Today we’d like to introduce you to Ani Ferrara.
Hi Ani, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my interior design journey when I left the film industry. When I worked as a designer at West Elm, I created a relationship with every person I interacted with. I truly learned the value of connecting with people on a personal level and how their homes make such an impact on their daily lives. Design is an experience, and when you are entering a space, you are emotionally connecting with it. The colors make you feel something, and the shapes of the furniture provide comfort. When I worked in the film industry, there was much less reward in the set designs that would get packed away after the film was completed. Interior design touches so many people, and it’s much more rewarding to see families enjoy the spaces you design.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ever since I was young, I would write essays about what I thought my future would be like. I imagined being an Art director and winning an Oscar one day for best production design. I went to UCLA Theater Film and Television School and studied set design. After graduating, I worked in the Costume department on a number of Clint Eastwood movies and eventually made my way to the art department. I worked on a Marvel series along with Netflix films but realized my creative skills were not being fully utilized. In design school, interior design was frowned upon. It was considered a backup career to production design but the era of working from home during “The Great Interruption” quickly turned that around. Interior designers became the famous faces on reality shows and created their own furniture lines for big box stores. The boom of the home industry exploded throughout the past three years and I have been busy ever since.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As an Interior Designer, when I walk into a space, I look at all the details and start building a very strong vision of how it could look. Being able to visualize an empty room is extremely instinctive. After I purchase and install the furniture, the finishing touch is styling, turning a good room into a great room. I select pieces that have personal connections to my clients from their culture, their fields of interest, and their travels. Every piece has meaning and speaks to each other. I am a curious person, and I am always learning. Every single client has been a different process of design. You’re never going to create the same design twice. Designing custom furniture distinguishes my work from others. When a client hears the word “custom” they are immediately concerned that it’s going to be the most expensive option; when in most cases, it isn’t. Custom furniture means no mistakes, no returns, no customer service, and no issues. Clients end up saving money in the long run because the designer controls the quality. When an item is created by a local artist, you’re able to express your vision and opinion directly. You may even be able to pencil your design to get exactly what you want. It’s a collaborative process between the client, designer, and maker. The economies of scale of a store-bought piece are not necessarily cheaper. You end up paying for additional things like administrative and office expenses for a piece that isn’t as high of quality. When you are making a piece for your home, it’s going to look better, fit better, and feel better. These custom pieces tend to live on in the home for many lifetimes due to their quality and uniqueness. That is why I maintain relationships with local artisans who make one-of-a-kind pieces for my clients.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Every time a client visits the West Elm website, all of my designs pop up and are featured prominently on all the product info pages. It is nice to see after all these years; my designs are being displayed as the main product photo.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aniferraradesign.com/
- Instagram: @aniferraradesign
Image Credits
Landon Vonderschmidt and Michelle Arroyo
