On the Move: July Design Industry News

Discover the most recent industry promotions, new hires, and company news in Interior Design’s latest edition of On the Move.

LMN Architects

LMN Architects has appointed Jenn Chen to the firm’s leadership as partner. She will be the first interior designer to join the firm’s partnership. Chen has been with LMN for eight years, during which time she helped move the firm into new market sectors with projects such as the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business at Clemson University, Hines Seattle Headquarters, and a 700,000-square-foot technology company campus, one of the firm’s largest workplace projects to date. She also co-founded the firm’s Path to Zero Carbon series, which is focused on sharing research, summarizing, and prioritizing actions to reach carbon neutrality, and is a leading member of the firm’s Materials & Health Applied Research Team.

Jenn Chen, partner at LMN Architects. Photography courtesy of LMN Architects.

Teknion

Teknion has entered a business alliance with Modus. The partnership unites the Canadian-based workplace furniture manufacturer and British furniture brand, each contributing a distinct design heritage and strong sustainability drive. Modus is the first British manufacturer to become a Teknion alliance partner and its manufacturing facility in Somerset further enhances Teknion’s global supply chain capabilities.

The Good Plastic Company

The international sustainable surface materials manufacturer The Good Plastic Company has announced the appointment of two new leaders in North America: Diane Barnes as president and Linda Zupan as sales operation manager. The promotions are part of the company’s expansion into the North American market. Their 100% recycled and recyclable plastic panels, Polygon, are now available stateside.

Sara Murray, senior designer | innovation at Mary Cook Associates. Photography courtesy of Mary Cook Associates.

Mary Cook Associates

Chicago-based Mary Cook Associates (MCA) announced the promotion of Sara Murray from senior designer to the newly established position of senior designer | innovation. In this role, Murray will build on her experience integrating the latest technologies into the design business process, training staff, staying ahead of emerging trends, optimizing internal workflows and delivering measurable value to MCA’s clients. Murray brings nearly a decade of design experience and a proven track record of success to her new position, having worked on a diverse range of projects.

KTGY

The national architecture, branding, interiors, and planning firm KTGY has announced the addition of a residential interiors practice in the firms Washington DC office, led by associate principal Carrie Tolman. In addition, Holly Nixon has been hired as associate principal to strengthen the firm’s hospitality and residential interiors presence in Florida.

WATG

John Page has been appointed principal and senior director of business development for the Americas at WATG. He joins the firm with 35 years of experience across the hospitality, gaming, and entertainment sectors. In his new role he will work in collaboration with Arianna Leopard, principal/senior director of business development, based in Houston, to support the firms’ offices in Tustin and Los Angeles, California; Honolulu and New York City. 

John Page, principal and senior director of business development for the Americas at WATG. Photography courtesy of WATG.

Perkins&Will

Perkins&Will has opened a studio in San Antonio, augmenting the firm’s presence in Texas and joining existing studios in Dallas, Austin, and Houston. The studio will be led by Adrianna Swindle, who heads cultural and civic as well as corporate and commercial practices; and health practice leader, Omar Cantu. The studio will deliver local services in urban design, workplace, and higher education.

MAS Studio

Julie Michiels and Jacob Chartoff have joined MAS Studio as partners alongside Iker Gil. Michiels has practiced in offices in Chicago, most recently as the interiors practice leader and senior associate principal at SOM Chicago. She previously held roles at Perkins&Will and Environ (now HED). She was a finalist of Interior Design’s Interior Designer of the Year Award in 2020. Chartoff most recently joined Michiels to co-lead the Interiors Studio at SOM where he served as associate principal and the interiors technical design lead. He previously held roles at Landon Bone Baker, GLUCK+, Wheeler Kearns Architects, Columbia College Chicago, and Civic Projects.

Ben Kracke, managing director at Rapt Studio. Photography courtesy of Rapt Studio.

Rapt Studio

Ben Kracke has been appointed managing director of Rapt Studio Los Angeles. He will join Rapt Studio’s senior leadership team and will oversee the Los Angeles team of architects, designers, and strategic thinkers, working closely with Kali Lewis, Rapt’s LA creative director.

Additionally, Tina McCarthy is joining as head of growth. She will lead the studio’s business development strategy. McCarthy most recently served as managing director of PMG’s New York office, and prior, as group vice p[resident of client services at Huge. With more than 20 years of experience, McCarthy has led partnerships with brands including Casper, Design Hotels, The Peninsula Hotels, Harry Winston, Donna Karan, Tory Burch and Michael Kors, among many.

Tangram Interiors

Southern California-based interiors firm Tangram has made updates to its internal structure, including the advancement of four team members to business development roles. They are Lora Apodaca to director of business development for Southern California; Ali McGee as new business developer for the Newport Beach office; Gary Vilinsky to business development for Tangram Southern California, and Andrew Roche to business development & data analyst in Orange County.

Lindsay Gerber Interiors

Brett Northart has joined Lindsay Gerber Interiors as CEO. Northart has a background in tech, having founded Le Tote and scaled the company into one of the largest subscription e-commerce companies in the world. During his 8-year tenure as founder and President, Northart grew the business from initial concept to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, built up a team of over 500 employees, launched a joint venture in China and raised over $350 million from top-tier VC and PE firms.

V Starr

Sonya Haffey has been appointed CEO of V Starr. She was previously the firm’s principal of 15 years. Under her new title, she will continue to make handle direct relations with outside investors, clients and various stakeholders while remaining committed to the growth and development of the V Starr portfolio at the executive level. The promotion comes as part of an overall rebrand of the firm and reevaluation of its key pillars to align with its long-term goals to service partners across hospitality and residential sectors.

Sonya Haffey, chief executive officer at V Starr. Photography courtesy of V Starr.

StudioSix5

Austin-based commercial interiors firm StudioSix5 has announced the promotion of three new principals. Claire Richards and Shauna Revo are now principals. They have both been with the firm for more than 10 years. Claire directs the multifamily, student living and hospitality studio. Shauna is a senior project manager focused on senior living. Jose Patiño has been promoted to associate principal. He is the company’s IT director and oversees its 3D modeling studio. The promotions come as the firm celebrates its 21st anniversary.

Soake Pools

The New England-based plunge pool manufacturer Soake Pools has announced two new hires. They are Shane Baker as technical services specialist and Jarrett Brathweaite as southwestern territory manager. Both will contribute to the continued growth and success of the company. Baker has a background in project management and customer service within the higher education sector, and brings daily operations and management skills to his new role. Brathwaite has a rich history spanning over a decade in channel sales and sales management across diverse technology sectors, and has earned acclaim for driving exponential growth and fostering impactful partnerships.

15o8

The multinational hospitality and residential interior design firm 15o8 has appointed Scott Miller as regional director of North America. He joins the firm from AvroKO, where he previously held the position of global director of development since 2016.

Scott Miller, regional director of North America at 15o8. Photography courtesy of 15o8.

Powerhouse Arts

The Gowanus, Brooklyn-based fabrication studio Powerhouse Arts has joined forces with two new organizations. They are Manhattan Graphics Center (MGC), a membership-driven community printshop, and Alpha Workshops, which trains and employs people with HIV/AIDS or other disabilities in textile fabrication. The partnership ensures that all three organization are able to continue operating far into the future.

Jeffrey Beers International

As part of a succession plan following the passing of founder Jeffrey Beers in March, three newly appointed partners have come together to lead the Jeffrey Beers International firm. They are Michael Pandolfi, Nora Liu-Kanter, and Tim Rooney. All worked alongside Beers for over 20 years, and they will continue to collaborate closely with the partners, chief operating officer Julia Choi, and chief financial officer Jeffrey Ashey.

Rei Gomez, principal at Ware Malcomb’s Miami office. Photography courtesy of Ware Malcomb.

Ware Malcomb

Ware Malcomb has announced promotions in their Nashville office. They are Greg Spon to principal and Rebecca Moore to director, interior architecture and design. Moore joined the firm in 2023 as studio manager and brings 22 years of experience overall to the role. Spon, meanwhile, has been with the firm since 2015 and most recently served as regional director since 2022.

The firm has also made promotions in their Irvine, CA-based corporate headquarters. The promotions are Sergio Valentini to Southern California regional principal overseeing the Irvine and Inland Empire offices; Luke Corsbie to principal, civil engineering; Analisa Olson to director of the Irvine interior architecture and design studio; Eric Namisniak to studio manager, architecture for the Irvine and Inland Empire offices; and Andrew Capeluto as studio manager, branding.

In the Miami office, Rei Gomez has been promoted to principal. He will be responsible for the continued leadership and overall growth of the Miami practice.

Bernard Interiors

Interior design studio Bernard Interiors, headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, with offices in London, has made two senior appointments: Rachael Sellers and Oliver Holmes. Sellers brings 20 years of experience in marketing and business development across the professional services and healthcare sectors, including 11 years as head of marketing and business development at BW Medical Accountants. Holmes has spent 10 years working in financial services, including three as Vice President of banking operations with Deutsche Bank.

Kaynemaile

The global designer and manufacturer of bio-circular architectural mesh systems Kaynemaile has named Jeffrey Hentz as USA market leader. In this role, he will lead and manage the marketing, sales, and fulfillment of the company’s products.

L’OBJET

Stanislas Le Bert has been appointed chief executive officer of L’OBJET. He brings over 15 years of experience in the luxury beauty and lifestyle industries. His tenure includes roles at Dyptique, Byredo, and most recently as CEO at L:a Bruket.

Stanislas Le Bert, chief executive officer, L’OBJET. Photography courtesy of L’OBJET.

Jamie Stern Furniture, Carpet, Leather & Fabric

Jamie Stern has appointed three new representatives. Kymberly Henry has been named to the sales team, based in San Francisco and covering the wider Northern California territory. Kymberly brings over a decade of experience selling luxury high-end product into the interiors market. Based in Denver, Ashley Jewell covers the Colorado, Utah and Arizona territories. Ashley brings over a decade of experience selling product into the architectural interiors market. Mia Stern joins the sales team in Boston, where she will cover the New England territory, Mia brings extensive client-facing experience along with a passion for business development.

Hoedemaker Pfeiffer

Seattle-based multidisciplinary design and architecture firm Hoedemaker Pfeiffer has promoted Todd Beyerlein to partner. Beyerlein brings decades of leadership and design experience to the role.

Brent Capron, New York interiors studio design director and associate principal at Corgan. Photography courtesy of Corgan.

Corgan

Brent Capron has joined Corgan as interiors studio design director and associate principal in the New York office. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the design industry and will lead the creative endeavors at Corgan’s corporate interiors practice in New York. Capron’s exceptional design has earned multiple Interior Design Best of Year accolades for 799 Broadway, Shearman & Sterling’s global headquarters, and Grey Worldwide’s global headquarters.

Olson Kundig

Olson Kundig has opened a Chicago office, marking a significant expansion for the firm. The studio will be located in Fulton Market, where it will serve as a central hub for the firm’s operations and offer specialized services for clients in the midwest.

RODE Architects

Boston-based RODE Architects has acquired McMahon Architects. McMahon is a full-service firm specializing in workplace interiors, hospitality, restaurant, residential and environmental design. The acquisition, which reflects RODE’s continued growth and momentum following its expansion in 2023, enables the firm to strengthen its capabilities in several key sectors and expand its offerings for clients reimagining the workplace in a post-pandemic landscape.

3form

Lauren V. Smith has been appointed director of sustainability at 3form. In this role, she will lead company-wide initiatives, partnering with teams across 3form, 3form Elements, and LightArt to integrate sustainable practices in every facet of the business. Most recently, she served as the corporate sustainability manager at Columbia Sportswear Company. Prior to Columbia, Smith was at General Motors, where she was integral in pursuing the company’s zero waste aspirations as the sustainable materials program manager.

Lauren Smith, director of sustainability for 3form. Photography courtesy of 3form.

DIFFA

Tom Polucci, senior principal and firm-wide director of interiors at HOK, has been elected as chairman of the board at DIFFA. With over three decades of experience and a deep commitment to excellence and innovation in design, Tom’s leadership promises to usher DIFFA into a new era as it expands its mission to tackle broader community challenges, including homelessness and mental wellness.

Ben Ayers and Hannah Hackathorn, co-directors for Mancini Duffy’s Phoenix office. Photography by Lauren Ayers.

Mancini Duffy

Mancini Duffy has opened its sixth regional office in Phoenix, Arizona. This expansion to the Southwest region brings Mancini’s pioneering design solutions to a thriving new market, spearheaded by industry leaders Benjamin Ayers and Hannah Hackathorn, who have joined the firm as principals and co-directors of the new office. With over 22 years of experience, Ayers has led dynamic teams and designed significant projects throughout the Southwest region. For over 24 years, Hackathorn has led design disciplines for North America, viewing technology as an enabler to collaborate smarter and better.

Gensler

Gensler welcomed three senior leaders to its growing global healthcare practice. Shary Adams joins Gensler’s Toronto office as a Healthcare Practice Area Leader. With 35 years designing and planning for major healthcare systems, Adams has committed her career to expanding services and developing strategies that improve treatment for those requiring complex physical and mental healthcare. At Gensler’s Shanghai office, Ray Bai assumes the role of Practice Area Community Leader. With nearly 25 years in healthcare, hospitality, mixed-use and aviation design in China and the U.S., Bai will spearhead strategic development and expansion across Gensler’s healthcare work and offices in Greater China. Alanna Carter joins the Gensler Houston office as Regional Healthcare Practice Area Leader. With 30 years of design experience spanning healthcare projects like hospitals, clinics, senior living and surgery centers, Carter prioritizes balancing patient and staff needs. Her innovative solutions address complex industry challenges, with a focus on welcoming broader communities into healthcare spaces. 

Shary Adams.

Ray Bai.

Alanna Carter.