Talk Shop: Catherine Branstetter // Catherine Branstetter Interiors
Photo by Mary Deaton
ABOUT CATHERINE
Catherine Branstetter Interiors is a residential interior design firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. Catherine works closely with her clients to create comfortable, thoughtful spaces that speak to their personalities and lifestyles. An Arlington, Virginia native, Catherine developed a love and appreciation for interiors at a young age from her interior designer mother. She would sit next to her at a miniature drafting table and work on pretend floor plans while her mother drafted. Upon graduating from the University of Georgia, Catherine moved to Atlanta where she was fortunate enough to work for Carter Kay Interiors for over 5 years. It was during that time that she honed her own style and was immersed in the industry.
Catherine and her husband moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2019. She opened the doors of Catherine Branstetter Interiors in 2021 after the birth of their son. When Catherine is not in the carriage house working, she can be found chasing her children Lily (1) and Charlie (3) around, alongside her husband Austin, and their springer spaniel, Winnie.
Photo by Caroline Sharpnack
Describe your style in three words or less:
Collected, thoughtful, inviting.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
My mom. She was an interior designer herself and I grew up watching her draft, visiting her office in Georgetown (DC), and going to design shops, designer showhouses, and art galleries with her. Mom had a love for traditional decor; her fox hunting scene paintings and miniature chair collection were precious to her. She instilled a love for interiors in me early.
Secondly, the cities I have lived in and the designers I worked for in each place have influenced my design style. I was raised in Arlington, Virginia, and lived in two brick colonial houses until I left for college. Growing up in the DC area allowed me to have easy access to some of the best museums and art collections in the world. I went to the University of Georgia in Athens which is the most perfect and beautiful southern college town in my opinion. I moved to Atlanta post graduation where I worked for Carter Kay Interiors for almost 6 years. My husband Austin and I moved to Nashville in 2019 where I worked for Rachel Halvorson Designs. Both Atlanta and Nashville are home to some of the most beautiful houses in the South. I have been fortunate to be invited into so many of them while working for two designers and now for myself.
Lastly, I always return home from trips feeling inspired. A trip to the Cotswolds and London a few years ago really sparked my love for everything British. Ever since, I have found myself gravitating to all the British fabric and wallpaper lines and sourcing lighting, cabinet hardware, you name it from UK-based brands. You could say I’m in my British era.
Photo by Caroline Sharpnack
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I launched my design firm in 2021 after giving birth to my son Charlie. After working for over 7 years for other designers and starting my own family, it felt like the right time to work for myself. With some encouragement from my family (especially my husband who still helps me with my bookkeeping!) and friends- Catherine Branstetter Interiors opened its doors. I love seeing all my hard work and vision come to life. I always loved the installs before running my own business but it’s so much more rewarding now.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
Carter Kay and Nancy Hooff. I had the privilege of working with these ladies during my time with Carter Kay Interiors in Atlanta. Carter really took me under her wing and taught me so much that I use to this day. I’ll never forget the days of just following her around the design center- soaking in as much as possible. I also learned so much about running a business from her. Nancy Hooff (Carter’s long-time business partner) has so much talent and creativity. That woman knows how to style a bookcase! I can’t say enough good things about these two. The 6 years spent working at CKI were invaluable to me starting my business.
What does your home say about you:
I hope it says come on in for a glass of wine! I’d like my home to feel like an extension of myself (and my clients’ homes an extension of themselves)! I think many of the pieces I have in my home have a story or personal meaning behind them. But also let’s be real…my home says I have 2 kids under 4 and we’re just doing our best. I value comfort and practicality just as much as beauty, which I think is reflected in my home.
Where do you find inspiration:
Traveling, design books, and yes- Instagram!
Photo by Caroline Sharpnack
Who are your style icons:
Cameron Diaz as Amanda Woods in The Holiday, Natasha Richardson as Elizabeth James in The Parent Trap, and Diane Keaton as Erica Barry in Something’s Gotta Give. All 3 are goals for different stages of life!
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Plenty of booze, a nice cheese/charcuterie board, and a husband who knows how to cook! I do love entertaining and usually try to make it easy on myself…with one exception being pretty flowers. I love going to the local flower shop (Import Flowers) and creating flower arrangements. If I have enough time, I will get fresh flowers/greenery to put in a grapevine wreath for the door that coordinates with the party theme...which I realize is definitely not going easy on myself. :)
I am really in the thick of kids’ birthday parties. It’s usually chaos - but so much fun and the main times we really gather in big groups of our friends and kids.
Photo by Caroline Sharpnack
Do you collect anything:
Birds and aviaries! I love my collection of Rudbeck Swedish bird prints and various bird cages/aviaries.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@houseandgardenuk, @louiseroehome, @laurenliess, @themisfithouse, @whitneymcgregor, @henryandcodesign.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
Follow: Measure twice, cut once!
Break: Not everything needs to match!
What are you working on right now:
I am working on several renovation projects in Nashville at the moment. I have been focusing mainly on local projects in this season of life with young kids. One I am really excited about is a 1940s brick colonial in the historic Whitland neighborhood.
Wardrobe staples:
Hunter Bell - anything! And blue and white stripes- my 3-year-old son says my favorite color is “stripes”!
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
It’s too hard to pick just one…but my favorite fabric line I probably order the most is Jasper fabrics. Soane Britain and Morris & Co. have some of my favorite wallpapers. :)
Photo by Mary Deaton
Best interior advice you ever received:
If you love something buy it and you will always find a place for it. This especially holds true for artwork.
Best career advice you ever received:
Always trust your gut…usually when meeting a potential client and trying to decide if you should take the job on/if it’s the right fit. If you have a bad feeling you maybe should pass on it then listen to yourself. You’ll thank yourself later.
Also, there’s never going to be the “right time” to start your business… you just have to go for it and it will all fall into place. Right after having my first baby probably wasn’t the easiest time to get my business off the ground but I made it work.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Invest in great antique pieces and performance fabrics.
Save on trendy pieces. I love scallops but I wouldn’t spend big bucks on something that you want to be around forever.
Your greatest extravagance:
Planning over-the-top kids’ birthday parties (and gifting them custom hand-painted chairs from @pierrotstudio).
Also booking a splurge hotel on a trip! I will sit in coach any day to spend more on where we stay.
Favorite places to shop for home:
Patina & Co. (local), Parson’s Nose Antiques, and The Nicholson Gallery for antiques; Courtney Barton, Sharland England, and Projektityyny for accessories/odds and ends.
Photo by Caroline Sharpnack
Most prized possession and why:
My kids Charlie (3) and Lily (1) first and foremost. They are my world and make me laugh so much. A lot of things have surprised me about being a mother- but it’s been so crazy to see how perceptive, sensitive, and funny a 3-year-old can be.
My mom’s jewelry. She passed away this summer and we were incredibly close. We took her mom’s/my grandmother’s diamond ring to Croghan’s in Charleston together a few years ago to have it reset into a necklace. I rarely take it off now.
Your interiors motto:
No such thing as too much rattan!
Your life motto:
Be kind, extend grace, and never judge- you never know what someone is going through privately. Also, call your mom. I can’t tell you how much I miss being able to call mine.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Pinterest and instagram boards. I have a secret Pinterest board for every project I work on and I pin anything and everything that makes me think of that client. It is so helpful when they have some images to show me of things they like too. Not necessarily images they want to replicate exactly but more just a vibe they like. Also how someone dresses is usually a good representation of their style and what they gravitate towards.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: A really good bowl of cacio e pepe
Drink: Dirty vodka martini (extra dirty with blue cheese olives)
Film: It’s Complicated…I will never tire of it.
Runner-ups: Mamma Mia and The Talented Mr. Ripley
Hotel: I have a few favorite places I’ve stayed: The Pig in the Cotswolds (formerly called Barnsley House), Sophia Luxury Suites in Santorini, and Casa del Poeta in Seville, Spain. My husband and I have a trip planned to the Amalfi Coast this summer and I cannot wait to stay at Palazzo Avino in Ravello.
City: Does Nantucket count? It’s hands down my favorite place. City wise- London
Bedding: Peacock Alley, Les Indiennes
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Coffee with frothed milk and freshly ground beans!
Playlist: “In Nancy Meyers’ Kitchen” on Spotify
Weekend Activity: I love going to the Farmers Market with my husband Austin and our kids. Most Fridays you will find us on our screened porch drinking wine while the kids play in the backyard.
Design Book: Gil Shafer’s Home at Last and A Place to Call Home — his books usually are the first ones I grab when starting on a new project.