While many designers design "rooms", what makes Dan Carithers stand out is that he designs homes. It's important to remember that while one room can be interesting, people do not live solely in rooms, they live in homes. Having elements that tie the rooms together makes them flow and makes them feel like parts of a whole, rather than separate entities. One way that Carithers accomplishes this is by advising clients to pick out an accent color first, and then repeating it throughout the house, allowing a common thread that ties everything together.

Dan Carithers is known for pairing vibrant accents, such as tomato red, lemon yellow, and sage green, with neutral-colored walls and backgrounds (he's a big fan of "chocolate browns, cream, and beige"). But while his backgrounds are more subtle, in addition to bright colored accents, Dan Carithers makes frequent use of textures, patterns, and exciting details to both expand space (such as by adding mirrors) and make it more interesting (such as by "designing idiosyncratic slipcovers that sometimes leave the bones of the chair exposed; and button-tufting for instant elegance", in addition to animal prints, checkers, and fringe). Of course, what makes his rooms so interesting isn't only the elements and pieces that they're composed of, but their juxtaposition with each other, and their locations (which are never quite where you would expect).

Having been born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Carithers takes a lot of the inspiration for his design- including an "appreciation of form and color"- from nature. Design, in Carithers's eyes, is something to be taken lightly, and he's not afraid to add a light touch to an otherwise serious room, such as"swivel chairs in a very proper living room", or a seemingly random piece of artwork.

Dan Carithers focuses on "luxurious fabrics, and attention to detail", but his southern upbringing is reflected in his passion for making rooms comfortable. "If it's a really grand room, I like to bring it down. I always like to do something that introduces a humble quality," he said to Traditional Home.

Dan can be contacted at dan@cancarithers.com. For more information about him, check out this article from Regency Furniture.