The art: Australian. The fireplace: American. The cabinet found in the dining room: Chinese. Add a hint of Japanese floral arrangements, an Italian bathtub, topped off with a Mexican chaise lounge (or two) and you have yourself a home - not a museum.
To say Ellen McGrath has wanderlust is a complete understatement. With each brush stroke found in all her paintings, she combines the world she's seen and who she's shared it with, bringing every art piece to life - each with a story all its own. Having spent extensive amounts of time in Asia and Australia, she took each stay as a mission to learn something that she could carry with her. The more she indulged in these experiences, such as Japanese floral trimming, the more she found herself collecting decorative souvenirs that she could use to in her home back in the United States.

Her last adventure began with a decision to leave Denver for a new life in Charleston, and in an effort to create new memories, she decided to build her new home from scratch. She set out to find pieces that were reminiscent of her life as a traveler and incorporate those items into her everyday home decor. Ellen selected the popular Charleston design firm Mitchell Hill to lead this project, not only because Michael Mitchell and Tyler Hill are gallery owners and travelers themselves, but because their style and experience infused with the atmosphere she envisioned for her home.

"I know that all these cool, collective groups of things are interesting on their own. I trust you to blend all these pieces together but do not fight the space," said Ellen, upon returning from New York City where they purchased materials to start the decorating process. It was from that moment on that the Mitchell Hill team set out to make this 1840's. Harleston Village, Charleston home into an eclectic masterpiece. Ellen was hungry for history and glamour, and below is the fabulous finished product.