Grovesteen: I interned with Raymond Griffis, an interior designer in Richmond with a satellite office in Manhattan. I worked for Raymond for about eight or nine years before he retired. We met at a Richmond Symphony designer house.
Davis: I've wanted to be a designer since I was 5 years old. I would like to have been an architect but didn't have a handheld calculator!
Gleason: I got an early start in a family of seamstresses. I helped my aunt in her drapery showroom and fell in love with fabrics and window treatments.

Grovesteen: To see the satisfaction and delight on my clients' faces. I love that "it's exactly what I wanted" reaction I get from them.
Davis: Being an independent designer and having the ability to tailor what I can do for my clients. I make the decisions where this company is willing to go. I also have strategic partnerships with quality workmen and contractors.
Gleason: When I can go into clients' homes and make a difference in their entire lives. Often, it's simply a matter of rearrangement or different paint.

Grovesteen: In this area, overpowering a room by putting in furniture that isn't scaled for the room. Also, doing window treatments that are out of scale for the windows.
Davis: Not hiring an interior designer! Seriously, people make the mistake of not getting advice. They often do things out of sequence.
Gleason: People often try to match things without taking samples with them. I can project-manage and guide them.

Grovesteen: Yes, many of them. I don't believe there's one way of doing things. I like to take a traditional frame, like a Queen Anne chair, and funk it up with a fun fabric to create a younger look.
Davis: Of course I break the rules. Design rules are merely guidelines. I take out window sills and frames occasionally. I will mix window treatment styles in the same room.
Gleason: It depends on whose rules. If you're creative, if you can see it, then, yes, I break them. Greatness doesn't happen by sticking to the rules.

Grovesteen: A Sheraton sofa. It'll never go out of style and looks wonderful upholstered in stripes. Biedermeier pieces are bold and sophisticated; the woods are rich and beautiful.
Davis: For me a classic is a fauteuil. Anything English, such as Chippendale or Chinese Chippendale, will never fade. Shaker is timeless.
Gleason: Something that looks just as good today as it did 50 or 100 years ago or 50 to 100 years from now is classic. It's something that can be changed up or down from modern to traditional, like a clean-line crystal chandelier or simple silk window panels, which I adore.

Grovesteen: Don't be scared of color. Be bold in color and pattern. Put wallpaper on the ceiling to create an architectural element of surprise; it gives wonderful lift to a small, boxy space. I use Osborne & Little's "Boscastle" wallpaper.
Davis: Keep things in proportion in scale. It's important in small and large spaces.
Gleason: I like to make it special, like a jewel box. Use color and finishes and special little things.

Grovesteen: Oh, yes! Nina Campbell, Mario Buatta, Mark Hampton, and Raymond Griffis, who is brilliant.
Davis: Sure. Absolutely. A space, not necessarily a person, inspires me. You keep your mind open.
Gleason: Yes, very much so. Susan Lankenau, who is retired now, was my mentor here in Richmond. And the big boys, like Frank Lloyd Wright. When I visited Fallingwater, I cried. It was so beautiful. I love modern interiors and Barbara Barry.

Grovesteen: No. I like lots of stuff. I like rooms that welcome you and offer many things to look at. I don't like to hide things. Rooms still have to look well appointed and filled with great collections, though.
Davis: Generally, yes. Certain styles, though, require a level of detail. I like to say, in some instances, "Less is better."
Gleason: That's the question, isn't it? For my personal style, less is more, but that doesn't mean sparse. Clutter and tchotchkes - some people love collectibles. That isn't my aesthetic. A busy interior can be minimized. Sterile isn't the goal.

Grovesteen: I love every project I work on. The dream is the satisfaction I give to someone who can't do it on his own. I look so forward every day to doing what I do.
Davis: To work for a current client and get involved in the process early on; to get started from the blueprint stage.
Gleason: To redo a barn in Middleburg, say, and turn it into a home for someone, using natural and functional elements of the barn.

Grovesteen: Dining room furniture. And artwork, especially oil paintings.
Davis: I think I would buy a comfortable, moderately sized chair for reading, one that could be reupholstered if necessary. I would be sure to get a real quality piece. For an accessory I would go for classic glass or crystal candlesticks.
Gleason: A bed. Everyone should have a beautiful bed. I bought mine when I was 17 years old, and I still have it. I love it. Beds are your retreat.