Our designer community is so special to us at Maiden Home, as they have played an integral role in the early growth of our brand. When we launched nearly one year ago, a community of interior designers from across the country quickly galvanized around us. With their years of experience, they immediately spotted the incredible value and quality we offer in our products, and grasped why our approach was truly disruptive. Over time they have become among our most valuable customers, specifying our pieces for multiple client projects over the last year.
With that said, we're ecstatic to kick-off a series of profiles here on The Frame that celebrate each of the talented designers in the Maiden Home community. First up, meet Gabriela Gargano who invited us in to witness the finishing touches on her latest project in Mattituck, New York–a quaint North Fork town, just a few hours from the hustle and bustle of NYC.
Naturally, we were so thrilled when Gabriela chose our pieces for the project, and her choice of our two Sullivan sofas could not have been better for the look and lifestyle of the Mattituck home. We designed the Sullivan to live at the intersection of style and comfort. From an extra-deep seat and down cushioning to high shelter arms, this is the sofa you want to kick off your shoes and curl up into–perfect for this relaxed getaway from her clients’ hectic city lives. At the same time, its tailored lines allow it to blend seamlessly into the clean, modern aesthetic Gaby created in the space. Too often a cozy sofa lacks clean lines, or a tailored sofa just isn’t comfortable–the Sullivan truly solves both.
Now, hear from Gabriela who shared more about her foray into interior design along with her process and favorite moments from this project.
Meet Gabriela
My name is Gabriela Gargano, and I'm the founder of Grisoro Designs, an interior design and development firm based in Manhattan. I love to learn; I'm fascinated by understanding how things work and how they are made as I think it adds such a deep level of appreciation. Professionally, I'd define my style as collected modern - to me that means blending contemporary elements with vintage, artisan, and textural pieces so that a space is both clean yet warm.
On Breaking into Interior Design
I had quite a roundabout way of moving into interior design. I always thought I'd work in a creative field, but ended up getting recruited into finance while I was at Brown and spent over 12 years at Goldman Sachs and TPG Axon, the latter where I met Kori one of the homeowners! Along the way, I filled my design passion by renovating/designing/staging several properties in Manhattan.
Launching Grisoro Designs came about quite organically as more and more friends and family started asking for my help and then referring me to others - it allowed me to build a business before moving into design full-time. I believe the result of my experiences is being able to blend the aesthetic elements of design with the pragmatic approach of an investor.
The Mattituck Home
Kori and John bought this amazing cottage in Mattituck, NY with the intention of creating a contemporary home that was meant for hosting friends and family, not only in the summers but year round. They have a large extended family and love to entertain, so it was key to create an environment that had adequate space for socializing and sleeping. The living room is the real star of the home - it's the first thing you see as you enter, plus it has the most incredible waterfront views. When we were designing this space, we wanted the feeling of relaxed elegance that was blending modern and traditional lines, but wasn't overtly "beachy." Maiden Home was the PERFECT option for our living room sofas because it blended form and function.
On Designing
Aesthetically, we were able to choose a style that felt clean and contemporary, yet cozy with the selection of Sullivan sofas. We needed rather precise sizes, and Maiden Home allowed us to choose the exact length we needed. We also loved that it was a quality made American company that focused on responsibly sourced, non-toxic elements at a reasonable price. However, best of all, we had many Crypton performance fabrics to choose from, which was perfect for a vacation home with significant wear-and-tear to be expected!
Gaby's Process
I joined this project about halfway through the architectural phase, initially to help with furnishings but ultimately had the opportunity to work very closely with the wonderful architectural team at Foley Fiore Architecture and construction team at Boeckman Construction. It was the first beach house I designed, which meant paying particular attention to materials that would wear well from metal finishes to wallpaper. We began by reviewing inspiration images that both Kori and John liked and then designing a space that blended their respective styles (preppy and mid-century Danish modern respectively) to create a fresh take on "beach house chic." We then focused on color schemes to work into the selection of construction materials and finishes. As we moved into furnishings, it really took on an organic design process where we tackled multiple spaces at once by starting with a key piece that they loved for each room and then designing the room around it.
Her Learnings
I think the thing I learned most in this process was not only how much I love renovation and construction, but how fortunate it is to have the opportunity to design a space from the structural finishes to the custom accent pillows. While I've had the opportunity to do so in several Manhattan apartments, it was quite different being given a much wider range of flexibility that a freestanding home offers. It was also a unique challenge to blend the original part of the home with the new construction and have each space feel unique, yet flow seamlessly. You know you achieved that when people have a different “favorite space” - it means that there's something special about every room that resonates with people differently.
Gabriela Gargano chose The Sullivan Sofa in Cloud Performance Chevron + Washed Oak finish.
