For Eric, it’s the smallest touches—the jewelry, if you like—that help to elevate a space to its full splendor. “The longer I work, the more enamored I get with details,” Eric says. “There’s a discovery that’s involved in a room every time [you see it]—things that are very subtle, but they tell the story. And that’s where the authenticity comes into a room, where the friends of the home-owner really feel comfortable because it’s a true representation of their friend’s personality.”
Eric’s associate, Christine Barker, is a key part of pulling all those details together, from culling fabric options to helping draft floor plans. “She’s a good sounding board, and she brings a younger eye,” he says. Like Eric, Christine loves the South, and she shares his appreciation for the warmth and comfort that define the region’s homes. “Southern style kind of has a softness to it, but lots of color and lots of pattern and texture,” she says.
Those elements, along with a deeply rooted regard for heritage, are at the center of what has made Eric’s work such a success. “To me, it goes back to storytelling, and it feels old and grounded,” he explains. “That’s why I love traditional style. It gives me a sense of history and of permanence.”
For more information, visit ericrossinteriors.com.
By Lisa Frederick
Photography by John O’Hagan
From Southern Lady, October 2016
