The 1stDibs 50, Revealed—And the Chic Room Ideas We’re Learning From Them

By: Jesse Doris, Architectural Digest

Original Article Published by Architectural Digest

For this year’s list, drama was not in short supply

Since its founding in 2000, 1stDibs has become one of the 21st century’s essential sources for designers, thanks in large part to how accessible it’s made scouting furniture, decor, fashion, and art. But while anyone can fill a cart from an online marketplace, it takes artistry and experience to select the perfect piece for the perfect place. That’s where the 1stDibs 50 come in: For six years, the company has surveyed the global design community and compiled a list of visionaries who are changing how the world looks, one click at a time.

The 1stDibs editorial team heads up the process of sorting through the potential honorees. The lucky few in the final cut then post examples of their work, along with buyable selections they curate from 1stDibs’s extensive offerings. This year’s talent list contains 12 debuts, including Noz Design, Charlap Hyman & Herrero, and Young Huh Interior Design. (Click here to jump to the full list of honorees.)

“The 1stDibs 50 designers work across a broad stylistic spectrum,” says Anthony Barzilay Freund, the company’s editorial director and director of fine art. “What they share is a deep appreciation for the animating force of furniture, art, and decorative objects.” The difference is what they do with them.

Among them, a few key trends can be seen. Some are recommitting to botanicals with refreshing enthusiasm: Jeremiah Brent Design’s room, for example, is pretty in pink and green, with walls depicting birds and delectable fresh fruit setting the stage for a delicate mix of shabby-chic and crisp Art Deco furnishings. Nate Berkus Associates sink a golden table, its top shimmering like the late-afternoon surface of a hidden pond, in a thicket of floral walls and emerald green seating. And Corey Damen Jenkins fills a room with a spring green botanical wall covering and banquettes that blush red next to leather stools and gold tables with bases made of leaping fish. 

Others aren’t afraid of the dark. Heidi Caillier Design offers a kitchen in deep navy, gently warmed with chairs featuring nubby woven seats. Nicole Hollis and AD PRO Directory member Hines Collective see red, the former focusing on a sanguine built-in record wall set off by golden chairs and rugs; the latter on a groovy, ruby space with a soft monument of a sofa and gold-leaf bar. 

For designers or homeowners seeking inspiration, the list is packed with good ideas: You might suspend a pink chandelier with delicate arms above a thick-legged table like Ries | Hayes did, or one with Calder-like mobility above a hefty one, following Yellow House Architects’ lead. AD PRO Directory listee Zoe Feldman Design sits chairs with vase-like backs of burl wood against sharp walls of horizontal stripes, to a dizzying effect further amplified by a rear room covered in, yes, florals. It’s a look you’ll want to bring home. “These treasures of material culture, whether humble or grand, antique, or cutting-edge,” says Freund, “are the raw materials with which they construct their rooms. Sure, they’re good with light, color, window treatments, comfy pillows, and all the things that make rooms beautiful and hospitable. But it’s their deft curation of design objects that truly distinguishes this year’s list.” 

This Year’s 1stDibs 50: The Full List

• AREA interior design (Janine Carendi MacMurray)

• Argyle Design (Kat Bell, James Drew)

• Ashe Leandro (Ariel Ashe, Reinaldo Leandro)

• Charlap Hyman & Herrero (Adam Charlap Hyman, Andre Herrero)

• Charlotte Barnes Interior Design & Decoration (Charlotte Barnes)

• Clive Lonstein, Inc. (Clive Lonstein)

• Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates (Corey Damen Jenkins)

• Damon Liss Design (Damon Liss)

• David Kleinberg Design Associates (David Kleinberg)

• de la Torre Design Studio LLC llc. (Ernest de la Torre)

• Elizabeth Roberts Architects (Elizabeth Roberts)

• Evan Edward (Josh Evan, Michael Edward Moirano)

• Fern Santini Inc. (Fern Santini)

• Formarch Architecture + Interiors (Brent Leonard, Sean Webb)

• Gachot (Christine Gachot, John Gachot)

• Heidi Caillier Design (Heidi Caillier)

• Hines Collective (Devin Hines, Kerry Offsey, Lindsey Reese, Natalia Ramirez)

• Irakli Zaria Interiors (Irakli Zaria) 

• Jeremiah Brent Design (Jeremiah Brent)

• Kara Mann

• Ken Fulk Inc. (Ken Fulk)

• McAlpine (Ray Booth, Greg Tankersley, Bobby McAlpine)

• Michael Del Piero Good Design (Michael Del Piero)

• Nate Berkus Associates (Nate Berkus)

• Neal Beckstedt Studio (Neal Beckstedt)

• NICOLEHOLLIS (Nicole Hollis)

• Nina Farmer Interiors (Nina Farmer)

• Noz Design (Noz Nozawa)

• Ohara Davies-Gaetano Interiors (Ohara Davies-Gaetano)

• Peter Mikic Interiors (Peter Mikic)

• Redd Kaihoi LLC (David Kaihoi, Miles Redd) 

• Ries | Hayes (David Ries, Thad Hayes)

• Right Meets Left Interior Design (Courtney McLeod)

• Robert Couturier Inc. (Robert Couturier)

• Robert Stilin, LLC (Robert Stilin)

• Romanek Design Studio (Brigette Romanek)

• S.R. Gambrel (Steven Gambrel)

• Sasha Adler Design (Sasha Adler)

• Shawn Henderson Interior Design (Shawn Henderson)

• Sheila Bridges Design, Inc. (Sheila Bridges)

• Studio AHEAD (Elena Dendiberia, Homan Rajai)

• Studio Ashby (Sophie Ashby)

• Studio Mellone (Andre Mellone)

• Studio Michael Hilal (Michael Hilal)

• Studio Shamshiri (Pamela Shamshiri)

• Timothy Corrigan, Inc. (Timothy Corrigan)

• Tom Scheerer, Inc. (Tom Scheerer)

• Yellow House Architects (Elizabeth Graziolo)

• Young Huh Interior Design (Young Huh)

• Zoe Feldman Design (Zoe Feldman)