The Educated Eye Luncheon
On September 23, NYSID trustees, alumni, and supporters came out to kick off this year’s Dialogues on Design series at The Educated Eye Luncheon in the lovely interior of a private club in New York City. An exploration of the interplay between fashion and interior design, this year’s event featured fashion illustrator, designer, and artist Cathy Graham, author of “Second Bloom: Cathy Graham’s Art of the Table,” and Billy Norwich, former Vogue editor and New York Post society columnist. The event was moderated by Dennis Scully, host of the Business of Home podcast.
David Sprouls, president of the New York School of Interior Design, welcomes readers to the Summer 2024 issue of Atelier.
NYSID alumna Nandar Godoy-Dinneen ’11 (MPSS)) designed this 700 sq. ft. retreat outside the city of Quito, Ecuador. The client asked for a tiny house that contained a bedroom, bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, office, and yoga space.
NYSID alumnus Erick Espinoza ’13 (BFA) became creative director of the prestigious interior design firm Anthony Baratta, Inc., at the age of 24. He has been named a House Beautiful Next Wave Designer, and his first house’s interior, which he designed, was featured in The New York Times, Country Living Magazine, and Connecticut Cottage and Gardens. NYSID honored him with its Rising Star Award at Gala 2024.
Mackenzie Carr began as NYSID’s first director of DEIB in the summer of 2023. He views his work as “building culture,” a practice that requires patience, empathy, and strategic thinking. As he approaches his first-year anniversary at NYSID, we chat with him about what drew him to DEIB work, his methods, and the emerging priorities for NYSID.
NYSID alumna and instructor Michelle Jacobson ’18 (MPSS) says designers drive the development of more sustainable products, so knowing what questions to ask about materials can have a huge impact on the health of clients and what gets manufactured.
The New York School of Interior Design’s curricula and offerings are constantly evolving, pushing the standards of design education further. Hear about NYSID’s exciting new hires, projects, and directions here.
“Our children are well taken care of. I wanted to share some of our resources with other people who might have less. When Anne and I were young, neither of us could afford to travel to far-flung places. Later in our lives, Anne and I visited India, China, Burma, Vietnam, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, and many parts of Latin America. Morocco was a highlight of our life. Exploring these roads less traveled ripped me out of my own experience and deepened and broadened my understanding of the world. This kind of educational experience, through a school like NYSID, seemed to be the greatest gift we could give.”
Vincenza Lampon ’23 (BFA) resolved to use her thesis to radically rethink the way shelter design serves the unhoused. She collected empirical data, learning that “shelters rarely have design practices built into them.”
As Motomu “Lucia” Sakakibara ’23 (BFA) embarked on her thesis research, she envisioned a destination where people in metropolitan areas could go for decompression and self-reflection. Her models were Storm King, Dia Beacon, and Grace Farms, non-profit cultural organizations that brought her quietude and inspiration when she needed space from the city. For her cultural organization’s location, she chose a 1930s building, originally a stable, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, on a plot of land ringed by woods.
Chairman’s Award winner Charlotte Doody '23 (MFA1) researched many spas and wellness centers in preparation for her thesis. Her inquiry resulted in this revelation: “In modern day America, taking care of one’s health has become a sacred practice—a pilgrimage towards balance and well-being.” So she designed Aether Wellness Center around the idea that, “health is a new religion.”