4 min read
Welcome to Rising Stars, our annual list spotlighting the most exciting emerging voices in design today. Selected by a jury of established talent across architecture, interiors, and product design, each honoree represents a distinct point of view—and a glimpse of where the industry is headed.
Which designers excite ELLE Decor’s A-List the most? We asked, they told. Here, meet the breakout stars in hospitality and residential interior design. And, from fast-rising furniture makers to up-and-coming event gurus, see the full list here.
Stephanie Barba Mendoza
ANA HOP
Stephanie Barba Mendoza
ANA HOP
Design by Stephanie Barba Mendoza
The London-based interior designer returned to her homeland for the first time in six years to decorate El Desconocido, a Mexico City nightclub with lots of plush velvet, antique rugs, and high-impact glossy finishes. “It feels like an exciting next chapter for me,” she says. barbamendoza.com
Savvy Studio
courtesy Savvy Studio
Rafael Prieto
courtesy Savvy Studio
Design by Rafael Prieto
Outdoor Voices, Retrosuperfuture, and GoharWorld have all enlisted Savvy Studio’s founder and creative director Rafael Prieto to reimagine their retail spaces with his artful minimalism. Prieto divides his time between New York and Mexico. His latest project is Pensión, a chic 10-room guesthouse in Mexico City. savvy-studio.net
Love Is Enough
Led by founder Loren Daye, the Hudson Valley–based studio has designed Brooklyn eateries (Le Crocodile, Bar Bête) and cozy getaways such as Trailborn Highlands, a hotel in North Carolina with a Nordic spa. Next on her list? “To be at the forefront of funeral home design; it’s the new hotel.” loveisenough.co
Flora Byk
Courtesy of Flora Byk
Flora Byk
Courtesy Flora Byk
Design by Flora Byk
The Paris-based designer began her career in furniture before expanding into interiors. Each of her warm, timeless spaces—from sunny Bel Air residences to Frame stores all over the world—exude a stylish serenity. “[I want] to continue imagining unique living spaces and furniture for exceptional clients,” says Byk. florabyk.com
William Cullum
Annie Schlechter
William Cullum
Annie Schlechter
Design by William Cullum
The New York–based designer spent 14 years at Thomas Jayne’s studio before launching his own firm last year. Steeped in architectural history and personal obsession, his interiors are dense, layered, and full of stories—each one waiting to be discovered. williamcullum.com
Chroma
Tim Lenz
Alexis Tompkins and Leann Conquer of Chroma
Courtesy Chroma
Design by Chroma
Natural materials, clean lines, and unapologetically bold colors are among Chroma’s design tenets. Going forward, the firm wants to build “deeper creative partnerships: working with makers, artists, and clients who want to genuinely co-create, not just commission,” says managing partner Leann Conquer. chromasf.com
Studio Valerie Name
Courtesy Studio Valerie Name
Valerie Name
Courtesy Studio Valerie Name
A home in Greenwich, CT, designed by Studio Valerie Name.
With a focus on soft hues and subtle details, Valerie Name Bolaño’s work—including homes in London, Athens, and Connecticut —has garnered an international following. Though she has been primarily focused on residential work, one of Name’s most invigorating projects to date has been for a private high-end jewelry atelier in London. “We developed a language of custom glass, upholstery, and bronze furniture drawn from fragments of ancient jewelry and architectural details,” she says. “The space was formerly the atelier and residence of Norman Hartnell, where Queen Elizabeth II had many of her gowns made. It carries an incredible sense of history, quietly layered, but very present.” studiovaleriename.com
Studio Balestra
Courtesy Studio Balestra
Adriano Balestra
Courtesy Studio Balestra
Design by Studio Balestra
After relocating from Rome to open an antiques gallery in Los Angeles, Adriano Balestra has built an interior design practice to great fanfare. His moody, cinematic spaces play well in his new Hollywood environs. “Beyond product design, I am eager to take our vision global, expanding our portfolio with international projects and bringing our specific design language to new landscapes overseas,” he says. studio-balestra.com
Beep Design Co.
Courtesy Beep Design Co.
Baylor Pillow
Courtesy Beep Design Co.
Design by Beep Design Co.
Based in Oxford, Mississippi, Baylor Pillow has transformed homes from Atlanta to New Orleans, with several projects to debut this year. His affable approach
is all about embracing traditional Southern style without being bound to it. “Most of my clients are exacting, discreet Southerners with great taste, wherever their projects happen to be,” says Pillow. “Some are building in the South; others have moved away or are creating second homes elsewhere and want those places to honor their new terrain while holding onto the hospitality and flow of a Southern home.” @beepdesign.co
RG House
Sloan Christian Struble
Reagan Gail Struble
Taylor Abeel
Work by RG House
Dividing her time between California and Texas, Reagan Gail Struble infuses her interiors with an earthy, easygoing vibe that has won her fans such as David Netto. “I am very ready to decorate a house in Hawaii or somewhere tropical, and waiting on a call to design a boutique hotel,” she says. rghouse-etc.com
Meet the Nominating Committee
ALYSE ARCHER-COITE Elle Decor contributing editor • NATE BERKUS author and founder, Nate Berkus Associates • MOLLY BROWN vice president, L52 Communications • ADAM CHARLAP HYMAN & ANDRE HERRERO co-founders, Charlap Hyman & Herrero • MICHAEL K. CHEN architect and founder, MKCA • MARIE-ANNE DERVILLE stylist and scenographer • CLIFF FONG founder, Matt Blacke Inc. • PHOEBE GATES co-founder, Phia • YOUNG HUH founder, Young Huh Interior Design • DANIEL HUMM chef and founder, Daniel Humm Hospitality • LAURA KUGEL gallerist • MARIAN McEVOY editor, author, and craftswoman • DAVID NETTO author and founder, David Netto Design • SCOTT PASK scenic designer and founder, Scott Pask Studio • KELLY WEARSTLER founder and CEO, Kelly Wearstler Studio • MICHELLE JOAN WILKINSON curator of architecture and design, National Museum of African American History andCulture • BUNNY WILLIAMS founder, Bunny Williams Home • KATE YOUNG celebrity stylist and tastemaker