Hi!

I’m Eleanor Graves, MFA, MA/ID, a designer, poet, art lover, long-time Zen student, avid seeker of nice things, and owner of Refuge Design Workshop. I believe interior design skills help homeowners improve their relationship to their home, both functionally and aesthetically. This is why I launched The Workshop in 2020 as a hybrid approach to interior design services. Part of what makes a home beautiful is knowing how it works, what maintenance it needs, and how to manage the industry of repair people that it requires.

I love working with people on their homes and bring a personal touch to a complex relationship. Our homes are our protective shelter, our big financial asset, our food store, our anchor. Ideally our home is where we develop a strong sense of place. Alas, this last piece is often the most difficult to achieve because we are barraged, whether on social media, tv, or by realtors, with acceptable notions of what’s in and what’s not.

My goal is to deepen your connection to your home by discovering what really works for you. We consider all the functional needs. We consider all the available input from market driven forces. But the final outcome must be that the color and style — the aesthetic — is right for you.

Also, we recently launched a new online program called Rightsizing with Design! Find out how to use design principles to create the home that best serves you now, whether you are an empty-nester, newly retired, or aging-in-place.

Scroll down to see recent client projects, find out more about our programs via the menu in the upper right, and please reach out to me with any questions. I offer a wide range of design support for the home and the unique individuals who live there.