Jackie Glisson...One of My Personal Design Inspirations

"Just A Decorator" Jackie Glisson is one of my favorite decorators and personal design inspirations, and I'm so fortunate to be able to enjoy his work in person at least several times a year. For the past several years, he has decorated the interior of one of the homes in our region's Vesta Home Show, which showcases the products and efforts of our area's builders, interior and landscape designers, and other professionals involved in the building trades. Jackie's work has been recognized both locally and nationally, and in 2006 his work earned him three Vesta Show awards, including "Best Special Feature", "Best Media Room", and the "People's Choice Award", which is chosen by the thousands of consumers attending the show---that, to me, would be the highest honor of all.

You may have seen his work on HGTV's Designers' Challenge (love that show!), in which he was the one chosen from 3 different designers who presented design proposals to the homeowner couple in that episode. I love his transformation (before/afters below) of a large living area that was nice, but dark and little-used (and perhaps a bit staid for a young, growing family) into an elegant, relaxed, and cheerful space that the family now uses frequently.

The thing that consistently stands out most to me about Jackie's work is that he has the ability to take warm colors and natural elements which he pairs with very fine fabrics and furnishings, and he always creates a space that is approachable and unpretentious. There is no hands-off in Jackie's designs...his rooms and homes are ones that are meant to be used and loved by those who live there, and the friends and family who visit the welcoming spaces he creates. The homes he decorates for Vesta are always the favorites (out of all the homes in the show) of M and our sons, and I always hear men commenting on what a "great house" Jackie's Vesta entries are.

His elegant designs and great sense of color and choice of fabrics are appealing to women, and the relaxed style that he brings to a home is equally welcoming to men. He definitely has the ability to please every member of the family. My younger son has decided that Jackie does the "best media rooms ever!"---have you ever seen a male who doesn't gravitate to the media room?--and M loves Jackie's outdoor rooms, which really are the prettiest I've seen.

Of all Jackie's designs, I think that my personal favorites are the existing homes (as opposed to new construction) he has decorated, including this absolutely charming young girl's room, and also his own beautiful home (photos below). (Edited to add: Jackie just shared with us this sweet footnote about the tulle bedskirt below...it was made from the girl's mother's wedding dress. I just love that!) They are warm and unassumingly elegant, with reverence for the existing architecture. I would readily give Jackie the keys (and decorating carte blanche) to my home, and simply say "decorate it like you did yours". I know that I would be pleased and enjoy living amidst the space that he would create. Jackie Glisson isn't Just A Decorator, he is a creator of home. I hope that you enjoyed seeing Jackie's designs as much as I do, and that your weekend is off to a great start! (as my scanner is presently down, most photos courtesy of HGTV and Just A Decorator).