Mother-Daughter Duo: Each Brings Her Own Style and Skills
Before-and-after images show what this duo can do when they use their strengths
Join us as we celebrate Mother’s Day with a series on mother-daughter duos in the design world.
Favorite project: A living room in Georgia. Mother and daughter came up with the design concept together. Then Meriwether took the lead on fabrics, and Kathryn moved ahead with detailed drawings and implemented the design with the contractor. The space started out as a dark, paneled room, seen here, but the client wanted a bright space in which to entertain.
The designers achieved the finished look by relocating the fireplace, which originally stood in the corner, enlarging the windows and using lighter colors for the walls and furnishings.
On the job: They love to work together, even if they have disagreements. “This isn’t a fairy tale,” Kathryn says. Meriwether also finds it satisfying to watch Kathryn grow as a designer and appreciates the computer skills she brings to the company.
Travel buddies: They like long-distance trips together, and always play small tricks on each other to help pass the time. If they ever go to a site alone, they make sure to take lots of photos to share. For example, Kathryn recently visited a hotel jobsite on the Galapagos Islands and made sure to send her mom pictures of the rooms, as well of her swimming with sharks.
Tell us about your daughter’s …
Your turn: Do you work with your child or parent? Please tell us about your family design team in the Comments.
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DIY: Two Colorful, Personalized Gifts for Mother’s Day
Read more stories about mother-daughter design duos
On the job: They love to work together, even if they have disagreements. “This isn’t a fairy tale,” Kathryn says. Meriwether also finds it satisfying to watch Kathryn grow as a designer and appreciates the computer skills she brings to the company.
Travel buddies: They like long-distance trips together, and always play small tricks on each other to help pass the time. If they ever go to a site alone, they make sure to take lots of photos to share. For example, Kathryn recently visited a hotel jobsite on the Galapagos Islands and made sure to send her mom pictures of the rooms, as well of her swimming with sharks.
Tell us about your daughter’s …
- Design signature: Pattern. She spends hours creating them in her design notebooks. She likes to then add those patterns to accent walls and pillows.
- Paint color personality: Cream, because she likes a neutral palette to display her art and pattern collection
- Go-to snack: Oatmeal cookies
- Personality in three words: Thoughtful, genius and wonderful
- Design signature: Color. Her knowledge of how colors work together is what sets her designs apart.
- Paint color personality: Mount Saint Anne by Benjamin Moore. It’s the color of her dining room and is the perfect color of blue to highlight her white-and-blue porcelain.
- Go-to snack: Chocolate walnut cookies from an area bakery
- Personality in three words: Kind, genuine and passionate
Your turn: Do you work with your child or parent? Please tell us about your family design team in the Comments.
More
Design Lessons My Mother Taught Me
DIY: Two Colorful, Personalized Gifts for Mother’s Day
Read more stories about mother-daughter design duos
Time working together: Five years
Design roots: Kathryn has always loved interior design, and grew up watching her mom run her own design business. “I also saw the amazing amount of hard work and dedication that goes into each project,” she says, “and that intimidated me for a long time.” She’s been helping with her mom’s company all along, but officially joined the business after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Meriwether chose interior design when she was 16. She was deciding between interior design and fashion design, but interior design won and she hasn’t looked back.
Inspiration: They share a lot of design heroes, such as Vicente Wolf, Sister Parish and Thomas O’Brien. Kathryn also looks up to her mom’s design friends and, of course, her mom. Meriwether also appreciates the architecture of old homes around Augusta, Georgia, and historic places like Monticello in Virginia.