About Southern Roots Designs
Southern Roots Designs is a family-owned custom furniture studio built on faith, craftsmanship, and a deep respect for honest work. Every piece we create reflects generations of skill, care, and purpose.
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Built With Purpose
Our Company Mission & Vision
Our mission is to build timeless statement pieces that leave a lasting impression in your home. We believe meaningful pieces should be thoughtfully designed, carefully constructed, and built to endure beyond trends and seasons.
Our goal is to craft your inspiration into a reality. Whether working directly with homeowners or collaborating with interior designers, we approach each project as a partnership; translating ideas into completely custom, handcrafted pieces that make the design process smoother and more meaningful.
A Legacy of Craft and Family
The Story Behind Southern Roots Designs
Southern Roots Designs is a woman-owned and managed, veteran-operated studio with a singular focus: furniture that endures. We specialize in bespoke case goods and heirloom pieces built for the way you actually live, and crafted to carry meaning for generations.
The studio is led by Anna Nicholson, whose clear design and operational vision shapes every client relationship and every piece we create. Working hand-in-hand with her husband Lyle, our master craftsman, Anna brings a rare combination of thoughtful design leadership and genuine workshop expertise to each commission.
We're a small studio by design. That means you work directly with the people making decisions — and making your furniture. Our work is rooted in tradition, built with care, and designed to last. Our story is not just about starting a business, but about carrying forward a legacy. Here’s how it all came together.
The Foundation of the Craft
Michael Greene, Anna’s father, used his GI benefits after serving in Vietnam to apprentice under local master craftsman Max McSwain. After seven years of rigorous training, Michael assumed ownership of McSwain’s Antique Shop in 1980. What followed was decades of artisan furniture building under the name Michael W. Greene Antique Reproductions and Restorations, where he developed more than fifty years of experience handcrafting heirloom-quality pieces rooted in traditional techniques.
Carrying the Tradition Forward
After serving as a Green Beret, Lyle chose to step away from military life and invest his own GI benefits into apprenticing under Anna’s father. Beginning in 2016, he immersed himself in traditional woodworking—learning to hand turn table legs and bed posts by eye, cut dovetails by hand, and refine finishes with patience and discipline. He later became a certified welder, expanding the studio’s capabilities to include custom metal fabrication that integrates seamlessly with handcrafted wood builds.
Anna brings a background in business ownership and administration, serving as the steady guide throughout each project. From first inquiry to final delivery, she ensures every collaboration is thoughtful, organized, and clear.
The Work We Do Today
Together, Anna and Lyle approach every project with humility and intention, knowing that the pieces they create will live in meaningful spaces and become part of a family’s story. Each build reflects continuity: a tradition carried forward, one piece at a time.
Today, Southern Roots Designs stands as a continuation of family values rooted in
Faith, Hard Work, & Service
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Across North Carolina & Beyond
Southern Roots Designs proudly serves homeowners and interior designers throughout North Carolina and beyond. While our furniture is handcrafted in-house, we collaborate with clients in both local and regional markets, coordinating delivery and logistics as part of the custom build process.
Whether working directly with homeowners or partnering with interior design professionals, our focus remains the same: thoughtful collaboration, clear communication, and furniture built to last.
Our Handcrafted Service Areas
Albemarle, Belmont, Camden, Charlotte, Chester, China Grove, Clover, Concord, Cornelius, Davidson, Denver, Fort Mill, Gastonia, Granite Quarry, Harrisburg, Huntersville, Indian Trail, Kannapolis, Lancaster, Landis, Locust, Lowell, Matthews, Midland, Mineral Springs, Monroe, Mooresville, Mount Holly, Mount Mourne, Newell, New London, Oakboro, Pageland, Pineville, Rock Hill, Rockwell, Salisbury, Sherrills Ford, Spencer, Statesville, Troutman, Waxhaw, York
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