Named one of Veranda magazine's Next Legends in 2021, Heather Chadduck Hillegas is a decorator, textile designer, and photo stylist known for the spirit of hospitality that defines Southern style. Each one of her projects reflects the individual tastes and needs of her clients, who share an appreciation of interiors rooted in tradition, arranged for comfort, and styled for relaxed elegance. Her love of fine arts, antiques, and textiles led to the launch of her botanical-inspired fabric collection, now sold in trade showrooms across the globe.

Before starting her own design business, Heather inspired millions of readers through her editorial work at Cottage Living and Coastal Living, and most recently as the Style Director of Southern Living. She began her career in the 1990s creating dreamy retreats—literally—for the catalogs of the finest bedding manufacturers, including Peacock Alley, Yves Delormes, and Neiman Marcus. Later, as an editor, she collaborated with the nation’s best architects and decorators as a behind-the-scenes producer of hundreds of stories and more than a dozen major showhouses. One of her largest design projects to date, the 6,800 square-foot interior of the 2019 Southern Living Idea House on Amelia Island, Florida, was completed in only seven months from design to installation, toured by a record 15,000 visitors, and Instagrammed countless times. Her current projects include numerous houses across the South, mid-Atlantic states, and Indiana, plus a luxury yacht in the Bahamas.

For every commission, Heather taps into an extensive network of wholesale vendors, artisan craftsmen, bespoke furniture makers, antique dealers, and numerous drapery and upholstery workrooms. Widely published and celebrated across print and digital platforms, she joined the prestigious, invitation-only Design Leadership Network earlier this year. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, travel and lifestyle photographer David Hillegas in a newly renovated 1920s clapboard colonial that was featured in the October 2018 issue of House Beautiful. Her first line of accessories, a limited edition of luxury beach towels for Weezie, launched in Spring ’21 and quickly sold out. A capsule collection of home furnishings will debut in the fall.

Follow Heather’s decorating installations and inspirations on Instagram @heatherchadduck and get her fabric collection updates @heatherchadducktextiles.

Photo by Peter Frank Edwards.