We get it, AND
we've got
your back
FS Design Group specializes in Premium Interior Design for Asheville, NC. April Gahagan-Fore and her team at FS Design Group have built a reputation for creating individualized, stylish, and extraordinary spaces and for having a client’s back.
"We serve as our client’s advocate with builders, architects, and everyone in between because we know the construction business, and clients trust us to enforce their vision. We have used our vast trade relationships to mitigate supply chain delays. And, we have tapped into our creative problem-solving to pivot when things on a job site go wrong."
Let FS Design’s guiding principle of Everyday Extraordinary create your individual, liveable, and lovable space.
April Gahagan
I never had a chance! Growing up in a construction family, I’ve been working punch-outs for as long as I can remember. I have spent two-thirds of my life on the jobsite – and I have loved every minute of it! It’s not common for a 15-year-old to know the specs for stud width or how to read a door schedule. It really allowed me to foster this enormous respect for this industry—even though that wasn’t my first choice for a career path. Breaking away from the family business, I took a detour into cosmetology – opening my own salon. I’ll admit that the salon wasn’t the passion that I hoped it would be, but the most important thing that I took from working in cosmetology is that you are as good as the level of service that you offer your client.
Years later, after having a family of my own, it finally seemed that it was time to follow my passion. FS Design Group is a labor of love for many years in the making. Just like anyone else in life, I’ve definitely learned from my past –through listening to others in the industry and even falling on my hiney from time to time. FS Design Group, to me, is the place where anyone needing help curating their space—from a full build out to just sprucing up an old space—can receive concierge-style service from a team of professionals that understand their needs.
Nowadays I get to be the one taking my little ones to the jobsite. I hope that it inspires the same type of creativity in them as it did in me.
I arrived at interior design after realizing that a love of literature didn’t necessarily mean I was destined for a career as a high school English teacher. Since then, I’ve helped create spaces as diverse as an apartment on Park Avenue to a wedding boutique in an Airstream Trailer. In between I’ve enjoyed helping gourmets create the kitchens of their dreams, tired parents create master bedrooms that are a joy to refuel in, and young singles create their first homes that they can be proud of. I most enjoy creating spaces that truly reflect the people who live in them and have no interest in creating a “signature look” – only the look of the people who call that space home.
MANDY Stairs
Mandy has been designing in WNC for over 2 decades through various trades and positions in the building industry.
A graduate of Pensacola Junior College with an associates of arts degree and a F.I.D.E.R accredited art institute of Atlanta with a bachelor’s degree in art and interior design, Mandy launched her career in Atlanta’s hospitality design.
With a new family, Mandy was drawn to a more personal, serene setting and moved to the mountains of North Carolina. She began to plant her roots as a residential interior designer.
Mandy’s passion grows with each client she manages, and loves directing clients in the initial design process of building new homes, or extensive renovations. She likes to incorporate the client’s personality in each project she takes on.
Jennifer Wood
Alex DeRobertis
Alex has over 20 years of experience managing client services and strategic marketing for an Asheville-ad agency. During that time, she also designed and maintained database management systems for several small community banks and other clients. She has a B.A. in Statistics and a minor in Marketing from UNC-Asheville.
Alex is passionate about making sure every client experience delivers high levels of performance and customer satisfaction. Her personal mantra is “let’s figure out how to make it happen”.
She also has definite opinions about the usefulness of algebra in everyday life. (Please don’t ask her about it; people have been injured when her soap box appears.)