Nothing, not even a design degree or Pinterest board, can quite compare to the experience of a grandmother when it comes to designing a home.
These women endured decades of evolving trends, and yet somehow knew instinctively how to create homes that were cozy, lovely, and a little magical. We asked seven Southern designers to track their design principles back to the ageless wisdom of their grandmothers.
From hosting with hospitality to gathering one-of-a-kind antiques, the inherited advice isn’t merely fond nostalgia—it’s refreshingly au courant. Have a seat (preferably vintage), and find out the grandmother-approved wisdom that never goes out of style.
Be Ready for Visitors at All Times
My grandmother taught me the value of having your house prepared for company at all times,” says Elle Cantrell of Atlanta’s Elle Du Monde.
A fluffed pillow, a made guest bed, and cookies in the kitchen—those weren’t indulgences, those were essentials. Her rule of thumb was this: turn your house into a sanctuary and a hub, a place where anyone who comes through the door immediately feels at home.
Even if no one’s visiting today, the effort isn’t wasted. “It’s about making a space feel alive,” Cantrell adds. And having snacks on hand at all times? That’s a Southern grandmother trick for certain.
Antiques Are Always In Style
While trends come and go, Pamela O’Brien, of Pamela Hope Designs in Houston, says her Nana taught her to appreciate what’s already passed the test of time. “She’d furnish whole apartments with antiques,” O’Brien remembers.
Her grandmother combed the East Coast—from Baltimore to small towns in West Virginia—for one-of-a-kind pieces. The tradition continued: when O’Brien finally had an apartment in Texas, the two went antiquing to search for an armoire.
“We used it as a media console,” she says. It wasn’t just about style—it was about the story. “She made old things new again—without ever trying too hard.”
Shop While You Travel
Interior designer Sara Hillery of Richmond, VA, recalls a single simple maxim from her world-traveling great-grandmother: “When you travel, bring something back for your house.”
Her great-grandmother returned from France with china and from Italy with furniture, and to young Sara, the house was a museum of memories. “I thought she was just so cool” she says. Now Hillery returns with small treasures from overseas trips that give character to otherwise contemporary spaces.
“It adds soul,” she says. Whether it’s a ceramic bowl from Lisbon or a woven basket from Cape Town—those items make a house personal.
Curate, Don’t Just Decorate
As a child, Maggie Clarke would spend hours poring over the glass curio table in her grandmother’s Memphis house, which was always stocked with delicate antique handbags. It wasn’t clutter—it was edited.
“She knew how to make collections look like art” Clarke says. Clarke follows the same rule in her own interiors today, grouping chinoiserie, Staffordshire dogs, and even porcelain ducks together with intention. “Every collection tells a story,” she says.
The secret? Begin with a single piece that you love, and gradually build from that. “My grandmother taught me to collect with intention—not to just fill a space.” Meaningful clutter, it appears, is highly fashionable.
Take Care of Your Things
Designer Ariene Bethea of Dressing Rooms Interiors in Charlotte didn’t receive her grandmother’s design wisdom in words, but in action. “She took care of her things,” Bethea recalls.
“She had furniture reupholstered rather than throwing it away. She polished her silver. That respect for the old taught Bethea something that eludes many impatient furniture enthusiasts—quality endures, if you allow it.
“She made me see, you don’t have to pursue new all the time,” she says. Bethea’s rooms today are a testament to that slow, thoughtful process. It’s not a matter of having more. It’s about loving what you already have.
Use the Good China (Seriously)
You don’t have to get married or have a holiday to bring out the crystal. “My grandmother used her nice things every day,” says Mary Buford Guthridge of James Interiors in Richmond.
Her grandmother, who lived to 107, was a believer in using the nicer things now—not later. “She’d drink orange juice from a cut-glass cup and have toast on monogrammed china,” Guthridge recalls.
Now she urges clients to do the same. “It makes you feel different, even on a regular Tuesday,” she says. It’s permission to make everyday life more special—without being stodgy. After all, what are you waiting for?
Add Fresh Flowers, Always
Certain cues are as timeless as a daisy in a mason jar. For Atlanta-based Whitney Durham, of Whitney Durham Interiors, her grandmother’s appreciation for fresh flowers had a lasting impact.
“She’d cut blooms from her garden and put them in any vase she had around,” Durham explains. “They weren’t pricey, but they completely changed the mood of the room.”
Whether it’s hydrangeas from your garden or a $5 grocery store bouquet, the idea is the same: flowers do make things nicer. “Even just one bud in a cup beside your bed can make you feel cared for,” Durham says.
Your Home Should Feel Lived In
The common thread in all of this grandmotherly advice? Comfort. Lived-in comfort. It’s not about trends—it’s about authenticity. All of these designers repeated the same thing again and again: use your things, love your things, and let your personality come out.
Whether it’s vintage lamps, mismatched plates, or a quirky collection of frog figurines, it’s the personal touches that warm a space. “Grandmothers didn’t decorate for Instagram,” Bethea says. “They decorated for life.”
Maybe we should too. It’s not about being trendy—it’s about being real. That, more than anything else, is what makes a home worth remembering.
Bringing Grandma’s Legacy Into Modern Life
You don’t require lace doilies or formal dining rooms to bring your grandmother’s design legacy into modern life. It’s the attitude that counts: tend to your space, love what you have, make visitors feel welcome, and don’t postpone happiness.
Whether it’s candles on the dinner table or a lovely quilt folded neatly at the foot of the bed, the small things do count. Style comes and goes, but substance remains.
As these designers illustrate, celebrating grandmotherly wisdom is not about nostalgia—it’s about creating homes that are more grounded, more meaningful, and a bit more magical.
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