See a Modern Take on Vintage in This North Carolina Home

Ariene Bethea is the creative force behind Dressing Rooms Interiors Studio, a design firm and vintage shop based in Charlotte, North Carolina. While she uses her shop to meet clients and store her vintage finds, her home is really her design lab. For 13 years, Ariene has perfected her style in the space that she shares with her husband Daren and their dog Mini.

Ariene describes her newly built, 3,100 square foot, 4-bedroom home as "craftsman-ish," blending modern and classic elements. The home welcomes guests with an entryway that is a clear statement of what matters to the people who live here. A beautiful collection of objects rests atop the Chinese-style cabinet, which is flanked on both sides by images of iconic African-American musicians. The walls and welcome mat promise more color and pattern to come.

Ariene's living room is a visual treat. But there are some very functional decisions at the core of this fashionable layout too. "I knew I wanted to be able to see the TV from the kitchen," Ariene recalls. "Which meant there would be two focal points in the room — the TV and the fireplace." To make it work she designed the room around two separate-facing sofas. "This also created a natural walkway and room for custom cabinets," she says.

Ariene's love of material culture is present in every part of her home. Every wall is decorated with photos and paintings; every flat surface features stacks of books and statues — sometimes on top of each other. All the while Ariene's refined sense of balance and layering — a style she describes as "sophisticated bohemian" — keeps the space from feeling overwhelming.