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Elizabeth Stuart Design
Location
422 Savannah Hwy.
Charleston, SC, 29407
Photo gallery
Visit Website:
A favorite haunt of discriminating designers and décor enthusiasts throughout its 14 years in Charleston (reopening here from Houston, Texas), Elizabeth Stuart Design is the brainchild of local interiors maven Muffie Faith. From an early age, Muffie’s creative eye was honed by her design-savvy mother and by her father, who was “a fearless collector,” and taught her the thrill of the hunt at flea markets and auctions.
The West Ashley boutique is a global tableau of Mid-century, Italian, English, and French aesthetics. Sofas and serving pieces alike speak of a tastemaker’s love affair with texture, color, and even humor. “Every choice is personal—some of the best advice I ever got was to buy what I love because I might get stuck with it,” she laughs.
With a full-service interiors business encompassing all stages of decorating and design that has captured a national clientele, Muffie creates eclectic, meaningful spaces regularly heralded for their livable luxury by Southern Living, Southern Accents, Charleston Home, and HGTV.
Never one to rest on her laurels, Muffie will launch her own line of fabric and furniture next year and assures that ESD’s wares won’t stagnate either. “I change and evolve, so the inventory will too,” she says.
Q and A Section
Q: What is the concept behind your store?
A: Helping people express themselves through design—your home is truly your nest and should be a soulful, authentic statement of who you are. I also love collecting treasures that people can take home and that will be special to them.
Q: What’s the best part about working with design clients?
A: It’s so much fun looking through new eyes and seeing potential in a space that someone else doesn’t see. And when you help them bring about those possibilities, it completely changes their feelings about their home.
Q: Do you see a new interior design direction emerging in the Lowcountry?
A: For a while there was a lot of blonde wood, and rainforest and earth tones that went along with the green movement. Now I’m seeing people having more confidence and mixing things in a way they haven’t before, so that it’s less a “look,” and more a multifaceted reflection of how they live and the things they like.
Q: Undertaking an interior design project can be daunting. What advice would you give to someone who’s considering one?
A: Don’t forget who you are; ask yourself what the 12-year-old you would like. You can incorporate all the looks you love, but the key is to balance the percentage so they complement each other—eclectic is good, schizophrenic is not.
Q: Everyone’s watching their bottom line. What are some budget-friendly design tips?
A: Search out vintage finds and look for things with good lines that will give you a lot of design mileage. Also, be aware that you don't have to fill a space with a bunch of things; one beautiful piece can carry a room. Paint is another trick that’s so simple but can be so transforming—consider painting the ceiling an interesting color; semi-gloss or high-gloss paint gives a fresh look to furniture. And rearranging your rooms costs nothing more than sweat equity.
Pose your décor and design questions to ESD’s professionals at design@esdcharleston.com
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Fall 2011/Winter 2012
