Client-Focused, Designer-Led: The Partnership Behind Light and Dwell

About this episode

Aymee Kuhlman and Katie Cunningham discuss their client-focused design philosophy and the journey of their studio, Light and Dwell.

In this episode of Beyond the Design, we sit down with Light and Dwell founder Aymee Kuhlman and design principal Katie Cunningham—two creative powerhouses who believe a home should be more than a backdrop. They share how a farm childhood in Oregon, grandmothers who collected antiques, and a mother who painted murals in the eighties quietly shaped their design eyes and set them on a path toward interiors that feel deeply personal and lived in. From early guinea-pig projects for friends to full-scale renovations, Aymee and Katie trace how curiosity and courage slowly turned a side passion into a nationally recognized studio. Together, Aymee and Katie unpack their client-focused, designer-led philosophy and what it really takes to translate a family’s stories, habits, and hopes into spaces they can grow old in. They explain why they’re just as interested in how a room will be used on an ordinary Tuesday as how it will photograph, and why they intentionally break certain “design rules” to make homes truly livable. You will hear how they educate clients in the age of Pinterest and fast furniture, set realistic expectations around timelines, and use intuition and trust-building as…

People in this episode

Host: Cray Bauxmont-Flynn

Guests: Aymee Kuhlman, Katie Cunningham

Topics covered

• design philosophy
• interior design
• client relationships
• personalized spaces
• creative process

Keywords

• interior design
• client-focused
• design philosophy
• personalized spaces
• Light and Dwell

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Light and Dwell, Architectural Digest

Places: Oregon, Mexico, Montana, New York

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