Design Rooted in Something Real
I know, from personal experience, what it feels like to live with a nervous system that is stuck in overdrive — and I know what it feels like when your environment finally lets you exhale. When I was younger, I would constantly rearrange my personal spaces over and over until they felt like mine. Every time I created a space that met my needs, I distinctly remember the calm that would wash over me. I no longer felt as on edge as I did before. Years later, I bought a small condo filled with light and views of trees, and that stability changed something in me again. There are a lot of things in life we can't control. The design of the space we live in is one of the few things we can — and it has a real, physiological effect on how we experience everything else. That ripple — into how I feel, how I move through the world — is what I now design toward for every client. That's what I bring to every project: not just an eye for what looks beautiful, but an understanding of what a well-designed space can do for the nervous system of the person living in it.
We specialize in creating environments where every detail supports a deeper purpose — restoration
Before we touch paint swatches or sofa fabrics, we get to know how you move, rest, and retreat. Then we translate that story into a soulful, high-functioning space that works beautifully—and feels like peace.
I've been interested in design for as long as I can remember — wandering through homes under construction at ten, interning at an architecture firm in high school. Life took me in a different direction for a while, but that pull never went away.
At 40, I stopped ignoring it. I enrolled in the Interior Architecture program at the University of Tennessee, graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2015, and never looked back.
What I discovered during those years — and have built my practice around ever since — is that design is more than aesthetic. The spaces we inhabit have a measurable impact on our nervous systems, our sleep, our stress levels, and our sense of self. I became fascinated by that intersection: beauty that actually does something. Design that works for the people living in it, not just the people photographing it.
After five years in commercial design, I made the move to residential work in 2020 — because this is where that philosophy matters most. Your home is the most personal environment you'll ever inhabit. It should be fully, intentionally on your side.
JOHN BALLENTINE, PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
PHOEBE GRACE, DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Phoebe joined DOMICILIO in 2021, introduced by an Austin Pets Alive foster who'd been looking after her. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with men at the time, which should have been a clear signal. I ignored it. She eventually decided I was tolerable — I'd call that a soft opening.
She's been on staff ever since — showrooms, install days, the occasional client photoshoot where she quietly outperforms everyone else in frame. She has an excellent poker face for tile selections and an even better one for doorbells, which she treats as a five-alarm emergency every single time. The one thing she can't fake composure around is a phone: hold one in your hand near her and she'll stare at it, stare at you, then walk away, visibly disappointed in your choices.
Ten percent of the time she's convinced she's being ignored and will nudge your elbow until you agree she isn't. The other ninety, she's asleep in the best light in the room — which, if you think about it, is really just good design instinct.
AS FEATURED IN
Science in Design
Certified
A Partnership Built on Clarity & Trust
Every design journey at DOMICILIO begins with listening.
We limit the number of projects we take each year to ensure your experience is personal, intentional, and highly attuned to your needs. From discovery to installation, you are guided with clarity and care—not chaos.
Our process is rooted in three principles: Discovery, Design, and Execution. Each step is transparent. Every decision, deliberate. Because creating sanctuary should feel like one.
“Domicilio really knows how to put things together. They are my go-to for everything design in Atlanta. John knows what great design is as well as steered us away from trendy looks which go out of style within a few years. Plus, we enjoy working with him and his creative team.”
— RAY MARCHANT
Your Next Chapter Starts at Home
Not Pinterest's vision of it. Not the last owner's. Yours — finally, completely yours.
Let's talk about what's possible.