Best of Interior Design: Studio Designer on the Elle Decor A-List

The 2022 Elle Decor A-List shows off the most exciting, influential, and dynamic talents in the trade including the top residential interior designers, architects, and landscape designers. As the industry’s leading digital business platform, Studio Designer clients comprise a significant percentage of the A-List and Titans list. Here we present Studio Designer clients from each section—Class Of 2022, Returning, and Titans—who continue to set new standards in the world of interior design with their exemplary talent and sensational designs.

New: Nicole Hollis

Nicole Hollis and her team at NICOLEHOLLIS have been at the forefront of modern luxury interior design with the signature, pared-down design aesthetic of their supremely impressive portfolio of residential and commercial work. Nicole has always championed a global coalition of artists and artisans with every project and has received numerous accolades in both the residential and hospitality spaces. Her museum-level design of this powder room for a San Francisco Mansion is nothing short of legendary.

New: Billy Cotton

Billy Cotton has developed a compelling and idiosyncratic approach to interior design in New York City that has captivated the city’s most prominent artists including Cindy Sherman and Lisa Yuskavage. Billy doesn’t adhere to a prevailing style and instead goes “Method” with each client, by designing according to their lifestyles and emotional motivations as he shared with the New York Times. He designed this cozy elegant space in a New York City apartment around the fireplace including a curved vintage sofa.

New: Courtney McLeod

With her firm Right Meets Left Interior Design, Courtney McLeod’s daring use of color and pattern in her vibrant designs have boosted her profile as one of the country’s top talents. Based in Manhattan, Courtney lives up to the name of her firm by providing the precision and efficiency of left-brain thinking combined with the innovation and creativity of right-brain sensibilities. She and her team strive to provide joyful and engaging spaces that allow their clients to “live more colorfully.” This philosophy is certainly at play in this stunning Harlem New York apartment with artwork beautifully complemented by the vibrant accessories and fabric.

Returning: Ken Fulk

The magical Ken Fulk continues to impress the trade with his effervescent personality and the bold artistry of his hospitality and residential designs. He credits his daring creative visions to his cinematic perspective as detailed in his recent book Ken Fulk: The Movie in My Mind. Based in New York and San Francisco, Ken is also a sought-after events planner who loves to try new things and take risks in every project. For this Sonoma county home, this family den was clad in milled Redwood from two monumental trees that burned in a fire and is a very meaningful space for the client family.

Returning: Young Huh

Young Huh originally studied English literature and the law before finding her true passion in interior design. She has a masterful way of adding modern and fresh details to classic and traditional décor. As a result, her timeless designs have won her acclaim throughout the trade (including a recent NYSID award) and expansion to hospitality design like Point Grace Resort. Here is a splendid New York City  formal living room Young designed with a custom-designed pomegranate-patterned rug, Bergère chairs from Karl Kemp, and a vintage blown glass Murano chandelier.

Returning: Nate Berkus

Nate Berkus continues to be a fiercely talented and creative leader in the trade with his high-profile lines with Living Spaces with his partner Jeremiah Brent—another terrific designer—and shows on HGTV. Nate gamely meets high expectations with superbly elegant interiors always featuring a vintage or antique item revealing Nate’s obsession with finding classic treasures at auctions or in person. This charming West Hollywood apartment shows just how beautifully Nate can blend periods and styles.

Titan: Alex Papachristidis

One of the best maximalists in design, Alex Papachristidis will deliver opulence and panache to clients looking to truly indulge in vivid luxury. Not only do designers look to him for compelling inspiration, but his talent with tablescapes led him to found a company called Everyday Elegance, Alex recently completed a glorious apartment in Athens, Greece featured in Town and Country and the living room is a virtuoso mix of modern and classic pieces.

Titan: Romanek Design Studio

As the founder and principal of Romanek Design Studio, Brigette is self-taught and designs on her natural instinct for decorating stylish and deeply aspirational interiors. Her star clientele—including Beyonce and Demi Moore— stand by her singular contemporary luxury décor. She loves to accent her chic aesthetic with classic pieces and even did a lighting collection with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Her relaxed, California vibe achieves great heights heights in Gwyneth Paltrow’s jaw-dropping Montecito home featuring a great hammock.

Titan: Michael S. Smith

Michael S. Smith is the designer of choice for such famous clients like television producer Shonda Rhimes who has commissioned him for incredible residences in both Los Angeles and New York City. Michael has a renowned mastery of European classicism but is equally at home in American contemporary. He went for opulent antiques in the rest of the Manhattan apartment but opted for plush modernity in the main bedroom.