When Heather Carter bought her new townhome at Trinity Brownstones in Raleigh, she hoped it would be her last home as a single lady—which meant she wanted to make it her own, from top to bottom. The location was perfect—central and close to a great driving range for when she wanted to hit a few golf balls.

While scrolling her social media feed, Carter came across some work by Nichole Blough Interiors and knew she had to contact Blough to work on her new home. The pair hit it off and planned out a fun, feminine, and classic design for her living spaces. “One thing Heather told me at the start was that even though she is a girly girl, her Georgia farm-girl roots make her a tomboy at heart,” Blough recalls. “She loves pink (but didn’t want to go overboard), photography, and family heirlooms—my kind of girl.”

Blough admits that this project is a perfect mix of her signature style and her client’s vision. “Mixing Heather’s loves with my love of bright colors, bold patterns, and timeless design really created some exciting elements in this space,” she says.

Blough started with the dining area, knowing that the banquette she had planned would be the connector between the kitchen and living room. She wanted to find a fabric that would bring both color schemes together to create an easy flow throughout the home. “It took a bit for us to find the one, but I couldn’t be happier with the fabric we settled on,” Blough says, referencing the floral-print pillows on the banquette. The end result is a home full of heirlooms mixed with pops of color, Slim Aarons photographs, and fine art.

“This project took longer than my average project because we took our time and Heather was intentional with every single decision,” Blough says. “However, what’s cool is that over the two-and-a-half-year working relationship, Heather went from designing a bachelorette pad to getting engaged the weekend after we wrapped up the last shot!” In fact, the J. Wilkinson monogrammed chair in the living room design is a piece she will likely cherish forever, as the monogram includes her maiden name. “Heather always let me know which pieces were a must for her, and we would find a way to incorporate them into the design, while also keeping them fresh,” Blough says. “Hopefully I can help her decorate her home with her new husband when the time comes.”

When designing your own home, Blough says it’s important to pay attention to what makes you happy. “When I start a project, I always ask my client to show me something they love about their home. Usually I get a simple, quick response that imparts to me a ton about the client’s style,” she says. “Use this same method when starting a design of your own. What existing pieces, colors, and patterns really make you happy? This will start to help you identify a style without getting overwhelmed with the bigger picture.”