Southern Chic

An interior decorator leaves her stylish mark on her Oxford home.

Written by Eugene Stockstill  |  Photographed by Joe Worthem

Sure, you could go to Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook to study interior decorator Emily Ryan’s style. But wouldn’t you prefer to see the home she and her husband designed? Actually, she designed it, and he added the 80-inch TV.

“You have to make compromises,” she said, and she laughed because the gigantic television doesn’t exactly fit the living room’s decor.

Well, who cares if it’s not the perfect match? Ryan sure doesn’t. The 30-something Ole Miss graduate, who has two businesses (Legacie Marketing and Emily Ryan Interiors), a blog (Little House of Chic) and Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook sites (search “Little House of Chic” to find her), is all about outside-the-box thinking.

“I love mixing the traditional with the fresh, like pairing an antique mirror with crisp white linens or a classic floral fabric with a clean-lined chair,” she said. “It’s that blend of old and new that creates warmth and character.”

Born in Louisiana, raised in Florida, Ryan moved to Atlanta after graduation with her husband, a former Ole Miss football player who owns Elite Carpet & Mats, an athletic flooring business. They returned to Oxford for what they thought would be a short-term stay, got pleasantly stuck in “the velvet ditch” and now have zero plans to move. They still own a house in Florida, but the house she designed in Oxford seems like her pride and joy.

 “Many of the pieces have a story to tell,” she said. “I always pop into antique stores or local home shops when I travel and try to find a treasure to bring back. That sense of history and storytelling gives each room and every object its own personality.”

Built in 2006, the painted brick residence is two stories and around 2,500 square feet, has 3 bedrooms and 3 ½ bathrooms. Boxwoods and hydrangeas populate the yard in abundance.

One of the first surprises when you step inside is a mahjong setup in the dining room, which is not just there for show. Ryan and some friends are currently learning the game from a nationally registered instructor.

Ryan also had spritzes poured in fine glasses with mint and lime garnish (see recipe on page 30), much in the same way old-South hostesses would offer mint juleps to guests.

Classic Southern is Ryan’s go-to style. There’s a wide-open feel to her space, with light, vibrant colors and natural hues throughout. Ornate touches harken to Southern roots.

“I’m drawn to natural materials, fresh-cut flowers, layered greenery, crisp linens and something cold to sip on,” she said. “These are some of the timeless elements that make Southern design feel so special. There’s a soul to it, a sense of hospitality and heritage, and I feel passionate about keeping that spirit alive.

“I gravitate toward light, bright spaces because they feel fresh, happy and inviting, but I also love to layer in texture, pattern and meaningful details. I’m definitely not a minimalist.”

And if the house reminds you in a way of a Nancy Meyers’ film like “Something’s Gotta Give” (partly set in the Hamptons in New York), that’s not by accident, either.

“I loved the interiors in there,” Ryan said.

The living room (that’s the room with the huge TV) has a blend of some old things and some new things.

“(The wicker stools) are from the Varnish Collection,” Ryan said. “And I had the cushions redone in a bold Brunschwig & Fils fabric called Riviere. I was inspired after seeing a Nick Mele collaboration where they covered a room head to toe in it. I loved using just a pop of it. It really pulls everything together.”

The side chairs are secondhand pieces recovered in soft chenille and finished with Schumacher tape trim.

Elsewhere, you’ll find an authentic Brownie camera, one of several vintage cameras owned by Ryan, who studied photography when she started her blog.  Her grandfather collected cameras, too. A chest in the room is one of several antiques Ryan owns.

One of the neatest pieces in the living room is a bust wearing a Panama hat.

“I found him at an estate sale at a beautiful home in Atlanta. I went a little crazy that day. There were so many treasures,” she said. “He’s one of my favorite pieces in the house. I dress him up for the holidays. He has a little something for every season. Right now, he’s wearing a Panama hat for summer. He’s fun and unexpected and a reminder that your home should make you smile.”

Ryan intended the dining room to feel like “a little garden oasis.” The otherworldly mural there casts the illusion of looking out onto a treescape. The trimmed-out latticework gives the room a modern edge. The chandelier is from New Orleans.

The dining room also mixes styles.

“I paired a 1950s tulip table with Chippendale bamboo chairs, a grand Italian commode, a Gustavian buffet and a French demilune,” she explained.

Ryans’ favorite room is the blue guest bedroom.

“It’s gorgeous during the day with all the light, and at night the color shifts into this rich, warm hue. It just feels relaxing and welcoming. The color is actually called respite, and that’s exactly what it is.”

Ryan referred to “Southern Living” as her textbook, and designers like James Farmer and Bunny Williams have particularly inspired her. She said she uses performance fabrics, “so nothing is too precious, except maybe my Les Touches sofa.”

What makes her proudest of the house she designed?

“Our home in Oxford has truly been a labor of love,” Ryan said. “It’s the first house we’ve designed from a place of really knowing who we are and how we want to live. I wanted it to feel timeless. Elegant but relaxed, with layers of texture, soft colors, and personal touches that tell our story. At the end of the day, my goal was to create a space that’s not just beautiful, but thoughtful, collected, comfortable and full of heart.”

Cheers!

Emily Ryan’s southern-inspired interior design spills over into her hospitality. Here’s a recipe for a cocktail she likes to have ready to welcome guests to her oxford home.

Hugo Spritz

6 fresh mint leaves

½ a lime, sliced

Ice cubes

1 ounce elderflower syrup or elderflower

liqueur (such as St-Germain)

4 ounces prosecco, chilled

2 ounces club soda, chilled

Add mint leaves and lime slices to a wine glass. Gently muddle mint with lime, if desired. Fill glass with ice. Pour in 1 ounce elderflower liqueur, 4 ounces chilled prosecco and 2 ounces chilled club soda. Stir gently to combine, and garnish with mint sprigs and a slice of lime.