Through the many homes we’ve featured in Urban Home Magazine, we’ve discovered this is never the case for interior designers. In fact, it’s the constant evolution of style in their own homes that keep their eyes keen and their style sharp, and when we get the rare opportunity to showcase a designer’s home, we’re just giddy to share such a personal space. Angie Persson, interior designer and one-half owner of Swell Décor in Charlotte alongside Merrin Lowe, opened up her home and proved unequivocally that the cobbler’s children have beautiful shoes.
After working and studying design abroad in London for five years, Angie and her husband moved back to Charlotte. The search took three months, and though the home they purchased was not their “dream home,” they were eager to maximize its potential.
“Before moving in, we renovated the kitchen and repainted the entire house,” remembers Angie. “Since then, 10 and lots of small projects along the way.”
The busy family of four rarely slows down, so the Perssons knew they needed a home that would call them to relax. The large trees and older homes of the neighborhood spoke to the calm they were looking for, but the in-town location was perfect for their need for activity. With her husband’s Swedish background, Angie discovered a love of Swedish antiques and incorporates them all over her home, mixed oddly, though perfectly, with Mid-Century modern and contemporary pieces.
“I usually start with a design plan that’s in scale with the room and has a neutral canvas. Then I add the fun stuff over time with layering,” explains Angie. “One of the benefits of being a designer is having access to the newest things on the market – so it never fails, when I am out shopping for clients, I usually find something I need too!” The other benefit, of course, is working with talented locals like Andrew Roby for her most recent renovation last spring, and William Perez, who painted the branch piece that hangs in their back courtyard as well as a few pieces in her home.
“One of the benefits of being a designer is having access to the newest things on the market – so it never fails, when I am out shopping for clients, I usually find something I need too!”
“William works for Merrin and I on many client projects, so it’s a win-win for me.”
Angie’s passion for antiques and treasures from her travels can be seen in every nook of her home along with pieces made of Lucite, and tons of texture in the form of cowhides, reclaimed wood, horns and fluffy pillows.
“My favorite pieces are the elk antlers in the dining room, the petrified wood coffee table in the sun room and the original oil painting of a doll that was gifted to my daughter, which now hangs in the living room,” she says. Angie adds that she tries to avoid a home that looks overly decorated, but that instead is cozy, relaxing and unpredictable.
“Design is about breaking the rules and creating a home with a story.” Of course, her expertly mixed accessories are only amplified by her booth at Cotswold Marketplace called “Simply Swedish,” where she sells her signature mix of Swedish antiques, sourced directly from Sweden courtesy of their summer family vacations, and Mid-Century and contemporary pieces.
“I only buy what I love and in the event it doesn’t sell, it comes home with me,” she laughs.