Delivering Comfort, Functionality & Beauty: The Trifecta of Great Interior Design

by Kathy Malone

For the very young, the home is like an entire universe––a microcosm in which to prepare a young life to go out into the world. But for the not-so-young, home becomes the reverse, a refuge against the austerity of this world, a place of comfort that harkens us back to a simpler, gentler life. Eventually, the adventure that drew us away from home is eclipsed by our longing to return!

Terri Goethe, who was herself harkened home, took up the challenge of interior design in order to create the spaces that minister to that longing––spaces that are beautiful, comfortable and functional. But to fail in one, by her reckoning, is to fail. According to Terri, owner and Principal Designer of Angel Oak Home in Toccoa, successful design begins with knowing your customer. “We consider ourselves partners with them to accomplish their goals,” she says. “If we design spaces that are beautiful but fail to achieve the functionality and comfort the client wants and needs, we have failed.”

A native of Toccoa, Terri worked several years in the furniture and custom cabinetry business with Habersham Furniture before moving to Atlanta where she furthered her career as an interior designer. She continued her education, specializing in kitchen and bath design by earning her Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer (AKBD) certification through the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA).

Terri moved her design business from Atlanta to Toccoa in 2017. “My husband encouraged me to open a design center and retail home store since there was nothing like that in our area,” she explains. “Our design center has grown from 950 sq ft to 2500 sq ft. We now have a team of seven people and have completed projects in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and New York.”

In addition to the owners, Chris and Terri Goethe, the team at Angel Oak Home consists of six other talented individuals. The Director of Operations is Nancy Boger, whose experience includes graphic arts, education, marketing, and finance. In addition to managing the books, Nancy loves getting to know customers. Bree Tuttle (Senior Interior Designer), who has 20 years of interior design experience, loves partnering with clients to create their dream home. Cassandra Dalton, Sara Steele, Yenny Martinez and Kathryn Stroud oversee the retail store. The team at Angel Oak Home works together to insure each customer and client are well cared for and that each project is a success.

When asked from where she draws inspiration, Goethe pointed to the beauty of color and texture found in God’s creation. She also finds inspiration in the uniqueness of each of her clients. Every individual has distinct needs and wants which are major considerations when creating a design plan that delivers comfort, functionality and beauty.

Terri and her team recently completed a 10,000 sq ft home design project in Linville, North Carolina. The newly purchased home, which features a spectacular view of Grandfather Mountain, lacked the desired warmth and comfort, so the owners hired the team at Angel Oak to create a plan that would bring a soft, cozy feel to the home. Terri’s team created a comprehensive plan which included furniture, artwork, décor, window dressings, lighting, cabinetry, and built-ins. They even collaborated with the builder, who previously remodeled and added an addition to the home, to ensure that custom finishes would match. The finished product, a reflection of the team’s creative vision, captured perfectly what the clients wanted to see and feel in their new home.

Asked about the most surprising thing people don’t know about designing spaces, Goethe answered, “The number of decisions that will have to be made! Projects can be fun for homeowners, but they can also be overwhelming, frustrating and disappointing when tackled without professional guidance. A great deal of stress can be removed when homeowners select a designer who partners well with them. As designers, our goal is to listen carefully to understand what they want and need for their space. We are then able to create a unique plan for their home, taking much of the decision making weight off of their shoulders and allowing them to stay excited throughout the process.”

Interior design, which is part art and part science, can present a host of challenges for homeowners who decide to go it alone. The inability to visualize what a home could look like can create a lot of confusion. And when they do move forward, according to Terri, “they get quite overwhelmed with all of the decisions that have to be made for the project.” Following trends can also create a challenge. “Switching out items such as throw pillows, rugs and artwork to follow a favorite trend is far less troublesome and costly than changing out a paint color,” says Goethe.

There are challenges on the designer’s side as well, particulalry when working with married couples who have opposing views about what the home should look like. “That’s when we feel as though we need counseling degrees!” Terri explains. There are also clients who have expensive taste and limited budgets. “But we work with them to find solutions,” she says.

As for the personal rewards, the look on her client’s faces at the big reveal coupled with the excitement and the relief that comes from seeing the plan come to fruition, is the payoff. “When a client is pleased with how their home feels, functions and looks,” she explains, “they will open the doors not only to family, but to friends and acquaintances as well. Many wonderful memories can be made when the house feels like home!“