Welcome to the third annual FREDERIC It List, where we shine the spotlight on rising design stars who are leading the pack with a dynamic sense of style all their own. From Los Angeles to Paris, New Orleans to Cornwall, these multitalented tastemakers are defining a vision for a new generation while paying homage to the influences that shape them.
ADAM BEN WAGNER
LOS ANGELES
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by the way people live,” says Adam Ben Wagner. Initially intending to pursue a career as an architect—he studied at the University of Michigan before taking a job at a corporate architecture firm—he soon discovered that his true passion lay in interiors, particularly “how we use them, how they make us feel,” he explains. After honing his skills with Cuff Studio and Jake Arnold, Wagner launched his own studio, a.b.w interior design, in 2021, bringing with him a Cali-cool aesthetic that’s equal parts warm and spare. Even now, though, his schooling comes through: “My favorite architecture professor once told me that in design, symmetry is lazy. And while I don’t always agree, I’ve kept that advice with me for the past 13 years.”
-
MICHAEL CLIFFORD -
MICHAEL CLIFFORD -
MICHAEL CLIFFORD
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT AND WHY? Art. It gives soul to a space. Plus, you can never have too much art and it’s fun to rotate pieces every so often.
What’S A DESIGN RULE YOU LIKE TO BREAK? Mixing metals. Go for it. Who cares?
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? Books. While traveling is the best way to find inspiration, good design books are the next best thing. Especially if they’re old books. It’s amazing to see how styles evolve and are reinterpreted over time.
BEATRIZ ROSE
LOS ANGELES
Growing up in São Paulo and Los Angeles with Taiwanese parents, designer Beatriz Rose “learned that when language isn’t the easiest way to connect, you engage more deeply with the visual world—observing how environments shape mood, behavior, and memory.” With dual degrees in interior architecture and film studies, it’s no surprise that she describes her work as “narrative-driven,” with each new endeavor—whether it’s an English-style Tudor in Santa Monica or a 1920s Spanish bungalow in Venice—weaving its own distinct story. “I want them to feel lived-in, layered, and emotionally resonant,” she says. “They draw you in and make you want to stay awhile.”
-
Laure Joliet -
Laure Joliet -
Laure Joliet
WHAT’S THE BEST DESIGN ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? Get good at editing your own work. Every project benefits from simplification—that’s usually where the magic lives. And bring a measuring tape with you everywhere when starting out—it’ll help you become a better designer when you inherently understand scale and proportions.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? Somewhere between soulful and lived-in, with a dash of eccentric Aunt B.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? Travel, old photographs, gardens, film, salvage yards, and good old silence.
COAL
CORNWALL, ENGLAND
There is an inextricable sense of place in the work of Emily and Joe Reilly, the husband-and-wife team behind design studio COAL in the windswept county of Cornwall, England. “As designers, we try to foresee how a home will function on a daily basis, but also how it will interact with the landscape, the light, and the changing seasons that surround it,” explains Emily. For Joe, an architect, that can mean incorporating local materials like driftwood or lime; for Emily, who oversees interior design, it often involves a generous dose of brightly hued paint or colorful patterns by William Morris or C.F.A. Voysey to combat the gray Cornish “mizzle” outside.
-
LOGAN IRVINE-MACDOUGALL -
Brooke Harwood -
Logan Irvine-Macdougal
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? An emphasis on craft is important to us. Things that bear the marks of being handmade or hand-painted make us smile; things that cannot be replicated feel particularly special in our current climate.
WHAT’S A DESIGN RULE YOU LIKE TO BREAK? I heard that you should never attempt to reupholster a Togo Sofa. Our clever upholsterer took on the challenge and the rule-breaking paid off!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? Adding a contemporary extension onto our own family home—a recently renovated 300-year-old farm cottage—and creating a new studio in one of our barns. We’re also working on a renovation of an old off-grid hunting lodge, situated on the moor in West Cornwall, with panoramic views out to sea. The landscape in this part of Cornwall is very atmospheric, it’s steeped in myth and feels as old as time.
ELLIE PEUGEOT
PARIS
For most designers, renovating the former apartment of Isabella Blow on London’s tony Eaton Square would be a career high. For Ellie Peugeot, who had only recently pivoted to interiors after years as a human rights lawyer, it was just the start. “We treated it as if it were an opera mise-en-scène and had a lot of fun!” recalls the self-taught Peugeot, who was born in Iran, raised in the U.K. and Canada, and now lives in Paris. Since then, she’s cemented her reputation as a deft blender of eras and styles, often invigorating historic homes with contemporary furnishings, globe-spanning art, and luxuriously crafted finishes. Adds Peugeot, “I’m of the firm belief that anything that can be made by hand should be!”
-
ADRIEN DIRAND -
ADRIEN DIRAND -
ADRIEN DIRAND
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? I am drawn to classical architecture but with a mix of refined, calm, and collected contemporary interiors. I champion the use of natural materials—marble, rattan, wood, linen, silk, cashmere, stone, bamboo.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? From my travels, whether that’s physical travel or through literature from the past. My latest inspiration visit was to the Greek Revival dream that is Villa Kérylos and also a visit to the Alhambra in Granada.
What’S THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR HOME? I just purchased a set of four painted early-19th-century Chinese panels from the Paul Atkinson sale after a pretty feisty bidding war!
JULIETTE SAIER
PARIS AND BRUSSELS
After an initial career managing real estate investment funds, Juliette Saier experienced a coup de foudre: “When I visited a home designed by Jacques Grange in the South of France, it was an aesthetic shock— I knew I wanted to try, in my own way, to create beauty.” She went back to school at the Studio des Arts Déco in Paris and, after a short internship, started her own firm. Saier’s elegant, timeless aesthetic stems in part from her avoidance of trends: “I always aim to add a touch of classicism—even in contemporary settings,” she says. And in every project, she tries to include a library: “Nothing gives a home more soul.”
-
ALICE MESGUICH -
ERICK SAILLET -
ERICK SAILLET
WHAT’S THE BEST DESIGN ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? You know the saying, “Good things come to those who wait”? I think the same goes for beauty: Beauty comes to those who wait. I’m naturally impatient—I want everything done quickly. But in interior design, taking your time is essential.
What’S A DESIGN RULE YOU LIKE TO BREAK? In France, there’s a design guide called La Maison sur Mesure, which gives ideal dimensions for everything—distances between furniture, minimum sizes for bathrooms, etc. We refer to it at the studio… mostly for the pleasure of breaking the rules. When you start out, you rely on it. Later, you learn to bend it to serve the space.
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT AND WHY? Books! I love them—and I’m obsessed with bookcases. Nothing reveals more about a person than their library. I love visiting people’s homes and seeing what they read—guessing what they dream about, what fascinates them.
JUSTICE QUINN
TULSA, OKLAHOMA
“After years of buying, collecting, and reselling vintage pieces,” Justice Quinn naturally segued into decorating. A voracious curiosity about furnishings, their history, and a love of the hunt “has built a kind of internal library of references that is reflected in the work I do.” His most meaningful project to date has been the restoration of the 1927 Art Deco home of artist Adah Robinson, designed by Bruce Goff. “Working on a design of Goff’s, a hero of mine, felt surreal and I considered it a deep honor.”
-
VORA QUINN PHOTOGRAPHY -
Taylor Hall O'Brien -
Taylor Hall O'Brien
What’S A DESIGN RULE YOU LIKE TO BREAK? I’m comfortable with what some might consider a few too many seating options. Whether it’s ottomans, stools, or chairs, I don’t like to travel more than a foot or two in my own home without having a place to sit and ponder.
WHAT’S THE BEST DESIGN ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? The advice I come back to most came from my friend Ryan Lawson: Trust your instincts. I’ve learned that in design, your instincts are often your most authentic form of expression.
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT AND WHY? Any and all furniture that catches my eye. I’ve found the hunt for things is the best way to refine my taste, and over time, that’s led to more than a few storage units filled with pieces I just couldn’t walk away from.
LINDSAY FALCONER
NEW ORLEANS
A self-described proponent of “slow decorating,” New Orleans native Lindsay Falconer understands the value of intention. Whether she’s channeling Mongiardino in a full-floor Park Avenue apartment or mining Florentine hues for her own home in the Big Easy (she recently moved back after a decade-plus in New York, where she was an assistant at Vogue before joining Daniel Romualdez’s studio), Falconer’s passion for storytelling shines through. “Every project is treated as its own narrative,” she explains. “I want my clients to feel as if they’ve stepped into another time and place, far removed from the outside world.”
-
ETHAN HERRINGTON -
ETHAN HERRINGTON -
ETHAN HERRINGTON
WHAT SETS YOUR WORK APART? Rather than chasing trends or applying a singular aesthetic, I design spaces that feel soulful, layered, and emotionally resonant. I’m especially drawn to rich, Florentine-inspired palettes that bring a painterly warmth and depth rarely seen in contemporary design.
HOW DO YOU WANT CLIENTS TO FEEL IN THEIR HOME? I want my clients to feel as if they’ve stepped into another time and place, far removed from the outside world.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? It is so clichéd, but I really do find inspiration everywhere. I am inspired by the color combinations in nature—specifically flowers—and inspired by all places—museums, restaurants, hotels, even fleeting moments of atmosphere. All of it becomes part of the visual memory I draw from in my work.
MICHAEL ZIPP
BROOKLYN
“A client once described my vision as ‘undiscriminating high taste’— I will look at any object or piece of furniture regardless of cost or perceived significance and find the value and meaning in it,” says Michael Zipp, who credits his roots in the antiques mecca of Hudson, New York, with instilling a lifelong appreciation for pieces with a past. After working for James Huniford and Billy Cotton, Zipp launched his own firm in 2020; whether he’s designing a Miami Beach penthouse or his own Greek Revival in Upstate New York, the result always strikes a careful balance between form and function. “There is nothing more luxurious than walking into a home where every last detail has been considered,” he says.
-
KYLE CALDWELL -
Kyle Caldwell -
Kyle Caldwell
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? The contemporary art world is a huge source of inspiration. I often find myself pulling together color palettes and fabric schemes after seeing the way that colors and textures harmonize in a particular piece of art.
What’S A DESIGN RULE YOU LIKE TO BREAK? Sometimes there’s a tendency to make a whole house coordinate in a way that can stifle creativity. Not every room has to directly and obviously speak to one another for there to be a greater design dialogue occurring.
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT AND WHY? Midcentury French ceramics from Vallauris, particularly the work of Juliette Derel, who was in Picasso’s circle. I have become a bit obsessive, trolling French auctions for her ceramics. I love the way that she includes mirror shard elements into her vases, which sets her work apart.
REBECCA AMIR
NEW YORK
It was only after working as a home editor at Vogue magazine and a stint living abroad in Tel Aviv that Rebecca Amir realized her future was in the world of interiors. Fortunately, she had an A-list team of mentors to help guide her transition, including fellow Vogue alum Virginia Tupker, for whom she worked while taking courses. Then, after three years on the Soho House design team, she struck out on her own. On her first solo project, a Brooklyn townhouse, she made “a classic rookie mistake—the custom sectional didn’t fit through the doorway,” but it’s been onward and upward from there. “One of my friends described my style as ‘fancy but cozy,’” says Amir, “and I think that sums it up well.”
-
KIRSTEN FRANCIS -
Julie Leffell -
KIRSTEN FRANCIS
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT AND WHY? I recently started collecting vintage African indigo textiles. I’d love to upholster a sofa or big armchair in them one day. I also have a collection of seashells and rocks from all my travels, kept in various bowls around our house. The colors and textures are so inspiring.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? I’m very inspired by discovering new artists and artisans. I love learning about the history or technique behind a craft and then being able to bring soul and character into a home through beautiful, unique objects.
WHAT’S THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR HOME? A vintage Italian cachepot I’m planning to use as an ice bucket.
STILL JOHNSON
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Marguerite Johnson and Anna Still met while working for designer Betsy Brown and soon realized their strengths and styles were simpatico. “We love creating spaces that are based in tradition but feel fresh and unexpected through bold patterns, interesting art, and rich color,” say the pair, who’ve relished the opportunity to work on meaningful projects, from a 1930s Colonial in Jackson, Mississippi, to a light-filled “midcentury masterpiece” in Birmingham, Alabama. The most helpful advice they’ve received along the way? “Keep furnishings symmetrical and styling asymmetrical,” says Johnson. “What comes easy won’t last long, and what lasts long won’t come easy,” adds Still.
-
C.W. NEWELL -
Mary Boyett Rooks -
C.W. NEWELL
HOW DO YOU WANT CLIENTS TO FEEL IN THEIR HOME? I always tell clients that they are the lead designers. We never want a home to look like Anna’s or Marguerite’s home. Hopefully every home reflects the clients’ taste, story and lifestyle, but just really well-executed.
What’S A DESIGN RULE YOU LIKE TO BREAK? Occasionally, I like to put something in a room that is totally out of scale. It could be a diminutive floor lamp or an exaggerated piece of art. Playing with scale can be interesting, but it really has to be intentional or else it’s a bust.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? Historical buildings, churches, music, nature, travel, art, vintage textiles, antique shops, old design books. To clear my head, I like to go for a drive in a historic neighborhood. To get excited and energized for project, I like to go to dinner with other creatives; something about shared creative passions really sparks excitement for my work.
STUDIO N&TL
NEW YORK
Vienna-born Nathan Német and Brooklyn native Beatrice Tait-Loft first crossed paths at Ash Staging—Német, after working in real estate, and Tait-Loft, after studying photography and design history. “Within three seconds of meeting, I had a falling-in-love moment,” laughs Német of their fast friendship, which last year led to the creation of Studio N&TL. “Our work is a blend of design elements we each love, shaped by our unique upbringings and a continuous commitment to exploration,” say the pair. In just the first year of launching their own firm, they’ve already landed eight projects. Their first, a luxury apartment at New York’s Hudson Yards, was “a true pinch-me moment—and that feeling hasn’t left us since.”
-
ETHAN O’GRADY -
ETHAN O’GRADY -
ETHAN O’GRADY
WHAT’S THE BEST DESIGN/CAREER ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? Nathan: “Be value-added.” It might sound simple, but adopting that mindset when working with clients makes everything smoother and fosters meaningful, lasting relationships. Beatrice: My glass-ceiling-shattering mother has been a major role model in my life. In the midst of installing four projects at once, she reminded me to maintain perspective—and to be kind to myself.
WHAT’S THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR HOME? A pink Pumpkin sofa by Pierre Paulin for Ligne Roset. (We’re heavily addicted to auctions).
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT AND WHY? We’ve both recently developed a habit of collecting wrought iron objects—it’s becoming a bit problematic (especially when paired with our pink Pierre Paulin sofa).
VALERIE PEÑA
NEW YORK
Growing up surrounded by textiles in her mother’s small window-treatment workroom in the Dominican Republic, Valerie Peña felt almost destined to become a decorator. After studying both interior and industrial design, she worked in the hospitality field in Santo Domingo, then moved to New York where she trained with pros like Nicole Fuller and Rajni Alex before starting her own firm. Peña’s rooms have a tactile richness and organic appeal: “I love blending different historical periods with contemporary design,” she explains. “I gravitate to spaces that feel elevated and elegant.”
-
JOE KRAMM -
JOE KRAMM -
JOE KRAMM
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT AND WHY? Does jewelry and clothing count? I’ve started collecting ceramics and vintage furniture.
WHAT’S THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR HOME? My favorite diffuser and room spray; it’s also the signature smell at our studio: Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PROJECT? A boutique hotel. I started in hospitality back home, it would be amazing to go back to this at some point in my career.
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 18 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
