The World’s Top 10 Interior Designers
Architecture and interior are constantly evolving. As such, to stand out from other professionals, interior designers need to be distinctive, creative, and inspiring and have an impeccable eye.
Here are the world’s most acclaimed interior designers, the ones who represent the industry, in no particular order.
David Collins Studio
Founded by Iain Watson and the late David Collins (1955–2013), David Collins Studio is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Armed with their imagination and creativity, they pursue permanent beauty using quality materials that age gracefully. Their designs show that true glamour isn’t just about looks but invoking emotions.
Based in London, this award-winning interior architecture practice is the name behind well-known projects across the globe such as The Wolseley and Harrods Shoe Heaven in London, The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Bangkok, and store roll-outs of Alexander McQueen and Jimmy Choo.
Jean-Louis Deniot
French interior designer Jean-Louis Deniot is world-renowned for his ability to create atmospheric and harmonious displays. He has an impressive portfolio that boasts of projects like Palace New Delhi, a Monaco estate, and a redecorated Falcon 2000.
With his academic training in Ecole Camondo, a prestigious school in this field, as his backbone, he fuses history, art, and architecture with contemporary aesthetics to create timeless designs. He also has a preference for natural materials, impeccable lighting, and soft colors which translate into serene and elegant scenarios.
Kelly Hoppen
Internationally acclaimed British designer and author Kelly Hoppen has over 40 years of experience in the industry under her belt. Over the years, she’s designed for celebrities like David and Victoria Beckham, a luxury residential tower block in Taiwan, and commercial projects like the Celebrity Edge cruise ship. In 2009, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to interior design.
Kelly Hoppen specializes in subtly fusing East and West concepts and focusing on the feel of the space aside from aesthetics. Dubbed as the Queen of Taupe, she’s known for her signature clean lines and neutral tones.
Kelly Wearstler
Kelly Wearstler is an American design professional with a colorful profile, being an author, blogger, jewelry designer, and branding virtuoso as well. The magazine New Yorker titled her the presiding grande dame of West Coast interior design after she solidified her career with her works in the hotel industry in California. Her most iconic projects include the Viceroy Hotels and Residences, Tides Miami, San Francisco Proper Hotel, and Four Seasons Anguilla.
At the heart of Kelly Wearstler’s designs is a multi-layered, sense-stimulating experience. By exploring different materials, colors, forms, and concepts, she challenges the rules of interior designing while still respecting history, architecture, and location.
Marcel Wanders
Passionate, exciting, and bold – these are the three words that best describe the works of Dutch designer Marcel Wanders. He revels in creating ingenious and daring displays that seek to provoke and entertain. In what he calls ‘the Contemporary Renaissance of Humanism,’ Marcel Wanders breathes romance, poetry, and fantasy into the coldness of industrialism.
Known internationally for his creation of the Knotted Chair, his holistic and humanistic approach to designing has captivated the hearts of premium brands like Baccarat, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Louis Vuitton, Puma, and Swarovski. The chair ranks as one of the most coveted and expensive in the world.
Marmol Radziner
Established in 1989 by American architects Leo Marmol, FAIA, and Ron Radziner, FAIA, Marmol Radziner is a firm composed of architects, interior designers, landscape designers, metal fabricators, carpenters, furniture makers, and a construction crew. It has a unique reputation for innovatively integrating design and precision with construction standards.
The firm specializes in creating modern and organic interiors that blend seamlessly with the architecture and surrounding landscape. It has a star-studded clientele that features celebrities like Flea and Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Ellen DeGeneres, and Bradley Cooper.
Peter Marino
American architect Peter Marino FAIA is globally renowned for redefining modern luxury using a combination of architecture and interior design. With the Italian illusionist Renzo Mongiardino as one of his biggest inspirations, his scenarios center around creating illusions with the reality of permanence.
One of the most sought-after design professionals in the world, Peter Marino has worked with names like Andy Warhol, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton.
Philippe Starck
Known for his contributions in interior, product, industrial, and architectural designing, Philippe Starck’s mission is to create objects that prioritize usefulness before beauty. With a sense of duty, he creates unconventional projects that are ecologically aware, action-driven, innovative, and respectful to human heritage.
This commitment shows in his creations. His notable works include the Élysée Palace apartments, Steve Jobs’s Venus yacht, the Royal Monceau in France, and Katsuya in Los Angeles.
Rockwell Group
The Rockwell Group is an award-winning architecture and design practice based in New York City with a Madrid satellite office. Founded in 1984 by David Rockwell, it currently has more than 250 creative thinkers. Some of the most recent projects they’ve completed include the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Warner Music Group, The Ritz-Carlton Boston, and Gordon Ramsay at The St. Regis.
With an emphasis on interactive technology and handmade decors, fixtures, and furniture, the Rockwell Group is able to make balanced displays of technology, aesthetics, and craftsmanship. For this firm, a successful project equates to a unique concept, informative story, and design-driven approach.
Victoria Hagan Interiors
Last but not least, we have Victoria Hagan, a long respected name for her intelligent fusion of architecture and interior design. Based in New York City, she has a 26-person firm with 25 years of experience providing classic American style interior design and renovation services. Her design approach revolves around the refined use of quality materials, sophisticated hues, and pronounced silhouettes.
With Architectural Digest comparing her works to Katherine Hepburn for being elegant but restrained, some of her most recent commissions include a 20,000-square-foot historical Manhattan townhouse, a Central Park Plaza Hotel penthouse, and the official residence of the Vice President of the United States in Washington, D.C, the Number One Observatory Circle.
