A blue-gray backdrop complements the dining room’s vintage table and Restoration Hardware chairs.
Although Byron Risdon earned a graduate degree in education and later taught school, interior design was always in the back of his mind. “I used to do small projects for friends,” he recalls. “At first I didn’t realize I wanted to do this for a living; I just knew I liked creating. But finally, I decided I had to try.”
Then based in Atlanta, Risdon, who originally hails from South Carolina, applied for a design-assistant position at New York’s venerable Crain & Ventolo Associates—and got it. Subsequent jobs sprang up with other boutique design firms. “I’ve taken something away from every job I’ve had—new resources, vendors, sensibilities,” he reflects. “There is always more to learn.”
Risdon eventually relocated to DC, launching Byron Risdon LLC in spring 2016. Currently running a one-man operation, he laughingly describes himself as “bookkeeper, designer, mover, measurer, and draftsman.”
Though just embarking on his solo career, Risdon offers years of experience—and a strong design philosophy. He begins every project with the rug—even if it is an existing element—and he refuses to see clients’ artwork until the end because he doesn’t want it to influence his choices. “Art is personal and often not part of the design,” he explains. “We will make it work.” When it comes to creating interiors, he advises, “Do what makes you feel good.”
Interior Design: Byron Risdon, Byron Risdon LLC, Washington, DC. Renovation Architecture & Contracting: Paul Locher, Locher Design Build, Silver Spring, Maryland.