Stylish & Family-Friendly Decorating

Kimberly White remembers the day she casually stopped into Petit Château, the antiques and home-furnishings shop owned by Brooke Sevier and Meg White, and then drove straight home to tell her husband, Chris, that she’d found their designers. “They listened to me and understood my desire for a fresh, clean take on traditional Southern design,” Kimberly says.

Kimberly wanted her newly built Georgian home to be comfortable and inviting, suitable for entertaining grown-ups, yet casual enough for her two young children, Jamison, 7, and Archer, 3. Click through the slides to see how designers Brooke and Meg helped Kimberly create a home that she loves.

“For the family room, Kimberly requested a deep-seat sofa upholstered in a luxurious chenille fabric,” says Brooke. A pair of cream herringbone swivel chairs and a subtle damask-patterned club chair round out the seating. The designers hired Fibe-Con, a specialty cleaning and restoration company, to stain-treat the furniture. (You could also try COIT.) “That way, everything is able to stand up to wear and tear, including kids’ handprints,” Meg says. The custom wool area rug in shades of brown and cream hides dirt and stains, defines the space, and is made to last.

Take Note: The reversible drapery panels were custom-designed by Brooke and Meg―you can see the green-and-ivory plaid from both inside and outside the house.

“The kitchen and breakfast nook are open to the family room,” Meg says, “so we united the spaces with a nature-inspired color palette.” The dark finishes of the floors and the island’s wood top add warmth to the creamy white kitchen. A pair of antique wooden chandeliers over the island complete the look and lend a sense of age to the brand-new house. Woven rush stools, an inexpensive catalog find, provide casual seating at the island.

Great Idea! To add symmetry and light in the kitchen, Kimberly chose two antique chandeliers―pretty alternatives to standard pendants.

The dark wood furniture in the breakfast nook is sophisticated enough for a dinner party but still just right for a relaxed family meal. “Kimberly already had her beautiful antique dining table and chairs,” Meg says. “We added simple green cushions with contrasting ties.” The comfy 4-inch-thick seat cushions are also stain-treated to withstand spills.

Great Idea! “We used the trellis fabric from the draperies to create ballet slipper-like cushion ties that stretch down each chair leg in the breakfast nook,” says Meg.

Take Note: The breakfast nook draperies hang on iron rods that return to the wall. “The absence of bulky finials achieves a clean, updated look,” says Brooke.

Get to Know: Brooke Sevier and Meg White

How did y’all team up? “We started working on the same day at a design store,” says Brooke. “After about a year we went our separate ways but kept in contact. We saw there was a design niche to fill in Nashville, so we eventually opened our own store and design studio to reflect our style: a careful mix of old and new.”

What designer inspires you? “We really admire Atlanta designer Suzanne Kasler,” Meg says. “We love her aesthetic and adore her furniture collection with Hickory Chair.

What is your go-to paint source? “Farrow & Ball―we love their shades of white, and most of their paint finishes are low odor and environmentally friendly,” says Meg.

Sevier & White Interiors / Petit Château Antiques; (615) 354-1460