Luxury Interior Design in Charlotte, NC – Plaza Midwood Whole-Home Furnishing
Plaza Midwood attracts Charlotte's creative professionals, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders — homeowners who value individuality and resist the homogeneous design vocabulary that characterizes many luxury interiors. This whole-home furnishing commission challenged Emerald & Oak to create spaces as distinctive as the neighborhood itself while maintaining the craftsmanship and material quality that define the studio's work.
The homeowners wanted interiors that reflect their travels, interests, and collections — not a designer's portfolio piece, but a genuinely personal home that happens to be beautifully designed. Emerald & Oak embraced this brief with enthusiasm, creating rooms that combine vintage finds, custom-designed pieces, and globally sourced objects within a sophisticated but relaxed framework.
Project Overview
This furnishing commission covered a 3,400-square-foot renovated bungalow including the living room, dining room, den, kitchen seating area, primary bedroom, two secondary bedrooms, a home office, and a screened porch. The design process included multiple sourcing trips to vintage markets and showrooms, custom furniture design for key pieces, and a curated art program featuring local Charlotte artists.
Design Approach: Curated Eclecticism
Curated eclecticism is one of the most challenging design approaches to execute well. Without discipline, eclectic rooms feel chaotic. Without genuine variety, they feel staged. Emerald & Oak achieved the balance through a consistent undertone palette — warm woods, brass metals, and earth tones — that unifies diverse pieces. A mid-century Danish credenza sits comfortably alongside a contemporary Italian floor lamp because they share warmth and materiality. A Moroccan rug works beneath a Scandinavian dining table because both celebrate honest craftsmanship.
Custom & Vintage Furniture
Key pieces were custom-designed while supporting pieces were sourced from vintage dealers and artisan studios. The dining table — a live-edge walnut slab on blackened steel legs — was fabricated by a Charlotte woodworker from a single tree. The living room sofa, custom-upholstered in a natural linen, was designed with proportions specific to the room's bay window arrangement. Vintage pieces include a pair of 1960s Italian leather club chairs, an Art Deco bar cart, and a set of French bistro chairs for the kitchen table.
- Custom live-edge walnut dining table by Charlotte woodworker
- Bespoke linen sofa scaled to bay window proportions
- Vintage 1960s Italian leather club chairs
- Art Deco bar cart sourced from a Parisian dealer
- French bistro chairs for the kitchen eating area
- Custom walnut floating shelves in the home office
Art Curation: Supporting Local Charlotte Artists
Art selection prioritized Charlotte and North Carolina artists, creating a collection that supports the local creative community while providing the homeowners with original works connected to their city. Pieces include a large-scale abstract by a Charlotte painter, a textile work by an Asheville fiber artist, photography by a Charlotte-based architectural photographer, and ceramics by a Seagrove potter. Each piece was selected for its relationship to the room's palette, scale, and lighting.
Screened Porch & Outdoor Living
The screened porch — a quintessential Charlotte amenity — received the same design attention as interior rooms. Emerald & Oak specified outdoor-rated furniture in teak and performance fabric that maintains residential comfort while withstanding humidity and temperature fluctuations. A custom daybed with Sunbrella cushions, outdoor rugs, and a collection of ceramic planters create a room that the family uses from March through November.
Work With a Charlotte Interior Designer
If you want a home that reflects your personality rather than a design trend, Emerald & Oak's approach to curated, personality-driven design may be the right fit. We believe that the best interiors tell the story of the people who live in them — and our role is to help tell that story with exceptional craft, material quality, and spatial intelligence.