We asked Stedman House interior designer Nicole Fagerli to tell us about her design influences, her favorite room and growing up in the furniture business.
Antique or modern? Antique for sure. I love the patina that antiques add to a room.
City or country? Country. I just love the city life, but I am a country girl at heart. I love the open spaces and long to see mountain views.
Which colors do you gravitate toward? Pink is my favorite color, but I don’t often use it in interiors. I prefer to use it sparingly to help make statements in a room. I like to use the soothing greens, blues and neutrals that are found in nature with pops of color as accent.
Does your home look like the one you grew up in? Yes, very similar. My family owns a furniture manufacturing company, Suter’s Furniture, in Harrisonburg. The company is in its sixth generation and is run by my mother. The style of furniture is classic traditional, and I have many of my favorite pieces just like the ones I grew up with in my home.
What’s one thing that can really transform a room? Lighting. People don’t realize what lighting can do to a room. It can highlight art or it can help set a mood.
Favorite designer? Susan Kessler. I love the way she incorporates contemporary items into a classic space. Her rooms feel timeless.
Design rule you like to break? Scale. I like to introduce large art or lighting to a space. It can often be the focal point.
What is your most treasured possession? My grandmother Suter’s china. I have the fondest memories of holidays and family dinner on Sundays at her house. We always sat in the dining room and used that china.
What do you wish you could do without? Television. I get pulled into a show that isn’t that good; it is such a time waster. Later I think of all the productive things I could have done.
What are you afraid to DIY? Lay tile. It just seems daunting to me.
If you could live in one historical figure’s house, whose would it be? The Breakers. It is formal and lovely, but still on the water. I love the feeling of being at the beach and those soothing colors just make me feel good.
On what movie set would you like to live? Gone With the Wind.
If you were reborn as a piece of furniture or an object, what would it be? French Rococo chair.
What is your first design memory? The smell a new piece of furniture has as it leaves the factory will be forever embedded in my memory.
What’s your favorite room in your house and why? My living room is my favorite room in my house. I have used my favorite colors, and it contains some of my most-treasured possessions.
Want to know more? Call Stedman House at 295-0671 or visit stedmanhouse.com.
