ROSWELL, Ga. — Lanada Duncan had come to know the importance of creating a personal sanctuary, feeling the burnout of a 20-year career in healthcare management.
The work took a toll, both mentally and physically. So, the Roswell resident began changing her home to create a more holistic environment.
“I feel your living space does have a lot to do with how you feel, emotionally, physically, how healthy you really are, how well you really are,” she said.
But, Duncan realized that she wasn’t fully in the space she wanted to be, which was to help others do the same, and founded her business b.e. decors Interiors in 2015.
She got her feet wet by hunting for unique pieces that she would refurbish and sell at street markets, also picking up small jobs from her friends, and when her son went to college, Duncan transformed his bedroom into her “she-cave,” which has since become one of her specialties.
“That’s a good way of making sure they don’t come back,” Duncan said, laughing.
The she-cave is the oft-overlooked space for women and for mothers that allows them to relieve stress amid a packed schedule, to let their hair down, to make themselves a priority.
Meanwhile, “man caves” are a longstanding concept, widely cited and portrayed in the media. Duncan said her husband’s is the garage in her Roswell home, where all his childhood toys are stored.
“I thought, well, you know, I need a space like that,” Duncan said.
Duncan said her she-cave, denoted with a sign on the door, features a big, comfy cream-colored chair and ottoman, an electric fireplace with an assortment of teas, honeys and mugs on its mantle, a drink cart holding a refrigerator, wines, glasses and a teapot, and a Bose speaker she uses to sound off her favorite artists like Márcio Faraco or a playlist of Zen music.
Lanada Duncan’s she-cave design in an Alpharetta home office features dark green walls, a cowhide rug and elegant lighting. Two large clear desks, a fireplace credenza and cozy seating completed the space, inspired by a female figurative artwork for a warm and chic vibe.
The sanctum has plenty of candles, Duncan said, made by her sister which she sells through b.e. decors Interiors. Duncan’s website also features handcrafted body butter and decorative pillows, marked with phrases like “She-Cave” and “Girl Boss.”
The room has evolved over time, and soon, she said it will get a redesign to incorporate fresh color and her love of birds.
“I tell people that you have to invest in yourself first, so that you can be there for your children, so that you can be there for your employer,” Duncan said. “This is just one of the important ways to do it.”
Duncan devoted herself full-time to interior design around three years ago after being laid off from her role in patient relations, driven by the need to understand what makes for a peaceful living space.
“It’s great to make a space look beautiful, and that’s good,” Duncan said. “But, it’s really, to me, more important to make it feel like home for you … There are so many things in the world that can affect us in the day-to-day, but when you come home, that should be your safe space.”
Regardless of scope, Duncan said each consultation is individualized and involves asking clients what constitutes “home” — she said maybe it’s the color yellow that reminds a client of a favorite house they lived in, splashed over the kitchen, a reminder of the smell of cookies.
While other interior designers might look in client’s closet to get an understanding of their style, Duncan said it’s important to really get to know the subject first.
But, she noted a few guidelines she likes to talk through, which may not be at the forefront of a client’s mind, like light sources, pops of color and biophilic features — plants, natural stones, photographs of landscapes. Some of the work for Duncan is education.
“While they may not be thinking of this particular item, we need to talk about it because I want to blow your mind by not just meeting your expectations but exceeding them,” she said.
