If you don’t already know Harvin Greene, let me introduce you to your new design crush, real estate idol, and cocktail hour muse. She’s equal parts color queen, businesswoman, tailgate enthusiast, and Southern steel magnolia—just with better shoes. Harvin’s got roots in Sumter and Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, but don’t let that coastal sweetness fool you. This Atlanta powerhouse knows how to juggle high-end real estate, historic preservation, killer design, and still sneak away to Scott’s Antique Market for some “me time.”
She’s the living, walking embodiment of what it means to be Two-Sided Southern—raised on boiled peanuts and banana pudding, but closing multimillion-dollar deals and planning renovations that would make any seasoned architect jealous.
A Southern Start
Harvin Greene (who dons her grandmother’s maiden name). grew up running wild in her family’s Coca-Cola bottling plant, sipping glass-bottled Baby Cokes and making memories that feel pulled from a Pat Conroy novel. Her summers were spent crabbing in Murrells Inlet, swimming until dark, and hitting sleepaway camp in the North Carolina mountains. The South was always in her bones—but that didn’t stop her from dreaming big. “I always thought I’d live in New York City one day,” she laughs, “and who knows? I still might.”
Instead, after graduating from the College of Charleston (surrounded by architecture that sparked a lifelong design obsession), she headed straight for Atlanta—the day she finished her last college exam—to work the 1996 Olympics for Coca-Cola. No big deal.
Real Estate With a Side of Refinement
After a decade climbing the ranks at Coke in global marketing and sales, Harvin pivoted to real estate post-motherhood, starting at Dorsey Alston in 2008 just as the housing market collapsed. “People thought I was crazy,” she says. “But I never knew it easy, so I learned to push through the hard stuff.”
Today, Harvin has 15+ years of real estate experience in Atlanta, St. Simons, and the dreamy Cashiers/Highlands corner of North Carolina. She’s not just selling homes… she’s creating them. Working alongside her husband Tommy, a builder, Harvin handles finishes, fixtures, and flair. “I pick the light fixtures, paint colors, range, vanities—everything. Then I sell the house when we’re done. It’s a full-circle process.”
One of her favorite collaborators? Architect John Plaster. “We’re working on a historic renovation on Paces Ferry right now, across from Lovett. The goal is always the same: keep the soul of the home while making it work for the way people live today.”
Style With a Statement
Harvin Greene’s design ethos is anything but beige. Influenced by her interior-designer mama and the expressive energy of New York City (she goes at least twice a year to recharge), Harvin believes color is power. “We were taught to be polite, not too loud, not to draw attention,” she says. “But I think you can be polite and still be bold. Be yourself. Wear the red lipstick. Stand up. Speak out.”
Her design happy place? Scott’s Antique Market, where she sneaks off solo to hunt for treasures and inspiration. And yes, she’s collaborating on her own living room refresh right now with her color “soul sister” Jenna Gross of Color Drunk Design. Spoiler: it’s going to be bold.
Tailgates, Tootsies, and “Hooker Dirty” Martinis
Of course, no Two-Sided Southern story is complete without a little tailgate talk. Harvin may be a South Carolina girl by birth, but she’s all-in on the Georgia Bulldogs now—her husband’s an alum, and their daughter Lula starts at UGA this fall. “There’s nothing better than a fall tailgate,” she says, “although I care more about the tailgate than the football.”
Her drink of choice? A perfectly chilled “hooker dirty” martini… even at a tailgate. That’s range.
Food-wise, Harvin’s plate is as layered as her personality. She’s obsessed with her brother-in-law’s legendary South Carolina BBQ hash (and will die on the hill that Georgia doesn’t do hash right). She still swears by the banana pudding from her Wilson Hall school cookbook and craves boiled peanut hummus from the dearly departed Empire State South. And don’t even get her started on La Grotta (the GOAT) or her favorite low-brow gem, Taqueria del Sol in Decatur.
Fashion Finds, Fancy or Not
Harvin’s closet is as eclectic as you’d expect. She shops Tootsies and ANT/DOTE for the fancy stuff, but can work a Zara basic or snag a gem at Labels Consignment with equal flair. It’s not about price—it’s about style. “Southern girls love a pocketbook and a buggy,” she jokes. And yes, she will absolutely “cut off the lights” when she leaves.
Why She’s So Two-Sided Southern
Harvin Greene is what happens when sweet tea meets dirty martini. She believes in voting for yourself (literally—she lost head cheerleader in middle school by one vote because she didn’t vote for herself), in honoring the homes we live in, and in being just Southern enough to say “dead as a doornail” unironically.
She may not live in New York (yet), but she carries that creative spirit with her—fueled by Southern roots, family legacy, and a boldness that can’t be boxed in.
So whether she’s selling a million-dollar home, sourcing the perfect light fixture, or just mixing a “hooker dirty” martini for the porch, Harvin Greene is living proof: the South is more layered, more interesting, and more inspiring than most people give it credit for. And the women building it? Even more so.