Mother/Daughter Decorating

Just because you grow up with a designing mom doesn't mean your taste will be like hers when you decorate your own home. Designer Haskell Harris lives in a 700-square-foot cottage in Charleston, S.C., that's relaxed and pared down, with a black-and-white color scheme and natural materials. Her mom, Lou, an interior designer in Martinsville, Va., prefers the opposite: Her traditional home is full of rich colors, classic furniture and fine antiques. Check out both houses and see how this mother/daughter duo differ.

Bed: A carved mahogany four-poster, king-sized frame. Sheets: Fine white embroidered linens and cutwork shams. "I often put a big Sunbrella coverlet over them because my two Portuguese water dogs are always up there," says Lou. Side table: A concave, polished mahogany nightstand with a china dish to hold jewelry. Lamp: A brass swing-arm lamp with a silk pleated shade. Wall: Periwinkle linen wallpaper and a gallery of family photos, sketches and a Mother's Day letter from her youngest daughter.

Bed: Full-sized headboard upholstered with white Sunbrella fabric, and a beach sarong on top. "It's the easiest way to change the look of a headboard without any time or reupholstering," says Haskell. Sheets: A mix of five black-and-white patterns. Side table: An antique bamboo drawerless one that Haskell found at her mother's house, with a seashell dish for jewelry. Lamp: A white zinc base with a burlap shade. Wall: Swiss Coffee by Behr, above the V-groove paneling on the lower portion.

Chair: A tufted-back club chair with kick pleat skirt. "It's covered in sand-colored polyester linen, which has the tailored look of regular linen but is more durable," says Lou. Rug: An antique Heriz wool rug made from vegetable dyes. Curtains: Fabric-trimmed drapes made of the same polyester linen as the chair. Side table: Antique wood with a marble inset. Lamp: An antique oak candlestick base with a vintage split-bamboo shade. Wall: Tuscan Red by Benjamin Moore, above the white wainscoting. "This is a big room, and I thought a dark red would warm it up," says Lou.