Meet Tracie Smith-McCarthy

I'm curious by nature. I'm sentimental, observant, and interested in people — what shaped them, what they value, what they remember, and the things they carry forward.

That perspective is at the heart of how I approach design.

I start with what's already there — the space, the people, and the story behind it — and trace that forward into something that feels considered, functional, and personal. I'm less interested in creating a room that simply looks good than I am in creating one that feels like it belongs to the people living in it.

TRACED Interiors has gone through a few versions before landing here. When I started in 2019, the firm was called Design Theory. A trip to High Point Market changed how I saw the industry — and what I realized I could build within it. Somewhere in that shift, Design Theory became TRACED — derives from my name and how I approach design: tracing memory, culture, and story, and bringing forward what still matters.

I believe good design takes patience. It takes paying attention, asking better questions, making thoughtful decisions, and allowing a space to evolve rather than forcing it to be finished. I value authenticity, quality, and the details that give a home its character.

Outside the studio, I bake a mean lemon bar. I could spend an afternoon walking the floors of an art gallery. I'm usually working on my own home remodel, and if there's music on, I'm probably moving to it. Salsa is still on my list to actually learn, but until then, I'll dance to whatever moves me.