It’s All About Design for Terri Pakravan By M.J. McAteer
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any people are intimidated by the thought of using an interior designer, but Terri Pakravan makes her clients feel at ease with the process of creating an attractive space to call their own.
The couple envisioned a rural retreat for family and friends, and they wanted the interior to feel connected to the outdoors, visible through the home’s many “colossal” windows. Terri’s design achieved all that, but with a modern flair. And it was comfortable.
“It’s a place where people can let “I have no set aesthetic,” said the their hair down,” Brian said. owner of Atelier Design & Decor, Terri tries to do a complete a retail shop on Middleburg’s East installation before she and the Washington Street. Instead, she sees clients make major decisions Terri Pakravan herself as more of a personal shopper about changes to their original plan. who tailors her services to fit a client’s needs, Waiting for the full effect makes sense--and keeps personality and budget. costs down. Sometimes, she hits bumps, such as Brian Paul and his wife, Tara Corrigan, had never couples who don’t agree or differences of opinion used a professional decorator before they visited about a particular piece, but she’s learned through Terri’s shop, which opened in 2019 and recently the years not to take her job too seriously. expanded into the space that used to be Second She credits her grandmothers for leading her Chapter Books. Now Atelier has a bright, airy feel and interior design career. They were a big part of her features the designer’s personally curated collection life growing up in Dallas, and their quirky creativity of furniture, lighting and home accessories. was inspiring. Its “modern but rustic vibe” instantly appealed One was a florist, who wore polyester pants and to the Corrigans, and they decided to hire Terri high heels and had hair “up like Dolly Parton’s. A to decorate a house they had just bought in the firecracker with flair,” Terry said. Shenandoah Valley. “It was large, empty and needed The other was an avid gardener and collector some love,” Brian said.
of silver spoons and Hummels. Terri once helped that grandmother convert a house into a bed and breakfast and remembers watching her spray paint the hydrangeas before guests came to be sure that they looked good. During Covid, when her retail customers dwindled, Terri relied on clients like the Corrigans to keep her enterprise afloat. Their Virginia country house was such a good experience, they hired her again to decorate their main domicile in D.C. This time, they wanted to “go super bold,” and the designer came up with a daring color scheme that renders their entire first floor in shades of green. They loved it. Her Dallas grandmothers probably would have loved her career choice, too. She studied at the New York School of Interior Design, and has since put her aesthetic skills to use in various locations, including Delray Beach, Fla., where she had a shop. In 2017, she arrived in Virginia and bought a house in Boyce, and it sounds as though she may be here to stay. “Middleburg is a small town but with people coming from all over,” Terri said. “It’s a wonderful place to be.” Atelier Design & Decor, 15 East Washington St., Middleburg, Va., is open 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Go to www.terripakravan.com
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Country ZEST & Style | Spring 2023
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