Gail Davis doesn’t want her designs to be instantly recognizable. If you walk into a space and can immediately tell she created it, she feels she’s missed something.
What matters most to her is how it makes you feel, specifically, that warm sense of comfort the moment you enter. That feeling is exactly what she’s created in her own 1920s home in South Orange, New Jersey.
For Davis, home should be a safe, loving space, especially for women and for Black people. A place to feel seen, in control, and completely at ease. As she puts it simply, Home is everything.
1. Creepy And Sad
Gail Davis didn’t fall in love with her house right away. When she and her husband Ben first walked through it, she remembers it feeling “creepy and sad,” like a place long past its prime.
But the location was spot on, and she saw potential. With a designer’s eye and carefully chosen paint colors, she began transforming it piece by piece.
What once felt cold and tired slowly turned into a warm, welcoming space that truly feels like home.
2. Comfort As A Design Choice
For her, comfort isn’t just a design choice, it’s the heart of everything she creates. That love for cozy, welcoming spaces goes back to her childhood, spending time at her grandparents’ house in South Carolina.
She still draws from those memories today. “I decorated as if my grandparents and great grandparents would visit,” she says. Their home was beautiful but never too perfect to enjoy.
Guests were always welcome, cake was always fresh, and everyone was encouraged to stay a little longer.
3. Welcoming Space
Gail Davis describes her ideal space as both tailored and totally welcoming. Growing up, nothing in her grandparents’ home felt off-limits. “There was never anything too precious to touch,” she says.
If someone spilled something, it wasn’t a big deal, it just meant everyone was enjoying themselves. That easygoing energy is something she brings into her own home today.
While you won’t spot any stains, every room feels like a place where laughter’s encouraged and guests can truly relax.
4. First Chapter
She didn’t start out in design, her first chapter was at Saks Fifth Avenue, working as the assistant to the president. After eight years, burnout hit hard.
Then one day, she saw a plaque that stopped her in her tracks. It read, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” That single question lit a spark.
She applied to the New York School of Interior Design, got in, and eventually earned her associate degree. And just like that, a new path opened.
5. Strengths And Weaknesses
She is the first to admit that she knows her strengths, and DIY isn’t one of them. “I don’t DIY! That is not a strength,” she says with a laugh.
But she’s no stranger to hard work or pushing past doubt. Over time, she’s learned to tune out the critics and focus on what really matters.
“There will always be someone who doubts you,” she says. “That’s not my business. My business is living fully because I only get one shot at this life.”
6. Home Reflection
Davis believes your home should reflect what makes you happy. Her philosophy is simple—create spaces that bring you joy. “Paint and design the way you love,” she says, without hesitation.
She encourages her clients to let go of the pressure to follow trends or stick to what a home is supposed to look like.
That same mindset guides how she designs her own space and how she navigates her career. For Davis, freedom and joy are the heart of good design.
7. Continuing To Improve
She may run her own design firm, but she’s far from done learning. That hunger to grow is what sparked her podcast, ‘Design Perspectives’.
It all started over dinner with two friends who pointed out how naturally she listened and offered insight. By the time she got home—after a long train ride spent researching—she was ready to launch.
For Davis, it wasn’t just about talking design. It was about connecting, sharing, and continuing to ask questions along the way.
8. House With Stories To Tell
What Gail Davis really wanted was to hear the real stories behind the design world—the wins, the stumbles, the unexpected moments that shape a career.
She was curious about how other professionals built their businesses, but more than that, she wanted to hear their voices. The laughs, the lessons, and the honesty.
Her favorite question to ask? “What did you think design was, and what do you now know it is?” Because behind all the glam, there’s a whole lot of grit.
9. Nonstop Glam
People often imagine interior design as nonstop glam—fancy lunches, jet-setting, and schmoozing with clients. But Gail Davis is quick to set the record straight.
“I’m usually heading to a dusty job site, not a champagne brunch,” she laughs. On tough days, she wears a mask just to keep her lungs from burning.
It’s far from the picture-perfect version people expect, but it’s real. And for Davis, the real work is where the magic (and the mess) actually happens.
10. Design Projects
With most of her own home finished, Gail Davis is deep into client projects—including a basement, a kitchen, and three bathrooms.
At the same time, she’s turning her attention back to her podcast and looking forward to taking it up a notch. She’s added a video element, giving listeners a seat at the table.
And yes, the room is as cozy as you’d expect. Her dream guest? Stephen Gamble. If he’s listening, Gail’s ready to make that conversation happen.