3 min read
You may think the Venn diagram between science and design is rather small, but for Marie Cloud, that overlap is where the magic happens. To understand why, though, is to rewind the clock to childhood, where meandering drives to peep homes with her mother calmed her nervous system—and ignited her imagination.
“My mother used to take us to view beautiful homes, and we'd drive through neighborhoods just to see how people lived,” Cloud recalls. The ritual became something she looked forward to. “Those drives taught me that homes tell stories, and I wanted to learn how to shape those stories. By the time I got to Bowling Green State University, choosing interior design as my degree felt inevitable.”
That instinct—to see interiors not just as decoration, but as emotional architecture—is the hallmark of Cloud’s work today, helming her North Carolina-based studio, Indigo Pruitt Design. Her spaces are layered, expressive, and personal, rooted as much in psychology as they are in aesthetics. It’s the kind of unique perspective that feels increasingly rare in an era of algorithm-friendly interiors and trend-chasing sameness.
“The industry treats design as if it's primarily visual when it's fundamentally experiential,” Cloud notes. “We’ve become obsessed with how spaces photograph rather than how they actually feel to inhabit day after day. Good design should support your nervous system, not just your Instagram feed.”
The distinction between the two—of pleasure and of purpose—is so integral to her work that, in 2023, she more closely studied how interior environments impact people, eventually becoming Science In Design certified. “That certification deepened my approach and gave me the research-backed framework to articulate what I'd been practicing intuitively,” she adds.
If science is the framework from which she makes every decision, then color is her tool. “The way we use color in a space can either activate energy, create calm, support focus, or encourage rest,” Cloud explains. Most clients come to her afraid of getting it wrong; they leave wielding it as a reflection of who they actually are, and how they want to live. “When you understand color as an emotional tool rather than just a style choice, it transforms how you design,” she adds.
Perhaps that’s why Cloud’s interiors resonate so deeply. They aren’t meant to chase trends. They’re designed to make homeowners feel, enveloping them in a space that reflects not just how they want their home to look, but how they want their lives to feel.
Get to Know Marie
House Beautiful: Who took a chance on you early in your career?
Marie Cloud: Kaitlin Petersen, editor-in-chief of Business of Home. She interviewed one interior designer from every state over five years to explore how they built their businesses. Early in my career, I was leading the design and renovation of a mega church, and she reached out asking me to represent North Carolina. I vividly remember that phone interview—she was so attentive, encouraging, and affirming. That feature gave me credibility at a moment when I really needed it, and it taught me the power of someone with a platform choosing to amplify your voice.
HB: What’s one setback that ultimately made your work stronger?
MC: Projects that didn't align with my point of view. I've taken on work early in my career that was more about proving myself than protecting my voice. It taught me that clarity is more powerful than volume.
HB: What’s something you refuse to do in a project?
MC: Create spaces that feel like they could belong to anyone. If a home doesn't reflect the specific people who live there, their history, their culture, their rhythms, I haven't done my job. I refuse to prioritize trends over longevity.
HB: What’s the smartest inexpensive decision you’ve made in a luxury space?
MC: Paint. It's always the most inexpensive transformation. The right color can completely shift the energy and character of a space for a fraction of what people expect to spend. When you understand color as architecture, paint becomes one of the most powerful tools in your budget.
HB: What emotion do you most want someone to feel when they enter your spaces?
MC: Seen. Not just welcomed, but recognized. Like the space was made for them and holds their specific story.
