Elizabeth Valkovics was born with a creative spirit and a nomadic heart. Growing up, you’d be hard-pressed to find her without an art tool in hand. Born and raised in Ohio, Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree in art education at a Southeastern university before embarking on her career. She started as a visual artist in Nashville and an art teacher in Georgia before moving abroad and working in project management, branding, and marketing in Baku and Cape Town. Elizabeth relocated to London in 2011, where she made her foray into interior design. During this time, she simultaneously began taking on her own design projects while attending the Interior Design School of London. After graduating in 2013, Elizabeth held roles at global design firms in Bangkok, London, Baku, and Dubai, designing private homes, resorts, retail spaces, spas, restaurants, and more. It was during this time that she really honed in on her unique point of view, interior design rooted in wellness, which she applied to projects she continued to take on as a side hustle under the newly created Batten Court Design company name. Ready for her next chapter, in 2022 she accepted a position at a firm in Pompano Beach before deciding to plant roots in Pinehurst, where she resides today. She went all in with Batten Court Design in 2025. Elizabeth continues to create art and travel internationally, now with her family in tow. Learn more about Elizabeth and her work in today’s Designer Friday.
Andrew Joseph: What inspired you to become a designer?
Elizabeth Valkovics: Becoming a designer sort of fell into my lap. I wasn’t looking for a new career path. I had always wanted to be an artist and art teacher. I was living in London and was asked to come up with an idea for a new bathroom concept at Gatwick Airport. “You’re creative,” I was told. “Come up with something fun and out of the box!” Leadership was shaking things up and wanting to create experiences for travelers — it was exhilarating and different, and I loved shaping physical spaces for people. I had finally found my purpose. Interior design still involves creativity, sketching and communication, the things I thought I would do with my life, just in a different medium.
AJ: What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on and how did you overcome it?
EV: A recent custom home project started in the usual way a residential project begins: trying to marry two aesthetics from the two homeowners. The husband wanted modern rustic, and the wife dreamed of a classic Parisian feel. I relish these types of challenges, but this one was coupled with oversized proportions and certain non-negotiable usage of certain specifications, as the clients own a building supply company and represent specific brands. I started with the hardest space: the 14-foot kitchen. I studied and sketched and sketched and studied until finally the composition felt balanced and warm yet iconic and luxurious. The challenges continue on this project as we are on site, and even though the design is “approved,” I now need to ensure that it gets built to the design. On site, things change, tweaks need to be made, but I need to keep the design ethos and ensure it remains cohesive and uniquely theirs. I’m not sure which phase will end up more challenging, honestly!
AJ: What is the most important element in a successful interior design?
EV: Listening and curiosity. There is nothing more important than really understanding the people who will use the space, how those people want to feel, and the problems we have been asked to solve. How we solve these problems will determine whether the project is successful or not. Even after 15 years in the industry all over the world, I still love learning new things. I ask a lot of questions and rely heavily on the experts in every facet of the project to ensure we make the right decisions for our clients. This goes for both residential and commercial projects. I have an insatiable appetite for learning, pushing limits, and challenging the norm to achieve the extraordinary.
AJ: How do you stay organized while working on multiple projects?
EV: I would not be able to stay organized without our systems and software. We use Teamwork for project management internally. We have worked really hard behind the scenes this year to perfect a project template that we use for every project. It lists each task and has an hourly allowance based on historical data. This is super geeky, I know, but this is a time-based business, and if we mismanage it, we will go bust! We also use Materio for our client portal, specifications and procurement. Materio is definitely the tool that keeps track of everything. We have quite a few projects happening at any one time, and I can’t possibly keep spreadsheets the way we used to years ago. It’s so much faster, looks better, and is available on the app anywhere and at any time. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
AJ: How do you approach designing for a specific location or cultural influence?
EV: This is one of my favorite aspects of my job. I love researching and shaping spaces based on the physical location, architecture, social, and historical contexts. This is the backbone of my work as a hospitality designer, and I take this into residential work as well. No decision is arbitrary. I’m not picking something just because I like it, I’m choosing it because it ties back to the story. This process starts with a deep dive with residential clients or brand immersion sessions for commercial work. When I was design director, leading the W Yas Island design, we called it the “if/then” boards. “If” this is the inspiration, “then” this is the translation. An example would be taking the walking foot bridges of Abu Dhabi (physical context) and translating them to a very bespoke 16-foot island for the lobby roastery. The custom stools are abstractions of local Emirati people walking across that bridge.
AJ: What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
EV: My dream project is an adaptive reuse boutique hotel concept that would focus on wellness and community. This would have at least one signature restaurant and bar to design as well. The client is a placemaker, operator, investor and design-lover. This project plays to my strengths: working in a highly creative, collaborative environment with a team that is passionate about travel and its power to recharge and awaken people. My dream residential project would be someone who wants their home to be a combination of wellness sanctuary, a perfect entertaining hub and isn’t afraid of being bold with art and pattern.
AJ: If you weren’t a designer, what would you be and why?
EV: I would love to be a purchasing/sourcing director or property master, responsible for creating a show or film’s completely immersive and believable ambience, specifically for period pieces. Sometimes, I love to watch the behind-the-scenes more than the movie itself, and the idea of being part of a team where I can help shape how a film or set feels authentic and real would be so incredible. That said, I’ve sort of dabbled in a bit of everything: modeling, photography, painting, pottery, poetry, piano, guitar, graphic design, theatre, set design, fashion design, and furniture design, so I could totally give about 20 answers.
AJ: What’s the weirdest thing a client has ever asked you?
EV: To incorporate her extensive taxidermy collection and create an apothecary-like office. There are some pretty terrific shops I’ve been to in the U.K. that gave me inspiration as well for this space, and it turned out amazing! I think traveling and living in so many different places in the world has given me such a unique perspective when designing for my clients. I am so inspired by travel, food, theatre, art, and there are so many wonderful experiences I can reference to bring something special to each project.
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