How did you get your break in the design world?

“It started by people asking me for help and my ignorance was a beautiful bliss in the situation. People started liking what I would do, and having no rules I just did what felt right and what felt good, and that is still my approach to design.”

What is it about your creative collaboration with your clients that you enjoy the most?

“It's helping them and myself to discover. It’s such a special relationship because I'm very aware that they have lots of options with designers. The fact that they're going to trust me and believe in me is something I do not take lightly. Not only is their home usually their most valuable asset, but it’s the place where they go to just be, and I really value that.”

Do you have a constant objective? 

“I call it, ‘a livable luxe’. I basically don't want the rooms to be so precious that you can't enjoy them. I remember being in my grandmother's house and it was like, ‘you keep walking past that living room!’ I want people to be able to use every single space and feel excited that people can have an experience in each room.”

What’s on your design radar right now that you're excited by?

“I love when people take something that has a clear function, but they think about it in a unique way. Sometimes things are just different to be different.

I think of Gio Ponti putting flowers on toilets—there's nothing that is not up for redesign and I love that because I think individuality is really key.”

Is there a particular design era or that you are naturally drawn to?

“I love Art Deco and I love the 1970s. They're very different but those periods stand out to me the most because there were so many individual creators, objects, and ideas—as well as so much richness and fun. The thinking was so strong in both eras. Art Deco was so refined and the lines were so strong, and then the 1970s felt like the creativity was just blossoming. I think of Andrée Putman; there's so much strength and heart and thoughtfulness in her rooms.”

Are you someone who needs periods of downtime between projects?

“No, because I genuinely love my job. People are always telling me to take downtime, and I get it, but I'm the person who, if I go to the beach, I'll probably want to take some books with me to do some research. I know it's important to take time off in theory, but I don’t feel like I need that time. When I do, I'll go on a walk or something like that, but I never leave it for more than a day and a half.”

How would you describe your personal home style?

“There's a softness: the colors are on the muted side of buttery yellows and pinks, and the materials I use are soft like velvet, mohair, and linen. There’s a lot of free forms—a lot of Faye Toogood because I'm obsessed with her. Then I have some incredible pieces that would be considered classics—I recently found some blue Jacques Jarrige side tables. I've used metal in my interiors since I started as there's something about its strength that I really love. So it’s really an eclectic mix. I definitely practice what I preach in my own house.”

Is there a specific object that you like to collect?

“I love ceramics in the form of plates, vases, and sculptures. I think they tell such a story about the makers because they can use their hands, they can paint, they can mold, and there's so much in terms of variation; one artist will allow something to drip and another one is very restricted in the form. I feel like I learn about makers through ceramics."

What are your favorite heirlooms? 

“It's a tiny little pink free-form onyx piece that makes no sense in the best way possible. It's a sweet, romantic piece and it leans a little bit with no rhyme or reason. That's definitely being passed on to my girls as it has so much energy and love in it. It goes with me everywhere and I look at it every morning.”

What are the parting pieces of advice you give your clients? 

“They often say, ‘I don't know what to do’, and then get kind of lost and overwhelmed’. I tell them to check in with themselves, trust their instincts, and continue to make it more theirs. I don't want to leave them with a home where, if someone comes in and puts down a coat, the composition is off and they're panicked. I want to leave them with a home that feels like they're continuing to tell their story.”