ROBYN BRANCH, Founder + Designer
Robyn Branch Design
The Home Trust International (HTI): What first compelled you to enter your business field?
Robyn Branch (RB): I was a child of the furniture industry growing up in showrooms and traveling to market with my parents, as well as working with my sister on model homes when I was a teenager. It was a natural progression after my first two careers:Dance and high fashion. I opened a beautiful collected boutique of home furnishings at the start of my third – fourth career and realized I was designing to place my merchandise! I wanted to be paid for my time and expertise, so I walked right into design. Joined ASID (American Society of Interior Design) and am the ASID Florida North president this year.
HTI: Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career and why?
RB: I have never thought about it in this business, I could tell you my favorite designers, lines, etc. But I suppose it’s the love of beauty and home. A beautiful sanctuary.
HTI: If you could have told your 20-year-old self-one thing, what would it have been?
RB: Breathe, then breathe some more. Breathe a lot!
HTI: Please tell us about your family and your personal life.
RB: I grew up in a very small town in NC, “Mayberry” or Mt. Airy, the home of Andy Griffith… and it was very much like that! My parents had a family business, a neighborhood furniture store with appliances and lawn mowers even. I was a shop kid and spent most afternoons and summer days “designing” the floor and bossing the delivery guys. I came along late in my parent’s lives and was left to run amuck, which is really not that bad in a small town, since the village was watching. My sister was much older than me and spoiled me, as did my parents and my babysitter. (She was my world! Bert. I loved her dearly and she never told me no.) I have been very fortunate and have lived a wonderful life. I knew at 15 that I wanted to teach dance and be a choreographer, so I did. I’d been teaching for my teachers and loved it!
Without any hesitation, I moved into my second career, fashion, and worked in a very high end boutique where I was a personal shopper for many wonderful people in the town I’d moved to during my marriage. I produced fashion shows for charity and I continued to teach and choreograph during that time, as well. I was fortunate to work after that at volunteer jobs and raise my son. My best career!
At the end of my marriage, I moved to Florida and opened a gallery style boutique with art, accessories and furniture pieces. Vintage and antique finds were a common addition. I learned to source in many markets. I developed so many resources: repairs, artisans and craftsmen. My mother was a designer after being a buyer in a clothing store. Turns out, I am my mother! My fourth career evolved and I have begun dabbling in my fifth career, construction. I’m a serial offender.
HTI: What is the best advice you have received and who was it from?
RB: 1. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” Winston Churchill, but he of course did not give that advice to me, it just stuck with me.
2. My beloved Stepfather made me feel invincible. He was the best person I’ve ever known. He loved me and that gave me a lot of courage to be myself and do what I wanted to do. He held me to a standard at the same time, always speaking gently and directly, no extended lesson, just quickly and succinctly. I didn’t argue, just listened. He was kind and effective.
3. My romance, John, keeps my head up. He tells me to “keep my head and tail high!” A reference from birddogs, which his family raised and trained for decades. He judges now and has a sharp eye for champion animals and humans that need some encouragement. His sayings are epic. They all relate to nature and hold true.
HTI: Is there a common thread that runs through all great products? This need not be specific to your category.
RB: A common thread that runs through all precious products is that they are loved for years, decades, even longer. They are not trendy.
HTI: What’s on your wish list?
RB: I often wish for more freedom to give more generously. I really want to pay back people who have invested their time and effort in me. I am truly thankful for so many good people in my life.
HTI: Do you prefer the country or the city?
RB: Country girl to live, city girl to shop!
HTI: What recent project or transaction are you most proud of?
RB: It’s a small project that is not what I do, but it has evolved into my seeing that the wife needs this in her life and I’m committed to helping her.
HTI: What has evolved and what hasn’t over the years?
RB: I’ve evolved and I have not. I know what is better for me, I just don’t always do it.
HTI: The one thing I’ve had forever is:
RB: Heart, I have a lot of heart in what I do. I have been given a big ROI, joy!
HTI: What do you miss the most?
RB: My very strong body. I’m somewhat strong, but not like when I danced. There is a freedom to that level of strength and flexibility. You are so fearless!
HTI: Do you have a business icon?
RB: Elon Musk…I love that he works like a fien.
HTI: What is your favorite object that reflects extraordinary design (or love, etc) and why?
RB: I could not possibly choose! I love art, the design of furniture and the weave of fabrics, lighting that looks like jewelry, rich wood, innovative items that serve and beautiful pieces that simply stun you. I could not pick!
HTI: What makes a room (or building design or your product category) sing?
RB: Color. Color drives my eye and my design. The balance of where that color fits in works for me most.
HTI: What place most inspires you?
RB: Mexico.
HTI: Do you have a favorite:
RB: Museum: Museum of Modern Art In NYC. I like to people watch as much as visit the art.
Artist: Vincent Van Gogh, still from when I was 7 years old. I love impressionism, but value most art.
Author: I really do not have a favorite author.
City or place: Mexico, Tulum, probably. I’m fascinated by the pyramids and feel very at home. My body calms there. I do also love Capri because I feel like I’m in a James Bond movie. The opulence is vast, but casual at the same time. I feel like I’m literally on top of the world.
Food: Most. Lobster, caviar, salmon, steak, burgers, tacos, fries, pasta with vodka sauce and cheese, Southern food, biscuits, gruyere cheese, most cheese, some fruits, watermelon, cilantro, I could go on all day!
Why is it your favorite? Southern food is my favorite because it is healthy and pure comfort, it feels like home!
HTI: What is your favorite brand (across all categories) and why?
RB: Valentino. It’s always been my favorite. He was a master and I did not always recognize it as his work. I just was drawn to it and instantly loved it. I think that speaks volumes. I also love Tony Duquette, he was so excessive and I am fascinated by how he saw the world.
HTI: When you’re not working where are you most likely to be found?
RB: Working on work. I do love to spend time with friends and talk and dine and dine and talk.
HTI: What makes a great organization?
RB: Cohesiveness because the best mix of people, who have a proper work ethic, and enjoy their work life.
HTI: Why The Home Trust?
RB: I listened to Chris speak and it sounded like where I am in my head and even more like where I want to be.
HTI: If you could be granted one wish, what would it be?
RB: World peace. Sounds hokey, but it’s the answer to many evils and trials. Peace is God given and a gift that we destroy, creating so many hardships. I wish to keep the peace. So much would fall into place, hunger, poverty, greed, families and friendships.
HTI: If you weren’t in design, what would you be doing?
RB: Florals, that may be my fifth career. I want to garden more. I like to arrange flowers, but I enjoy digging in the dirt too! I want to learn.
HTI: Who is on your personal ‘Board of Directors?’
RB: Designers that have helped me along the way. They would push me and challenge me.
HTI: What is your personal luxury?
RB: Massage and late dinners. I like to get a massage just to relax, eat a really big late dinner and fall asleep soon after. I’ve always eaten a lot in the evening and I often fall asleep soon after! I allow myself this as often as possible.
HTI: Anything else you’d like to share with us? This question is meant for you to share ‘parting words of wisdom or philosophy.’ You are welcome to add a question you’d like to share too!
RB: I really believe in harmony and health in your home. As designers, we study that. Sometimes it is just working with a housekeeper to train them to take care of things, or organizing spaces for more efficiency. Above all, I believe in beauty. Serene or sparse, traditional or modern, fantastical or homey it makes me happy to create an atmosphere that my client can relax into and understand and own. The merging of what they need and the freedom for me to do that is a wonderful gift for us both.
Before founding her acclaimed design firm in 2007 on the shores of Amelia Island, Robyn explored the arts through theatre and fashion, sharpening her eye for storytelling, layering, and drama. That artful foundation became the backbone of her work — the stage set became the room, the costume became the curated interior, and every project became a new act in an ever-evolving creative journey.
Robyn Branch Design is now recognized as one of the premier design firms in the Southeast, with projects spanning from Charleston, SC to Charlotte, NC and throughout the country and even the Caribbean. Her Amelia Island studio and by-appointment-only showroom is where the magic begins, but her design sense is anything but confined to a single place. Whether it’s a historic home begging to be honored or a sleek oceanfront retreat asking for a modern twist, Robyn listens — to the view, to the client, and to the untold story of each space. Honoring a client’s past is their heart and defining their future is a profound task that touches their imagination and emotional ties to their homes.
Fearless and fluid, she is known for her flexibility, her vast international resource list, and the elite team of artisans and craftsmen she calls her “A Team.” Together, they create homes that are not only beautiful but personal — sanctuaries that reflect how her exclusive clients truly live. Her clients often return for second, even third homes, knowing Robyn will always deliver something new, tailored, and unexpected. The understanding that her clients are busy creating their empires wanting privacy and comfortable luxury without the worry of time spent away from their everyday lives is her number one talent. Every detail is taken care of at RBD.