Walking through Laura Walker's Morningside home is like browsing around an antiques market in Europe, except nothing's for sale.

The rare objects and accent pieces she's collected over the years from England, France and Italy all have a personal story that Walker eagerly shares.

Frank Niemeir/Staff (ENLARGE)

Laura Walker, 40, is an interior designer and dealer in antiques (www.laurawalkerltd.com).

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There's the 1840s armoire she purchased in Brittany after vascillating about whether the money would be better spent on a car. And a French bread rack she bought in England that has alternately been used to hold shoes, books and accessories. The Venetian mirror in the powder room was snagged at an auction in Milan.

"When I look at my furniture, I remember where I bought it and who I was with," says Walker. "They're incredible reminders of your journey in life."

Her journeys have taken her abroad, first to Venice, where she studied art history, then to London, where she worked as an interior designer, and on to Milan, where she taught design courses and ran a courier service that shipped antiques to the United States. Finally, Walker settled in Atlanta, where she opened a design studio that specialized in importing Italian antiques. It has since closed.

She plans to open a new store, Verde Home, in the Howell Mill area in January. But in the meantime, Walker has been focusing on her design business and experimenting with new decorating techniques at home that showcase her knack for blending antiques with contemporary furnishings.

"Now I want a new house to do over," Walker says with a smile.