How Shelby Girard Gave Her Historic New England Home a Modern Sensibility

Rip & Tan: Tell us a bit about your path to interiors. What has it been like balancing your personal ventures with your role at Havenly? 

Shelby Girard: I went back to school to get my Master’s in Interior Design a few years after graduating from college. At the time, I was obsessed with design blogs and had just met my husband, Chris, who was practicing architecture. We bonded over design and knew we both wanted to make a career of it.

I found Havenly shortly after that program, and really grew up in my career there, starting as their first designer, helping to scale that side of the business, and now I lead our Brand Creative and Content departments. I’m lucky in that my passion is a big part of my career, but it’s also just a shared hobby for Chris and me, so in a way, it’s easy to balance, as it’s what we just like to do in our free time.

Rip & Tan: What makes a new property intriguing to you? What aspect of a new space do you find most inspiring?

Shelby Girard: I love old homes with historic character, whether it’s an original victorian with an ornate staircase or an old farmhouse with exposed beams and wood-burning fireplaces. I’m intrigued by spaces with original details and great potential, particularly if the work required to realize that potential is DIY-friendly as Chris and I undertake the majority of our renovation work ourselves.

We’d much rather buy an old home that hasn’t been updated in decades than pay a premium for a renovated property with fresh finishes that we’re going to want to change anyways.

Rip & Tan: Your home leans away from the east coast aesthetic often associated with a New England locale. What drew you to a more European-inspired design? Did the history of the house have any influence on how you approached the space?

Shelby Girard: I wanted to honor the historic nature of the home but also wanted to stay true to my personal style. I’ve never personally gravitated towards the more preppy, coastal New England design, but there are elements of traditional style that I love and that I try to incorporate alongside more modern or unexpected design choices.

The living room in the home was originally a carriage house, and there are elements around the house that have a countryside feel like old shiplap and beadboard, exposed stone, and dutch doors. I wanted to honor that by creating a space that felt like it belonged in the country, but with a European twist, as that influences most of my design choices in any space.

Rip & Tan: You’ve described your personal style as warm minimalism meets modern chateau, and your home exemplifies this so effortlessly. Talk to us about this concept of warm minimalism. What’s the secret to achieving that feeling?

Shelby Girard: I think it’s all about restraint. Restraint in a palette, not overdoing the styling, leaving some moments more casual or transitional feeling, and embracing the beauty of negative space and simplicity. The warmth comes through in materials and helps things from feeling sterile or severe. I try to mix materials like woods, jute, rattan, linens, shearling, or boucle throughout.

Rip & Tan: Do you have a particular room that’s become a favorite?

Shelby Girard: Our living room is definitely the preferred hangout spot. The space gets amazing natural light, has views out to our garden, and we constantly use the oversized wood-burning fireplace in cooler months. I like to start my Saturdays and Sundays there with coffee and a design book, and we often end our days there in front of the fire listening to records.

Rip & Tan: So much of the art you’ve acquired, from framed paintings to wooden footstools, evokes an of-another-era feeling, in perfect balance with the modernity of the rest of the space. Where do you source your pieces? Any advice for others seeking to bring a similar vintage-inspired charm into their homes?

Shelby Girard: One of my favorite hobbies is antique shopping, and I love to infuse vintage finds and antique accents in every room. I also love a high-low mix though, and I think many people are surprised to know that a lot of my furniture comes from accessible, affordable retailers like CB2, Urban Outfitters, or Pottery Barn.

I’m all about the mix, and using more mass pieces in unexpected ways alongside vintage so it feels more bespoke. In terms of art, my grandfather was an artist so I’ve inherited a handful of pieces from him which are featured throughout my home. I also hound local auctions and estate sales for antiques and have found some great oil paintings that way.

Rip & Tan: What advice do you have for someone in need of interior inspiration? Where do you go when you want fresh perspective?

Shelby Girard: It’s nothing novel, but Instagram is definitely a huge source of inspiration, as well as good old-fashioned design books, restaurants, and antique shops.

I particularly love looking at old design books and seeing how people arranged furniture or displayed meaningful pieces in other eras… looking at what was trending in a particular decade, and what I might want to borrow from that era in my own space.

Rip & Tan: What does living well mean to you?

Shelby Girard: Living well means making room to be creative, to play, and to see an idea through to reality. It also means great food, great wine, great company, and great music in a one-of-a-kind, inspiring space.