Bohemian Rhapsody: Rebecca Puig’s East Cobb home is an ever-evolving canvas

The art entrepreneur’s interior decor reflects her paintings—perfected over time
5522
Two large prints (framed passages from classic books) from the Puigs’ business, Sugarboo Designs, flank the stone mantel in the living room. Furry stools, reclaimed furnishings, and patterned pillows on the banquettes provide a mix of textures.

Photograph by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Rebecca Puig perfects her paintings over time, adding layers and revising along the way. She takes a similar approach to decorating her family’s East Cobb home. “Being an artist gives me the knowledge that you have to experiment with a room until it feels right,” says Puig. “A good painting and a good room don’t have to be perfect, but they should have interesting patinas to express who you are.”

Polka dots and spherical objects are a theme in the family room. A mélange of Puig’s art, a patchwork rug, and earthen pottery speak to the artist’s bohemian style.

Photograph by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

The success of her Roswell-based business, Sugarboo Designs, is a testament to Puig’s eye. The University of Georgia graduate leveraged her studio art degree into a line of charming canvases, frames, pillows, and a host of other products, most featuring inspirational messages or colorful folk art designs, all created by Puig. Her wholesale business, which reaches stores nationwide (including Target), has thrived for 10 years. More recently, she and her husband, Rick, opened retail stores in Brookhaven and Cumming. The company name derives from nicknames for their children, Jake and Sophie.

At home, Sugarboo art is a playful backdrop to most rooms, and Puig picks up unique objects from fellow artisans during business travels. She’s collected kantha quilts, a type of vibrant embroidery from Southeast Asia, and scatters them about on sofas.

The typewriter is vintage.

Photograph by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

On the other hand, she avoids bold colors for walls and furnishings. “Neutral walls give me a lot of flexibility,” she says. “They allow me to change a room on a whim. I can put a colorful painting on a neutral backdrop and it always works.”

Puig’s love of plants also distinguishes her style. “My mom is a gardener and always had orchids and lots of plants in our house growing up, so it just feels natural to me,” she says. “I have a plant in every room.” Puig is fond of hearty succulents as well as orchids, ferns, fiddle leaf figs, and even what she calls the mutt of houseplants, the pothos. Old metal or wooden containers add even more texture.

The one constant? Don’t expect her house to look the same in a year. “I am a bit all over the place when it comes to decorating,” she says. “All of my rooms tend to evolve over time in ways I could never predict.”

Pro resources
Art and accessories Sugarboo Designs, sugarboodesigns.com.

Get the look
Love Rebecca Puig’s style? Here’s where you can find similar furnishings

0315_puiglook05_dllewellyn_oneuseonlyPitted Stark industrial light, $1,850, South of Market, 345 Peachtree Hills Avenue

0315_puiglook02_dllewellyn_oneuseonlyEames molded plastic dowel-leg side chair, from $399, Design Within Reach, 2451 Peachtree Road

0315_puiglook010_oneuseonlyOversized prayer beads, $120, Sugarboo & Co., Town Brookhaven

Kantha throw, $75, Kantha Collection

0315_puiglook08_oneuseonlyDalai Lama, Book Collection, $400 (2’x3′), $600 (3’x4′), Sugarboo & Co.

0315_puiglook06_oneuseonlySucculents and hypertufa pottery, prices vary, Southeast Succulents

0315_puiglook03_dllewellyn_oneuseonlyMuffet Tuffet, Tibetan fur, $1,900, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, 3081 Peachtree Road

0315_puiglook07_oneuseonlyCanyon Art wood decor, $120, Stanton Home Furnishings, 1190 Huff Road

0315_puiglook04_dllewellyn_oneuseonlyCamino round chandelier, from $995, Restoration Hardware, 3030 Peachtree Road

0315_puiglook09_oneuseonlyStacked animals pillow with poms, $140, Sugarboo & Co.

0315_puiglook03_oneuseonlyFrench upholstered wing chair, from $895, Restoration Hardware

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

Advertisement