Ever the last decade, interior designer sarah yerger has discovered that it’s not uncommon for wonderfully well-matched couples to have completely different ideas about what they want in their home design. Fortunately for her clients, she is an expert at helping people with different design visions create beautifully balanced homes that reflect both personalities.
Her skill was honed dramatically during the pandemic when travel plans evaporated and homeowners suddenly found themselves staring at their spaces with fresh eyes and plenty of time to consider improvements. The shift was dramatic for Yerger, whose interior design practice had been steadily growing since 2013. “I could have worked seven days a week then, and it hasn’t slowed down,” she reflects, describing how her business exploded as clients channeled their wanderlust into home transformations.
Today, 90% of Yerger’s work takes place within the exclusive Reynolds Lake Oconee community, where the luxury lifestyle meets Southern charm. As a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), she’s built her reputation on something that sounds simple but proves remarkably rare in her field: truly listening to her clients.
“I like to collaborate with my clients. It’s important to me that their style is represented in their home,” Yerger explains. “I know that people can get intimidated working with a designer, and sometimes they feel like they should just do what the designer says. Not everyone wants a show home, but either way, a home is so much better when you can see yourself in it.”
Her clients for this project, Sandy and Russ Dawson, are what Yerger describes as “a lovely, put-together couple,” but when it came to interior design, they might as well have been speaking different languages. Sandy’s heart belonged to traditional elegance, think refined millwork, classic proportions and timeless sophistication. Russ was drawn to modern rustic aesthetics, clean lines softened by natural materials and elements with a contemporary edge.
Their new construction project in Richland Pointe at Reynolds Lake Oconee is a 7,100-square-foot home with five bedrooms and six bathrooms, featuring soaring 12-foot ceilings on the main level and 10-foot ceilings on the terrace level. Designed by architect Ritchley Brown of Georgia Home Design and built by Heirloom Builders, the structure is spectacular. “I was very excited when I saw the plans, but Sandy and Russ were in different places in terms of what they envisioned. It was my job to bridge the gap,” Yerger says.
Design decisions aside, everyone agreed on functionality. Close to their children and proud grandparents of a new grandbaby, the Dawsons wanted their home to be elevated and luxurious while remaining practical for visits from their grandchild and “granddogs.”
Yerger has four pets and an 8-year-old daughter, so she immediately understood the assignment. “Most of my clients have some combination of pets, kids or grandkids. Your home should be beautiful, but it should also work for you,” she says. This practical wisdom informed every decision, from fabric choices to the thoughtful inclusion of a dog washing station on the terrace level.
Yerger’s solution to the style divide was bold and brilliant: start with white walls as a neutral backdrop. It sounds simple, but as any designer knows, suggesting white walls to clients can be a terrifying prospect. “When I tell clients I want to start with white walls, they worry everything will look clinical. It’s the same with any bold design choice, like using deep colors or patterns. Russ and Sandy had to trust me and trust the process,” Yerger says.
That trust would prove well-placed. Rather than clinical, Yerger’s white provided the perfect canvas for layering elements that spoke to both traditional and modern rustic sensibilities. Her secret weapons became organic, soft whites and white oak, materials that could bridge both worlds while creating visual continuity throughout the expansive home. “Most ceilings in this home have a wood element or white oak beams, which was really important to us,” she notes. “The millwork was also important because it brought in the traditional element that Sandy loves. They both agreed on lighting; they wanted modern fixtures that are a little bit fun.”
Fun is exactly what we see as we enter through the massive black steel door with six rows of horizontal window panes. To the right, a staircase with a playful iron and wood railing leads to the terrace level below. Overhead, a bronze and glass bubble chandelier welcomes visitors, while a second bronze chandelier with round floating bronze lights illuminates the staircase. From here, we can see through the open living room, dining area and kitchen to the pool and lake beyond.
The heart of any family home is its kitchen, and Yerger approached this space with particular care. Her guiding principle was longevity. “I wanted it to be relevant years from now, so I avoided anything trendy or over the top,” she says. The result is a master class in timeless design. “Simply White” by Benjamin Moore, a warm white that plays beautifully with natural materials, covers the walls, providing a sophisticated backdrop for the white oak beams that help define the space. Honed quartzite countertops from Construction Resources add subtle texture without overwhelming the clean aesthetic.
The kitchen’s layout is both beautiful and highly functional. Paneled appliances and a full-size wine refrigerator line the right side, while the island, topped with white oak cabinetry and lit by two delicate iron fixtures, provides seating for four. One detail that perfectly captures Yerger’s ability to balance competing preferences is a row of black framed glass doors set within the floor-to-ceiling white oak cabinetry. This single element lends a contemporary edge that satisfied Russ’ modern inclinations while maintaining the warmth Sandy craved.
The butler’s pantry presented another opportunity for the couple to navigate their different preferences, and this time, the darker vision won. Where one spouse wanted white and the other wanted black, they ultimately chose the dramatic dark option. The result is a hidden gem of a room with a glass door and an elegant chandelier that adds unexpected sophistication to the home’s palette.
The designer and her clients found these moments of compromise weren’t conflicts to power through but opportunities to embrace new possibilities. Yerger became a translator, helping each spouse see how the other’s preferences could enhance rather than diminish their shared vision.
With so much square footage to work with, one of the designer’s most significant challenges was creating intimate, cozy spaces in an expansive, open floor plan. Her solution was architecturally elegant: adding arches to the entry of the keeping room to maintain the open concept while clearly defining separate zones. “The arches gave it a little detail to tell you you’re entering another room,” she explains. This subtle demarcation allowed the keeping room to feel like the cozy retreat it was meant to be. Historically, keeping rooms were intimate spaces where family and guests could relax before or after dinner, which is exactly how the homeowners use it.
To emphasize this coziness, Yerger made a bold color choice, painting the keeping room walls “Essex Green” by Benjamin Moore and adding wainscoting for visual interest. The couple had specifically requested that the television not dominate their main living spaces, so relocating it to this intimate room solved multiple problems simultaneously. A comfortable loveseat in creamy white makes this room’s color palette the inverse of the adjoining living room.
The main living areas, meanwhile, showcase Yerger’s skill at mixing contemporary and traditional elements. Deep green velvet chairs echo the room’s color while two rust-orange chairs add warmth to the neutral palette. Performance fabrics throughout accommodate kids and dogs without sacrificing style. At the same time, a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace serves as a dramatic focal point that satisfies both spouses’ preferences for warmth and sophistication.
Yerger believes the bedroom should be a personal retreat from the world and a place where you can truly unwind. Painted in “Grey Owl” by Benjamin Moore, a sophisticated gray that she carried into the primary bathroom cabinetry for continuity, the room feels calming and elegant. Wood beams on the ceiling serve a dual purpose: They satisfy the couple’s desire for natural elements while creating the illusion of even greater height in an already impressive space. “We want the ceiling to feel super high, so we used beams to draw your eye up,” Yerger explains. Draperies and bedding fabrics by Kravet add luxury without overwhelming the serene atmosphere.
The primary bathroom is the pinnacle of sophisticated design. Working with an unusual shape and floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, Yerger made the brilliant decision to panel mirrors into the wall as built-in design elements rather than hanging them as afterthoughts. Thick 4-inch countertops anchor the elegant cabinetry while a large, curbless shower with double showerheads features patterned marble walls and white marble floor tiles laid in a herringbone pattern—a design that feels both fresh and timeless.
Yerger’s commitment to consistency extends to every corner of the home, including spaces that might easily be overlooked. The mudroom, which visitors pass through to reach the powder room, received the same attention as the main living areas. Custom floor-to-ceiling white oak cabinets provide storage for coats, shoes and outdoor gear. A stone slab sits on top of the unit’s three drawers, providing a place to sit while gearing up.
The entertainment area, featuring a 98-inch television and bar with views of the pool and lake, provides spectacular spaces for gathering. A small but sophisticated home office proves that functional spaces can be beautiful, which was essential since this workspace remains visible to the main living areas.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this project wasn’t the stunning result, though the home is undeniably beautiful, but the process that created it. Yerger’s collaborative approach, rooted in genuine listening and respect for her clients’ preferences, transformed what could have been a battle of opposing tastes into a creative journey toward something greater than either spouse had initially envisioned.
“It turned out so beautiful. There’s a nice warmth in this house. It all came together, and they love it,” Yerger says. “They’ve often said that they were so happy they trusted me. They loved that I listened and didn’t just tell them what to do.”
This sentiment captures the essence of how Yerger works: It’s not about imposing her vision but about discovering and elevating what her clients love most. In Yerger’s hands, Sandy’s traditional elegance and Russ’ modern rustic sensibilities didn’t compete; they collaborated, creating a home that feels sophisticated, comfortable, timeless and fresh.
The Dawsons were equally happy, saying: “Building a home can be extremely stressful, and the number of decisions involved can be overwhelming. Having a builder like Heirloom and an interior designer like Sarah Yerger to collaborate with helped to both relieve stress and, importantly, create a finished product that we love!” *
Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.
