Kelly McCullough is the daughter of contractors. She also ran a rural retreat center before going into design full time. Portrait by Jack Robert
Kelly McCullough’s boutique is full of curated small treasures, but for this interior designer, rooms are much more than just the objects that fill them. Talking about her work means talking about energy, which tracks for an entrepreneur with a background in wellness. McCullough came to Asheville from Atlanta to do yoga-teacher training, “fell in love, quit my job, and moved to the mountains.” At Abode Lifestyle + Home, her downtown firm and shop, a luxe-holistic air prevails. McCullough sells natural-fiber totes, organic skincare, and gift items ranging from champagne-hued silk scrunchies to semi-precious rings. Some items are even categorized by ritual — “journaling, meditation, cleansing” — proof that McCullough has maneuvered retail to a higher plane.
You might say you were raised in the business …
I spent a lot of my childhood around job sites and construction — my parents were contractors. I was always interested in composition and design. … I ran a retreat center [Bliss Farm and Retreat in Barnardsville] up until COVID, and clients were always asking about the décor, which I’d done myself. In the post-COVID world, it felt like the right time to shift gears, and it felt very natural to move into doing design work full time.
What’s your design aesthetic? What makes it unique?
I tend toward a modern contemporary style. I like high contrast, lots of black and white, which has been very on trend globally over the past few years. And though I still love that, I’m bringing in more tone-on-tone, with the high contrast mixed in, so more neutrals, a little more beige. … There is definitely a quintessential Asheville aesthetic, which tends to be very eclectic, so I try to bring something a little different into the equation. It’s a total turnkey experience.
Your process sounds quite unusual …
Yes. I spent a lot of time meeting and talking with clients beforehand — and then I take possession of the house for five to seven days. I usually encourage clients to go out of town. I pay attention to the way the space feels. Whether or not a client realizes it, they are asking me to help them achieve a certain energy. And I pay attention, let their space become part of me, and figure out how to achieve that feeling. I think of myself as kind of an energy curator.
Do you have any favorite projects you’ve worked on?
The homes I feel most connected to are the ones I [have done] most recently. I spend so much time in the space, it becomes part of me; I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes each space different.
I spent a lot of my young life rearranging my room, redecorating. My space was a thing I could control, and I curated a safe space for myself. I like when I am able to transmute that into working for other people, and helping their spaces become safe and sacred for them. … It is a deeply personal process for them, and for me. It’s vulnerable both ways, and an element of trust is involved. That is the work that I’m doing.
Is that a deeper experience than most clients are expecting?
I think a lot of people were “trained” in interior design through watching HGTV, and those shows do not reflect the reality of [metaphysically] letting someone in. The best projects are when you are brave enough to go outside the box. People want the wow factor, but that usually requires taking a risk. Hiring an interior designer can help you feel more confident making those decisions and taking those risks.
What’s next on the horizon for you?
We’re working on developing an Abode line of homes. This will be an opportunity for us to fully manage the process — selecting a lot, selecting the energy, building a home, and selling as a product 100% based on our values, who we are, and what we value in lifestyle. [The company tag line reads “Re-imagining ‘well-built’ homes into sacred, joyful communities of well-being.”]
I’m very excited about what we’ll be able to offer.
Abode Lifestyle + Home, 4 Biltmore Ave., downtown Asheville, 828-713-3087.