Designer Emily Hall pairs gilded antiques with modern lines in a family home that’s effortlessly chic

A nook in the master bedroom has been turned into an inviting home office with a collection of pictures, frames, and mirrors from favorite St. Louis antique shops. “I love making gallery walls and playing with scale,” Hall says. Of her decisions to frame the abstract Robert Motherwell work inside a large antique mirror (far right) and pair the edgy black chair with a gilded table, she says simply: “The magic is in the mix.”

In the upstairs family room, Hall has found harmony and balance in mixing vintage, antique, and newer pieces. Sam’s tulip table is paired with Louis XVI chairs upholstered in Aubusson fabric. Hall has drawn a modern S chair up to balance a French desk. An antique rug she inherited grounds a Hollywood Regency table. “I love to mix shapes and styles,” she says, “but you need to be careful not to overdo it.”

The tall Art Nouveau candlestick, one of a pair, is Hall’s favorite purchase from that trip to Paris. “I’m a huge believer in collecting treasures while traveling, so after we saw these and thought about them for two days, we went back and bought them,” she recalls. “I’ve just never seen anything quite like them. I love items that tell a story and bring back great memories.”

When the couple moved into their home, Hall thought this chair was too feminine forher husband’s modern sensibilities, but then one day she placed it beneath “Cricket,” a fashion illustration by Leigh Viner, and thought, “Oh, that’s nice.”

To add French flair to a room, bring in a touch of glamour and something unexpected, Hall says. What you choose depends on your style: If it’s mostly modern, add a gilded mirror or an antique side table. If you like traditional, bring in a modern chair or even an animal-print rug, as Hall has here. The easiest way to infuse a space with a French air? Fresh flowers. “I love things that sparkle,” says Hall, who collects crystal vases and bowls and displays them at home. “I’m drawn to glamorous things.”

A white indoor-outdoor slipcover fabric dresses a traditional sofa in the sunroom, where Hall has also paired a French console with a black lacquer chair upholstered in a coral stripe. “I love the mix of the lacquer with the fabric,” says the designer. In front of the sofa, Hall’s placed an antique bench from The White Rabbit that she had reupholstered in a natural-colored fabric. Inside the tortoiseshell bowl are glass beads from the Ashanti and Krobo peoples of Ghana. The beads are available through St. Frank, a company that sources and sells the work of artisans from around the world. It is owned by Christina Bryant, who happens to be Hall’s cousin.

Emily Hall of Emily Hall Interiors has always considered her design aesthetic French, but a 2016 trip to Paris left her describing her style as “French on steroids.” Staying in Airbnbs with her now-husband, Sam, she observed how Parisians really live. “It’s so effortless and elegant, yet comfortable,” she says. “Nothing is too perfect, which in my mind makes it so.” Inspired by the juxtaposition of old and new, Hall began pairing Sam’s beloved modern and contemporary pieces with her preference for romance and antiques. “Blended together,” she says, “they create an unexpected style that’s inviting and sophisticated.”

Next destination: The Lakes District in Italy. “This part of the world was a melting pot of cultures, so there’s a lot of history and incredible architecture that I’d love to see.”