Inside The Beautiful Homes And Studios Of 14 Stylish Tastemakers

“What I love most about interior design is the amalgamation of lived experiences and visual references,” says Athena Calderone. “Those moments that force you to pause – a stone detail glimpsed in a Parisian museum, the low frame of a 1930s table discovered on Pinterest, the glow of a parchment sconce against the slick wood in a Viennese café – all unknowingly live somewhere in your creative consciousness, forming a personal encyclopedia of inspiration. That’s the magic of design: when years of quiet noticing become something distinctly your own.”

“It’s a very fun room to be in,” is how Alyssa Kapito describes the study-come-library in the Upper East Side apartment she recently finished renovating. “The backdrop is neutral, but I love the primary colors that I used to bring it to life… I went a bit ‘French modern’ with the space – and I couldn’t love it more. It’s an incredibly comfortable room, while still being very beautiful. […] The light in the early afternoon is so romantic, so I love having a friend for tea.

“I’m most known for neutral spaces, but I do love color very much. I think people would be very surprised to know that my favorite two colors are actually red and green. […] This room was an exercise in using them in a way I like best.”

“I want my home to feel alive, not overly polished, hopefully not overly showy,” shares creative director and brand consultant Andrea Gelardin. “To have a nice balance of period detailing that is elegant but has an inviting feel. In interiors, in fashion, in art, I’m much more drawn to the unfinished version of stuff.”

“It’s the perfect balance of nature and Milan’s energy,” designer Natalia Criado considers of her loft apartment, which is located just outside the northern Italian city famed for its fashion, design and cultural credentials. “I love the pristine aesthetic. It’s a jewel-like apartment – elegant, feminine and contemporary – while also creating an inviting atmosphere that resonates deeply with me.”

“Shells, ceramics, baskets – each detail has a memory and a story embedded within it,” says Ulla Johnson of the meaningful objects that have found a home in her Montauk coastal abode. “It’s all about this idea of layering. Over a lifetime, the house will continue to evolve.”

JJ Martin injected a vibrant “mix of styles” that make up the aesthetic of her kitchen. “It’s the perfect fusion of tastes and my creative process – one side of the room is 19th century, the other side is slick ’90s Italian modernist design and, in the middle, you have a mid-century table with Thonet chairs I bought on a vintage site and covered with La DoubleJ fabric… The mix of eras is very me.”

“I always think a room shouldn’t be static. I like to move things around, try new arrangements, have the room evolve with time,” Anna Jewsbury says of the fluid, emotive approach she takes to creating a space that doesn’t feel too formal. “Rather than being heavily influenced by a particular design period or movement, I think, for me, it’s about surrounding yourself with pieces you love – whether they make sense or not, and without overthinking how it all goes together. I like to add personal, unexpected, even illogical details to a room – details that make the eyes dance around.”

“As I’ve lived in the flat, I’ve accumulated more sculptures, images from favorite photographers, and rare books,” Rosh Mahtani says of constantly changing her home with pieces to inspire. “I love the idea that this space is a canvas on which to paint all my life’s experiences.” She took design influences from Georgia O’Keefe’s New Mexico Ghost Ranch and Cambridge art gallery Kettle’s Yard, and wanted the aesthetic to feel in line with her brand Alighieri’s Modern Heirlooms collections: “A juxtaposition of modern lines with antique treasure.”

“I never finish a room the moment I move into a place,” says Martina Mondadori. “I think it’s by living in a space, especially a living space like a sitting room, that you actually understand how people move in it, how the light comes in during the day, where you like to sit, what you like to do. I think the most successful rooms are the ones that layer over time.”