Brilliant friends | Interior Decorator Eric Ross from Franklin, Tennessee

Brilliant friends | Interior Decorator Eric Ross from Franklin, Tennessee

Photo by Evin Smith Krehbiel

Eric Ross is the principal designer at Eric Ross Interiors, an interior design business he owns together with his wife, Ruthann. I am delighted to share our conversation with a few of his inspiring ideas about how he approaches his work. Specializing in residential interior design and interior decoration in Greater Nashville, Brentwood, and Franklin, Tennessee, Eric's list of grateful, ecstatic clients is long. He has a knack of blending traditional style with contemporary pieces for the way we live today, and his great sense of humor is often evident in the rooms he designs. As Eric states: "Anyone can sell you a sofa, a chair, a lamp… we are creating rooms in your home for your family and friends to enjoy. They are the backdrops to some of the most important moments in your life." Eric believes in delivering a personal interpretation of a client's vision that is elegant and distinctive, so that their home truly is a reflection of their personal taste. "What I want more than anything is to "wow" you by creating a room that truly represents you… only better. As a designer, I hope to create beauty in your world." I am so grateful that Eric agreed to have a chat with me, so that all of you can get to know him, and see some of the beautiful rooms he has designed. 1. Please tell us a little about yourself. I am a Southern designer, based in Franklin, Tennessee, just south of Nashville. Franklin is a historic town with notoriety as the site of the bloodiest battle of the civil war where 5 confederate generals died. It suits me and my design sensibilities perfectly in that Franklin is quietly elegant, grounded with deep roots in tradition and of course, charm—a quality hard to quantify but a trait that most people are quick to recognize.

My wife, Ruthann, and I are the owners of Eric Ross Interiors . I am the principal designer and she is the business manager. Really her title should be COO, because she is definitely the one who keeps the day to day operations running. We have one daughter, Julianne, who is 11. Our dog, Darby, is our company mascot! Eric's dog Darby sometimes writes blog posts of his own! You can read Darby's design tips here: Darby Does Design

2. When did you realize you wanted to design beautiful interiors? Well, this one is easy. I always knew I wanted to design beautiful interiors, because, well, who wants to design ugly ones?! Seriously, I have been designing interiors really all of my life. As a young boy I would help my sister, who is 14 years older than me, decorate her house. My aunt loves to tell the story of how I would tell her that her candles needed to match her curtains! 3. How would you describe your design style? I would describe my design style as casual elegance, which, of course, isn’t a new term, but it does describe what I try to achieve in the rooms I create. I try not to create rooms that reflect me, but rather my clients’ tastes. One of my beliefs is that your home should represent who you are on your best day—like you are going to the Academy Awards. Oscar de la Renta said, “Elegance is a discipline.” This is so true. Elegance doesn’t just happen in our homes. It has to be cultivated and prepared everyday. But wow, what a difference our homes make to us and to those who we invite into them when we practice elegance. 4. What inspires you? My main inspiration for rooms comes from fabrics and innovative color schemes. I’m obsessed with Spearmint and Navy right now. I’ve presented a couple of projects using this and it’s been well received as an update to the seaside palette of aqua and gray. 5. If your interior spaces had a message, what would you like them to say? I want all of my spaces to talk! I want them to say, “Hello, gorgeous!” I want people to be inspired by the rooms I create. I try to create what I call little moments for the visitor that they discover over time. One of my gimmicks in every room I do is candy. I love to put matching candy in the room. It’s a little thing, but client’s notice it and appreciate it. Chocolate is an essential luxury, especially in the bathroom. 6. What’s your favorite antique find, and where did you use it? Oh, gosh. I have lots of favorites. It would have to be my Great Room rug. It’s a Sultanabad that has all my favorite colors in it. It’s a real show-stopper. It’s also special because a dear friend and client gave it to me as a house warming gift. 7. How do you incorporate antiques and vintage pieces into your designs for clients? I personally love antiques, so when clients want to use antiques in their interior design, it's fun. I try to layer old and new in all my rooms. I feel it makes rooms more livable and relatable, not just to the homeowner, but to their guests, who may not be comfortable around antiques. It's about the mix, not the match. I like mixing patterns, bringing in antiques, a collected look so things appear to have been collected over time. Some people like vintage, but that can be a little “Junktique” if you know what I mean. I am very discerning when it comes to vintage. I prefer antiques. They don’t have to be fine, but they can’t look like they came out of a barn. 8. Who is your design muse? Charles Faudree. I admired him as well as his decorating style very much, he had such a gift for "the mix", layering pattern and colors that resulted in beautiful, amazing rooms. He's always been an inspiration to me. I've read all his books, kept every article ever written about him in magazines, visited all his show house rooms, and heard him speak. My wife Ruthann and I were fortunate to meet Charles and were able to speak with him not long before he passed away. I was thrilled when asked by a long time client to design her sunroom in typical Faudree style, with a collected, Continental look. Eric's beautiful work has been lauded and published in shelter magazines, see his work featured in Southern Lady Magazine HERE. 9.What is one thing we could all change or add to our homes that would add elegance? Beautiful lamps. I often tell my clients to change out their lamps. Lighting is like jewelry for your home. Don't settle for lamps that you can buy everywhere, either. You can have anything made into a unique, elegant lamp, an antique figurine, an unusual urn, something you truly cherish. This will add a one of a kind lamp to your decorating scheme, further telling your own personal story in your interiors. LOVES & INSPIRATION: 1. My favorite colors are: Blue, blue and blue! I do love blue. My favorite color combination is blue and green. I have a bulter’s pantry and it’s apple green wallpaper with all my blue and white dishes. It’s one of my favorite spaces. 2. If I could have one wish, I would wish for: I love clients who allow me to do what I love without their own restraints. So, when I start a new project my wish is always for the client to allow me to create the most beautiful room for them, with an unlimited budget too, of course!

One of my personal favorites, Eric transformed this sunroom from tired to exceptional!

{Note the urn and plinth next to the green chair}

3. Right now I am reading: The 15 Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell. I’m always looking to improve. 4. My favorite place is: Old Edwards Inn, Highlands, NC —no question! It’s my idea of heaven. 5. I can’t live without: My amazing assistant, Christine Barker. She brings serenity to my design madness. 6. A FrenchGardenHouse antique I adore: The Antique Bohemian Turquoise Blue Hand Blown Glass Enameled Pitcher and Glass Set. This would be perfect on a dressing table in a guest room with fresh flowers and votive candles. And of course, the color is amazing! Love Eric's style? Contact him here, visit his blog, Facebook, and Twitter for more inspiration! Design your own well-collected and personal interiors with antiques and decor from FrenchGardenHouse.

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Do you have a favorite room that Eric designed? Share which one it is below…we all want to know which is your favorite.

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