Courtney Smith, founder of Courtney B. Smith Design, is dedicated to helping families create vibrant homes that support better living. Courtney’s designs go beyond functionality, aiming to reflect the residents’ personalities and tell their unique stories. She firmly believes that our homes serve as the stage for our most cherished memories, from everyday rituals to life’s significant milestones. With a decade of experience in finance, Courtney built her interior design business around principles of excellent service, transparency, and forming genuine connections with clients. Throughout the years, she has earned a reputation for fearlessly incorporating patterns and colors into her designs, creating spaces that bring joy and inspiration. Learn more about Courtney and her designs in today’s Designer Friday.
Fun foliage graces the walls of this bathroom with a palm tree frond wallpaper design.
Andrew Joseph: If you could guest star on any TV show -on or off air- what show would you guest star in?
Courtney Smith: I’d take any part in Downton Abbey. I’m fascinated by the estates of that era — so many nooks to explore.
AJ: Are you a good cook? If so, what’s your specialty?
CS: I finally know my way around a kitchen, but it’s taken some time. We lived in NYC for over a decade before moving to the Bay Area to raise our family. I can count on one hand the number of times I cooked dinner in Manhattan, and there was a time when the highest and best use of my tiny oven on Christopher Street was sweater storage (not joking). Once we moved to the suburbs, we lost access to 24/7 restaurants and take-out options, and I began to dabble. Over time, I had some small successes (along with lots of failures, including the illusive beef brisket I still can’t get right), and became hooked. It’s not necessarily the cooking itself which I love most, but the fruits of that labor … a hopefully delicious meal served around our family table. A chance to catch up, linger, and savor the moment.
This dining room was designed around the traditional wallpaper featuring a damask-style ogee pattern which is mimicked in the shape of the iron and crystal chandelier hanging above. Speckled rattan chairs add a sense of whimsy, and even safari, to the dining experience here.
AJ: Are you a pet person? Why either way? Dogs or cats?
CS: Both. We have one of each in our family — Addie (an adorable ball of grey fur who chews my rugs) and Lucy (a sweet kitty when she’s not knocking things off of my bathroom counter). My husband grew up with a beloved cat and made me promise that we’d have one (or more) if we married. I’ve been true to my word, and am now a cat-lover too. I was raised with dogs in the house, and we brought Addie into the mix during COVID (so cliche!). I can’t imagine our home without pets … they add a level of happy chaos that makes everything a little more fun!
AJ: Style (or design) icon?
CS: My biggest influences are my mom and grandmother, who both have classic taste and an appreciation for a beautiful home. We moved a lot growing up due to my dad’s work, and lived in lots of different styles of homes. There was a tract home in LA, a modern in Chicago, a tudor in Dallas, a farmhouse in CT, and more. In each one, my mom decorated using many of the same pieces. Seeing those familiar treasures in their new environments was simultaneously comforting (the familiarity of our old favorites), and interesting (the way old things look new when moved around a bit). By contrast, my grandmother lived in the same house for over 60 years, which was properly decorated and added to over time, as she inherited items or acquired them in her travels. That too, inspires me — the fact that when done in the right way, a home’s decor stands the test of time.
In a small powder room, orange and black safari wallpaper creates a bold statement, while a white pedestal sink stands out under an octagon glass framed Venetian Mirror.
AJ: How would you define your work in three words
CS: Joyful, vibrant, timeless.
AJ: Best advice you’d give your teenage self?
CS: Wear the bikini, go on the adventure, do all the things. I try to remember this for my current self, too. We’ll never be as young as we are today — live memorably!
AJ: Has there been a shift in what clients are requesting post-covid?
CS: Clients are appreciating their homes more than ever, and are eager to really use them to their fullest. The pandemic was a wake-up call for families who may not have thought through room functions or optimal layouts prior to spending SO MUCH time at home. There’s a current desire for truly finished spaces that serve a family every day (with priority on mud rooms, kitchens, and hang out destinations), but can be ready to host an impromptu gathering at any time. Creating an environment that functions beautifully in both ways takes some planning, but when executed well, is magic.
Designer Friday | Courtney Smith appreciates that homes need to function, first and foremost, with an optimal layout, proper scale, and thoughtful furniture and decor selection. Beyond that, Courtney constructs her spaces to reflect their people, and tell a story. The best homes create a vivid backdrop for lives well lived.
Courtney built her interior design business around these key principles after a career on Wall Street. Over the course of a decade in finance, Courtney learned that excellent service and transparency build trust, effective systems save sanity, and clients who become friends make work more rewarding. These lessons formed the bedrock of Courtney B Smith Design.
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