ABOUT OUR TEAM
cathleen gruver
lead interior designer
Cathleen Gruver received her Master’s of Arts in Interior Design from Marymount University in 2015. She was selected as one of the 2016 recipients for NKBA's prestigious"30 Under 30 Award". Her graduate thesis, “Space for Living: Designing for Enhanced Family Interaction Within the Home“, received the Best in Show award for her research and evidence based design on this topic. While at Marymount she was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success, as well as Delta Epsilon Sigma Honor Society.
Cathleen started at Gruver Cooley, her family’s 115 year old custom home building business in 2006, and is now their Interior Designer. She assists high-end clients in the Washington, DC area with the many details involved with custom building and remodeling. She has been responsible for increasing the use of technology to help clients track selections and is an expert in online sourcing. Cathleen has enhanced the company’s marketing program through the expansion of the website and the use of Constant Contact, Houzz, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. In addition, she has done commercial design work for an architectural firm, has been an adjunct professor at Marymount University and has worked in the retail end of the design business. She is an Allied Member of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) and NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association). In July of 2017, she was featured in The Washington Post, "More space, better resale value: What to know about finishing your basement". She is currently the chairperson for the Northern Virginia chapter of CBUSA and supports the chapter by facilitating vendor relationships, networking opportunities and round table discussions on best practices and trends in the industry.
She received her undergraduate degree from Roanoke College where she Majored in Business with a concentration in Marketing and Minored in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design. While there she served as President of the Delta Gamma Fraternity. She was also an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity.
kate sizemore
interior designer
Kate Sizemore is a Loudoun County native and received her B.S. in Interior Design from the College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning at The University of Cincinnati in 2007. She has experience in both residential and commercial design, including residences, boutique hotels, retail spaces and offices throughout the world. She studied in Copenhagen, Denmark and has worked for architecture and design firms in Atlanta, Boston, San Francisco and Northern Virginia. From designing spaces in high-end hospitality environments to managing art installations for healthcare facilities, Kate has worked within many realms of the design world. These opportunities have allowed her to collaborate with a wide variety of clients in both commercial and residential spaces. She enjoys the challenge of creating spaces that are functional, efficient and tailored to each client’s style and believes every home should tell and celebrate its unique story. Kate enjoys the mix of modern and vintage style and believes that honoring location and architecture are important in creating beautifully interesting spaces within a home. Kate lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family. Her travel has allowed her to appreciate her roots in Northern Virginia, and she is happiest when she is designing customized residential spaces for her local clients.