Leigh Nunnery focuses on high-end design of large, elaborate homes. For one client, she traveled to Italy to design the interior of a yacht and then flew on to Istanbul to find carpets and accessories. But she describes her own home as "shabby chic; a little cottage in the woods." In contrast to all the lavishness her work brings, her home is "like having a sorbet."

To Leigh, the most important element of a project is the need and desire of the client. Her favorite kind of project is "when someone wants something very pure, true to period and authentic, and I have to do a lot of research," she says. Her other great passion is her bed and bath accessories company, Lavendre.