Home tour: See inside Dilworth’s happiest little house

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The Dilworth cottage has an unassuming painted white brick exterior, but the inside is an explosion of Grandmillennial style, characterized by chinoiserie, wallpaper and antique china dishes hanging on the wall.

It’s no surprise the owner of this stylish abode is Charlotte native Alexis Warren, an interior designer and owner of Alexis Warren Designs. She lives with her husband Bob and goldendoodle, Maggie.

• Fun fact: Warren also teaches at Hilliard Studio Method.

The house: The Warrens bought their 1940s house in 2020. They loved the location and were charmed by the home’s original architecture, including the quirks that come with older houses.

• At 1,460 square feet, the house has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. One of the bedrooms has been converted to Alexis’s home office.

Alexis identifies as a grandmillenial. She has a love for traditional design with “unexpected pops of modern.” She’s not shy when it comes to color, patterns and texture.

• The style, which has become a trend over the last year, embraces a lot of traditional design elements. Think of floral wallpaper, overly stuffed sofas, pleated lampshades, blue and white ceramics.

Lifestyle: The grandmillenial lifestyle isn’t just about granny-chic decor, it’s centered on creating comfortable, lived-in spaces made for entertaining. “I love to entertain and never want guests to feel as if they need to touch everything with white gloves,” she said.

Approach: Alexis was intentional about her choices when designing her home but she wanted it to feel effortless and lived in. You’ll find plush furniture, lots of seating and soft textiles that make the space feel cozy. And art casually leaning on walls, stacks of books and personal accessories throughout add character and style in a way that feels deeply personal.

“Everything in our home has a story and to me it is important to be connected with the items I surround myself with,” she said.

Best seat in the house: Alexis says she loves every inch of her custom cottage, but the kitchen space was their main project. They gutted the area and created an open, more functional galley-style kitchen with a breakfast nook.

“The kitchen was a labor of love and the small little breakfast nook is filled with memories of nights with friends and family,” she said.

• The nook is under a large window and surrounded by a built-in bookcase. It’s one of the most-used spots in the house, especially when they’re hosting.

The nook is also home to Alexis’s favorite home purchase: a pizza and fry painting by Deb Koo, represented at Sozo Gallery. She bought it in the thick of Covid. “I was missing nights out at Selywn Pub eating pepperoni pizza with friends,” she said.

• Originally, the pizza painting was pepperoni-less, but Alexis requested Koo add her favorite topping for a custom look.

Happy place: Every vignette sparks joy, from the gallery wall of art collected while traveling, to the dining with a wall of plates hand painted by her grandmother.

 “I can’t help but think this is the happiest home,” Alexis says.

Photos by Heather Ison Photography, courtesy of Alexis Warren.