Welcome to AN Interior ’s second annual top 50 list featuring the talented architects and designers transforming interior spaces. These emerging and established firms from all corners of the United States demonstrate novel and exciting approaches that push the envelope in how we inhabit residential, hospitality, retail, and workspaces. Images of our AN Interior 50 red carpet event can be found here .
Jennifer Bonner/MALL Boston Jennifer Bonner (Courtesy NAARO) Jennifer Bonner ’s experimental approach engages with color, pattern, and material in a manner at once irreverent and refined.
Design, Bitches Los Angeles Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph; Design, Bitches. (Courtesy Design, Bitches) There is no mistaking the work of Los Angeles’s Design, Bitches ; their bright colors and lush patterned materials ooze Southern California style.
Craig Steely Architecture San Francisco Craig Steely (Courtesy Craig Steely) Craig Steely ’s designs embrace the firm’s natural settings with generous connections to the outdoors and grand vistas.
Studio Christian Wassmann New York Christian Wassmann (Lukas Wassmann) Christian Wassmann uses planetary geometry for grand installations, furniture designs, and freestanding buildings.
Only If— New York Karolina Czeczek and Adam Frampton (Courtesy Only If—) Only If— ’s work is clean and sleek, stripping spaces down to their essential functions with striking color palettes and material choices.
Bestor Architecture Los Angeles Barbara Bestor (Ray Kachatorian) Rich tones, bright wood, and playful forms define the work of Bestor Architecture , a vital player in the Los Angeles design landscape.
Young Projects New York Bryan Young (Courtesy Young Projects) From objects to interiors, Young Projects ’ broad portfolio is formally and materially expressive as well as spatially exuberant.
New Affiliates New York Jaffer Kolb, left, and Ivi Diamantopoulou (Courtesy New Affiliates) New Affiliates works with materials and themes that others might shy away from.
Büro Koray Duman (B-KD) New York Koray Duman (Courtesy Büro Koray Duman) There is something exciting about B-KD ’s playful takes on space, form, and pattern, especially for galleries and cultural spaces.
Leong Leong New York Christopher Leong and Dominic Leong; Leong Leong (Courtesy Leong Leong) Leong Leong ’s broad formal moves and reserved material choices make their work timeless yet contemporary.
Michael K. Chen Architecture (MKCA) New York Michael K. Chen (Alan Tansey) Michael K. Chen is a master of high-design built-ins in often tight spaces.
MOS Architects New York Michael Meredith, left, and Hilary Sample, right, of MOS (Michael Vahrenwald) MOS makes the academic physical in projects that are deeply rooted in a greater architectural discipline.
RdC AAL New York Rafael de Cárdenas (Courtesy RdC AAL) Stylistically, RdC AAL 's commercial interiors are broad and varied, while still being expertly executed.
SPAN Architecture New York Peter Pelsinski and Karen Stonely (Courtesy SPAN) It is hard to pin down any single style in SPAN ’s diverse portfolio, which often plays with material, scale, and program.
WORKac New York Amale Andraos, left, and Dan Wood, right (Raymond Adams) WORKac ’s playful interiors subvert expectations of typical interior spaces and programs.
Charlap Hyman & Herrero New York and Los Angeles Adam Charlap Hyman, left, and Andre Herrero, right. (Courtesy Charlap Hyman & Herrero) Charlap Hyman & Herrero ’s work is defined by bold forms and unconventional material choices, resulting in spaces as rich as they are dramatic.
Snarkitecture New York In order: Alex Mustonen, Daniel Arsham, and Ben Porto (Courtesy Snarkitecture) Year after year, working within a minimal palette, Snarkitecture continuously manages to design surprise and delight for users of all ages.
Bureau Spectacular Los Angeles Joanna Grant, left, and Jimenez Lai, right. (Courtesy Chicago Architecture Biennial) With forms and spaces pulled straight from the pages of comic books, Bureau Spectacular ’s work is like none other.
Abruzzo Bodziak Architects New York Emily Abruzzo, left, and Gerald Bodziak, right. (Courtesy Abruzzo Bodziak Architects) Abruzzo Bodziak ’s use of color and novel details make for spaces with loads of unique effects.
Shulman + Associates Miami Alla Shulman (Courtesy Shulman + Associates) Miami’s Shulman + Associates teaches old Art Deco buildings new tricks in the historically design-rich city.
Morris Adjmi Architects New Orleans and New York Morris Adjmi (Lisa Mahar) Morris Adjmi ’s work is highly finished and carefully detailed in every way.
Andres Jaque Architects / Office for Political Innovation Madrid, Spain and New York Andrés Jaque (Courtesy Andres Jaque Architects / Office for Political Innovation) Andrés Jaque Architects / Office for Political Innovation has carved its own path through design, performance, and exhibition.
Norman Kelley Chicago, New Orleans Carrie Norman, left, and Thomas Kelley, right. (Spencer Mcneil) Norman Kelley 's deadpan approach to interior design makes for clean, smart spaces, often with a twist.
Schiller Projects New York Aaron Schiller (Courtesy Schiller Projects) With its own strategic design wing, Schiller ’s interiors are closely focused on their clients’ needs and aspirations.
SO – IL New York Jing Liu, left, florian Idenburg, right. (Courtesy SO – IL) SO – IL 's use of bright, sheer materials brings a soft luminescence to many of its space.
MAIO New York and Barcelona, Spain Maria Charneco, Alfredo Lérida, Guillermo López, Anna Puigjaner; MAIO. (Adrià Cañameras) New York– and Barcelona-based MAIO has been making waves around the world with designs that challenge banal programs.
Elliott + Associates Architects Oklahoma City Rand Elliott, Elliott + Associates (Courtesy Elliot + Associates Architects) The local go-to for bold corporate interiors, few firms have defined the look of a region as Elliott + Associates have defined Oklahoma’s.
Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects New York Mark L. Gardner, left, and Stephan Jaklitsch, right. (Courtesy Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects) Jaklitsch / Gardner ’s wide range of clients is matched by the breadth of its design language and commitment to craft.
64North Los Angeles Wil Carson (Courtesy 64North) Multidisciplinary 64North brings branding, interiors, website, and product design services under one roof, defining a contemporary Gesamtkunstwerk.
Studio O+A San Francisco Primo Orpilla, left, and Verda Alexander, right. (Courtesy Studio O+A) Studio O+A proves that corporate interiors can be anything but sterile as it learns from and expands beyond tech workspaces.
Neil M. Denari Architects Los Angeles Neil Denari (Courtesy Neil M. Denari Architects) Few have had as much influence on contemporary young designers as Neil M. Denari . His flowing spaces and forms have defined a genre.
ensamble studio Boston and Madrid, Spain Antón García Abril, left, and Débora Mesa, right. (Courtesy ensamble studio) Masters of material, the architects of ensamble studio use the latest technologies and techniques in their quest for dramatic interior spaces.
Architecture in Formation New York Matthew Bremer (Courtesy the AIA) Architecture in Formation is unafraid to mix and match eclectic objects and materials to produce rich results.
MILLIØNS Los Angeles John May, left, and Zeina Koreitem, right (Courtesy MILLIØNS) Form questions function in MILLIØNS ’ design investigations of culture, media, politics, and history.
Alexander Gorlin Architects New York Alexander Gorlin (Courtesy Alexander Gorlin Architects) Alexander Gorlin ’s modernist interiors are lush, melding light, space, and natural materials with deep, vibrant color.
Home Studios New York Oliver Haslegrave (Courtesy Home Studios) Home Studios custom details sophisticated materials in commercial spaces across New York City.
Slade Architecture New York James Slade, left, and Hayes Slade, right. (Courtesy Slade Architecture) There is a smooth chic to all of Slade Architecture ’s interiors across an impressive range of projects that meld concept and function.
Aranda\Lasch New York and Tucson, Arizona Benjamin Aranda, left, and Chris Lasch, right (Noah Sheldon) With close attention paid to the fabrication process, geometry and material meet in the clean spaces designed by Aranda\Lasch .
Studio Cadena New York Benjamin Cadena (Courtesy Studio Cadena) There is a levity to Studio Cadena ’s work that comes through in everything from their materials to their spaces.
NADAAA Boston Nader Tehrani, left, and Katherine Faulkner, right. (Leo Sorel/The Cooper Union) NADAAA ’s work comes from an intersection of intense material understanding and exuberant form finding.
Toshiko Mori Architect New York Toshiko Mori (Ralph Gibson) Toshiko Mori ’s clean lines and expansive windows bring dramatic landscapes into her spaces.
studio blitz Los Angeles and San Francisco Seth Hanley, left, and Melissa Hanley, right. (Ramin Rahimian) This studio lives up to its name with in-your-face patterns, materials, and space planning.
Alda Ly Architecture New York Alda Ly (Courtesy Tory Williams) Alda Ly brings classic finishes and motifs together with clean contemporary spaces and playful detailing.
Johnston Marklee Los Angeles Sharon Johnston, left, and Mark Lee, right. (Courtesy Johnston Marklee) Smooth forms and simple palettes give Johnston Marklee ’s interiors a reserved elegance.
Savvy Studio New York and Mexico City Rafael Prieto of Savvy (Courtesy Savvy Studio) Mexico and New York-based Savvy brings together interiors, branding, furniture, and packaging under one roof with a decidedly global outlook.
The Los Angeles Design Group (LADG) Los Angeles and Cambridge, Mass. Claus Benjamin Freyinger, left, and Andrew Holder, right. (Courtesy the Los Angeles Design Group) From piles to plywood, LADG makes the most out of materials others might pass over.
Biber Architects New York James Biber (Courtesy Biber Architects) Biber Architects ’ interiors are playful and eclectic—every project takes on a new character.
OFFICIAL Design Dallas Amy Wynne Leveno, left, and Mark Leveno, right. (Courtesy OFFICIAL Design) Dallas’s OFFICIAL Design plays with light and color in its interior spaces, while also designing bespoke furniture pieces.
INABA Williams New York and Los Angeles Jeffrey Inaba, left, and Darien Williams, right. (Courtesy Inaba Williams) Every project by INABA Williams starts with deep research, which ultimately informs thoughtful design and planning at every stage of a project.
Peterson Rich Office New York Nathan Rich, left, and Miriam Peterson, right. (Courtesy Peterson Rich Office) Far from austere, Peterson Rich ’s form-driven designs remind us just how lush white interiors can be.