Heather Greene likes to push boundaries. Which, in her field, is a good thing.
The founder and design leader of Greene & Co., a bespoke full-service interior-design firm and shop in Downtown Birmingham, is only partially satisfied with excellent design (which, of course, is a must). Rather, she’s happiest at the intersection of art, joy and design.
“It’s more about creating ‘places,’” Greene says.
Always interested in a creative profession, Greene earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design before landing her first job, in a local architectural firm. After being recruited as a consultant, she moved on to a global design firm.
“Coming out of COVID, people were speaking to the world about what they value in-place and wanting to be in places that made them feel good,” Greene says. “That becomes a more interior-focused approach to design, versus a traditional architectural approach.”
So three years ago next month, in an effort to fill this need, she built Greene & Co., where she offers full-service design for commercial, multi-family, community and retail spaces, in addition to residential, all from a holistic perspective focused on what is meaningful to each client.
While with her previous firm and in partnership with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Greene directed and published a global study in biophilic design. “When we apply these interior design principles to space, we can actually make people not only healthier — cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally — but also can create joy and awe and these amazing things that people need more of in their life.”
Collaborating with vetted “phenomenal” architects, Greene and her team is able to create designs as experts in this niche of uniting aesthetic and science, focusing on what draws people into the interiors of place. For example, she’s currently developing a series of 150 condos in the Upper Peninsula, “right on the water, exploring what lakefront living in Northern Michigan looks like,” she says. “That project is really focused on biophilic design — you have a beautiful respite and all this inspiration, in a design that has all the beauty of Northern Michigan 360 degrees around you. The question was: ‘How do you create this connection between the inside and the outside?’ The answer, the core of biophilic design, is the belief that humans have this innate desire to connect with nature. When they do, they become more creative, more innovative, more happy. You feel more value in your space.”
To create this philosophy in practice, Greene draws inspiration from elements of nature — the colors on rocks and in trees, finding texture and the way light reflects or disperses during different times of day in different seasons. “We ask, ‘Can I recreate those patterns in space?,’” she says. “‘And if I change the mood and change the lighting, does that feel different?’ We love that. We can take the patterns we see in nature and apply them to textiles, or through other materials, like wood or stone. We want our designs to be timeless and contextual to the places and people using it, but also authentic. It should tell the story of the people living in the home — and how they like to live and play. What do they value? Do they love to host and cook? Is this a family space? Our interiors are thoughtful, they’re layered, they’re curated and they’re designed and scaled to people,” she says.
Greene points out that most of her projects are renovations. People fall in love with an older home, for example, or their lives are transitioning — starting a family or kids have gotten older. “Part of the process is uncovering how they live in their space,” she says. “Clients who come to us see that our designs are rooted in a timeless, modern livability. We want clients to love all the spaces in their home. Even if you're a guest in someone's home, we want you to feel welcome — you can take your shoes off and have a glass of wine or coffee by the fire. There are no off-limits spaces, especially for families. We are not interested in fast fashion and hyper trendiness. We want them to be authentically tied to the architecture.
“A lot of our spaces are almost capsule collections,” Greene says. “They're rooted in neutrals, often with real materials like woods and stones and handmade tiles. They're rooted in these biophilic inspirations and then there are pops of art and ‘jewelry moments’ through lighting or textiles or artwork that bring joy and personality to it. I like to say that you should feel good in all your spaces, and you should feel like you can live in all of them. We aim for cozy modern.”
Greene & Co. is wholly focused on interiors, from the inside out. “We decided that if we partner with great architects who we trust, and great contractors and great clients, we can really be great at our piece of it,” Greene says.
To really allow clients the opportunity to step into their world, Greene & Co. is also part shop, where Greene sells many of her finds and commissioned pieces. Visitors are invited to explore and shop for individual pieces, like a handloomed throw, pastel stemless wine glasses or a piece of handcrafted pottery, or experience the inspiration of great design for full projects with Greene.
““We like to strategically source small-batch makers and more unique vendors, from local makers to craftspeople from around the world. We have many of our favorite makers and best partners that we use in our award-winning projects. If you’re not really sure what you’re looking for or what your project will be, or just need a piece or two to spruce up your space, you can come in and see and feel items that historically have been available to the trade only,” she says. The 1,500-square-foot space brims with delicious custom sofas and lounge chairs, pillows, rugs, lighting, home decor, finishes, tiles, accessories and more. “You’re getting our design team’s curation of all our favorite things. So while you’re shopping, we’re pulling rugs and wallpaper off racks that you can actually source for yourself, too — while we’re showcasing our custom capabilities and custom partners and getting a taste of what our design team can do.
“That’s the mission of the studio,” Greene says. “We don't expect our clients to be experts in design. But we hope they will be excited about their projects, and feel like they've got the right partner to get to the right solution together.”