Four Designers to Know Now

Interior designers are the heart and soul of our creative community. Each has a specific point of view and style all their own, working with their clients to develop spaces that are welcoming, personal, and of the moment. Every few months, we’re highlighting some of these professionals who make our jobs at Chairish so rewarding. Based all across the country, they take the raw materials of design—including our natural favorites, vintage and antique treasures—and develop inspiring and eye-catching work.

Below, see four of the firms and design leaders who are exciting us now, and be sure to shop their curations of chic, unique Chairish favorites.

Redmond Aldrich

After graduating from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Chloe Redmond Warner founded Oakland-based Redmond Aldrich in 2005. Five years later, a handwritten letter from Taylor Shanahan to Chloe resulted in her joining the firm (in addition to a lifelong friendship), where she now leads her own in-house design studio. Their diverse work has been featured in Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times T Magazine, and many others.

Shop Redmond Aldrich’s Chairish Favorites>>>

What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the industry?

Taylor Shanahan: I grew up with a mom who changed our living room layout every few months. I am one of five kids, so we were always helping her move furniture around the house. Caring about interior design is ingrained in me. I fell in love with Chloe’s charming personality and style when I came across her Domino home tour. I wrote her a letter asking for a job at Redmond Aldrich Design, and 13 years later, I still think she’s a hilarious design genius. 

Chloe Warner: I had a lightbulb moment during architecture school, when I realized I was responding more to aesthetics than I was to academics. There was a great firm in Boston called C&J Katz Studio that did both architecture and interior design, and after one summer there as an intern, I knew I was an interior designer in my heart. Never looked back.

What do you find most compelling about Chairish?

TS: The variety of furniture that’s listed on the website. It feels like the team at Chairish is able to read my mind with the promoted listings shown on the bottom of the webpage. They show me things I didn’t know I needed!

CW: Excellence and availability. My dream is to have a Chairish Showcase House, and have it come together in one month.

How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?

TS: We like to specify a mix of furnishings (vintage, retail, and custom). Repurposing furniture is a great way to add character to spaces so they don’t feel so one note. And sourcing vintage is a great way to reach a tight deadline, especially if you need the perfect piece in a pinch. 

CW: Sustainability is the stealth superpower of vintage. It’s an easy choice for us but it’s also the right thing to do.

 What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

TS: I love this early 20th-century Tabriz rug; these Philip LaVerne etched brass side tables; and this set of four 1970’s Afra & Tobia Scarpa “Monk” dining chairs. 

CW: My favorites include this three-seater leather sofa by Børge Mogensen for Fredericia; this Hans Wegner valet chair for Johannes Hansen; and this Murano glass mushroom table lamp.

Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?

TS: I’m a sucker for a floral fabric or wallpaper. A nice way to make a statement in a room is to reupholster a key furniture item in a large- or small-scale floral and add impact with a geometric wallpaper that is an opposing scale. Below is an example of this:

CW: Perfectly said, Taylor, and I love this image.

Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos? 

TS: We try to make every palette its own so we don’t lean on a palette for more than one project. That said, it seems like blue and pink tones always make their way into my trays. 

What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?

TS: Don’t be afraid to send your designer furniture, fabrics, or art that you love! We want to incorporate those pieces. We want your home to feel like it represents the person living in it.  Personal touches add depth and make the most successful projects. 

CW: I agree with all of Taylor’s answers here! She nailed it. 

Nicole R. Fisher, BNR Interiors

It’s hard to imagine a more creative start to a career than doing fashion editorial styling for Lady Gaga under Nicola Formichetti. That’s how Nicole R. Fisher began, working on music videos, live performances, and editorials for Vogue and Vanity Fair, before becoming lead stylist of One King’s Lane. She took this same creative approach to styling into her interior design career by founding New York-based BNR Interiors, developing spaces that incorporate high and low, vintage and new to eye-catching effect.

Shop Nicole R. Fisher’s Chairish Favorites>>>

What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the industry?

I began my creative career in fashion editorial styling for Lady Gaga under creative director Nicola Formichetti. Creating a story on and off the pages trained my eye and unique approach to interior design. Starting with the homes of friends of family, BNR Interiors quickly became a business built on referrals and timeless family homes with an edge. 

What do you find most compelling about Chairish?

Chairish is one of our favorite antique destinations for the assortment of product. I can almost always type in anything I’m thinking of and find it right at my fingertips. The hunt has been simplified.

How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?

Our stories and our experiences are what make us unique, just like furniture. Vintage pieces give a space depth and character that new pieces can’t compare to. We like our clients to feel at home and to feel like their space can last them another 100 years. 

What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

I love this mid-century Italian room screen; this olive-colored Murano chandelier; and this pair of checkered burlwood coffee tables from the 1970’s.

Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?

We love a patterned moment in a big way. Whether it’s on wallpaper, or a screen, or a fabric, these layers are what adds depth and interest to a room. 

Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos? 

Brown and green, maroon and pink, orange and green.

What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?

I always tell clients to choose at least one thing in a room that brings a smile to your face whenever you see it. There can be so much joy in your home if you trust your instincts—and of course, your designer.

Elizabeth Reynolds

For 20 years, Pennsylvania-based Elizabeth Reynolds has designed residential and retail spaces for a variety of clients along the East Coast. She works closely on the architectural development of her projects, before collaborating with clients to develop spaces that are an expression of their aesthetic style, favorite finds and practical needs. Her work is classic, colorful, and a creative reflection of her clients living their best lives.

Shop Elizabeth Reynolds’s Chairish Favorites>>>

What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the industry?

Inspired by a since forgotten building when I was about 8, I started drawing floor plans to express my visions. I still have my binder of hundreds of houses, and sometimes I look back to see what may spark a new idea in the present. I took a circuitous route to the profession of design though. After earning a biology degree from Cornell (I was pre-med), I took a breather and thought back to my 8-year-old self. What did she love? She loved buildings, especially houses. Time spent in studio while working towards my MFA in interior architecture cemented the fact that I love conceptualizing, drafting, and space planning.

What do you find most compelling about Chairish?

I’ve been a “picker” for a very long time. Remember when yard sales were advertised in the local paper? I highlighted which ones I wanted to hit based on neighborhood (the expensive neighborhoods never had the best sales!). I was one of those eager folks, driving around at 7am on a Saturday, searching for the unique and unusual, sometimes even the misunderstood. Chairish is the best combination of yard sale, flea market, antique store, and Bunny Mellon’s attic. I love the sense of community that has rallied around a shared love of craft, beauty, and finding new homes for wonderful items.

How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?

Sustainability is a compelling reason to buy vintage. Keeping furniture, lighting and knick-knacks out of the landfill, and instead being creative and optimistic about their continuing appeal, motivates me to specify vintage elements for projects. From a business perspective, it is more time consuming to buy vintage because I can’t just reference a catalog and order something pristine. I’ve come to terms with that trade-off because it feels good to reuse, and a room without vintage is a room without soul! 

What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

This is hard!

• Form, function and fun feet, what more could anyone want? Cover this in a velvet and it will last for decades.
• Three-dimensional art, perfect for a mantle.
• I have kept an eye out for paintings by this artist Botti, aka Barrell, for years. His paintings have a charisma that I love.

Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?

Textiles provide flexible and attainable statement-making in a room. Think beyond accent pillows! A patterned curtain on windows highlights the architecture, while a tape trim on a chair skirt shows you thought about details and prize the sublime. 

Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos? 

Palettes for projects are usually generated by the setting or environment of the home, or by the energy and personalities of my clients. I never repeat a scheme or design; where is the fun in that? 

What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?

First, I encourage clients to buy the best, once. Buy American made, buy vintage or antique, buy something that was made by a person in your town or region. Second, I advise clients to select and buy what they love, not to worry if their kids, neighbors, or mother-in-law will approve. It is important that I give as much trust to my clients as they give to me. I trust that they will be true to themselves as they make decisions about their home, and they trust me to deliver the very best iteration of their wishes.

Jocelyn Chiappone, Digs Design Co

After a successful career in corporate America, Jocelyn Chiappone decided to switch gears and go to school for design. A decade ago, she founded Digs Design Co and started on her mission of creating classic, sophisticated interiors for clients around the world. Since then, the Newport-based designer has continued the tradition of the legendary homes nearby, developing spaces that are of their moment and undeniably elegant.

Shop Jocelyn Chiappone’s Chairish Favorites>>>

What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the industry?

I started Digs Design Co later in my life after first having a successful corporate career at Eastman Kodak in sales. From there, I moved to Rhode Island and took time off to raise my children, but when my third child was a baby, I felt ready to work again. I had been getting a lot of feedback from friends and family on my design skills and loved doing that, so I went back to school at RISD. From there, my interior design jobs grew organically and I was able to start Digs Design Co just over a decade ago. Every year, we grow as a firm and we are now in our fourth location, a gorgeous 1787 building in Newport’s historic district. 

What do you find most compelling about Chairish?

I love the ease of use on Chairish, where we have access to so many different shops and vendors at the click of a mouse. I also like the weekly updates on new available items. We may not necessarily be on the search for something for a current project but I like to collect special pieces that speak to me that I may use for future projects.

How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?

Having sentimental or cherished pieces is essential to making a house a home. I love to reupholster or repurpose a client’s pieces in a new way. If something has good bones or an emotional attachment, we always bring it into the design mix. A vintage piece that has a unique story or history makes a wonderful contribution to the design of a space. The story of a beloved accessory or design element makes for a great talking point or conversation starter.

What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

I love this Murano glass Sputnik chandelier; this pair of Egyptian revival table lamps with faux malachite paint; and this 1970’s bamboo console with ottomans.

Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?

Mixing styles, periods, and finishes makes a dramatic statement that feels unique and fresh. For example, pairing a burlwood dresser with mid-century Murano lamps is fun and a bit unexpected. I love to layer in different elements and tie it all together with a strong color scheme for that signature Digs mix!

Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos? 

We tend to do a lot of blue, as our clients love that aesthetic, especially for coastal homes. To make it more interesting, I like to pair the blue with a green and add in a more dramatic color in accessories, like raspberry or yellow, for that “pop” that breathes life into a space.  

What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?

I am always encouraging my clients to buy art and collectibles that they love. This doesn’t have to be done all at once and it’s helpful to think about accumulating special pieces over time. Traveling is the perfect time to explore galleries and buy art that speaks to you. I also love it when my clients have special collections. As a designer, it’s inspiring to work with a client’s oyster plates, McCoy pottery, or whatever personal collection they have created over time. 

Lead image: Design by Redmond Aldrich; photo by Laure Joliet