WINTER PARK, NJ— Bruce and Shannan Goforth believe that the art of design should awaken one’s senses. Perhaps that’s no surprise, since both are artists at heart – and by trade. As co-owners of YAWN design studio, inc., they incorporate that belief into every aspect of their business.

“The name of our studio refers to the awakening of environments,” says Bruce Goforth. “Awakening the process can, in turn, awaken the senses. When this happens, people can appreciate, live fully in and really love their space. That’s the service we strive to provide for our clients.”

The service aspect is key to the firm’s success, with the pair committed to being directly involved with every detail of a project, from helping clients articulate and conceptualize their project, and designing the space to lining up contractors or managing job sites.

The design team is also very practical when it comes to budget. Both say they’ve seen first-hand the high prices people sometimes pay for work done by large, impersonal firms that often result in cookie-cutter designs. The pair prefers to approach their clients with a commitment to “draw every line of every design” and to take great care when spending their clients’ money.

Incorporating in 2003 as a licensed interior design firm, the Goforths established their design studio in their home. Currently, they complete 10 to 12 projects annually, doing space planning and interior detailing for kitchens, baths and other rooms, working for clients in the Florida area, and, more recently, in the Bahamas.

Artistic Sensibilities

The Goforth’s art backgrounds were a key force in determining their paths. Both graduated from Florida State University with degrees in visual arts interior design. Bruce Goforth is also a painter, sculptor and landscape artist, all of which help him to design with the big picture in mind.

Additionally, his experience working for architects and interior designers taught him to translate his art skills into the home to create truly artistic designs.

Shannan Puschmann Goforth hails from a long line of artists and architects, and had been nurturing her love of art since childhood, she says. Prior to establishing YAWN, She worked for an architectural firm and managed the interior detailing department at the second largest residential interior design firm in the U.S. It was these experiences that allowed her to get up close and personal with architecture, construction and detailing processes, and learn the intricacies of the design process.