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WLS Co-founder/CEO Mollie Surratt spills the tea on her home reno in a new series.
If you had asked me a few years ago what our family’s next chapter looked like, I would have told you we were building from the ground up. My husband, Jason, and our daughters, Caroline (15) and Charlotte (11), had the plans in motion, fully prepared to embark on a new build on land we recently purchased.
Then, small-town magic intervened.
Word travels fast in the little town of Calhoun, Georgia, located in the heart of the world’s flooring manufacturing industry. The moment my mother-in-law heard whispers that a home we had admired for years was about to hit the market, everything changed. Within days of touring the home, we were under contract. And as soon as we closed, the real adventure began. I started taking the ideas I had collected for building and translating them to this house that I had always loved.
When you have been in the flooring industry for over 20 years and run a creative agency serving the flooring and home industries like White Label Studio, design is in your DNA. I stepped into the role of lead designer of our home renovation, leaning heavily on the genius of my best friend, Asheley York, who is a talented interior designer based in Tuscaloosa. Meanwhile, Jason took on the massive job of general contractor, managing the build in the midst of his already demanding career. We were intimidated but incredibly excited to make this home our own!
We renovated every single inch of this home. Flooring, cabinets, countertops, light fixtures: you name it, we transformed it. My design philosophy has always been about the mix of pairing high-end choices and trade connections with high-style Facebook Marketplace finds on a budget. Today, I’m thrilled to kick off our new blog series, Curated & Crafted, by giving you a look inside our Living Room and Primary Bedroom.
The Living Room: Peaceful, Modern & Dog-Friendly
We wanted our main living space to feel serene, grounded, and modern, with a subtle nod to Scandinavian design. To achieve that balance, we painted the existing stone fireplace, stained the existing mantle, replaced the flooring with blonde Tarkett Home engineered hardwood, and installed a sleek, contemporary light fixture. We were a bit terrified to paint the stone, but after some distressing with a sander, we loved how it brightened the space while still adding texture.
The centerpiece of the room is a personal fave. It’s an original painting Jason and I bought together in Napa Valley for our 5th wedding anniversary many years ago. Surrounding it are pieces that make the space feel curated yet still comfortable:
- The Foundation: A lush Karastan wool rug that adds grounding warmth.
- The Anchors: The accent chair, pillows, coffee table, and side tables are all from Crate & Barrel’s collection with Jeremiah Brent.
- The Life-Proof Splurge: A deep, comfortable sectional from Craftmaster, upholstered in heavy-duty performance fabric to handle life with our four dogs.
Over the next few months, I’ll be revealing several what I call “jewelry box” rooms in the house that feel intimate, rich, and wrapped in moody vibes. Our primary bedroom is the first of these sanctuaries.
The Primary Bedroom: A Moody Jewelry-Box Retreat
To start, we drenched the walls in a deep, cozy taupe that feels like luxurious milk chocolate. To make the space feel intentionally collected over time, we paired our original bed and dresser, a sweet gift from my parents early in our marriage, with an antique chest and side tables. Mixing these pieces added character and a higher-end feel. We added a modern chocolate brown velvet loveseat from Crate & Barrel and an antique tea table with a modern task lamp. Statement sconces and a stunning chandelier from Visual Comfort with lucite arms brought it all together.
One of our absolute favorite features in the entire primary suite is the built-in coffee bar. It makes our mornings feel wonderfully quiet, slow, and special before the rush of the day begins.
To give it a moody, elevated edge, we styled it with:
- Prefab cabinets painted the same color as the walls for a seamless visual
- Deep bronze subway tile laid vertically
- Dramatic, heavily veined countertops in black and taupe
- Sleek black leather hardware to tie in the counters and black accents in the bedding
- An integrated mini-fridge and a built-in pot filler
I can’t wait to take you through the rest of the house in the coming weeks. It’s so much fun to look back on how far we’ve come. What’s your favorite detail so far: the peaceful living room or the moody primary? Stay tuned for more!
Get the Look: Paint & Sources
Living Room
Paint: Sherwin Williams Shoji White Flat
Stone Fireplace: Limewash treatment using Romabio Limewash Paint and this how-to guide
Primary Bedroom
Paint: Benjamin Moore Chocolate Velvet
Mollie Surratt
Founder & CEO
Mollie Surratt is the Founder and CEO of White Label Studio, with roots in flooring leadership at Mohawk and Shaw. She is a Digital Communications Leader of the Year (PR News) and a Floor Focus “Future Focus” Marketing Winner. Off the clock, she is knee-deep in a full home renovation with her husband Jason and their two daughters, mixing high-end finds with Facebook Marketplace treasures one room at a time.