Launched a little over a year ago by staging savant Cheryl Eisen, Eisen Design House recently added to its team, allowing the New York-based interior design firm to continue to expand its national footprint and creative range.
Design News Now took the opportunity to check in with Eisen and Shannon Slattery, director of design, to see how the firm’s launch has gone and what’s ahead.
Eisen’s Interior Marketing Group stages hundreds of the most exclusive, prestigious properties around the country annually, and a few years ago, she began planning to open a separate interior design firm. The idea was to build on her expertise in high-end interiors and meet the needs of people who, impressed with IMG’s work, wanted the firm to design residential interiors.
While the companies are separate, Eisen Design House benefits from the relationships with real estate brokers, developers and others that IMG has built over the years.
“A lot of great opportunities have come the first year through client referrals and partnerships,” Eisen says. “Personalized customer service is where we shine, and the connections we’ve made (over the years) have led us to a lot of work.”
Eisen’s years of experience staging properties and the relationships she built in that world also allow Eisen Design House to provide an extra service to interior design clients: long-term rental furnishings.
“Many times, these residential designs have extremely long timelines, months if not years,” Slattery says. “We have found clients are either looking to go to a rental home (until the project is finished) and need rental furnishings or want to live in their home during the renovation and need some temporary pieces. Because of our relationship with Interior Marketing Group, we can offer them a rental package of furnishings.”
While IMG’s staging projects are designed to impress buyers and secure the highest purchase price, Eisen Design House’s goal is to create bespoke, livable spaces for its clients, Slattery says.
“We don’t impose our aesthetic on other people,” Eisen adds. “We’re not maximalist. We’re not minimalist. We create comfortable, warm, authentic living spaces.”
The firm works across the country but most projects — a mix of renovations and new construction — have been in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area and in Florida.
One recent project is a 4,600-square-foot, three-bedroom residence at the Tampa EDITION in Florida. The firm worked closely with the homeowners from the early construction stages to create a personalized retreat, overseeing custom millwork, finishes, furnishings and artwork.
“The client (has a) deep appreciation for design,” Slattery says. “Not only did she have a lot of experience doing previous renovations, she had a great knowledge and love for all things design. It created a great challenge for our team, ensuring that we were presenting new and unexpected pieces, but also curating iconic pieces. We created a nice, layered blend of iconic design with contemporary furnishings.”
Starting up
Even experienced business owners face challenges when starting a new venture. One of Eisen Design House’s was more unusual: Slattery gave birth to her daughter Flora just as the firm was launching and she was on maternity leave in those early months. But the rest of the team stepped up, Eisen says.
Another start-up challenge, Slattery says, has been “making our name known in a very competitive industry.”
“There are so many designers and so many high-end residential designers,” she says. “So, the question is, ‘How do we step into the marketplace where people have known us but in a different way?’”
To do that, Eisen Design House is using a marketing toolkit — a new website, social media, PR — and is building a portfolio of showcase projects, something that can take time because both IMG and Eisen Design House’s clientele includes the ultra-wealthy and the well-known, who often prefer to keep their homes private.
Building the team
With the addition of four new team members, Eisen Design House now employs 12, including Eisen, Slattery, three senior designers, other designers and a few administrative staff.
The new staff members include:
* Will Saks, who is a senior interior designer for Eisen Design House. Saks previously was with Dumais Interiors, where he worked on high-end residential projects throughout New York City, New England and Florida. Previously, he was style director at WeWork, collaborating directly with the chief creative officer to redevelop the brand aesthetic, with an emphasis on elevating co-working spaces into curated, residential-inspired environments.
* Kristin Firine, who is also a senior interior designer. Firine has a refined and highly personalized approach to high-end residential design, the firm’s leadership says. She was formerly with Workshop/APD and Gramercy Design and has held leadership roles within the interior design community, serving five years on the boards of ASID Connecticut and ASID New York.
* Isabella Ramirez, who is a junior interior designer with a background in interior architecture and previous roles at Plan Architecture and HDR. Ramirez’s portfolio includes contributing to the design of Turf’s award-winning showroom at The Mart in Chicago, which received Interior Design magazine’s 2023 Best of Year award for domestic showroom design.
* Amanda Spencer, who is the studio manager. She has experience managing more than 20 furnished Airbnb rentals as a design coordinator with Fenix Living. With a strong aesthetic sense and a passion for supporting creative teams, Spencer will help drive operational excellence while fostering an inspiring studio culture, the firm’s leadership said.
When adding to the Eisen Design House team, Eisen and Slattery have been focused on individuals with industry experience, who have their own aesthetic and the ability to collaborate.
“We also want someone who is a self-starter,” Eisen says. “It’s a fast-moving industry and a fast-moving team … so we need somebody who’s really able to adapt and evolve.”
As for what’s ahead, Eisen and Slattery plan to continue growing and honing the Eisen Design House team.
“We want to do gorgeous work and expand our portfolio,” Slattery says. “We’re excited.”
Eisen offers a more specific goal: “The other goal, ultimately,” she says, “is to be on the AD100 list.”
