Meet Mia Parris | Interior Designer/Store Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mia Parris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Primarily, it was about having a purpose. I had retired from my finance career to stay home and raise my children. As they got older, I knew that I needed and wanted to work, preferably for myself.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I branched out into interior design about 10 years ago after some friends started offering to pay me to help them with their houses. I realized I have a talent and decided to turn it into a career. While living in California, I kept my business a home-based one. It was rewarding, fun, and sometimes a bit stressful. As the kids went off to college, I made the move to a lovely town south of Atlanta called Newnan. This is a charming place with a historic square that often feels like it came straight out of a Hallmark movie. It is growing pretty quickly, but the square remains very small town feeling. There are lovely higher end home stores in Atlanta, but not many down here so I decided there was a need that I could fill. In my experience, the energy (and budget) of a home remodel goes to the construction and the larger pieces of furniture. The decorative items that truly add charm and personality to a space get relegated to the back burner. I love how a space feels when it gets the “jewelry” added to it. I decided to offer a retail store what specializes in that “jewelry”. The decision to open has been one I feel grateful for each day. There are ups and downs and lots of downtime, but I feel lucky I was in a position to make this happen for myself and my clients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Newnan is called The City of Homes because it has a number of well preserved historical districts. I would start my tour of these historical neighborhoods. There are beautiful country roads to drive on. I would, of course, take in some of the cultural offerings and fine dining of Atlanta. I would also suggest hikes and bike rides around the Chattahoochee Bend State Park. We would enjoy some fabulous cocktails and burgers at Meat N Greet, fabulous Thai at Garlics, and tapas at Lila Grey.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been so inspired by my kids. It was always very important to me to give them a safe, loving, beautiful home environment where they could excel socially and academically. As they got older, I decided it was necessary for them to see me pushing myself into new territory and taking risks, despite how scary that can be. They give me the strength to keep pushing and not just be content with the status quo.

Instagram: @thegrovenewnan