Canvas Conversations with Flourish Spaces

Flourish Spaces is a Richmond, Virginia based, full-service interior design firm.

Flourish Spaces helps to refine clients' vision, provide access to unique materials and thoughtful solutions, create visuals to guide good selections, and provide useful recommendations on design investments. 

We asked Stevie McFadden, of Flourish Spaces, five questions to learn more about her practice, habits, dreams, and her interior design tips & tricks. Read more below:



Q: Describe your design style in three words.
A: Personal. Collected. Classic.

Q:  If you could design a room for any person, who would you choose?
A: It would be amazing to design a room for someone like Sarah Jessica Parker, who is known for her strong personal style. Whether you love or hate her getups, you can't deny that she OWNS  her unique style. Trying to translate that sense of self and story into a personal (but still cohesive) space would be a really fun creative and professional challenge.

Q: What was the name of the last book you read?
A: This may be cheating a bit, but I listened to Ina Garten's memoir (which she narrates). I've always admired her style and assumed she had sort of stumbled her way into her empire with raw talent and luck and financial backing from Jeffrey. Boy, was I wrong. She is a force and she built that business with hard work, savvy, good vision and by following her instincts as well as her passion. It was so inspiring. Also, hearing her talk about creating her apartment in paris, shopping the markets and of course, creating sumptuous dishes left me daydreaming (and drooling a bit). 

Q: Is there a design trend that you think will stand the test of time?
A: Hmmm. I think the nature of a trend is just that - it's "of the moment" and likely not destined to become a classic, maybe resurfacing from time to time in slightly modified form. I think the things that are timeless are items that we love - because they are personal or speak to us -  sometimes modified slightly or mixed with modern pieces to keep them relevant. 

Q: What inspired your love of design?
A: We moved twice when I was at formative ages (once at age 9 and again at age 13). My mom was a do-it-yourselfer, sewing her own curtains, putting up wallpaper, reimagining and creating a new home for how she imagined we'd live in it. She drug my brother and I to wallpaper and fabric stores and we were always traipsing through new houses being built in our neighborhood. I think I fell in love with the idea of all the possibilities for what a home could become. At the same time, we returned frequently to the town where I was born and our extended family lived. My aunt and my great aunt had homes that were the opposite of newly created - they were curated with  beautiful things that had been a part of the family(ies) and gave a wonderful sense of familiarity and timeless style. Both experiences influenced my style but also helped realize the power of design to evoke emotions of comfort and possibility.

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Click here to explore Stevie McFadden's Five Fine Art Favorites!