Step Inside A Joyous Memphis Home Complete With Hand-Painted Wallpaper & A Full-Size Disco Ball
David Quarles, IV, knows a thing or two about sparking joy. The interior designer, jewelry creator, vegan foodie multi-hyphenate uses his social media to spread a smile daily—be it through an uplifting playlist, a celebratory mocktail recipe, or a peek inside his cheerful home in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, Quarles is giving us a tour of his space that's wonderfully alive with patterns, colors, and a statement-making disco ball.
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What are three words that describe your design philosophy at home?
Love, joy, and intentionality.
As an interior designer, do you switch up the decor of your home often or keep it pretty consistent?
As I continue to experience this world, I allow my growth as a person and designer to beautifully influence how I design/redesign my home. Our houses are always open to editing, so, yes, I switch things up as I see fit.
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What is your favorite room in your home, and why?
My favorite room is the dining room because of its hand-painted wallpaper crafted with love that serves as a reminder that everything is going to be all right. I also adore the way the light cascades into the space during the golden hours.
I believe the dining room is the heart of the home. Here friendships are made and strengthened through food, good drinks, and communication, and there's always a beautiful moment to be shared.
What noises can be heard in your home? What smells are there?
There is usually music playing from the playlist curated for the day and time. When there isn't music playing, due to the fact that I'm surrounded by oak trees, I am usually awakened by the sound of birds and the neighborhood rooster.
Smells are something I take very seriously! My signature smell consists of combinations of amber, vetiver, rose, vanilla patchouli, and slight notes of citrus gin.
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What object in your home brings you the most joy and why?
It's hard for me to pick just one due to the amount of artwork I have to choose from, but if I had to specify one piece, it would be my disco ball because of how it reflects light (especially during golden hour) and how it "travels."
What is the best compliment you've received on your space?
That my home feels good, feels like love is created here, and that there is #asenseofhappy.
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How does your home support your health & well-being?
It provides #asenseofhappy. This is important to me because so much in this world can rob us of our joy, and we need to have one specific place to replenish our joy so that we have enough to put back into the world.
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What does the word home mean to you?
Home to me means safety and peace. It's a place where love is shown and a place where inspiration is born.
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Emma Loewe is the Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen and the author of Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us. She is also the co-author of The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care, which she wrote alongside Lindsay Kellner.
Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She's spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.