THE INTERVIEW.
- kathy0048
- Nov 12
- 6 min read
FROM FEATURE TO FULL REVEAL – LISA SHERRY'S UNEDITED INTERVIEW WITH VIVANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF COLLEEN RICHMOND.
NOVEMBER 12, 2025 | CHARLOTTE, NC
When VIVANT Editor-in-Chief Colleen Richmond expressed interest in featuring my home in her magazine, I was both flattered and intrigued. Of course, I said yes. What happened next might be the best part – a lively editor/designer exchange on life, decorating and the delightful quest to "live beautiful."
Colleen's curiosity sparked such a natural exchange – ideas flowed and percolated. The result is a beautiful tour of my home in the latest VIVANT. Today, I’m sharing Colleen's and my full exchange, unedited and unfiltered. Think of this as the deep dive — a peek behind the curtain (and through the front door) of my own home and design philosophy.
COLLEEN: When designing your own home, did you find yourself breaking any “rules” you typically follow with clients?
LISA: As a rule, I have a natural aversion to rules! Design isn’t about a rigid checklist of do’s and don’ts. For me, design about curiosity, invention and finding what feels true. Every Lisa Sherry Interieurs project begins as a blank canvas. My own homes are no exception. In fact, they’re my creative labs. My space is play space.
COLLEEN: How does your personal style shine through in ways that might surprise people familiar with your commercial work?
LISA: I’m known for thoughtfully edited, light-filled spaces, neutral palettes, layers of texture, and an affinity for organic shapes and materials. This classic–modern mix is part of my essential DNA.
What may surprise people is how personal and collected this home is. It reflects how Jonathan and I live, work and play – with more tonality and nuance, more layering, a bit more of everything, really. The home is beautifully curated, as always, but the dial is turned up a bit.
COLLEEN: What did you find yourself doing for your own home that you may not have done for a client’s?
LISA: Welcome to Maximalism — Lisa Sherry style. I’m known as a kind but relentless editor, so often less is more. But in my own home, I played. I layered. I subtracted, yes, but also added. This space is maximalism, my way: graceful, intentional, deeply personal and always curated.
COLLEEN: It must have been a bit freeing to design a space so personal, with no boundaries or limitations—can you share how that influenced your choices?
LISA: Even when I’m the client, the design process begins with how life will actually unfold in a space — what the homeowner needs and wants. But I also pause to listen to the house itself. I’m a bit of a house whisperer, and this one seduced me from the very first walk through.
While filled with light, the space seemed to invite deeper, more nuanced tones. I started the dialogue and then leaned into it, pairing light and dark — dark hardwood floors against white walls, soft browns and umbers layered throughout. Juxtapositions are where the magic happens.
COLLEEN: What’s one unexpected design choice in your home that really speaks to who you are?
LISA: What I call my Table of Curiosities says a lot about me. It’s a vintage French farm table in the living area, lightly layered with personal artifacts – cherished pieces, found objects, longtime possessions and even new discoveries. It’s choiceful. And evolving. Everything is there for a reason – even if it’s simply to make us smile.
COLLEEN: Were there any architectural changes or layout decisions made to better align the space with your lifestyle or vision?
LISA: Yes — and this takes us outdoors. I’ve always loved to blur the line between inside and out. The home’s exterior grounds had gone a bit to seed, but with a nursery run, plenty of rain and sunshine, and new furniture appointments, the exterior blossomed. Today, the outdoor dining and lounge areas are as well-loved (and used) as their interior counterparts. An all-season room with a fireplace creates the perfect segue between indoors and out. The result is beautiful flow – all by design.
COLLEEN: Can you speak to any custom-designed elements in the home—millwork, furnishings, built-ins—that felt especially meaningful?
LISA: The dining room is especially important in my new home – and not just because Jonathan and I love to entertain. It’s central to the open floor plan. The dining table seats six perfectly, but the addition of a 12-foot custom bench along an adjacent window expands and elevates the room. Everything flows – conversation, food, and wine.
COLLEEN: How do you source and layer materials to create depth and harmony in your spaces, and did you approach anything differently in your own home?
LISA: In my world, materials matter. I’ve long said texture is the new color, and in my own home I embraced it fully. I layered natural fibers, organic woods and tactile finishes to create depth and harmony. Smooth against rough, matte beside sheen – juxtapositions add quiet drama.
COLLEEN: How do your daily routines or lifestyle influence the way your home is arranged and experienced?
LISA: Live Beautiful is my mantra, and home is where that philosophy is played out every day. This house makes room for morning tête-à-têtes over coffee, Jonathan’s marathon conference calls, communal cooking, big games, and small moments – all beautifully.
Beauty has to serve life. That means intuitive flow, rooms that invite gathering, and spaces that work as well in motion as they do in stillness.
COLLEEN: What role does natural light—or lighting design more broadly—play in shaping the atmosphere of the home across different seasons?
LISA: I love natural light, but as it fades with the season, a layered lighting plan becomes essential. Interior lighting is never just a switch on the wall — it’s a composition. I consider every source: chandeliers and pendants, table and floor lamps, even task lighting. The best part is that each lighting choice is both functional and illuminating, yet also sculptural and artful.
COLLEEN: How do you balance minimalism and restraint with warmth and livability?
LISA: For me, minimalism and maximalism aren’t opposites – they’re points along a continuum. Balance is the key. I want every Lisa Sherry Interieurs home – mine included – to feel warm, livable, and deeply personal, whether it whispers or shines – or a bit of both.
COLLEEN: Is there a space or detail in the home that you return to most often for inspiration, calm, or reflection?
LISA: If houses are communal, private suites are an inner sanctum, a retreat from the world. I played somewhat against type in my new primary bedroom, bathing the space – not in a favorite shade of white – but a moody grey-blue hue. It sets the tone. It's one of my favorite spaces in the house.
COLLEEN: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer readers who want to create a home that feels deeply personal yet timeless?
LISA: Two pearls of wisdom: Trust your instincts and consider partnering with an interior designer. A good designer brings fresh perspective, helps you see beyond your sightlines and ensures a myriad of decisions work together with intention.
COLLEEN: Looking ahead, how do you see this home evolving as your style, needs, or life stage shifts?
LISA: I love the unknown. That said, my style is modern and timeless – not timestamped – so the house will stay current and fresh year after year. Or at least until the urge to move taps Jonathan and me on the shoulder!
The latest issue of VIVANT is a must read — cover to cover. Pick up a copy on the newsstand if you’re not already a regular reader — and take the home tour now.
Thank you, Colleen and VIVANT, for the thoughtful questions and amazing feature story. I can't wait for our next encounter!
PHOTOGRAPHY: STACEY VAN BERKEL