Take five “Lead Dawgs,” stir in faculty and students, pour into a variety of interior designing hotspots and what do you have? The College of Family and Consumer Sciences Designing Dawgs.

Formed three years ago as a way to encourage networking among FACS graduates who are interested in the interior design field, the group has expanded to include faculty and students in the furnishings and interiors major. And, according to Kelly Dean (BSHE ’89, Fashion Merchandising; MS ’91, Clothing, Textiles, Interiors and Furnishings), one of the founders of the group, it may soon expand even further.

“We’ve realized that there may be others, such as alums working in fashion merchandising, who might also be interested in some of our programs,” she said. “For example, when we have a meeting that concentrates on fabrics, there are many alums in the fashion merchandising field who would be interested in that.”

Since Designing Dawgs began in 2004 the group has hosted meetings six times a year in a variety of locations, including a Southern Living Home that was designed by Elizabeth Hutcheson (BSFCS ’94, Furnishings and Interiors), Georgia Lighting, Viking Culinary Arts Center, and IKEA.

In addition to Dean, the Designing Dawgs’ other Lead Dawgs are Catherine Hube Stockman (BSFCS ’91, Furnishings and Interiors), director of KB Home Studio; Patricia McLean (BSHE ’83, Furnishings and Interiors), owner of Patricia McLean Interiors; Pam Goldstein Sanchez (BSHE ’84, Consumer Economics and Home Management), owner of Pam Sanchez Designs; and Julie Toland Reynolds (BSHE ’81, Furnishings and Interiors), owner of Reynolds Interiors.

Interestingly, Dean’s career isn’t centered on interior design. Instead, she’s vice president for operations for Scofield Timber Co. But her interest in the field remains.

“It’s still my passion,” she said. “I still recall things I learned from faculty members like Helen Epps (Professor, Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors), who taught color theory, and Nolan Etters (Professor Emeritus, Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors), who taught textile science.”

The genesis of Designing Dawgs was the result of a conversation Dean and Katrina Bowers (Director of Development; BSHE ’84, Consumer Economics and Home Management) had three years ago.

“We discussed how unfortunate it was that we didn’t have an active interior design alumni group,” Dean recalled. “This was when I was first getting more active in FACS and I told Katrina how I missed the family feel of knowing everyone in the college.”

As Dean and Bowers continued to brainstorm, they agreed to contact other interior design alumni and, thus, Designing Dawgs was launched.

With a mailing list of some 900 FACS graduates in the Atlanta area who have an interest in interior design, Dean said she hopes Designing Dawgs will continue to grow and expand its networking base.

“There are only two rules for being a Designing Dawg,” she explained. “A love for the University of Georgia and a love for interior design.”

The Designing Dawgs logo is a martini glass, an effort, Dean said, to emphasize the networking nature of the group.

“We wanted people to know that Designing Dawgs events are a great way to meet others with similar interests,” she said. “But, since our meetings are in the evenings, we also wanted people to know these meetings also are relaxing and fun.”