Atlanta native Lauren DeLoach takes a fresh approach to Southern design by combining layered fabrics and textures that have a sense of history and feel collected.
The designer: Grew up in Alpharetta (now Milton) and attended College of Charleston before transferring to UGA, where she earned a degree in interior design. After college, she interned and worked for Hirsch Bedner Associates, a high-end hospitality firm. She also worked for an art consulting firm, placing art in corporate and hospitality settings, before opening her own company, Lauren DeLoach Interiors in 2002.
Big break: Had a home published in Traditional Home magazine in 2014. It was the first job I had ever submitted to an editor. It was a dream come true to be published in a national magazine.
Seen in: Traditional Home; Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles; and Atlanta Magazine Home. Also show houses, including the 2015 Serenbe House and the Southeastern Designer Showhouse for 2016 and 2017 (through May 14). DeLoach designed the kitchen (with Matthew Quinn/Design Galleria) and the breakfast room in the 2017 show house.
Claim to fame: Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Kitchen of the Year (2017) and the Southern Living Designer Network.
Quick fix for a room: Rearrange the furniture and change out the pillows.
Every room needs: A check fabric. It is a great addition to any room – formal or informal. Also, pieces that say something about the person or people who live there. Maybe it's a special piece of art or a collection of pottery.
Design pet peeve: Too many bright colors in a room. The eye needs to rest. A pop or two here and there is enough.
Current obsessions: Printed grass cloth wallpaper and Indian block-printed cotton fabric. The handmade quality of these materials makes a space more friendly and inviting.
New (or re-emerging) designs/colors I like: Glad to see the color salmon back. Also wallpaper.
… and designs/colors I am glad to see go: Chevron and grey
Most unusual request: Presented an entire house design scheme to a homeowner via skype. She was in Hong Kong and approved the design. The client and her husband arrived in Atlanta a few months later to see their home in person — completely furnished — at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Fun spaces I have designed: A ski-in/ski-out residence in Beaver Creek, Colo., which features a subtle palette of greens and neutrals. Also a bright, family-oriented beach house on Sea Island.
Biggest mistake I have made: In my home, I have an armless sofa serving as a banquette at our breakfast table. It is covered in a green herringbone woven fabric. With three kids, I should have known better.
… and mistakes homeowners make: Trying to match wood tones. The mix of wood tones is what makes a space interesting and unique.
Favorites
- Blogs: Cote de Texas; Design Indulgence; the Pink Clutch; and Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper.
- Instagram: Architects, such as C. Brandon Ingram, Historical Concepts, Bill Ingram and James Michael Howard.
- Atlanta home/design stores: Joseph Konrad Antiques; Interiors Market; Nicholson Gallery; Foxglove Antiques; and Scott Antique Market.
- Places for unexpected finds: Etsy for art and handmade items.
About me
My home style: A mix of antiques and reproductions; sea grass rugs layered with Oushak rugs; a mix of fabrics (prints and checks); and lots of original art.
Household issues I am particular about: I always want my lamps on and pillows fluffed. It drives my husband crazy.
Favorite pieces in my house: Small antique English chairs my mother-in-law gave me. Also an antique French bed that belonged to my grandmother. Then it was mine as a child. Now my daughter has the bed, upholstered in a pretty pink, in her room.
What I collect (or can't stop buying): Creamware, antique inkwells and Charleston sweetgrass baskets.
Back to work
Recent project: A fun, whole house renovation for a young family in Buckhead. It was more colorful and whimsical than my usual palette and style.
Up next: Several renovation projects in Buckhead and a large new home in Marietta with architects Spitzmiller & Norris.
Find Lauren DeLoach Interiors at:
Facebook: LaurenDeLoachInteriors
Instagram: @laurendeloachinteriors
Website: www.laurendeloachinteriors.com
Promo box
Southeastern Designer Showhouse & Gardens
Where: 3740 Paces Valley, Atlanta (in Buckhead's Kingswood area)
When: Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Through May 14, Mother's Day.
For information & tickets ($30): www.southeasternshowhouse.com
Benefits: Atlanta History Center
About the Author
