In this episode of Design Discord, hosts Fernando Mastrangelo and Alyssa Gerasimoff celebrate the end of the year with the first annual Design Discord Awards. They discuss their selections for various categories, including best fair, booth, interior designers, and galleries, while reflecting on the challenges of making these choices. They also highlight designers to watch in 2026 and discuss their plans for the upcoming season two of the podcast, reflecting on their journey and the insights gained throughout the year.

05:26 Best Fair

10:30 Best Booth

14:02 Best Interior Designer/Architect

18:31 Best Gallery

25:55 Best Showroom

32:19 Best Breakout Star

34:51 Best New Collection

38:56 Most Innovative Use of Materials

46:34 Best Chair

49:45 Best Lighting

56:45 Best Side Table

59:30 Best Fine Furniture

01:03:10 Best Ceramic Furniture

01:12:46 Best Collectible Design

01:18:35 Best Photography

01:24:40 Favorite Design Discord Episode

01:28:10 Designers to Watch in 2026

Should you hire a PR firm… or are you just paying someone to spam editors?

Rebecca Goldberg — co-founder of Dada Goldberg, the most dialed-in design PR agency in New York — finally pulls back the curtain.

We ask every question designers are dying to ask about PR:

- What does real PR actually cost these days?

- When is the right moment to pull the trigger?

- Does PR actually move the needle on sales and collabs or is it just ego?

- Can you get overexposed and ruin your brand?

- Big agency vs boutique: which one is best?

- Do legacy magazines (AD, Elle Decor, Vogue) still matter or is it all Instagram now?

- Why dinners, press releases?

Plus: what is the one thing every emerging designer needs before they even think about hiring PR? (hint: it’s not a finished website).

If you’ve ever googled “design PR firms” at 2 a.m., this episode will save you six figures and a lot of heartbreak.

Hosted by Alyssa Gerasimoff & Fernando Mastrangelo

Guest: Rebecca Goldberg (Dada Goldberg)

https://dadagoldberg.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dadagoldberg/

Timestamps & full takeaway list in the show notes.

01:20 How much does design PR really cost in 2025?

06:45 When should you actually hire PR (the exact moment)

12:10 Does press = sales? The honest ROI breakdown

18:30 Can you get overexposed and kill your brand?

23:15 Legacy media vs Instagram: what actually moves the needle

29:40 Big agency vs boutique: pros, cons, and horror stories

35:20 Why dinners are the new press release

41:50 The personal toll no one talks about

48:30 How PR unlocks collaborations and bigger opportunities

54:10 The future of design PR in a cooked economy

1:01:00 Rebecca’s one piece of advice for every emerging designer

This episode is pure fire for anyone trying to figure out how to go from “talented” to “known.”

By popular demand, our favorite overseas correspondent Julia Haney-Montanez is BACK and fresh off the fair floors!

She was on the ground at PAD London and Design Miami Paris spilling the tea straight from the dealers’ mouths: collectors are officially over uncomfortable concept pieces and torture chairs. They want livable luxury, pieces you can actually sit on, live with, and love.

• Comfort is the new currency
• Dealers are quietly prioritizing the “hits” to survive this soft market
• The real reason galleries are struggling (and what it means for designers)

The insider conversation everyone in design is having behind closed doors… but we’re saying it out loud. Hit play and find out what collectors are buying right now and what designers can do to weather this soft sales cycle.

Drop a if you’re ready for cozy to make a comeback.#DesignDiscord #PADLondon #DesignMiamiParis #LivableLuxury #InteriorDesign #CollectibleDesign

In this episode of Design Discord, Fernando sits down with Chen Chen and Kai Williams of the Brooklyn-based namesake studio. If you’re not already familiar with their work, get ready. We talk about how their partnership formed, what it’s been like building a practice in New York, and how their experimental approach has evolved into a studio that balances artistic risk with business.

The conversation touches on everything from navigating international production and building meaningful relationships in the gallery world to the trade-offs between accessibility and collectibility. Chen and Kai share insights into working with The Future Perfect, what it really takes to get a product to market, and the value of staying rooted in curiosity and materials exploration — even as the industry changes around them.

This one’s a must-listen for anyone thinking about how to make your weird ideas actually work.

https://cckw.us/

https://www.thefutureperfect.com/exhibitions/

In this episode of Design Discord, we dive deep with Julia Haney-Montañez, founder of The Design Release, to unpack the tough choices designers face today: where to show their work in a post-COVID world. From her time curating the Architectural Digest Design Show to building her own platform, Julia shares sharp insights on how trade fairs have lost their pre-COVID spark and why designers are turning to social media, digital ads, and personal networks to get seen.

We explore how these shifts have scattered the design community, leaving it out of sync and searching for connection. Julia reveals how her work is fostering a more collaborative, community-driven design culture to bridge the gap. Whether you’re navigating fairs, betting on digital marketing, or wondering how to stand out—this episode is for you.

Follow Julia and the Design Release:

https://thedesignrelease.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thedesignrelease/

In this episode of Design Discord, we sit down with interior designer Cara Woodhouse to talk about what it really takes to build a lasting, fulfilling career in design. With a formal background in interiors, years spent at top design firms, and multiple businesses under her belt before launching her namesake studio, Cara brings deep experience and hard-won perspective to the conversation. From her early fine art influences to the intuitive way she approaches interiors today, she shares the real behind-the-scenes—and how she’s learned to navigate it all.

We also dig into the mechanics of how interior designers source from emerging artists and makers, and uncover what makes a designer say yes—or no. Cara shares why supporting young talent has always been important to her, how she thinks about client relationships, and where she sees the future of design heading—from sensory spaces to the evolving role of social media and branding in the field.

Whether you're a designer, a collector, or just love peeking behind the curtain of creative businesses, this one’s for you.

--

About Cara Woodhouse: Cara Woodhouse is a trailblazing interior designer, creative force, and the founder of Cara Woodhouse Interiors, a high-end design studio known for sculptural statement pieces, bold palettes, and unexpected moments that redefine modern luxury. With a signature aesthetic that fuses elegance with edge, Cara’s work has captivated global audiences, drawing in celebrity clients, top developers, and leading brands alike.

Her visionary approach spans residential, commercial, and hospitality design, product collaborations, and real estate development. Cara’s latest project, It’s a Mood, is more than a coffee table book, it’s a manifesto of style, emotion, and function, filled with expert insights and a curated resource guide. She's also the star of an upcoming design TV series and the creative behind shoppable, rentable homes that blend high design with lifestyle branding.

Whether she’s designing a show-stopping project or creating cinematic content for her 900K+ Instagram followers, Cara brings a fresh, fearless perspective to every space and continues to shape the future of design, one mood at a time.

https://www.instagram.com/carawoodhouseinteriors/https://www.carawoodhouse.com/

In this episode of Design Discord, Fernando and Alyssa answer your questions. From whether an MFA is worth it to how to actually get the attention of galleries, interior designers, and press—they dig into the gritty realities of building a creative career today. The conversation covers the role of social media, the financial pressures of working in design, and what visibility really looks like in an oversaturated industry.

Questions:

00:39 Fernando, if you were to start as a designer today, what would you do to make it work?

08:54 What is the value in receiving a furniture MFA? Who is it right for and who is it wrong for?

21:45 What is the best strategy for getting in contact with galleries or interior designers?

33:02 Any advice on showing work for the first time in a design week or design fair, and how to maximize it?

43:38 Do you believe a career in furniture design is financially feasible in this economy?

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/LObYYbK3Wzo

In this episode of Design Discord, Alyssa and Fernando reflect on their week in New York City – where they saw it all: Collectible, Duet, The Armory, The Future Perfect, and more. The conversation dives into the evolving language around “collectible design,” the challenges facing emerging designers, and the gap between curatorial intent and market execution. They unpack questions of visibility, pricing, and who these fairs are really serving—while also exploring the role of galleries, the shifting tone of the industry, and whether the word ‘collectible’ still means anything at all.

Links to designers & References:

In the order they are mentioned.

Aguirre

https://www.aguirredesign.co/

https://www.instagram.com/aguirredesign/

Juntos Design studio

https://www.juntosprojects.com/

https://www.instagram.com/juntosprojects/

Uppercut Space

https://uppercut.space/

https://www.instagram.com/uppercut.space/

Yoon Shun

https://yoonshun.com/

https://www.instagram.com/yoon.shun/

Kiki Goti

https://kikigoti.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kikigoti/

Miles Gracey

https://www.miles-gracey.com/

https://www.instagram.com/plays.on.woods/

Thomas Yang

https://thomasyangstudio.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thomasyangstudio/

Sam Klemick

https://www.studiosamklemick.com/

https://www.instagram.com/samklemick/

Joesph Algeri

https://josephalgieri.com/

https://www.instagram.com/megaplex/

Rosie Li

https://www.rosieli.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rosielistudio/

Dudd Haus

https://www.duddhaus.com/

https://www.instagram.com/duddhaus/

Llewellynn Chupin

https://llewellynn.com/

https://www.instagram.com/llewll/

Marcela Cure

https://marcelacure.com/

https://www.instagram.com/marcela.cure/

Atelier Ollin

https://www.ollin.us/

https://www.instagram.com/atelier_ollin/

Of the Cloth

https://www.instagram.com/ofthecloth.us/

Kawabi

https://kawabi.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kawabi/

Ian Love

https://www.ianlovedesign.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ianlovedesign/

Masa Gallery

https://mmaassaa.com/

https://www.instagram.com/masagaleria/

Duet WSA Exhibition

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOTyyLuEdSq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=ZjhvdTdlZGE2b3No

The Future Perfect

https://www.thefutureperfect.com/

In this episode of Design Discord, Fernando and Alyssa sit down with Jen Kaplan, Alyssa’s co-founder at Erria, to talk about what it really means to build a platform for independent makers. They get into the complexities of designing for both buyers and sellers, the technical challenges behind creating a marketplace from scratch, and what it takes to rethink logistics, onboarding, and product discovery in a way that truly supports creatives. The conversation touches on Jen’s background as a software engineer, the role of trust and transparency in the businesses, and how Erria is reshaping what a maker-first business can look like.

Check out Erria: https://www.erria.xyz/

Follow Erria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erria_xyz/

In this episode of Design Discord, Fernando and Alyssa take a closer look at the disconnect between design education and the realities of creative work. Through personal stories and recent experiences with students, we explore what’s missing from most design programs, and what young designers really need to succeed. The conversation covers the importance of hands-on learning, the limitations of academic training, and how the industry might rethink its approach to mentorship and preparation. It’s a candid look at what it actually takes to be ready for the design world today. Please note, this episode was recored a few months ago, in April 2025.