Once you find a few artisan objects you love, design a room around them. That’s the philosophy of our popular home décor exhibition, “Make Room: Modern Design Meets Craft,” which puts craft in context in stylish room vignettes. Now in its fourth year, “Make Room” heads in a whole new direction – actually, in several directions. This year’s theme, “4 Directions,” asks designers to create rooms inspired by select works of fine craft that exemplify the essence of style in the North, South, East, and West. Each designer will explore how geography and climate influence the culture and design aesthetic of a particular region. 

NORTH

Designer: Leslie Shapiro Joyal, Allied ASID
Design firm: Shapiro Joyal Studio
Inspirations: Dianne Nordt, Gerald Arrington, Will Richards
Vision: Few landscapes inspire calm and happiness as beautifully as the Northern California coast. I love serene interiors, and the quiet colors and textures of the artisans’ work I chose allowed me to imagine the rocky coast in front of me: the swirling fog, salty air, blue skies, and statuesque trees silhouetted against the mountains. Some of my happiest moments in life have been driving along the coast with the bluffs on one side and the iridescent sea on the other. Northern California is a special place. I hope I am able to convey some of that magic in my room vignette.

SOUTH

Designers: Natalie Stone, Barbara Woortmann, and Alexa Eisner 
Design firm: Creator [Conceptions]
Inspirations: Jerry Kermode, Kimberly Morris, Roger Combs
Vision: A member of our team is from Brazil, so South was a deeply personal concept around which to design our vignette. A celebration of the natural world is fundamental to the culture of Brazil, hence our vibrant and bright space. At the same time, the natural world is under duress, and the destruction of the Amazon through deforestation is a real threat, which our creative interpretation acknowledges. Through the juxtaposition of life (color, ribbons, greenery) and death (burned wood, flat visuals, emptiness), we seek to create a moment of reverence to invite change. 

EAST

Designer: Andrew Mann
Design firm: Andrew Mann Architecture
Inspirations: Kris Marubayashi, Tim Arnold, Lynne Meade
Vision: East always speaks to me. As an East Coast native transplanted to the West Coast, I have always been inspired by the simplicity and honesty of the architecture in New England. Those characteristics are what I see in the artists I have selected to highlight. My room aims to show the hand and the craft that goes into the spaces we live in – and the fine objects that we surround ourselves with.

WEST

Designer: Alden Miller
Design firm: Alden Miller Interiors
Inspirations: Evan Chambers, Kathleen Plate, Barry Uden
Vision: When I think of West, I think of home. I was raised in California, and my parents were marine biologists, so the coast is a vital part of who I am. The sun sets in the West, and in California the experience is amazing. The sun meets the ocean, and for a brief moment we watch it sink into another world. This room is about that moment. Luminescent materials, aquatic-inspired objects, and vibrant colors combine to create a space rich with a California mood.