Casa Couture: Interior Designers a Worthwhile Investment for a Beautiful, Functional Home
As featured in: AY About You Magazine, February 2026
Hiring an interior designer may seem like a luxury, but a successful design scheme is not just about cultivating a magazine-worthy home; it is also about creating spaces that fit homeowner needs while avoiding pitfalls that could cost them money.
Amy Terry, founder of AC Designs in Little Rock, said designers can be especially important when it comes to new construction.
“There’s a lot of people that are actually really good at design and have a great eye, but there’s so many decisions that come into play and so many factors that I just think it’s a wise investment to meet with [an interior designer] early,” she said.
She added that designers can also provide a new set of eyes when it comes to refreshing an existing space.
“I think people tend to buy what they’ve always bought, and I think when they look at rooms that they love, there’s maybe something different about it that they don’t tend to normally buy,” she said. “That’s where bringing a designer in can maybe help you — within a comfortable range — push your limits and take chances on some things that maybe you wouldn’t have taken before.”
Garry Mertins, owner of Garry Mertins Design in Little Rock, said developing a master plan can help clients make their money go further.
Shine Interior Design Studio
Photo by Payton Perkins, The Editors House
“It’s really easy to take a chunk of money and spread it out through the whole house and feel like you haven’t made any accomplishments at all,” he said. “Develop a master plan mapping things out and working on the public spaces first and then going from there into the other areas.”
He added that interior designers can give clients insight into products they might not have known about, such as fabrics that repel stains or bespoke pieces not available at retailers. A seasoned professional can also help clients understand their personal tastes.
“People might say, ‘Oh, I love this room,’ but they have no idea why they love it,” he said.
He added that he encourages clients to pull images they like from magazines to use as inspiration.
“Then we’ll figure out what you like about it and why,” he said. “Is it because of the color? Is it because of the things that are in the room? It’s just a matter of sitting down and working through the basics of what they like and what their style and their tastes are and then taking it from there.”
Stacey Breezeel and Natalie Biles, co-owners and lead designers at Shine Interior Design Studio in Lonoke, said it is important for the interior of a home to meet the residents’ needs, whether for a five-person household, a one-person household or a family with live-in grandparents.
“It can be beautiful, but if it doesn’t work, we haven’t really been successful. Style is very important, but it has to function.”
Debi Davis, owner of Debi Davis Interior Design in Little Rock, agreed that the homeowner’s lifestyle is a top priority.
“I think what’s important is to look at the style of the house, make the inside and the outside work together and then listen to the client,” she said. “What is their lifestyle? Do they have dogs? Do they have children? Grandkids? Everybody has a different pace that they’re going these days, and you need to make the house work for them and make it comfortable, family friendly.”
Mertins noted that interiors change as people’s needs and tastes change. New families have vastly different lifestyles than empty nesters, he said, and the interior design services they require are different, as well. Newlyweds may simply want help picking paint colors, while a client at a later stage of life may be ready to fully design a vacation home.
That does not mean clients must completely overhaul their belongings at each new life stage, however.
“To me, antiques have always been in fashion, but I think more and more people are adapting that approach of thrift finds and antique finds,” she said. “There’s an appreciation for craftsmanship. You see that in coffee shops. You see that starting to be more important in how furniture’s built. That’s always been important in the past, but with mass production, there’s kind of been a loss of that.”
“Success comes from making sure that you buy things that are quality and that you can grow with,” he said. “What we might buy for the living room right now might end up going into a bedroom or a den at a later date. Buy quality pieces, even if you have to wait a year to buy something. I always tell my clients, ‘You’re past that point of disposable furniture.’ Investing in quality is key.”
Mara Lamb Malcolm, co-owner of Lamb’s Interior Design in Little Rock, also advised homeowners to invest in quality base pieces — such as upholstery and casement items — that are classic, rather than trendy, and then update the look with easy-to-swap accessories such as lamps, mirrors and art.
“My pieces are almost always relatively traditional, and then it sort of allows me to have fun and go crazy with color and with sculpture and with other pieces that are more modern,” she said. “The mix is magic. I can’t tell you how I do it or why I do it, but I’ve always done it, and my clients love that.”
Breezeel added that as millennials and Gen Z start to design their own spaces, they are incorporating a blend of old and new. “To me, antiques have always been in fashion, but I think more and more people are adapting that approach of thrift finds and antique finds,” she said. “There’s an appreciation for craftsmanship. You see that in coffee shops. You see that starting to be more important in how furniture’s built. That’s always been important in the past, but with mass production, there’s kind of been a loss of that.”
“A lot of what we’re seeing people gravitate toward is really earthy and rich colors that may have nature connections, so the terra cottas, the deep greens and the deep blues,” Biles said. “Chocolate brown has been very popular; it’s been popular in fashion, and we see that translate into home trends. That really seems to be what people are gravitating toward right now, away from the gray and into that warmth and comfort.”
She and Biles also noted a return to color among homeowners.
While interior designers all take a slightly different approach to their work, most follow a similar process. After a consultation with the client to determine his or her needs and preferences, the designer measures the space, develops a plan, and presents it to the client using design boards, product samples and even 3D renderings. After revising the plan based on client feedback, the designer brings the vision to life.
“I personally like to start with some type of inspiration piece, whether it’s a piece of art, a piece of furniture, a fabric,” Terry said. “I like to start with that and then really think through all the details and bringing in different colors and different textures but kind of all being cohesive in that we have something to inspire us.”
Malcolm said she makes it a point to ask clients what sentimental items they would like to keep so she can be sure to incorporate them into the design.
“A design has to reflect the family for whom you are designing,” she added. “Obviously, every designer has personal taste, things that they love and that feel right for them in a home, and I feel like it’s important to include the pieces that are special to the homeowner and to showcase those.”
For homeowners working toward a well-designed home, Biles recommended setting an intention and then making a plan and following through, even by just making small changes such as replacing the linens.
“Take the time to reflect and see what your intention is for your home, whether that is more calm or more fun or more relaxation, more time with your family, better hosting, more hosting,” she said. “Take a little bit of time to reflect and ask what you want of your home, and then make a plan to do that a little bit at a time.”
Davis suggested starting with an audit of what does and does not work in the home currently.
“What furniture do they want to keep? Are all the floors right? Are the draperies right?” she said. “They need to make a list of what they want to keep, and then, after that, we can see what we can do to make it all have an updated look.”
Not only can designers help clients develop interiors that are beautiful and functional, but they can make projects more enjoyable, as well, Terry added.
“The details, the decisions can just kind of rob all the joy from it, and it should be joyful. It should be fun,” she said. “You don’t always get to build a house. You don’t always get to remodel or buy new furniture. I think so many decisions can start to kind of take away from that fun, and I think bringing the designer in to kind of help bear the burden of some of those decisions and make sure everything’s getting done right can help keep it more of a fun process.”
We are so grateful to share these tips with some of Arkansas’ favorite designers! Interested in kicking off a project with Shine? Start your project here.