CFD Turns 10! A Decade of Design
2026 marks a huge milestone for us- TEN YEARS in business. Cat French Design officially celebrates a decade of designing this month, and we are bringing you with us for all the joy, reflection, and immense gratitude that we are feeling about this occasion. The last decade has been FULL, eventful, challenging, and incredible in so many ways. Many of you are part of the O.G. CFD fam (we see you!), and many of you have joined us somewhere along the way- regardless, we are SO glad you’re here. We felt there was no better time to share a little bit about where we started, how we got here, and all the things we’re so excited for as we head into the second decade of this meaningful work.
Designers come into the field in all different ways, not always as their first career. But for Cat, it was a lifelong dream. Early in childhood she developed a passion for color, shape, and composition- and was never seen without a sketchbook (or several) and approximately ten thousand different colored pencils and pens. Studying studio art in undergrad deepened her skillset, and paved the way for her graduate work in design, culminating in earning a Master’s of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture. She originally planned to take an academic teaching position, but decided to take on a couple of residential design projects on the side juuuuust until professorship positions opened later that year. But after delving into her first 2 big projects, she was hooked (and we are so glad!). And so, the journey of Cat French Design officially began. From a one-woman solo-preneur working out of her home, to what is now a bustling, diverse team with expertise in every aspect of design, renovation, custom homes, and client experience.
But first, we’ll take you back to a look at the early years, starting with Cat’s first full residential design project. It was a successful full-house design of a beautiful historic home. Lovingly called “The Artists’ Retreat”, it became a hallmark of Cat’s work with using color to tell a story, and seamlessly merging old with new. It’s a project that continues to resonate with new clients year after year.
Above: Cat’s first full residential home design, in the historic area of Winston-Salem. Lovingly called “The Artist’s Retreat”, it became one of her signature designs, showcasing her use of color to create warm, rich interiors. Photography by J. Sinclair.
After her first projects, word spread fast and things took off. As more projects started coming in, Cat quickly outgrew her home office and started hiring. First was a small studio in Chapel Hill which we quickly outgrew, and then our first studio in Southern Village at the 3 year mark.
The ribbon cutting at the official opening of our first studio in Southern Village- 2019.
Although still based out of Chapel Hill, Cat took on projects in Boston, Philly, and Florida. We’ve also enthusiastically designed a New York City brownstone, beach homes, high rises, lake houses, restaurants, business offices, and just about everything in between.
Cat with Chapel Hill Restaurateur Annie Johnston at the opening of La Vita Dolce Cafe in Southern Village, designed by CFD.
Although we’ve loved every type of space we’ve created for clients over the years, over time we’ve settled into spending most of our time in residential design. As a team, we all share a passion for helping people, and have an unending love for finding ways to infuse our clients’ homes with personality and meaning. Cat’s background in fine arts lends itself to guiding clients to discover their own tastes and preferences, making them collaborators in every part of the process. We are relationship-first, and we take care of our clients like they’re our own family (to us, they are). We have many clients that have been with us for years, across different homes and all stages of their lives. We love this part of our work and it brings us so much joy to be a resource for them as they move through every transition.
Cat and Krista installing furniture at an oceanfront vacation home in Kure Beach (you’ll see more photos soon! ;). We’ve worked with this wonderful client on multiple homes over several years.
We’ve been fortunate to have so many incredible clients, and have been privileged to be part of their journey to creating a dream home. Along the way there have been some exciting accomplishments and milestones. Cat was been recognized by the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce with a Business Excellence Award (BEA), and our team has now won “Best of Chapel Hill” Best Chapel Hill Interior Designer for seven(!) consecutive years. Cat worked hard to build a business that could provide salaried positions and benefits, and is a certified Orange County Living Wage Employer. Our team has also worked on multiple award-winning home designs, including the NCBHA STARS Award and a ROC Award for Best Major Renovation. We’ve been also been thrilled to sponsor the Chapel Hill Magazine annual Women of Achievement event for 3 years running.
Our excitement at winning “Best of Chapel Hill for 7 years running!
Cat honoring women leaders in our community at the 2025 Women of Achievement Event.
Team members Julian, Ryan, and Krista at the 2025 Women of Achievement ceremony in Chapel Hill.
When we gathered as a team and thought about how we wanted to mark the milestone of a decade in design, the answer was immediate. We’re celebrating our 10 year milestone by giving back, as much and in as many ways as we can over this year and beyond. We’re so thankful to be doing this work, and so grateful for the Chapel Hill, Chatham, and Durham community that has supported us so deeply over the years. We kicked off our 10 year celebration with a full team service day. We gathered (with our families in tow) with the Pittsboro Rotary Club to make blankets and care packages for local seniors in need. You can read more about it on the blog here.
Cat and “Junior” CFD team members Reese, Mags, and Josey making blankets.
Handmade blankets and cards went into bags to be delivered to local seniors in need.
We have much more planned for this year. And more than anything, we’re just grateful to be here doing this work. We love our clients and the work that we do so much, and we would not be here without each of you. We’re so excited to share this milestone with you, and can’t wait to see what else year 10 will bring.
We’re so glad you came over to hang out with us on the CFD blog today. We love what we do, and we love sharing it with you. Curious about our process? Check out more about our full-home design here. Learn about our decades of design experience and how we make your home one-of-a-kind here.
Have questions about designing your own dream space? We’d love to help. Start here at our contact page. Or, feel free to just give us a holler anytime at hello@catfrenchdesign.com.
And, if you’d like to follow along for more in-the-moment happenings and goings-on of this bustling design team, you can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest!
