Stuart Nordin has always relished what she calls “the hunt for wonderful, unique things.” So when she decided in 2012 to launch her firm, Stuart Nordin Home & Design, in Old Town Alexandria, she simultaneously opened a retail shop that would double as a design studio. “I wanted to find special things that showcase my aesthetic while also meeting clients and doing design work,” she recounts. “It was the best thing I ever did.”

In 2016, Nordin moved to Richmond with her husband, who is in the military, and their three children. Undaunted by the change, she established a second studio there and began splitting her time between Richmond and Old Town—though she did shutter her storefront. Now, clients in both cities embrace her practical yet elegant sensibility. “I think because I have kids I want to be comfortable,” Nordin reflects. “I want everything to look nice and elegant and tied together, but I don’t want to be afraid to live in it.”

Interior Design: Stuart Nordin, Stuart Nordin Home & Design, Alexandria and Richmond, Virginia.