Designer Spotlight: Carli Grommet and CG Studio Interiors

Ever wonder what it’s like seeing the stone gallery from the designer’s perspective? We found a few minutes to sit down with Carli Grommet, owner of her eponymous Nashville-based residential design firm, to find out. Carli has spent nearly a decade in interior design and just celebrated four years running her own studio, a tight-knit team of four that handles everything from floor plans to furnishings to pool design. She’s seen a lot of slab distributors, so when she started talking about what sets Trove Stone apart, we knew we had to share the conversation.

Photo rendering by CG Studio Interiors

Carli’s introduction to Trove Stone wasn’t exactly planned. “When I first met the guys, they were actually in our office building having a meeting with another designer,” she said. “They saw that we were there, so they popped into our office to introduce themselves.”

Carli scheduled a follow-up meeting, and it turned out to be perfect timing: Trove Stone’s Nashville showroom had just opened. “I hadn’t heard of them until that point,” Carli said. “I am so glad that they came in. I love their showroom and stone gallery. The whole experience working with them has been great.”

As someone who works across both furniture procurement and construction design, Carli knows that most “showrooms” really don’t live up to the designation. They’re slab yards, which are about as engaging as, well, a slab yard. “When checking out stone, I was used to dusty, loud environments,” she explained. Trove Stone turned out to be the polar opposite. “I was really impressed by how clean and quiet everything was. The Trove Stone showroom and stone gallery are actually peaceful.”

In the midst of all that unexpected tranquility, Carli was also quick to note one of her favorite details: visible pricing. “I love that the price per square foot is easy to see. If I’m taking a client through, I can just say, ‘That’s three times your budget’ or ‘This is right on the money.’ We’re not wandering along a random tier wondering if something will work. We have a concrete dollar amount. I love the transparency.”

What comes through just as clearly in talking with Carli is that working with Trove Stone feels less like a transaction and more like an extension of her team. “When a client falls for a slab that’s outside their budget, for example, the Trove Stone guys will suggest something else, saying, ‘What about this as a more affordable alternative?’” And if something isn’t currently on the showroom floor, they always know what’s arriving in the next shipment. That really matters when Carli’s selections often happen well ahead of when a project actually needs materials. “That works out great because we know something is coming in the next container and it’s going to be a good fit for a particular project.”

That kind of forward thinking matters big-time for Carli’s business. “I like to be one step ahead with selections. I don’t want a builder coming to me wondering where something is. I feel like Trove Stone operates in the same way. We love what we do, but we want to get it done.”

Carli’s trust for the Trove Stone team is so strong, in fact, that she has no trouble putting clients completely in their hands. “There have been times in the showroom where I’ve had to step away for a second, and the guys are happy to keep walking and talking with my client. That’s about as reassuring as it gets.”

Aside from being able to trust the team with her clients, Carli told us she is especially excited about a feature unique to Trove Stone. “I haven’t taken advantage of it yet, but Trove Stone can also obtain slabs with a variety of surface options.” Indeed, Trove Stone makes it possible for designers and end-users alike to select distinctive finishes on their stone selections. Distinctive textures from the Antolini Textures+ Collection (from Bamboo and Brushed to Sandblasted and Striato) are applied in Verona, Italy, then imported by Trove Stone. According to Carli, this further reinforces the uniqueness of the Trove Stone experience. “I have yet to come across another distributor that can do that,” she said. “That definitely sets Trove Stone apart, and I look forward to presenting those options to my clients.”

Breche de Versailles from Trove Stone

While we’re just as excited about Trove Stone’s emerging surface texture capabilities, we remain committed to ensuring designers like Carli can present amazing stone solutions. When we asked Carli to name a favorite recent find, she didn’t hesitate. On a current project, she and a client discovered a striking, one-of-a-kind slab called Breche de Versailles. Its rich, elaborate look might overwhelm on a large scale, but Carli realized right away that it would be perfect for creating a stunning shower wall that would really set the project apart.

“It’s a really, really beautiful stone,” she said. “We took our client there just to walk through and find slabs for his house, and we saw it and were like, ‘OK, that’s the one. We have to have it.’” Proof positive that while the Trove Stone showroom and commitment to service are unmatched, exceptional stone remains the top priority.