Eye for design

Meg Wallace wasn’t always a designer. In fact, besides creating lesson plans, her first career had nearly nothing to do with designing.

Wallace began her post-college life teaching at the Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy, where she and her husband had moved to after she earned her degree from Auburn. “I loved teaching, but I didn’t really want to be at the school all day,” she said of her decision to change careers. “I just felt kind of trapped.” 

So, she chose a different path, but this time included her creative side by going back to school for design. 

While studying design, Wallace met a husband-and-wife design team in the Philadelphia area that was willing to hire her as she took classes. “I probably should have done design at Auburn first off,” she said. “It’s funny because you look back and you realize that [some things are] kind of innate.” 

A few years later, she and her growing family moved to Charlottesville, North Carolina, and then back to Homewood in 2002. By then, word of her talents had spread, and she created her business Meg Wallace Design to help homeowners and businesses create spaces that meet their lifestyle.

“I’ve been doing this for ages, but I have been doing it kind of as I want to. My kids are older now,” she said. “It’s just a lot of fun.”

Through her business, she works with customers to create a space or spaces tailored to their needs.

“It’s always challenging because you want to design for other people,” Wallace said. “You want to try to catch their visions, their interests, what they like, and create a space for them that they personally will enjoy.”

Fourteen years after officially founding Meg Wallace Design, Southern Living, a brand known for delicious food photos and festive home decor spreads, selected her house to be one of the four locations for their 50th anniversary book, “2016 Christmas with Southern Living.” 

Although her house may have needed a little love when Wallace and her family first purchased it, it’s easy to see now why Southern Living wanted to use it for photos.

“I love fixing up old houses,” she said. “And space planning is my strength. I can look at a space and see what it should be.”

During the renovations, construction crews altered nearly every aspect of the house: The kitchen was moved; a bathroom was added; two other bathrooms were reconfigured; the ceilings were vaulted; and windows were added. But it was the long-standing, antiquated fireplace that caught Southern Living’s eye. 

While browsing Facebook, a former client of Wallace’s noticed a call for a “rustic fireplace” online by Southern Living, and the client contacted her, knowing of Wallace’s fireplace and the work she and her family put into their house. 

“I just texted [the Southern Living team] some photos on like a Wednesday night, and they asked, ‘OK, can I come see it tomorrow?’”

She, of course, said yes.

“I was clearing Legos off the table and there was still a Hogwarts house out [before they came],” she said.

After a visit, the Southern Living team — which consisted of two stylists, chefs, a photographer, an intern and an appearance from the magazine editor — confirmed a series of five days they would work out of Wallace’s home. 

“[I wanted to work with them] because I just think it’s an adventure to get to do something like that,” Wallace said.

Although they would be working with some of their own props, such as plates, bowls and holiday decor brought in from their gymnasium-sized warehouse, the creative design team also incorporated elements of Wallace’s home, such as Wallace’s aunt’s antique chair and the family’s photo hutch. 

Each day the team worked in a different area, testing different designs and moving furniture around to complement the setup.

“They really wanted an open kitchen dining area with the rustic fireplace and den to work with,” she said. 

They would work in one space at a time, take some photos, and then move on. At the end of the week, Southern Living took over her kitchen to create their own recipes and for the final photos of the family feast. 

Wallace said her neighbors were excited to have such a well-known publication feature her home, but it didn’t come as much of a shock, and her family was supportive of everything. 

“We do crazy things at my house anyway, so I don’t know that they were too surprised,” she said. “It was just nice to be exposed to their talent and see them at work, and to see kind of the behind the scenes for how they produce a book.”