Everyone loves to know about the design of our luxury lakefront homes, so we have been chatting with our designers to get a behind-the-scenes look at their process. We want to know how they start, where they get their inspiration, and how you can achieve some of their magic-making in your own space. This month we’re talking to Emily Murray, the designer of our newest property, Waddell Waters. Emily spent the first part of her career as a nurse practitioner and transitioned to home design after realizing that design is where her true passion lies.
How did you get into designing vacation homes?
I’m the owner of Showhomes Charlotte, and we are first and foremost a home staging company. I started in home staging because it has a bit of a scientific method to it. Interior design and making a home beautiful isn’t just about being able to find pretty things or put pretty things together. That’s part of it, of course, but there’s a lot of considering the scale, the dimensions, the textures, etc. All of that matters, and some of that is quite scientific. So that was the weird bridge between my science brain and my artistic brain.
The other thing I realized when I was doing home staging was that I really enjoy designing for a purpose. It was a natural segue, then, into the world of furnishing short-term rentals and vacation homes. Similarly, you’re not designing only for the owner. The point of creating a vacation home is that you want to appeal to people who want to go somewhere new and feel away from it all. In some ways, it is similar to home staging, in that you want to appeal to as many people as possible in a very specific way.
I found the vacation home design side of things to be super fun because you get to go a little bit outside the box. People want to be in a different world when they’re on vacation, right? I feel like vacation homes are a little less about functionality and more about fun. So you have the chance and the opportunity to do something different.
How do you start on a project of this size?
The important thing to start with is a general vibe and flow for a project. I collaborated with the homeowner and asked her to send me pictures of rooms that she loved and that spoke to her. Then I pulled together what I felt was similar between all of those pictures and had a discussion with her about what I thought her style was and how she envisioned this home. After doing that, I thought about how to translate our ideas to fit in a lake house. I wanted the home to still have a lake house vibe. So we landed on “modern coastal” as a general theme, but drawing a lot from the idea of nature – the lake, the woods, etc.
Is there a space in the home that you enjoyed designing most?
My favorite space in the house is the primary bedroom. I put a giant wall mirror on the other side of the bed that you don’t see in the pictures, and it reflects all of the green and the blue from the decor. But then there’s also those gorgeous bay windows. One thing you can do is use a huge mirror to reflect something beautiful, because then you get beautiful times two. So, that is my favorite space. I would love to hang out here. I can envision myself shutting the door and enjoying being alone, surrounded by peace.
Any specific design elements or features of this home that you love?
The owner wanted to use wallpaper in a couple of ways. So that was really fun to explore. I sourced it locally here in Charlotte at a studio called Celedore. It’s one of those places where you walk in and there are wall-to-wall books of wallpaper. The women who work there know everything about every random wallpaper, so I told them what we were thinking and they helped me land on the right thing. I think the wallpaper choices turned out really great.
The owner also wanted some special “moments” in the house. We did that with the wallpaper and some cool light fixtures. And then she envisioned a spot where people would want to sit and take a picture to post on Instagram. Right when you go down to the lower level, the first thing you see is that blue bubble couch. It’s not really practical, but it’s awesome, fun and funky.
Where do you go for design inspiration?
High Point Market is basically like Disneyland for interior designers, so walking through those markets can be super inspirational. This is why North Carolina is such an awesome place to be for this industry, because you can just go and see things in person. I also find myself looking at the details of home pictures a lot more. Even when on Zillow now I can’t look at a house listed without looking at the furniture. Home stagers have their styles, too. Everyone’s got their own design personality.
And, catalogs never get old! I like the Frontgate catalog, Lulu and Georgia, and Serena and Lily. Those are some of my favorites.
Do you have advice for people wanting to do something to upgrade their space?
One of my favorite things in a house is an unnecessary but comfy sitting nook, like a nook where the purpose is to sit down and chill with a book or a cup of coffee. It makes a space feel more special, more indulgent. That’s what I try to do, especially when we like stage or design primary bedrooms, is create a space that’s either two chairs and a little coffee table, or even a bench at the end of the bed. I like to design something, even something small, that people wouldn’t necessarily think they need but feels indulgent.
Want to experience Waddell Waters for yourself?
Come see Waddell Waters for yourself and get a pic for Instagram on that blue bubble couch. Call our StayLakeNorman reservations team today to book this gorgeous getaway!
