Atlanta has no shortage of interior designers, which is exactly what makes choosing one hard. The city's design scene runs from glossy contemporary firms to deeply traditional ones, and the right fit depends as much on shared taste as on credentials. I am a fifth-generation Atlantan, raised in Buckhead being driven around to look at the city's historic homes, so I have strong feelings about what good design here looks like. Here is how I would choose a consultant if I were hiring one.
Start with their point of view, not just their resume
Experience matters, but a strong, identifiable point of view matters more. A designer who has honed a real aesthetic will give your project a coherence that a generalist cannot. When you look at a designer's work, you should be able to feel what they believe. Mine is what I call New Regency: classical bones, mixed eras, antiques layered with modern pieces, and color used with confidence. Find the point of view that pulls at you, then hire the person behind it.
Make sure their philosophy fits yours
The best client-designer relationships are a match of sensibilities. A good consultant listens first, then translates your life and taste into a space that feels like you rather than like their portfolio. The trickiest part of design, for clients and designers both, is telling the difference between loving something and thinking you should. A designer worth hiring helps you find what you actually love and builds the room around it.
Study the portfolio for range and soul
A portfolio tells you two things: whether the work is good, and whether it has a soul. Look for rooms that feel collected and lived in rather than staged, and for a designer who can carry a clear sensibility across very different homes. You can see how I approach that across my interior design portfolio, or walk through finished Atlanta projects in Buckhead, West Midtown, Inman Park, and Morningside. For the old-meets-new approach in detail, there is also a full historic kitchen renovation with Georgia marble.
Confirm the practical fit: communication, budget, timeline
Taste gets you excited; logistics determine whether the project is a pleasure or a headache. Before you commit, make sure the designer communicates clearly, keeps you informed, and is honest about working within your budget and timeline. A beautiful result delivered with constant friction is not worth it. Ask directly how they handle budgets and schedules, and trust how that conversation feels.
The Atlanta advantage
There is a real Southern eye, and it is worth seeking out in a local designer. Growing up here, surrounded by antiques and the city's tree canopy, gives you a language of proportion and a love of layered, collected interiors. A designer who understands Atlanta, its architecture, its light, its way of entertaining, brings something a national firm parachuting in cannot. That local fluency is a genuine advantage.
Choosing an Atlanta designer: quick answers
How do I choose an interior designer in Atlanta?
Start with a point of view that resonates with you, confirm their philosophy fits yours, study the portfolio for range and a lived-in feel, and make sure they communicate well and respect your budget and timeline.
What is the difference between an interior designer and a decorator?
Decorators focus on the finishes and styling of a space; designers typically handle the fuller scope, including layout, proportion, and how a room functions. For a full project, you generally want a designer.
What style does Kevin Francis Design specialize in?
New Regency: a classical, neoclassical foundation blended with Hollywood Regency glamour and fresh, playful color. Antiques mixed with modern pieces, designed to feel collected and lived in.
Where to start
If New Regency is the point of view you have been looking for, take a look at my Atlanta interior design work and get in touch to talk through your project. Whether we work together or not, hire the designer whose work you genuinely love. That is the one decision that matters most.
