There’s an underlying, yet overpowering, sense of personal intimacy and visceral appeal when it comes to architecture and interior design. The interactions with the space we occupy lend an emotional voice to the exploration of the areas around us. The science of environmental psychology, or sometimes known as the psychology of space, informs us that the space we inhabit impacts our mental and emotional well-being, and influences our moods and behaviors. According to interior designer and environmental psychologist Migette Kaup, “Architectural cues can provide reinforcement to the desired behaviors that we would like to see enacted in specific place types.” Core elements of color palettes, texture, patterns, and lighting delicately intertwine, collectively forming a rich and harmonious balance that enhances our sensory stimulation. Brighter tones invoke a tender warmth and solace, while lighting adds depth and dimension, inviting liveliness, exuberance, and optimism. Subjectively, and unconsciously, we react. Imagine rearranging without flowers in a vase or revamping the walls from white to an off-white. Subtle changes in styling and layouts can make all the difference. Functionality refashions into personality, as architecture and design become physical means of self-expression and personal style.

And while the pandemic has us spending more time at home, interior designers have become more inspired, occupied, and creative than ever. From classic modernism to Parisian contours, here are some of the latest interior designers you’ll want to consider when spicing up your homes.

1. Colin King
Based: NYC
Website: https://colinking.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinking/?hl=en

With a refined eye and selective taste, interior stylist and New York creative Colin King brings a quiet yet cozy modernity to the home. His minimal style encompasses a timeless sophistication, as he explores the use and arrangement of simple but endearing objects of vases, lamps, and other small accessories. He employs a simplistic and functional approach that leaves behind a delicate sense of calmness and tranquility.

2. Beata Heuman
Based: London
Website: https://beataheuman.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beataheuman/

‘Tis the season of joy and exuberance, as found in the styles and designs of Swedish-born, British designer Beauta Hueman. Typically known for her playful work, Hueman brings vibrant colors into the home, making for a beautifully space enriched with vivid and whimsical details. Her approach of mix-and matching various periods and styles, along with a Scandinavian attention to detail and longevity, enables her to adopt a maximalist style to space.

3. Stephen Sills
Website: http://www.stephensills.com
Instagram: http://www.stephensills.com/instagram/

Interior designer Stephen Sills has broad creative visions when it comes to his clients. While Sills aims for contemporary and modern space, his love for incorporating movable objects and his use of mobility make all for an additional interior twist. From a classical set of Louis XVI chairs to an incomplete Hellenistic lion sculpture, Sills is able to seamlessly navigate between various genres of modernity, European décor, and 20th-Century design. There’s an element of elevated grandeur that becomes integrated and present in his work and designs. As described in Architectural Digest, his work encompasses a “... lucid synthesis of opulence, rigor and surprise.”

4. Hannah Crowell
Website: https://www.crowellinteriors.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahcrowell/

There’s nothing more that screams eclectic when it comes to the designs of Hannah Crowell. A native Nashvillian, Crowell combines unpredictability with color, resulting in the most unexpected combinations that yet bring life and ecstasy to the home. Decorous arts and books, along with incorporated elements of flora and fauna, make for a lively twist and a joyous assortment of styles around the home.

5. Tali Roth
Based: NYC
Website: http://www.talirothdesigns.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talirothdesigns/

With her humble beginnings in Melbourne, Australia, Aussie designer Tali Roth encompasses a creative and contemporary approach to design and space. Her passion for vintage pieces, along with layering texture, shape, and color, results in a cozy ambiance, a true home feeling for all year-round. Underlying warm tones and color palettes help to create a modern vintage style with a timeless and sentimental finish.

6. Jessica Helgerson
Based: Portland, OR
Website: http://www.jhinteriordesign.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhinteriordesign/

Portland-based interior designer Jessica Helgerson invites creativity and aesthetics into the home through lavish renovation and embellishment. From white textiles and vintage rugs to acacia-wood and botanical patterns, her play with texture and theme creates depth, with added layers of warmth and comfort. With an eye for sophisticated color palettes, material, and texture, Helgerson transforms old spaces into thematic residences, including a 1920s living space and a Victorian kitchen.

7. Jenny Wolf
Based: NY
Website: https://jennywolfinteriors.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennywolfinteriors/

Jenny Wolf is New York-based interior designer, with a Southern background in New Orleans and South Carolina. She embraces an organic approach to design and space as her style blends modern with antique, resulting in an elevated, beautiful flair and finish. With inspiration drawn from her Southern roots and cultural travels, Wolf works to weave personalities with possessions. Her love for antiques, home furnishings and all things beautiful is nonetheless present in her works.

Article by Hanna Yi, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine

The Emotional Art & Intimacy Of Interior Design

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