Ep. 129: design duo Lathem Gordon and Cate Dunning

Design duo Lathem Gordon and Cate Dunning from GordonDunning join the show this week to talk about their Atlanta based boutique interior design firm. GordonDunning was recently named House Beautiful’s Next Wave Designers, and we totally understand why. Lathem and Cate works with their clients to honor the story of the house, and this team has a knack for creating beauty in working both with the new and old. Lathem and Cate also chat with us about not worrying if you’ll get tired of a decision, how to use sectionals properly, and why things need to actually be comfortable instead of just looking that way.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

Lathem and Cate are very simpatico, but they do share what they disagree on including lights, and toilet paper display!

What each of their go to’s are in terms of design and decor, and the inspiration behind them.

What it was like to be named as House Beautiful’s Next Wave Designers.

What things we should be hanging on to for antique purposes, and what relics we may be better off parting with.

How their company GordingDunning works with clients to tell the story of the home, and weave it in with how they want their present and future to look.

Ways that we can bring the spirit of an old home into a new house.

A few examples of projects in their portfolio where the style ranged from playful and cheerful, mature and refined, to classic and southern.

Let’s not make decisions based on fear that we will get sick of it! We are more likely to like our choices for a longer term when we finish it completely instead of stopping midway.

What frames can make a house look more textured and charming, and how to bring proportion and scale into your frame choices.

Things don’t need to look comfortable, they need to be comfortable.

Mentioned In This Episode:

House Beautiful

Lux Magazine

Gordon Dunning

@gordondunning

Decorating Dilemma

Good for you for taking a risk, first of all! Your plan sounds like a good one, but it’s not the only option. There are multiple ways to tackle, and it really comes down to your budget and which one works best for you. We like the French Door idea towards the living room, and love your idea of closing the off arch to close off your office. You could do built in bookcases on the wall, and do something with the mill work to make the offset french door make sense. Since there is a lot of height, there’s an opportunity.