At Atelier, Surprise, Delight And Whimsy

At Atelier, Surprise, Delight And Whimsy

By Leslie VanSant

From the point of entry, shoppers wander the showroom, from one stylish area to another featuring furniture, accessories, light fixtures and more. The walls are painted or papered to give the feeling of unique individual rooms, despite the lack of structures dividing the shop.

Atelier Design at 13 West Washington in Middleburg was established in 2019 by Terri Pakravan to provide a brick and mortar location for her already successful interior design business. A graduate of the well-known and respected New York School of Interior Design, Pakravan has designed homes for clients from New England to Florida and many places in between.

Her approach to design blends “the architecture and the client to understand what each will bring in (to the project),” she said. And this is reflected throughout the store. The entry is dominated by statement wall with a bold designed modern wall paper.

“This paper not only makes a statement,” she added, “but it is forgiving when a wall isn’t completely straight.”

French prints of women adorn the wall, their simplicity complementing the robust design of the wallpaper. A classic leather desk features jewelry and small holiday gift items fill out the space. One display includes soft cushy slippers— whimsical and fun. A cozy dog bed rests on the floor waiting for a tired pup to lay down and curl up.

The next room is painted a dark green that perfectly offsets the art and furniture. In the center, a comfortable couch and feathered light fixture are accented by Asian accessories. Tucked away in what used to be the dressing rooms when Tully Rector’s shop was located in the same space, there’s a bright blue breakfast bar or informal dining room anchored by a blue bench and table.

You can imagine yourself feeling right at home with each turn. Pakravan does this through the furniture and the accessories velvet throw pillows and interesting art, including an iridescent blue butterfly in glass.

Houses have to also be homes. Pakravan said she considers all residents with her design approach as well as use. In Middleburg, she often suggests fabrics and colors that are pet friendly. “If the family dog or cat is allowed on the furniture,” she said, “you want to be sure that the fabric can hold up while looking as good as possible.”

Of course, the shop is also home to various sundries that make excellent hostess gifts, including the Carspari napkins, long a mainstay as the go-to brand in Middleburg.