Harry and Joe Deaton have all the fun (and fabrics)
Harry Deaton, left, with in-house muse Adie.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
When Harrietta “Harry” Deaton stages a home for sale, she doesn’t just position a couple of chairs and a table. “I do it to the nines,” she says. “I make it look like someone interesting lives there.”
The sassy East Tennessee native is plenty interesting herself. Harry has established a reputation as an on-the-mark interior designer whose downtown Hendersonville business, Harry Deaton Interiors, houses a retail floor and multiple other components.
The business is a family affair — while Harry’s busy working with clients to create their dream spaces, her husband Joe, a textiles whiz, makes custom bedding and window treatments. Meanwhile, the Deatons’ beloved dogs uphold their status as the namesakes of the eclectic company’s two in-house additions — Lucy’s Attic (a high-end consignment furniture shop on the upper floor) and Adie’s Fabrics, a niche that offers a diverse selection of fabrics and wallpaper.
“Our dogs mean everything to us,” declares Harry, “so this feels right.” Lucy is a Lab-and-Border-Collie mix from Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, and Adie, a white English lab who’s been at the store since she was eight weeks old, is “the best birthday gift I ever got,” says Harry.
Harry Deaton Interiors is a full-service operation, which means beyond her staging services and retail displays, Harry can design a newly constructed home from top to bottom or simply help clients plan an interior paint refresh in a long-loved home — plus everything in between. “I’ve worked as a designer for over 30 years, and I can’t think of anything I’d love to do more, even now. I never tire of it,” enthuses Harry.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
She had a shop similar to her current one in North Palm Beach, but once she moved back to the mountains and landed in her Hendersonville locale, it grew and grew, as the Deatons incorporated all their additional services and merchandise along the way. The store recently began selling and designing kitchens and baths, notes Harry.
A passion for problem solving is another clue to the designer’s success. “When I connect with my clients, I love digging deep into their lives and really learning how they live and what makes them happy. Then I can create a plan for them that’s equal parts beautiful, practical, and truly ‘them,’” she explains. “It’s also essential for me to build trust with them, though I sometimes have to tread delicately when a couple doesn’t see eye to eye on something.
“I enjoy the task of making every person or couple’s home a lovely place that makes them happy.”
When she goes to market to source merchandise, she revels in both buying what she likes and purchasing elegant pieces that represent the diverse aesthetics of her clients, including farmhouse, European-influenced, contemporary, and cottage styles. “And since we have all the great fabric lines that we do, we can offer [complementary] shades, drapes, you name it, with Joe doing all the fabrication.”
Harry is enthusiastic about the return of wallpaper. “We’re proud to offer so many great choices, too, which people love because it has really made a big comeback,” she says. “I’m doing a house now in Tennessee that was built in the 1940s. The guest bedroom originally had silk wallpaper, and my client is doing it again. I love working with grasscloth, too — we did a home-theater room at The Reserve [a local luxury community] with a heavy grasscloth that’s great for buffering sound.”
After three decades in the field, she knows how to adjust to changing times, including the sea changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. “After being confined to our homes for the past two years, I find that people are wanting so much to improve and beautify their homes. They want things to be nicer at home — to have better kitchens and places to play as well as functional and beautiful work spaces in their homes,” she states. “We don’t order as much merchandise as we used to, but we still have plenty in-store, and an advantage to that is that you can take it home with you right now, today.
The designer strives to enhance people’s spaces in every capacity.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
Even with a more streamlined in-store collection, a shopper would be hard-pressed to detect scarcity. The space is awash with modern upholstered pieces, toile-adorned traditional ones, and earthy wicker numbers, as well as accessories, including fringe-embellished throw pillows, vibrant rugs, and statement lighting. Rich color punctuates the showroom, too — shades Harry features in her own home. “My office is turquoise and I have a wonderful raspberry antique sofa in there too, plus an Audubon flamingo print — it’s fun,” she shares.
Much like Harry herself, who maintains joy in her work in part because she can vibe with anyone. “I get to help clients of all tastes and budgets,” she declares, “from the very well-off to those outfitting a starter home. Meanwhile, my Lucy’s Attic customers enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and I do, too. It’s been an exciting ride.”
Harry Deaton Interiors, 419 South King St., Hendersonville, 423-972-1035, @harry_deaton_interiors on Instagram and Facebook. Store hours are 10am-5pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and 10am-2pm Saturdays.