Designer’s warmth and optimism yields a star portfolio
By: Alison Fields
Portrait by Colby Rabon
Susan Chancey worked her way into a celebrated two-decade design career through curiosity, enthusiasm for beautifully comfortable spaces, and a passion for the big reveal. The Mobile, Alabama, native moved to Asheville with her husband in 2007. She opened a space inside the Screen Door she named “The Foundry,” which became “Lost and Foundry” when she began working at Dwellings, where she stayed for six years. She’s been heading up her eponymous firm, Susan Chancey Interiors, since 2018, and now has a portfolio featuring homes throughout the Southeast, some of which are national-magazine cover stars.
You didn’t initially go in for design …
I came out of school with a liberal-arts education. I tripled majored in English, Psychology, and Education, planning to become a schoolteacher. After teaching for a year, I began working for a large furniture store in Birmingham, Alabama. I hadn’t been there long before customers were asking for my design advice, not just in the store, but at their homes. … I loved it. … I eventually started working as a stylist for a company in Philadelphia. I couldn’t get enough of the colors and fabrics. All the small details. I realized a lot of the things that customers found tedious gave me great joy.
Where is your design philosophy rooted?
I grew up in the Deep South, so some of that regional identity is probably evident in my personal taste. I work with a lot of clients looking for a transitional design, though I’m comfortable working in very clean, modern modes as well. I really feel I’m best at channeling what my client wants to do. And oftentimes that’s about comfort, luxury, and layers. People have kids and pets. They want to live in their spaces.
What part of the process is never the same?
Most clients know what they like and don’t like, but it’s not unusual for them to tell me they don’t know out of the gate, so I help them to narrow the focus. We go look at things. I send them ideas. We hone it down. The next step is figuring out and executing the game plan. We get renderings and layouts. We go shopping. We hire vendors. For new builds, this usually involves a solid week of appointments with vendors, so everybody gets on the same page. … The best part is reveal day. It’s always magical.
What’s something you would like more clients to know?
The thing that can make you feel most comfortable in your home is the way it ties together. It doesn’t have to be themed. It’s not that everything matches. But say you have a [certain shade of] green in a painting in the dining room — it can be reflected, like a motif, in the next room. Even if it’s something small, it makes things feel harmonious. … Another thing is that nothing is fully renovated until it’s fully renovated. It’s very easy to get fixated on a detail that may seem off when it’s still in process. Sometimes you have to see the whole picture before the component parts make sense. That’s one of the reasons why that reveal day is so magical.
Do you have any favorite projects or favorite parts of projects you’ve worked on?
My last project is always my favorite project. I recently finished working on the renovation of a 6,000-square-foot house. And when I first drove up to it, I literally started to back out of the driveway, like, There is no way. It was a full-gut remodel and even after I signed on, for the first few days, I’d drive up with a pit in my stomach. But we carried on. And it was really fun. The owners were great, and super participatory. Their kids got involved. Over time we moved from “Everyone thinks we’re crazy for attempting this” to “This is going to be a showplace.” And it was.
When is a designer more than a designer?
You get a comprehensive understanding of what it feels like to be all the people in the room during a remodel, from builders and tradesmen to architects to clients. I can be a great tool to ease jobs and foster the collaboration while I do my best to interpret what [a homeowner] wants. Working with clients is so rewarding. Those skills I learned in English and Psych and Education? I use them every day as a designer.
Susan Chancey Interiors, Asheville. Her new design studio space at 76 Glendale Ave. #202 is open by appointment; for more information, see susanchancey.com.