Back to the Classics: Victoria Posey

Keep reading to learn how Legacy Design Group’s founder, Victoria Posey, designs luxurious spaces for today’s living, inspired by the great classic books and films of the past.

How did you become interested in interior design?

If I look back, I know that I was always interested in literature, art and architecture. As children, we had these cartons of building blocks. I would spend hours designing and building houses, changing the foundation, moving the walls because the windows didn’t work when I got to the inside and wanted to place my little pieces of plastic furniture! I don’t think they make these anymore – I think they were a forerunner of Lego!

What do you do, or where do you go, for inspiration?

I am enamored of history. I believe we must know where we have come from to know where we are headed. I often find inspiration from history and historical design. A few years ago, after seeing Kiera Knightly’s remake of Pride & Prejudice, I came away from the theater inspired to design Legacy’s Study Of The Arts (below) for a showhouse with window coverings in lushly trimmed silk Austrian shades because I had seen some in the movie! I knew this was what the room needed! The movie Casanova contained wonderfully lush interiors and most recently, The Young Victoria. I know I’ll have to watch it again and again because I sometimes miss the plot because I am too busy studying the interiors!

I own an extensive library of design and architecture books…

…and I have almost every issue of Traditional Home magazine ever published!

I will refer to these resources when I am approaching a new project and want to refresh my memory; jog an idea; take a design or an idea and re-develop it for my project with my own personal stamp. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled and visited museums, historic homes, palaces, art galleries both here in the U.S. and abroad. I believe these experiences have deepened my understanding and appreciation of design and added a layering to my work as well as expanding my base of knowledge and historic detail.

How do you go about assessing a client’s/project’s needs?

I always assess the architectural style of the room, home or building first. I was fortunate as a young designer to be hired by an architect to develop his interior design department. I think he was somewhat ahead of his time in recognizing the integral relationship between architecture and interior design!

I always stress the need for an open dialogue. After all, I’m spending their money and creating a space they will live in for a long time. I ask questions, show pictures. I want to know their values, lifestyle, how they will use the space. What do they want to achieve and what do they expect from me?

I know what my role should be but it’s important to learn what they think that role is and to educate them on the added value an experienced interior designer brings to the project.

I believe it’s important to be clear at the start of a relationship that I am a design professional with experience and expertise. That I value myself and the one-on-one relationship that will develop between us and that I value and appreciate the money they will be investing in their home or business. There must be mutual respect for the project to be successful.

What is your method for combining antiques and new pieces together, and how have your repurposed an antique for a particular project?

I love to work in this way – mixing the old with the new – and I’ve done it successfully in quite a few projects. I believe the key lies in the skillful use of design principles – creating balance and harmony. The bottom line is that the eye needs to sweep the room and then come to rest. In examining how I have balanced this in the past, I would have to say that it is style and historic period that is my common denominator. In this project for a custom home here in Atlanta, we began the design with the client’s family’s antique console piano. The piece is large with a beautiful carved leg. I felt it was important to keep the original bench which still had the original needlepoint cushion.

When mixing antiques and new, maintaining a sense of design, style and proportion is important. In this master bedroom my firm created for a Showhouse, we incorporated a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk for our cocktail table in front of a transitional tufted back sofa in linen. It was a great hit. We also mixed an 18th c Italian “casa banca” (house bench) with a pair of contemporary paintings by a local artist, gallery wrapped for a more contemporary look. The patina on the bench was fabulous and the simple lines complemented the room and the art.

Why do you think a well chosen paint color is critical to the success of a room design? What are the top 3 factors you take into consideration when choosing a paint color?

A paint color can make or break a design. A number of years ago, I was approached by a potential client who was in the process of building a home. They did not understand the added value of bringing the designer in during the construction process – although I did attempt to make this known to them. So, after they had moved in, they finally hired me to come and see the property and help with the furnishings. They told me they were not happy with their home but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. As soon as I walked in the door, I knew the problem. The undertones of the carpet were at odds with the undertones of the main run color they had selected for their home. The two colors were not harmonious and created a tension that they were not aware of. When I suggested that the least expensive way to correct the error was to change the paint color, their response was, “But we just painted!”

When choosing a paint color, I think it is important to consider the natural light the room will receive. The size and scale of the room is also very important. The saturation of the color. After all these years as a design professional, I don’t think in terms of these factors in isolation – it all comes together in my brain and considered as a comprehensive whole!

How have you observed a particular category (i.e. traditional or contemporary) evolving over the past 20 years?

I’ve been watching as traditional design has evolved over the last several years to meet the demands of a younger demographic. There is a definite neo-classical styling to the furnishings but with a more contemporary flair and cleaner lines. Interior design has evolved to meet the needs of the electronic and gadget guru generation and we often includes a mix of high-end and moderately priced furnishings.

This design style harkens back to the early 1960’s. If you look at photographs from old design books and magazines, and just look at the furniture and accessories, you can see a definite similarity. Now, when you take the research a bit further, and look at interiors from the mid 1930’s – especially in movies like the Fred & Ginger genre and the 1939 Bette Davis classic, Dark Victory, this classic style was all the rage. I especially like the foyer and grand staircase in Bette Davis’ character’s New York home – very modern for its time but it would still be in style today!

How important do you believe Websites, blogs and social media are and will be in growing your business?

It would be a mistake to think this media will not affect us personally and professionally! I realized very early on that a website to showcase my work would be necessary. I think a major mistake many small business owners make is not thinking about marketing as an on-going and constant investment.

Very early, most of our prospects came through ads in the yellow pages but that was replaced by people searching the internet and finding our website and contacting us through that outlet. Our site has evolved and changed over the years. I’ve had video in my site for several years and we just added a video of our latest Showhouse work. I’ve written Blogs for AVA Living and recently established my own: Legacy’s Interior Design Blog, which can be viewed through our website . I’m still trying to figure out how to get it out to the masses! There are only so many hours in the day! I’ve been populating it with articles about lessons in design, art and inspiration, decorating tips and the value a client receives by bringing an experienced interior designer into the project.

Keep an eye out for Vicki’s blog posts on Decorati!

What is the ultimate goal of all your projects?

To fulfill my client’s dreams! To improve my client’s quality of life through my designs. Our company motto is: Timeless interior design, creating tomorrow’s legacies… I realized very early on – and I’ve been decorating and designing since 1974 – that it is my job to complete a project and design to my client’s desires, while guiding them, hopefully, to what I believe is the right conclusion.

I have never been an “imperious” Diva who waltzes into a room and demands that everything must go! I know that’s a stereotype and I am being somewhat facetious but I whenever possible, when a client wishes it, I will assess their current furnishings and if they can be used in the new project or repurposed or re-assigned to a new room and function, I will make that happen. I measure a project’s success on whether or not my client is pleased with the design.

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