LIVESMART DESIGN
Thoughtful Design for Living Environments
Meet Carolyn Cook
LiveSmart Design is a unique residential interior design firm specializing in the design of kitchens and bathrooms implementing the principles of Universal Design, Sustainability and Healthcare.
Whether your family has expanded in size, you want to age-in-place, you’ve acquired a physical impairment or you simply want a more beautiful home, LiveSmart Design will provide the adaptability and flexibility required to remain happily in your home for as long as you choose.
"Most people want to remain in their homes during times of transition, and most can do so with kitchens and baths that are designed for their needs."
Resourcing a team of industry professionals Carolyn Cook, owner and designer, helps homeowners and their families navigate through the complex world of diverse kitchen and bathroom products while determining the most cost-effective, least invasive and best long-term design for their homes. We look forward to working with you.
“Making homes ‘work’ is my passion. My goal is to work within the existing footprint of your home and avoid adding rooms if possible. Adding rooms, in the end, may have simply added more space that doesn’t work. Living in a one-room studio with my husband for several years taught me firsthand the value of space and ‘tall walls,’ which I consider real estate. I look at space with a collective eye and design with efficiency and thoughtfulness.“
Roots of my design career
After graduating from the University of Georgia and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), I spent the first ten years of my career as a fashion designer in New York City. Returning to FIT, I received a second degree in Interior Design and enjoyed a flourishing career in residential, commercial and healthcare design.
I was involved with home restoration in upstate New York and brownstone renovation in Manhattan and served five years as an in-house interior designer for the Veteran’s Hospital in Albany, NY. When I moved to Charlotte, NC I worked for nine years as a designer for hospitals, nursing homes, birthing centers and wellness facilities.
I’ve been a professional interior designer for twenty-one years. I am LEED accredited and designed the interiors for the first LEED Silver apartment building in Charlotte, NC—the Circle at South End.
Launching LiveSmart Design
In 2009, I combined my passions for sustainability, healthcare and Universal Design when I launched LiveSmart Design to address accessibility in the single-family home. Accessibility goes beyond the preconceived notion of “grab bars for Granddad;” accessibility is for everyone.
As an advocate for affordable Senior Housing, a proponent for Universal Design and a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, I developed and taught an 8-hour course on Aging-in-Place at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. I frequently present to local community groups, industry professionals and senior organizations on the topic of Universal Design, Visit-ability and aging-in-place.