2021 AD100 Debut: Reath Design

Firm principal Frances Merrill takes a narrative approach to design. “The ultimate goal of every project is to tell the unique story of the people who inhabit the space,” says the Los Angeles based designer. Her work is typically characterized by audacious yet controlled layering of pattern and color. Rather than artificial bombast, she strives for warmth, elegance, and personality. “If a project can hit those marks and also have a little sense of humor, all the better,” she insists. Merrill is currently applying that philosophy to a Fantasia-inspired remodel of Igor Stravinsky’s erstwhile L.A. home, as well as a 1912 beach house in Gloucester, Massachusetts. reathdesign.com

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest