Life By Design

From sewing his own curtains in a San Francisco apartment to leading an internationally recognized design firm, Jay Jeffers' journey is anything but ordinary. As the 2026 recipient of the DSA Design 360° Award, his career reflects a rare balance of creativity, business acumen, and industry influence. Step inside his story—and hear directly from Jeffers in our exclusive video feature

"Creative people have to believe in the value of their work. If you don't have any belief, then you can't give anything. Designing is an act of giving, and a belief in the value of the work fuels the desire to express something." – Peter Saville, Renowned British Art Decorator and Graphic Designer   Being an interior designer and running your own business can be difficult. There are a multitude of...

"A designer must strive to create timeless design. Design that is not subject to trends." – Alberto Alessi, World-Famous Designer and Owner of ALESSI Imagine walking into a space and not just seeing the incredible care taken to create a home, office, living room or lobby, but also feeling the incredible care taken to design a space. Interior designers have seen several trends come and go throughou...

While Benjamin Johnston's main focuses may be interior design and his firm,  Benjamin Johnston Design  in Houston, he's also an artist, teacher and tastemaker. And, mostly recently, he added author to the list with the release of his first book, " Refined Interiors: Timeless Homes for Modern Living " by Rizzoli. "It was fun writing the book and putting into words what hadn't really existed in conv...

  "Give me a museum and I'll fill it." – Pablo Picasso, Spanish Painter, Sculptor and Printmaker World-renowned artist Pablo Picasso, whose works of art have sold for hundreds of millions of dollars, often made this comment when talking about his prolific ability to create.   Museums, which are where so many of us have seen some of the most delicate, intricate and studied art pieces in the world,...

In January, Caren Rideau experienced the unimaginable. Her interior design firm of 30-plus years,  Kitchen Design Group , burned to the ground in the devastating wildfire that swept through Los Angeles.   "Within the first week after the fire, I had about 10 clients tell me that I better not get out of this business," Rideau recalls. "They were depending on me to rebuild. I knew I mattered."   Abo...

By Lindsay Field Penticuff Carl Dellatore 's fifth book for Rizzoli New York, " 100 Rooms: Lessons from the Finest Designers on the Art of Home, " was released earlier this month. "I wanted to make a book about practical application," Dellatore says. "You have a subject, but within that subject, I'm giving you some suggestions, advice and information that will concretely inform me and the readers....

Many—well most—of us have a natural talent for the work we do in the interior design industry. We remember rearranging and redesigning our childhood bedrooms over and over again. And we practiced that skill in more ways than we can probably count. But when it comes down to the nitty gritty of what makes each of us successful, and aspires us to be successful for those just starting in the industry,...

Most people don't typically fly by the seat of their pants when starting a business, whether it's launching a new app, opening a bakery or starting a design firm. But many people probably aren't as organized as Cheryl Luckett was when she developed a plan to shift her profession to interior design.   Luckett, the principle designer who owns Charlotte, North Carolina-headquartered Dwell by Cheryl,...

"If you don't give the market the story to talk about, they'll define your brand's story for you." —David Brier, Award-Winning Brand Expert and Rebranding Specialist  One of the biggest misconceptions Ericka Saurit—founder of Saurit Creative and Marketing School for Creatives—hears from interior designers is that marketing feels salesy.   However, she believes good marketing can be an educational...

"The whole point of collaboration is that you give and take from each other, and that's how you create things that are totally new." – Virgin Abloh, Fashion Designer, Artist and Architect We often think that we should keep all the good things to ourselves, for fear that sharing success may take away from our success. But when it comes to design, sharing and collaborating with others is incredibly...

Congratulations to our 2025 360° Design Award recipient, Alisa Bloom! Special guest host, Carl Dellatore, sits down with Alisa Bloom Design to talk insights, creativity, and exploration! Visit https://designviewpoint.dsasociety.org/the-story-behind-the-style-meet-alisa-bloom-2025-designer-360-award-winner/ to read the article and see her work!

Welcome to Life by Design with Paloma Contreras! The Designer Society of America continues this digital series, Life by Design, which features in-depth conversations with designers and industry professionals. Today's interviewee, Paloma Contreras, is an acclaimed designer based out of Houston, Texas. Paloma's design aesthetic offers a contemporary interpretation of traditional style, leaning towar...

Welcome to Life by Design with Carl Dellatore! The Designer Society of America continues this digital series called Life by Design, which features in-depth conversations with designers and industry professionals. Today's interviewee, Carl Dellatore, is also starting a series with DSA's monthly newsletter called "Some Thoughts On…" where he shares ideas, experiences and a different perspective on t...

Welcome to LIFE BY DESIGN with Benni Frowein! Benni Frowein Schumacher CEO at F. Schumacher & Co. UK Designer Society of America has launched a new digital series called LIFE BY DESIGN that will feature in-depth conversations with designers and industry professionals, highlighting the unique missions and stories that make up the fabric of our DSA community. Benni (Benjamin) Frowein grew up in Hamb...

Victor D'Angelo and Leah Check with PenEx VillaNOVA Insurance   Join us as we ask tough questions about insurance for interior designers and home stagers.    If something goes wrong on a job and you experience a considerable loss, what would you do? What do you think you should do? Do you know who you should call first? Should subcontractors working on your projects carry workman's comp? This is w...

Welcome to Life by Design with Noel Gatts! The Designer Society of America, as well as Natalie Papier, Principal Designer at HOME EC., and Arthur Kade Kamelot Productions, interviewed Noel Gatts, HGTV's breakout star, on what's important to her as an interior designer and what are some of her goals. Noel Gatts, Principal Designer, has had the opportunity to creatively serve a myriad of clients sin...

Welcome to Life by Design with Natalie Papier! The Designer Society of America has launched a new digital series called Life by Design, which will feature in-depth conversations with designers and industry professionals, highlighting the unique missions and stories that make up the fabric of our DSA community.   Natalie Papier, Interior Designer, Founder of  HOME EC Natalie has a lifelong love of...