– Virginia Grisham & Eleanor Tolbert
By Tally Reynolds Dettling
Get to know the creative minds of Grisham Tolbert Interiors—Virginia Grisham and Eleanor Tolbert. This duo met and created their firm in a uniquely organic way, starting as work colleagues at Cantley & Company in 2016. Over the next six years, they formed a sister-like bond that has helped them become a powerhouse in the design industry.
OTMJ: How long have you been interior designers?
Virginia Grisham: I graduated in 2016 from Alabama, so I’ve been working in design for nine years now.
Eleanor Tolbert: I’ve been working in the industry for 17 years. After studying abroad in Madrid during my junior year at SMU (Southern Methodist University), I realized that I wasn’t very happy in my advertising degree, and all I’d taken pictures of were architectural details while there. During my senior year, I began working with a designer in Dallas. She encouraged me to get a degree in design, so I went to Samford and earned that degree in 2012.
OTMJ: When did you meet & open your business together?
ET: We’re both from Mountain Brook but met at Cantley & Company—a high-end kitchen and bath company. I worked there because I wanted to know kitchens and bathrooms backwards and forwards and felt like it was an expensive way to make some bad mistakes if you didn’t fully understand them. While working there, Virginia did a summer internship while waiting to start a position with Ruby Ansley. We were in a tiny office together every other day for four months and still enjoyed each other’s company. She left for Ruby Ansley, and I had my first baby that year. We became good friends and stayed in touch. In 2020, I was out on my own, and Virginia was still at Ruby. I always thought it would be more fun to work with a design partner, and 2020 proved that for both of us. I’d call and bounce ideas off her.
VG: At my birthday dinner in August 2021, I looked at Eleanor across the table and said “I think I’m ready to do this. If you’re ready, let me know.”
ET: We waited until January 2022 to make it official. OTMJ: What project has been your favorite to create?
Both: We’d say it would be our first full house renovation for a family in Mountain Brook. They’d already lived in their home for eight years. We were able to assist the architect, select all the furnishings, and basically transform the entire home without even changing the roofline. It was fun seeing what you can do without adding a second story and still be able to use and enjoy every square inch of your space.
OTMJ: How do you plan for a new business year?
ET: We are very organized—almost to a fault! Every week we have a new to-do list with action items. We have realized that by working together we can get twice as much done in half the time. In planning meetings, if I don’t hear a detail or sidenote from a homeowner, you can guarantee Virginia picked up on it and vice versa. We present a much more cohesive design style because of that.
OTMJ: Who would you say your mentors are or those that helped you get to where you are today?
VG: My great-aunt and my aunt, both designers, were a huge influence on me growing up. As well as my former boss, Sally Amen, at Ruby Ansley. She taught me a lot.
ET: My first boss at a design firm in Dallas, Kara Adam, was incredible. It was the first glance I got at interior design. The first week I started working for her, one of her client’s babies came early, and they were still weeks out from installing the nursery. Kara said let’s surprise her, so we started calling all the workroom vendors to see if they could get everything done in three days. And they all came through—the custom rug, draperies sewn, lighting changed, and artwork hung. To see how important your work rooms are and your relationships with them—that was instilled in me from day one. Those are the unsung heroes: our seamstresses and upholsterers.
Both: Our office is next door to Gilchrist, and both sets of parents are often guilty of dropping in with the excuse they were just getting a limeade, so they can sneak a peek at projects we are working on. They all love design! But truly, both of our families are always encouraging and helping us.
OTMJ: Favorite style trends for 2025 and beyond:
VG: Wallpaper—I love it! I hope it stays!
ET: I love showing people’s personalities in artwork and using family heirlooms. Use what you love! Things that will last!
OTMJ: Lastly, what’s one thing you want prospective clients to know about working with Grisham Tolbert Interiors?
VG: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We have clients who we will put an entire plan together for, but we will only do one or two big pieces or rooms at a time until the home is completed.
Both: There’s no limit to what we will help you with—from whole home designs to one project, and everything in between. We want to help you make your home the place you love.
