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When I moved to Charleston, there was an old guard of interior design firms that were extremely talented—and then the next jump was to people my age, this younger guard of women that were in our 30s. There were three or four of us trying to gain steam and do something a little different—and that was all before social media. And then [there was] the social media explosion with Instagram and everybody caught on—even the do-it-yourselfers caught on. It’s just a matter of evolution of lifestyle and design, and I do feel like everybody’s catching on to a little bit more relaxed living. "I'm a sucker for rugs, art, and unique accessories," interior designer Cortney Bishop tells us. Not that she has to—one look at her Charleston home makes this love for statement pieces very clear.
Modern Classic
She came in so nonchalantly with her backpack on and was like, “I’m just going to shoot your house.” I was like, “OK, great, what can I do to help? ” And she was like, “Oh, nothin’.” And she toured around and took these incredibly bright, happy, vibrant shots of the house, and it just clicked. In that moment, I was like, This is my girl, she’s getting my vibe. What drew some of your initial clients to your work?
Battery Life
We’re going to take a little break from that and focus on our own community. There’s so much opportunity here, and it’s fun actually being home. That’s something that I’ve realized—nesting is good. I have the honor of bringing the Sword Gate House in Charleston back to its glory. It’s a landmark — the carriage tours go by and tell its story. I’ve almost finished the renovation with two wonderful clients who have the vision to mix historical accuracy and modern pieces.
10 Design Trends You Should Try in 2024 - Decorating - Real Simple
10 Design Trends You Should Try in 2024 - Decorating.
Posted: Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Studio
Did you pursue design right away yourself, then? My father was a huge businessman and it was always about economics with him. And I was quite an entrepreneur as a child—I would have lemonade stands, or make and sell braided barrettes with ribbons, or stationery—whatever I could do to make money. He pushed me to continue to get my business degree and go into the corporate world. Once I graduated from the business school at [the University of Georgia], I went to work for [a] consulting corporation, where I was selling beautiful beach club memberships to high-end resort communities.
Other Cortney Brown's
I’m excited about all the opportunities that have come my way, but I’m also biting my nails all the way to the holidays. Our spaces are meant to tell our stories and mine is constantly progressing. I’m always taking new risks when it comes to my own home, my fashion, and my personal style. Definitely a bohemian at heart, I’m all about mixing materials, colors, and textures - whatever it takes to create layers and a meaningful story that feels like home to me. I am passionate about complete home builds that involve collaboration between an architect, a landscape designer, and an experienced builder, allowing me to bring my vision to life. I also love working on boutique commercial spaces where I have the creative freedom to experiment and fully realize a unique concept.
You work so hard and you want that moment to be so special, but we were realizing that things were broken, things were lost, we didn’t have accurate data about what was being received at what time. That so much was happening behind the scenes for their project? I think there’s always this concern clients have that it’s going to be extremely expensive, and how do we keep it from getting out of control? It doesn’t matter what the budget is, everybody should feel good about knowing where they’re going to end up.
And while it may have taken some time (and a few other professional pursuits in between) to discover her niche, these days, Cortney has her own wildly successful interior design business out of Charleston, SC. From cozy residential projects and eye-catching hotel bars to bright and airy beachfront condos, her style is decidedly casual — with an edge. Get to know our latest designer crush, Cortney Bishop of Cortney Bishop Design. An avid globetrotter, Bishop looks to her travels, as well as her love of art, music and fashion for inspiration.
I was doing very well and I loved it, but then I met my husband in Paris. Before you start knocking down walls or applying fresh coats of paint, Cortney recommends deciding on an overall vision for your home. For her, this starts with “a color scheme and a vibe.” She found inspiration for her redo particularly from the setting and her home’s exterior. “I like a black, white, and cream palette and then I layer on a color that feels natural to the exterior of the home, which for me is all of the blues,” she says.
What it does is mix the boldest of the bold [talents] and brings forth true artists who aren’t in a business atmosphere. When collaborations are not under a business constraint they can push the envelope to the farthest level… and I need to see that. Cortney Bishop’s approach to design involves creating resonance between the interiors, the architecture, the location and its views. Cortney’s fervor for contemporary art extends beyond her own collection. It’s this passion that is shared with clients when selecting and installing that final layer to personalize a space.
She was very organized, everything was on point, and everything was holistically designed in one period of time. But I went in with a more relaxed, bohemian mentality—that’s how I live my life. There’s nothing pristine or perfect about me or my home and family life, and I think that was refreshing at the time. We played this wild card in a town that is very traditional. “I had strong influences growing up that informed my interior design style,” she says, referring to her mother, who was an interior designer, and her grandmother, a talented seamstress. When Bishop was a child, she and her family also lived in England, where she developed a penchant for Savile Row suiting.
” And when she isn’t plugging away on a project, you can find Cortney somewhere on Sullivan’s Island, likely kicking it at home or by the beach with her husband and kiddos... I just decided one day to look for a warehouse for rent. Had I known that it would be so successful, I would have looked to buy, but at the time we didn’t have the cash.
The wood also paves entire ceilings and walls and serves as trim; its natural warmth is enhanced by walls finished in Benjamin Moore White Dove plaster, applied by Jess Artistic Designs. For contrast, details are painted in Farrow & Ball Tar, a soft, moody bronzed black that changes from gray to brown in the shifting light. The soapstone kitchen island, which will patina over time, is paired with marble that reappears in all the bathrooms. I think it’s extremely important to get a photographer who really can capture that for you and then invest in it.
We’re pushing people to be more relaxed and playful. Georgia O’Keeffe and Cy Twombly are two artists I would love to collect someday. Photography was what I could collect in my twenties and thirties. I have works by Sally Mann, of course, and Mona Kuhn. The South is about storytelling — it’s part of who we are. Telling stories from the past in a fresh, new way is exciting to me.
But you’re in charge, so if $350,000 isn’t what you want to spend on your home, then let’s talk about it. From there, we do the furniture plan, then the RCPs, and then we provide a lighting budget that correlates to the lighting allowance, and then do spreadsheets and budgets for every line item. [Whether it’s] the bed, pillowcases, household essentials, or art and accessories, there’s a line item budgeted that they’ve agreed to. At the end of the job, they land at $450,000 (or whatever the budget is), turnkey—they know that’s the number and we’re not going to go over it unless they find something that’s, like, a $50,000 piece of art we weren’t expecting.
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