A Fresh Traditionalist: Lea Burton
With today's obsession with modernism, a young Charleston-based interior designer has taken on the challenge of shaking the status quo. Lea Burton, a traditionalist at heart with a fresh eye, has developed an extraordinary following and presence in the interior design industry with her keen eye for color, clean lines, and sophistication.
I discovered Lea last year while on an Instagram deep dive for inspiration. At the time Lea was running "Something to Style Over" founded in 2018 and just beginning to establish her firm, Lea Honour Interiors. I was taken by her clear point of view and unwillingness to succumb to trend.
I had the chance to catch up with Lea and dish on interiors, careers, and antiques.
At what moment did you decide to leap start your firm?
It has always been my goal but when I moved to Charleston in May of 2020 it was a natural time to transition into my firm instead of looking for jobs in the industry. I was on the fence for the first couple of months of my move on whether or not it was the right time but I started to receive a lot of organic interest through my blog so I decided to go for it!
How has the transition from design blogger to interior designer shifted your creative perspective?
So, although I did have my blog, "Something to Style Over", for two years I wouldn't have considered myself a "design blogger" per se. I started my blog in January of 2018 while working full-time at a design firm in Washington, DC as an assistant designer and later a Junior Designer. I worked there for two years before moving to Charleston so I was always a designer even while having my blog as a hobby.
You have incorporated an “e-design” element into your business. Can you speak to how this came to fruition?
I started with E-Design in August of 2020 before I began taking on local projects in early 2021. The E-Design projects came organically from my blog following so I started taking on those projects while I was in the process of starting my firm. Now that I am operating as a full-service Charleston design firm I am primarily working on local projects, however, I am still taking a certain number of E-Design projects every month.
Three words to define your style?
Timeless, Chic, Livable.
Favorite fail-safe resource for fabric?
Oh gosh, this is hard! Schumacher and Cowtan & Tout are go-tos for me for solids and prints but recently I’ve been branching out to more boutique smaller labels. If I’m looking for a sophisticated and somewhat unexpected print, Jasper is a current favorite.
An antique you will never part with?
Anything that I've received from my grandmother. She has the most impeccable style and I've always cherished the items she's given me.
Follow Lea on Instagram: @leahonourinteriors
Check out Lea's firm HERE
Follow Natalie on Instagram: @natalieealdridge
x Natalie
Images: Courtesy of Lea Burton.
