Rooms With a View 2023

At the most recent Rooms with a View event in Southport, designers created stylish six-by-eight-foot vignettes to inspire and delight.

The three hanging pendants reference the northern lights. “It was symbolic in a way,” says designer Christin Engh. “You had the mirror as the sun, and those fixtures were the stars.” Photograph by Jane Beiles.

Northern Lights

For designer Christin Engh of Mare Design, her home country of Norway served as inspiration for her space. And more specifically, the region’s famed northern lights worked their way into her design. “I wanted to create a super cozy space,” says Engh of her texture-filled room. From the grasscloth wallpaper to the wool chair and
ottoman to the touch of plaid on the walls, every surface nurtures and evokes a sense of warmth. Says Engh, “The more texture the merrier!”

Jim Thompson Fabrics’ Malachite wallcovering in Rose Quartz gives the room an organic touch. It’s the perfect foil to some of the more linear features. Photograph by Stephane Kossmann.

Gather Around

It was all about creating a multipurpose room for designer Amy Andrews of Amy Andrews Interior Design. “I wanted a Zen space where you just could kind of melt into it,” says Andrews. “A place you could go read or you could have a cup of tea, you could have a cocktail, or you could just go and sit and be comfortable.” A plethora of colors, patterns, and plush textures gives the ephemeral space a feeling of permanence.

A stenciled hide rug from Saddlemans acts as a stylish—and unexpected—anchor for the room. Photograph by Jane Beiles.

Simply Glamorous

“I do a lot of blue and white because my clients love it,” says designer Prudence Bailey of Prudence Home & Design. “It’s a popular palette, and a lot of people really want to see a blue-and-white room.” Bailey put a fresh spin on it, mixing in multiple patterns, including a vibrant fabric for the window treatments. Known for specifying lacquered ceilings in many of her clients’ homes, Bailey invokes a similar effect here with a high-gloss wallpaper from Holly Hunt. “I love how it reflects the vintage Murano chandelier,” she says.“It creates a lot of magic in the space.”

Sherwin-Williams Likeable Sand is a crowd pleaser. “People looked really good in the reflection of the mirror,” says Phillips. “I feel like it made everyone glow.” PHotograph by Jane Beiles.

A Place for Repose

Designer Elena Phillips of Elena Phillips Interiors envisioned a quiet oasis for her room. “I just really wanted to create something soothing and tranquil, more like an escape,” she says. “I wanted some place you could go and handwrite a note at the desk, or have a friend for a quick conversation, or just be alone. And I felt that it was something that I personally needed.”

A custom fabric design by Erick Espinoza and Anthony Baratta envelops the room; it is accented with Sherwin-Williams Resounding Rose paint color. On the floor, the Portuguese needlepoint rug is by Stark. Photograph by Jane Beiles.

Fabulous Folk

The design of Erick Espinoza’s room is deeply personal. “It was an homage to a client who has passed,” says Espinoza, who is with the firm Anthony Baratta, “and she was a lover of all things Americana. And she loved the world.” After she died, one of her hooked rugs went missing; Espinoza eventually stumbled upon it at an online auction. He won the piece, which ended up being the focal point of the space. Says Espinoza, “It was sort of serendipitous.”

All photography by Jane Beiles except image number two by Stephane Kossmann.