The Educated Eye Luncheon

On September 23, NYSID trustees, alumni, and supporters came out to kick off this year’s Dialogues on Design series at The Educated Eye Luncheon in the lovely interior of a private club in New York City. An exploration of the interplay between fashion and interior design, this year’s event featured fashion illustrator, designer, and artist Cathy Graham, author of “Second Bloom: Cathy Graham’s Art of the Table,” and Billy Norwich, former Vogue editor and New York Post society columnist. The event was moderated by Dennis Scully, host of the Business of Home podcast.

 
Cathy Graham and Billy Norwich

Cathy Graham and Billy Norwich

 
 
Dennis Scully and Nancy Scully

Dennis Scully and Nancy Scully

 
 
Ellen Kravet greeting guests.

Ellen Kravet greeting guests.

 
All Atelier Stories
Welcome From David Sprouls
Welcome From David Sprouls

David Sprouls, president of the New York School of Interior Design, welcomes readers to the Summer 2025 issue of Atelier.

Visual Thinker: Beth Diana Smith
Visual Thinker: Beth Diana Smith

Beth Diana Smith ’15 (AAS), CEO and principal of Beth Diana Smith Interior Design, came to NYSID after a decade-long career in corporate finance. Part of a Victorian home renovation in Montclair, NJ, this ASID award-winning kitchen by Smith balances beauty and function with custom storage, layered design, and workspace tailored for a dedicated baker.

Collaborative by Design
Collaborative by Design

Alum Holly Hayden Taylor ’09 (BFA), CID, NCIDQ, executive design director of Jeremiah Brent Design, and NYSID faculty member, on cultivating the culture of positivity that unlocks creativity .

Reimagining What Affordable Housing Can Be
Reimagining What Affordable Housing Can Be

Mona Nahm ’20 (MFA1) didn’t set out to become a designer of affordable housing. Nonetheless, she finds herself at the vanguard of a movement to alleviate the housing crisis one beautiful, healthy, and sustainable building at a time. She spearheaded Y.A. Studio’s commitment to follow the Living Building Challenge’s Core Green Building Certification standards for 4200 Geary, a new 98-unit senior affordable housing project in San Francisco’s Richmond District, serving a population that includes formerly unhoused seniors.

Online Degrees Make Design Dreams Possible
Online Degrees Make Design Dreams Possible

An overview of distance learning at NYSID with student perspectives from Dorothy Hill, an AAS distance-learning student who was studying from Amsterdam, Netherlands; Nicole Hand ’25, a BFA distance-learning student who was studying from Denver, Colorado; and BFA distance-learning student Haruko Utsuki (BFA) , who is based in Toronto, Canada, and took a semester abroad in Florence, Italy.

CIDQ and IDEC Donate Their Archives to NYSID
CIDQ and IDEC Donate Their Archives to NYSID

The New York School of Interior Design’s Archive becomes the repository for the history of interior design education, examination, and the profession, as well as a key resource for scholars.

Notable at NYSID: Summer 2025
Notable at NYSID: Summer 2025

The New York School of Interior Design’s curricula and offerings are constantly evolving, pushing the standards of design education further. Hear about NYSID’s exciting new hires, projects, and directions here.

Why I Give: Stephen Chrisman of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects
Why I Give: Stephen Chrisman of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects

Stephen Chrisman is a partner at Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, a firm renowned for traditional and classical architecture, founded by Mark Ferguson and Oscar Shamamian in 1988. Working closely with Principal Andrew Oyen, Chrisman helped establish the Ferguson & Shamamian Travel Award for Cultural Discovery at NYSID, an annual contest that challenges students to propose a course of study in a foreign country for the chance to win a $5,000 travel-study stipend, followed by a paid internship at Ferguson & Shamamian Architects.

Portfolio: Emerson Kraus '24 (BFA)
Portfolio: Emerson Kraus '24 (BFA)

Emerson Kraus ’24 (BFA) designed Art of Wellness, a biophilic wellness center in San Antonio that blends historic and modern design to support holistic healing through sensory, spatial, and sustainable elements.

Portfolio: Addison Hansen '24 (BFA)
Portfolio: Addison Hansen '24 (BFA)

Addison Hansen ’24 (BFA) designed Liminal Spaces, a museum concept at NYC’s Pier 57 where visitors explore the idea of home through memory, sensation, and dreams across immersive, interactive exhibits.

Winter/Spring 2020, celebrations, dialogues on design, givingGuest User