My first memory of what I now know as Interior Design was at the age of seven: my mom and grandmother started letting me join them to weekend antique shows. With the promise not to touch a thing, we weaved the aisles eyeing the colored glass, rich walnut furniture, hand-painted china, and shiny silver. 

Unlike most seven year olds, I asked to go back. I was mesmerized by the pieces, some centuries older than me. I had to find out: what were the names and uses for every piece of silver, and how I could save enough money to buy green and pink majolica leaf plates. 

At 15, my first job was in a small hometown shop which specialized in antiques and new pieces alike. Daily we worked surrounded by luxurious porcelain lamps with colored tassels, beautiful frames, hemstitched linens and Staffordshire dogs. I learned from the owners who noticed my passion and graciously brought me along on design consultations. My eyes were opened to the possibilities of a design career, and I was hooked. 

not much has changed in the years since…

mixing old and new, spending Saturdays at the antique malls, and working with small, local businesses to achieve beautiful finished products. 

A few different career paths led me back to design and I am lucky to have my dream job! Working with like-minded clients while being a wife and mom to two girls. My husband, Brooke and I have never lived in a home newer than 80 years old. I expect that “love of old things” has something to do with where we’ve planted ourselves over the years. 

If we were sharing a cup of coffee in my Signal Mountain, Tennessee home, I’d show you the duck decoy that my grandfather carved sitting on our mantel, tell you the story behind the armoire in my daughter’s room, and the hand embroidered tapestry from Pakistan stretched over a frame in my dining room. The pieces with personality and rich history create conversation, and a true glimpse into the owner’s life. Plus, it’s fun! 

Above all, I think the room must be a reflection of the people who live there. The first thing we do when beginning our work together is seeing your meaningful pieces so that we can make sure those are spotlighted and elevated in importance. The best compliment I receive is when my client tells me it feels like “them”. My hope is that when our work together is complete, it will be a true reflection of your family, offering the right dose of functionality and beautiful design...and maybe a majolica plate or two!

"DECORATING IS NOT ABOUT MAKING STAGE SETS, IT’S NOT ABOUT MAKING PRETTY PICTURES FOR THE MAGAZINES; IT’S REALLY ABOUT CREATING A QUALITY OF LIFE, A BEAUTY THAT NOURISHES THE SOUL."

albert hadley

professional biography

Catherine Fore is an interior designer who intertwines classic elegance, bold colors, and polished individuality for her clients. With a signature style combining new pieces with antiques and family heirlooms, incorporating color in thoughtful ways, and style and sensibility. She is a self-educated interior designer who takes inspiration from historic hotels, nature, fashion, and her collections of majolica and Rose Medallion porcelain. Catherine grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta visiting Scott’s Antique Mall every second weekend of the month. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Communication with Business Marketing minor from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. Catherine and her husband Brooke now reside atop Signal Mountain, Tennessee in an 80-year-old home where they raise daughters Mary Corinne and Carolina with black lab Sonny. Contact Catherine Fore