I’m an interior designer who thinks the way we talk about design has gotten a little out of hand.
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture, with a minor in Furniture Design, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Since then, I’ve spent the last five years working across the design industry, from everyday spaces to high-end residential, multi-family, and hospitality.
For the last few years, my 9–5 has been rooted in luxury design, while my nights and weekends looked pretty different: helping people design spaces who didn’t necessarily want or need the traditional luxury design experience.
That contrast is what made me realize there was another way to do this.
Hi, I’m Madison
Grass Roots
“Touch grass” is internet slang for stepping away from the screen, coming back to reality, and, depending on the context, being a little more in touch with what’s actually going on.
It felt like the right name for a design studio.
Design can get pretty precious. There are a lot of layers, a lot of rules, and a lot of pressure to make everything feel bigger, more exclusive, and more complicated than it needs to be.
I wanted to build something that felt a little more real.
And then there’s the literal connection: grass is color, texture, material, and environment. It exists in the spaces we design, too.
So yes, the name is a little tongue-in-cheek. But the idea behind it is pretty serious: take the design seriously. Don’t take all the bullsh*t around it so seriously.
Less Precious
Design should solve problems, not create them. We strip away the unnecessary layers and focus on what actually makes a space work.
More Real
Not every project needs a six-figure budget, a dozen vendors, or a three-month procurement process. We meet the project where it is and design accordingly.