Interior Motives
A local interior design firm exceeds expectations to create the home of your dreams.
Karin Nelson and Troy Wilson of Nelson Wilson Interiors have a passion for creating the best possible design solution for any space. The two met in 1999, while working together at Jacqueline Vance Oriental Rugs on Magazine Street, and quickly discovered that they “shared a common taste and really enjoyed working together,” Nelson says.
Originally from Toronto, Nelson received her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto before pursuing her passion for design and earning a degree in Interior Design. And Wilson, who was born and raised in New Orleans, says that he has always had a knack for design that he “latched onto and ran with!” He worked for several years as a showroom decorator with Expressions Custom Furniture, a national furniture company based out of New Orleans that has since closed down.
While working at the rug shop, Nelson and Wilson formed relationships with their customers and created their own interior design business, which they named Refined Spaces, taking on small design projects like rearranging, redecorating and refreshing a single room in a client’s home.
“Our customers would say, ‘Oh, I love this, but can we do more?’” Wilson says. “So in 2001, we shifted our focus to begin working on more serious interior design projects and founded Nelson Wilson Interiors.”
Nelson says they are fortunate to have a very loyal clientele. “Pretty much all of our original customers are still clients,” she says. “Design is such a personal thing, so once you develop a rapport with someone with whom you share tastes and personalities, they become a lifetime client.”
Though the two share tastes and visions for their projects, they do differ in their overall approach. Wilson says he likes to “push the envelope and make clients think outside the box,” while Karin describes herself as more pragmatic and even budget-focused, pulling from her design and business background.
“My job is to help realize my clients’ dream in their house,” Nelson says. “I focus on their wants and needs, and see how I can take all of the design principles to create the best possible space for them.”
Together, the duo is able to create interiors that comfort, inspire and enrich their customers’ daily lives. “[The spaces] reflect a client’s personality and make them feel at home,” Nelson says. “Our designs reflect a close collaboration, and our goal is to exceed expectations and create a more beautiful space.”
Located in Old Jefferson, Nelson Wilson Interiors services clients throughout the greater New Orleans area, as well as Houma, Thibodaux and Baton Rouge. The pair has also worked on homes in Miami; Toronto; San Francisco; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and they recently wrapped up one of their favorite projects in Atlanta’s Serenbe neighborhood, an eco-conscious, suburban community.
“It was an interesting challenge for us, because the space was very industrial,” Nelson says. “We had to keep the look refined, while staying true to the elements.”
Though Nelson and Wilson typically focus on interiors, the duo recently finished a luxurious outdoor living space in Houma, where Wilson says they “focused on bringing many of the details and comforts of indoor living outside.”
Another favorite project involved creating what Nelson describes as a “Bedouin tent,” featuring vintage accessories and colorful Moroccan accents. “There was so much saturated color,” Nelson says. “It was like designing for a movie set!”
With projects this wide-ranging and varied, Nelson and Wilson say they pull a great deal of their inspiration from travel, and they attend furniture markets in Atlanta and High Point, North Carolina. “[However, we] try to do as much business locally as we can, with local artists, framers and antique stores,” Wilson says. “We love original art and try to place local artists in clients’ homes.”
If they had to pick a style, Wilson says he and Nelson both adore mid-century modern, but their portfolio shows an eclectic and thoughtful range that can suit just about any design style. This open-minded, tailored approach has helped them keep clients for more than 14 years.
Nelson says they’re not afraid to mix pieces and styles, and she recommends that anyone searching for a fresh look in their own home should first evaluate what they already have and then edit the space. This is where a fresh, professional perspective can be so valuable. “Thinking outside the box can be hard when you’ve lived in the box for a really long time,” Nelson says. “That’s where we come in. This is what we do all day, and we love it!”
Nelson Wilson Interiors specializes in full-service interior decorating and design services but also offers a la carte services, like space-planning, window treatments and color consultation.
419 Central Ave., Jefferson, (504) 891-0554, nelsonwilsoninteriors.com