• Shop
  • Design Services
  • Design Lookbook
  • Happenings
  • About Us

The Artful Lifestyle Blog

by Huff Harrington

  • Blog Home
  • ArtOur Passion
    • Artist Profile
    • New Artists
  • Decor + DesignOur Eye
    • Before + After
    • Designer Profile
    • Re-dos
    • Seasonal
    • Tips + Secrets
    • Trends
  • LifestyleOur Spirit
    • Entertaining
    • Fashion
  • TravelOur Wanderlust
    • Fave Destinations
    • Trips
  • Let’s Go Shopping!
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Designer Dossier: Sam Jones of Huff Harrington Design

Designer Dossier: Sam Jones of Huff Harrington Design

June 10, 2019 by Huff Harrington

Follow Us
Facebook0
Twitter0
Pinterest0

Over the Summer we’ll be introducing the fabulous designers that make up the Huff Harrington Design team. First up: Sam Jones. She’s been with us for the longest time wearing many hats (as you might have already read here). This talented woman has helped dozens of our clients, making their homes more comfortable, inviting and up-to-date – whether in Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, London or Paris.

Who are you inspired by?
My clients! I don’t go into a client’s home with a preconceived idea of how it should look. The home should reflect the taste and the style of its owners.  If their guests say “this house looks just like you” to the clients, then I have done my job well. Their pride in their home is the ultimate goal and I will be there to guide them with fresh eyes. I treat their money as if it were mine.  If we can re-purpose something and keep it, we can use the money we saved to buy that beautiful piece of art or new sofa that they have been wanting. And we always have fun and a lot of laughs.

Sam’s Mantra: Add a mirror to a chandelier, and you’ve got two chandeliers!
Add two mirrors to a chandelier, and you’ve got Versailles!

Guidelines you follow for great design?
Mix It Up:
– Antiques with modern.
– Collectibles with flea market finds.
– An expensive abstract next to a five-year-old’s crayon drawing (if there is a fire, grab the crayon drawing – it’s priceless and insurance will cover the abstract!)
-His favorite leather chair next to your gorgeous linen sofa (Don’t worry, a pretty pillow will help soften the leather and a happy husband is far more attractive in your room than that perfect French chair.)

This pretty living room is the perfect mix of french one-of-a-kinds and fresh upholstery.

Be Playful:
– I love to see a bronze statue on a bookcase next to a logo masterpiece created by a young family member. We once added a Scrabble board on a table in a house that was on the market – we spelled out the words “Buy Me”…It gave the prospective buyers a good laugh and they bought the house!

This client loved her orange sofa so we added some touches of pink to make it all come together – perfectly playful!
Mix it up! We loved turning this century old French workbench into
a bar in what was once our client’s formal sitting room.

Be Daring:
I have dared to ask if we could make the formal living room a large dining   room. The answer was yes and the new dining room is the star of the house. Don’t be afraid to try a new arrangement.  If you don’t like it, you can always move it it back the way it was.  But, this rarely happens as a new perception is always more fun.

Note the painting in the fireplace – quite daring!

What is one piece you think every room should have?
Art! Art is the soul of a room and speaks volumes about the homeowner.  If you put a sofa in an empty room, it will still look empty. If you put a great piece of art in an empty room, no one will notice that there is no furniture.

“Some Things Are Just Too Heavy” – Justin Kellner
In this Paris project, we found some original paintings from the flea market and
loved adding them into the bedroom.
Melissa Payne Baker’s painting lit up this beautiful Buckhead home.

What is your dream design project?
A villa on Lake Como. I think Lake Como is the most beautiful setting in the world and I would endeavor to make the view of the lake come alive in the rooms I design.

Three designers you’d love to lunch with?
Charles Spada: Classical details mixed perfectly with modern touches that invite you to step inside and enjoy the calm and the magic of the space.  You’ll never want to leave!

Chic living room from Charles Spada

Stephen Shubel: Classic details playfully mixed with unexpected objects in a breathtaking manner that adds rhythm to a room.  Your heart will sync and sing to the rhythm!

Stephen Schubel’s wonderful mix, from Elements of Style Blog

Ann Huff:  Ann has been a fun and creative partner in crime in many projects and she would help add humor and wit to the luncheon. Also, she would never forgive me for not including her in what I think would be          the absolute best luncheon ever!

Gathering up the final touches for a client reveal.
Fresh flowers are always a must!

Can you recall a time when you faced a tricky design challenge?
Ann and I were asked to help a client with her beautiful townhouse in London’s posh Kensington district. The centerpiece of her dream kitchen was a large table that needed a little paint refresh – having only a short weekend to complete our project, we immediately headed out for a can of Annie Sloan’s Paris Grey.

image via
Sam working her paint mixing magic!

On Sunday, as we’re wrapping up the project and finishing the table, we ran out of paint with a smaller 24” section left and the Annie Sloan store was closed! We didn’t panic, we laughed about the “fine mess we had gotten ourselves into…think Lucy and Ethel” and decided we could create our own chalk paint. So we consulted the all-knowing internet and found a recipe that involved unsanded grout. We headed to the nearest hardware store, bought the grout and a quart of grey paint. After some creative mixing – we perfectly color matched Annie Sloan and finished the table! The saying about God protecting fools and children came to mind. Voila! The table was beautiful and two very smug and relieved painters smiled. As did our trusting client.

The beautifully finished, a fore mentioned, Paris Gray table.

Thanks for sharing all of your design wisdom, Sam! We’re so thankful to have your talent on the Huff Harrington Design team.

Comments

comments

Comments

  1. Catherine Bennett says

    June 11, 2019 at 10:02 am

    Sam, you always work your magic on all of my projects. And you managed to convince David it was his idea to move that painting!

    Xoxo.
    Catherine

  2. Patty Fryer says

    June 12, 2019 at 8:09 pm

    Sam, You are THE best! After you transform our blah rooms into WOW, you leave us smiling , and eagerly awaiting our next design project with you. We have never loved our home more. We thank you! And you are so much fun!
    XO
    Patty Fryer

    • Huff Harrington says

      June 12, 2019 at 8:45 pm

      Awww, Patty. So nice. We couldn’t agree more! Sam is the bomb!

  3. Karen Friedenberg says

    June 12, 2019 at 11:50 pm

    Sam is amazing She redid my living room
    And we are working on my bedroom!
    She is truly the best !

    XO

    • Huff Harrington says

      June 13, 2019 at 6:20 am

      Thanks, Karen! We agree.

  4. Nancy and Bill Leslie says

    June 13, 2019 at 6:13 pm

    We love Sam!! She has helped us edit and update our home on several occasions over the past three years! Actually, her first time here, she completely transformed our formal living room in about 10 minutes….. moved some furniture, added a couple of new items and WOW! Recently, she revamped the master bedroom. Either large projects or small…..She works quickly; she is cost effective. And she is fun!! I just can’t get enough of her wonderful, fresh new ideas!

    • Huff Harrington says

      June 13, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      Thanks, Leslies! We think she’s pretty talented, too!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

You might also like to read…

  • 10 Reasons to Love Our Jaunts to Paris

  • 10 Tips for a Makeover

    10 Tips for a Makeover

Products you might love…

    About Huff Harrington

    What happens when two committed Francophiles, art lovers and design junkies get together over a bottle of red wine? A fine art gallery with a little je ne sais quoi is born, followed a few years later by its home furnishings and décor sibling.

    Get Exclusive Emails

    Don't miss promotions, events, featured artists, and all the things we love at Huff Harrington Home and Art.

    Follow HH Home

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Meet Ann + Meg

    What happens when two committed Francophiles, art lovers and design junkies get together over a bottle of red wine? A fine art gallery with a little je ne sais quoi is born, followed a few years later by its home furnishings and décor sibling.

    Welcome to Gift Central

    fabulous french antiques shop now

    Products you might love…

      Follow Us on Instagram

      Follow @huffharrington

      Categories

      Topics

      abstract accessories antiques aroma art gallery artists Atlanta Homes and LIfestyle Before and After Bethanne Cople buying trip to paris cuisine design designer design services fragrance france french antiques french furniture furniture gallery gifts how to huff harrington huff harrington fine art interior design jarres jewelry kitchen design les murets lorraine christie Marburger Farm Nola Burt painting in provence paintings paris paris apartment provence renovation Round Top Antiques Fair shopping tops Travel trips trips to france tunics

      Favorite Reads

      • A Femme d’Un Certain Age
      • Calling it Home
      • Coco Cozy
      • Cote de Texas
      • Design Indulgence
      • Designing with a Deadline
      • From the Right Bank
      • Greige Design
      • Habitually Chic
      • Hadley Court
      • La Dolce Vita
      • Lisa Mende Design
      • Lost in Cheeseland
      • Our French Oasis
      • Simply Seleta
      • The Enchanted Home
      • The English Room
      • The French Tangerine
      • The Pink Pagoda
      • Things That Inspire

      Shop Huff Harrington Now!

      • What’s New
      • Art
      • Curator’s Picks
      • Have to Haves
      • Accessories
      • Aroma
      • Books
      • Decor
      • Furniture
      • Jewelry
      • Lighting
      • Tableware
      • Trips
      • The Gift Guide

      Keep Reading

      A WEEK IN PROVENCE: Mothers, daughters & BFF’s

      A WEEK IN PROVENCE: Mothers, daughters & BFF’s

      Introducing Lily Harrington at Huff Harrington Fine Art

      Introducing Lily Harrington at Huff Harrington Fine Art

      Huff Harrington on the road

      Huff Harrington on the road

      Enjoy The Artful Lifestyle

      Home: 102 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 | Call Huff Harrington Home 404.467.0311 • Art: 4240 Rickenbacker Drive, Atlanta, GA 30342 | Call Huff Harrington Art 404.257.0511
      ©2021 Huff Harrington. All rights reserved. Design by Works Progress