Falling Into Place

The creative duo behind Hundley Hilton Interiors steep a new Alabama build in saturated colors and a sense of the past

- BETSY WATSON,LAUREY W. GLENN,KATHLEEN VARNER

Erin Davis knows what she likes—blue, and lots of it. But when it came time to decorate her newly constructed house in the leafy reaches of Mountain Brook, Alabama, she and her husband, Collins, sought guiding lights in Elizabeth Miles and Janie Jones of local firm Hundley Hilton Interiors. “My sense of style doesn’t translate without someone to keep me on the path,” says Erin. “That’s what they did. They really kept me on the straight and narrow as far as sticking with our overall plan.” Of course, when Elizabeth and Janie are driving, “the straight and narrow” bends toward maximalism with a contemporary lilt.

“We each bring a certain element to the table,” says Janie of their partnership. “I think marrying each other’s styles makes us different from other designers in the way that we bring out the traditional and modern.” This decorative duality is apparent throughout, with old-house character and chaos-friendly practicality considered in equal measure. “We really live in our home. I know a lot of people say that,” says Erin, laughing. “But I have a daughter whose hands are constantly dirty, a dog that sheds and is in and out from the yard, and a husband who works in a bank but somehow comes home with muddy shoes.”

The fact that the designers’ hands were on the wheel is immediately apparent in the foyer. A cobalt blue geometric fixture they got from The Urban Electric Company seems to float against Carleton V Ltd’s feathery Kauri wallpaper and above a vintage rug from Paige Albright Orientals, which can easily handle the aforementioned wear and tear of daily life. “We like for the entry to tell a story about what’s to come,” Elizabeth says.