By Evie Klopp Holzer | Photos by Korie Smith, KTM Interiors
When interior designer Taylor Stallard of Blonde + Blue Design turned her attention and talents toward her own home, her nesting instincts were in full gear. Pregnant at the time, Stallard said the process of designing for herself was challenging. It was difficult to make decisions with such intimate knowledge of all of the options. Plus, with a baby on the way, Stallard wanted every room to be just right. In the end, she followed the same design advice she gives clients: Lead with your lifestyle and your loves, and you can’t go wrong.
Today, Stallard’s family home is fashioned with cozy and functional interiors. Thoughtful millwork and personal collections make the home feel special and accommodating. The muted colors and extra-soft furnishings are inviting and peaceful. And the meticulously planned nursery — Stallard’s favorite room — is perfect for a baby boy.
“Now I’m sitting in the nursery rocking him, and I’m so tired, but I’m so grateful,” Stallard said. “There’s nothing like it.”
A few years ago, Stallard and her husband purchased the Ideal Homes property in Choctaw when they needed a place to settle quickly after he landed a scouting job with the Baltimore Ravens. The new home fit their tight timeline, plus it is located just a few blocks away from Stallard’s parents. With dreams of starting their own family, the Stallards wanted to live nearby.
As soon as they purchased the house, Stallard put her professional skills to work and enhanced the building plans. While she kept the hard finishes previously selected, she upgraded light fixtures and hardware. She also created two separate office spaces, so she and her husband could comfortably work from home. Her own workspace — neatly tucked under the stairs with ample shelving and storage — adds an interesting visual element while also anchoring the living room design.
The nursery design is extra meaningful. Stallard and her husband were in the Cotswolds shortly after they found out she was pregnant, so she used the English countryside as her design inspiration. Traditional nods include the plaid rug, Ballard Designs brass reading lamp and Pottery Barn wooden crib. Stallard color-matched the gray-blue painted walls to the wallpaper, which she had custom designed through Etsy. Stallard said she only wallpapered inside the wall’s millwork to evoke “the whimsical feel of looking through a window.”
A neighbor, who works for Ideal Homes, liked Stallard’s thoughtful designs so much that she introduced her to the company’s leadership. Since then, Stallard has worked with Ideal Homes to enhance interior designs on select projects.
“Sometimes when you have a new build — a pop-up home that is quickly built — it can feel like it doesn’t have a lot of history or charm to it. It can feel kind of flat,” Stallard said. “I always tell my clients, the best way to overcome that is to go through and add touches that make it feel like it’s been there forever.”
With soft and sentimental design touches throughout, the Stallard residence will forever be a special place: The place created specifically for their lifestyle and loves. The place where they welcomed their new baby home. The place where their family first began.
