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Anelle Gandelman and Ariella Duker
What is a typical day like for the two of you as interior designers? There’s really no such thing as a typical day—every client and project presents new challenges and opportunities. There are many days that you’ll find us in the D & D building and various showrooms throughout the city. On other days we may be running between our office, our workroom, client meetings and installations. There is a lot of running around and for every hour spent looking at beautiful things, there are 2-20 hours of figuring out how to make those things fit the floorplan, fit the budget, and fit in a doorway, up a staircase, or in an elevator. There are a lot of logistics to consider, particularly in NYC.
Where do you turn for inspiration, design and otherwise? What doesn’t inspire us? We are real observers of the world around us and believe it’s important to pay attention to the details of our surroundings. Art, architecture, fashion and nature are common sources, but we are just as likely to be distracted by an interesting wall tile while having dinner at a restaurant. That distraction often turns to obsession until we find a use for that tile in a project. In that respect we are always working.
Do you have any rules you follow when designing? We always start with a floorplan. A well-designed room is not just about the furnishings themselves but the result of the relationships between objects. We may love a piece of furniture or a fabric in isolation but if the scale or tone is wrong it can throw the entire room off.
A-List Interiors
Is there one essential product that you believe every home should have? We believe every home should have something that references the past, whether that be a family heirloom, an antique piece of furniture, or old family photographs. We encourage our clients to include original artwork in their homes as well. Bringing something meaningful and often one-of-a-kind into a home adds character and invites conversation among friends and guests. Great lighting and hardware should also be a priority—lighting fixtures, door handles, cabinet knobs all function as sculptural elements in a home. Good design is all in the details and these little details can definitely elevate a space. There’s nothing worse than a generic “contractor special.”
A-List Interiors, 320 West 38th Street, 646.417.5355, alistinteriors.com.
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