Interior designer Meg Braff has spent three decades shaping rooms that feel both timeless and personal. Her approach blends formal elegance with lived-in warmth, a balance shaped by early influences—her grandmother’s Greek Revival home in Corinth, Mississippi, filled with Victorian furniture and wicker, and her mother, who became her first client.
Three Non-Negotiables in Every Room
Braff’s design philosophy centers on a simple rule: every space needs something antique or vintage, a plant, and a beautiful painting. These elements ground a room in history while keeping it fresh. The formula avoids the sterility of showrooms, where everything feels new and untouched.
Her style favors layers and collected pieces. Wallpaper, chinoiserie, bamboo detailing, and Parsons-style furniture appear in nearly every project. Unlacquered brass, with its soft patina, is another favorite—it ages well, unlike polished metals that require constant upkeep.
Color, Pattern, and the French Riviera
Braff describes her ability to mix colors and patterns as her strongest skill. She developed it over decades, relying on instinct rather than rigid rules. If she could live in another era, she’d choose the 1950s on the French Riviera, where bold hues and playful textures dominated.
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Her style icons reflect that same eclectic taste. Designers like Billy Baldwin and Frances Elkins, known for their fearless use of pattern, share space on her list with film legends Elizabeth Taylor and Catherine Deneuve. The connection? A willingness to break conventions without losing sophistication.
Ranunculus, with their ruffled petals and varied colors, best capture her personality. They’re adaptable, a little unexpected, and far from the obvious choice—much like her design approach.
A room shouldn’t look staged; it should tell a story.
Gardens, Hotels, and the Soundtrack of Design
Beyond interiors, Braff’s interests include gardening and event planning. After moving to Florida, she joined the Garden Club of Palm Beach, where she studies tropical horticulture. The shift has influenced her work, encouraging her to bring the outdoors inside.
When not designing, she tends her garden or organizes charity events. A recent knee surgery kept her off the tennis court, but she plans to return. Her ideal escape is the Peninsula Hotel in London, a space she says she could inhabit without changes.
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The studio’s soundtrack—yacht rock and country-pop—reflects her eclectic taste. It’s a reminder that creativity flourishes in personal spaces, even if that means playing Hall & Oates while selecting fabrics.
Advice for the Rest of Us
Braff’s top advice for aspiring decorators is straightforward: identify what you like, then find dealers and shops that match your taste. Travel, design books, and magazines build a visual vocabulary. The more you see, the richer your own spaces become.
If she won the lottery, she’d buy a beach bungalow in Antigua and a London flat, with plans to open a trade school. The dream combines her love of design with a wish to teach practical skills.
For now, she enjoys smaller pleasures: a thriving garden, strong coffee, and the right pair of earrings. Even the most carefully designed room benefits from a little sparkle.
