In Conversation With: Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams
What are your thoughts on the Atlanta design community?
Bob Williams: People take a lot of pride in their homes here, so that makes the design community very essential. It also creates a lot of competition among designers, which is great, because no one can take the easy route. They constantly have to stay inspired and push themselves.
Speaking of inspiration, what was the motivation behind the new signature collection?
Mitchell Gold: There are time periods that we’re really infatuated with and right now there’s a lot of inspiration from the early to mid 70s. You’ll also find a lot of silver accents, whether it be stainless steel, silver fabrics, etc., in honor of our 25th anniversary.
In your new book, Who We Are (Assouline), you refer to your homes as personal design labs.
BW: That’s very much true. A lot of the things we design come from needs we see in our own homes. The new Vera sofa, for example, satisfies our need for interaction. Its curved shape is conducive to conversation, encouraging people to turn toward each other.
How have your designs evolved over the past 25 years?
MG: Our first collection had a modern country feel that has evolved over the years to have more of a tailored, midcentury look. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is our emphasis on comfort. It’s always been— and continues to be—paramount in each one of our pieces.
How has your dynamic evolved?
MG: We have a great dynamic that has gotten better with age. After 25 years of working in tandem, our synergy is a large part of our success.