Fig & Dove’s Artisanal Accents

A Louisiana interior designer’s brand of well-crafted home goods and gifts brings distinguished style to Christmas décor and everyday embellishments.

They say there’s no place like home for the holidays, but after almost two decades in the interior design industry, Colleen Waguespack was struck by a surprising seasonal trend: nothing was made to last. “It started with saying, ‘Gosh, we should make stockings and tree skirts for clients in fabrics that complement their houses, rather than Christmas being such a departure [in appearance].’”

The decision to do just that inspired her to create Fig & Dove, a curated collection of fine decorative accents for the well-appointed home. Colleen got her start in corporate design, but after a decade the New Orleans native transitioned into residential interior design, eventually opening her own Baton Rouge-based firm, Colleen Waguespack Interiors.“The switch to residential was so different because of all the detailing—drapes, throws, accessories. These are the last 10 percent [of a project], those finishing touches that make a job feel personalized and homey,” she says. As Colleen became adept at this type of meticulous styling, clients began coming to her with distinctive requests for the holidays.

In 2015, Colleen launched Fig & Dove’s first holiday line, collaborating with trusted makers to produce chic and elegant décor. They started with basics like stockings and tree skirts, seeking perfect proportions and high-quality constructions with textiles that range from lavish Fortuny fabrics to classic neutrals. Understated acrylic stocking holders—acrylic blocks with brass or nickel hooks—have become the bread and butter of the business, along with similar products such as star tree toppers and pearlescent doves.

Colleen’s work in interiors serves as a muse for Fig & Dove, and they are able to enhance the experience for online patrons with photography from design projects showcasing display tips for their pieces. She takes a less-is-more approach and handpicks items that are attractive yet useful, multifunctional, and suited to both contemporary and traditional homes.

Her discerning aesthetic is what Colleen feels instills true value in Fig & Dove products, which she hopes will bring heirloom appeal to the holidays and beyond. “Southerners like to pass things down, and our artist collaborations give [them] something worthy of collecting,” she says. “Those types of Christmas decorations that have sentimental value should also have timeless qualities and constructions so they last and you still love them 20 years later.”

Text by Elizabeth Bonner Czapski
Photography courtesy of Collin Richie

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