Coterie Crush on Interior Designers: The Deux-o behind LeighDeux

We have a Coterie Crush on two smart Southern entrepreneurs that have developed a genius idea. LeighDeux Dorm is a creative interior decor company for students living on campus with a cause to give back to students who need extra support financing their education. We look forward to keeping up with this dynamic Deux-o Leigh-ann Sprock and Leigh Goodwyn!

Here is the scoop on LeighDeux Dorm from Leigh Goodwyn:

My partner, Leigh-ann Sprock, and I have created LeighDeux Dorm, interior decor for students living on campus. We are designing and manufacturing our own textiles in the Carolinas and sourcing all our products through American companies. Proceeds from LeighDeux Dorm go to fund scholarships for deserving kids.

This idea came to me as I was helping my daughter get ready to go off to boarding school. As we began furnishing my daughter’s dorm room, I quickly recognized the void in the marketplace for stylish, quality dorm décor. I thought it would be interesting to develop really great looking (interior design level) dorm decor and market it to parents of kids going off to boarding schools and colleges. One of our goals with this company is to reinvigorate the textile manufacturing business in the region. Even if in a small way, we want to try to bring this business back to the Carolinas.

Our mission-driven company wants to do something about that! LeighDeux is named for “two Leighs” and we hope to create a unique business that will become a niche leader in Web-based sales of custom and semi-custom dorm décor. And our goal is to do it all here in North Carolina…in the Charlotte area, as much as possible. And to give back to students who need extra support financing their education.

Although there are many internet and catalog-based home décor companies, there are very few specializing in quality interior furnishings specifically designed and procured for college and boarding school dorm rooms. There are big players in the market such as Pottery Barn Teen and Serena & Lily, but there are very few indie companies targeting stylish one-stop shopping for dorm room interiors. We thought we could fill that void. Boarding schools and colleges provide much information about curriculum and campus life, but they provide little, if any information for how to approach decorating your dorm room. LeighDeux’s goal is to offer unique alternatives for furnishing a dorm room in a stylish and sophisticated way. LeighDeux is dorm décor from ceiling to floor!

Our website will launch in early 2014, but we have had a soft launch and early debut this summer. We held trunk shows in North Carolina and Georgia this summer to test manufacturing, production and quality control. Our first round of product arrived to customers this summer and it is so exciting to see it coming together.

Check out Leigh Goodwyn’s favorites that she shared with us here…

FABRIC COLLECTION:

Any of our 10 designs from our The Leigh Deux Collection. Love them all! We created them for dorm, (for students living on campus), but we’re going to roll them out for home too. Leigh Deux.com is launching in early 2014!

CHINA PATTERN:

My favorite is a Faianca Subtil pottery from Portugal. Believe or not, I picked up the entire set at TJ Maxx of all places. It’s a gorgeous color of aqua blue. It mixes and matches beautifully with other china. I have no idea how it ended up at TJ Maxx but I got a great find!

PAINT COLOR:

New Lime by Benjamin Moore, dying to paint something this color. It’s so bright and happy.

DESIGN BLOG:

The English Room by Holly Phillips. I love Holly’s brave take on color. She’s a risk taker. She’s had a major hand in three of my homes!

CANDLE:

Belle Fleur Jasmine Verbena, it smells amazing and lasts forever!

ANTIQUE SHOP:

Slate Interiors in Charlotte and Scott’s in Atlanta

DESIGNERS:

Kelly Wearstler, Phoebe Howard, Holly Phillips, Amy Ormond

ARTIST:

David Kroll, Anne Neilson (Charlotte), Sara Cameli (Atlanta), Tony Hernandez (Atlanta)

COLLECTION:

Framed photographs of every one of our family Christmas cards starting with our first year of marriage. There are 17 framed cards on the walls outside of our playroom!

SOUTHERN ESSENTIAL:

Shag dancing, sweet tea and Firefly Vodka

YOUR STYLE IN FIVE WORDS OR LESS:

Colorful, fresh, global, modern, twistful

Leigh-ann Sprock and Leigh Goodwyn in tunics they designed from their Leigh Deux fabrics!

Contact: LeighG@leighdeux.com or visit their facebook page.

Links to spotlights on other interior designers and tastemakers –

Cullen O’Steen of Cullen & Co Interior Design

Holly Phillips of The English Room

Anna Kristin Yarbrough and Cameron Weaver of Interior Canvas

Lisa Mende of Lisa Mende Design

Courtney Barnes of Stylecourt

Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole of Kandrac and Kole Interiors

Roger Higgins of R. Higgins Interiors

Haskell Harris of Haskell Harris Creative

Tami Ramsay of Tami Ramsay Design

Mary Bryan Peyer of Mary Bryan Peyer Designs

Susan Hable of Hable Construction

Shani Gilchrist of Camille Maurice

Lauren Leonard of Lauren Leonard Designs

Sidney Wagner of Eclectic Interior Design Group

Angie Hranoswsky of Angie Hranowsky Design Studio

Liz Williams of Liz Williams Designs

Jill and Steve McKenzie of Steve McKenzie’s

Chandos Dodson of Chandos Interiors

Ty Larkins of Ty Larkins Interiors

Elaine Griffin of Elaine Griffin Interior Design

Bunny Williams of Bunny Williams Home

Vicky Serany of Southern Studio Interior Design

Sandra Ericksen of Sandra Ericksen Design,LLC

Lori May of Lori May Interiors

Tobi Fairley of Tobi Fairley Interior Design

CHERI HARDEN LEAVY Co-Founder of The Southern Coterie

Social media butterfly on facebook • instagram • pinterest • linkedin

Co-Publisher guide2athens & Bulldawg Illustrated