blvd. | style
CLOSET CRUSH:
Shawna Freeman by Whitley Adkins • photographs by Amy Kolo
A
fter living in a cramped New York City apartment for more than a decade, Shawna Freeman was so excited after buying her current home in Charlotte, she recalls twirling around in the empty closet. “I lived in a space the size of the bathroom and this closet for 12 years,” says Freeman, 42, a Virginia Beach native who works in corporate leadership development. “I used to travel to Charlotte for work — I thought the city was really charming. I met some really good people here.” So seven years ago, Freeman moved to the Queen City. The self-described “Glamohemian” chronicles the ever-changing design of her home on Instagram @bellybaila. Comments have been edited for length and clarity. HOW DID YOU GET INTO DECORATING?
I had a lot of space, and I was on a budget, and this led me to become very resourceful and fall in love with the hunt and the process. I love combining unexpected elements. I love art. I don’t know anything about it — I just like it. I SEE A VINTAGE-MODERN MIX IN YOUR WARDROBE. TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT.
I’ve been a fan of vintage and thrift since I was 15 and had my driver’s permit. I love mixing it up. I love eclectic. From an interior design perspective, I call myself a Glamohemian. I do like glam, a little bit of flash, but still elegant. I like colors, I like neutrals, I like it all! DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE.
Edgy with elegance. DO YOU HAVE ANY STYLE ICONS?
Tracee Ellis Ross and Issa Rae. HOW OR WHY DOES SOMEONE INSPIRE YOU?
Having fun with clothes without being tragic. I don’t like trying too hard, but I do like a little irreverence, a little play. Something unexpected. Uniqueness without being forced. They wear who they are.
46
|
SOUTHPARK
HOW DOES YOUR INTEREST IN DESIGN CONNECT WITH YOUR FASHION SENSE?
I bought my first house, this one, six years ago. I had lived in apartments my whole adult life. I moved here from New York, so this was a lot of space. If I could have gone to Restoration Hardware or Crate & Barrel and bought everything, I probably would have, but I couldn’t afford that, so it forced me to be creative and resourceful. I hit up the yard-sale circuit, the thrift-store circuit, the second-hand circuit, the Facebook Marketplace circuit, and it became fun. And then I realized, just like with clothes, you could get more unique things, more high quality things, things that could rival a high-end designer when you thrift.
