ABOVE Two busy parents enlisted a team of local experts to create a French-inspired kitchen in the heart of Mountain Brook. Published in “French Connection, ” July/August 2016.

ABOVE A new Southside home combines modern amenities with the classic architecture that cues the neighborhood’s historic charm. Published in “Serene Retreat, ” January/February 2016.

ABOVE A Homewood Tudor’s makeover exudes a light attitude throughout with its neutral palette, dashes of color, and mix of family antiques. Published in “Hollywood Classic, ” May/June 2016.

ABOVE By taking design cues from existing structures and the land itself, Peter Falkner creatively integrates a saltwater pool, outdoor room, and fireplace into a backyard garden footprint. The outdoor room provides welcome shade in warmer months. Its cupola, tin roof, and lattice detailing mirror other nearby structures. Published in “Terraced Delights, ” May/June 2016.

ABOVE After a pesky water leak required extensive repairs, a Liberty Park owner got the casual, rustic kitchen of her dreams. Published in “Rustic Elegance, ” July/August 2016. 

ABOVE The dark walls of this guest bathroom offer a unique contrast to the light décor throughout the house. Published in “Elegant Restraint, ” Sept/Oct 2016.

ABOVE Courtney and Bryson Stephens collaborated with designer Shea Bryars to give her traditional kitchen a fresh makeover. Published in “Sleek & Stylish, ” July/August 2016.

ABOVE When interior decorator Dana Wolter faced a dated style and palette in Suzie and Jim Link’s Tuscaloosa home, she gave heavy the “heave ho” with paler shades and brushes of color while still incorporating some of her clients’ choice antiques throughout. Published in “A Brush with Color, ” January/February 2016.

ABOVE Club Place, a gated neighborhood in Mountain Brook, is surrounded by weathered brick walls. While the walls created wonderful parameters for the garden, they needed to be softened. Landscape designer Kelly Hulsey implemented several methods including vertical plantings and climbing vines to make them a seamless part of the garden. Published in “Beyond the Gate, ” Sept/Oct 2016. 

ABOVE Designer Pam Evans' finesse at merging antiques with more modern pieces extends to the master bath with its Venetian mirror and chrome-legged stool. White marble mosaic floor tiles from Walker Zanger add pattern and interest to the otherwise serene space. Published in “Elegant Restraint, ” Sept/Oct 2016.

ABOVE This kitchen design allows for small appliances to be tucked away in generous cabinets while open shelves show off a pretty collection of white china that pops against the rough stone wall. Published in “Relaxed Refinement, ” July/August 2016. 

ABOVE A playhouse and cottage garden atop Red Mountain revels in fairytale notions. Published in “Garden of Small Delights, ” March/April 2016. 

ABOVE Taking a cue from Coco Chanel, Pam Evans turned her home into the epitome of edited style with its white background, shots of black, and one-of-a-kind accents throughout. Published in “Elegant Restraint, ” Sept/Oct 2016.

ABOVE Homeowners Caroline and Kyle Sain exposed the concrete floor joists on the second story to define the ceiling, refaced and repainted cabinets, and worked with Triton Stone to update the floor tile and countertops in their kitchen. Published in “Built to Last, ” May/June 2016.

ABOVE With the help of builder Clark Parker of Embassy Homes, Burgin and Chris Vernon designed an elegant master retreat that seamlessly blends with the original house yet offers an escape from the hectic pace of daily life. Published in “Great Escape, ” January/February 2016. 

Photography by Jean Allsopp

ABOVE This front room previously served as a dining room. When the latest incarnation saw it as a formal living space, Meredith decided to float the antique daybed underneath the antique iron-and-crystal chandelier to open up the room. With the update, the space became a haven for a mixture of styles such as the more modern industrial pecky cypress bookshelf, the classic Asian Jade disk, a contemporary Tizio lamp in the background, and an ornate urn by the window. 
 

Ranch-style homes are often given a bad rap. The floorplans are predictable, and for the most part, outdated. Still, with a few minor tweaks, these straightforward layouts are easily amenable to contemporary living. Birmingham-based interior designer Meredith Sherrill reimagined and revived the rancher she shares with husband John and their boys by turning the outdated floorplan into a clean-cut, free-flowing venue for both formal entertaining and daily life.

One glance into the Sherrills’ home puts even the most harried mind at ease with its intentional simplicity. “It makes me feel calm not to have too much going on in a space, ” Meredith says. She gravitates toward textiles with natural colors and textures rather than busy patterns. White-oak hardwood floors, left nearly natural, are complemented by surrounding cream-colored walls from Pratt & Lambert. The dining room’s wooden table, with its simple but bold Greek key design, adds a layer of texture to the otherwise sleek space. The kitchen houses a massive limestone island and custom leather benches that are as inviting for a cup of tea as they are for a cocktail. 

ABOVE Meredith uses a vintage French laundry basket to hold her Christmas presents, which are wrapped in shimmery metallic papers from Paper Source at The Summit and finished with bronze and copper ribbon from Smith’s Variety.

By opening the kitchen to the family room with an elliptical arch, the designer created a natural flow and personalized the space by showcasing her collection of international and local artifacts.

Multifunctional pieces in a soothing color palette ensure that Meredith can mix, match, and relocate almost anything on a whim—and she does. “I feel like I’m constantly moving things around or adding things and taking away, ” she says. “If I put something in a room that looks too fussy, I’m pretty quick to realize it and take it away.” But be warned that such ease in remastering a room comes with a cost. “My husband and friends and family think I’m truly insane because I am constantly rearranging our rooms, ” Meredith laughs. 

The designer also enjoys moving her collection of atonal pieces around and combining them with her more eye-catching artifacts, such as the African necklaces showcased in the foyer. She explains that these changes allow for effortless and satisfying updates to any room. From African and Asian textiles to family heirlooms and local art, Meredith’s artifacts meld together in perfect harmony thanks to the neutral backdrop of the interiors. As a result, the house comes across as part living space, part art gallery, and part haven—exactly the look that defines Meredith’s style.

ABOVE The reconfigured kitchen continues the neutral theme, allowing for pops of color in the seasonal greenery.
 

ABOVE LEFT Custom faux-leather cabinets with a simple nailhead trim sit atop two crisp iron bases in the dining room to house Meredith’s dishes, serving pieces, linens, and party supplies. “Instead of building in another pantry or closet, I wanted something I could take with me to my next house, ” she says.

ABOVE RIGHT Meredith uses natural elements to elevate everyday decor. Rosemary from her garden encircles a coconut cake from Edgar’s Bakery. 
 

ABOVE Blushed burgundy drapes and an oblong accent pillow lend color to the bedroom’s serene palette. A painting by Birmingham artist Lacey Russell is suspended from the drapery rod above an antique bench. An antique Chinese trunk and a French desk become his and hers bedside tables. 
 

ABOVE LEFT An African Kuba cloth from an open-air market in France covers an antique French armchair in the living room, adding texture to the space while maintaining the earthy color palette. 
 

Thistle Collection

Perched on a stool from Meredith’s grandfather’s Tennessee antique shop, Johnny (2) and Madden (4) model outfits from the Thistle Collection, created by Meredith and her business partner, Jeanette Hightower.

In the Spring of 2016, Meredith Sherrill debuted her children’s clothing line called Thistle Collection. Inspiration for the line arose from two places in the interior designer’s life. The first, she says, was having two little boys and being unable to find clothes that she wanted to dress them in. A long-time proponent of clean, streamlined neutrals, the designer wanted something different from the traditional frills of baby clothing. The second inspiration came from having an abundance of leftover fabrics from design projects that already reflected her personal style. Armed with the idea and the materials, Meredith reached out to friend Jeanette Hightower to help make her sketches a reality. The duo has been working together since, adding new items every season.

Thistle Collection features mostly unisex items such as overalls, rompers, button-downs, harem pants, dresses, and bloomers in sizes from 0-24 months up to 4/5. The most appealing aspect of the line is that all of the pieces are made to coordinate with one another—just like the neutral fabrics in Meredith’s interiors. The collection is sold through Instagram, with orders made via phone or email or at thistlecollection.com.

RESOURCES
Interior design, architectural design, custom furniture, lighting: M. Sherrill Design • 205.451.7055 [email protected] Builder: Leo Payne • 205.965.0283 Kitchen: cabinets: M. Sherrill Design hardware: faucet by Rohl; rohlhome.com appliances: European Kitchen of Alabama • 205.978.5629 europeankitchenal.com French limestone countertops and marble tile/backsplash: Synergy Stone • 205.556.8115 synergystoneinc.com Triton Stone Group • 205.592.0202 tritonstone.com kitchen stools: Circa Interiors & Antiques • 205.868.9199 circainteriors.com Dining bench: Verellen verellenhc.com Bathroom hardware: M. Sherrill Design Powder room fixtures: faucet by Rohl marble sink: Circa Interiors & Antiques Living room chairs and pillows, African necklaces, and Asian jade disk: Circa Interiors & Antiques Bedroom: coverlet: Restoration Hardware 205.967.1901 restorationhardware.com shams: Libeco libecohomestores.com Kitchen color: Pratt & Lambert: Arrowroot prattandlambert.com Living, dining room color: Pratt & Lambert: Manchester Master bedroom color: Pratt & Lambert: Ancestral powder room color: Pratt & Lambert: Zinc

Text by MOLLY C. LiPSKI / Photography by jean allsopp

Where did the idea for FireRock come from? When we started, we were just a fireplace manufacturer. As our business grew and we developed relationships with custom residential architects and custom builders, we saw an opportunity to expand into other categories to meet their needs. The builders and architects were underserved, and we realized that if they had a single supplier that provided great service and a wide range of products, it would make their lives a lot easier. 

What other products do you offer? We still manufacture masonry fireplaces and concrete tile/pavers, but we are also a supplier of metal fireplaces, slate and cedar roofing, steel doors and windows, hardwood flooring, and natural stone. Some of those products aren’t on our website, but we’ve got them all in the showroom. 

What makes FireRock different from other supply companies? We have direct competitors within each product category, but we’re not aware of anybody trying to sell the wide range of high-quality products on a national basis. For any type of project, we provide a superior level of service before, during, and after the sale. We work within budgets to allow for easier decision making. We install our products, and we are available if there are any issues after the install. Each FireRock product is reviewed and approved by a renowned group of the nation’s leading architects, and the materials come from some of America’s best suppliers or are produced by artisans based in Birmingham. Because of the strict standards that FireRock maintains, our products are safer, longer lasting, and easier to work with for architects, builders, and DIY homeowners.

Do you offer design assistance? We work with architects during the design phase when they reach out to us, but we don’t do specific design work. We support the architects and designers when they have questions or need help in the design and drawing of their plans, and we install to their specifications.

Do I have to build a new house to use your products? Of course not. While our products are often included in the initial plans for high-end construction homes, some of our products, such as our fireplaces and pavers, are certainly appropriate in outdoor settings for a backyard remodel or an expansion. Our products can be worked into most any space a customer has to work with. There are lots of people that buy just an outdoor fireplace, and in some cases, a DIY person could even put it together themselves. The fireplaces come in a kit that can be assembled very quickly, which cuts install costs for customers to around 70% less than hiring a mason to build one from scratch. FireRock products come in varying sizes and styles, so it’s easy to find the right product for your space.

Firerock • 1500 1st Ave N #75 Birmingham. 205.639.5000
  

Interview by Molly C. Lipski // Photograpy by jean allsopp