Atelier Magazine

David Sprouls, president of the New York School of Interior Design, welcomes readers to the Spring 2022 issue of Atelier.

NYSID alumna Laura Hodges ‘09 designed this beautiful home for a couple downsizing from a 6,000-SF suburban home to 2,000-SF in the city of Baltimore.

Suzy Genzler ’12 (BFA), program director of NYSID’s Master of Professional Studies in Healthcare Design, talks with Maureen Carley-Vallejo ’95 (BFA), principal and senior healthcare interiors leader at Perkins Eastman.

NYSID alumna Christina Peters ’09 (BFA) is a senior associate at Perkins Eastman with expertise in design for aging and healthcare design. She sometimes works with principal Maureen Carley-Vallejo on the design of hospitals, but her deepest level of experience is in the planning and design of senior living communities.

NYSID MPSS advisor William Browning on biophilia, the subject of his latest book.

NYSID MPSS advisor William Browning on biophilia, the subject of his latest book.

Shruti Kashikar (MFA1 student), Ryan Biggs (BFA, ’21), and Dalia Cunow (BID student) are parents of young children who set out to reinvent themselves through a NYSID education. They say simultaneously parenting and studying at NYSID is challenging, and worth it. Here are their insights, along with those of Penni Morganstein, PsyD, NYSID’s director of counseling services.

“I always told myself if I was able to climb the ladder of success and get to the top, I would not pull the ladder up after myself. I would leave it down for others to climb.”

This course is designed to give emerging interior designers some of the knowledge they need to make decisions about what textiles, furnishings, finishes, and other products help make a space sustainable.

“NYSID@200Lex” will offer a lecture series for designers, interactive workshops, field coaching, and studio classes.

“We designed this symposium to create a circular dialogue between students, instructors, and practitioners. . .We opened it up to educational institutions all over the country, because this issue is much bigger than NYSID.” — David Sprouls, president of NYSID.

Jon Retsky ‘20 (MPSL) started his career in the theater, so when it came time to select the subject of his thesis for the MPSL, he jumped at the opportunity to create an architectural lighting design for the Theater School at DePaul University in Chicago.

Taylor Renaud ‘21 (MPSS) collaborated with fellow student Lindsey Draves on this flagship retail store for Fenty Brands in an existing three-story, 6,800-SF footprint in SoHo. The challenge from NYSID was to create a sustainable project that promoted social justice and diversity.

David Sprouls, president of the New York School of Interior Design, welcomes readers to the Fall 2021 issue of Atelier.

NYSID alumna Peti Lau ’09 (AAS) is the owner and principal of Peti Lau Inc., based in Los Angeles, California. A former opera singer who has lived all over the world, Lau garnered attention on the recent season of HGTV’s Design Star Next Gen.

International Alumni Who Have Built Exciting Careers in the US. NYSID alumni Therese Virserius ’03 (AAS), Jennifer Graham ’85 (BFA), Ruoxi Cui ’13 (MFA1), IIya Pulyaev ’17 (MFA2), and Myoung Joo Chun ’02 (MFA2) on what brought them to the US to study and what kept them here.

Social Impact Design in Rwanda; Alumna Christelle Muhimpundu’s work for MASS Design Group

The way NYSID teaches color for interiors is both traditional and innovative. Fine artist and NYSID instructor William Engel ’02 (AAS), and retired NYSID professor Ethel Rompilla ’84 (BFA), formative influences on how color is taught at NYSID, discuss what goes into having an educated “eye” for color. Alumna Andrea LaConte-Magno ’02 (AAS), director of color marketing and development at Benjamin Moore, sheds light on her exciting career in color.

Eric Corey Freed on Bold Innovation in Green Building

One of the most magical things about Barbara Lowenthal is that she finds every mind, every classroom, energizing after decades of teaching and administrating at NYSID. Says NYSID President David Sprouls, “Barbara’s thinking and teaching have become part of the DNA of this College.” Here’s what this beloved educator has to say about her 27-year tenure at NYSID.

Why I Give — Timur Yumusaklar, President & CEO of Schumacher

The College Raised More Than a Half-Million Dollars for the Scholarship Funds in a Pandemic Year

The Kravet Family Makes Pre-College Possible for Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Kids

Honorary Doctorate Recipients Adam Sandow and Kia Weatherspoon Shared Advice on Designing for This Unique Historical Moment With the Class of 2021

David Sprouls, president of the New York School of Interior Design, welcomes readers to the Winter 2021 issue of Atelier.

Faculty member Leyden Lewis designed this NYC apartment for a South African couple who uses the pied-à-terre as a vacation home. He says, “My clients live and breathe art, so everything in the space serves their huge and magnificent collection.”

COVID-19 has made it clear that interior design is, at its core, about well-being. We sat down with three alumni in healthcare design, Elsie St. Léger ’10 (BFA), Peter Agnew ’15 (BFA)/’16 (MPSH), and Pál András Rutkai ’15 (MPSH), to discuss their careers in this rapidly evolving sector.

When we caught up to chat with Beth Diana Smith ’14 (AAS), she was managing her booming small business through the COVID-19 pandemic, and still finding time to volunteer on the New York School of Interior Design’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission.

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic forced NYSID to temporarily close its campus last March and move classes online, the College was developing a hybrid flexible model with online, in-person, and experiential components. The pandemic accelerated this process, forcing NYSID to undergo years of digital transformation in mere months.

The thesis is the culmination of a NYSID student’s education. It’s also an exercise in dizzying freedom. How does one settle on just one idea? Sara Herrera ’21 (BFA) shares insight about how to get the most out of the Thesis Preparation course.

“As a philanthropist, you use the resources you have to ignite someone else. What a blessing to be able to give something like that. In fact, it’s the greatest gift you can give to yourself.”

“This scholarship makes me feel like there is a lane for me in the big world of design.”—Karina Infante ’21 (MFA1)

Korapin Srisom ’20 (MPSL) endeavored to create a lighting design for an existing landmark building, the Brooklyn Historical Society, that reflected the way the sky and skyline have changed between the 1800s and today.

Molly Cummins, Phuong Hyunh, and Klayre Tan ’20 (MPSS) created a sustainable workplace and headquarters for the international beauty brand Lush. The company’s core values are transparency, positivity, and sustainability, and the trio encapsulated this ethos in both the aesthetics of the space and the use of sustainable materials, energy-efficient lighting, and plants.

Last summer, President David Sprouls invited trustee Cheryl Durst and interested faculty members, staff members, advisors, and alumni to form a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission. Faculty member Leyden Lewis and registrar Jennifer Melendez stepped up beside Durst to co-chair the Commission.

A roundup of news items about NYSID trustees, alumni, faculty, and students.

When Nantucket by Design went virtual last summer during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellen Fisher, vice president for academic affairs and dean, saw an opportunity to give students an unforgettable learning experience in the form of a contest. She challenged twelve teams of students to design a room in “The Oldest House,” using photos and floor plans, and under the guidance of renowned interior designers connected to the NYSID community.

Five MFA1 Students— Elaine Gahagan, Jamie Goldstein, Alannah O’Neil, Judy Ordonez, and Anushe Uzair—organized themselves into a working studio to provide pro bono interior design services to Horizons for Homeless Children last summer.

Even though NYSID had to adopt a fully online instruction model this summer, the College’s service learning studio was more popular and productive than ever. Check out the work our students accomplished!

David Sprouls, president of the New York School of Interior Design, welcomes readers to the Summer 2020 issue of Atelier.

Age diversity makes NYSID’s BFA program stronger. Monica Seroiczkowski ’20 and Cielo Cortes ’21, two BFA students at different stages of life, discuss their journeys to NYSID, and what they’ve found at the College.

On the brink of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City, we sat down with alumni at the architecture and interior design firm Stonehill Taylor to discuss their careers and recent projects. During the lockdown, we spoke with the firm’s interiors principal, Sara Duffy, about how the company is adapting and looking toward the future of hospitality design in this uncertain time.

MFA-1 students Mika Jiaravanont ’20 and Joanne Park ’20 spent the past two summers participating in community service projects for Safe Horizon, an organization that provides shelter, counseling, and other services to victims of violence. Here’s a deep dive into their experiences!

Sara Duffy, interiors principal at Stonehill Taylor, shares her thoughts on how the pandemic might change our culture and impact the thinking behind hospitality design.

Erika Reuter ’06 (BFA) / ’13 (MFA-2) never expected to be a Registered Architect or a project manager. Now she’s both. Her drive and openness to new challenges have moved her interior design career forward.

David Kleinberg is a leader in the residential interior design industry, both in terms of artistry and management. We sat down to talk to him about his passion for design education.

Phillip Thomas ’05 (BFA) worked for Ingrao Inc. for six years after graduation. In 2011, he struck out on his own and founded Phillip Thomas Inc. This Manhattan pied-à-terre was one of the first projects he designed as the principal of his eponymous firm.

In “The Maker School,” Mona Nahm ’20 (MFA-1) brings together art, technology, and innovation to encourage students to explore their relationship to materials and the act of making. Nahm’s goal was to create a space that encourages users “to create meaningful things and to make them well.”

Fei Wang ’20 (MFA-2) pushed the boundaries of the traditional textile showroom in this store design for Kvadrat, the Danish textiles brand. According to Wang, “The store aims to educate the public—displaying the intricacies of the textile industry and the beauty behind the fabrics.”

Brittany Snyder ’20 (BFA) based her concept for the Chakra Holistic Healing Center & Cannabis Consumption Lounge on an ancient Hindu mandala called Sri Yantra, which uses sacred geometry to attract positive healing energy into its center while dispelling negative energies through its four sides.

Marissa Kronenfeld ’20 (BFA) intended this hospitality space, Elysium, to be a hub for locals who love craft beer, as well as an immersive experience into sustainability for hotel guests.

NYSID’s 2020 gala raised more money than any event in NYSID’s history, securing nearly $580,000 for the College’s scholarship fund. Over 350 friends and members of the interior design community turned out to honor Brian J. McCarthy, Gale Singer, Andy Singer, and Elizabeth Lawrence.

For the first time in its 104-year history, NYSID held its commencement ceremony virtually, as graduates, isolating because of the coronavirus pandemic, participated from home.

At NYSID, 2020 started with wonderful public events, ambitious curricular innovation, and accolades for faculty and students. When the world changed, NYSID adapted.

We pay tribute to three friends of the College we recently lost. Their impact on NYSID and its students will endure for years to come.

Honorary doctorate recipient Nate Berkus launches “My Home in Sight,” a partnership with Novartis, for people with declining vision.

When Victoria Bartholomew and Bailey McGrath met as assigned roommates for NYSID’s summer Pre-college program, they had no idea that five years later, they’d share an apartment and be just months away from earning their BFA degrees in Interior Design.

NYSID’s MFA-1 has changed significantly since its inception in 2009, but the resolve of its career-changing students has remained a constant. Shannon Andrews ’11 of HLW, Andrew Kaplan ’14, Topaz Wong ’16 and Carrie Anne Li ’16, all of Gensler; Nick Domitrovich ’12 of NICOLEHOLLIS; and Brett Helsham ’12 of Brett Helsham Designs discuss the education behind their exciting careers.

Ever dream of being a studio director at a major firm? Becky Button ’01 (BFA) leads a studio for Gensler, and provides us with some insights into her job at a company that employs more than 27 NYSID alumni around the globe.

In the 13 years since he graduated from NYSID, Alberto Villalobos ’06 (AAS) has made a name for himself in high-end residential design. As this issue’s visual thinker, he shares the ideas and sourcing behind one striking room design.

NYSID’s graduating class received the wisdom of two influencers in interior design, Nate Berkus and Elaine Griffin, at the 2019 commencement ceremony. On May 23, cheers rose from the seats of the 92nd Street Y as the New York School of Interior Design’s 111 graduates marched across the stage to accept their diplomas.

“Charlotte Moss’s generosity in endowing this scholarship made a critical difference to me: it helped reduce my debt and enabled me to buy a laptop. Buying that laptop meant I could work as many hours as it would take to give school my all. And believe me … I gave it my all.” –Rachel Edelstein ’19 (BFA)

When you walk into the third-floor common area of WeWork’s new 135 West 41st Street facility, designed by alumnus Matthew Giampietro ’14 (MFA-1), you’ll find what he calls “four levels of seating.”