For designer Ally Whalen, home is where her heart is. After years of designing children’s clothing for Healthtex, followed by a job as Corporate Sales Director at Simplicity Interiors, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an interior designer.
“My background in fashion has inspired me,” says Wallen, 47, who got her start in interior design by beautifying friends and family’s homes. “But I love interior design more than fashion because there are so many aspects that fashion doesn’t have. It is my passion for creating spaces. I love helping to transform my clients’ lives with design.”
Born and raised in Burlington, Vermont, Wallen remembers designing baby clothes for her dolls as a child. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Apparel and Textile Design from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1996, she has spent 15 years honing her all-round talent.
In 2011, she launched her interior design project of the same name Charlotte, North Carolina (allywhalen.com), which now includes the new Construction, renovation, organization and design with a focus on primary residences and holiday homes. Whalen is known for modern coastal style, preferring light, bright, and neutral with pops of color. “Nothing is claustrophobic or overdone,” the designer says. Her talent in the industry hasn’t gone unnoticed: Earlier this year, she was recognized as one of Fixr’s 200 Most Influential People in the Interior Design Industry, was a Top 10 Entrant in the Rowe Furniture Design Challenge, and was featured in the Rowe Showroom / Robin Bruce at the 2021 High Point Market.
This past January, Whalen and her husband, Scott (a security company owner, who also works with Whalen on her business), moved from North Carolina to Stewart, tempted by glorious weather. She still has many clients in Charlotte and visits about once a month, but says she prefers working from Stewart. “I love the small town feel,” she says. “The place is safe and the people are friendly. I love the weather, the sunshine and the breeze, especially since I can leave the windows open six months a year.”
The Stewart home that she and her husband bought earlier this year is the epitome of elegant country house. “I wanted a smaller home that had a cozy feel,” she says of the one-story, 1,650-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home downtown. “He’s very open and bright.”
The general color palette of the living area is beachy shades of light brown, white and soft blue. The living room has a vaulted ceiling, fireplace, sofa and chairs designed with washable white linen covers. Whalen updated a feature wall with new white wallpaper printed with dark palm leaves. In the kitchen and dining area, neutral tones are accentuated by wicker chairs, light fixtures, and a white farmhouse-style table.
“These rooms are family friendly,” says Wallen, a mother of three (two of whom still live in the house). “Although I don’t cook, my husband does. We are very lucky – with the gas range, he is a quality chef!”
Coastal tones continue in the soothing master bedroom, while the children’s rooms are decorated to match: her 11-year-old daughter’s room has an “organic” feel with tones of peach and green, plants, woven materials, hanging pendants, and baskets. “I love to add texture to the room,” says the designer. In her 3-year-old son’s room, fun pillows, artwork, and wall posters add character.
Whalen’s new all-weather command Bamboo furniture is from Kingsley Bate, but while waiting for delivery amid the pandemic-induced turmoil in the international supply chain, the family is using some of their vintage pieces and just enjoying the tropical feel and privacy of the home.
“I love everything about this house—especially the open, relaxed feel,” Wallen says. “I feel so happy as soon as I enter. I feel my soul live here. I am blessed.”