Timeless Style From Shelly Riehl David

What's your design philosophy?
I love to mix classic and modern furnishings and fabrics with artwork from around the globe to create a timeless look. I think that when you don't stick to any one particular design style, that makes your home much more timeless. It's not 1980s contemporary or 1950s modern. You mix it up and it's more intriguing — it never gets boring and tired. You don't want your home to look like you airlifted a showroom. It should reflect you. And we literally go around the world to find the most beautiful items — one-of-a-kind and custom-made — to create that signature timeless feeling for each client.

Where did you get your sense of artistry?
My grandmother. She was an artist in Brainerd, Minn., and she was this amazing, energetic, interesting, over-the-top woman. As kids we'd go up to her lake house, go on hikes, tell stories and create art from anything, from rocks to twigs. Then, every night at five, it was cocktail hour when the sun was setting. She'd put on her hat, heels and sunglasses and have cocktails on the dock while the kids would have Kool-Aid and popcorn. Everything was an event, and everything was interesting.

She made her life beautiful. That's how my husband and I try to live. We celebrate everything every day. We wake up and drink from our best Versace coffee cups. We use fresh linens. We surround ourselves with good style because it makes us feel good. Everyone who walks into our house gets a big fat smile on their face. They see how we've decorated our home and they know that we, and they, are going to have fun.

That's my advice to people: Eat off your best china, iron your napkins and surround yourselves with colors and things you love. You'll have such a happy life.