When I came across Caryn's Atlanta loft, as featured at Apartment Therapy , I couldn't get enough of her rich style, heavily embellished with romantic found objects. (Seriously, I must have gone back to her photos a dozen times or so.) Using airy colors in a gentle -- almost ticklish -- way, that I usually tend to avoid, she's not afraid to pair them with the heavy woods and firm lines that I so often seem to crave. Her spaces make you feel like you're in a stunning French postcard. I don't know if it's the modern references mixed in with her perfectly chosen vintage pieces, or the voluptuous shapes that she includes in nearly every piece of furniture (and accessories), but her spaces whisper of an elegance that is soft and feminine without being weak or overly charming. It's the kind of space that I imagine falling in love in. So take a gander at our interview below, where we discuss design, budgets, and the next move that she's dying to make...
Double click on the photos to enlarge.
Her before space looked like this, except vacant.
How did your career begin?
I’ve always been entrepreneurial, working for myself since I was in my 20s, but my first round of business was in marketing and communications. I would concept(ualize), write, and act as art director and creative director for all of my clients' campaigns. I specialized in architecture and design firms, and somewhere along the way it occurred to me that I was far more intrigued with what they did, than what I did. I took some additional courses in design, and loved it so much (that) I asked the chair of the interiors department if I could join his program. That was more than 10 years ago, and I’ve never looked back!
How do you develop a design language when you work?
I look to the project itself, and to the clients. What do they love? Where have their travels taken them? What colors resonate? What styles appeal? How do they want to feel when they step through that front door? We develop the design language together, with every space designed to tell, and to reinforce, their unique story.
What are your favorite materials?
I love things with texture, items that have aged and developed a patina with time. I love the misty feel a room takes on when filled with objects collected through the years.
What inspires you?
Everything! I love fashion, tiny opulent touches, silhouettes and contrast. I love the way music can fill a space, the way a certain refrain ‘feels’ like a particular color or scene. I love when, even in discord, there is an absolute harmony.
Are homes your preferred projects?
Not necessarily. To me, great spaces render emotion; they comfort, they enliven, they convey. I believe that good design is magic, and that each space tells a story. And as long as I can tell one, I enjoy commercial spaces just as much as residential.
How do you meet the challenges of tiny design budgets?
I start with what already exists, whether it be a personal collection or the ambiance of the space. There’s always something you can start off with, something to start to build your story on. There might be a collection of china and vintage party dresses, or the space might have giant windows or beautiful hardwood floors. The first step is always to take advantage of the intrinsic, found beauty.
Who is your favorite furniture designer?
I love designers who are playful, like Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Maarten Bass. They have both an appreciation, and a sense of irreverence, for whatever they are creating, and I love that.
I understand you're opening a boutique. What products do you plan on carrying?
The boutique, tentatively named Objet, will be very much like my home and studio, filled with textured antiques, salvage finds, chandeliers, the odd chair or other furnishing. I’m dying to get it up and running!
How do you develop a design language when you work?
I look to the project itself, and to the clients. What do they love? Where have their travels taken them? What colors resonate? What styles appeal? How do they want to feel when they step through that front door? We develop the design language together, with every space designed to tell, and to reinforce, their unique story.
What are your favorite materials?
I love things with texture, items that have aged and developed a patina with time. I love the misty feel a room takes on when filled with objects collected through the years.
What inspires you?
Everything! I love fashion, tiny opulent touches, silhouettes and contrast. I love the way music can fill a space, the way a certain refrain ‘feels’ like a particular color or scene. I love when, even in discord, there is an absolute harmony.
Are homes your preferred projects?
Not necessarily. To me, great spaces render emotion; they comfort, they enliven, they convey. I believe that good design is magic, and that each space tells a story. And as long as I can tell one, I enjoy commercial spaces just as much as residential.
How do you meet the challenges of tiny design budgets?
I start with what already exists, whether it be a personal collection or the ambiance of the space. There’s always something you can start off with, something to start to build your story on. There might be a collection of china and vintage party dresses, or the space might have giant windows or beautiful hardwood floors. The first step is always to take advantage of the intrinsic, found beauty.
Who is your favorite furniture designer?
I love designers who are playful, like Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Maarten Bass. They have both an appreciation, and a sense of irreverence, for whatever they are creating, and I love that.
I understand you're opening a boutique. What products do you plan on carrying?
The boutique, tentatively named Objet, will be very much like my home and studio, filled with textured antiques, salvage finds, chandeliers, the odd chair or other furnishing. I’m dying to get it up and running!
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