Interior designer Tori Johnston decks the halls of her clients’ Montgomery, Alabama, home in the classic Colonial Williamsburg style.
When she embarked on helping her clients decorate for the holidays, Tori Johnston turned back time and drew on cherished childhood memories of holidays spent in Colonial Williamsburg. “Growing up, it was a family tradition to visit Williamsburg in early December,” she says. “My mother always came home ready to decorate, and my father would get to work on building forms for the topiaries and fruit molds. Today, the look of vibrant greenery, fresh fruit, and plump berries still evokes emotion in me and calls me to action. Threading garlands and wiring wreaths is time-consuming, but it’s a labor of love that I look forward to year after year.”
Although holiday decorating is not necessarily a service that the Montgomery-based interior designer officially offers, Johnston was happy to make magic for her clients, Tara and Sam Bush, whose Edgewood home she had recently helped renovate. The Federal-style structure originally built in 1930 had been updated by previous owners over the years, but it still wasn’t where it needed to be for the Bushes’ young, active family of four.
Throughout the renovation process, priority was placed on preserving as much of the home’s original character as possible. Some key elements, such as the stately interior millwork in the living room and the hand-painted wallpaper in the dining room, were retained, while others, like the hardwood floors, were reimagined. The footprint was also tweaked for today’s modern lifestyle.
The kitchen, for example, was stripped down to the studs, and a cook’s closet was converted into a prep kitchen. But to maintain its old soul, they integrated the space with age-appropriate features such as marble countertops, hardy beams, and tongue-and-groove ceiling boards. Although new, the custom cabinetry with café curtain panels and unlacquered brass hardware gives off a vintage vibe along with the wicker breakfast set in the adjacent breakfast area.
“I like to call the aesthetic ‘Old English with an edge,’” says Johnston, who prefers to lean into history rather than following trends. “The framework was already somewhat set with antiques that the Bushes had previously acquired. I helped them add to their collection with a few key pieces of English and French provenance that I sourced through local shops and markets in Atlanta.”
The “edge” comes into play with the fresh color palette of greens and blues accented with gold and plum, boldly patterned wallcoverings and upholstery, and contemporary lighting by The Urban Electric Company and Arteriors. Original abstract art elevates the look by putting an unexpected twist on the otherwise traditional scheme.
“Our home is thoughtfully designed, but nothing feels too precious or off-limits,” says Tara Bush. “Hospitality is at the heart of how we live, so it was important that every room was made to feel warm and inviting—not just at Christmastime but all year long.”
