This interview took place in early May 2022. Suzy Knapp, co-owner of River's Edge and owner of Hook + Hearth, an interior design agency based out of Nashville, is the brains behind the interior design at River's Edge. We hope you enjoy our talk!
Tell us a little bit about what you do with Hook + Hearth.
As an interior designer, I get the immense privilege of helping folks turn their houses into a home they love—a place that reflects their personality, a space that fits their lifestyle. A lot of my clients don’t exactly know what it is they want their home to look like, but they do know how they want it to feel. With Hook + Hearth, I get to come alongside them and help them achieve that feeling! It’s a great joy to help people find their own unique style and groove in their living space. I feel honored to get to do it!
What has changed about your approach to interior decorating since opening your first cabin in 2000? What about since officially starting Hook + Hearth?
When we first began River’s Edge I was such a novice at all things interior design. But from the beginning our goal for our business was to create a place where folks felt comfortable, cared for, and at home. And as I designed the interiors of each cabin, my aim was to put together a space that was visually pleasing and physically comfortable.
Over the years my aesthetic has changed and morphed as I’ve grown as a person and learned more about design. In the beginning I was much more of a minimalist. These days I tend to layer a lot more. The thing that has remained the same all these years is my love of color and balance. Whatever I’m designing, be it a cabin in the woods like the ones we have at River’s Edge, or a client’s apartment in the city, I want the interiors to fit the integrity of the structure and, at the same time, look like they belong together!
What’s exciting you the most lately in terms of your work?
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of E-design, which is extra enjoyable for a couple reasons: one, being that it can be done via Zoom, which has been a God-send over the past couple of years, and allows me to work with clients from all over. The second thing is how much more interactive it can be than traditional design (though I definitely still love the hands-on approach!). E-design allows me to help my clients fully realize their own dream for their home. I absolutely love being part of that process. When a client gets to participate and learn how to make their home be a reflection of themselves and their family, I get really excited. It’s why I do this. Our homes are the primary place where we recharge and rest. And when that space is visually and physically pleasing to you, then the rest and renewal has the potential be a lot deeper. For me, being part of making that happen for someone is a lovely thing.
Do you have a favorite cabin, as far as the interior design goes? Or one you’ve updated lately?
I have favorite things at a lot of the cabins, but my all-time favorite is the Chesapeake. We built it after moving to NYC, where we lived from 2010 to 2016, basing its look off of a couple different places we’ve been, taking particular inspiration from a trip or two to Cape Cod. Seeing architecture and design in other places can be so inspiring—it’s one of the things that’s so great about travel! It has a slightly different look than some of our other cabins—a very New England vibe—and is a direct product of that inspiration!