From Blank Canvas to Timeless Character Inside a Charlotte Family Home

Until the needle came to them via their Realtor©, finding an off-market listing that checked all of their boxes. Tucked away on a large wooded lot in Charlotte proper, the home was just what they’d been searching for: secluded but in proximity to restaurants and shopping and, most importantly, it boasted a healthy dose of opportunity. “We could tell that, even though the home was not new, there were a lot of places where we could make this home our own,” says the homeowner.

Except that the homeowners weren’t quite sure exactly what they wanted. “I knew I loved the home, but beyond that, I was unsure what I wanted the interiors to look like,” says the homeowner with a laugh. “I just knew there was so much potential.” Enter designer Marie Matthews. “Listening is my superpower,” she says. “Learning what sings to a homeowner is what I do really well.”

“It took me a moment to figure out what my interior design style is,” says the homeowner, who worked in tandem with Matthews to tease out her likes and dislikes. “I love pattern and color, which Marie is so good at designing with. She spent a long time pulling out what it was that I wanted. But that’s exactly why I chose Marie, because I knew she would push me outside my comfort zone.”

The custom home was built in 2018, and while beautiful, it lacked character. “It was just so … plain,” says the homeowner, who purchased it in March 2022. “Everything was white, gray, or tan.” To Matthews, though, the neutral canvas screamed potential for color and pattern.

“I showed her a lot of fabrics and wallpapers that I thought would resonate with her,” says Matthews of workshopping to find her client’s style. “She loved a French aesthetic with blues and greens with soft blushy pinks. We found a handful of things she loved, and then we puzzle-pieced it together from there.” What began as uncertainty soon became clarity: with Matthews’s guidance, her clients’ undefined taste matured into a timeless aesthetic rooted in restraint and authenticity.

The home office was the starting point for Matthews, who wanted to dip her clients’ toes in rich, saturated color. Custom built-ins, millwork, and the ceiling were color drenched in a glossy hunter green lacquer “to create a tailored and immersive feel, enveloped in the richest green tones that evoke the warmth and handsomeness of a classic library,” says Matthews. “The mix of glossy lacquer, masculine textures, and supple leather create a space that feels both refined and grounded.”

In other spaces, though, Matthews pushed her clients with bold fabrics and patterns. In the family room, a playful but elevated Scalamandré embroidered Tigress wallcovering was the ideal springboard for a space that yearned for personality and interest. “The family room was designed as a joyful escape bathed in color and light, where turquoise hues and engaging patterns energize the space without overwhelming it,” explains Matthews. “This wallcovering is timeless and gorgeous, and it adds enough pattern and interest without it being too overwhelming.” Adds the homeowner of the wallcovering, “I was definitely hesitant at first, but now it’s one of my favorite things in our home.”

While Matthews knows where to flex her creative muscles when it comes to color and pattern, she’s also intuitively aware of where to restrain them. “Your eye needs someplace to rest,” she explains of the juxtaposition. “You need some negative space also, otherwise the interesting things aren’t interesting anymore because your sensibility is overwhelmed.” This lesson in restraint is what drew the homeowners to Matthews. “I knew she could glean what we wanted with the interiors but not overdo it.”

Now, after a year in the home, the homeowners feel equally at ease and in awe. “I feel like I see something new every time I walk into a room,” says the owner. “I’m so glad we held out for the perfect home, and even more so that we worked with Marie. It’s the home I didn’t know I wanted.”