Talk Shop: Anne Wagoner // Anne Wagoner Interiors
ABOUT ANNE
Anne's love for interior design began at an early age. While growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, she was introduced to fine antique furniture and accessories at her grandmother's landmark shop, Carlson Antiques & Gifts. Anne assisted her grandmother on several buying trips to Europe, where she cultivated her passion for design. She later returned to Europe for a five-week study in England, France, and Italy, where she studied architecture and art history. In 2003, Anne interned for Ainsworth-Noah in Atlanta, before working for a combined six years as Staff Designer for two design firms in the Southeast. In 2013, Anne Wagoner Interiors was established in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Outside of the studio, Anne enjoys spending time with her family, as well as traveling, creating and studying art, learning about wellness, reading, and cooking. We love Anne’s work for her deft use of color and fresh take on traditional silhouettes – we also loved sitting down and chatting with her, and hope you do too!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Classic, thoughtful, detailed.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
My grandmother, who was a trailblazer and let me tag along with her as a child while she ran a successful antique business. I was further exposed to the industry through our buying trips to England. She had a passion for decorating, so I was able to learn the design process through her personal projects. I am also influenced by travel and art.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
My company evolved naturally over time, starting with a few hourly consultation projects for friends. We are now grateful to have full-service projects that challenge me creatively. My favorite thing about being a designer is coming up with creative solutions to different design challenges. The most rewarding projects are with clients who trust our vision and implement our designs to completion.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I don’t have a specific mentor, per se, but I have been lucky enough to connect with designers who are secure enough in their profession to share resources and guide me along the way. Katie Emmons, out of Charlotte, NC, is a talented designer who helped me tremendously at the start of my career and I will always be grateful to her. Never forget that a few small acts of kindness can go a long way.
What does your home say about you:
It currently says that I’m putting my “curate” philosophy into practice. None of the rooms in my new house are complete because I am slowly acquiring things I love after our move.
Where do you find inspiration:
Travel, art, vintage design books and shelter magazines
Who are your style icons:
Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Preparation, fresh flowers, intimate seating arrangements, low lighting
Do you collect anything:
Salt cellars, tortoiseshell boxes, and vintage gold jewelry
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@caitlingeierfisher, @torimellott, @stephensillsassociates.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
Rule to follow: foundational elements like architecture and investment furnishings should be timeless. This can mean traditional or modern, but the anchors of your design should last a long time, if not forever. Rule meant to be broken: I love for one of the colors in a space to be just slightly off from the rest to give the illusion or patina. For example, when pulling blues for a scheme, coordinate most of the blues in the same tone and shade, but choose one or two of the fabrics to have an “off” blue (i.e. slightly more aqua or periwinkle than the other blues in the scheme).
What are you working on right now:
We are excited about a new construction project in Raleigh with a modern influence
Wardrobe staples:
I mix special pieces from Tish Cox and Hunter Bell with everyday pieces from Target and J.Crew. And you will always find me wearing vintage gold jewelry.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
Anything from Rosa Bernal, Bernard Thorp or Fleurons de Helene
Best interior advice you ever received:
A curated collection of pieces you love will always look beautiful together.
Best career advice you ever received:
Communication is everything
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Invest in quality furniture and art, save on solid fabrics. There are many pretty solids that don’t break the bank. If you’re on a budget, use the patterned or high-end fabrics as accents.
Your greatest extravagance:
Fresh, organic ingredients when cooking and nice hotels when travelling
Favorite places to shop for home:
Antique shops
Most prized possession and why:
My family’s health and safety. I never take either one for granted.
Your interiors motto:
You’ll never regret investing in quality furnishings, even if that means collecting over time.
Your life motto:
Life can be taken from you so quickly, savor every moment with the people you love.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Collect images of spaces that make your heart skip a beat and look for common links and elements that can translate to your own space.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Caviar service or pizza
Drink: Freshly squeezed organic orange juice with tequila (blanco) and a splash of soda
Film: The French film, The Intouchables, and Nancy Meyers’ It’s Complicated
Hotel: Blackberry Farm, The Ritz Paris, High Hampton
City: Paris
Bedding: Leontine
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Wellness is a passion of mine and I’ve learned that the brand, Bulletproof, makes a clean coffee that I love. I drink this every morning with monk fruit and coconut milk.
Playlist: French Cafe playlist, Spa music, David Gray radio, Futurebirds radio
Weekend Activity: Reading, cooking, laughing with my family and friends, organizing my house
Design Book: The Decorator by Florence de Dampierre (Rizzoli), a snapshot of the design masters in one book