Page 115 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2024

Holly Harrison has been a licensed interior designer for over 35 years.
Shannon Stage has spent nearly
20 years in the giftware industry. Together they own Sassy Bird Interiors in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Sassy Bird Interiors
122 Court St., Bay St. Louis 228.344.3181 | www.sassybirdinteriors.com
Tall, elegant windows and soaring ceilings distinguish Southern homes even though central air conditioning and improved insulation have made their original intent of providing breezes and capturing hot, humid air much less important. No explanation is needed
for raised foundations and the lack of basements in South Mississippi. Nearly everyone has experienced, beating rains, flooding, or a hurricane or two. Any South Mississippian can describe the smell of steam rising off the pavement after a gully washing rain on a hot afternoon.
Southern cottages share porches and handsomely trimmed windows with
their multi-storied siblings, but the larger homes often have stately balconies and exterior staircases. Ornamental ironwork sometimes enhances or takes the place of robust columns, but columns are still the pillars of Southern architecture – pardon the pun. Exterior staircases can be basic and simple or winding and magnificent, but either suggests that at some point in time, a young lady in a long, exquisite gown has descended the steps to the delight of a dapper beau.
Inspiring landscaping offers an introduction to the Southern home. Deep green magnolia trees might blend with tropical palms to provide the backdrop for the blooming camillas, azaleas, and hydragenas. Majestic oaks stand guard
as silent witnesses to the passage of time.
Neatly trimmed sidewalks lead guests right up to the front steps and beckon them inside. There is a flow between the exterior and the interiors of a Southern home. The views through the large front windows connect to the outdoors even after stepping through the front door. Layered interior décor gives the sense one is in familiar territory. Warmth pours out from the well-worn family antiques or thoughtfully collected contemporary pieces that seem to flawlessly mix like
a good gin and tonic. If you are not offered something to eat or drink soon after entering a Southerner’s home, turn around and walk out, something is wrong.
Southerners are not afraid to use
color, even if that means committing to one color throughout the home. Every decorating choice makes a statement about the family that lives there, whether it is the collection of family photographs or souvenirs from worldly travels displayed on the walls and on furniture. Southerners like to be surrounded by memories.
Everything changes. We learn, we grow, we make new memories. But
there are some things that stay the same. The graciousness, inside and out, of a beautiful Southern home is one of those things. We cannot completely explain what makes a Southern home so special. You just know one when you see it. You know one when you feel it.
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