Hillbrook Farmhouse

Hillbrook farmhouse

Sara Hillery Interior Design transformed a historic Hanover farmhouse into a bright, airy retreat blending coastal California style with classic country elegance. Utilizing a serene blue-and-white palette, vertical wallpapers to visually lift low ceilings, and durable performance fabrics, this interior design project offers a masterclass in modern, generational luxury.

Tasked with transforming a historic, multi-era farmhouse into a current and personal escape, this project beautifully bridges timeworn heritage with contemporary elegance. Moving away from traditional, dark hunt country aesthetics, the design introduces a bright, airy aesthetic that seamlessly merges a clean, coastal California look with classic country charm.

To visually expand the spaces despite the low historic ceilings, the design relies on a restrained palette of crisp blues and whites, punctuated by subtle, nature-driven greens that echo the surrounding landscape. Strategic use of vertical striped and grasscloth wallpapers draws the eye upward, while a thoughtful edit keeps the rooms feeling spacious and uncluttered.

The resulting home is a serene, elegant haven that functions beautifully for modern, generational living. Built on a foundation of performance fabrics and approachable luxury, it is a masterclass in creating a unique design that is both a visual statement and a highly livable retreat.

Foundry Manor

Foundry manor

Designed for the 2026 Richmond Symphony League Designer Showhouse at Foundry Manor, Sara Hillery Interior Design’s “The Art of Arrival” reimagines a Jeffersonian-style foyer through a softer, more personal lens. Blending classical symmetry with layered textures, timeless architecture, and elegant interior design details, the space balances historic influence with warmth and livability to create a refined, welcoming entry.

Sara Hillery Interior Design's “The Art of Arrival” is rooted in a distinctly Jeffersonian symmetry, the architecture offers a sense of order and permanence. Yet this space is shaped as much by what is unseen as what is built. Through a softer, more personal lens inspired by Martha Jefferson, this foyer reimagines classical architecture as something to be felt as much as admired.

There is a sense, throughout, of beauty held lightly. Of rooms meant to be entered, experienced, and remembered, if only for a moment. The result is a foyer that honors its architectural lineage while allowing for softness, emotion, and a touch of joy. A space shaped not only by the home’s history, but by the people who move quietly within it, and the grace they leave behind.

Tuckahoe Transitional

Tuckahoe transitional

Sara Hillery Interior Design refreshed a 1980s transitional home in Richmond, Virginia, creating a timeless, playful, and high-end interior that balances classic elements with vibrant, modern touches.

This whimsical yet sophisticated home refresh emphasized balance and livability. Vibrant pops of pink are paired with softer blush tones, while classic staples and unexpected, playful details highlight Sara Hillery Interior Design’s signature transitional style. The spaces were thoughtfully designed to grow with the residents, offering functional elegance alongside joyful, everyday vibrancy. This project reflects the firm’s expertise in creating Richmond homes that are both luxurious and welcoming.

West End Cape

West end cape

Sara Hillery Interior Design updated a 100-year-old Cape Cod home in Richmond, Virginia, blending traditional charm with a modern, airy aesthetic for high-end residential living.

Sara Hillery Interior Design was brought in to modernize the home’s eclectic interior while solving spatial challenges presented by 8-foot ceilings and dated dormer windows. Key updates included refinishing the living wood floors in a soft walnut tone and installing overhead lighting to enhance the original character. Using a light, airy color palette, the project emphasizes layered, sophisticated interiors that balance historic details with fresh, functional design elements ideal for everyday living.

Buckhead Transitional

BUCKHEAD Transitional

Sara Hillery Interior Design created the bedroom “Nouveau Départ” for the 2023 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Southeastern Showhouse, showcasing her signature approach to collected, nature-inspired luxury interiors. Located in Buckhead, Atlanta, the space blends Virginian and French design influences with botanical elements, layered textures, and timeless furnishings.

Sara Hillery’s bedroom design for the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles 2023 Southeastern Showhouse, “Nouveau Départ,” is a menagerie of bits and pieces of her signature style. For this space, Sara pulled a color scheme from nature: her backyard garden in Virginia during the spring months. Sara’s appreciation for both distinctly Virginian and French design is greatly encapsulated by the work of Bunny Mellon and her elegant yet humble and relaxed style. For this space, Sara continued to draw inspiration from Mellon’s former Virginian estate via a fresh color palette, deliberate use of natural elements, and botanical details including local floral specimens adorning the wall. Moreover, natural textures such as linens and wicker playfully lift their more luxe and vivid counterparts resulting in a space that is both elegant and charming. Above all, Sara designed this space to feel collected and sought to blend an eclectic mix of found and history-rich pieces with fresh and airy elements.

Historic Highrise

The prestwould

Sara Hillery Interior Design transformed a luxury highrise residence in Richmond’s Fan District, combining historic architecture, heirloom furnishings, and curated art for a second home renovation.

Set within The Prestwould, a 12-story landmark overlooking Monroe Park, this project reflects both architectural pedigree and personal legacy. Tasked with renovating and redecorating a second home for a retiree returning to Richmond after decades in Washington, Sara Hillery Interior Design edited and recomposed a lifetime of collected art, heirloom furnishings, and meaningful objects into a cohesive luxury residence. The design honors both the client’s personal history and the building’s legacy while creating functional, elegant spaces for modern living.

Kips Bay Dallas

Kips bay dALLAS

Sara Hillery Interior Design created a tearoom installation for the 2023 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas, one of the country’s most prestigious designer showhouses. The space, titled “Tea for Two,” blends British and French design influences with playful color and layered textures, creating an intimate gathering space inspired by historic European tea rooms.

Sara Hillery Interior Design transformed a hallway space into an intimate tearoom in the 2023 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas. Sara’s space – aptly named “Tea for Two” - is a nod to 18th-century English tearooms dedicated to people socializing and engaging in philosophical discussions with a chic twist. Sara sought to design a space that intentionally promotes personal relationships over screen time and wanted to establish a place for guests to gather in person and foster meaningful conversation. Recently, Sara took a day trip to Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina – and became captivated by the places in the Georgian-style capitol that were once reserved for reading, taking tea, and playing cards. Inspired by an appreciation for French bed alcoves, Sara carved out a niche reminiscent of classical pediments to house a luxe green velvet sofa and bespoke decorative frame.

Acting as the room’s anchor, this sofa is balanced by two smaller British colonial bamboo tables and a pair of French chairs to encourage one-on-one discussion and create a relaxed environment. Here, Sara incorporated a reflective glass wall to add texture and a hint of modern elegance while the surrounding rich French oak walls give the space a cozy, casual ambiance. A cheery wallpapered ceiling paired with a classic checkered marble and limestone floor helps the space to feel simultaneously fresh and historic. Drawing inspiration from the playful drapery fabric, Sara developed a simple color palette that combines soft blue pastels with bold punches of green. Striking a whimsical balance between contemporary and traditional design, this pattern is carried over onto the focal point of the room: the custom art frame resonant with French Mansard dormers. Delicate accessories and a custom tea cart continue to infuse British influence throughout the tearoom.

Houston Bungalow

Houston Bungalow

Sara Hillery Interior Design reimagined this Houston bungalow to support a vibrant city lifestyle while preserving the homeowners’ existing furnishings and travel-inspired pieces. The project highlights thoughtful downsizing through custom interior design, blending classic materials, collected decor, and functional spaces for everyday living and entertaining.

Sara Hillery Interior Design provides services for clients at every stage of life and style, so when a previous client wanted to downsize to a smaller home that celebrated city living and prioritized walkability to restaurants, they looked to SHID to make the most of the furnishings and art they already had while seamlessly incorporating new elements as well. Creating a warm and clean, yet functional space were paramount goals for the kitchen. SHID used crisp Carrara marble and paired it with hand painted wood for a casual, rustic twist. The red stools add the perfect pop of color, while white cabinets play well with sleek stainless appliances. A built-in espresso machine allows for the homeowners to perfect their barista skills for guests and for themselves, creating another reason for everyone to gather. In the dining room, a table and chairs previously found in the family’s kitchen get a new life. SHID found old doors to make into china closets to evoke a lived in, yet stylish patina. SHID custom scaled the light from Julie Neill in New Orleans and added Groves Brothers draperies for an Italian feel. Sara Hillery Interior Design worked closely with these return clients to help them celebrate the next stage of their lives in style. This downsized house manages to inspire an oversized amount of fun and family time with design details that highlight their past travels and interests combined with functional and tasteful furnishings that serves them perfectly in the here and now.

Riverhouse Revival

Riverhouse Revival

Sara Hillery Interior Design transformed this riverfront home through an architectural renovation that opened the floor plan and emphasized expansive water views. The project highlights luxury residential interior design focused on entertaining, natural light, and a seamless connection between the home’s interiors and the surrounding landscape.

Tasked with updating and unifying the residence while emphasizing the home’s welcoming aesthetic, Sara Hillery Interior Design removed many of the walls on the first floor and raised the living room’s floor to all one level to create seamless transitions and airy spaces that are perfect for entertaining, an activity the couple indulges in frequently. In addition to attending to their sociable needs, the homeowners also looked for ways to simply and effectively appreciate the soothing and stimulating natural environs. Sara Hillery’s decision to use an open floor plan satisfied the couple’s craving to have the peacefulness of the river visible from almost every room. Views of the water are now on display from the moment they (or any of their visitors) enter the house. Sara added features that would further enhance the scenery’s benefits including painting the ceiling in the living room to look like glass and to reflect water as well as choosing mirror-topped side tables that attract the abundant natural light. Small details like decorative oyster shells and graceful sprigs of greenery also emphasize the couple’s love for ushering the outdoors in.

Mooreland Farms Cape

Mooreland Farms Cape

Sara Hillery Interior Design renovated this family-friendly Cape Cod-style home in Richmond, Virginia, creating a spacious, functional, and art-filled interior for a young family with children and pets. The design emphasizes luxury residential renovation with open entertaining spaces, custom storage solutions, and thoughtful integration of the family’s art collection.

A young, art-loving family with three kids and three dogs needed more space but loved their neighborhood. They decided to overhaul the interior of their home, knocking down walls and rearranging rooms. The colorful family wanted their home to reflect their active lifestyle, love of entertaining, and appreciation of art, so Sara Hillery Interior Design designed their space to be highly functional with plenty of storage, incorporated the family’s art collection, and opened up the entire first floor for entertaining. SHID focused on giving the space staying power for the growing family, using performance fabrics, antiques that had already stood the test of time, and quality, timeless pieces. 

Federal Revival

FEDERAL REVIVAL

Sara Hillery Interior Design transformed this Federal-style home in Houston, Texas, creating elegant, high-end interiors for a family-focused lifestyle and frequent entertaining. The design integrates personal collections, bespoke furnishings, and layered textures to produce a warm, functional, and sophisticated home.

A Houston couple spent months looking for a new place, only to realize that there’s no place like their own Federal style home…albeit with a few impactful updates. Highlighting the couple’s amazing collections (which include pottery and vases, Tarzan paraphernalia, and original artwork) guided and inspired us to transform the space into the ideal venue for entertaining family and friends, a frequent occurrence for the home’s vivacious inhabitants. Serene, neutral spaces play well with more colorful rooms (including the wife’s office and the kitchen), making the home feel personal and warm, with plenty of nods to the couple’s passions and hobbies

Windsor Farms Georgian

Windsor Farms Georgian

Sara Hillery Interior Design worked with Dan Ensminger Architecture to renovate a Georgian-style home in Windsor Farms, Richmond, Virginia. The project included a large addition, open floor plan, and luxurious interiors for modern family living while respecting the neighborhood’s historic architecture.

Situated in Windsor Farms, a neighborhood that was developed beginning in 1926, the Georgian home included an addition built in the 1970s. Inside, however, the rooms felt boxy and dated. Sara Hillery Interior Design, working with Dan Ensminger Architecture, tore off the old addition and built a new one, which allowed for the inclusion of a mudroom, a great room, a master bathroom and bedroom, and a new kitchen. Inside the main home, SHID and Ensminger Architecture combined several rooms to make for a new, expansive dining room, transformed the garage into a kids’ play haven, and created a front to back entryway that took its cue from the style of old Virginia plantations.

The resulting home is welcoming, comforting, and invokes all of the family’s favorite things: music, the ocean, and each other.