Scout Designs LLC

The perfect marriage of simplicity and elegance

Flowers:Threefoot Blooms
Photography: Hope Gibson Nolan

I've been quiet most of 2025 but don't worry. I'm still going strong with multiple projects.

For example this 1920's home's cabinets were completed a few months ago. I'm still in awe of how they fit into the house seamlessly.

"Details matter" and it's important for me to get them right. I love studying old catalogs and builders drawings to maximize the trim and character needed to fit in.

Which space is your favorite?

The Roberson Project

I was thrilled when I received the call to do this kitchen. This quaint kitchen needed a facelift. I kept the footprint of the old cabinets the same but updated the overall look. Taking out that dividing wall really helped open and brighten the space.

My favorite feature that I put in was the under-cabinet outlets. The owners had specifically picked out this backsplash, and I wanted to make it extra special. Not only did they gain more outlets, but it also made the backsplash seamless. I'm now jealous I didn't do this in my own home! The owners also wanted to keep their floors, so I was pleased we were able to match the tiles perfectly where the wall was. Can you tell where the old wall was?

The attic was the final space in the 1920 Threefoot home that I helped restore. It’s the space with the most interesting history. This space was straightforward; the sheetrock, floors, and millwork needed some repair from years without climate control. The owner wanted to make a seating area and eventually add another bedroom with future plans.

Back in April, when the Threefoot festival was being held, descendants of the family came to Meridian. The granddaughter of Sam Threefoot Sr. (one of the brothers responsible for the Threefoot building), Shelley Threefoot, visited the home while it was being renovated. She shared rare family photos and documents that Sam Jr. (her father, who lived in the home from age 3-13) had given her. She told us that the attic was a speakeasy during the prohibition and gave us this insert from one of Sam Jr.'s writings:

“Sometimes, I went up in the attic of our house in Meridian with my Father (Sam Sr.) and watched him put caps on bottles with a special type of press. At eight years old, I didn’t know exactly what was in the bottles or how he made it, but I heard Mom and Dad talk about “Home Brew”. Somehow, I got the idea it was a kind of beer, whatever that was. One dark and rainy night, the doorbell rang. Mother and I followed behind my Father as he went to answer it. There was a big man in a trench coat with the collar pulled up around his neck, and his hat pulled down over his brow. My Father seemed nervous as he recognized the figure as a local policeman.
“Mr. Threefoot,” he said in a low voice, “I understand that you have been making “Homebrew.””
Dad faltered as he responded, but he was able to relax considerably when the policeman went on to ask, “Would you swap me two bottles for these two bottles of French Champagne I got when I was in the Army in France?”

-Sam Threefoot JR.

Before the prohibition, Mississippi banned alcohol sales across the state in 1908. While homemade wine was still permitted in some cases, those caught distilling or selling alcohol faced heavy fines and jail sentences. On January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment was passed by the federal government, and Mississippi — having been dry for over a decade — became the first to ratify it. C. H. Alexander, the author of the 18th Amendment, celebrated the victory by exclaiming, “Nowhere has the victory been more marked and complete than in Mississippi, which, through a brave, honest, law-loving, home-loving legislature, drove the legalized traffic from the whole state.”

Even with the U.S. dry, the people still found ways to find and consume alcohol. The so-called "Speakeasies" of Chicago and New York were infamous and spread nationwide. In Meridian, alcohol was smuggled into town in various shipping containers and vehicles. Kegs and bottled liquor were hidden in crates shipped with caskets headed for funeral homes or marked as “industrial chemicals.” There was a rumor that booze smuggled into town in this manner went directly to the ballroom of the Temple Theater via a tunnel from one of the local funeral homes.

With the Threefoot family being Jewish, they may have had a special permit for kosher wine. Wine has an important role in many Jewish practices, and alcohol was a big business for most families. Many Jews legally supported their families through alcohol-related employment before the prohibition but, after, turned to smuggling to support their way of life. For example, Jews only made up 5% of the entire population, but 50% of them were saloonkeepers. The sacramental exemptions led to broad abuse and a flood of fake rabbis across the country. During the first year of Prohibition, one Los Angeles congregation boasted an increase from 180 member families to over 1,000 families. Some three million gallons were distributed under the sacramental exception.

There is no evidence that the Threefoots were involved with any smuggling or a large home operation, but they owned various businesses around town that could have made distributing or smuggling possible. However, the Threefoots were Jewish AND German making them standout. The Prohibition movement was fueled by anti-German propaganda when the US entered WWI. Since German Americans ran most of the breweries, dry activists argued that buying alcohol was akin to supporting the enemy. This leads me to believe that their German-Jewish background made them an easy target for law enforcement to keep tabs on....or blackmail.

The third space that was updated was the office. It had some of the thickest paneling that I've ever seen. We took that down, sheetrocked, matched the original trim, restored the bookcase, and flooded the room with a neutral blue. The space was excessively large, so we added a closet on the right side for a bedroom option. This makes the space versatile and increases the value of the home.

History: Sam Threefoot Sr. owned the home from 1924-1934. He, his brother, and his cousin are credited with building the Threefoot building in 1929. It was the tallest building in Mississippi then and remains the tallest in East Mississippi. Sam also owned a cotton firm and hardware store. It's not confirmed, but if this space was initially intended as an office space, the plans for the Threefoot building could have been worked on in this room. Throughout the 20's the Threefoots dominated several industries in Meridian. Home offices were not as popular as they are now, but as I small business owner myself, I know he brought his work home at some point. Unfortunately, all of Sam's (and his family members') businesses went bankrupt during the Great Depression. He suffered a brain injury at one of his businesses and passed in 1934.

This is the second space in the 1920 Threefoot home that I designed: the master bath. The owner wanted a toilet room, but there was no space in the preexisting space. Economically, putting up support beams to use adjacent rooms did not make sense either. However, the bathroom backed up to another half bath. I proposed removing the small linen closet to create a passageway and two-way toilet room. Guests could still use the half bath, and the owners would get their separate toilet area. It was a win for the budget and solved their need.

Besides the history, my favorite part of old homes is the excitement of not knowing what you'll uncover during demos. As we peeled back decades of layers, we found the original flooring! I was so excited to see it! I desperately hoped to keep and restore the tile, but the floor was sinking and needed to be floated and sealed. It was a bummer, but I was inspired to use a similar art deco design. As a whole, I wanted the space to feel nostalgic. Almost as if you stepped into a time period movie set. From the wallpaper to the smaller cut backsplash, it was all purposely chosen to execute the look.

How you feel when you walk into a room is important. I want to provide my customers with an experience. For this area, I used one of my grandmother's paintings for staging (on the vanity countertop). It was one of her early pieces when she just started the hobby. So, as I visualized the design, I pictured her young and putting in curlers at the sink. She would be busy making sure she had every piece pinned up, while my grandpa silently admired her in the doorway. Can you see it too?

This summer was a busy one with several projects going at the same time. This particular one was so fun! I was so excited when the home owner reached out about her historical home.

The home was built in 1920 by the Threefoot family. They lived there and passed the house down through several generations. The house is a true beauty with several fun facts that the Threefoot family shared with us. (Facts will be shared in each post)

I worked on 4 different areas of the house (will post about each space separately). I wanted to keep the historical integrity of it's character while updating it. The dining room was the perfect place to start with its location at the heart of the home. It didn't need a lot of repairs or fixes, just some flattering adjustments.

With a nod to the Threefoots, I used an art deco wallpaper to make the walls pop. Updated furniture and decor completed the new look.

Here's what I got! I'm so excited to offer the DIY Planner! Please share incase one of your friends has a project in mind. 🩷

FIVE. YEARS. OLD.

"Scout" and Scout Designs turned 5 last week, and I needed time for it to sink in.

The business all started with "Scout's" malpracticed birth. I started woodworking to help me cope with mental and physical pain. I can't say that from the beginning of this company, I had giant dreams for it and had them all planned out. Of course, I dreamed for better days, but I was just trying to survive.

It was only 2.5 years ago that we discovered my reproductive organs were filled with tumors and slowly decaying from unresolved issues of the birth. After the surgery to remove everything is when the dreams and goals started to happen. With medications, mental therapy, and physical therapy, I felt like this coping mechanism could become something great.

I have always been a goal oriented person, but where this business and my personal life is today, was unfathomable 5 years ago. I was so consumed with pain that it was too hard to imagine 5 years in the future. Frankly, I thought Tim would be a single dad from me committing su***de, and that thought makes me shutter now.

I'm still in disbelief that not only was my work featured on HGTV, but I was also asked to be a guest on the show. Since then, I have transitioned the business and added interior design. It's always interested me, but I didn't have the guts to pursue it sooner. When you go through (and get help) with something that was life altering, all of those thoughts of failure are put into perspective.

I can't say that I haven't or won't make mistakes, but I promise to always make it right for my customers. Here's to many years to come! Thanks for following along, I wouldn't be here without your love and support ❤️

History of Fare on Eighth's Location

On January 2, 1898, The Meridian Star reported that a federal post office would be built on the corner of 22nd Ave and 8th Street.

The new building was designed by architect William Martin Aiken. The $80,000 three-story structure was located at 8th Street and housed not only the post office but the city's courthouse as well. As the city grew, the building was used extensively. Within its first year, the post office had five mail carriers and four in-house clerks. As demand increased, an addition was made to the east side of the building in 1911.

During the Great Depression, the state government added a new Federal building to nearly every town of importance and gave financial aid to the builders. At the time Meridian had one of the largest populations in the state, so they deemed it necessary for a new post office and Courthouse to be built. The new Meridian Post Office and Courthouse was relocated to 9th Street and 21st Avenue.The district court moved to the present courthouse when it was built in 1933, and the old building was closed and demolished sometime in the 1950s.

Sometime between the 50s and 60s the structure that Fare on Eighth is located in was built. From the research I could find, the building has housed everything from a salon to a church.

Now it's time for Kaki and April to make their mark in the history with their restaurant! I absolutely love researching the history so my clients can appreciate what was before them. You can see more pictures of the building's transformation on my page.

Fare on Eighth Restaurant Project

This restaurant was so fun to design! I was able to incorporate fun colors and patterns to make this place feel special but familiar.

Fare on Eighth is now open for dine-in and to-go orders from M-F 10:30am to 8:00pm at 2112 8th Street in downtown Meridian. They offer a wide variety of allergy-friendly and preservative-free food and drink options, as well as event specials and catering services.

Go check out the food and admire the cozy and classic atmosphere!

Did yall see last night's episode of HGTV's Home Town?

My entry table was looking good, all dolled up. It's always an honor to have my stuff on the show 🥰

You can get this table for $700.
Shipping available for extra fee