Above: Laundry room in a Minnesota lake house designed by Ryan © Stephen Kent Johnson, foyer of the Minnesota lake house © Bruce Damonte; Below: Dining room of a Tribeca, New York City apartment designed by Ryan, styled by Devon Altman © Ori Harpaz, living room of the Tribeca apartment designed by Ryan, styled by Devon Colligan © Ori Harpaz

At only 24 years old, Arkansas-born Ryan Lawson founded his eponymous design studio in the bustling heart of New York City. Today, Artsper had the pleasure of meeting Ryan, to hear about his design journey so far, his enduring passion for architecture and art, and his current favorites in the world of contemporary art. From Bauhaus-inspired textiles and 1960s French ceramic works to the refined classics of modern design, step inside the world of Ryan Lawson…

1. Hello Ryan! We're super excited to speak with you today. Could you start by telling us about yourself and your career journey so far?

Thank you so much for having me! I have been interested in architecture and art as far back as I can remember. I studied both during college and decided that to work in interior design would be a good overlap of the two. So, with that, I set out for New York City. I worked for another designer for just over a year and then started my design firm.  I was twenty four years old - seems like forever ago. My work has grown in size and complexity over the last eighteen years. And, I hope, even though my projects all look quite different from one another, that a point of view has emerged across them all. I have to say that I'm still proud of the work that I made at the beginning of my career, but I am really excited about the things that are coming next.

2. What has been your favorite interior design project to date, and what was the inspiration behind the design choices that you made?

The projects require so much time and energy on my part and my team's part that we really do develop an affinity for almost all of them.

The majority of my work has been on residential projects, the intimacy of which I enjoy. I just finished the renovation and redecoration of a big apartment in New York City for a dynamic couple who entertains a lot and has lots of great collections of things built over decades. I'm working on a few new construction projects too - one in Connecticut for a huge family with kids and grandkids and boats and fishing poles and another one in the hills of Texas with sleek details and super luxurious materials. And, we are building a barn to go with another Connecticut house from 1730. And, there are a few redecorating projects for clients I first worked with more than a decade ago. So, there's a lot of variety. But, for all of them, we dive in deep on the details - the nuances and meanings of every part - whether construction specifications or decorating decisions. Those layers are critical, and they take a lot of time to develop and refine.  

In addition to those projects, which oftentimes take years to complete, I've also been very happy to work on some great commercial projects all across the United States for retail company Faherty Brand and for BRIKA, a beautiful shop in my home state of Arkansas.  Their objectives are no less rigorous, but the timelines are much shorter and the budgets usually have to stretch further. This all is exciting, and it keeps a different part of my brain activated.

Ideally, my office has a good balance of both types of projects going at the same time. It keeps us all sane.

Left: The office in a New York City apartment designed by Ryan, styled by Colin King © Stephen Kent Johnson; right: Dining room in a Hamptons house designed by Ryan, styled by Colin King © Chris Mottalini

3. New York City is a dynamic and bustling city. What do you enjoy most about being based in the Big Apple? Do you have any other places in mind where you'd like to see a project through?

New York City is both of those things! I wanted to move here after my first visit as a young child. I still marvel at it on a daily basis. It can be brutal and tedious and tiresome. But, I am never bored. There is always something to do - or for me - something to look at.

There are, as you know, endless sources and resources here - designers, makers, materials, artisans, craftspeople, upholsterers, painters, stonemasons, antiques, specialists - whether generations old or on the cutting edge. I don't think there's another city that can compete in that regard.

But, what I think I love most about all those sources and resources is the stories behind each of them. It takes determination and resourcefulness and guts to make a life here. I love knowing about all the people working now and hearing about all the people who have come before me, making things and doing things in and around the industry.

Other cities are great for me to visit - and even to work in. But, New York City is where I feel I most belong.

4. Is there a historical design style that particularly resonates with you?

There are far too many to choose just one. But, I find myself coming back over and over to a few references in particular. 1920s Italian Futurist furniture.  Early Modernism - Wiener Werkstatte metalwork, Amsterdam School wooden furniture, Bauhaus textiles. 1960s and 1970s French ceramics. Japanese indigo textiles. Bargello needlework. And, books! I love books! Suzanne Slesin's book French Style is a constant. And, Jean Demachy's book A Passion For Collecting, too. 

Can I also name designers in particular whose work I love? Andrée Putman, Jacques Grange, Fernando Santangelo, Pam Shamshiri, Edward Lutyens, Billy Baldwin, Jean Michel Frank, Roy McMakin, JB Blunk, Pucci De Rossi, Madeleine Castaing. I could go on and on.

Images of the fireplace and living room of a Connecticut home designed by Ryan, styled by Colin King © Stephen Kent Johnson

5. Do you consider yourself to be an art lover? If so, who are some artists (emerging or established) that you have your eye on at the moment? 

I am absolutely an art lover. I am constantly looking at galleries and auctions, in books and magazines, and on the walls of people whom I think have excellent taste. Even though I usually am pushing my clients to narrow their selections and collections, I have to admit I have very broad and varied tastes in art - all different media and from all different time periods.

In my office right in front of me, I am fortunate to be looking at the work of sculptor Alma Allen and Abel Macias, painters Otis Jones and Matt Kleberg, photographers Alec Soth and Hassan Hajjaj. Just to name a few.

6. What advice would you give to a budding interior designer?

Look at things all the time, and take good visual notes. Buy books. Invest in the very, very best photography of your work - the investment now pays off later.