Four Designers to Know Now – August 2023

At Chairish, we’re continuously wowed by the talents who are part of our creative community. With distinct styles and their own personal points of view, designers are able to devise dazzling spaces for their clients and forge something new and noteworthy. Every few months, we’re highlighting some of these pros who make our jobs so rewarding. Based all across the U.S., they take the raw materials of design—including our natural favorites, vintage and antique treasures—and develop inspiring and fresh 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.

ADAM GRECO

Adam Greco has been responsible for designing some of the most unique hotel properties in the world, including The Ned in London and Sommerro House and Villa Inkognito in Oslo. He’s collaborated with major names including chef April Bloomfield, Soho House, and the Sydell Group. Six years ago, he launched his independent practice, GRECODECO, to continue designing his one-of-a-kind spaces worldwide.

Shop Adam Greco’s Chairish Favorites >>>

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

My favorite times as a kid were trips to the museums in Manhattan. I loved all of them but was mystified by the dioramas at the Museum of Natural History and the period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum. My cool older cousins both attended the School of Visual Arts for photography in the late 90’s / early 2000’s, and sometimes I would visit and hang out in the dark room with them. There were still some remnants of Keith Haring’s graffiti in a back stairwell, and just a really cool grungy vibe going on that I wanted to be a part of. When I found out they had a small interior design program, I applied, got in, and it all fell into place! I started working for hotel groups right out of school, first locally and then with Soho House on projects abroad. I opened GRECODECO in 2017.

What do you find most compelling about Chairish?

For me it’s the range. I know I can go to Chairish and get connected to someone selling pristine Lucite pieces from Palm Springs, incredible marquetried cocktail cabinets from Italy, or even weird circus artifacts from the middle of nowhere in New England. Their buyers have been scouring the U.S. and Europe making these connections and getting them on the site. There are a lot of real diamonds in the rough selling on Chairish, people that would be hard to find otherwise!

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

We tend to go for a timeless quality in our interiors, something that won’t date. We don’t want our clients to feel like they need to start over in five years; we want the interiors to last. Vintage furniture and lighting are a huge part of this. Not only to avoid fabricating new products, but because the quality is often much higher than what you can get on the market today. These pieces have been around for decades (or centuries!) and will continue to be.

What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

I love this 1960’s Murano mirror from Fontana Arte—I want to make a built-in sliding pocket door with it! I can imagine this 1940’s New York stage backdrop at a grand entrance. And I love this pair of early 20th-century blue glass Scavo vases; they look ancient, but aren’t.

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

Large-scale, non-repeating, figurative motifs, whether an enormous land or cityscape painting, or scenic wallpaper. It gives the room a window to another world.

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

I love brown and black together; some of my friends tease me for it! Cherry red with cerulean is fun too.

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

Just go for it. Start with something you love that’s evocative and makes your mind wander. Make that the anchor point and build from that.  

ALEXANDRA RAE 

After working as an art director and visual artist, Alexandra Rae found her true calling as an interior designer. She opened her eponymous firm in 2006 and hasn’t looked back, developing spaces that are eclectic, layered, and colorful, but that always stay true to classic forms. Based in Southern California, she designs homes throughout the United States.

Shop Alexandra Rae’s Chairish Favorites >>>

What made you passionate about interior design? How did you get your start in the field?

My mother was an exceptionally creative entertainer and decorator. My love of both comes from her. I also grew up in a historically registered Victorian home, which my parents remodeled for the better part of my life. I guess it’s no surprise that when I pivoted from my first career as an art director, it was to something involving architecture and design. 

What do you find most compelling about Chairish?

The endless inspiration! I often source art and accessories for one project and find architectural inspiration for another. It might come in a salvaged column or even a furniture piece that sparks a vision. There is nothing like looking at beautiful things to inspire one’s creativity!

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

I’m not fond of waste, so I love using things already here on Earth. But my true love of vintage comes from growing up surrounded by art and antiques. It gave me an appreciation for the history, artistry, and craft of hand in these things. I also come from a family of artists, so I see the maker’s work in everything. It breaks my heart when people pass on adopting a finely crafted Empire credenza just because the marble top has a stain. To me, that is part of its beauty, its story. A beautiful vintage piece has depth and intrigue that a new piece can’t achieve. It adds a soulful richness to the space.

What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

I love this vintage gilded Rococo wall mirror; this pair of Louis XVI-style mahogany commode chests; and these framed 19th-century painting prints of exotic fruit.

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

Art. Art always makes a space sing, sometimes loudly, sometimes softly. I love the way art invites people into a room. Art can be pretty, controversial, or pedigreed. It can be all of these or none of these. It just has to be something you love and love enough to look at daily. I tell my clients don’t worry about how it is perceived by others or if it’s in style. Your taste in art is as personal as your taste in food. Would you eat something just because your friends do? Hopefully not.

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

I’m known for colorful spaces, so I have many favorite combos. They are usually a triadic variation of three complementary colors. I love a deep French blue grasscloth, a claret red leather chair, and a golden tan sofa. In a light blue room, I add touches of pale pink flowers and lots of gold accents, always tempering the warm with the cool and vice versa. I go for high contrast when I do a more neutral room. I love warm white walls with dark wood furniture. I’ll add a bold rug and then pepper the room with my favorite neutral: greenery. 

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

First, I tell them, “If you love it, it will work.” Second, “Believe in ‘love at first sight,’ and don’t second guess yourself!” If you’re patient enough to buy things you love, they will work well together, no matter the style. Even if you move and totally redecorate, those things will work. The things we fill our homes with should also reflect our personalities. Don’t struggle with psychoanalysis on this one. Unless you’re a total bore, you have many sides to your personality. Your home should, too! We have our fancy sides, our casual sides, our goofy sides, our polite sides. That’s what makes humans interesting. Why shouldn’t your home be just as interesting? Let the designer worry about space and proportion. If you want to hang a gilded Baroque mirror in your farmhouse, go for it. I did, and it was fabulous!

HATTIE SPARKS COLLINS

Hattie Sparks Collins’s background in art history and fashion have informed her approach to interior design with a refined understanding of color and space. And having lived around the country—Texas, Colorado, and now New Orleans, for over a decade—she can access a rich set of aesthetic influences that guide her vibrant, richly detailed work.

Shop Hattie Sparks Collins’s Chairish Favorites >>>

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

I got my Master’s in art history and studied a good bit of architectural history, as well as the history of decorative arts, which I always found so interesting. I owned retail shops for years where we carried home decor and art, and I began helping clients style pieces they’d buy with me in their homes. Smaller projects kept popping up, and when I sold my retail businesses, it felt like a very natural next step to pivot into interior decorating. 

What do you find most compelling about Chairish? 

The curated collections that make it very easy to shop a specific style or look, and the variety! I can find just about anything from smaller decorative objects to large statement furniture pieces. 

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

I love utilizing vintage in projects to give a space personality and patina, and I’m always happy to give a fantastic piece a second life. Shopping vintage is such an easy way to practice sustainability!

What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

I love this pair of 1879 Louis XV table lamps from Royal Delft; this Thibaut grasscloth-wrapped coffee table; and this geometric marquetry secretary.

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

Wallpaper! 

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

Lots of blues—I especially love light blue with a dark evergreen, and blue paired with yellow. Green is my favorite color to design with, and I think it can act as a neutral in many situations. I love it paired with rust, terracotta, pink, yellow, and blue. 

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

Take your time and trust your instincts. Great houses do not come together overnight—the interesting layers take time to accumulate. 

TODD M. HALEY 

With over 30 years of experience running his own firm, Todd M. Haley has become a fixture on the Chicago design scene. After working in visual merchandising for brands like Neiman-Marcus, he transitioned into designing model furniture rooms and store windows, where his love of interior design came to the fore. Today, his firm creates spaces for clients across the city and country. 

Shop Todd M. Haley’s Chairish Favorites >>>

What made you passionate about interior design?

I was fortunate enough that my mother was an arts major and encouraged my creative endeavors from an early age. From there, I pored over every magazine and book that I could get my hands on. Currently, my library of design and art books numbers more than 700, which I constantly refer to and draw inspiration from.

How did you get your start in the field?

While in college, I worked in visual merchandising, designing model rooms and store windows which taught me scale, the use of color, pattern and materials, the importance of sight lines, and composition. In 1988, I moved to Chicago and worked for some of the top interior design and architecture firms, where I honed my skills in the art of interior design before opening my firm in 1992.

What do you find most compelling about Chairish?

Chairish offers an unprecedented selection of items from every genre and provenance, which allows me to source for multiple projects at any given time from all over the globe.

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

Sustainability is a driving factor for many of the items that I specify, including fabrics. Vintage pieces give a sense of depth and history to a space.

What are three of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?

Some of my favorites include this pair of Adrian Pearsall button-tufted “Gondola” chairs; this “Orange Colors” painting; and this vintage Brutalist Dutch vase.

Favorite way to create a statement making moment in a room:

I tend to design a space so that there is a series of moments rather than one focal point. When clients want to make a statement in a room, I introduce large-scale artwork, sculpture, antiques, or vintage pieces. My design philosophy is that a space should be the sum of all parts.

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

My color palettes tend to be monochromatic with an emphasis on texture. This allows me to use almost any color while delivering a neutral backdrop for art and the furnishings. I rarely use patterned fabrics in a space and when I do, I introduce them in small doses. The colors that I most often use tend to be muted shades that are drawn from nature and art. Lately, I have been using shades of gray, brown, lilac, green and puce.

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

I encourage clients to educate their eye and to start collecting things that resonate with them, especially from their travels. And of course, any family heirlooms that they have acquired.

Lead image: Villa Inkognito, design by Adam Greco. Photo by Francisco Nogueira.