About The Refined Nest
Meet Elissa Byrd, Owner and Designer of The Refined Nest
Interior designer, home stager and — first and foremost — someone who believes everyone deserves a home they genuinely love coming back to.
Her Story
Home Is Where It Started
“I have always loved being at home. To me, home is more than a place — it is where I feel most comfortable, inspired, and completely myself. It reflects my personality, my style, and the colors and details that bring me joy. A thoughtfully designed home can feel welcoming, restorative, and deeply personal, and I have always believed everyone deserves to experience that feeling.”
“I founded The Refined Nest with a heartfelt purpose: to help others create beautiful, functional spaces they genuinely love coming home to. I find great joy in discovering each client's unique style and thoughtfully bringing it to life through carefully selected colors, furnishings, textures, and meaningful details. My goal is to create a home that not only looks polished and cohesive, but also feels unmistakably yours — a place that makes you smile the moment you walk through the door.”
Elissa Byrd founded The Refined Nest in Young Harris, Georgia, and works with homeowners, sellers, realtors, builders and rental owners across the North Georgia mountains, from Hiawassee and Blairsville to Blue Ridge.
Her Philosophy
Beautiful, Functional and Unmistakably Yours
A home should look polished and cohesive — and still feel completely personal. That balance is the whole point.
The mission of The Refined Nest is simple: create beautiful, welcoming homes the owners love to come home to. Whether that means designing a bedroom haven, staging a home to sell, organizing a pantry or fulfilling the dream of a rental cabin, Elissa is up to the challenge.
Her work is guided by honesty and integrity. Interior design is deeply personal, so before any money is spent, she makes sure her vision for a project matches yours — and every selection is approved by you before it's ordered. It's a client-centered, practical way of working that helps you avoid costly decisions you'd regret.
You can see the results of that approach — staging, design, color and rental projects — in the portfolio.
Experience & Memberships
Elissa brings 35 years of combined design, staging and organization experience to The Refined Nest, based in Young Harris, Georgia.
- Fannin Chamber of Commerce
- BNI Power Networkers Group — Blue Ridge
- TriState Women's Networking — Blairsville
- ASHSR — American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners
Working Together
What It's Like to Work With Elissa
Expect a warm conversation, a prepared agenda and honest answers — she is not stuffy, high-society or pretentious, and she works best with people who just want a beautiful home. Nothing extravagant. Something simple, beautiful and entirely their own.
She Listens First
Every project starts with discovering your style, your goals and how you actually live — not with a look she wants to impose.
Your Taste Leads
You're in charge of your home. Elissa brings the knowledge and skill you hired her for, and your preferences steer the design.
Honest When It Matters
If an idea won't work — for the space, the light or the budget — she'll say so and explain why, before money is spent on it.
Recommendations Come With Reasons
You'll understand why each suggestion makes sense for your home, so decisions feel confident instead of risky.
Organized and Dependable
She shows up with an agenda, follows up in writing and keeps the calendar and invoicing as tidy as the rooms. If she has agreed to do something, she plans on doing it well.
Careful With Your Money
Nothing is purchased without your sign-off, and creative problem-solving often replaces expensive fixes with practical ones.
Who She Serves
One Designer, Five Kinds of Projects
Elissa built The Refined Nest for relationships that last — agents who can call her for the next listing, builders who bring her their next buyer, and homeowners who start with one room and come back for the rest. Most of her work begins with a referral.
Homeowners
Design consultations, color plans, furniture sourcing and room-by-room guidance for the home you live in.
Home Sellers
Pre-listing consultations and occupied staging that get a home photo-ready before it goes on the market.
Realtors
A professional partner for the preparation conversation, with written reports for you and your sellers.
Builders
Selections support that keeps homebuyers confident, decisions on schedule and change orders down.
Rental Owners
Design, furnishing and setup for cabins and short- or long-term rentals — planned and seen through to completion.
Not sure which applies to you? Compare all of The Refined Nest's services in one place.
Client Stories
What Clients Say
“She's very good at understanding my needs and designs right. In addition to office layout for me.”
Yusuf S.
Interior Design
“Elissa did a great job of bringing to life the ideas I had in mind. She has the ability to help someone make decisions. Great job!”
Judy S.
“Elissa Byrd of The Refined Nest, LLC is truly exceptional. Her organizational skills are outstanding, and she completely transformed my space through her thoughtful design approach and impeccable color coordination. Elissa has an incredible eye for detail and a natural ability to create spaces that are both functional and beautiful. I couldn't be happier with the results and highly recommend her services.”
Laura S.
Begin Here
Come Home to Something You Love
Tell Elissa about your home and what you'd like it to feel like — when you call or text, it's her voice on the other end.
Prefer to start with a message? Tell us about your project