Story & Lesson Highlights with Meredith Gough

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Meredith Gough. Check out our conversation below.

Meredith, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Art and design have always been where I lose track of time and find myself again. My love for them goes back to childhood, when I first saw the design plans for the home my parents were building in Illinois. I remember studying those plans with curiosity, watching my mom sketch on them and my dad label them with his incredibly precise, engineer-like handwriting. His letters looked like tiny houses, so structural and thoughtful. That was the first moment I felt captivated by the idea of design as both art and order.

As I grew older, I filled notebooks with doodles, ideas, and details from the world around me. When my family moved to England at 13, I had a teacher named Ms. Onesti who recognized and encouraged my artistic talent. She pushed me to be bold enough to pursue and show my work, and I began to spend hours lost in drawing and painting. It became my way of processing life.. my therapy, my grounding space you could say.

Studying Fine Arts and Art History in university and having the opportunities to travel through Europe at a young age to see the real life masterpieces I had studied truly deepened that connection. Those experiences reaffirmed that creativity isn’t just something I do, it’s where I become myself and feel so energetic!

Whether I’m sketching, painting, designing a space, or sourcing the perfect materials for a client’s home, I enter that same timeless flow. It’s where I thrive, where hours pass without notice, and where I always return to who I am at my core: a creator who finds meaning and peace in bringing beauty and structure to life.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Meredith Gough. I’m an interior designer and art consultant specializing in full-service home remodels, renovations, and fine art consulting. My brand is centered on bringing ease and enjoyment to what can often be an overwhelming process. I believe a home should feel elegant, collected, and intentional..a true reflection of the people living in it!

We handle the thousands of decisions that go into building or remodeling a dream home so our clients can actually enjoy the experience. We all know how stressful it can be, and my goal is to make it as seamless and inspiring as possible and to always find solutions to the issues that come up in construction. It’s how we deal with the problems that make a huge difference in this long and emotional process.

What makes my approach unique is the integration of fine art into every project while keeping within budget I offer sourcing and acquisition services for original artwork, working with artists across the country…relationships I’ve built over years in the art world, from my NYC gallery days to my time in LA design houses, and through ongoing connections I continue to nurture today.

Art is an essential layer of design, yet it’s often overlooked or left out of remodel budgets. I make it a priority to include this final, meaningful detail that completes a home and tells the client’s story in a way nothing else can.

Meredith Ann Interiors, LLC was recently formed after six years of working in a partnership. It felt like the right time to step into running my own business; to serve clients through my own lens and creative process.

With a background in graphic design and fine art, I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of interiors and art. That foundation naturally evolved into a focus on both residential design and fine art consulting. Art has always led the way for me, and I wanted to build a practice that celebrates that…helping artists I know share their beautiful work while giving my clients the opportunity to live with original pieces that bring depth, emotion, and meaning to their homes.

I’ve always considered myself a connector… I love people, and I think that energy translates directly into how I design. Collaboration is at the heart of what I do and it’s what gives me energy!

Right now, we’re working on two exciting commercial projects that include custom lighting creations…a new and rewarding learning experience for me. We also have two full remodels and several furnishing projects. It’s inspiring to move between different types of work; each project informs the next, and I draw so much creativity from the incredible artists, makers, and clients I collaborate with.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Growing up, I moved every two years because of my dad’s engineering job. We lived all over the U.S. covering the north, south, east, and west…before eventually crossing the pond to England, where I spent my formative years. Experiencing so many different cultures opened my eyes to the beauty of design, architecture, and the arts. It was during this time that my love for art truly took root. I would spend hours in my room drawing and painting, encouraged by a teacher who saw my talent early on and empowered me to follow what ignited my spirit.

But as I got older, the “real world” voice got louder. I was told I needed to make practical choices, to find stability over passion. My father, ever the engineer! … used to tell me to take my love for art and turn it into a tangible skill, something that would help me survive. So, I shifted from Fine Arts to Graphic Design in college, choosing security over uncertainty. I don’t regret that choice…it gave me a strong foundation…but I do think it kept me from fully developing as a fine artist at that time.

That experience, however, now deeply informs my path. It’s what drives my passion for art consulting. I have immense empathy for artists; their courage, their vulnerability, the countless hours they dedicate to their craft, and the reality that their work often goes underappreciated. I want to help change that narrative. Through my design work, I aim to champion artists – and this includes the incredibly skilled tradesmen, to help them thrive, be seen, and be fairly valued for their talent!

Before the world told me who I had to be, I was simply a curious, creative soul…someone who saw beauty everywhere and wanted to capture it. In many ways, I feel like I’m finally returning to that version of myself.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Wow, that’s a tough one! One thing feels impossible because there are so many things I’d want to say. It’s something I actually think about often, especially now that I have a 21-year-old daughter. I also love listening to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ podcast Wiser Than Me, where she asks this exact question and the answers always stay with me.

If I could tell my younger self one kind thing, it would be to trust yourself.
Trust that you are capable of doing whatever you put your mind and heart into.
Trust your instincts, your decisions, your creativity . . . and your body, even when it does wild and powerful things (like childbirth!).
Trust that your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Have the confidence to be brave, to take up space, and to unapologetically DO YOU!

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
This is such a great question and one I actually talk about a lot with my young adult children, who are 23 and 21. I always remind them that just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be successful. Those two things don’t always go hand in hand.

I’ve known so many incredibly smart people who never end up using their “smart.” They float from one thing to another, feeling unfulfilled and waiting for everything to just fall into place. Their intelligence served them well in school and college but once they enter the real world, something shifts. For the first time, they realize that success requires more than intellect. It takes GRIT. It takes real human connection, the ability to build relationships, and the willingness to put in the work day after day!

Grit, in my experience, means more than being smart. It’s what separates those who talk about doing things from those who actually DO them.

And one more thing I’ve learned…you never want to be the smartest person in the room. When I started my business, I realized that quickly. I knew I needed to surround myself with people who were smarter and more experienced than me if I wanted to learn, grow, and stretch. Smart people need to seek out others who challenge them…people who have done the work, who have the scars and the stories to show for it.

Rolling up your sleeves, putting in the hours, and embracing the struggle is what truly makes you wiser, not just smarter.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d stop saving money…honestly, I’d laugh and just start booking flights! I’d spend that time traveling to all the places on my bucket list with the people I love most. Travel has always inspired me; it’s where I gather ideas, textures, and stories that feed directly into my design work. So yes, I’d keep working but I’d do it from beautiful corners of the world that fill me up creatively:)

I’d stop worrying so much about the day-to-day…the little stresses that don’t really matter in the long run, and just let go. Easier said than done, of course, but I think that kind of freedom is what we’re all ultimately chasing: to live, create, and love fully, without hesitation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.meredithanninteriors.com
• Instagram: @meredithanninteriors
• Linkedin: meredith gough

Image Credits
Charlotte Lea Photography
Megan Caudill
Mike Radford Photography