After living in Italy for 17 years, Alpharetta’s Lisa Gabrielson incorporates European touches in her fresh, timeless interiors.
Background: Grew up in Minneapolis, studied art history at Mills College in California and in Florence, Italy, where I lived, worked and got married. While I have no formal training in interior design, I owned a children's clothing company in Italy, where I designed all of the clothes. I also worked for Gucci and other fashion brands. For me, art, fashion and design are interrelated.
How I got started: In Italy, friends who recognized my style and passion asked me to help them with their homes. When we moved to Atlanta in 2006, I opened some antique booths in a local mall. Three years later, I started Lisa Gabrielson Design.
My antique booth: I keep a booth at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta as sort of an homage to my beginning. I love the hunt. And when I see something I am attracted to, but don't need, or can't place with a client, I buy it for the booth. The merchandise is ever-changing. Lately, I have carried custom made herringbone farm tables and pillows that I design. I also have vintage art, lighting and mirrors, plus accent tables made of sinker cypress by my father in Florida.
My design style: Eclectic with an affinity toward the clean, casual and charming interiors of the South of France, Belgium and Italy. My ideal home would blend classic staples with modern, country and unexpected vintage pieces for that "wow" factor.
Where you've seen my work: In the September issues of Southern Lady magazine and Better Homes and Gardens' Kitchen + Bath Makeovers. Also Cottage Journal, Atlanta Magazine and Kitchen Planning and Buying Guide by Consumer Reports.
Favorite accessories: Lamps, pillows and mirrors
Favorite design trick: Mixing high and low price points for an expensive look. For instance, I often mix custom pillows with down pillows from discount stores like Tuesday Morning or HomeGoods. Or a Ballard's Backroom jute rug with a custom coffee table.
Cheap tricks: Revive old furniture with chalk paint and some fabulous fabric.
Design pet peeve: Overhead lighting as the only source of light in a room — especially when it is attached to a fan.
Biggest design mistake I've made: In Italy, I color-washed our entire house in "milk paint," which I made with powdered pigments and whole milk. After a week, it started smelling like rotten milk. We never got rid of the odor!
Favorite room to design: The bedroom. It's cozy and romantic.
Hardest space. Huge living rooms in "McMansions." It is harder to make a huge room with 20-foot ceilings to feel and look comfortable (and personable) than it is with a room with 10-foot ceilings.
Common mistake homeowners make: Again, underestimating the power of lighting. A mix of good light (floor, table, task and wall lamps) makes everything – and everyone — look better.
Favorite Atlanta-shopping sources: Bungalow Classic and Peridot West
Unexpected finds: Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors in Alpharetta and the Scott Antique Market
Favorite design sources:
- Stores: Lewis & Sheron Textiles; Schumacher, Duralee, Georgia-based Tritter Feefer at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC); and Zentique, GJ Styles and Van Thiel at the AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta.
- Magazines: Cote Sud and Veranda
- Books: "Art of the House" by Bobby McAlpine and Susan Ferrier and "Villa" by John Saladino.
- Designers: Susan Ferrier, Suzanne Kasler, Lauren Liess and John Saladino
- Blogs/Websites: Pure Style Home and Velvet & Linen
Household item I am fussy about: Lampshades. I like them custom and unique.
Favorite household object: A huge mural of Tuscany that my parents gave us for a wedding present.
Most recent project: An entire house in Vinings for a young couple from California. It is casual California coastal meets Southern charm.
Up next: Designing a beachside residence in Miramar Beach, Fla.
Find Lisa Gabrielson at: www.lisagabrielson.com
About the Author
