The art of interior design is more than just simply arranging knick knacks and picking out colors. These skilled professionals aren’t just hanging art on the wall, they’re creating art with those walls as a canvas. Through their craft, the spaces within those walls are molded into a free-standing masterpiece, one that weaves together color, texture and forms into a masterpiece.
With each layer, they create a visual language that can speak subtly or shout with excitement. The true art of it knows in letting each room express itself in its own way. There are rules, but like any rules they can be bent. They can be broken. They can be ignored altogether.
Because make no mistake, what the professionals you’ll meet on the following pages is art. And each of them has unleashed their creativity in spaces big and small around the Lowcountry. Through their ingenuity, their practiced skill and their passion for design, they have made each space they touch into a work of art.
Christina Dzendzel, Christina D Designs, Phone: 843-298-5068, Instagram @christinadesigns
What inspired you to get into this business? As an infant growing up in a 100-year-old house under constant renovation. My dad was a contractor and master carpenter. According to my mom thats how I became such a great sleeper, I could sleep through power tools and hammering. I was four years old the first time I got on the roof from an extension ladder of two story house. At the age of 11 my family moved into a brand new house on Hilton Head. It made me appreciate both renovation and new construction. I have been job shadowing a contractor my whole life. All the tagging along to various projects, inspecting the work, studying the plans, and learning the importance of a clean job site all led to my love for construction and design.
What is your favorite room in a house? My favorite room to design is the Kitchen and Pantry, Bathroom design is a close second place. I love to cook and love the functionality and organizational aspect of designing a kitchen.
What trends are you seeing for 2025? Color, Texture.. and hardly any White walls. Elements that bring depth and character whether it’s using wallpaper, fun eye catching tile, or just color-saturating with paint.
What one item or element in home design/ décor makes the most difference in a home? Impossible to say that there is one items or element. Interior design is the art and science of understanding people’s behavior to create functional spaces within a home, using the spaces efficiently while achieving a certain aesthetic. Interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design. The real answer is an Interior Designer that is also a Contractor. Stay tuned for the future of my design career.
Which do you prefer when working with a new client? Starting from scratch or incorporating existing pieces/ inspiration? I love getting to know the new client through pictures of inspiration and pictures of previous living spaces they may have had. This helps me direct my design to meet their lifestyle and aesthetics. A lot of my clients are retired from their life long careers, moving to Hilton Head from somewhere completely different. Most want a fresh start and a totally different look than their previous home. Some want something similar to what they had but with an island twist. Either way it’s the challenge that keeps things interesting for me.
What is your favorite color to use in a home? I can’t say I have one favorite color to use in a home because every home is different. One question I ask every client: “Are you a blue person or a green person?” Some answer quickly and know they are one or the other right away. Some are unsure, this isn’t a deal breaker for me it just gives the design nerd in me more of a challenge. Then I try to come up with different tactics during the material selections process to better understand the client. I like to carry one signature color or texture through out the house in small ways that make a large impact on the design project as a whole.
BESTNEST by Beverly Serral, Courtney May & Beverly Serral, 7 New Orleans Rd., Hilton Head, (843) 341-3600
What inspired you to get into this business? Our concept is a bit different from a traditional interior design firm. BESTNEST comprises three areas of focus: real estate brokerage, vacation rental, and interior design. I was inspired to design and renovate in earnest from a desire to craft a true vacation rental brand and also to become a one-stop-shop for our real estate buyers.
Tell us a little bit about the services you provide to clients. We renovate and design exclusively for our BESTNEST vacation rental home and villa owners. We often, though not always, work with the clients first to purchase the most ideal property, and then to design, outfit and equip to both our standard and aesthetic, while still giving nod to the homeowner’s personality.
What is your favorite room in a house? We love a great living or gathering space. Especially for vacation, this is the heart of the home, and it is vital to us that it be classic and slightly sophisticated, but also comfortable and inviting.
What trends are you seeing for 2025? Color drenching is having a moment, but really it is classic and timeless. Middleism is also important. Ok, I made up that term, meaning something between minimalism (too austere) and maximalism (too cluttered), while middleism is just right. And lastly, lots of eye level lighting—lamps over cans.
What one item or element in home design/ décor makes the most difference in a home? Lighting. Keep the Kelvins consistent (don’t let your electrician talk you into anything over 3000k, and preferably 2700) and use lots of interesting lamps (floor and table) with warm light bulbs.
What is your favorite color to use in a home? Oddly, white! A soft white is the perfect backdrop for furnishings, which can also be shades of white, beige, and greige. Then, the art can really shine, not to mention our fabulous outdoor blue skies and greenery that often literally come right through the windows.
Julie Setola, CID, DSA, New York Institute of Art & Design,Hilton Head Furniture, 45 New Orleans Rd., Hilton Head (843) 681-9995
What inspired you to get into this business? My father. Growing up a carpenter’s daughter, I spent a lot of my childhood after school and on weekends with my dad, going from jobsite to jobsite. I believe a lot of that experience started and opened my creative mindset toward this industry.
What is your favorite room in a house? The living room or family room. Growing up in a big Italian family, that is where a lot of memories were made for us. When designing, I always feel most inspired with this room in a home.
What trends are you seeing for 2025? Goodbye, gray, and welcome back, wood tones! Whites and light primaries are still holding strong, but I am seeing lots of warm wood tones being reincorporated into home palettes. Vintage décor is also becoming popular, as well as large, colorful accent prints.
What one item or element in home design and décor makes the most difference in a home? A functional aesthetic that is both visually appealing and equally conducive for how you use your space.
Which do you prefer when working with a new client – starting from scratch or incorporating existing pieces and inspiration? I have a lot of experience with both, especially considering our company offers both options. I would say my answer to this question fluctuates. Once I have wrapped up a complete home furnish, it’s always fun when the next project is a bit more simplistic and relies more on incorporating existing items, as opposed to starting new from scratch with a blank canvas. However, I appreciate the diversity of both types of projects.
What is your favorite color to use in a home? Aside from a neutral primary palette for the home, I like to pull accent colors from my clients’ existing art, photography, and décor. That way, we are incorporating accent colors that my client already likes to use or see in their home.
