SOUTHERN COMFORT WITH MRS. HOWARD

Photos courtesy of Abrams

The Joy of Decorating

One of the hardest working women in the biz, Phoebe Howard.

Up and down the Eastern seaboard, from Florida and Charlotte to Atlanta, the name Mrs. Howard is synonymous with Southern style and home retailing nirvana. Atlanta-based interior designer Phoebe Howard is a design jack of all trades and has been for the past fourteen years. Literally, she does it all-- from running highly successful retail ventures, the more formal Mrs. Howard and the younger hipper Max & Company, to operating a thriving interior design business, Mrs. Howard has gone after the brass ring and grabbed it.
The first time I visited her Atlanta locations, I was amazed at how lush and inviting every single space of the store was, like you were visiting a real home where everything was for available for purchase. I am sure many people walk in the doors of her shops feeling the same thing, because everything is just so well edited and combined. But you can hire her for that! Her rooms, a mix of genteel elegance and total comfort, are often swathed in soothing tones of blues, seafoam greens and taupes. Yet lest you think she shies away from brights, she excels at that too. It is all done with her pretty pretty take. Her impeccable eye is self taught, and as she likes to say, "I realized that I did not choose it. It chose me." As half of a thriving partnership with architect husband Jim, you get the whole package with these two. From her livable room layouts with special, edited antiques and feminine yet not frilly window treatments, her dynamic body of stylish work is captured in The Joy of Decorating: Southern Style with Mrs. Howard, her just launched book with Abrams. Flip through its pages and you will find endless inspiration through timeless well- arranged spaces organized by themes of inviting, inspiring, timeless, graceful, tranquil, casual, and comfortable, plus, she shares her favorite resources in the back.
I invite you to buy the book by clicking here, where you will receive a 20% discount off the $50 price of the book when you enter the code for Stylebeat readers: SBJOD. Now go forth and get some joy in your life!

A Long Island getaway with country touches and chocolate brown and cream palette.

Architectural details and soft colors get along winningly in this Southern living room.

A neutral dining room pairs antique chairs and a highly patterned wall.

Soft monochromatic murals, intricate dental molding and a glittering crystal chandelier will make for one swellegant dinner party.

Soft blues in a variety of prints and patterns make a classical living room fresh.

A large living room with back-to-back sofas that provide two divided seating areas is accented with green and brown.

Rich royal blue cozy overstuffed sofas in a seaside living room with a nautical touch.

Vivid turquoise in a Florida living room. The wavy valance is a terrific detail.

Seafoam green and cream accents with a charming curved headboard and pretty long panels and sheers at the windows. I happen to think Phoebe does the best bedrooms- totally dripping with serenity now.

A tray ceiling expands the height of this bedroom's ceiling. What an amazing ebony bed!

Pool blue comes in stripes, florals and tiny prints. Ahh to me, this is what Florida should be.

Using the color plum as her guide, this country guest room makes twin beds look chic.

A twin bedroom with pops of pink.

Another valance to love in a green accented bedroom.

Cerused wood and a white tile backsplash in a generous kitchen with two seating areas, a dining table and a built-in banquette.

A punchy yellow-accented kitchen in a sunny locale is festive and vacation-minded.

STYLISH SHOPPING: MRS. HOWARD ATLANTA

Walking into the retail and design shop Mrs. Howard in Atlanta is like walking into a gracious, beautifully designed home. I visited the shop last fall and am still mesmerized by it. I have to say I have never seen anything like it. It is genius. Spanning two floors, the rooms, stairways and nooks are styled to the hilt, in an elegant and traditional style that is move in ready. Classic architectural details and mill work make the spaces seem like they have existed forever and provide a sophisticated canvas against which everything shown is available for purchase. Phoebe and Jim Howard shop for antiques, decorative accessories, artwork and upholstery incessantly, and know their clientele well. I am a total convert to this kind of shopping experience, that where home and retail are fused as one, blurring the lines of commerce. I am sure I would not be the first person that has walked in saying, I want this for my home! To feel like I am stepping into Mrs. Howard every day, I read Leah Kennelly's Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper. If you are heading south, visit the wonderful gals that work with Phoebe, like Anne Patterson in Atlanta, at 425 Peachtree Hills Avenue Suite #23. Or, when in North Carolina, visit the Charlotte location a 1001 East Morehead Street. If south means Florida for you, Phoebe's style can be found in Jacksonville, at 4128 Herschel Street and at Jacksonville Beach 2400 Third Street South Suite #304. Enjoy!

Painted wall panels of climbing trees are a lovely natural element against this major mirror.

Decorative plaster walls and a rustic beam ceiling set the stage for a dressy elegant room that could work in a city and country locale. This was one of the first rooms I saw upon entering.

Incredible mill work in the entrance ties the flax hues together.

A grey painted bookcase seems to go on for miles. It holds rattan entertaining accessories and could do wonders in a home with lots of space.

Inspiring ideas are everywhere- the mix of artwork styles and frames on this wall showcase how effective artwork can be.

The fresh melon wall color balances the sage green upholstery in this seating area.

Marble inlay floors in a bold square pattern lead to a staircase where the second floor bedrooms await. The mirror sheathed armoire looked so divine there.

A corner cabinet in an antique white finish with beautiful pediment detail is representative of many of Phoebe's great antiques.

As you made your way up the staircase, the landing holds a more modern chrome book shelf styled with antiques.

Pops of blue in the wallpaper, artwork and hurricanes surround a French antique chest.

The piece de resistance- this bed! A cozy little serpentine love seat and side tables at the end of the bed are a great idea when there isn't room for other seating in the room.

A serene white bedroom with a metal bed ensconced with bed hangings. A celery colored settee sits at the foot of the bed, making a nice addition.

A bedroom done in pale blue and cream. I love the little antique stools at the end of the bed.

A pretty antique desk can also act as bar.

This painted secretary is charming and a little tufted slipper chair is a bedroom must. You see a section of the pale blue fabric window panel here and it adds a soft, tonal element against the seafoam green wall.

Serene shades of blue are present throughout the store- it is such an easy color to live with and it makes the dark wood of antiques look spectacular.

Antiques and reproduction pieces make for a move in ready mix.

An airy dining area upstairs with bird prints, a super long bench at the window for perching, and a taupe and cream color scheme.

Multiple sofas and club chairs surround a cocktail table on the second floor. The room is done in a moody, darker shade of blue with white trim.

A checked fabric on the walls with a white painted mirror have a certain charm. What a darling writing desk.

The architectural details in her shop are incredible. The beamed ceiling and window arches add to the feeling of a real home.

Light bleached wood floors and pale ceiling beams make the color in the room pop.

That staircase! Storage is no problem here, as the space under the stairs contains cabinets. This large room feels move in ready from the fab chandelier to the terra cotta tile floor. The seating dining area has a casual elegant feel with fresh white walls and pale blue accents.

This is a good seating plan for a large space, as it incorporates a dining area and multiple seating options.

A beautifully styled bookcase with white accessories. The ric rac edge on the piece is a charming detail.