Photo via Del Centro Gelateria | The design of Del Centro Gelateria in Downtown Fresno evokes the bold colors favored by the duo who only met back in January.

A Central Valley duo is looking to shake up the interior design scene by blending the old with the new.

Good Waters Interior Design, based in Fresno, officially launched this fall, poising itself to offering a more daring, colorful and nostalgic style to residential and commercial projects across California.

Co-founders and owners Flannery Good and Tami Waters met on Instagram, connecting over their passion for bold and playful design, evoking nostalgia with a modern twist using Mid-Century Modern, Art Deco and 1980s-inspired aesthetics.

The duo met this past January and after a few coffee meetups, they decided to go into business together.

Good Waters Interior Design officially launched in April.

Good is an artist and has been designing interiors for her own homes for years when she met Waters.

Waters moved back to the Central Valley from San Francisco in 2018 and started a design firm with another partner.

“We were both inspired by each other’s creativity and artistic eye more than anything. We had a lot in common and had a lot of fun,” Good said.

Waters said they both have a unique presence and style, bonding over the bolder aesthetics they favor over what they are accustomed to in the Central Valley.

“We want you to walk into a space and feel a little bit of nostalgia and a little bit of interest. Palate selection is going to give you some feelings of joy and intrigue,” Waters said.

Good said they create spaces that are interesting but also luxurious and unique, inspired by old houses and spaces and bringing them back to life.

Their work includes Fresno restaurant Mex Sabor Cocina in River Park, Daughters of Simone clothing boutique in the Tower District, Gelateria Del Centro in Downtown Fresno, The Tipping Pointe event venue in Downtown Fresno as well as several private residences.

Good said more people are looking to the older styles of design because they are getting tired of the “modern farmhouse” style, and want something that has more color, texture and pattern.

The firm also has e-design, allowing the duo to design spaces for clients that are outside of the Central Valley.

One of the ongoing style trends that is gaining popularity is maximalism, the opposite of minimalism, and utilizes light, color, patterns, and personality to express one’s interior self.

Waters said that fashion also influences interior design trends, pointing out that people are wearing more vibrant, colorful clothing and moving away from “penitentiary” beige and grey colors.

Even though the business just launched, Good sad they have not had any trouble finding clients, and most of their traffic is coming through word-of-mouth and talking to local news outlets.

“Our work speaks for itself,” Good said. “When people are happy and excited about their remodeled kitchen they to tell and show everybody and then word gets out and it just spreads.”

Good Waters uses an onboarding draft to help clients clarify what they want by exploring how they view their homes — their needs, pain points and goals, Waters said.

Good said the firm can design in any style, drawing inspiration from clients’ favorite photos.

Waters said they also like to show clients ideas they might not have considered or realized they would like.

It’s not just homes that are getting more vibrant designs, but also business.

“I think every business wants to make a statement,” Waters said. “They’re thinking about how to stand out and brand themselves and our job is to do that for them and showcase a really unique brand interpretation.”

Everyone wants to be “Instagram worthy,” Good added.

The duo has high aspirations to eventually have their own showroom in town and product lines in stores such as Target. They are ready to “take over the world,” they said.

“It’s go big or nothing,” Good said.