the homeowner that her style was colorful and fun,” says Still. Adds the homeowner, “I knew right away that Frances was the designer I wanted to work with on this remodel. I am a colorful girl, and she knows how to do color. The spaces she creates are colorful and unique while still having a style that will stand the test of time.”
With her client’s personal style as inspiration, Still started in the dining room, easily one of the most color saturated—and dramatic—spaces in the home. Custom lattice millwork in aqua blue complements the graphic Brunschwig & Fils bird-and-floral wallpaper in a similar colorway, while pink cut velvet fabrics add that special note to the space. But not all rooms are awash in color. The family room features strong strokes of thoughtful pattern and saturated hues, but the walls were kept neutral “to give all this color some room to shine.” Even the client’s home office toes the line with color; the designer utilized a neutral grasscloth on the walls to offset the playful gold Dana Gibson for Stroheim wallcovering on the ceiling.
For Still, the project was a joyful challenge, as her client not only tasked her with injecting pink throughout, but also requested an aesthetic sans black. “That was hard,” laughs Still. “In my other designs, I like to put black and white in everything.” Instead, she used navy in places like the molding detail in the home office and metallics such as brass to accent and provide a neutral edge.
The constraints, though, only spurred the designer, forcing her to dive deep into her design arsenal to create a one-of-a-kind interior for her client. “One thing that’s really important to me is that my designs reflect my clients and their personalities, not mine,” says Still. “I had to channel my inner ‘extra’ to get this home where my client wanted it to be.” For the homeowner, the design exceeded her expectations. “I can honestly say that every room in the house makes me so happy to walk into,” she says. “What I love so much about the design of this house is that it is unlike anyone else’s.”
