Mary Douglas Drysdale traces her love of design to a childhood in Charlottesville, where she was surrounded by the classical architecture of Thomas Jefferson, and to three years spent in Paris as a young adult immersed in the city’s art scene.

Soon after she founded Drysdale Design Associates in the early 1990s, she began to garner design awards. Her full-service firm creates and implements projects ranging from simple decoration to complex renovations. “Typically, we like to keep our team small,” the principal notes. “Just four or five passionate people who love the projects we do.”

Drysdale is known for her original and timeless style that seamlessly bridges traditional and modern aesthetics. She and her staff are trained in architectural and interior design, with technical knowledge of kitchen and bath design and millwork. Once they define a client’s goals, they pull together a personalized lookbook, agree upon a budget and timeline and rely on open channels of communication.

“Our mission is to exude passion, innovate, inspire, be transparent and make it fun,” explains Drysdale, who acts as lead designer on every project. “We try to exceed expectations.”

Among many honors, Drysdale was a Top 100 winner of Andrew Martin International’s Designer of the Year contest in 2023. She was a 2024 AD Pro and was included on the 2024 Luxe List. In 2023, Interior Design magazine awarded one of  her projects a “best in design” accolade. Her work has been published in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Aspire Design & Home and Luxe Magazine.