Empty Nest to Second Nest Design!

meet mary anne

Childhood stomping grounds, the new Trail Hotel in Bardstown

At a young age, SND Studio co-founder and lead designer Mary Anne Potter developed a love of design and an appreciation for unusually beautiful things.  Her family pioneered tourism paving the way for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in the hospitality industry, which involved building and renovating hotel properties. She pursued interests in textiles and design during college, leading to a professional career in luxury retail buying with Filenes (Boston) and later, Neiman Marcus (Dallas) competitive executive development programs. Her career eventually progressed to a national sales management position with a luxury suede apparel startup in Austin. During that busy phase of life Mary Anne renovated her first home in the Austin Hill Country and privately designed and renovated 3 more homes in Austin. She has been actively designing for over 25 years.. 

what's the point of a bucket list ... unless you actually do the thing!

Since the bucket list launch of SND Studio with a former colleague from Neiman Marcus in 2024, Mary Anne has worked on estate home projects in some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Texas, Kentucky and Colorado. With a uniquely honed eye for quality and collecting, she brings curated beauty and interesting storytelling to every project. Her luxury retail buying background and passion for design naturally serve clients through a concierge-level design service, reflective of, and prioritized to meet their interests by employing an intentionally limited project roster.

Known as The Merchant Prince - "We want to sell satisfaction, not merchandise."

Stanley Marcus with Grace Kelly

Known for spaces that feel timeless and refined, natural and deeply comfortable, rather than overly formal, Mary Anne is dedicated to the unwavering philosophy of the original master of luxury, Stanley Marcus, an avid fine art collector who maintained "The customer is always right."

Aesthetically trained by the best, Mary Anne's proficiency with customization, curation and careful material selection evoke sensory richness and bring unmistakable charm to every project. During a time when e-commerce and online shopping have made modern living feel hurried and a little less special, Mary Anne understands that a counter cultural approach to more meaningful, slow design is preferred by discerning clientele.

concierge-level design service motto: "respect, support, protect"

Subtle Transitions + Warmth = Inviting

IN HER OWN WORDS “SND Studio is a boutique design firm offering clients more than just good taste in design.  We care for your home personally, the same way you would care for your personal appearance or overall health. We respect, support and protect all aspects of the design process, including our client’s privacy.  Those three key words set us apart and make our design process different from designers who are simply there to deliver floor plans and material goods”. 

Dark Contrast + Layered = Moody

As primary founder and lead designer for SND Studio, Mary Anne is known for an inherited old school work ethic and a lively warm personality, which she credits for much of her success. Opening the door for discriminating clientele who prefer a relatable professional design leader they can trust to keep projects personalized, orderly and well managed. Her design business is naturally creative and highly relationship driven.

"Emerging first in fashion, as so many interior design initiatives do, quiet luxury embraces authenticity, tailored simplicity and invites meaningful interplay between intentional details and classic elements. SND Studio celebrates the nuances of these high end design qualities that have really been around forever, now having a fresh new moment, and adds a touch of warmth and southern hospitality. The calling card hallmarks of SND Studio that make a house of any size feel more like a home."

everyone has to start somewhere!

Before there were "personal stylists", TV and movie set wardrobe departments dressed actors and equipped country music stars with upscale western attire for high profile gigs. And when they wanted real life haute couture for the Grammys, Emmys and CMA's, they called the buying offices of luxury retailers. Straight out of college, Mary Anne was sourcing, merchandising and outfitting America's entertaining elite in Texas, Nashville and L.A. Clients included Victoria Principal from the TV culture craze Dallas, Cher (yes, that Cher) and charity maven/style maker/fashion icon Betsy Bloomingdale, who still looked great in luxurious suede fringe in the 90's! Mary Anne also worked hand in hand with well known politicians and A-list philanthropists to develop shared charitable interests serving as a community volunteer leader in Austin for 20+ years.

Dream job aside, the life accomplishment Mary Anne prizes most is raising two fun-loving, creative daughters who grew brilliant butterfly wings and flew the coup!

"Gifting the world with an innovative yoga studio founder/instructor and an attorney/artist with a burgeoning side hustle has been the most rewarding life experience of all."

Mary Anne and her husband of 30+ years, a self professed tech geek and scholar from Vanderbilt and MIT raised their family in Austin, where they lived for 28 years. They now reside in Lexington, KY at their beloved family estate home, Hummingbird Hill. Once part of a larger horse farm, Hummer Hill is situated in the heart of Kentucky horse country surrounded by four-legged-friend neighbors who happen to also hold the title Kentucky Derby winner. Mary Anne is originally from the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown, KY and holds a Bachelor of Science in Textiles and Design from The University of Kentucky. She is proud of her Bluegrass State roots and also cherishes half a lifetime spent living in the heart of The Lonestar State, where she first began decorating beautiful homes in the Austin Hill Country.