Bloom room
May 30, 2023
Tucker Donnelly carves out a floral, feminine space in a houseful of boys.
by Cathy Martin | photographs by Dustin Peck
When it was time to update the powder room of her 1980s-era SouthPark home, interior designer Tucker Donnelly had her work cut out for her. The walls had been coated with a textured, stucco-like treatment in a wave pattern that was a challenge to remove.
Fortunately, Donnelly is used to practicing patience in designing her personal living spaces. “I had an IKEA coffee table forever,” says the Arkansas native, who moved to Charlotte in 2018 with her husband and two sons. Instead of quickly filling her home with uninspired, poorly made furnishings, the designer prefers investing in quality pieces and antiques, acquired slowly over time.
Donnelly transformed the space, covering the walls with a bold floral wallpaper by Kelly Ventura and adding a vintage Venetian mirror. She painted the dark wood vanity a soft, powdery pink and replaced a green-hued granite top with a sleek, leathered quartzite. On another wall, a framed quartet of delicate handmade blooms by North Carolina metal artist Tommy Mitchell continues the floral, feminine theme.
In a houseful of boys, it’s nice to have a space to welcome guests with a touch of glamour, the designer says. “I don’t even like the color pink,” says Donnelly, who studied interior design at Western Carolina University and worked at Chicago’s iconic Merchandise Mart before her husband’s job sent them on a series of moves around the eastern U.S. “Though I would say there’s an asterisk — it’s starting to grow on me.” SP
The Details
Wallpaper: Kelly Ventura
Mirror: vintage from Hamilton-Stuart
Vanity: Southern Comfort by Benjamin Moore, with a leathered quartzite top
Artwork: Tommy Mitchell
