Ep. 220: designer Charlotte Lucas

We are beyond thrilled to welcome our guest today, Charlotte Lucas, of Charlotte Lucas Interior Design based in Charlotte, North Carolina! Since starting her business in 2012 she has been featured in ELLE DECOR, Southern Living, Veranda, House Beautiful, and more. Charlotte also has an incredible fabric and wallpaper line called House of Harris. We talk about Charlotte’s love of color and patterns, how she balances funky and traditional, using layers, and more!

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• Trials & Triumphs with nursery completion, organizing kid clothes, basement flooding, house updates, and caretaker insight.
• Charlotte’s approach to choosing bold upholstery.
• How Charlotte helps her clients visualize their spaces with artist renderings.
• What is Charlotte’s process for getting to know the client and their tastes?
• When, where, and how does Charlotte use a contrast wall?
• How does Charlotte balance traditional and daring styles?
• More about Charlotte’s fabric & wallpaper line House of Harris.
• Charlotte leans towards funky MCM pieces, but mixes them in with other styles.
• Charlotte loves using layers and telling a story in a space.
• What are Charlotte’s g0-to accessories and where do her clients usually struggle?
• What unusual pieces does Charlotte like to put on bookshelves?
• What is Charlotte’s approach to gallery walls?
• Important questions about designing Taryn’s door!

Decorating Dilemma 

Hi Shari,

We just did this for a client! A beach house is all about embracing where you are. So this is a place to restrain from color, as hard as it is, and go for texture, layers, and warmth. I like to do this with materials like caning, bamboo, rattan, and anything woven. There are so many vintage dealers both in local coastal outlets and online for wonderful pieces like this. I would definitely keep the furniture neutral but maybe add soft color with a lamp/lampshade or other accessory; your pillows would be a great place to add some. You could even paint one of those woven pieces. Try to grab color inspiration from your natural, outdoor surroundings (i.e. sky, sunset, sands, plants, etc) at different times of day. Another great thing for a beach house is grasscloth wallpaper. It’s not terribly expensive and it provides incredible texture; there are a lot of brands out there. You could even do it in the back of the bookshelves! We think your rug is too small, so think you should either size it up, or layer it with another bigger rug. With an open floor plan, it is important to create defined and separate spaces. Light fixtures in the kitchen or dining area could definitely help accomplish this.

You already have a great base, so no drastic suggestions! You can message me on Instagram at @charlottelucas if you have more questions or want to send me after photos!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Charlotte Lucas Interior Design

Charlotte Lucas on Instagram

House of Harris

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