The Design Matters Story…
Julie Cavanaugh
Founder and Principal Interior Designer, ASID, CID#5922
Born in the Midwest and raised on the East Coast, Julie’s exposure to multiple regional environments created an early passion for homes, architecture, and design at a young age, leading to a long and storied career in interior design.
With an eye for spatial relationships and creative problem solving, Julie’s interiors bring functional sensibility and flow into harmony with beautifully balanced proportions. Unafraid of mixing color, texture and scale, Julie’s homes and spaces reflect a unique and unparalleled design sensibility, combining form, function, and beauty. She coined the term “Livable Luxury” to describe her style and approach.
Julie completed her education in Interior Design in 1998 and achieved CID licensure and ASID membership in 2002. Shortly thereafter she moved from a tiny office and sole proprietorship and launched her first showroom venue—Design Matters.
By serving clients with end-to-end professional design services and an arsenal of the best materials from hand-picked vendors, Design Matters became a one-stop design firm and showroom transforming homes and interiors into spectacular spaces—Livable Luxury was born.
Julie likens her interior design craft to that of a novelist. The cover of the book is the beginning of the story—the approach to the house, the visual tone and tenor—the first impression. The book opens and the foreward is revealed. The entryway of the home is the epigraph, the concise poem or thought that reveals the theme. As the chapters of rooms unfold, Julie intertwines threads of continuity that bring function, harmony, and unity to each space, creating an overall depth of tone and feel that ties the entire space together from beginning to end—a story of design.
As a featured speaker on radio and television, and contributor to online forums, print media, and college and university faculties, Julie has become a thought leader and trusted guide in the interior design community. Her dedication to the pursuit of great design remains as passionate and contagious as ever.
“Livable Luxury” is Julie’s thumbprint!
