Knowing how to articulate your style is helpful for your business and its marketing materials, as well as for your current and potential clients. This week, we asked 13 designers—Victoria Armour, Hormuz Batliboi, Emma Corner, Heather and Matt French, Lina Galvão, Jodi Grace, Dan Hano, Kasey Johnson, Komal Kehar, Charlotte Moco, Regan Nix and Lucy O’Brien—how they define their design aesthetic.
Elegant Yet Functional
“I always aim to design elegant, timeless yet functional spaces. Each project is a culmination of luxurious fabrics, bespoke furniture, art and accessories, which are grounded and cohesive. I have a deep appreciation for well-rounded and layered aesthetics where each detail is thoughtfully curated.” —Emma Corner, Emma Corner Interiors, New York and Bridgehampton
Unexpected Color
“Our design aesthetic is rooted in thoughtful color and a commitment to quality, comfort and functionality. At Stil James, we don’t follow a single uniform style; instead, we’re inspired by our clients’ individual tastes and lifestyles. Don’t get me wrong—our clients often are a bit hesitant about using bold colors, but they trust us enough to take that leap. Time and again, by the end of a project, we hear that the unexpected violet marble fireplace or the striking 10-foot orange banquette has become their favorite feature in the home. This approach allows us to create spaces that feel sophisticated and surprising, but also genuinely personal and livable.” —Victoria Armour, Stil James, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Style Chameleons
“‘No style’ or ‘style-shifters’ best describes Blue Pencil Collective’s design style, and that’s exactly what makes us stand out. We don’t chase trends or limit ourselves to a particular aesthetic; instead, we get to the heart of each client’s personality, lifestyle, values and vision. Designing a home or workspace is as much about psychology as it is about design—understanding someone’s visual preference in addition to the way it elevates their daily life functionally and emotionally. Our projects are crafted uniquely for the individual or family, ensuring the result is a reflection of them.” —Kasey Johnson and Regan Nix, Blue Pencil Collective, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Rich in Materials
“Our design aesthetic? Bold, colorful, luxurious and inviting. We work with materials that bring real depth and richness to a space: stone, silk, velvet, layered prints—all chosen to add warmth and a sense of opulence. But design, for us, goes beyond materials and color palettes. It’s the sum of experiences, a way to express the lives we’ve lived and the perspectives we’ve developed along the way. Staying open and curious, we’ve found that each experience shapes our approach to design, adding depth to our work.” —Charlotte Moco and Dan Hano, Hanomoco Design, Berkeley, California
Mix It Up
“[Our aesthetic is] thoughtful and intentional, with depth to it. Clients have often described it as such, and it captures how I work. Spatially, I really prioritize how the floor plan flows and connects various areas of a home, ensuring a depth and expansiveness to the home. Materially, my aesthetic leans much more minimal than not, but with some bold punches (accents of color or a statement stone) that serve as counterpoints while still feeling accessible. I like to mix things up a bit too, whether it’s old and new detailing or high and low materials, because the juxtaposition makes you appreciate each. In the end, the goal is for the thought and intent of the design to both be authentic to me [as a designer] and feel specific to the home.” —Hormuz Batliboi, Batliboi Studio, New York
A Touch of Whimsy
“We have a very layered and artisanal approach to our designs. We always include some element that is a nod to childlike wonder—whether that be a whimsical detail, a cozy nook to hide in, or a new inventive way of visualizing a space. Each project we work on is a well-thought-out story or theme that is derived from both the experience of the client and the bones of the home. No home is alike because those two parts are unique every time.” —Lucy O’Brien, Tartan & Toile, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Global Inspiration
“Our style is vibrant and globally inspired, characterized by an eclectic mix of bold patterns, rich colors, and a thoughtful blend of old and new. We love incorporating folk art and artisan-made pieces into our designs, layering these elements with contemporary touches to create spaces that feel warm, curated and deeply personal. Every project reflects a harmonious fusion of cultural textures and colors, resulting in spaces that feel both inviting and distinctively unique.” —Matt and Heather French, French & French Interiors, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Livable Luxury
“We dub our aesthetic approach ‘livable luxury.’ To us, this means providing thoughtful and informed design solutions that look beautiful and bespoke to our clients’ personalities and lifestyles. To our clients, it means a home that performs over time (durable, sustainable, can grow upon family transitions—in short, livable!) and makes sense with their family’s rhythm. It should feel easy to live in, with the luxury of conveniences and amenities, and a style that makes them feel comfortable and at home. In practice, this translates to an aesthetic that is clean, elegant, thoughtful, uncluttered and custom. Our clients have a wide range of style preferences, from traditional to eclectic to ultramodern. But they come to us for thoughtful and creative solutions, and the confidence that we won’t give them more than they need. Our goal is to create a home that expresses our client’s personality, and that also feels personal to them.” —Lina Galvão, Curated Nest, Greenwich, Connecticut
Grounded to Earth
“My designs are grounded in natural materials such as wood, marble, unlacquered brass, cottons and wools, avoiding plastics and synthetics as much as possible. I design rooms that will embrace patina, the lovely signs of age and wear reflecting a life lived comfortably and casually. Our projects are timeless and untrendy, embracing classic forms, original art, a collected mix of textures and metals, and rooms that each have their own personality. Every home reflects the personality and lives of the owners, from making pillows and art with old jerseys to refinishing and recovering owners’ existing furniture to tucking family heirlooms in unexpected places. Our rooms are decidedly warm, inviting and collected, but you will always find an unexpected detail.” —Jodi Grace, A Classical Studio, Roswell, Georgia
Cross-Cultural Connections
“My personal tastes and curatorial sensibilities are informed by an underlying fascination with cross-cultural themes and storytelling with objects. I craft spatial experiences to honor the way cultures around the world use similar materials but in different ways. While the visual and tactile aesthetic of the spaces I design is embedded into the brand story, I strongly believe in the power of design to reveal fresh cultural dimensions with meaningful juxtapositions. These juxtapositions—of color, period accents, textures and objects—help us discover new perspectives and celebrate the interconnectedness of our lived experiences.” —Komal Kehar, Mira Projects, New York
