Faces of Design: The Collaboration Between Designer & Painting Pro
Benjamin Moore presents our first look at 25 of the industry’s leading interior designers, architects, and professional painter collaborators of today. Introducing the inaugural Faces of Design class of 2022 hailing from across the United States.
Meet the standout crew that caught our attention as we celebrate their work, creativity, collaboration, and craftsmanship. While you explore the design process that fuels these teams, you will also get tips on paint colors, paint products, and inspiration for your next project.
Collaboration + CreativityIn partnership with Luxe Interiors + Design, Benjamin Moore scoured the United States to find professional interior designers—and the painting professionals who work by their side—to create gorgeous spaces.
Silver Springs, MD
Iantha Carley + James Lackford
Designer Iantha Carley and paint expert James Lackford, a husband and wife team, have worked together for years building their project portfolio. Iantha’s eye for color and James’s up-to-date knowledge on painting products and techniques, combined with the teams’ keen focus to detail, is made abundantly clear upon completion of every space.
“Putting paint on is the easy part,” says James, who explains how critical details are: “The prep takes the most time. One of my best guys goes out at night with a bare bulb and circles everything he finds wrong on the surface.”
Learn more about Iantha Carley and James Lackford.
“People often try to identify what creates that certain sense of elegance and luxury in their favorite spaces. It’s the paint and finishes.”
— Iantha Carley
Aspen, CO
Sarah Broughton + Enrique and Luis Pena
How did you three come to work together?
Sarah: We believe that walls are our canvas and a backdrop to life and art—the quality of the painting is important. We like to work with Level 5 finishes a lot. Early in our firm, Enrique executed that with fantastic attention to detail and dedication to craft. We have worked together for the 20 years since!
Describe the impact of paint on interiors.
Enrique: Paint can give everything a rhythmic look by connecting many aspects of the project, creating intimacy or openness across spaces.
Paint a picture of the design journey and the role you play within it.
Luis: We try to see things from the perspective of the design team, making their vision beautiful with color and craftsmanship.
Learn more about Sarah Broughton and Enrique & Luis Pena.
“I am a China White OC-141 fan. We work with a lot of natural materials, and its taupe undertone works amazingly well with wood and stone.”
— Sarah Broughton
San Francisco, CA
Emilie Munroe + Rye Nazarian
“There is no lack of stories to share over a glass of wine!” jokes designer Emilie Munroe when asked of her collaboration with paint craftsman Rye Nazarian. From executing an entire project during a client’s two-week vacation to selecting the boldest paint colors (an Emilie signature), the duo loves a challenge.
Speaking of their wide-ranging projects, Rye shares a popular request: “There is always this ‘freshly fallen snow’ look that people are seeking. We do it by using 18-inch rollers and a sprayer loaded with Benjamin Moore Regal® Select Interior in a dead flat finish on the ceiling.”
Learn more about Emilie Munroe and Rye Nazarian.
“Paint can be the star or supporting role. I like when we use it to surprise or ‘wink’ at you—a bright orange peeking at you from the back of a bookcase.”
— Rye Nazarian
New York City, NY
Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson + Jonathan Kutzin
In historic, iconic spaces, selecting paint can be daunting. Every hue must be attuned to the design, worthy of the home’s precedence, and elegant—yet ahead of trends.
Such is the challenge that Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson often face. Beloved for their ability to balance timelessness and today, the designers regularly “repolish” interiors in buildings like One57 and Herzog & de Meuron’s 56 Leonard. A favorite tip? “High-gloss ceilings, which have great drama and bounce light off, take a room to heaven,” explains Jamie.
Since meeting the design duo at a Kips Bay Show House in 2008, Jonathan Kutzin of America Painting has also played a key role: “I work almost exclusively with the design community to deliver top quality in high-end environments.” Always the innovator, Kutzin creates capsule collections of samples for each of Jamie and Caleb’s illustrious projects.
Learn more about Drake/Anderson and Jonathan Kutzin.
“Benjamin Moore AURA® Interior paint's quality makes it our go-to pick.”
— Jaime Drake
Austin, TX
Sara Malek Barney + Lisa and Peter Moon
“Use of light, use of color and good space planning are the essence of great design,” says Lisa Moon, who owns Paper Moon Painting with Peter, her husband. “If any of these are not executed well, the environment falls flat, or worse, feels ‘off.’ ”
This level of insight makes Paper Moon Painting an invaluable resource for Sara Malek Barney, founder and principal at BANDD/DESIGN, who adds: “We believe that everyone deserves to live, work and experience life in an aesthetically pleasing space, and having true craftspeople applying paint of the quality Benjamin Moore provides is key to creating that.”
“Benjamin Moore does an excellent job of curating rich, lovely colors, including the greatest selection of whites and off-whites in various undertones. They always seem to land on the perfect amount of saturation, ensuring brilliant hues never look like Crayola colors on the wall.”
Learn more about Sara Malek Barney and Lisa & Peter Moon.
“When chosen well, paint can regulate the mood of a room, making a sunny space feel fresh and cool or an area with minimal windows feel cozy and comfortable.”
— Peter Moon
Los Angeles, CA
Timothy Corrigan + Bill Suplee
Why do you consider it critical to work with a skilled painting contractor?
Timothy: Our projects tend to have beautiful architectural details, wood paneling and plasterwork, which require specialty painting. We also work on historic homes where an understanding of preservation is key.
How do the features and benefits of a paint product influence your specification?
Bill: We love Benjamin Moore’s SCUFF-X® Interior paint for families because it is washable and scrubbable. Low or no-odor formulas like Eco Spec® are desirable for health-conscious clients and those with young children. I also recommend semi- gloss and eggshell finishes for kitchens and baths, but flat ones for ceilings and matte for walls.
Which colors inspire you the most?
Timothy: I am most influenced by the vibrant, saturated colors used in mid-18th-century French design. I like warm shades versus cooler ones in any color, because they make a space feel welcoming.
Learn more about Timothy Corrigan and Bill Suplee.
“Determine the best color for a room by painting a 2-by-2-foot foam board and moving it around. It should suit every patch of light.”
— Timothy Corrigan
Mclean, VA
Design Team: Tracy Morris + George Fritz
A warm taupe, a deep blueberry, a soft blush—out of all the colors under the sun, these three, Tracy Morris says, will always captivate her.
Clearly, the interior designer has a deep appreciation for the role of paint color in her creations. Her partner in bringing her color vision to life, George Fritz, a construction and paint expert, provides a passion for exceptional paint application.
“Paint can transform a ‘blah’ space into something spectacular,” Tracy says. George adds, “Selecting the right paint can make the difference between an easy project and happy client or an extended project and miserable client.”
Given their symbiotic outlook on painting gorgeous home interiors, it’s no wonder these two have been a dream project team for almost a decade.
Learn more about Tracy Morris and George Fritz.
“The design journey is a bit of a relay race where we continuously pass the baton back and forth, supporting each other at each stage.”
— Tracy Morris
Westchester, NY
Everick and Lisa Brown + Peter Buttenwieser
How did you come to work together?
Peter: We went to college together and ultimately found ourselves in the same industry 20 years later.
What tips can you share to help with paint selection?
Everick: For a modern feel, Lisa and I like to specify our signature look, which includes painting the trim, doors and baseboard the same color as the wall in a satin or matte finish. In rooms where the ceilings are 8 feet tall or shorter, we choose white or lighter colors in flat finishes to create the illusion of a taller space.
What is your all-time favorite Benjamin Moore product?
Peter: Believe it or not, AURA® Interior paint in a basic white. Simply put, it works the best for trim, and this is an area that often gets overlooked.
Learn more about Everick Brown and Peter Buttenwieser.
“If the client loves their color selections, they’ll be happy with our work and vice versa. We make the colors look their best, but it’s all about the color for the homeowner.”
— Peter Buttenweiser
Palm Beach, FL
Allison Paladino and Zita Rudd + Chad Quist
Why is your collaborative relationship critical to a project’s success?
Allison: It broadens how creative you can be. Recently, we wanted to bleach a mahogany ceiling in an outdoor space and then apply a beige stain to cut the green hue and create a soft shade. It would be challenging, but Chad accomplished it in one try. He is a master of subtle texture!
What is the impact of paint on interiors?
Zita: We’ve been doing a lot of transitional spaces where the walls, moldings and ceilings are the same color but varying finishes. This becomes a clean and serene envelope perfect for showcasing art, which exemplifies the influence paint has on our designs.
Learn more about Allison Paladino and Zita Rudd + Chad Quist
“Benjamin Moore’s Regal® Select Matte is a favorite because it has a very subtle sheen but is almost flat. The way it toys with light gives a home a lovely glow. It can also be scrubbed clean without damage.”
—Chad Quist
Chicago, IL
Design Team: Joan Craig + Steve Hester
Exactitude and craftsmanship, vision and inspiration—these elements come together effortlessly in Joan Craig and Steve Hester’s longstanding partnership. The designer and painting pro, alongside their respective teams, have made an art form out of collaboration for more than a decade.
Joan knows that color transforms a space, and Steve’s 70-plus skilled painters take the utmost pride in their work.
“We want to give our customers a finished product that will last for years to come,” Steve says. And they do, by helping designers like Joan select the perfect formula and finish, applying it expertly, and ultimately, creating beautiful results.
Learn more about Joan Craig and Steve Hester.
“The final paint coats impact the big picture. If they aren’t perfect, every other effort and vision is diminished.”
— Joan Craig
This story originally appeared in the September/October 2022 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design.
Designer Dialogue
Get more color and design tips from our Design P.O.V. contributors as we continue the conversation!
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