rachaeldesign

I like meditating, but I often don't make time for it--my weekly self-care routine consists of Monday night Pilates and, if I'm lucky, a few early-morning runs. But last Friday I had the good fortune to be invited by Kravet to an event put on by Well-Designed, an organization that focuses on...

I recently worked on a Womb Chair. In case you’ve never heard of the Womb Chair, here’s a little background: Finnish architect Eero Saarinen designed the Womb Chair in 1946 for Florence Knoll, of the family that founded the NYC-born Knoll furniture company,  after the latter requested “a chair that was...

This past weekend I flew to Cleveland to drop my kids at my parents house for their winter break. I hadn't been there in about six months which is awhile for me. It's important for me to go as often as I can to see my Grandma Fanny who's 98, still...

This mahogany tub chair is a beauty, but it wasn't always so gorgeous. Just a few months ago it was old and tattered with ripped leather and a scratched wood frame. This wooden frame was beat up--lots of cracks and scratches. We stripped the wood and then had to decide whether...

Last week I shared some of my favorite spots for sourcing vintage furniture. But I didn't mention one of my biggest sources: live-streamed auctions. You can find incredible stuff at sites like LiveAuctioneers.com which, expecially since the pandemic, have made finding awesome pieces a lot easier. Log on, pre-bid, and cross your fingers....

I’m often asked where I source and shop for all my pieces. The answer is, everywhere. I’ve always got my eye open for interesting pieces whether it’s online, on the street or estate sales. Growing up my mom used to take us to flea markets and vintage shops on a regular...

One of my favorite projects this year was one where we redesigned nearly all of my client's living room furniture. I love this client because she believes in sustainable interiors and appreciates the beauty within vintage furniture. She also was willing to take risks, mix patterns and have fun! Clients like...

I started my furniture redesign business in October of 2020 from my spare bedroom in Crown Heights. It didn't take long before my house was crammed with old and newly refinished furniture. It was a revolving door. One day there'd be two sofas in the living room, the next day eight...

What first attracted me to textile designer Mariadela Araujo's work was her bold use of color. She combined neon green and black with tomato red and a touch of grey. Mariadela's palettes are daring and, when we met this summer in Barcelona and decided to collaborate, she inpired me to step...

Last August I was lucky to spend two weeks in Barcelona. My kids were at  camp during the day while my husband and I did work at cafes and soaked up the city. I love the colorful, surrealist vibe in Barcelona. One sweltering afternoon we visited the Joan Miro museum. I...