Jessica Roan and Mandy Mayers (left to right) in their Buckhead shop
Local Shopping
Interior Philosophy
From customizable to cool, this stylish shop is a runaway hit
BY
Kate Abney
PHOTOGRAPHY
Portrait by Brian Woodcock


Crystal and painted iron chandelier, $1,625


Monogrammable linen pillows, $185-$240


Upholstered wing chair, starting at $1,475, is available in more than 2,000 fabrics.


Matisse large cabinet with organic cutouts, $1,575


Apothecary Jar table lamp, $425 for mercury glass base

When Jessica Roan and Mandy Mayers opened the doors to their Roswell Road shop last September, they never dreamed they’d soon become local decorators as well. But with an eye for style and combined business expertise, this duo has been blazing an unconventional path to careers in interior design since day one. Now, just a year after Interior Philosophy’s opening, home design consultations make up the largest part of their booming Buckhead business.

The up-and-coming tastemakers, who both hail from strong Southern roots—Roan from Dallas and Mayers from Palm Beach—first crossed paths in New York City, where they worked as buyers for Saks Fifth Avenue. But Mayers arrived in New York just as Roan was returning to the South. “We only missed each other by a few days!” Roan laments.

The two finally met in Atlanta while working in product development for Ballard Designs and soon noticed how seamlessly their merchandizing backgrounds and appreciation for light, fresh interiors aligned. Interior Philosophy was a natural extension of their tastes and a way to establish the one-stop shop they felt was missing in the Buckhead area.

The criteria for their new store were simple: Keep things light and fresh, make everything customizable and arrange everything in vignettes as livable as the customer’s own home.

The vignette set-up allows customers to imagine the pieces in every room of the house—so well, in fact, that requests for Roan and Mayers to design interiors came pouring in. Their most frequent clients have been empty nesters wishing to freshen up tired décor. “Heavy and dark is out,” says Mayers. She and Roan give first and second homes a new look through in-home consultations, floor plan layouts, furniture selection and, of course, providing all of the pieces from a single source.

Interior Philosophy’s style is distinctively coastal chic—beachy, breezy looks with touches of Palm Beach plus a mix of traditional pieces with modern updates. The women have traded dark wood finishes for soft driftwood grays, accented with fresh colors, metallics and white—from weathered cement candlesticks to mercury glass lamps.

Also in the mix are pillows of all sorts (Roan’s latest obsession), decorative books wrapped in antique documents, and cool modern upholstery that can be covered in any of thousands of fabric options. The towering fabric wall attests to this expansive inventory—and sets the store apart.

“We didn’t want customers to have to hunt through a fabric ring for the perfect swatch,” says Mayers. “We wanted to invest in this great fabric display, and I think it’s paid off. People are now coming to us almost like a fabric store, for custom pillows, upholstery and more.”

“We want to give customers something unique and special, a store that’s customizable in every way,” says Roan. “But we also want to mix it up, to make people see things differently.”

Now that’s an interior philosophy to live by.

DESIGN DETAILS
Interior Philosophy
4411 Roswell Rd. NE
Atlanta, (404) 851-0047