Interview

What first sparked your interest in interior design, and how has your perspective evolved since founding Gray Space Interiors?

I’ve always been fascinated by how spaces make people feel. Long before I knew interior design could be a career, I found myself rearranging rooms, studying architecture, and paying attention to the emotional impact of beautiful environments. As the founder of Gray Space Interiors, that curiosity has evolved into a much deeper purpose. Today, I see design as a tool for improving how people live. A well-designed home isn’t just beautiful. It supports your routines, reduces stress, and becomes the backdrop for life’s most meaningful moments.

Before launching your firm, you spent over a decade in marketing and brand management. How has that business background shaped your approach to design and the client experience?

Marketing taught me that every successful brand begins with understanding people. I approach every project the same way. Before we select a single finish, we’re learning how our clients live, what matters most to them, and how they want their home to make them feel. My business background also helped me build systems, communication, and processes that create a luxury client experience from beginning to end. Great design is only part of the equation. The experience should feel just as intentional.

Gray Space Interiors is known for creating homes that feel elevated yet livable. How do you define luxury today?

Luxury today isn’t about excess. It’s about intention. It’s having a home that’s tailored to your lifestyle, filled with quality materials that age beautifully, and designed to support the way you actually live. True luxury should feel effortless, comfortable, and deeply personal rather than simply expensive.

Your work often balances refinement with warmth and function. What design principles guide that balance?

I believe every room should be equally beautiful and practical. I start with thoughtful space planning because if a room doesn’t function well, it never truly feels luxurious. From there, I layer natural materials, texture, lighting, and carefully selected furnishings that create warmth while maintaining clean architectural lines. The goal is always timeless, never intimidating.

Through your partnership with Gray Contracting & Construction, you’ve built an integrated design-build model. How does designing alongside construction teams influence outcomes for clients?

Having construction integrated into our design process changes everything. Because our contractor is involved from the beginning, we’re able to anticipate challenges, make smarter design decisions, and ensure what we envision can be executed beautifully. It creates better communication, fewer surprises, and ultimately a smoother experience for our clients.

Philadelphia has such a distinct architectural identity—from historic row homes to contemporary new builds. How does the city influence your design perspective?

Philadelphia celebrates history while embracing innovation, and I think my work reflects that balance. I love honoring original architectural details while introducing modern functionality and fresh materials. The city reminds me that great design respects the past without feeling trapped by it.

Are there neighborhoods, spaces, restaurants, hotels, or places around Philadelphia that continually inspire your creative thinking?

Philadelphia is full of inspiration. I love strolling through Old City for its architecture and creative energy, spending time around Rittenhouse Square for its timeless elegance, and visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art whenever I need to reset creatively. I’m equally inspired by boutique hospitality spaces because they constantly challenge me to think about how environments shape emotion and experience.

You’ve worked across renovations, furnishings, and new construction. What excites you most about designing from the ground up?

Designing from the ground up gives us the opportunity to shape every experience before a single wall is built. We can maximize natural light, create better circulation, plan thoughtful storage, and ensure every detail works together. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that every design decision contributes to how someone will live in that home for years to come.

What details do you think homeowners most often overlook when creating a home that feels complete?

Lighting is probably the biggest one. Beautiful furniture can’t compensate for poor lighting. I also think scale, layered textures, window treatments, and meaningful artwork are often underestimated. Those finishing details are what transform a house into a home.

What are the foundational elements you believe every well-designed bedroom should have?

Every bedroom should begin with an exceptional mattress, quality bedding, layered lighting, blackout window treatments, and furniture that’s properly scaled to the room. I also believe a bedroom should include soft textures, calming colors, and minimal visual clutter. The environment should immediately signal rest.

When designing a sleep space, how do you balance aesthetics with comfort and functionality?

I never separate beauty from performance. A bedroom should look serene, but it should also support great sleep. That means investing in the mattress first, selecting breathable natural textiles, creating flexible lighting for different times of day, minimizing distractions, and designing around the client’s actual routines rather than just what photographs well.

Wellness continues to play a larger role in residential design. How are you seeing ideas around restoration, recovery, and intentional living show up in the homes you create?

Clients are prioritizing spaces that help them recharge. We’re incorporating more spa-inspired bathrooms, reading nooks, meditation spaces, healthier materials, improved lighting, and bedrooms that truly function as retreats from busy lives. Wellness isn’t becoming another design trend. It’s becoming an expectation.

You previously participated in The Kaleidoscope Project, which centered around rest, reflection, and rejuvenation. Did that experience shift or reinforce how you think about bedroom and wellness design?

It reinforced something I’ve always believed. Design has the power to influence emotional well-being. That project reminded me that bedrooms shouldn’t simply be beautiful. They should support restoration through thoughtful color palettes, comfortable furnishings, natural materials, and environments that encourage people to disconnect and slow down.

Your guest suite for House Beautiful Whole Home embraced color, comfort, and retreat-like living. What did that project teach you about creating memorable sleep spaces?

It reminded me that comfort and personality can absolutely coexist. Guests remember how a space made them feel more than any individual piece of furniture. When you layer beautiful textures, thoughtful lighting, exceptional bedding, and meaningful details, the room becomes an experience rather than simply a place to sleep.

Which Saatva sleep or bedroom products do you personally gravitate toward, and what stands out to you from a design and lifestyle perspective?

I’m drawn to the Saatva Classic Mattress paired with the Saatva Adjustable Base Plus because together they embody what modern luxury should be: beautiful, personalized, and rooted in wellness. I love that an adjustable base allows you to tailor your comfort whether you’re reading, winding down with a book, watching TV, or simply finding the perfect position for a more restorative night’s sleep. As a designer, I also appreciate Saatva’s commitment to exceptional craftsmanship, quality materials, and timeless design. Those are the same values we prioritize at Gray Space Interiors, where luxury isn’t just about how a space looks, but how it helps you live and feel every day.

Natural light, proportion, and spatial flow are often central to great interiors. How do those principles influence your work?

Everything starts with light and proportion. Natural light affects how colors read, how materials feel, and ultimately how people experience a room. I also spend a great deal of time thinking about circulation because a beautiful room should feel intuitive to move through. Good design is often less about adding more and more about creating balance.

From your experience, what is the best design advice you can offer someone looking to create a more thoughtful and restorative home environment?

Design around your life instead of trends. Invest in the pieces you interact with every day. Prioritize comfort, quality, and functionality before accessories. And don’t underestimate the importance of a great night’s sleep. When your home supports your well-being, everything else feels easier.

Beyond interiors, what creative disciplines currently inspire you most—travel, fashion, architecture, hospitality, art, or something else?

Hospitality is one of my biggest inspirations. The world’s best hotels understand how to create experiences that feel both luxurious and welcoming. I also draw inspiration from fashion because of its use of texture and proportion, architecture for its timeless forms, and travel because it constantly introduces new perspectives on craftsmanship and culture.

What does your ideal bedroom look and feel like today?

My ideal bedroom feels like checking into my favorite boutique hotel, but with the warmth and familiarity of home. It’s filled with natural light during the day, layered lighting at night, luxurious bedding, calming neutral tones, rich textures, thoughtful artwork, and enough breathing room that the space immediately encourages you to slow down.

What’s currently on your nightstand?

A great design book, a candle, a journal, lip balm, and a glass of water. I try to keep it intentionally minimal because I believe reducing visual clutter helps create a more restful environment.

If you had to choose one piece—whether bedding, furniture, lighting, or décor—that instantly elevates a bedroom, what would it be and why?

An exceptional mattress. Everything else builds from there. You can have beautiful furniture and stunning lighting, but if you aren’t sleeping well, the room isn’t fulfilling its most important purpose. A high-quality mattress is one of the best investments you can make in both your home and your overall well-being.