By Jennifer Colosimo
Be it an impossibly chic outfit or a custom-designed light fixture, Anni Dong has style running through her veins. Crediting a childhood spent traveling with her family as they sought out materials and inspiration for their manufacturing company and architecture firm from around the world, she picked up a little design know-how along the way. Today, she’s the owner of Ann Design & Immersive Interiors, her own firm that’s changing the way the design process looks by leveraging her connections to create from scratch whatever she and her clients can dream up—custom furniture, lighting and décor in Buckhead and beyond.
Q: What do you love about being a designer in Buckhead?
Anni Dong: The diverse projects in Buckhead allow project developers and designers to collaborate on creative new spaces that reflect the evolution of the north side of Atlanta. My inspiration comes from my experiences traveling the world and Buckhead Village has opened the door to global influence on architecture and interior design.
Q: What makes your approach to design different?
AD: Because this is my family’s business and we’ve been doing it a long time, we’ve got a team that can collaborate to create the best possible product. I like to say, all I have is great taste, but I can take my sketches and my ideas to my manufacturing team, and they’ll consult on what fabric will perform best on this piece of furniture, or they can tweak my design to function better in the room where it will go, among other things. The result is beautiful, functional and high-quality. It’ll be something they can pass down.
Q: What do you prioritize as an entrepreneur?
AD: I am not only trying to create a brand for myself, but I’m focused on providing a service—I want to bring the clients’ vision to life, not my own, and that really frees up the creative possibilities. If a client has particular taste, like he loves to sail, I can sketch something and have wallpaper or fabric made just for him and the space we’re designing. It’s easy for me, because I can go straight to the source and have it made.
Q: Where are your favorite places to eat and hang out in Buckhead
AD: I love dining at Chops, The Garden Room and Umi, and you’ll often find me shopping at Phipps Plaza.
Tiffany and Chanel are my go-to favorites—they’re timeless classics.
