The Queen in Us

Texas-based designer Carolyn Upshaw-Ellis (interiorstyling_myway) is one of our all time favorite designers. Her ability to layer elements and add sophistication to a space is truly amazing. Carolyn recently designed her front sitting room using our Ivory and Grey Dots pillow covers. Follow along as we chat about design decisions, inspiration, and tips on how to craft a space that flows.

Let's first start by telling the fam a little bit about yourself!

I have worked in the insurance industry for twenty-six years but have always had a passion for interior styling. While that is not my professional career, it is a passion I share with family and friends by styling spaces for them.

If you named your project what would it be called and why?

If I had to name this space it would be The Queen in Us. I wanted to create an understated but a wow factor type of space when you enter my home. This space was meant to be a dining room but I knew when we purchased this 40 year-old home it would be my conversation room. It is an odd room in that it does not have any windows. The challenge was to style it in a way where that was not noticeable.

What was your inspiration for this space?

The inspiration is the beautiful queen on the wall. I like to infuse African or Black art with transitional and glam.

What was it that drew you to the Ivory and Grey Dots fabric?

The gray dot fabric pairs well with the art and rug. I chose these pillows because of the beauty but also the quality. The print is an attention grabber without stealing the show.

We love everything about this sitting room! There’s so many little details that make up the bigger picture. Could you give a few pointers on how to help a design flow?

As far as flow, I always look at a space from all angles. How does it look and feel sitting in the space. If is it an open space, how does it look if your are viewing from other rooms. This space is open to the foyer and directly across from a space we use as our pool table room. If you notice, the color palette is complementary to each other but with subtle differences. The chairs in the pool table room are black as opposed to the wheat color in the conversation room but they share shades of purple and lilac. I admire and incorporate trends but my style is not trend driven. I tend to use accent pieces interchangeably and that keeps my spaces fresh. I have used the grey dot fabrics in my primary space also and they are just as beautiful there.