Design Perspectives

Jay Jeffers is the founder of JayJeffers Inc., coowner and designer of The Madrona, a boutique hotel and restaurant in Healdsburg, CA, and a celebrated interior designer known for creating luxurious, livable spaces with soul. At his renowned design firm, JayJeffers Inc. – which has

Andrew Lieberman is an associate principal and design director at award-winning hospitality design firm AvroKO’s San Francisco studio. As a strategic leader, Andrew oversees the design teams responsible for creating and implementing the interior experience and architectural design of projects, while coordinating closely with the larger project team to meet all client needs and goals.

He’s worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. Stints in hotels and restaurants served as an initial interest in food and beverage and slowly grew into a solid basis for hospitality design. As a result, Andrew brings a keen sense of operational knowledge to all his projects and a thorough understanding of how guests relate to and use their environments.

Andrew started his design career in metal fabrication, installation, lighting design and development, and interiors work. He holds extensive knowledge of the building and fabrication trades—perfectly complementing his hands-on hospitality experience.

Andrew previously co-founded District Eight Design in Vietnam, a boutique furniture production company and design studio, and has spent many years overseas experiencing the diversity of hospitality across the globe. Having started his educational career with a historical perspective, he designs all projects with a solid narrative and research-driven foundation, resulting in unique, award-winning work.

He holds a Master's High Honors in interior design from the California College of the Arts and a B.A. in History from UC Santa Cruz.

The daughter of immigrants and entrepreneurs, Alex grew up traveling often throughout Europe and the Middle East, giving her exposure to unique aesthetics and experiences.  Born and raised in New York, her work is rooted in a traditional East Coast aesthetic.  

Lucy is known for her fearlessly bold & timeless interiors. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful, The Washington Post, The Hunt, and more including several national cover stories on her business process and design beliefs. She brings a diverse set of skills sets with her background in both medicine and fine arts. She brings both her right and left brain strengths to create a one of a kind project and process for clients. She currently leads her team outside of Philadelphia but manages projects across the nation. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University and lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania with her two children and husband. When she isn't busy running Tartan & Toile, you can find her at Hobbs, swimming, gardening or with her family.

https://www.tartantoile.com/

A boutique design firm located in the Baltimore / Washington DC area, Laura Hodges Studio focuses on creating beautiful, tailored spaces while fully expressing every client’s individual style and taste. 

Principal Laura Hodges is known for an international aesthetic along with a love for unique and dynamic environments. Laura’s childhood home was located in a small, picturesque town in northern England and her love of design began in early childhood. Influenced by a Norwegian grandmother, British mother and Jamaican father, Laura developed an early appreciation for travel and diverse cultures, having traveled extensively to over thirty countries -- from Greece and Morocco to Thailand, Cuba and Peru. 

With degrees in both Business and Interior Design, from the New York School of Interior Design, as well as LEED accreditation for sustainable design, Laura was also mentored by and worked with distinguished New York based interior designers Jamie Drake and Thomas Jayne before launching her own design studio in 2016. 

Laura Hodges Studio’s signature aesthetic is modern, tailored, and eclectic, incorporating unique vintage and antique finds, curated art and natural elements.

https://www.laurahodgesstudio.com/

https://www.instagram.com/laurahodgesstudio

https://domainbylaurahodgesstudio.com/

This episode is me sharing my frustration with titles conflating. For ME, it is important to educate potential clients on what they are getting when they hire a designer as oppose to an influencer as oppose to a friend with a good eye. This is not a knock on anyone but it is to give clarity on the things that you should look at when thinking you may need to hire a designer. I hope this helps!

Kevie Murphy is the founder and principal of k.a. murphy interiors, a full-service design firm focused on high-end residential interiors. In Kevie’s interiors, function dictates and informs, while beauty always transcends. Balancing both, in striking and elevated ways, is fundamental to her vision.

Design wasn’t Kevie’s first career. Growing up in Port Jefferson Station, New York, Kevie went to Boston University and then attended law school. This led to her working as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, after which she entered the private sector and became a partner at a New York City firm.

It was when Kevie and her husband purchased a Brooklyn Heights home that required extensive renovation, that she realized her passion for interior design and enrolled at the New York School of Interior Design.

Everything has brought Kevie to this moment: her passion, her enthusiasm, and her ability to connect with people, which she uses, today, to help make people’s lives better. This starts with her own life: 1 husband, 4 kids, and 3 houses. All of which Kevie sees as “ongoing, always changing, and forever works in progress.” They’re also the perfect examples of what Kevie means when she says, “Home is your memory maker.”

https://www.instagram.com/kamurphyinteriors/

Olivia Westbrooks is an award-winning interior designer and the proud owner of Olivia Westbrooks Interiors, a boutique firm specializing in residential new construction and renovation. With nearly two decades of experience in the residential interior design and building industries, Olivia brings a unique blend of design expertise and construction knowledge to every project she undertakes.

Olivia's journey in interior design began at Louisiana State University, where she pursued her passion and earned a bachelor's degree in Interior Design in 2004. Her career took off when she secured a position with esteemed architect George Resse, known for his collaborations with Atlanta icon Herman Russell of HJ Russell & Co., on multiple multi-family developments. This valuable experience exposed Olivia to the intricacies of architectural design and further fueled her passion for creating captivating interior spaces.

As a Project Manager at a prestigious Atlanta interior design firm, Olivia honed her skills and worked with discerning residential clients both domestically and internationally. During her seven-year tenure, she played a pivotal role in executing high-end projects, leaving a lasting impression on her clients and earning her a reputation for delivering exceptional results.

Throughout her career, Olivia's work has received widespread recognition and numerous accolades, including the prestigious OBIE Award for Neighborhood of the Year and ASID Design Excellence Gold and Silver Awards. These achievements reflect her commitment to excellence and her ability to create stunning, functional, and awe-inspiring interiors.

In 2020, fueled by her entrepreneurial spirit and desire to create meaningful spaces for busy entrepreneurs and families, Olivia took a leap of faith and established Olivia Westbrooks Interiors. Her mission is to design beautiful, functional, and enduring spaces that perfectly suit her clients' lifestyles. Olivia's style can be described as tailored and timeless, infused with a touch of modern flair. However, her ultimate objective is to showcase her clients' unique personalities and breathe life into their living spaces.

When she's not immersed in designing captivating interiors, you can find Olivia enjoying quality time with her husband Mike and cherishing precious moments watching Disney movies on repeat with her daughters, Mya and Morgan. Her commitment to family and her innate understanding of the demands of a busy lifestyle make her uniquely empathetic to her clients' needs and allows her to create spaces that truly enrich their lives.

https://www.instagram.com/oliviawestbrooksinteriors/

It's a new year AND Black History Month! It's good to be back. I am just sharing a few thoughts to get you started & keep you on track.

Please make sure to check out Rachel Cargle on instagram. She is providing AMAZING prompts for Black History Month.

And while DEI has been dropped like a bad habit, it is important to still do the work! We should ALL want to learn & do better for humanity because the world is a dumpster fire & it needs some dynamic people like YOU!