Photos provided by Natalie Talley
After working at The Sitting Room in Excelsior for over half a decade, interior designer Natalie Talley got the “7-year itch.” “I decided it was time to make a change, branch out, do my own thing, and build my own brand,” Talley says.
So, last year, she opened Talley Jane Interiors in Wayzata with the motto, “My design style is creating the best version of yours.” Her goal is “to translate a client’s vision into a reality they might not have known they had within them,” she explains.
A native of San Diego, she absorbed southern California’s Spanish architecture and natural beauty, which inspires her work today. She completed her degree in Marketing and Communications at San Diego State University, then earned a degree in Interior Design with an emphasis in Construction Management from The Art Institute of San Diego. In fact, she recently finished completing the interior design of a house on Midwest Home’s Luxury Home Tour by Michael Paul Design + Build.
We asked Talley to tell us what she sees happening in interior design for the fall, where she shops, and what’s next on her radar.
As a mother, you know firsthand how to design a home that’s fresh, playful, stylish, but also livable. Many of your clients, in fact, are couples with children.
Yes, and a lot of my clients are concerned with durability. So, I often suggest vinyl wall coverings (which are very popular and protect the walls) and stain-protected fabrics. People are scared of light colors, but you don’t have to be anymore because of developments in fabric protection.
How about color and texture for fall?
I see a lot of warmer colors coming back in, like rust and green. For so long we’ve seen neutral palettes. Now, florals, small block and pinstripe patterns, and a modified ’90s look—with a lot of pattern on pattern—are coming forward, but also a more traditional style that includes skirted sofas and chairs, plus polished brass for a fresh look. We’re also doing a lot of painted trim and painted woodwork mixed with matching wallpaper, so the room is getting a whole look.
Also, I’m seeing lots of texture, faux furs, fringe, and skirted pieces. I did a skirted table for the Luxury Home Tour house, partly because of all the disruptions in the supply chain. It’s just so difficult to get furnishings right now.
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So, where have you been looking for furnishings?
I’ve been sourcing at thrift stores, vintage shops, and antique stores. I’m prone to that type of look anyway, but buying locally allows you to find things more interesting and eclectic than new and store-bought. Reupholstering is also a growing trend because of supply chain and production issues.
Are people still nesting—particularly with concerns about the COVID-19 Delta variant?
People are still doing a lot of kitchen and bath remodeling—a lot of updates. They’re spending more money on their homes because they’re not traveling, they have extra money to spend, and they’re home. I think that will continue.
What else is on your radar?
While many of my clients are families, a lot of them are empty nesters. People are downsizing. A client in Naples, Florida, just sold her condo completely furnished. People are buying fully furnished houses because of the supply chain issues. So, now she’s excited to start over—which is also exciting and good for us!
