Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward became fast friends in 2012 after meeting at a tiny bar in New York City. Neither was in the design business, yet each had an appreciation for the layered visual storytelling that can happen in interior spaces. In a few years, Pierce moved to Nashville and Ward followed shortly after. It was then that Ward bought a home and asked Pierce to help her decorate it. “We were so ready to start a project together and this was the perfect opportunity,” she told Whitewall. “We were both creating our personal homes and our personalities and style really came through.”
At first, their joint style shined through a striped hallway—an “aha” moment for Pierce and Ward, who exercised their maximalist vision and intuitively knew it felt right. Details that joined were derived from inspirational touchpoints of old glamour, including the British Arts and Crafts movement and women like Gloria Vanderbilt, joined by time-shaped antiques and art, modern wallpaper, globe lights, and family photos. A Pierce & Ward home collection line, a brick-and-mortar store in Los Angeles, and homes for celebrities and private clients—like Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Roberts, Dakota Johnson, and Kate Hudson—came after.
Whitewall spoke with Pierce and Ward about intuitively designing spaces and products that balance beauty, functionality, and the stories of our lives.
Portrait courtesy of Louisa Pierce & Emily Ward.
WHITEWALL: Your Rizzoli-published book “A Tale of Interiors” showcases an array of your projects and suggestions on how to achieve similar results. What are some of those tips?
LOUISA PIERCE: One of our favorite mottos is “You never know until you try it!” Our interest in patterns and colors has always been there, but the more we try it, the more it works. We have always designed from instinct, but the more we explore new ideas, the more we learn. We are fortunate to have clients who embrace our instincts and let us go for it in their homes. If you love something, find a way to try it!
We also love to look away from trends and explore historical homes and the homes of interesting people we admire. There is so much inspiration in seeing how other people live and have lived and there is a lot of value in imagining how you want to feel in a space, how it will function, and then pursuing a luxurious version of that.
“One of our favorite mottos is ‘You never know until you try it!'”
Louisa Pierce
Photo by Michael P. H. Clifford, courtesy of Pierce & Ward.
Maximalists Embracing Freedom in Design
WW: Your spaces are filled with a healthy amount of art and antiques that join wallpaper, furniture, decor items, and more. How do you typically source these items?
EMILY WARD: We are maximalists, which makes sourcing fun because it gives you the freedom to play around with a lot of things we love, not just one piece. We have a store and e-commerce, as well as a design business, so we source a lot from the inventory that we have collected over the years. We know what we like, and while our taste is specific, it is also vast! So, if we see something, we get it. Everything naturally finds a home.
WW: Do your relationships with art inform any of your decision-making?
LP: I am a passionate hunter. It’s in my bones from the way I was raised. We found things, we didn’t just buy stuff, and this created the collector in me. We love the stories and richness of antiques and art, and it’s a huge part of our aesthetic. We are drawn to art that makes you feel something—whether it’s the color, texture, or subject matter. We know a lot of artists, and being from the South, I grew up with a lot of outsider and folk art, and we use this in our projects and store. I am especially drawn to the wear and patina that develops over time.
“We love the stories and richness of antiques and art, and it’s a huge part of our aesthetic,”
Louisa Pierce
Courtesy of Pierce & Ward.
“The Art of More” Leads to Perpetual Beauty
WW: You embrace what you call “the art of more.” How would you describe this?
EW: One of our muses, Carmella Scaggs, Louisa’s mother-in-law, was the embodiment of “the art of more.” There was never just one of something—there were at least ten, and each piece is special and augments what is around it. All of her pottery was like a family on a shelf, and there was always something to discover and see in a new way. Carmella would love something—say, Roseville pottery—and just keep adding to her collection, and her home only became more beautiful.
LP: We make homes for our clients that they can add to. A room is never done and just stays the same like a museum. We love to change things up in our own homes by adding new and meaningful things, so “the art of more” is about reflecting the stories of your life, memories, what you love, and what makes you happy.
Courtesy of Pierce & Ward.
Mutual Trust and Respect Culminates in Harmonious Projects
WW: You’ve stated that you make nearly every decision together and have similar tastes and inspirations—like vintage magazines, the British Arts and Crafts movement, starlets like Gloria Vanderbilt, and old-money glamour. Has this always come naturally?
LP: Making decisions together is not something we have to work hard to do. We have so much trust and respect for one another it just comes naturally. If Emily wants to do something, I fully support her, and she does the same with me. We have been so inspired by Anderson Cooper’s presentation of his mother Gloria Vanderbilt’s home, and how much love and admiration there is in that relationship, as well as amazing taste! Ms. Vanderbilt had an amazing life and her collection is emblematic of that.
We also became obsessed with Alessandro Michele’s apartment in Rome that we saw in Vogue. It is exactly what we aspire to do. It’s so eclectic, harmonious, timeless, and filled to the brim with stories and beauty!
WW: How do you typically approach a project with a client? How does your mood board process translate to a real setting?
EW: Louisa and I will visit a prospective home and get a feeling for it. Mood boarding is my favorite thing, so I typically get that going by finding aspirational pieces, including furniture from our Pierce & Ward collection, paint colors to set a mood, and fabrics and wallpaper to add texture.
“‘The art of more’ is about reflecting the stories of your life, memories, what you love, and what makes you happy,”
Louisa Pierce
Courtesy of Pierce & Ward.
A Growing Collection Originating in Love and Quality
WW: Your Pierce & Ward product line is filled with couches, tables, pillows, lamps, and more. Tell us about creating items in this collection.
EW: Our collection started because we wanted to make things we love that are of excellent quality. People always ask about the bespoke pieces we’ve put in clients’ homes, and they are usually pieces or variations of pieces we love to make and use frequently. Our Sunday sofa, for example, is our ideal functional luxury piece. It’s in a beautiful honey-brown chenille that goes with anything and has a deep seat. It’s the coziest sofa. Our namesake chairs are based on an antique roll armchair with hand-tied springs that will last forever and become an heirloom piece of furniture—like the one it’s based on that Louisa uses every day.
WW: What are you working on this fall?
EW: We have some very special collaborations coming soon and in 2025—a furniture line and hardwood floors. Our Pierce & Ward collection is always growing, and we will have headboards, fabric, and wallpaper available soon, as well as new furniture. Our store and e-commerce are always the best place to find art, vintage lighting, and furniture, as well as our pillow collection and special products from designers and artists that we love.
