Home tour: Interior designer shows us around her new build near Freedom Park

Photo: Laura Sumrak, courtesy of Alexis Pawling

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If you want a masterclass in how to use “pops of color” in your home, look no further than interior designer Alexis Pawling’s house.

The industry veteran knew exactly what she wanted when building her own house: luxury you can live in (with two kids and three dogs) that doesn’t shy from color.

Who: Pawling was born and raised in Manhattan. She and her husband, Matt, moved to Charlotte as newlyweds in 2007. She owns her own company called Alexis Pawling Interiors, and he’s an attorney at Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft.

They have two daughters, Logan (age 12) and Finley (age 7), and three rescue dogs.

Alexis Pawling

The Pawlings have actually lived on the same property near Freedom Park since 2010, but in 2020 they decided to tear down their 1951 Arts & Crafts ranch and build new.

The house worked well for the family while the girls were younger, but their needs changed.
Prior to committing to build, they spent a year searching for a new home but ultimately decided their location couldn’t be beat.

The new house is 4,000 square feet with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. A huge waterfall island, lots of quality lighting and first-floor primary suite were top priorities.

Pawling was also conscious of the scale of their new build, so it didn’t overwhelm the streetscape. Though they wanted to build something larger than the ranch, it was still important for the house to fit on the property

The entry immediately shows off Pawling’s personality with an antique chest, modern gold light fixture and a colorful custom piece by Texas-based artist Marcy Cook.

Layout: The first floor includes the den, living room, kitchen, dining room, mudroom, laundry room, half bath, wet bar and primary suite.

The second floor includes the girls’ rooms, a guest room and bathrooms.
Builder Mills Eloge executed on the vision.

The home office has a secret door that leads to the primary bedroom. It allows the Pawlings to enter their bedroom from the front of the house.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate this lipstick ceiling wallpaper. *Chef’s kiss 💋*

Design: Pawling is all about functional beauty — and it shows. The couches in the living room are large enough for lounging, for example. And there’s only one dining space (instead of a breakfast nook and formal dining room, common in other houses of this size).

Yes, the house is pretty to look at it, but Pawling also designed the spaces to meet their needs.
“Your home should be a reflection of your personality and should bring you joy and comfort,” she said.

Style: Every room in Pawling’s house looks a little different from the next room, but each space has a mix of old and new, classic and modern, elegant and comfortable.

“Technically the term used to describe my style is ‘transitional’, which for me, means I love mixing old with new and my color choices are imaginative,” Pawling said.

This wet bar area is an example of how Pawling blends luxury and utility and plays with pops of color. This hall connects the main living areas to the back half of the house. The proximity to the dining room makes it a sensible spot to have a bar, and the blue looks gorgeous.

The laundry room is even pretty.

Favorite spaces and items: Pawling’s favorite space is the kitchen. The white cabinets and mixed metals create a timeless look, while the dramatic veining in the island and backsplash bring a little drama.

“There’s one item that makes me smile everyday because it is smart and so efficient: I have automated sunshades on the first floor windows,” Pawling said. The shades are programmed to open and close at certain times everyday.

Pawling also loves the rock crystal Kelly Wearstler brass sconces in the den. They’re timeless, bold and modern and function almost like statement earrings for the all-pink room.

Pawling used this wallpaper in three areas of the house: the powder room and the upstairs playroom, and the piece of art in the entry incorporates butterflies clipped from the paper.