Power Couple Beth Webb and Chuck Hanavich: A Love Story

I am beyond pleased to feature internationally acclaimed designer and author Beth Webb and her handsome husband Chuck Hanavich. Beth’s designs are unparalleled for combining, art, antiques, texture, and decorative objects that span cultures, continents and centuries into a harmonious mix. I have featured her many times on the blog here, and her work has my heart. Let’s visit Power Couple Beth Webb and Chuck Hanavich, A Love Story to find out more about this talented duo.

Power Couple Beth Webb and Chuck Hanavich: A Love Story

Beth & Chuck: Please share your story with us, how you two met, and how you both landed in the careers that you have, including the creation of Beth Webb Interiors, along with Chuck’s beautiful eye for architecture and his passion for real estate.

Chuck and I were introduced by a dear mutual friend, who having known both of us separately, obviously felt very strongly we’d be a good match for one another. Chuck was living in South Carolina, and I was in Atlanta, but he had ties to Atlanta in that one of his sons was here and he’d worked in the city for many years prior. We had our first date in February, were engaged by July and married in November! Whirlwind romance to say the least but when you know, you know. Our friend actually married us twice, once at Brays Island and then again at Blackberry Farm.

I’ve been an interior designer for more years than I’d like to admit. It’s been thirty years now and I really began my career rather late as I was dealing art privately when my path changed one night at a dinner party. A guest, who loved our house, was spearheading a major renovation for a foundation of an 1892 house and in need of a designer for the project. He asked if I would be interested. I told him I was not an interior designer to which he answered … “but you could be” … and the rest is history.

Chuck had a different trajectory – he loved architecture, with a particular affinity for high-rise office buildings, and real estate, so embarked on a career in commercial real estate.

Beth: You have worked on projects near and far, both close to your home base in Atlanta, west to LA, east to New York, and even as far as Costa Rica. We know you love texture. How do you incorporate it in each of your projects?

When working on projects with predominantly monochromatic interiors, texture is definitely my “color” if you will. It is a fine balancing act as the contrast is key – juxtaposition of materials creates the visual excitement and interest, rough contrasted with smooth, soft surface against hard. This pertains to all the elements in a space from fabrics and case goods to accessories and art.

Photo Credit: Jean Allsop

Beth & Chuck: Your roots are based in Atlanta, but you have a much-talked-about and featured retreat in Brays Island, South Carolina. Tell us how you worked together to combine your individual aesthetics to create such warmth in an open floor plan using your signature neutral color palette. 

Chuck worked very closely with Jim to design the house, and it is sited beautifully between the marsh and the pond which was once a rice field. There is always a breeze coming across the marsh and the live oaks with the Spanish moss along with the view create a very dramatic setting for this glass house. The home itself is very bold in its materiality with the stone, board-formed concrete wenge, and cypress. We’ve added blackened waxed steel and oak paneling along with grass cloth for depth in the last few years. As far as imbruing warmth, a long room coupled with the open floor plan always seems daunting but multiple seating areas are what make it work. We use the room both night and day, he and I both love a wood-burning fire and go through copious amounts of firewood for three seasons out of the year. If it’s under sixty degrees, there is a fire in the hearth. In any contemporary project I shy away from a plethora of hard surfaces and add both comfort in all things and patina. The palette is masculine for my husband, but the overall sensation is quietly soft and very tactile for me. Using more primitive but sculptural antiques adds visual interest and was something he had to come to terms with as he was a Christian Liaigre devotee specifically for this house. 

Photo Credit: Lisa Romerein

Beth & Chuck: At the time of this interview, you are both returning from a trip to the West Coast. Of all your travels, which trip has been the most memorable for each of you, and where do you look forward to traveling next?

For the both of us, I think the most memorable has to be Japan. We love to travel and have several trips coming up for business and pleasure, Scotland this fall, and we fly to Paris two times this winter, however St. Bart’s is where we truly relax and recharge!

Beth: You have such an eye and talent for creating a level of not only elegance, but comfort and ease within a space – share your tips for balancing these two very different areas of interior design. 

I am dogged about the “sit test” and can actually tell immediately whether a piece of furniture is comfortable for a client or not. Their body language says it all. So, whether the house is contemporary, transitional, or traditional I insist everything be comfortable and approachable otherwise no one is happy there. I shy away from precious pieces as well and my wish is that every room in the house be used and often. 

Beth: Tell us about your signature furniture and accessories collection with Arteriors, which launched in 2020. Where did you find the most inspiration for this collection, and how were you able to incorporate your signature elegant texture-laden style.

I keep boards on Pinterest with images of decorative objects, furniture, art, and textiles and add to them all the time. Those images come from everywhere – our travels, Instagram, editorial, books, or museum visits. I’m constantly collecting visual inspiration as a designer. Before the advent of the iPhone, I had files of imagery. When we began designing for the collection sometimes a singular image was the inspiration and springboard for the actual piece while other times it was an amalgamation of imagery. Arteriors had a large bank of materials we could work with and during the design phase would let us know what we were able to create with their makers and what we could not.

Beth & Chuck: Style – you each have your own sense of style that seems to complement each other perfectly. How would you each describe your own sense of fashion using five words?

Tailored

Elegant

Simple

Classic 

Timeless

Beth: Your book, An Eye for Beauty, Rooms that Speak to the Senses, was published back in 2017 but focuses on creating a timeless space that promotes a sense of well-being, with the utilization of neutrals – which aligns perfectly even still, with current-day trends. Tell us about the writing and development process for this book. Do you have plans for a new publication in the future? We sure hope so!

There was a fabulous team in place as it truly takes a village from start to finish and at this writing, I’m excited to say that my second book, Embracing Beauty, Serene Spaces for Living, is available for pre-order!!!

Photo Credit: William ‘Bill’ Abranowicz

You can preorder Embracing Beauty , Serene Spaces for Living here. Due out spring of 2025, we are very excited to see this come to fruition. A few years in the making, there are several never-before-seen projects in this beautiful book.

For An Eye for Beauty, Jill Cohen, my extremely gifted book agent, came to me and said I think you’re ready and pitched the first book to Rizzoli. We had a lot of photography already, so it went quite quickly.

Photo Credit: Lisa Romerein

You can purchase An Eye for Beauty (one of my favorite design books) on Amazon here.

Chuck: Your wife is passionate and extremely talented when it comes to interior design. Share with us two things we might not know about Beth. 

She loves being on a farm.

She’s a huge dog person.

Photo Credit: Emily Followill

Beth: Share with us two things about Chuck that our readers would find interesting!

He is fiercely protective of his family.

He is very sensitive and soft-hearted; he cries much more than I do during any sappy movie.

Beth & Chuck: How do you prioritize family, your marriage, and your careers?

I’d say Chuck is much better than I am at maintaining balance. He is constantly in touch with family and friends and prioritizes our time together. I am infinitely worse on all fronts and as I write this, I have worked three weeks straight, it’s always been a struggle and the one thing I aspire to be better at juggling.

Both: Outside of creating absolutely exquisite structures on both the outside and the inside, what are some of your other interests beyond design?

Chuck is an avid sportsman and always looks forward to the fall and the beginning of the dove, quail, and duck season. He also loves to fish in the Keys for tarpon any time he can. Our new puppy Biscuit is also keeping him very busy, and they have formed quite the bond, he is certainly getting a lot of exercise with her of late.

I love traveling and entertaining when I am able, and my favorite times these days are when we are able to spend time with the family. We have six grandchildren now so we cherish any moment we can get with them!

Photo Credit: Lisa Romerein

Beth & Chuck: Name three pieces of clothing/accessories/jewelry that you are never without. 

For Chuck, his watches, alligator belt, and he never takes off his wedding ring.

For me, my wedding ring, favorite diamond stud earrings, and of course my hats.

Beth & Chuck: If you could give your younger selves any words of advice, what would they be?

Chuck: Know your parents will not always be there to tell you they love you.

Beth: Out of the worst things that happen, the greatest gifts come.

Beth & Chuck: Share your words to live by.

Chuck: Family first always without hesitation.

Beth: Ditto

Thank you so much to Beth and Chuck for sharing your story. I have ordered Embracing Beauty and cannot wait for its release. My copy of An Eye for Beauty is a much loved reference book . You can follow Beth on Instagram here for snippets of her current works, and Chuck on Instagram here. You can view more of Beth’s beautiful work on her website here.

I hope you all enjoyed reading Power Couple Beth Webb and Chuck Hanavich: A Love Story as much as I enjoyed sharing it.