Inside Designer Hadley Quisenberry’s Fresh and Functional Charlotte Family Home

Despite its dated interiors, the home had great potential. Originally designed by architecture firm Meyer Greeson Paullin Benson, the house boasted solid bones and notable architectural details, such as 10-foot ceilings and extensive custom millwork. “The natural light and the general flow were there,” says Quisenberry. But the floor plan was choppy and not conducive to the seamless, open everyday living and entertaining the couple yearned for.

Quisenberry’s mind spinning with ideas, she enlisted architect Peter Brooks of Peter Brooks Architecture to draft plans to breathe life into the first-floor layout. Gutting and renovating the tight and tiny kitchen and connecting it with the breakfast nook was a main priority, while opening the one-time closed-off family room was equally as important. An original cased opening in the foyer, which broke the space into two smaller, scarcely usable spaces, was removed, allowing for a gracious entry. And upstairs, two dormers were added to provide additional space to the children’s playroom and home office. Within six months, the structural edits were made, and Quisenberry could start installing the interiors.

Prior to renovating, “the home’s color palette was fairly dark and dated,” says the designer. “The finishes were more aligned with a mountain house—really heavy, dark textures and materials. But Bryan and I prefer light, bright, fresh.” Quisenberry began in the family room, where the original gas fireplace with a rustic, tumbled stone surround was torn out. “It’s our favorite space in the house, and the fireplace is visible from the front door, so we wanted it to be impactful,” says the designer. “Bryan didn’t have many requests, but one was that he wanted a wood-burning fireplace with easy access to wood. I struggled with both concepts at first, not wanting to sacrifice form in the name of function.”

After brainstorming with design colleague Kathleen Fox, the duo conceptualized an artful expression of a pedestrian material: custom rectangular exposed wood alcoves with diagonal inserts featuring stacked kiln-dried wood. The result was a touch rustic yet refined when paired with the creamy cast stone surround and the commissioned artwork of Blackberry Farm by artist Ashley Sellner that hangs above. “It’s easily the most commented on design detail in the entire home,” says Quisenberry. The space is even more appealing during the holidays, when the designer decorates simply but elegantly with hand-knit stockings that hang from the mantel.

Unafraid of bold hues and pattern, Quisenberry looked to color drenching various spaces, such as the formal dining room, which was dipped in a high-gloss blue, while custom draperies trimmed in a Schumacher swirl tape delicately frame a single wreath during the holidays. The primary bedroom and family room each boast saturated hues that offer a moodiness that feels warm and inviting. Wrapped in a colorful Scalamandré wallpaper, the foyer greets guests with a cheerful but sophisticated design that’s punctuated with a dramatic photograph and walnut chest. Even the classic white kitchen is not immune to color—a row of custom cabinetry above the bar area is awash in a baby blue accented by gold hardware.

During the holidays, the family retreats to the family room, enveloped in a cocoon-like warmth from the fireplace and cozy seating. “It’s our place to just relax,” Quisenberry says. “I’m big on design being approachable and comfortable. I don’t want my kids to live lightly or stressed. And I want friends to feel comfortable when they visit.” While she admits her home is a continual work in progress—“I’m always tweaking and refining,” she says—Quisenberry is beyond elated with the couple’s choice to take on a renovation project and make it their own. “Our home is so much more intentional and fitting for our family,” she says. “We lost out on another home last minute, and we were devastated. But in retrospect, I’m so glad that happened because if it hadn’t, we wouldn’t be in this home now.”