Dana Lynch, a corporate lawyer turned designer, loves creating spaces that are interesting, unique and personal.
Designer & background: Originally from Chicago, she graduated from Vanderbilt before heading to law school at Loyola University of Chicago. Lynch practiced law for almost 20 years, always doing design on the side for herself, friends and friends of friends. After landing several custom jobs, she opted to pursue her design passion full time. She likes to say she has had on-the-job training at warp speed.
The company: Dana Lynch Design started in 2016 in Atlanta. The firm specializes in custom design-to-build houses, offering services ranging from floor plans to furnishings.
As seen in: A 10-page spread in Atlanta Magazine's Home (spring 2017) and the Organic Life House in Serenbe.
Quick fix for a room: Edit. I'd rather see a room nearly empty than full of the wrong things.
Every room needs: Something black, even in a totally white room. Also something natural, something live, or organic (petrified wood, wood, marble, stone, a jute rug or a fiddle leaf fig).
Design pet peeves: Anything faux. I love authenticity (like worn wood) and patina.
Current design obsession(s): Bespoke concrete and metal pieces – from countertops to furnishings.
New (or re-emerging) designs I like: Moroccan and tribal patterns and designs. New trends in lighting (and what LED bulbs can allow you to do). Also clean, art deco styling. Yum.
… and looks I am glad to see go: Gray. It's a wonderful color, but has been overdone.
Most unusual request: A recording studio in the basement. I've had this request three times. Scary.
Fun spaces I have designed: Yoga studio with heated cork floors, projection lights, space for hanging "yoga silks" for suspending oneself from the ceiling and an opening onto a labyrinth and a salt water pool.
Also, a third-floor attic play loft with three hanging swings, trapeze, padded floors, climbing wall, monkey bars across the ceiling, hanging pod chairs, chalkboards for art, ping pong table, big screen for movies and lots of bean bags.
Biggest design mistake I have made: Thinking bigger is better. And doing too many recessed lights.
…. and mistake homeowners make: Shiny object syndrome. Selecting individual items without considering the complete picture.
Favorites
- Blogs & websites: Design Indulgence (by Atlanta designer Sherry Hart).
- Instagram: @wolfdesigngroup; @namdangmitchell; @jillsharpstudio; @misterandmrssharp; and @juliehollowaystudio.
- Atlanta area home/design stores: South of Market, Bungalow Classic and Bee.
- Places for great (or unexpected) finds or inspiration: Scott Antique Market (early on Thursdays) and 1stdibs.com
- Products: Rubio Monocoat Oil for floors and cabinetry. I discovered this green product while working with Wellness Within Your Walls, an Atlanta-based resource group that works with consumers, the building and design community to promote eco-friendly products and healthy interior spaces.
About me
- My home style: I like to say its Axel Vervoodt (renowned designer) meets Mick Jagger. It's a mix of organic, euro, modern and rock 'n' roll.
- Favorite pieces in my house: Art, especially a new piece by Rebekah Hudes, a mixed media artist who relocated to Georgia from the San Francisco area (www.rchudes.com).
- What I collect (or can't stop buying): Midcentury Murano glass fixtures and vintage Lucite pieces. Also authentic African headrests, stools and beads.
Favorite space in my house: My kitchen. It a mix of different stones, plaster, wood finishes and four to five metals.
Back to work
- Latest project: Working with Bobby Webb of BCC Builders on a dozen new homes in Serenbe's newest wellness-focused neighborhood, Mado.
- Up next: Two new custom builds in Serenbe. Also will head the design program for Pinewood Forrest, the new, European-inspired live-create-play neighborhood of 700-plus homes by Lew Oliver. The neighborhood will be near Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayetteville.
Find Dana Lynch Design at:
• Website: www.danalynchdesign.com
• Facebook : facebook/danalynchdesign
• Instagram: @danalynchdesign
EVENT PREVIEW
The Organic Life House at Serenbe
11210 Serenbe Lane in Chattahoochee Hills
Through Sunday, March 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., www.eventbrite.com and search Organic Life House at Serenbe
