A Case for Color

A Case for Color By Hannah Stiff

photo credit: Story Street Studio

Story Street Studio duo launch Bozeman presence with panache & humility

People keeping saying wallpaper is coming back into vogue,” Laura Stanley tells me during our fi rst conversation on the phone. “Did it ever go out of style?” “

Not for Stanley or her design partner Lizzie Bailey. Together the pair make up Story Street Studio, a new interior design fi rm with offi ces in Bozeman and New York City. Stanley and Bailey recently joined forces to create the fi rm but bring more than 25 years of experience to the table. They’re also hoping to bring a little more color and a maybe even some wallpaper to Bozeman homes. livable, gorgeous spaces from the ground up. They prefer transforming entire houses rather than single rooms because a home needs cohesion throughout its spaces, the team explains. Both halves of the Story Street Studio brand honed their design chops on the East Coast. After earning an Art History degree from the University of Georgia, Stanley landed in New York working for acclaimed textile designer John Robshaw. From her work with Robshaw, Stanley fell in love with bold colors and patterns. Robshaw is well known in the interior design industry for hand block printed fabrics sourced from India.

After her time in textiles, Stanley moved on to working in the decorating and collecting departments at Martha Stewart Living Magazine and later as Style Editor for Country Living Magazine. Styling photo

shoots for the magazine meant Stanley got to research and shop for emerging trends. This also meant she had to snag quality pieces at prices that appealed to the average consumers’ wallet. “It was good training for what we do now,” Stanley says. “At Country Living, I had a budget and a tight deadline. I’d go shopping to pick things that fi t the style and at the right price point.” After attending Princeton University, Bailey began her career similarly, with what she calls a “formative stint” at House & Garden Magazine as a market editor. After receiving an Interior Design degree from Parsons School of Design, she worked for acclaimed art dealer and antiquarian Gerald Bland. “The magazine is where I fell in love with the world of design,” Bailey explains. “We were focusing on the best new products and featuring those things in beautiful ways. But working in the world of antiques was a complete shift, and I learned about timeless pieces, mixing periods in a way that can feel extremely modern.” Bailey took her experience in editorial and fi ne art with her to Katie Ridder, where she was senior designer for six years before founding Story Street Studio. Though Bailey will remain based in New York City, while Stanley works from her Bozeman home, the team say their combined knowledge and experience is a boon to their design process. current trends with pieces that will stand the test of time.” To make that case without scaring clients, Stanley and Bailey help educate their clients. An accent wall, for example, can often stand out like a sore thumb. Covering all the walls in a room can make a bolder shade recede into the background. Bright, patterned pillows can add interest without overwhelming a space. Wallpaper creates artful spaces, but also needs to be carefully considered. “Wallpaper can be scary for clients who grew up in the 80s or 90s and may have negative associations with the idea,” Bailey says. “But it’s an instant way to bring a lot of look to a space.” To determine a paint color, wallpaper print, or any other bold design decision, Bailey and Stanley tune in to their clients. They listen to what their clients want their home to feel like. How do they want each room in the house to make them feel? What is the intended purpose of a given nook or oft-overlooked space? “Some designers have a hard time listening,” Stanley says. “We pride ourselves on not having any ego about the project. It’s our client’s home. We are down-to-earth people. We want to understand our clients’ wishes for how the house should function, look and feel. We don’t have any ego about what we do.” Having no ego while saving customers from questionable design choices is a balancing act. If a client wants a trendy banana leaf wallpaper in their home, Stanley says she will suggest a few other options that may age better than the of-the-moment print. Bailey often suggests wallpapering a small powder room, if a client is commitment-phobic, rather than overwhelming a larger space. After listening to clients and determining how they want to use and feel in each space in their home, Bailey and Stanley get to work determining where to save and where to invest. “As a designer, you start to learn where you

Lizzie Bailey (left), and Laura Stanley (right)

photo credit: Story Street Studio

“We’re thrilled to partner for multiple reasons,” Stanley explains. “We are excited about collaborating because we end up producing better work. We are always bouncing ideas off each other. Utilizing both of our unique perspectives and abilities to source pieces for our clients results in a more sophisticated and unexpected design.”

The Story Street pair aren’t playing it small, either. They want to bring color into your home. They want to transform the current “50 shades of gray” trend, as Stanley calls it, into a home that refl ects each client’s personality and proclivities.

can’t scrimp,” Stanley says. “Furniture you will sit in a lot, like a central sofa, is worth investing in. A well-built piece will last a lifetime and you can reupholster it again and again over the years.”

Bailey thinks it’s the team’s editorial background that helps them differentiate a deal from a dud.

“There are extremely beautiful, artisanal lighting sources out there, for example,” Bailey says. “But then there are also greatlooking, less expensive fixtures on the market we will use for secondary spaces. Our obsessive shopping of the market allows us to source items, at all price points, that are perfect for whatever area we’re designing.” The Studio Street team stresses the importance of choosing quality pieces, even if it means a customer has to hold off and save up for a purchase. “Things you have to replace often aren’t actually a good deal,” Bailey explains. “Decorating is expensive. We want to help our clients furnish and decorate thoughtfully so their spaces age well. Neither of us gravitate toward things that are super trendy. We always want a room we’ve designed to feel fresh, without ever being something you’d look

photo credit: Story Street Studio

back on, thinking ‘that was so 2020.’" The duo says they are ready to greet the Bozeman market and begin transforming homes. With their penchant for timeless, enduring design, and eye for bold looks, Bozeman may just be ready to ditch the gray and take a chance on color. “Hiring a decorator helps you visualize and achieve the potential in your home,” Stanley says. “We make sure no space is overlooked and pay attention to the smallest details. And that makes all the difference.” More information about Story Street Studio, including contact details, is available at storyststudio.com

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