INTERIORS
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Holly Hollingsworth Phillips is a residential interior designer , co-owner of The English Room and author of the popular blog , “ Musings of a Design Aficionado .” She has completed homes all along the East Coast , which range from super-modern to very traditional while keeping it true to her colorful , eclectic and elegant style . Holly says , “ Color makes people happy !” She loves mixing the tradition of the past with the modern style of the future .
Holly has worked in design from a very early age . Her mother , Nancy Hollingsworth , is a well-known interior designer , and specializes in the English Country style . Childhood play dates would turn into magical discussions with mothers while they moved around furniture . She accompanied her mother to antiques shows and went on her first European buying trip at age 12 . Holly ’ s childhood home was designed by Mario Buatta , also known as “ The Prince of Chintz .” She has fond memories of introducing Mr . Buatta to Chick-fil-a nuggets while discussing “ decorating ” as a third grader . Her lifelong passion for the decorative arts has never waned and led her to the profession of interior design .
Holly ’ s early experience includes working with Alexandra Stoddard and at Sotheby ’ s in New York City . In addition to completing a Mint Museum Senior Study , she also studied at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center . After graduating with a degree in Art History from Rollins College , Holly attended the Sotheby ’ s 17th and 18th century decorative arts program in London . She has also completed The Winter Institute at Winterthur , which provided exposure to one of the most complete collections of American Antiques in existence . Her first “ professional ” job was with Travis & Company in Atlanta where she ran the Antiques side of the showroom . She earned another degree in Interior Design from the American College for the Applied Arts in Atlanta . In 1999 , Holly joined her mother full time at the English Room in Charlotte . n
PUBLISHER ’ S PICKS 2023 89