Ep. 294: Blending Past and Present with Mallory Mathison

We catch up this week with Atlanta-based designer Mallory Mathison, who blends the classical richness of the past with endless design possibilities for today. Mallory’s work has been featured in Southern Homes, Atlanta Homes, and most recently in the 2022 Flower Magazine Show House here in Atlanta. We talked with Mallory about how much we loved her room, and the steps she took to create a glowy, gilded garden room. Mallory shares what she loves about showrooms, and shares a few key pieces of wisdom to make your space classic and comfortable, and always ready for the perfect party.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• Mallory’s process of creating a character-driven showroom.
• How Mallory chose warm glittery glowy lighting and the perfect pink in her Show House room.
• How did Mallory hang her mirror in the show house on top of the beautiful fabric over a daybed?
• How do we make our bars look amazing and what can we do to be always party ready?
• The importance of staying on the good side of a contractor.
• Wicker is like comfort food for the home.
• How to use brackets in different ways.
• Where Mallory starts with color on a project.
• Tips for framing and creating a beautiful eye-catching gallery wall.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Ballard Designs
• Mallory Mathison: Website | IG

Decorating Dilemma

First off, what a cute kitchen! Mallory suggests really leaning into the historic nature of your home, instead of trying to make it “modern” and making it something that it’s not. First, we can make it feel cleaner and brighter, and definitely more stylish. For the color, Mallory suggests a very light soft celery green or green that has a bit more of a yellow base than a blue base. That's going to complement the purple tones much better than something that has a blue base. Check out Benjamin Moore’s “Stolen Moments 477”.

You can also add crown molding that's appropriate to the house in the kitchen. On the walls, Mallory suggests an eggshell so you have reflectivity. In your little charming breakfast nook, we think you should use the Margo Hanging Shade Light Fixture and for flooring, check out American Restoration Tile.

If you are needing to prioritize things, first do the lighting and then paint the cabinets. Thanks for writing in, and keep us posted!