In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked some of our favorite Southern design dynasties to recount what makes interior design not only a shared passion and profession but also a family affair.
produced by Margaret Zainey Roux
Margaux Interiors Limited, Atlanta, GA
Margaret Bosbyshell (mother) and Clary Bosbyshell (daughter)
Margaret
Q: How long have you been in the design field?
A: 38 years
Q: Tell us about your daughter’s nursery and how it was
decorated.
A: It was 1982, and at the time, Atlanta was crazy about all
things English—from Lady Diana to Laura Ashley. We lived in
an English-style clapboard-and-rock bungalow, and the room we chose for the nursery had three dormer windows that made it a happy, light-filled space. We wanted the gender of the baby to be a surprise, so we kept the palette and décor neutral by using whites, yellows, and blues. I stocked the bookshelves with Beatrix Potter bunny accessories and hung vintage pieces on the walls. On one wall was a quilt handmade by my great aunt in the 1920s, and on another wall was a playful print of a puppy, which had hung in my own room as a child. The hardwood floors were cozied up with a blue-and-white rag rug, and there was a comfy blue-and-white-striped chair and ottoman for reading stories.
Q: When did you realize that your daughter was destined for a
career in interior design?
A: During grammar and high school, Clary was required to wear a uniform, but on “free-dress days” you could see her style truly shine! Despite her young age, she had a real talent for fashion, which goes hand in hand with interior design.
Q: How would you define your daughter’s design aesthetic?
A: Crisp and clean yet layered and classic. I think her thoughtful use of modern and traditional elements is informed by her
Southern upbringing.
Q: How does your daughter’s style influence your work, and what have you learned from your daughter about design?
A: Clary has introduced me to new boutique fabric lines and
has taught me how to navigate the Internet for sources and
inspiration. This has broadened my horizons in both the interior design and fashion worlds.
Clary
Q: How long have you been in the interior design business?
A: Seven years
Q: What was your favorite room in your home growing up? What was it about the décor that you remember being so special?
A: The living room. It was covered in Rose Cumming chintz fabric and filled with Chinese export porcelain and hand-painted pillows. I really wasn’t supposed to play in there, but I would anyway
because it looked like a place for a princess.
Q: What is the best design advice your mother gave you?
A: She advised me to purchase one antique every year so that in
10 years, I will have accrued a nice, special collection.
Q: If you could teach your mom one thing, it would be …
A: How to use Instagram hashtags!
Q: How would you describe your mother’s design aesthetic?
A: It’s traditional at its core but richly layered with transitional and contemporary pieces.
Q: How does your mother’s style influence your work?
A: My mother is very knowledgeable about antique furniture and rugs and has educated and inspired me on how to use them. She sees antiques as more than just pieces of furniture or accessories but as special, one-of-a-kind items that have the ability to transform a room.
