The Dalton-Bell-Cameron house, built in 1914, was one of the most unique homes in High Point, North Carolina. Built in the Craftsman style, the house was quite different from its more traditional Victorian and Colonial neighbors. But the pioneering structure was stricken by two major fires—one in 1997 and the other in 2012—and by 2017 it was in such a forlorn state that the city ordered it be to be either repaired or demolished.
At that point, the High Point Preservation Society stepped in to save it, just prior to it being sold to Rick Lewis and his wife Margaret Bell Lewis, who had once lived there as a child. Following the purchase, the Society and the Junior League of High Point moved quickly to help with the goal of restoring the home. To assist the new owners with some of the restoration costs, they decided to raise funds by creating a showhouse in the historic home, enlisting a diverse group of 21 extraordinary designers to bring the interiors back to life.
In our recently released aspire design and home Showhouse Issue, we sat down with Kristen McCory to learn more about her creative process in designing the fourth bedroom for this project.
aspire design and home: How much time did you have to complete this room, start to finish?
Kristen McCory: I first had the opportunity to view, measure, and see the room in April 2019. So, approx. 5 months was the timeline.
aspire: What was your biggest challenge? Did you have a Eureka moment during the process?
Kristen: My biggest challenge was the walls. I knew I wanted pattern and wallpaper but I could not find exactly what I was looking for. So, in the end, I decided to design my own.
aspire: What did you and your team accomplish that you thought would not happen in time?
Kristen: Making sure the wallpaper was printed, sent, and installed on time was a lot of pressure. The show house was opening in October and the decision to design our own paper and have it printed actually did not even begin until the beginning of September.
aspire: What was your inspiration for this room?
Kristen: I am not sure if there was one particular thing that inspired me. I wanted to do something a little different than my normal designs. I love color, but this time around I wanted a more tone-on-tone look. I wanted the space to have more of a traditional mix. The architecture of a house along with my chosen color palette often drives my design. Neutrals and greens were my driving force for this space.
aspire: Did you step out of your comfort zone for this project, and if so, why?
Kristen: Yes, in a way. I studied surface pattern design along with interior design in college, however, I have not done any pattern designing in quite some time. Deciding to design my own wallpaper for the space with a month left before opening to the public, I would definitely say took me out of my comfort zone.
aspire: Despite the fact that there were so many designers involved, there is an inherent cohesiveness to the home. Did you all converse/collaborate? Or was this a completely individual process?
Kristen: Ironically I did not. However, Chad James created an amazing men’s retreat next to my ladies’ retreat. Which was not known until installation day. You would have thought we had conversed prior with how our rooms spoke to one another but we did not.
aspire: Is your preference for a showhouse a small space or a large space? Does one or the other provide a better opportunity to stretch your creativity?
Kristen: I prefer a smaller space.
This or That?
aspire: Paint or wallpaper?
Kristen: Wallpaper
aspire: Hardwood or rug?
Kristen: Rug on hardwood
aspire: Beach or Mountains?
Kristen: Mountains
aspire: Saturated Color or Black and White?
Kristen: Saturated Color
aspire: Brunch or Dinner?
Kristen: Dinner
aspire: Midcentury or 18th Century?
Kristen: 18th Century
aspire: Draperies, shades, or nothing?
Kristen: Drapery
aspire: 2001: A Space Odyssey or The English Patient?
Kristen: The English Patient
aspire: Week at the spa or Week of Broadway shows?
Kristen: Broadway Shows
Photography by Dustin Peck.
Click Here to view more interviews with the 2019 Junior League of High Point Designers’ Showhouse designers.
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