Josh Young draws inspiration from history when crafting his of-the-moment designs. “I’m always thinking about how things of old can be applied today,” the Washington, D.C.–based artist and interior designer tells Business of Home. “It’s important that my works have a nostalgic quality but still feel fresh and new.”
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Young started painting and drawing when he was just 5 years old. When he was a teenager, his family moved to North Carolina and built him his first art studio in the basement of their new home. “The mediums I love to use today are, in many ways, the same as I used when I was young: oils, oil pastels, graphite and acrylic,” he says. “I’ve also always loved implementing mixed-media techniques onto canvas, such as creating collages with textiles, loose paper, mesh and antique documents.”
For college, Young moved to Milan and enrolled in the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, where he studied media, communications and production design. “This was such a formative period in every sense,” he says. “Milan is a city of juxtaposition—where heritage coexists with modern elements in everything from the architecture to the fashion. It’s such a clash of perspectives that creates just the right amount of tension.”
After graduating, Young moved back to New York, where he worked as a textile designer for Swavelle and Mill Creek Fabrics before landing a gig in public relations and marketing in Chicago. “[While at that job], I was laid off unexpectedly,” he recalls. “My husband, Ignacio, helped [me] use that time to pursue my creative passions and ultimately leave the corporate world to venture into what I really loved: art and design.”
In 2019, he launched Josh Yöung Design House, with offerings ranging from modern, classical portrait-style paintings and geometrical collages to interior design services. A year later, at the height of the pandemic, he and his husband purchased a historic 19th century townhouse in the D.C. area and made the move back East. “We completed an extensive renovation to one of the floors in order to make it my own personal studio,” he says. “My interest in interiors formed organically after sharing my own home—and my artwork displayed [within]—on social media.”
In addition to an array of shoppable artworks and fine art prints, Young also works closely with interior designers—such as Nate Berkus, Christian Siriano and Marie Flanigan—on bespoke pieces. “Commissions have always been a huge part of the growth of my studio,” he says. “The process is truly a dance of leaning into the wants and needs of the designer and their client while still being true to my viewpoint as an artist.”
This month, Framebridge tapped Young to create a collection of eight hand-leafed frames, including the warm silver Milan, the bamboo-like Sempione, and the artist’s personal favorite, Corso Como, a graphic black-and-white beauty that evokes the bold outlines he often employs in his works. “This line was heavily inspired by my love of antique frames, particularly their patina and imperfections,” he says. “It’s difficult to find new frames with an authentic vintage look, so I used pieces from my own home as reference points and inspiration for this series.”
There’s plenty on the horizon for Young to look forward to. His first book, Artful Home, will be published by Rizzoli in September, followed by an assortment of soon-to-be-revealed collaborations with big-name brands. “I am working on a new art collection, while dreaming up the concept for book number two,” he says. “In 10 years, I would really love to be doing everything that I am today—an integration of art, product collabs and interior design.”
If you want to learn more about Josh Young, visit his website or Instagram.
