Mary Kathryn Wells is a mother of 3 kids (ages 12, 10, and 7) and an interior designer known for creating colorful, personality-driven homes for families. And you might just recognize her home — it's the GORGEOUS backdrop for our Spring collection photoshoot! Based in Nashville but working nationwide, her full-service design studio is known for blending bold color, custom details, and durable performance materials to create homes that are both elevated and deeply livable. 

Did your design ethos change after having kids? Did you always insert this much personality into your work?

I’ve always injected this much personality into my spaces. Even my college dorm and first tiny NYC apartment were layered with color, art, and meaning. 

What changed after becoming a mom was the need for practicality. With three kids and a dog, the house has to work as beautifully for them as it does for us, without feeling like a daycare.

Our living room sectional is upholstered in Perennials indoor-outdoor performance fabric, and we've spilled everything on it. It all comes out. Our dining chairs are wipeable because kids and adults alike should be able to spill without panic. Hardware and lighting are elevated so the spaces still feel polished. 

I design homes with durability, livability, and longevity in mind. Color and joy are the fun part. Making them function for real life is the work.

Tell us about your iconic custom kids’ art wallpaper.

When we renovated our home, we had a custom wallpaper mural made entirely from our kids’ artwork in collaboration with New Hat.

Every single mark on it came from my kids: self-portraits, a collaborative Minecraft scene one of them painted with my husband, a “paper mommy” one of them made of me. It’s essentially a large-scale mural of our family’s story.

It wasn’t inexpensive, but I think of it as commissioning a piece of original artwork. It anchors our living and dining spaces and reminds my kids this is a home built for them, not around them.  If we ever move, we’ll reprint it and bring the story with us.

Inquiring minds want to know: what is your system for saving, storing, and tossing kids’ art?

Each child has a large plastic bin under their bed for save-forever pieces. In the kitchen, I keep an organizer with a folder for each child. School reports and artwork we’re not ready to part with but don’t need to save long-term go there and I filter through it and toss some items each time I add to it.

When they were younger, we had simple art-hanging wires in the kitchen for displaying pieces on a rotating basis. Having a designated place for display and a designated place for storage makes it joyful instead of overwhelming. The system is everything.

Do you have advice for parents who want to infuse their family’s personality into their home?

For every full-service design project we take on, we start by articulating what we call the family’s design personality. It’s a short statement that captures who they are, how they live, and what brings them joy. It becomes the filter for every decision.

Think about what brings your family joy: a favorite vacation destination, a hobby, a child’s favorite color. Then make space for it.

Hang a print from the town where you got engaged. Display the baseball from your child’s first game. Add a couple pops of purple in your living room if that’s your child’s favorite color.

When a home reflects the real people inside it, it feels layered and meaningful.

Can you give us specific tips on interesting ways to frame or display our kiddo's art that doesn't cost a fortune? And where did you get those frame plaques?

Simple gallery frames from Target or IKEA in black, white, or natural wood are perfect. Always use the mat, it instantly elevates the piece. For more polished moments, I’ve used Framebridge and added their frame plaques for a museum-style feel.

Pro tip: give your kids watercolor paper and tempera paint sticks. The paper weight alone makes their art look frame-worthy.

Do you have any creative traditions with your kids?

For Thanksgiving, we made up our own tradition. Every year each family member picks a favorite food and that becomes the entire menu. Some homemade, some takeout. It’s absurd, and we love it. A football-shaped Carvel cake is non-negotiable each year. I set the table formally and light tons of candles. Ritual plus personality minus unnecessary stress is the sweet spot.

What’s one thing about motherhood that has surprised you?

How humbling it is. I tend to be values-driven, and I can usually make something happen if I need to. Parenting does not bend to strategy.

I call myself a recovering perfectionist, and motherhood has forced me to accept that there is no perfect parent. 

Any recent parenting wins?

We bought a few kids’ cookbooks and now each child is assigned a night they’re responsible for dinner. They choose a recipe they want to make from the cookbook, go with my husband to buy the groceries, and then cook it with my husband and serve it to the family.

They’re more willing to try foods they made themselves, and they’re learning real kitchen skills. 

Any Tubby Todd favorites?

We’re big bath people over here. I’m especially excited about Dream Cream — I love a deeply moisturizing lotion — and my kids are asking about the Bath Bombs.