Deana Della Cioppa
In The Workshop: Deana Della Cioppa & Rachel An
April 30, 2021
Our creative, collaborative team is our greatest assets. Each member of our diverse collective brings unique perspectives and experiences to the team, so we’re starting a new series to introduce a pair of Workshop pros with a series of questions that highlight their interests and inspirations. This month we spoke to interior designer Deana Della Cioppa and architectural designer Rachel An, an extraordinarily talented pair whose work spans a wide range of residential and hospitality projects.
Name an architecture or design trend you wish would go away:
The “maximalist approach” to design. While an eclectic look can be super successful, I personally think less is more when designing a space. Using too many different patterns, colors, and styles in one space can be too busy and does not create a cohesive look.
A New (or new-er) A&D trend you love or see coming:
This trend has already started to make a comeback, but I love the return of the 70s influence, especially with the pops of color and lines of furniture (burnt orange, mustards, Scandinavian furniture, etc.)
What’s your dream project?
My family and I have always talked about opening an Italian restaurant, so my ultimate dream project would be to design a super chic, modern-but-classic Italian restaurant for my family.
What’s your pandemic hobby?
I love to cook! So I spent a lot of time cooking and trying new recipes.
Describe your style in 3 words (can be personal or design aesthetic)
Inspired, Harmonious, Minimalist
Your favorite building or room of all time
One of my favorite buildings of all time is the Duomo in Florence, Italy (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) by Filippo Brunelleschi… Seeing this vastly detailed structure, ornamented with shades of white, pink, and green marble, is just breathtaking in person!
An architecture or design trend you wish would go away:
I find that I don’t have an issue with a particular trend as much as the way it’s approached. There is power in taking inspiration from trends and elevating what you already value in daily spaces, but there is a danger of misrepresenting one’s style by taking any trend directly – especially the ones that are heavily context based – and recreating them. When trends are used purely as a means to grab people’s attention, I think it inhibits the potential of creative design results. You lose the magical moment when the true values of an individual or a company aligns with the aesthetics of a space!
A New (or new-er) A&D trend you love or see coming:
A new trend direction I see coming (or hope to see) is an elevated warmth in texture, form and lighting through subtle details. In the last few years pre-Covid, I’ve noticed minimal, raw, contrasting expressions that were continually pushing the boundaries of modern life and space such as: raw concrete edges, stainless steel surfaces and pure white lighting & minimal furnishing, in bold color palettes. I believe that now people are starting to shift towards finding inherent warmth in spaces. To unpack, I believe that this new type of warmth is focused on each object & material choice carrying subtle details- tone on tone colors, texture transition, light reflectivity- that embraces its complex presence individually rather than each element representing a single characteristic which requires an additive approach to curation of a space.
What’s your dream project?
My dream project would be – so cliché – my own vacation home. It is a great scenario where I could push myself to embrace a new contextual design with personal depth that I can treasure & visit.
What’s your pandemic hobby?
I’ve developed several short-lived hobbies, but the ones that stuck are: sewing & photography!
Describe your style in 3 words (can be personal or design aesthetic)
Intentional, Honesty, Immersive
Your favorite building or room of all time
Definitely the Portico Gallery at the Frick Collection. It’s interstitial but has such an amazingly defined spatial moment.
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