Text by Holly Seng
Melissa Sturdivant Smith can trace her fascination for French style’s unparalleled beauty back to childhood, where her dreams of European travels spent exploring extravagant castles and châteaux took root. Now, as creative director of lifestyle for internationally distributed magazines, those romantic visions are becoming her reality. Newly acquired antiques sourced from her latest excursions find their home amongst cherished pieces procured over the past 20 years from her favorite antiques stores.
“I think that the inside of the home should be a reflection of who the owners are on the inside,” Melissa says. “It should be a way of communicating who you are, where you have traveled, and what you are inspired by.”
Step inside Melissa’s English Tudor-style home, and you’ll quickly discover her affinity for antiques with ornate, hand-carved details and gilding—most notably showcased in the living room, where creamy white and gleaming gold hues instill an elegant, ethereal tone. When Melissa and her husband, Tyler, purchased the property in 2021, the home’s interiors sharply departed from its exterior by leaning heavily contemporary. First thing after moving in, the couple went to work redesigning the interior spaces.
Now unarguably the focal point of the room, the fireplace, once a concrete slab, was built out and adorned with an antique cornice board that caught Melissa’s eye at Maison de France Antiques in Leeds, Alabama, and just happened to measure out to the perfect size. A set of matching architectural relics hangs above the mantel, which she accessorized with towering altar sticks, old books, and an antique mantel clock. Infusing the space with subtle contrast, Tyler fashioned the blue cornices that flank the fireplace using reclaimed molding salvaged from a historic home that was once located on Melissa’s father’s property. A pair of Louis XV-style armchairs received a new lease on life thanks to the Leitner Leinen fabric Melissa used to reupholster the cushions, complementing them with Emily Alexander pillows featuring antique ecclesiastical vestments.
In the dining room, the home’s neutral palette is layered with saturated green tones, cultivating more of a manor house aesthetic that draws its inspiration from tapestries. The armchairs by the window enhance this theme as rich wood furnishings impart warmth. On the buffet, an antique scale lends storied charm while the oil landscape is a token from Melissa’s trip to Ireland. “Every time I travel to a new country, I purchase an oil painting so that I have one piece of original art from my travels,” Melissa notes. Adding a final French flourish are an antique barometer and crystal sack-of-pearls chandelier.
Layers of luxurious textiles in the primary bedroom create an opulent oasis to return to each evening. From the bed cornice—a repurposed relic from a cathedral in France—to the starburst mirror and remnants of a Paris opera house that grace the wall, there’s no shortage of French touches in this dreamy retreat. A Busatti coverlet tops Lili Alessandra bedding, complementing the space’s sophisticated neutral scheme.
When it comes to advice for collecting, Melissa shares one rule: “As you go through life, try to collect items that speak to you from the moment you discover them; you will notice when it is all pulled together that you have common threads and you have accomplished your personal reflection throughout your home.” Melissa’s advice rings true in her own house, where a mélange of timeworn treasures mingles together, reflecting the artistic visionary who calls it home.
