I'm intrigued and would love to learn more about your process.
We've included additional information from our most frequently asked questions to help you better understand what it's like to work with our studio.
First, walk me through an example of interpretive design and where it differs from other approaches.
Interpretive design is the practice of carefully reading a space, its needs, tensions, and possibilities, then helping it become more coherent, comfortable, and personal. In practice, interpretive design often means small, thoughtful changes—editing, repositioning, clarifying purpose - before pursuing dramatic makeovers or shopping lists. Need an example? Keep reading.
Example - The Sitting Room That Never Gets Used
The situation: A client says, “We have a beautiful sitting room - that we never sit in.
It feels formal and awkward, but I don’t know why.”
A trend-based approach (aka influencer) might say:
“Micro-cementing is the hottest finish this year and just what the room needs. Buy my how-to guide by clicking this link.”
An interpretive design approach starts with first exploring how you actually want to use the space. The process continues with 'reading the room' for cues that aren't user-friendly and then translating it into changes that can support the overall purpose. In this example, the client wants a space for pause, a room for being rather than doing.
Clarify the Use
In that case we want the room to:
• Encourage conversation without a screen as mediator
• Offer a place to land that isn’t bed or desk
• Create a psychological buffer between public and private life
• Signal, “You may slow down here.”
Read the Room
The room is overly formal with fabrics that say 'don't wrinkle, don't spill, don't linger.' Furniture that's a tad too stiff. Pieces that seem staged and not actually used. And underneath this is a quieter message to preserve and not disrupt.
A room designed to be admired will rarely be inhabited.
A room designed for conversation will show signs of living.
Translate the change
The client wants the room to hold her actual life, which includes red wine and dogs and guests who overstay and stories told twice. So we identify ways to bring that about which make the space more hospitable.
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Revise the rules of the room with elements that imply permission to linger. Ask what simple activities could live here? A reading chair, a low cabinet with records, a chessboard or writing desk all invite screen-free action.
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Break the rules of symmetry just a little since perfect symmetry reads as ceremonial. This allows human irregularity without breaking elegance.
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Soften the upholstery. Introduce touchable textures with materials that age well and allow tactile comfort.
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Let one personal object anchor the room. Formality softens instantly when meaning enters. Even one lived-in cue changes how people read the space.
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Consider re-arranging seating to ensure it promotes conversation vs. occupants looking past each other.
What changes:
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Chairs are rotated closer together so conversation feels more natural.
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Add lumbar pillows or one slightly oversized cushion that says, “settle.”
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Incorporating a folded throw, a side table with a book already open, a candle with a match striker nearby - offering cues that someone sat here recently and was welcome.
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A portrait, heirloom, travel find, or object tied to memory is made a focal point. This shifts the room from “presentation” to “presence.”
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A floor lamp replaces the overhead light in the evenings, using warm bulbs and creating pockets of light, not full illumination.
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Replace delicate side tables with something weightier or more grounded.
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Introduce a tray that clearly welcomes drinks.
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Add a woven basket for throws (permission to get comfortable).
There's a balance to be had: You don't have to be sloppy to be hospitable. It is possible to be elegant and inviting.
Result:
We made changes beginning with what already exists in the room and leveraging those to support how people want to be in it. Updated objects, changes with color, even micro-cementing if desired, can all follow, but the heart of our studio's work is to resolve the gap between the space, its atmosphere and your use of it.
How is this studio's approach different from influencer culture?
We've observed that influencer culture offers advice that travels mostly one way. It can be helpful for narrowing in on aesthetics you like, or ruling out those you don't. Often on these platforms, links to affiliate products are the primary focus.
Our primary focus is empowering you to clarify and use your own creative forms of authorship, which is a nuanced process and won't look like everything else in the market.
Creative authorship is the decision to shape your life, and your spaces, on purpose rather than by default. It’s the refusal to let:
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Trends dictate your taste
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Urgency dictate your layout
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Other people’s expectations dictate your environment
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It is the shift from reacting to composing
It is not aesthetic chaos in the name of freedom. However it does ask 'what do I value?' and makes space for that first.
In the Context of Home:
Here are examples of how creative authorship has shown up in homes we've lived in and renovated:
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Choosing that the guest room becomes the dogs’ room because that’s who actually lives there (plus there are Murphy Beds in the world).
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Designing for tired you, not hypothetical company.
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Allowing a record player, desert colors, or native imagery to exist because they mean something personal — not because they’re “in.”
Designing this way deeply aligns with our “interpretive design” philosophy. Interpretation implies there is meaning first.
Authorship means you get to decide how it’s expressed.
But what if I need help with products?
We agree aesthetic touches are important. They support the life story we have and how we express it. We just won't be trying to sell you the chair everyone suddenly thinks is 'essential'. See the difference?
We'll identify touches that align with the overall direction with a focus on meaning and balance.
What steps are involved in a typical project?
Whether you’re outfitting one room or building a full interior language, we adapt our process to your vision.
Step 1 – Conversation & Mood:
We begin with a brief consultation to understand your space, how you live in it, and what feeling you want to cultivate—cozy kitchen, fireside quiet, guest-ready retreat, contemplative reading nook.
Step 2 – Confirm Scope and Pricing:
After gaining an understanding of your needs, we'll draft a proposal that outlines the scope of services, the project timeline and pricing. Specific pricing is shared after we've received your inquiry. A fifty-percent deposit reserves availability and the balance will be billed after services are provided.
Step 3 – Curated Proposals:
We create a small, tightly edited selection of pieces tailored to your project along with suggestions for placement or pairing. You'll receive styling guidance so the pieces settle naturally into your home.
Step 4 – Ongoing Relationship:
Many clients return seasonally or as new rooms come into focus. Think of us as your quiet, behind-the-scenes design partner—always on the lookout for work that fits your home’s language.
Tell us about your project, and we’ll share an approach that fits its scale, timeline, and mood.