Interior designers are a bit like songs, movies, or ice cream flavors—we just can’t pick a favorite! Sometimes you’re in the mood for something light and airy, and sometimes you want something moody and dark. Luckily, there’s a design style for every sensibility, and the very best designers can play across multiple genres.
Below, we pulled together four of our favorite design firms to know right now. Based throughout the U.S., each of these talents brings a distinct point of view to their awe-inspiring work. Learn more about them and shop collections of their chic Chairish favorites below.
Sarah Vaile
After training under Celerie Kemble and launching her firm in New York, Sarah Vaile set up shop in Chicago, where she’s one of the city’s most in-demand designers. Her love of color and passion for antiques make her a true stand-out in any city. Check out a curation of her vibrant, versatile Chairish favorites.
Shop Sarah’s Chairish Favorites >>>
What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the field?
I can’t say that there was a specific moment. I just find it is the thing I start daydreaming about when I’m bored. Also, in hindsight, I guess it’s not totally normal for a ten year old to rearrange their bedroom furniture every three months and spend more time decorating their Barbie house than playing with it (True story: My Dad built my three sisters and me a Barbie apartment building, wallpaper, carpeting, and all). I did have a distinct moment in my late twenties when I decided to entirely shift careers over to interior design and uprooted my life to do so. I like to refer to it as my quarter-life crisis.
What do you find most compelling about Chairish?
Antiques have often been synonymous with expensive taste. Chairish really rocked the boat by providing access to thousands of pieces around the globe within reasonable price ranges. It admittedly was our entree into antiques and for that we are forever grateful!
How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?
I think far more about sustainability now than I admittedly did in my earlier years of design. It’s now one of the things that I love most about vintage pieces. Even more than sustainability, I love the idea of collecting heirloom pieces that have a story predating you, and that will hopefully have a story following you. It’s also great for those of us in the business who seem to be constantly in motion with our decor, enabling us to move pieces with no guilt.
What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?
I love this Italian Palm Floor Lamp by Sergio Terzani; this Set of Six Louis XVI Style Dining Chairs; and this Italian Ceramic Life Size Leopard Figurine.
Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?
Well we are definitely known for color. We typically find one object or idea that we really jump off of. The rest is all about balancing the leads. We talk a lot in terms of film: Which pieces or textiles are the leads? Will this be a star-studded cast or do we need more supporting actors?
Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos?
I find it funny because in my younger years, I was a huge fan of black and white, but now I find that the brighter and flamboyant the color, the more appealing it is to me. The key is to balance the bright colors with “off” colors that round out the palette and provide some masculinity to the design.
What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?
Start with what you love. From there it’s all about balance. All other pieces should have the initial showstoppers in mind as they work to round out the design. I often think in terms of masculine versus feminine, winter versus spring, and quiet versus loud to help land on a cohesive design that will ultimately have lasting appeal.
Kobel + Co
Co-founders Elizabeth Bennett and Mallory Robins launched Kobel + Co six years ago with an eye toward sharing their chic, sleek style with clients around the world. The duo have made waves in just a few short years with an aesthetic that blends modern sensibilities with a passion for vintage—designers after our own hearts, indeed. Shop a cut of their Chairish faves.
Shop Kobel + Co’s Chairish Favorites >>>
What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the field?
Being able to transform where people raise their families, find sanctuary, and share meals feels like the ultimate luxury. At our core, we were drawn to design because of how it so critically impacts the way we feel and live, day in and day out. In fact, that is how we got our start; by expressing ourselves in our own homes in a way that evoked a feeling in our guests that made them want to linger longer. Our design ethos is all about creating layered, beautiful spaces that are also grounded and approachable to the demands of real life. Now, six years into our work as a studio, the juxtaposition of the personal nature of what we do against technical demands of the work ensures that every day is both different and rewarding. The resulting transformation that occurs when we bring our clients’ vision to life and exceed their expectations is the ultimate icing on the cake.
What do you find most compelling about Chairish?
Where do we start?! We love having a diverse selection of one-of-a-kind furniture pieces, art, and lighting at our fingertips. It’s a game changer. Being able to identify those unique pieces for clients early in our design process allows us to not only identify tone-setting pieces, but ensure we have the mix of genres, antiquity, and style that is so inherent to our studio’s identity.
How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?
The old adage of “they don’t build them like they used to” certainly stands true in our studio! The supply chain shortages and lengthening lead times of the last few years were an amazing opportunity to find vintage pieces to repurpose, resulting in an even more elevated and custom end result for clients. We love peppering our clients’ homes with pieces that have lived lives before them, and may exist well into perpetuity, becoming a part of their own family’s future history.
Shop Kobel + Co's Chairish Favorites
What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?
- Vintage sculptural furniture not only makes the space, but can serve as true investment pieces to keep and re-cover as rooms evolve; the lines on this sofa are exceptional.
- There’s no bigger lighting statement than vintage Murano glass; the pink tone on this piece adds an incredible “pop.”
- It would be rare to find one of our projects without a statement piece of photography, and in general, we are drawn towards pieces that add a bit of provocation or tension to the space. This series by Cristina Rizzi Guelfi has a Hitchcockian quality that instantly elevates the most basic room.
Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?
Artwork is the easiest way to elevate any space—go big, go bold, mix genres, and create a space that speaks to you and invites your guests to wonder how you pulled it all together. Our number one tip: Don’t make it too “pretty.” Pick a piece that makes you feel something, whether it be curious, playful, or even something that pushes you slightly off balance. That little bit of tension in the space allows the overall effect to feel collected and emotive.
Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos?
In years past, “taupe” was a bad word, but it is certainly ready for its closeup once again. Earthy, cashmere-like colors are drawing us in at the moment and allowing us to create that enveloping feeling we associate with “home.”
What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?
Splurge on art that speaks to and excites you, don’t be afraid to play with scale, and buy the best piece you can afford at the time. We would always push for a vintage, one-of-a-kind piece from Chairish versus a quick win from a big retailer. Vintage pieces bring soul with them that new pieces just don’t possess, adding grit and patina that is instantly interesting.
Asler Valero
After working at renowned design firm Sills Huniford, Asler Valero launched his own practice on New York’s East Side. His diverse style incorporates elements of modernism with a practiced focus on vintage and antique finds, and his ability to play with nature-based colors makes him a master at pairing chic, subtle shades. See a curation of some of his stylish Chairish picks.
Shop Asler’s Chairish Favorites >>>
What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the field?
I have always been fascinated by decorating. I love crafting, painting, flower arranging… I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I went to design school back in Venezuela, then here in the U.S., I consider myself lucky to have been trained and to work in New York for most of my career.
What do you find most compelling about Chairish?
The large selection of pieces and furniture from all kinds of style periods. Chairish also has a large selection of art, which is very well curated for every style; additionally, the shopping process is user-friendly.
How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?
I have always loved to work with vintage items, from searching for the right piece and finding it to processing and restoring it. A vintage piece always adds a unique touch and personality to any space.
What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?
I love this Italian Contemporary Curve Convex Mirror; these London Leather Club Armchairs; and these Giacometti-style “Etoile” Floor Lamps.
Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?
Freshen up a room with a great color—one that you really love—by adding art and an interesting object that makes a unique statement that will serve as the focal point in the room.
Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos?
I love earth tones; I like to mix them with pale blues. I love warm grays mixed with deep hematite red, azurite blue, or an emerald green mixed with pale blue. I love colors that remind me of nature, including stones, water, sand, and plants.
What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?
Listen to your instincts and buy what you really love. Mix it with personal things like heirlooms and, above all, enjoy the process.
Lauren Wills of Wills Design Associates
Lauren Wills launched Wills Design Associates nearly a decade ago in New York after working with industry icons like Penny Drue Baird and Jeffrey Bilhuber. After a stint at Ralph Lauren Home, she created her own firm and moved back to her hometown of Houston. With work featured everywhere from Domino to House Beautiful, her dynamic, artistic spaces are certainly garnering plenty of attention. Shop some of her Chairish faves for a touch of her style.
Shop Lauren’s Chairish Favorites >>>
What made you passionate about interior design? How’d you get your start in the field?
I have wanted to be an interior designer since I was little. Santa brought me a Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas and it has been tunnel vision since. I majored in interior design at Pratt Institute, and cut my teeth in New York for years before venturing on my own in 2015.
What do you find most compelling about Chairish?
The breadth of styles and design. I have learned a lot about design just through shopping. The inspiration is endless.
How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?
I like the idea that I’m giving an old piece a new life. We are a consumer society and if I can help in any way, great. It feels better to repurpose than buy all new.
What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?
I love these Early 20th-Century Antique Blue City India Jodhpur Wood Panels; these Art Deco-Style Burl Side Tables; and this Pink Modular Togo Sofa.
Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room?
Incorporating different styles from all over. It creates a curated, lived-in look that I tailor to each client.
Do you have any go-to color palettes and color combos?
I love mint. It’s soothing and can be used in most settings. I usually start with neutrals and layer in color from there. Most of my projects are beach houses, so I’ve really embraced blues and greens.
What advice do you have for first-time clients about making their spaces truly personal?
Don’t pigeonhole yourself into trends. Design with things you love that make you happy. It’s your home and should reflect you.
Lead image: Design by Sarah Vaile. Photo by Aimee Mazzenga.
