“Everything here has a story,” says Mary Catherine Folmar of her mother’s Athens, Alabama house. “Some may be older than others, but everything has a narrative behind it.”
It’s not a decorating philosophy so much as a way of living. Cross-stitched samplers and needlepoints — some found, others half-completed until they fell into Mary Nelle’s hands — Staffordshire figurines, and an enviable china collection bring interest to cupboards, shelves, and walls throughout the 1929 Georgian.
Inside, Mary Nelle welcomes her daughter’s eye for keeping her style in the present through fresh takes on historical patterns, color, and a mix of furniture eras and styles both inherited, new, and sourced or thrifted, along with items from her mom’s former business, one of the first Colonial Williamsburg gift boutiques.
“Growing up, my mom introduced me to beautiful table settings, the allure of historical design—and especially a love of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.”
– Mary Catherine Folmar
Her mother’s former business, one of the first Colonial Williamsburg gift boutiques, introduced generations of Alabama families to American decorative traditions that Mary Nelle and Mary Catherine continue to celebrate.
In addition to fabric and wallpaper designs, Mary Catherine’s creative reach extends to tabletop items, topiary forms, caftans, still life cloches with found objects, and a collection of fabulous finds — each one adding another chapter to the story this house already knows how to tell.
A Cotton & Quill design adds panache to the walls and sink skirt in the tiny powder bath.
Mary Catherine Folmar | Cotton & Quill
For more about her workshops, events, or products, visit cottonquill.com.
To see more inside the house click here.
Resources
Interior Design: Mary Catherine Folmar Garden Design: Troy Rhone Florals: Matthew Jimmerson with Athen’s Florist
