Huff-Dewberry, Inc. is a boutique residential interior design firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. Fueled by the creative talents of Will Huff and Heather Zarrett Dewberry, the partnership fashions homes that strike a balance between timeless beauty and modern comfort.

By R. CALIGARIS Photos by NATHAN LEDUC and HEIDI HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

The goal of Will Huff – co-owner of Huff-Dewberry, Inc. is to create rooms with hints of classic design, atmospheres that make people happy, and those that express what they really enjoy. Will is always looking for colors, motifs, furnishings, art, and accessories that mix perfectly with their surroundings, and finding a rhythm to accompany the personal taste of the owners. Will, a Brookstone School graduate, sat down with SVM and explained how being from Columbus influenced his decorating style, how he approaches a client's home, and the latest decorating trends.

You are originally from Columbus, how have homes here influenced your current decorating style? I am very fortunate to have been inside many beautiful homes while growing up in Columbus, so I would say the classic architecture and traditional interiors certainly influenced my design aesthetic. Over the years, it’s been such a treat to reconnect with old acquaintances and make new ones while working on projects in Columbus. Whether existing or new, I relish in the experience of designing homes in a place that holds so much meaning to me. I would also say I was influenced by the hospitality of friends and family because back then people primarily entertained at home. Not only did people want their homes to be beautiful and welcoming, but they also had to serve the family’s needs on a daily basis. Because of this, designing a livable home has become such an integral part of my design philosophy. I like to take a fresh approach with my designs, while staying rooted in tradition. However, the most important element of design to me is that our clients love and use their homes.

Do you have a favorite room that really made an impact on you? I have an appreciation for many different styles of design and have loved many rooms, but I can’t really say that I have a favorite. I will say that I have an affinity for the designs of old European manor houses. I love their opulence and grandeur. Although that extreme level of formal design doesn’t always fit into today’s world, I do try to capture that elegance and sophistication in my designs.

When did you decide to become an interior designer? Was there a particular moment that influenced your choice? There wasn’t a particular moment for me when I realized I wanted to be a designer. I just always felt like it was what I wanted to do. I don’t think it was because I knew that was what my dad did or that I felt the need to follow in his footsteps. I just enjoyed being in beautiful rooms and was always passionate about creating my own.

How does Huff-Dewberry approach a clients' home? What have you found helpful in discovering your clients' personal style? The first thing we do is figure out the function and create space plans for each room. The time that we spend with our clients while we are working on space plans allows us to get to know their personalities and get a feel for how they want their home to look. We also like to get a few inspiration images from them to give us some examples of what they like. We don’t try to replicate these inspiration images, but we find commonalities in them that may not be obvious. Another thing I do is to pay attention to what my clients are wearing. This isn’t always the case, but it can give me an idea of the colors that they are drawn to and feel the most comfortable in. I want them to feel as comfortable in their homes as they do in their favorite outfits.

Are you seeing any particular style requests trending amongst your clients? Although not a “style” request, our clients have been asking for extreme durability and comfort in their upholstery. Since most of our upholstered pieces are custom made for each project, we have been adding more depth and softer cushion-inserts for pieces that will be used in more casual spaces. We want the homes we design to feel livable and never too precious, so to balance beauty with livability we’ve been specifying more indoor/outdoor fabrics on upholstery. The hand of indoor/outdoor fabrics has advanced so much over the past few years that they are now both soft and durable. Specifying worry-free fabrics takes the stress off our clients about having to anguish over a spilled drink or dirty shoes.

While we know there is no exact recipe for a Huff-Dewberry interior, what are some of the ingredients you like to use the most? We strive for our clients’ homes to reflect their personalities and not to scream that Huff- Dewberry designed them. However, there are definitely some design elements that we tend to incorporate into our projects frequently. We use a lot of classic and comfortable fully upholstered furniture. We also frequently use brackets and plates on the wall in groupings, as well as starburst mirrors. I love a starburst mirror!

What’s your approach to deciding whether you’re going to wallpaper or paint a room? I would say that usually just comes together like a puzzle. There are typically a few design elements that we fall in love with for each project in the beginning of the design process. Once we have those, we figure out how to balance them throughout the house. If one of the elements is a wallpaper, we will probably not paper a room next to it. However, we have no hard and fast formulas or rules for our designs. I’m always cognizant of doing what feels right for the project.

Finish this sentence. When I’m not designing, I’m……spending time with my family. That might be taking our pop-up camper to some new destination, heading to Highlands, NC for the weekend or just hanging out at home.

Huff-Dewberry Interior Design