Mark Williams of Peachtree Hills / Buckhead on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Mark Williams shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Mark, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I belong to an organization called The Design Leadership Network, which is a group of about 700 business owners and vendor partners in the fields of Residential Architecture, Residential Interior Design, and Residential Landscape Architecture. Members are made up of people from all over the United States, with some members in Canada and the U.K. In 2020, a small group of us got together and formed the Design Leadership Foundation, to promote equity and opportunities in the educational process for students studying the DLN’s three core disciplines. I still serve on the Advisory Board for the DLF, and guiding the organization as we grow our programs for students across the country is one of my greatest joys. The Design Leadership Foundation is still a very young organization, but the number of students that we have already reached still blows my mind. Getting through any degree of higher education is difficult, but it’s often overlooked how difficult and expensive it is to complete a degree within the disciplines of Architecture, Design, and Landscape. Working with some of the same students year over year, and watching their personal growth, is amazing. Watching those students excel and exceed their own expectations of themselves, and knowing that our organization played a part in that, makes me very joyful.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Polished, professional, personable… These are the qualities that always try to bring to any conversation, and it seem to put clients at ease. Our firm has been around long time and within our firm we emphasize communication, not just with clients but also with one another. We have a reputation for delivering results on time and within budget. I’m a problem solver at my core who balances floor plans, furniture layouts, architectural details, and a full array of texture, contrast, and scale to create highly tailored lifestyle experiences that are ideally suited to each client. We strive to create interiors that are eminently livable and effortlessly chic.

Mark earned his architectural degree from Georgia Tech and studied at the Ecole d’Architecture, Tolbiac in Paris before returning to Atlanta and starting his career in interior design. In 2007, Mark began his eponymous firm, Mark Williams Design. In 2024, Mark and his partner Niki Papadopoulos rebranded the firm to showcase the collaborative spirit of their partnership. Today, Mark and the Williams Papadopoulos Design team continue their passion for creating elegant interiors for luxury high-rises, high-end primary residences and vacation homes, and boutique commercial clients.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents really taught me the most about work, but probably not in the way that you might think. My parents both worked hard, and I simply witnessed their ideals around commitment, follow through, and personal responsibility on a day to day basis. These ideals were expected of me and infused within me, with very little ever being said about it. At one time or another, we have all been told that the best way to lead is by example, and I certainly learned a lot about the working world from my parents. Neither of them worked in any field of Design, nor were they business owners, but everything that I know about how to be successful I learned from them. Perseverance, honesty, integrity, and empathy are four things I try to bring to my desk every morning, as I know that they did.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Of course, I think we’ve all felt that at one time or another. Challenges abound in our business, and recognition of our successes are frequent but fleeting. We, at times, have had challenging projects go on for months, even years, and sometimes there are days when you just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But, just like going for a long run on a cold day, you keep putting one foot in front of the other and you eventually get to the finish line. Those challenging projects many times end up reflecting our best work because we’ve been challenged to approach things differently or think about things differently. Ultimately every challenge can be worked through by putting one foot in front of the other, even if you don’t end up where you thought you were originally headed. Every time something hasn’t worked out as I expected it to, I’ve always ended up someplace better than I set out for. This has happened enough times now in my life that every time the wind starts to blow me sideways, instead of fighting it I just ask myself, “well, where are we going to end up now?” with curiosity instead of fear.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is definitely the real me, at least it’s part of the real me. My business and my social life definitely require me to have a public facing side, and that side of me is very outgoing and loves to have a good time. But, like many people that have public facing lives, we need downtime to recharge… The part of me that likes to stay at home in sweatpants and binge Netflix is just as much the real me as the person who enjoys putting on a tailored suit and entertaining 20 people at dinner. I’m a Gemini, so I guess being versatile in different kinds of situations comes naturally. The people who know me well will tell you that I have a hard time hiding my true feelings, even if it’s just the look on my face, so I think you can trust that you’re always getting the “real” me.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If immortality were real, what would you build?
I would build community. I think we’re always stronger together than we are as individuals, and building a strong community around you brings life, liveliness, and possibility right to your front door. Immortality sounds like a really long time, and those are the things that I would want at my front door every morning when the sun comes up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wp.design
• Instagram: @williamspapadopoulosdesign
• Linkedin: Mark Williams
• Twitter: @designmwilliams
• Facebook: Mark Williams

Image Credits
Emily Followill
Erica Dines