Southern Charm

"The South is a very special place, rooted in tradition and strength of character-both of its men and women. As a professional business woman, I have always admired the strong southern women who maintain grace, but hold their ground and the Rhett Butlers of the world who embrace them...Southern women seem to balance strength, femininity and a spitfire perseverance--and thrive in a world even more traditionally thought of as a 'man's world' than the rest of America." -Katherine Stefan, Editorial Director/Publisher

The quote is from an editorial I clipped in the last few years from a local lifestyles magazines. In recent years, I have come to accept how growing up in the South has shaped much of who I am as an adult, including my general attitude and notions of home and hospitality.

Try as I might to escape to the world of Ikea, I continue to be drawn first to the grand yet relaxed and classic southern style which is often times just modern enough for me with a Lucite table or shiny tile in the design. Seeing pics in print of this style is getting a little tougher as it seems like all of the Southern design mags are folding. Recent posts on Garden and Gun's Design Blog, Belle Decor highlight the loss of some of these mags as well as profile Southern Designer, Suzanne Kasler. Her work in the South (Atlanta) for Southern homes of all styles, not to mention her new book set to arrive later this year is truly inspiring, Southern style.

Images from Suzanne Kasler Interiors

In addition to seeing more of Suzanne's work at Belle Decor also check our Garden and Gun's article on the "The Southern Part of Heaven".