My Top 20 Interior Design Idols: Part Four

{One of my favorite bedrooms in recent memory (nevermind that it was for a 3 year-old girl) by Melissa Warner of Massucco Warner Miller as featured in Traditional Home Magazine.}

Today, we’ll be rounding out my Top 20 Interior Design Idols list. While narrowing down my list to just twenty was quite a feat, I actually enjoyed thinking about and defining what I love most about the work of each designer I have featured on the list. The first installment included a broad cross-section of styles, which could essentially be considered my shortlist (Berkus, Bonan, Kasler, Violán, Hranowsky). The second installment featured a group of gentlemen whose work is as chic and tailored as they are ( Filicia, Romano, O’Brien, Jimenez, Gambrel). Yesterday’s group, affectionately referred to as “The Bold and the Beautiful” was composed of designers whose vision, design work, and personal style are unapologetically bold and inspiring (Redd, Wearstler, Rufty, McDonald, Nesbit). The final installment features a fiercely talented group of women who create spaces that are not only beautiful, but also inspiring, sophisticated, and unique.

Massucco Warner Miller: Arguably one of my favorite design firms right now, the trio of Julie Massucco, Melissa Warner, and Carrie Miller has taken the design world by storm since the debut of their partnership in 2008. These ladies do it all and do so beautifully. From updated traditional looks to bold, slightly more modern looks, their designs are pure perfection. Personally, I am a HUGE fans of the bedrooms they design. I love the use of patterns, vintage-inspired pieces, and gorgeous headboards.

Palmer Weiss: Palmer is yet another talented, San Francisco-based designer. Her work is a favorite of many for its crisp details and tailored elegance. Palmer’s rooms, no matter how formal, are always infused with a fresh perspective that makes them feel completely inviting and fun. Her work runs the gamut from classic, traditional looks to mid-century modern looks.

Sally Wheat: I have loved Sally’s work since Joni of Cote de Texas first introduced it to the blog world a couple of years ago. Since then, Sally has become a good friend whom I admire and look up to so much. Like me, she was once a teacher who seems happier working in a creative field. Sally is undeniably talented and possesses a style that is so unique, especially for Houston. She can take a traditional French or Swedish look and make it feel completely modern by infusing it with her eclectic and slightly subversive touch. Each room she designs is filled with distinctive, personal touches.

Anne Coyle: I admire Anne’s ability to make any space feel completely glamorous. The home she and Nate Berkus co-designed for producer Elle Rakieten set the blogosphere ablaze after it was published in ELLE DECOR and quickly became a favorite of countless design-lovers. There is a unique, timeless quality to Anne’s rooms. The perfectly grouped artwork, use of accessories, and choice of colors and fabrics make one think the homeowners must be well-traveled, interesting people who are as chic as the rooms in their homes.

Kishani Perera: Kishani’s undeniably eclectic style has made her one of my favorite designers since I first laid eyes on Molly Sims SoHo apartment a few years ago. To this day, it is one of my favorite homes. Maybe it’s because I love grey or perhaps its the bohemian, Parisian influence. Either way, that space, like so many spaces designed by Kishani is memorable and easily distinguishable as her own. And isn’t that one of the ultimate goals as a designer? To have your style be identifiable and unique? Kishani definitely excels at both.

 

Thank you all so much for following along as I have recounted my list of Top 20 Design Idols. It has certainly been an eye-opening experience to try to narrow down the list and group some of these designers together. There are so many talented designers out there producing gorgeous, inspiring work on a daily basis, that I am certain this list will continue to grow and change over time. I almost gave up half-way through the series because I didn’t want to leave anyone out, but couldn’t go beyond twenty. The list is ever-changing, but for now, this is it.

You guys have left such nice comments about so many of the designers on the list. It seems Davd Jimenez is quite popular out there, and rightfully so! I am still dying to know…who are your favorite designers? I wouldn’t dare ask you for a list of twenty, but do you have a Top 3 list? Who would you hire to design your home if money were no object? Come, on…spill!