Though her firm, Mary Mac & Company, was only founded in 2004, Mary McWilliams has been immersed in design for two decades. She managed a showroom at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, and then went on to a career as Director of Interior Design for Southern Living magazine. In that position, aside from producing feature articles and design books, she was responsible for development, construction and interior design of all the magazine’s show houses, and also hosted programs on HGTV. The ability to juggle numerous complex projects with finesse is a skill her clients can appreciate. “I am all about details,” says Mary Mac, “those layers upon layers that make a house truly a home.”

Mary Mac favors a traditional approach that’s “timeless, not trendy. It makes for design decisions that have a longer life.” In the same spirit, she guides clients to make “investments, not purchases.” That’s not only a benefit to them, but a source of satisfaction to her. “The best part of being an interior designer,” Mary Mac says, “is creating lasting environments for the places that matter most – our homes.” 

Mary Mac often used the color red in her Southern Living showhomes. In fact, there’s a Valspar paint #858B-3 named for her, Mary Mac Red.