How William Peace Turned Curiosity, Craft, and Adventure into a Design Legacy

In this episode, interior designer, author, and creative visionary William Peace joins AH&L Editorial Director Lauren Iverson to share the experiences that shaped his remarkable career and distinctive design perspective. From painting as a child and working construction jobs to arriving in Atlanta with little more than ambition and a full trunk, William reflects on the unexpected opportunities, pivotal life moments, and lessons that helped define his path. Along the way, he discusses the importance of listening, communication, and embracing diverse experiences as keys to long-term success in design.

The conversation also explores William's deep connection to the American West, the inspiration behind his book Peace in the West, and how the region continues to influence his celebrated work, including his collection with Holland & Sherry. He shares stories about residing in a former gas station, balancing life between Atlanta and the West, and offers thoughtful advice for the next generation of designers. Whether you're a design professional, creative entrepreneur, or simply someone who appreciates beautiful spaces and meaningful storytelling, this episode is filled with inspiration and insight.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• 00:30 Welcome & Introduction
• 01:45 How did William Peace become interested in design? The designer shares the happenings that kept him inspired, from childhood painting to construction work
• 04:30 How varied experiences can set you apart from the crowd and give you a dynamic career (keywords: listen and communicate)
• 06:10 William lands in Atlanta with a full trunk and big dreams 
• 07:00 Early career moments—starting at a commercial design firm (that designed the Georgia Pacific building!)—and how being open to opportunities can change your life
• 09:15 Life always has pivots—here's the moments that changed William's life
• 12:30 Your therapist is right: Spending more time in nature CAN improve your well-being. William shares his life in the American West
• 15:30 William's debut book Peace in the West shares the majestic characteristics of the American West and the homes
• 21:00 William's collection with Holland & Sherry—with fabrics, wallcoverings, leathers, rugs, trims and more—is informed by the land and ultraluxurious
• 24:00 Villa Petrol: Once a gas station, now William's personal home 
• 26:00 How William balances his success in Atlanta and love for the American West
• 28:15 William's parting advice for young designers

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to In Residence of High Caps from Atlanta Foons and Lifestyles. I'm Elizabeth Rolls the Publisher, and I'm Lauren Emerson, the editorial director. In this miniseries, we'll speak with the futures and the legends of interior design here in Atlanta. You can find each of our interviewees in our print edition of Atlanta Foods and Lifestyles throughout the year or online at AtlantaFingsMatic.com. Come on in.

SPEAKER_02 0:32

Welcome to the In Residence Podcast. Today's conversation is a special one because if you've spent any time in the world of design, you've likely encountered the work, or at least the influence, of William Peace. As the founder of Peace Design, William has built a career defined by timeless interiors with an unmistakable point of view that bridges Southern tradition with the spirit of the American West. Come on in and hear his story. Bill, welcome to the In Residence podcast. I'm so excited to have you here today. How's it going?

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Great. Thank you for inviting me. Glad to be here, Lauren.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Absolutely. Well, you've had a really big year in the last year, and we're gonna get into all of the fun stuff. But recently, um, a few months ago, I went to your ASID storytellers event, and I feel like I learned so much about you in just the short 15 minutes that you were speaking, and you really gave glimpses into just the origin story that you have, your longevity and your journey with design. And I found all of it so fascinating just to hear kind of your beginning sparks of interiors and growing into this huge business that spans, you know, books and fabric lines and other things. You've got houses in Montana, in Atlanta, and a million different projects going on. So I want to start kind of just back at the beginning, at the basics, and learn a little bit about your upbringing and how you first kind of had that spark of interiors in your eye and the interest there.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Okay. First, I want to compliment ASID for that event that you're referring to. I thought the storyteller's event was excellent. It was so good. And the variety of people who were there had such a different story to tell, especially for younger people. And that's important to me. I love having interns in the office who are learning things from our staff. And for me, I've been on the advisory board for the University of Kentucky where I went to school for a long time. And I was there last week for a board meeting, and it was so great to be with students. So I thought that night was good because there's so many young people and students, and that's important in our our industry to help bring people up.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

Well, it kind of humanizes you guys a little bit too, to the you know, students and the people that were there. Yeah. Um puts you on.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

We all come from a different direction.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Right.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

So I started um, you know, my career, I guess when I was a kid, really preparing for my career. I was way into art as a kid and loved it. I had a great art teacher in high school. Also, in high school, I worked for a construction company during the summers and did framing for houses. I did a variety of construction jobs. So I also took a drafting class in high school that I loved. And so there were these things that were just kind of happening that I wasn't really conscious of at the time that were formulating where I was going and what my future would look like. Right. So I started college as a studio painting major.

SPEAKER_02 3:24

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

And I decided that, um, yeah, in fine arts. And I decided that just really wasn't exactly where I wanted to go. And I had a mentor, a friend of mine's father, who was the head of the interior design program at Kentucky, and I had a conversation with him, and he became a true influence on me. And he said, you know, you're a perfect candidate for what we do. You like architecture, you like art, you have an understanding of the built environment a little bit. You could do this. And I'm like, okay. So that's kind of how I went down the education path. Yeah. I continued to work in a variety of jobs and eventually was a draftsman for an architectural firm. And I really enjoyed my education at Kentucky, had some great teachers, and just people had a lot of influence on me. And so that was a wonderful time in my life.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

Wow, you've lived a lot of lives. So the painter, the construction experience, the drafter, designer.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

I have a lot more jobs than that, too.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

I was a bartender. I drove a bread truck for a while.

SPEAKER_02 4:31

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

And I had some cool, interesting things. And you know, all those things, I mean we learn from our experiences. Yeah. And so I think what helped me in my career, for one thing, was these varied experiences I'd had before working with construction guys. I mean, it taught me how to be at a construction site.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

And learn how to deal with people that otherwise, if I'd just gone to design school, I might have shown up as one of those people that they didn't want to talk to.

SPEAKER_02 4:57

Oh, yeah. Well, it's a hands-on experience, you know, that it really does open your eyes to what actually goes on on a construction site and and gives you the knowledge to be able to approach it in a more humanized way, I suppose.

SPEAKER_00 5:10

Yeah. And even working in the service industry as a bartender.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

You're gonna learn a lot of things and that you take with you through the rest of your life.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Oh, yeah. Well, they say the design industry is technically a service industry job, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:23

That's no question.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

And so that early experience there, you really get to learn about people and understanding them and listening to them. That's the number one thing, of course, is listening. And so I feel like no matter what your career is at the time, a bread truck driver, bartender, you can apply those learning things to future.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

So learning to communicate with people on a variety of levels. Yep. So now I have a client who, you know, is a high-powered business person, let's say. I'm also going to a construction site to deal with a guy who's doing a stone wall.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

Right.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

So having that experience and balance in those things is very helpful in our career. So that was how my education happened. And then I had an opportunity, I have a friend I went to school with who moved to Atlanta, and I had an opportunity to come to Atlanta for kind of a party weekend over Halloween when I was still in school.

SPEAKER_02 6:17

The time to do it.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

So I came down with another buddy, and he said, um, and he was working for a design firm, and he goes, I can set you up with an interview for one. I'm like, sure, I'll go. And so I went for an interview, and I was still in school. I was graduating in December, and they hired me on the spot. And I said, I can't start until February. And I may have said this at that storyteller's thing. Um, my mother owned a flower shop, and I'd promised her that I would stay through Valentine's Day to help with a flower shop. So I said, I graduate in December, but I can't come until February. So, like the 16th of February of that year, I threw what I owned in the back of my car and drove to Atlanta and started my career.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

Yeah, well, that's really fascinating. I mean, the floral shop, you make a commitment to your mom and you got to keep by that, I'm sure. Now, as your work, you know, has evolved, it's really fascinating to hear about these early instincts and kind of how they've influenced your path as you go. And so, talk to me a little bit about those early career moments with you when you're first kind of starting in the industry, what kinds of projects you were working on. I know that you worked on the Georgia Pacific building at some point in time, which is a very interesting tidbit, and how it's just evolved over time.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

So, uh my first job was with a commercial design firm. And so I was hired to work on the Georgia Pacific building in the early 80s. Wow. Really amazing project at the time. It was the tallest building in the southeast. Um, source office buildings go. And that was an incredible experience because I got to learn all kinds of things from the construction standpoint of a commercial building. We did the executive headquarters, which was the 51st floor. So I was working on that, a few other projects, but I was concentrating on that. So I learned a lot of things. And one of the things when I think about my career, because I was thinking about our talk today, um, I think for younger people, it's important that you explore other career opportunities in our field before you figure out what you're doing. Yeah, I'm really glad I started a commercial firm. Yeah, that was a great experience for me. And I also determined that that really wasn't what I wanted to do. But if I hadn't done it, I'm not sure I would have known that. And so I'm really glad that I had that opportunity. And so um, I think that is an important thing that people explore. What's out there? And you may start as more of a generalist, which is I did, especially even after I got into residential work, we were doing a wide variety of things. My career is narrowed down over time of what I like to do, what I think we're particularly good at. And I think those things are important. So the opportunities that come our way, we have to be open to because we don't plan all these things. You know, I'm a believer in that. You know, I could be somebody tonight that changes my life, you know, that we have a conversation with. That's happened before.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

So I think that that's important as we go down our career path.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

Definitely. And it also just gives you so much appreciation for once you do realize what you're good at, what you enjoy, that you know, you put in the work to get there and you learned all the ins and outs. And maybe you had a few pivots because there's always those in life. And I mean, kind of on that point, as your work has evolved, like I imagine that you've had some moments in your career where you felt challenged or you've maybe pivoted, whether it's after your um commercial experience where you're like, this is not for me. I need to figure out a different road. So tell me about some of these things.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

What happened was I was working for the farm, the commercial firm, which is a great firm. Fairy Hayes is honors. It used to be Alan Ferry, it became Ferry Hayes, uh, very well-respected Atlanta firm. And I enjoy my time there. I was having a great time. But I met a guy who was in the residential world and got to know him. He had a project that he needed help on, needed somebody who could draw, and that's really what I did. I was um in the interior architectural division. And so he offered me a job to work on this amazing house. So I said, you know what? This is one of those moments as you described that come along. And I said, Yeah, I can do that. So I went to work for him. Uh, we did some amazing work together. We were business partners for 17 years, and he was a real mentor of mine as well. And we did modern work, kind of very clean aesthetic. And but at the traditional at the um commercial firm, I'd done more traditional work, so it was interesting. We worked on country clubs, we worked on office buildings, we did a variety of things like that. So this was a very new thing for me.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

And so I was that was really exciting.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

So we we did uh some amazing work, and then along the way, I had another opportunity where we had a client who bought a ranch in Montana, and that's really changed my life. Um, this was a client we worked with from Oklahoma. They bought a ranch in Montana and wanted us to do the interior. They were gonna take a trip around the world with their children for a year and a half, and they wanted us to do a couple of buildings while they were gone. So we interviewed the architect with them, contractor with them, and then they left for a year and a half. So I spent a lot of time out west. Wow. Got to know a lot of people, and um I remember going to Montana for the first time, and I grew up in a pretty cool place. I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. It's a beautiful and a great experience. I remember going to Montana for the first time and getting off the plane and looking around and going, this is magnificent. I'd never been in the Rocky Mountains, I'd never seen it. Like I should have been born here, right? And it that changed my life. And getting to know that part of the world, working on that project, and then meeting such interesting people in that part of the world, um, I thought I need to spend more time here. And so I got another project, met more people, changed my life. And I've been working out there for 30 years.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

Oh my gosh, that's amazing. Well, I want to talk more about that actually, because I embarrassingly have never been to Montana or the American West. And it's just seeing your passion behind it and your book that is kind of tailored around that, and just your family is all kind of drawn out to that area. Tell me more about that. What is it about that region that just pulls you in and makes you feel like you're at home there?

SPEAKER_00 12:48

I think there's a majestic quality about it that that's different, you know. I mean, America's so big, yeah, we're so lucky to be here. Yeah. Because I've traveled a lot internationally. And whenever I come back, I'm like, I want to spend more time in the US and travel and have those experiences. I mean, you go from the south, you go to the north, we have such different experiences. Then you had west. I as I said, I'd never been there, and it was so different from what I was used to. And I love the outdoors, so we started fishing, hiking, horseback riding, skiing. Um, as years went on, I had kids, I took started taking my sons out there. I had three boys, and so my oldest son lives in Montana now. He works for the construction company I did my first project with.

SPEAKER_02 13:37

Oh my gosh, what a first full circle moment.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

That is one for sure. I got to be really good friends with the guy who owned the company, and when my oldest son graduated from college, he wanted to move to Montana and work for them, and so that's where he is now and having a great life. My two older boys recently got married, they got married in Montana. And so it's just been a huge part of our business life, personal life. My wife and I have a home there, and um, we continue to do work in that part of the world. And it's it's not only Montana for us, I mean, I've really gotten into the aesthetic there, the um, what the land is like and how it informs interiors and architecture. And that's states like Wyoming, Montana, Idaho. We have projects in all those states. We have a project in California right now. Um, we had a project in Oregon we've worked through. I'm going to Colorado in a couple weeks or one. So that region really has brought us in. And we travel over the country doing work, but there's something about it that I've connected with. It's materiality, it's the people who are there. I mean, I think that part of the world draws very interesting people.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

It does.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

The people who choose to live there, um, whether it be full-time or part-time, they're out for something unique. And they're usually outdoor people. They're fishing, they're hunting, they're hiking, they're skiing, they're living outdoors. And we have the opportunity to create a great interior for them when what they really want to do is be outside.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

Absolutely. Yeah. Well, your interior is out there, with I mean, you'll see them in your book, Peace to the or Peace in the West, that they really do kind of welcome the outdoors inside. And and I feel like in that region, that's really all of the clients what they would want. And so it really, you can tell that you have this sense of home there. Clearly, your whole family does. Yeah. But I want to talk a little bit more about your book because last fall, I believe, you launched your or released your book, Peace in the West. And then you recently also launched a collection with Holland and Sherry that is really this just livable rustic luxury that is so fabulous and with all of the different offerings that you have there. So talk to us about these projects because they're all kind of happening, but I know they've been they've been in the works for a long time.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Yeah, they've been on the works forever. And um yeah, it was time for me to do a book, and and our work in the American West was a natural thing that it just felt like it was time to do it. And um we explored a variety of projects we'd done out there and thought, what are some that could be great that people would be interested in seeing? And it's all about materiality, it's all about location of how are you informed by the land. And so we have lake houses in the west, we have mountain houses that are ski houses, we have ranch properties, we have all these things. Some of them are small cabins, some of them are larger cabins, but they're big houses. And they're all with, as I said, really interesting people who, for some reason, they've decided they want to be in that part of the world, whether it's part-time or full-time. So that's what you know enticed me to do that. And I like the idea that um we explore these materials in different ways. So we're looking at rustic wood, reclaimed wood, we're looking at stone, we're looking at metals, we're looking at age metals, we're looking at all these materials that just get better over time. They're live materials that change with time. That's very intriguing to me. And so these houses evolve. They're better today than they were 15 years ago, and they'll be better in 20 years than they are now. And so you look at an old log cabin, it's like there's something warm and rich about that. There is that you can't build brand new very well. Yeah, and so there are ways that we work through some of those details. And so some of them are more modern, some of them are more traditional, depending on what direction the client wants to go. And I don't really care which direction they want to go, we'll help them do it. I love because that's our job is to to uh give them this opportunity for them to have something that they have in their mind of you know, whether they want to be a cowboy or they're a skier or they're a hunter or a fisherman, whatever draws them to that part of the world, yeah, we'll help you do it. And and that's been really fun. And I met so many interesting people doing it.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 18:07

And and I do think as designers, and I'll talk about this for a minute, um I think we as designers truly have an opportunity to change people's lives.

SPEAKER_02 18:16

Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

People come to us for a reason, they are getting married, they're having kids, their kids grow up, whatever that situation is that happens, their life is changing in some way, and we can help them, help guide them. Yes, and if we communicate well, as you said earlier, yeah, communication is the key to what we really do, we can help them find a way to have a fantastic home and experience that they might not otherwise have.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

Well, it really is. I love that word experience that you're saying. Having a home that lives well for you is such an experience compared to just throwing your furniture in a house, trying to make it work, you know. But when you have something that's well designed, particularly to your taste, it elevates so much more in your life that maybe you wouldn't have realized had you not hired the designer, thought more about the perfect fabric that's gonna look beautiful on that couch or the drape or whatever it may be. So those, those, those choices make such a difference that maybe people don't even realize until they've done it and can actually experience it.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

And working on these houses when we see families grow and grow up in a house, and some of these properties are truly legacy properties where our clients, who when they get us involved, are talking about we want this to be where our kids have home, yeah, and where their kids have homes, and how they're gonna live on this ranch property, for example. And that is really exciting to think about is we're gonna do this to where, you know, we're working with them two, three, four years to build this project, and they're gonna have it for the rest of their lives.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

That's the goal of so many of these properties.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

So that is exciting.

SPEAKER_02 20:02

Well, you're the backdrop to so many family memories. You know, the work that you've done is the backdrop to all of these experiences. So that's gotta feel really special once you can finish a project.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

We had a client recently who, and and this is, you know, since the world we lived in the last few years, things have changed, the way people live. You don't have to live in a big city anymore if you don't want to, depending on your career path or what your situation is. So we had a client who was in Chicago, they built a ranch property for their family. Well, now they live in Montana, they decide to sell their house in Chicago and they're there full time. So that gave them this chance to go, you know what? We've done that. Yeah, let's do something else. And their kids now have gotten older, they're out of college, they're living their lives, but they have places on this ranch where they're gonna have homes someday. And so that is a really cool thing to go through and see that experience happen for them. That's look to the future.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

Yeah, definitely. I love that. Now you have a really fabulous product line with Holland and Sherry. You've got lots of new SKUs coming out with that wallpaper, fabric. Tell us more about this process and what it looks like to Yeah, that's been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

So I got to know the guys who run Holland and Sherry through Design Leadership Network, which is a group that I've been involved with for years. And we had some discussions about doing some work together, and they were very intrigued about our work in the West. And so we came up with a concept we would do a product line based on the American West. And so I took a couple of the guys to Montana, traveled with them out there, and showed them around, and they were blown away and loved it. And so we started talking about, you know, one of the things that I believe in with material choices that we make. Again, we're informed by the land, then we make these choices for architectural materials that also come to the interior. And how do we have fabrics? Wall coverings, leathers, rugs, all these things, these textiles, how do they fit into this environment? And yet still work in other places in the world too. But that's what we started talking about. So we created a product line based on that. So they have depth to them, the richness of color, there's richness of texture. And so that was how we got into the whole idea of that. And we carried it through and we've had a great time working on it. We introduced it in Paris at Deco Off this past January.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

With a fabulous party, I might add.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

It was a fun party. Yeah, we had a great party. Um, we also did the book introduction at the same time. So they they work hand in hand with each other about our story, about what we do at the office, um, and how our entire team works on these projects. So my entire team is a big part of what we do. And we're based in Atlanta, but we work all over the country. So even though the book is about our work in the West, our crowd at the office is fantastic and they do work all over and really understand the depth of all these materials. And you know, if we're working on a project in Florida, let's say, we're informed by the beach, the water, what the skies like there, you know, it's all different. You travel across the country, you see these different places. The light is quality of light is different. So we have these opportunities every project to say, how do we make this special for this location? And our crowd at the office is great at that.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

Yeah, I feel like they all are so in tune with kind of the messaging that you have throughout your book and your fabric line, of course. I feel like it's it's luxurious, it's rustic, but it's sexy too. And there's so many things you really don't need to go elsewhere for fabrics, wallpapers, whatever. Like you look at those, and there's something that you can pull and get this cohesive storyline. And I love that about your collection. So I hear you're having some of it potentially put in your own home soon.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

We are. We've got some things in the works right now. So we're working on redoing a sofa with one of our fabrics. We're gonna do a rug, we're gonna do a variety of other things. That I mean, I love what we did, and it works in our home here in Atlanta too.

SPEAKER_02 24:13

Absolutely. Well, I do want to ask about that because your home is something that I find so interesting. It is called Villa Petrol. It used to be an old gas station. Correct. Tell us a little bit about the history of your home and how you've made it kind of live for yourself while still carrying on that legacy that it has.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

So, um, as you say, it was it was built as a service station in 1912 in an area of Atlanta with older homes, and it was one of the first gas stations in Atlanta. Oh my gosh. And so it was turned into a residence in the 80s, and we didn't do the original design of that, but it was done by a restaurateur, and so they used it for their training kitchen for the restaurant, a variety of things, and they raised the family there. And so a couple of people owned it, and then about 20 something years ago, I had the opportunity to buy it, and we look at it as a stewardship, and we're carrying on this place forever, and so every decision we make has to do with how do we keep it, keep it up, keep it going. And we've done some renovation, but pretty minor, and so it's really a fun place to work.

SPEAKER_02 25:23

It's rustic in its own way, it is, it feels so you, which as it should, of course, it's your personal home, but it's really fascinating.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

It's very unique, yeah, and so I love being there, and it's um in this wonderful historic area of Druid Hills, so it's a wonderful part of Atlanta. Um and it's a great place to entertain, it's a great place for my kids to come and hang out with their friends, which they do, and we've had some good parties there, and then it's great for Melissa and I when it's just the two of us there, too. So we we really enjoy being there.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

Well, there's no place like home, as they say. That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 26:00

So we love our times in Atlanta, in Montana, and everywhere else we travel. So it's it's wonderful to experience these things.

SPEAKER_02 26:06

I love it. Your work, obviously, in the West plays such a significant role in your life, in your career, in your family, but Atlanta has been a home base for you for a long time now. And I want to learn a little bit more about that and just kind of, you know, the success you've had here has been immeasurable. So, how has Atlanta kind of influenced your career path or just your life in general as you've gone on with all these different projects?

SPEAKER_00 26:33

So, when I came to Atlanta, there was a time when Atlanta was going through some growth. There was interesting things happening, and I was excited by the big city. Yeah, you know, and coming to Atlanta.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

As we all are when we come, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:44

For sure, for sure. And it was just a really wonderful experience for me to come here and start working, meeting friends, having a family here, raising my kids here. That's been great. And I also think it's been great when I discover Montana that I could have this different world. So, you know, for a long time, uh both places have really worked well for me and my family and my business. So we still go back and forth. And will we move to Montana full-time at some point? Maybe. I'm not sure I would, but I still love Atlanta.

SPEAKER_02 27:17

You kind of get the best of both worlds in that sense, then you can have when you need to relax and calm, you can go to Montana. And when you are ready, you know, to touch down in Atlanta and maybe make contact with whoever you need to clients, other design professionals you're working with, and you can have that too. So having both of that has got to feel refreshing. Like you said, you can do really anything.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

Well, it's also just I'm a big believer that travel also gives us more information to be better designers. And so these experiences, my wife and I drove to Montana a few years ago. Yeah. And that going across the country experience was such a great thing. I would encourage everybody to take the time to do that. It's just a wonderful thing to go across our country and really see what it's like to be in these different places. And it's it's been wonderful to have that opportunity for us to be out there and be here and other places in the country.

SPEAKER_02 28:11

Well, this has been a fantastic conversation. I want to close out by zooming out a little bit. You know, you were just named one of our legends of design at Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles for your decades of just dedicated work and dynamic work. So for those who are a little bit earlier on in their careers, design, architecture, whatever it may be, what kinds of advice would you give them about, you know, carving their own path and sticking true to who they are and they who they are and their passions in design?

SPEAKER_00 28:40

I think a lot of it is being open-minded to these things that come your way that you can't plan for, and people you meet, relationship building is so important, collaboration is so important. I mean, I think that we all grow from those experiences in ways that we can't really predict. So I think it's just good to be open-minded. Travel as much as you can, go to events, meet people, and it's amazing how one day things just happen for you. And so I think that younger designers can learn from that. And um just to getting out and experiencing other people in our design world is really, really helpful as a young designer.

SPEAKER_02 29:21

Absolutely. Well, Bill, thank you so much for joining us today. It's been so inspiring to hear your story, and we are excited to see what's next with you.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

I've enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Great being with you.