Founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Heather and Matt French, French & French Interiors is a nationally recognized interior design firm that has received national recognition for creating bold yet deeply personal design spaces. Their design ethos is firmly grounded in Santa Fe, while reflecting their Southern U.S. roots. French & French contributed to our Building Resource feature and here Heather French shares her top tips for a successful new build or renovation.
Talking Design Tips, Personal Outlooks, and Recent Trends with French & French Interiors’ Heather French
TABLE Magazine: For someone undertaking a new build or remodel for the first time, what would be your advice for first steps in the process?
Heather French: Hire the right team and hire them early. The earlier your architect, builder, and designer are aligned, the more cohesive and cost-effective the project will be. Bringing a designer in at the beginning saves time, money, and frustration because decisions are made holistically, not reactively.
Just as important: take the time to understand how you actually want to live in the space. How do you move through your mornings? Do you entertain? Do you need quiet retreat spaces? A successful project starts with lifestyle clarity, not Pinterest boards. When you understand how you want your home to function and feel, the design decisions become much more intentional.
TM: What things can help make the process go smoothly? And conversely, what are some common mistakes to avoid?
HF: Clarity and alignment make everything smoother. When the entire team understands and supports the overall vision, projects move forward with confidence instead of constant course correction.
One common mistake is starting without a clear sense of priorities. You don’t need to know every detail, but you should understand what matters most – how you want to live, what makes you feel good, and what your non-negotiables are. Another mistake is jumping too far ahead into finishes before the pre-planning decisions are resolved. The flow of the floor plan, the architecture, and the functionality should come first. If you skip those foundational steps, you’ll end up reworking decisions later.
Patience in the early stages pays off in the final result.
TM: What role can an interior designer or decorator play to help keep things on target?
HF: A good designer protects the vision. That’s part of the job!
We help translate ideas into something cohesive and buildable. We know how to communicate with architects, contractors, and artisans so that the overall vision actually makes it to the finish line. We manage budgets thoughtfully, advocate for what matters most to the client, and ensure that details aren’t lost along the way.
Designers also prevent decision fatigue. There are thousands of micro-decisions in a build or remodel. Having someone who understands the big picture, and can guide each choice accordingly, keeps the project aligned and on track.
TM: If you had to define the style ethos you bring to a project, what would it be?
HF: Our work embodies a sophisticated, deeply layered aesthetic that feels personal and intentional.
We always start with the plan and make sure the flow feels natural and the space works beautifully for the way our clients live. From there, we build outward and upward, layering in richness through pattern, color, and texture, with careful attention to materials at every step. We always incorporate antiques or custom pieces. Those bespoke elements are what give a project its soul and make it feel deeply personal rather than formulaic.
We’re not afraid of color or pattern, but we use them with restraint and purpose. The goal is harmony, not chaos. We want spaces to feel expressive yet grounded, and entirely personal to the people who call them home.
TM: As we look into 2026 and beyond, any trends you’re seeing in home design?
HF: We’re seeing a move toward moodier, more enveloping spaces. Deeper color palettes, more saturated tones, and rooms that feel intimate and cocoon-like. It’s less about bright minimalism and more about comfort.
But beyond “trends,” we’re seeing a strong shift toward individuality. Clients are more willing to define what they love and stand confidently in it. A good designer helps draw that out, guiding clients to think beyond the expected and translating their personality into something tangible within their home. It’s about knowing how to capture that unique spirit and express it in a way that feels elevated and cohesive.
As a result, we’re seeing more designers push boundaries: playing with scale in new ways, bending traditional rules, incorporating more handcrafted details and collaborating with artisans, experimenting with unexpected materials, the list goes on…
TM: What makes your work special and sets you apart?
HF: We’re designers in the Southwest that love traditional style. And we’re artists first. In the Southwest design scene, where there’s a tendency to lean into the expected, we’re not afraid to push boundaries with color, pattern, and layering.
Our work is all about balance. We aim for rich, bold design without chaos and overwhelm. Every project should feel grounded and secure for the people living in it.
Photos Courtesy of French & French Interiors
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