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Founder of Bureau Interior Design + Architectural Consulting, Matt Donahoe, was named Residential Designer of the Year at the prestigious Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) Southeast Designers and Architect of the Year awards earlier this year. We chatted with the acclaimed designer about what this prestigious honor means to him and how he got to where he is today. (bureauinteriordesign.com) - Brian Barry
Nashville Lifestyles: Talk to us about what it was like winning Residential Designer of the Year?
Matt Donahoe: We are honored and humbled by this recognition. It is a prestigious award, especially in the Southeast region, which encompasses 10 states where design is buzzing with activity across a myriad of styles. The amount of talent in our part of the country is remarkable, so being awarded this title feels surreal. I believe my firm has forged our own path in this industry and diligently focuses on creating enduring design with integrity and quality. It was gratifying to know respected peers and mentors in the design and shelter magazine industries observed our ethos in our work.
NL: How did you find your career in design?
MD: Truthfully, it is innate but interior design found me. I worked in branding from the get-go, and mentors of mine observed a natural propensity for interior design. Beginning in the retail sector, I manned the expansions of retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch, Kenneth Cole, and BCBG Max Azria/ Hervé Léger, leading their store design, merchandising, and operational initiatives in growing and often shifting markets like Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. I ultimately left the retail realm, accepting a role in hospitality design where I learned more intimately the intricacies of residential design. Aligned with hotel visionaries at Belmond, Rosewood, and Four Seasons, I was given the opportunity to flex my design muscles and interpret commercial environments with a pronounced residential slant. I worked on projects flung far and wide. The privilege to create while traveling and in far-flung destinations was incredibly challenging, but more so gratifying.
NL: Where do you draw inspiration from?
MD: I am most inspired by my travels. As cliché as it sounds, being exposed to the world at-large continuously challenges one’s mind. It enables me to conceive design concepts, broadens scope and understanding, and brings to the forefront a consideration of how we want to feel in our homes, as well as how we want to live in them. Traveling to new surroundings unleashes ideas and observations essential to how we can design the best spaces for our clients.
NL: What have you learned about yourself over the years being in this business?
MD: As Cady Heron studiously stated in Mean Girls, “The limit does not exist.” And it’s true; I am constantly evolving, personally and professionally, each year we operate. I am fortunate to have a strong, close-knit team and network of peers who provide me with tremendous support and critical constructive feedback.
NL: Do you have a motto when it comes to design?
MD: A paramount one I say often: Design is not static. Change is part of the process, and we are the agents of said change. We toe the line between maintaining order while pushing for evolution/expansion, and I believe it is this concept that makes this industry a “make-itor-break-it” field. It is not for the consummate stalwart or endless shapeshifter, it is intended for the person who can function in the “gray,” the in-between. It is imperfect and fraught with obstacles, but it is also where novel beauty emerges, and a new chapter of life is breathed into these conceived environments for clients. It’s quite an honor.
NL: Are there any trends you are looking forward to?
MD: “Slow decorating” is a movement I wholeheartedly believe yields the greatest interiors. It’s the notion that a home comes together over time — without rushing and investing in placeholders — allowing the designer and homeowner to carefully curate the layers. We are glued to social media and believe the homes showcased in the reels are fully finished and wrapped with a bow in under two to three years. I find that the homes where a client and designer have let things settle post-installation and thought is put into how the spaces need to feel and function makes for an authentic home.
NL: Are there any trends or specific design elements you think are out?
MD: I hope I can rightfully send brushed brass and other faddish finishes out the door. I am a proponent of patinated finishes like unlacquered brass, darkened bronze, weathered pewter, and other natural tones which echo daily use, timeless essence, and a real-life sensibility. I will also never look fondly upon the ‘grandma or coastal chic’ movements; let’s retire those styles. Cottagecore has its place — in a cottage. Architecture is crucial to yielding a welldesigned home from the inside out. There is where we need less trend and more substance.