Are These the Best Interior Designers in the World?

Phaidon's book By Design: The World's Best Contemporary Interior Designers features the globe's greatest design talent.

June 09, 2021

By: Felicia Feaster

Related To:

The World's 100+ Top Designers

The new Phaidon book By Design: The World's Best Contemporary Interior Designers profiles an astounding array of design talent (more than 100 designers are included) from Hong Kong to Stockholm, from Sydney to Mexico City. In stunning photos of high-end boutique hotels and exceptional private homes, the assembled talent (including Kelly Wearstler, Faye Toogood, Nate Berkus Associates, Bunny Williams and the Rockwell Group, among others), shows off its design chops.

Dimorestudio - Milan, Italy

This living room in a Florence villa demonstrates the opulent style of design partners Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci of Dimorestudio who have collaborated with brands including Lanvin, Fendi and Dior. Rich tones and ultramodern elements combine in this home's sunken living room defined by teal silk wallpaper and Calacatta marble.

Kit Kemp - London

Designer Kit Kemp imprinted this Hyde Park Gate private residence with her signature style: a love of color, mixed textiles, patterns and a maximalist approach. In 2019 Kemp told Condé Nast Traveler "I think color makes you happy—it's as simple as that."

Note Design Studio - Stockholm, Sweden

In this Stockholm private residence designed by the design collective Note Design Studio the living room gives way to the children's room in a magical unfolding of soft pastel colors. The studio incorporates a range of historical influences including Art Deco, the Swedish Grace design period and a warm take on minimalism.

Romanek Design Studio - Los Angeles

Designer Brigette Romanek used black-framed glass partitions in this Malibu family home to separate rooms. Romanek, a former handbag designer, is known for working with existing features in the homes she designs whether crown molding or the way the sunshine filters into a room.

Right Meets Left Interior Design - New York City

Courtney McLeod, who formerly worked in finance, is the founder of Right Meets Left Interior Design. Her style is notable for bold use of bright, assertive color and pattern as seen in this Sands Point, New York, private home.

Joyce Wang - Hong Kong, London

Known for her "high-octane glamour," according to Phaidon, interior designer Joyce Wang's restaurant and hotel interiors are luxurious, even cinematic. Seen here is a bathroom Wang designed for London's Mandarin Oriental Hotel that typifies her dazzling spaces and use of exquisite materials.

Studio Ashby - London

This living room in a private London home was designed by Studio Ashby's Sophie Ashby. Her global design is influenced by her extensive travels and South African and British parents. Combinations of antique and contemporary furniture and the designer's love of incorporating artwork into her spaces define this penthouse in London's upscale Floral Court featuring a burr-elm coffee table.

CHZON - Paris

French hospitality designer Dorothee Meilichzon has designed hotels and restaurants around the world. For the Venice boutique hotel Il Palazzo Experimental, the designer pays clear tribute to the Italian Memphis design movement in this guest suite with a curvilinear sofa, side table and light fixture while honoring the original high ceilings and ornate wooden door that define this historic building.

Fawn Galli - New York City

Self-taught designer Fawn Galli is known for her "subtle playfulness" and her love of 1970s disco. For this room in a Short Hills, New Jersey, home, Fawn created an opulent Chinoiserie lounge with striking ombre curtains. The room features Arts and Crafts wallpaper and an on-trend curvaceous settee.

Kelly Wearstler - Los Angeles

An interior design rock star, Kelly Wearstler has become a household name and synonymous with sleek, sexy LA maximalism in a variety of boutique hotels and residential projects. European design and '30s Hollywood glam are both big influences for the designer. This pictured Malibu residence typifies the designer's blending of eras and influences into a cohesive whole and her love of texture, luxe surfaces like marble, and always-interesting architectural furniture.

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