CREATIVES WE LOVE:

DESIGN DC

Known for her eclectic style and ability to work to any brief, Danielle Cattell is the formidable talent behind interior design studio, Design DC.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, Danielle is just as passionate about creating personalised spaces with meaning today as the day she started out.

We spoke with the long-time Three Balls Red client about current interior trends, her most inspiring projects and her own eclectic family home.

Can you tell us a little about the beginnings of Design DC? Did you always have a passion for interior design?

 I have always loved interiors. As a kid, I was always moving the furniture around in my room and was always styling my room and finding cheap and easy ways to make it look ‘beautiful.’

I studied a Bachelor of Environment with a major in Interior Design - after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Management – and after eight years with Robertsons Furniture & Design, I went out on my own and have never looked back.

Design DC has been around for 19 years this July. We started back when there was no Instagram and your website was your most powerful advertising tool.

Do you have a distinctive style?

Not at all! What I love about my business - and what I am most proud of – is that Design DC’s style is eclectic; we are the chameleons of design and we design to suit a client brief.

Over the years of designing, I have produced projects in a huge range of different styles.

What are some inspiring recent projects you’ve worked on?

A 19th floor apartment at Southport, The Lash Spa, Crop Shop Boutique and The Man Cave at Southport.

What is your favourite material to work with and why?

Wallpaper! If I could use wallpaper in every project, I would. There is literally something to suit every style and it’s a cost-effective way - although some papers are expensive - to transform a room. You can’t do that with paint.

What do you think makes a great home?

Connections. Whether it be with a piece of furniture, a piece of art, an accessory piece or a style, something that means something to the owners gives the space meaning. That way, the space feels like a home rather than just being a ‘designed space.’

Whom or what are your design inspirations?

Kelly Wearstler and YSG Studio. They design what they love, don’t follow trends and appear to have lots of fun.

Can you tell us about your own home?

Eclectic and full of texture with a slightly industrial edge. Our home is filled with pieces from travels, second-hand and vintage pieces - including a sofa found on the side of the road - and new quality furniture pieces collected over decades; one special piece at a time. I love things with meaning. When I look around my home, I have a story behind everything.

Once I find the right piece, I hang onto it. It took me buying and then selling around four coffee tables to finally get the ‘one’ and I never want to let it go.

What was the most recent object or piece of furniture you purchased for yourself?

A scatter cushion made by Native Americans from Yosemite National Park I bought on holiday in the USA last year.

What are some strong trends in design right now?

The obvious one is the soft Mediterranean look. I can see the white/beige trend moving along and more depth, colour, contrast and textures starting to come back into interiors, which I love!

Why do you opt to work with Three Balls Red?

The incredible service and the range of products.