Our Team
Susan Victor
Co-Owner/Interior Designer
“Great interiors are defined as much by emotion as they are by beauty. They make us feel happy, comfortable, inspired, and alive. A successful design in my opinion is one in which my clients and I collaborate to produce a space that reflects their personal style and delivers both emotion and beauty.”
As Owner, Interior Designer, and Director of Marketing, Susan wears many hats in our organization. However, the one that keeps her creative flame burning is Designer. Working with a team of talented and skilled interior designers reinforces her belief that great design often flows from a team effort. She finds that working with the creative crew at Nandina is one of the best parts of her work life – that and an unlimited supply of fresh coffee. She loves every aspect of the design business and feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to have been the lead designer on major projects that involved full scale renovation or ground up construction. Her design aesthetic is eclectic; she loves the purity of modern contemporary design but lives comfortably in her 1929 historic home punctuated with antiques and abstract art. Her four children, ranging from 18 to 26 years old, continually inspire her both in design and life. On her bucket list is a trip to Prague with her family.
Sue Shannon
Co-Owner/Interior Designer
“I have been influenced throughout my life by ordinary people of great style and exceptional places that exhibit beauty and serenity. Sometimes the inspiration for great design comes from a great renowned talent. Other times it is from something simple and unexpected – like the beauty of the woods on a crisp fall day.”
As Owner, Interior Designer, and Director of Operations, Sue’s ability to stay focused and produce has taken on epic proportions at Nandina. But it is her role as Designer that brings her greatest professional fulfillment. Helping her clients – aka “new found friends” – achieve the home they long for is well worth the often hectic juggling required to keep up with her many responsibilities. Sue’s ever-expanding experience with construction projects has made her one of the teams go-to kitchen and bath design experts. She is a lover of good space planning and a well organized home. Her own home is a place where she and her husband Tim enjoy the simple pleasures of her excellent design sensibility; an architectural accent, a cozy nook, an artistic use of light and art. As a new empty-nester who finds joy in watching her children’s lives unfold, Sue hopes to spend more time at her mountain retreat in North Carolina and take spur of the moment trips to faraway places.
John Ishmael
Interior Designer/Co-Owner Atlanta
“Because I am an artist, color, texture, light, and emotion have always fascinated me. These are all characteristics of great interior design. My inspiration and love for design has grown naturally from my love of art. Therefore, when I work with my clients I see myself as a conduit for their creations. The finished product for my clients should always reflect their personality and not mine.”
John joined the Nandina Atlanta team as an owner and lead designer with over 20 years of experience in the field of interior design. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is known for his creative use of textiles in his designs. Prior to Nandina, John owned and managed a successful custom workroom where he specialized in draperies, slipcovers, and custom furniture. His love of fabrics and his fascination with creating new spaces segued seamlessly into his successful career as a designer. He is also passionate about art and enjoys a successful second career as an artist. His powerful abstracts are often the jumping off point for some of his most memorable interior design projects. He and his partner Troy have recently renovated a downtown store front that had been a gallery into a private home for themselves and their three dogs. The best feature of the new home is a large living area with expansive wall space full of their art and photography – a nod to it’s previous history as a gallery. Frequently, they open their home for the once-a-month downtown art stroll called “First Thursday”.
Michele Merritt
Lead Designer - Aiken
“Life is crazy and filled with so many wonderful and unexpected surprises if you keep your eyes open for them. I like to bring this wonderment to my design projects and yes, a little surprise here and there too. Each of my projects evolves from the vision my clients have. All of my life experiences, surroundings, fashion and feelings converge and become a pool I pull from to help mold this vision. Boundaries, let’s just say I don’t mind stepping to the edge and even crossing over sometimes!”
Michele and her husband Steven moved to Aiken so that they could raise their daughter in a town with a true sense of community. She joined her Nandina family as her daughter’s dependence on her lessened and is today an Aiken lead designer. Michele graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Interior Design from George Washington University’s Mount Vernon Campus and her experience has encompassed yachts, retail spaces, commercial projects and residential. Michele, an avid horseman, has successfully weaned herself from her habit of collecting horses and presently lives on a farm with just one horse and an adorable donkey. Her home is an amalgamation of styles and her life…her love of the outdoors, of art and always a bit of whimsy. The ocean is her respite and summer often finds her traveling north to her family home on Martha’s Vineyard returning recharged for the next challenge.
JESSIE LA FALCE
Design Director & Lead Designer - Atlanta
“My inspiration for any design is the environment that surrounds it and the people that will be living in it. I experience design as an energetic flow, and I allow each room to tell me what it needs before discussing my clients’ functional and emotional needs for their space. Then I marry the two. What I bring to the table is a complete understanding of the principles and nuances of design, which enables me to translate these emotional & energetic needs into tangible form.”
Jessie is our Design Director and Lead Designer in Atlanta. Working within all aspects of the design industry for the last 25 years, Jessie has gained an unmeasurable amount of experience — from working with Italian design factories to teaching at the Art Institute of Atlanta. She even opened her own design school, Vanguard School of Interior Design, which has produced highly skilled interior designers. Having travelled around the world, Jessie loves researching societal trends and the evolution of design across different countries. When Jessie isn’t working she loves spending time in her home office, where she can paint, research design trends, and dream about making her Pinterest & vision boards become a reality. Her work has been featured in many publications including “The Today Show” and “Martha Stewart Living”.
Johna Jamison
Associate Designer - Atlanta
Johna joined Nandina last spring and with her, brought 16 years’ experience
in residential, commercial and hospitality design. She has worked on
projects in several states spanning the nation and had projects published in
the Washington Post, Tennessee Home, and NABH – Builder Magazine, as well as
had projects featured on HGTV. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from
Georgia Southern University and an Associate’s of Interior Design from
Bauder College in Atlanta. Besides her love for her adorable French Bulldog,
Marcel, Johna’s true love of the interior design industry is evident in her
passion for her work, her dedication to the job and constant creative drive.
Ashley Diggelmann
Lead Designer – Greenville
“Home is the framework of memories, a place where you relax, laugh, and share stories. I draw inspiration for my work from people and how they live. The focus of designing spaces for my clients centers around making room for their lives. Whether a new build, residential or commercial, collected or modern, the best rooms have something to say about the people who live in them.”
A native of the Upstate, Ashley received her Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from Anderson University. She comes to Nandina after eight years at GDC Home in Charleston, South Carolina, with vast experience in residential, hospitality, and commercial projects, approaching each project with the desire to marry beauty and function. Her extensive work with architects and contractors brings vision to her work, and her distinct style is a blend of whimsy and sophistication. She enjoys assisting clients with a wide range of challenges, including selecting architectural details and finishes, decorating a functional, beautiful space, and creating custom pieces tailor-made to reflect expertly the personal taste and style of her clients.
BethAnn Connor
Associate Designer – Greenville
“From a young age, I’ve been drawn to interior design because of my love of designing beautiful spaces that bring joy, comfort, and serenity. Your home should be a reflection of you, and each room in your home should showcase your passions and personality. As a designer, my goal is to blend seamlessly functionality, aesthetics, and personal style to create a home that tells the story about you and your family.”
BethAnn Connor, a native of Greenville, began working with Nandina Home & Design in Aiken after graduating from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. In Aiken, BethAnn worked closely with one of the principal designers on various residential and commercial projects for nearly four years. She then moved to Dallas, Texas, to join a team supporting a nationally recognized designer at IBB Fine Furnishings, a large residential design firm. In Dallas, BethAnn gained experience working on large-scale, luxury projects in a fast-paced, urban environment, increasing her interior design expertise and exploring new techniques with color, design, space, and textures.
BethAnn strives to make designs beautiful, yet functional, and loves to incorporate color, antiques, and bold accents into designed spaces.